Responses Become Habits

You jump every time you see a dog whether it’s tethered or not. You begin to sweat and your heart beat races out of control and your fee want to take flight. You broke up with that special someone and when you saw them while you were out shopping, your anger kicked in and you felt heated and yes your heart picked up a rapid beat.

You enjoy shopping and it makes you feel good inside when you get the packages home and go through them again as you un-bag them. You feel a special love for people in your life who are important to you when you see them each time. When you eat your favorite foods, you get a satisfied feeling and your taste buds are appeased. You accomplish your goal and you celebrate its completion. You complete a task and feel the joy of getting the job done. You went on a diet and loss weight and celebrated by buying new clothes.

Each one of these scenarios requires a response. The frequency of the response will determine whether it becomes a positive habit or a negative habit. Your response will determine what type of habits you will allow in your life style. What you practice you will, you will become. However you respond practiced enough times will become a life habit. If you want more celebrations in your life, you must continue to celebrate each accomplishments.

If you make it a habit to smile, you’re smile the majority of the time. If you make it a habit to be kind, you will exhibit kindness. If you make it a habit to eat right and exercise, your body will become healthy. If you practice good responses, you will move towards good habits and vice versa is true. Think of sports. You only become good at the sport if you go to practice and practice, practice, practice. Practice the rudiments of the game until you reach some form of perfection.

The same thing happens when it comes to habits. Habits are practiced, practiced, practiced solidifying the behaviors. It is our choice whether we are going to practice the good or the bad. Check your response and determine if it’s satisfying enough to make a change in your habits. If its not what you want to see happening in your life, change how you respond to it so it doesn’t become a habit you do not wish to cast in cement in your life’s habits.

A Rule of Thumb for a Successful Work - John Maxwell

Work where you’re Strongest 80 percent of the time.
Work where you’re Learning 15 percent of the time.
Work where you’re Weakest 5 percent of the time.

SPW

6-6-09

Who Sets Out to be Bad?

When you were born, I don’t think there were many who said, I want to raise an alcoholic, a thief, a murderer or any child that becomes addictive to a bad behavior. We as mothers and fathers tend to want the very best for our children. We do not want to see harm come to them nor do we want them to be a failure in life.

Life can throw you a loop if you’re not careful to keep a watchful eye upon its comings and goings. We sometimes because of the lack of attention to the small routines that get tossed aside in life, we err on the side of mediocrity. We over look the fundamentals that will cause us to step up our game. We fail to show ourselves an example of what we want our children to become.

When we talk about others when they are not there we teach them back biting.
When we tell them I’m not home when the phone rings, then we teach them to lie and be dishonest. When we lie and manipulate family and friends we show them how to deceive. When you go to a buffet and take food home in your purse, we show them how to steal. When you claim people and things on your income tax that are not real, then we show them how to cheat. When you’re not accountable to your creditors then you show them irresponsibility. I hope we are getting the picture here.

A lifetime of poor habits, routines and behaviors leads us to live without values and standards. So when your child has been caught in the wrong and no correction is given, it brings on more of that same behavior. Just like an addict you must remove them from the situation that allowed them to pick up the habit.

Don’t want to be part of raising a bad child, check who they hang around and pal with. Show your standards to be high. Value them as a person first. Build character that personifies honesty, goodness and upright living. All children will not turn out good, but more will have better lives than if we stand by and do nothing at all.

SPW


7-5-09

Gaining Power

Today I saw an upcoming young man whom I have known from birth. He approached the pulpit as the last worship song ended in praise. As he stood tall and acknowledged his parentage and family that never gave up on him he had the look of assuredness of the message he was about to present to the congregation. I could truly see the appreciation he felt for his father, mother and family. He was standing in the power that some never obtain. As he continued to speak I felt a motherly pride for I knew I had taught him in his younger years. God allowed me to plant some seeds that are now coming to bloom.

Over the years I had seen this young man go through life’s various stages. Some went on without incident and then there were others that gave you pause to think and ponder. During those times I often wondered just what God was doing in his life. I saw the pain of his parents and only could pray and watch. The one thing I knew was that God was in control. His destiny would be fulfilled but only in God’s time. What I was required to do was pray, and pray I did.

Through many prayers and supplications by the saints, this young man was consistently pushed towards his destiny and his calling. His parents educated him with the help of God. As he finished his education, God blessed him with a steady income. He blessed him with a wife to stand by his side. He blessed him with two beautiful children and loving grandparents to impart wisdom as they grow. He blessed him with the Word of God to begin to impart to the masses of people who are struggling.

The words he spoke tonight helped many to know that we can make it. If we are in the middle of something, God will see you through to the other side. The story of Joseph in Genesis 37:18-24 talked about gaining power through the pain of perseverance. Joseph rose to be second in power of a great nation but not without great pain to obtain great power. We must be willing to persevere through the pain to receive the power to make it through. The message hit home to many and gave them new hope to press on.

As he stepped down from the stage the congregation applauded his words of encouragement as the Lord had given them to him. His proudest moment in it all probably was when his father shook his hand and then fondly hugged him. There’s no greater tribute to a father or mother than to see their child walk in the calling God has for their child’s life. This was a great moment in time and I was glad to share in the celebration.

Adding To Your Routine

When you were born you had to learn how to communicate in order to get your needs met. You start to say words so that those around you can better understand what you want and need. Most people continue to learn more verbiage as they grow to be better understood. It’s a lifetime process.

You study for a driving test so that you can become a license driver of a car, a boat, a motorcycle and other modes of transportation. You start this process around fifteen or sixteen and from there you drive for the rest of your life.

As you enter the halls of learning, you learn your ABC’s and all of the subjects that have been placed to help you navigate through life such as Math, English, and History. This pattern continues for at least thirteen years and some go for an additional four or five more to obtain a higher degree. Some make it a life-long learning habit.

Each one of these life processes requires a routine. Routines are meant to establish daily patterns in your life leading you to move down paths that will help you accomplish your goals. Routine can help you to work on automatic pilot doing those things that keep our routines alive and flourishing.

Once the routine has been firmly established, add it to your routine lifestyle; embellishing it with periodical tune-ups just as a car needs a tune up with its parts replaced every now and then, so it is with your routines. Some of the things you do become obsolete. When these routines are no longer functional for what you want to accomplish, replace them with new behaviors and new thoughts. Improve or update the process when necessary. Plod the course you want to take and make the routine something you can do on a continuous basis.

SPW 6-17-09