Words That Shape Our Lives

Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen!

Most of us go through life hoping that things will get better.  Praying that things will turn around.  Waiting for our ships to come in.  Our Father has given us a creative ability to change our atmosphere, lives, and directions.

Whether we know it or not.  Understand it or not but we operate in faith or doubt every hour of our day!  Christians aren't the only ones privy to this information but we seem to often live beneath that knowledge.  I'm not just talking about positive thinking but positive living.

We limit God and the work of the Holy Spirit by our stinking thinking! We limit Him through our thought life and actions. We often say that we are waiting on God when He is actually waiting on us!

He waits on us to excercise our faith, to walk beyond want we can see with these natural eyes! Doubt suffocates faith! Hebrews speaks of "faith the size of a mustard seed" to move us into faith. Man's extremities are God's opportunities to do great and powerful things!

Faith must be acted on, tried, and realized so that we continue to move from one level of Faith to another. We've always heard people speak about using Faith but most of us simply did not understand how to apply it! It's not just saying what we want, or would like to have, or would like to see happen! We must SEE it!

Faith brings to us whatever, in line with His will, that we can see, touch, or believe. The scripture states:

Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. -- James 4:3

The application of Faith is this: Imagine having a bow and arrow and a target. Now, your target is afar off or many feet away from you. In the middle of the target is what is called the "bulls eye." That is where your FOCUS, your aim is directed to. On releasing the arrow (Faith) it travels through the atmosphere against gravity, wind, and space and will eventually hit the target.

Hitting the "bulls eye" the first time may not happen but you will find yourself in the vicinity of the rings that circle the "bulls eye!" That is how our Faith builds and moves from level to level. The more we use it, the more efficient and expert we become.

We do not simply say "I want a house!" We desire the house but what kind of house, how much of a house, what is the location of the house that we want. We need to be specific so that when we see it, we know it and when obstacles rise up against our Faith, we can stand firm in what we believe to be the answer to our prayer.

The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve. When you tolerate mediocrity in others, it increases your mediocrity.

An important attribute in successful people is their impatience with negative thinking and acting people. When you grow and move towards excellence, your associates will change. 

Some of your friends will not want you to go on.  In fact, they cannot go where you are going!  They will want you to stay where they are because they will not want to make the effort to change!

Friends that don't help you climb will want you to pick tulips along the highways of life. Your God-ordained friends will stretch your vision.  Those who are a distraction, will choke your dream.  Those that don't increase you will eventually decrease you.  

Never receive counsel from unproductive people.Never discuss your problems with someone incapable of contributing to the solution, because those who never succeed themselves are always first to tell you how.Not everyone has a right to speak into your life.You are certain to get the worst of the bargain when you exchange ideas with the wrong person.Don't follow anyone who's not going anywhere.  
 
With some people you spend an evening: with others you invest it. Be careful where you stop to inquire for directions along the road of life. Wise is the person who fortifies his life with the right friendships. If you run with wolves, you will learn how to howl. But, if you associate with eagles, you will learn how to soar to great heights. "A mirror reflects a man's face, but what he is really like is shown by the kind of friends he chooses." The simple but true fact of life is that you become like those with whom you closely associate - for the good and the bad.  

"In Prosperity Our Friends Know Us. In Adversity We Know Our Friends." -- Colin Powers

"Never make someone a priority when you are only an option for them."

Choosing our friends or those that we will build intimate relationships with should be done with care. There are things that we will expose, share, confess to these people that we will never be able to take back or revise or recover from easily if someone with this information would chose to betray us.

To choose good friends, we must examine what kind of friend we are to others! Are we loyal? Are we Steadfast? Are we Trustworthy, Dependable, Compassionate and Loving?

We draw to us, that which we knowingly or unknowingly emit into the world! Our friends are great mirrors as to our likes, dislikes, goals, and fears! Sometimes we throw the word "friend" around so easily. Allowing someone that we simply met off the street, on the train, or at the office into our circle without clarifying how he or she fits, what does he or she wants from the relationship, or even thinking about how long we should expect to have them in our life.

Never receive counsel from unproductive people. Never discuss your problems with someone incapable of contributing to the solution. Those who never succeed themselves are always first to tell you how you should go about achieving your dream.

Dream Snatchers

Not everyone has a right to speak into your life. You are certain to get the worst of the bargain when you exchange ideas with the wrong person. Don't follow anyone who is not making consistent effort to achieve their own dream.

With some people you spend an evening, while others you invest it. 

Be careful where you stop to ask for directions along the road of life.  Wise is the person who fortifies his life with God-ordained friendships.

If you run with wolves, you will learn how to howl.  However, if you associate with eagles, you will learn how to soar to great heights.

"A mirror reflects a man's face, but what he is really like is shown by the kind of friends he chooses."  A reflection of who you are can be seen in those who closely hold relationships with you.