Everyone is Gifted, but Some Never Open Their Package
Today’s Scripture: Proverbs 24:3-4
3 By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; 4 through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.
Today’s Scripture Message:
Change is a decision you make. You may want others to change to meet your expectation, but you can not force change where it is not welcomed. The change you want to see is constructed and implemented in you. The wisdom, understanding & knowledge provided you is what YOU were provisioned and faith see’s them through to fulfillment. Through Jesus, our Lord & Savior, God the father will take what was given you and multiply it, our duty is to act within the provision we have in order to increase it.
Thought for the Day:
“The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work.”- Emily Zola
Goal for the Day:
Open your gift and stop admiring the packaging.
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(From Pastor Gregory Dickow’s – Fast From Wrong Thinking)
Today we’re fasting from the thought that says, “I’m running out...” This is a mindset that we WILL overcome today. The thought that you’re running out of time; running out of money; running out of patience, STRENGTH, chances, etc. This thinking has to go!
Let's CHANGE IT TODAY:
Replace ‘running out’ thinking with ‘running OVER’ thinking. (Psalm 23:5) Expect your cup to run over TODAY.
Know His Name! El Shaddai = The God of MORE THAN ENOUGH! You could NEVER exhaust the infinite riches and supply of God. (Genesis 17:1-2, Genesis 28:3)
HE RENEWS (Isaiah 40:31), HE RESTORES (JOEL 2:25), HE RECOVERS (1 Samuel 30:8), HE RUNS you over with blessing (Deuteronomy 28:2).
Remember Elijah and the widow NEVER ran out... the jar of flour will never be empty and the jug will always contain oil (1 Kings 17:14). YOU will never run out. (Acts 10:34-35)
You never RUN OUT of what you give away. It always comes back: good measure, pressed down, shaken together and RUNNING OVER! (Luke 6:38, Matthew 14:20)
PLAN on what you’re going to do with all your extra time, money, opportunities. YES—God will give you MORE than you can contain (that keeps you giving it away!) (Malachi 3:10)
THINK IT & SAY IT:
I embrace a “running over” mentality. I set my expectation on being run over with God’s blessing. My cup, my money, my time, my chances are POURING over in my life. God did it for the widow, He does it for me. He is MY GOD; the God of more than enough, and I expect it today, in Jesus’ Name.
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Inspiration
by:
Lindsey Ragans
When signs arise...and you truly see what you need to see...the time has come to make a significant change for the better...the pressure has elevated to its highest point with a spark of courage inside...you really need to find that outlet to be encouraged...the saying actions speak louder than words...sometimes we don’t realize how truly blessed we are...to wake up in the am with all of our senses, limbs, and a sound mind...Be encouraged today
Rain as Much as Sun is Necessary for Beautiful Flowers
Today’s Scripture: Proverbs 3:3-6
“4For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
5May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Today’s Scripture Message:
Storms will happen in everyone’s life, it is definite. A storm can not overtake you unless you submit to the power of the noise of the storm. I was reminded of lyrics of a song: “He showed me sadness, then introduced me to gladness. He showed me sorrow, so I would know he was my hope for tomorrow. He let me fall, so I would know he was my all and all…then he gave me a song…in the midst of the storm. Let it rain.”- Donald Lawrence. Many times when I felt broken, beaten and battered by my circumstances this song played in my mind as a reminder of the fact…My heavenly father is my strength in the storm, my rock to cling to, my appreciation of the fact that all that I endure is for my good, that the intention of Christ our Lord in Reverence of God our Father is perfect peace and salvation…taking the thunder out of what I was going through refocusing me on the peace and cleansing nature of rain. Changing your perspective, changes your perception of what you are going through – learn to love the rain as much as you do the sun, they both serve an important purpose in the natural balance of life.
Thought for the Day:
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”- Albert Einstein
Goal for the Day:
Change your perspective. See the miracle of the rain and the significance of its properties, not just its fault in your “bad hair day”.
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(From Pastor Gregory Dickow’s – Fast From Wrong Thinking)
Today we’re fasting from the thought that says, “I don’t think this pain will ever go away.” We all feel pain, whether physical or emotional, and though it may seem at times it may never go away, IT CAN and WILL, when we...
Let's CHANGE IT TODAY:
There is twice as much healing for whatever pain is in your life. For every one mention of pain or sickness in the Bible, there are 2 mentions of health and healing.
God created you to get better. (Proverbs 4:18) YOU WILL GET BETTER.
The cross ends your pain. Jesus bore YOUR pain on the cross (Isaiah 53:4-5) and 1 Peter 2:24 says He has borne our pain and sins and with His stripes we were healed.
Don’t lower your resistance to pain or sickness. Resist it; speak to it; and expect it to leave. (1 Peter 5:7-8, Mark 11:23)
Expect the Word of God to destroy pain and suffering’s grip in your life. (Proverbs 4:20-22, Psalm 107:20) THERE IS POWER THAT CAN PREVAIL AGAINST THE WORD!
Stop fighting for the right to be hurt or stay in pain. CHOOSE to be whole! (John 5:6)
THINK IT & SAY IT:
I refuse to tolerate pain in my life. I am healed by the stripes of Jesus—spiritually, emotionally and physically. I AM getting better all the time. I choose to be made whole and I expect God’s Word to destroy pain’s grip in my life, in Jesus’ Name.
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Just A Thought
Post by:
KenyaAnderson
Heavenly Father, today I choose to trust in You. I release frustration over the dreams and desires in my heart, knowing that You know what's best for me. I choose to trust in Your timing because You are faithful, and I will bless You in all things. In Jesus' Name, Amen.-JO
You Can Not Expect A Tree to Grow Where No Seed has been Planted
Today’s Scripture: Proverbs 3:3-6
“3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Today’s Scripture Message:
You are directed, protected and your way intended. Even when you veer off course, as a parent to a child – correction will be made to place you on course again, if you choose faithfully to receive that directive. Your needs will be met. There is no toil in the kingdom of God. You should expect the seeds you plant to bare fruit as your labor is never in vein. You can not plant an apple seed, care for it and it not grow into an apple tree. As the word of God is not planted in your heart to remain dormant and not produce. Share your witness, plant a seed and expect a kingdom harvest.
Thought for the Day:
“Though I do not believe that a plant will spring up where no seed hasbeen, I have great faith in a seed. Convince me that you have a seedthere, and I am prepared to expect wonders.”- Henry David Thoreau
Goal for the Day:
Do not limit your expectation. Your purposed favor is limitless; your only boundaries are the ones YOU set.
(From Pastor Gregory Dickow’s – Fast From Wrong Thinking)
Today we’re fasting from the thought that says, “I’m not sure God will meet my needs.”Sometimes our needs are great. And even though on the surface, many of us trust God, there is this gnawing thought at times that God won’t come through or we can’t make ends meet.
Let's CHANGE IT TODAY:
If He did it for them, He will do it for you! (Romans 2:11, Hebrews 12:1)
“All” means “All”!! In every language, ‘all’ means ‘all’. And God said He would supply ALL your needs (Philippians 4:19).
He CAN’T break His promises. (Hebrews 6:19, Joshua 21:45)
God’s track record is perfect. (In Psalm 37:25 David said, “I’ve NEVER seen the righteous forsaken, or his descendants begging...” (Galatians 3:29)
SEED meets NEED. Throughout scripture, those who planted seed saw God’s miracle provision. EVEN GOD planted His Son in the earth, and reaped millions of children! (John 12:24)
Plant Word seeds in your heart—Mark 4:14. Plant financial seed in the kingdom of God—in your church, in a ministry, in a great cause. Some to consider:
He adds & multiplies! Expect addition(Matthew 6:33) AND multiplication (Deut. 1:11) TODAY.
THINK IT & SAY IT:
God favors me as much as the great men & women of the Bible and He keeps His promises to me, in Christ. I seek first the kingdom of God, and therefore, I expect addition and multiplication. I plant seeds to meet needs and I trust He will supply ALL my needs, in Jesus’ Name.
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Inspiration
By
Lindsey Ragans
A flower can always bloom when handled with care in the right setting... what you have perceived to be something beautiful might have flaws...internally this thought is a part of life...treat your partner how you want to be treated daily... with your prayer’s serenity comes silently...In a relationship... beauty only lies from within (or outside for others)...remember...your partner is the flower...and with no growth comes, pains, up’s and downs, and loosing the faith in love... growth and harmony are the words of the day
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A LENTEN OBSERVANCE
MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS
BENEDICT XVI
FOR LENT 2010
“The justice of God has been manifested through faith in Jesus Christ” (cf. Rm 3, 21-22)
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
Each year, on the occasion of Lent, the Church invites us to a sincere review of our life in light of the teachings of the Gospel. This year, I would like to offer you some reflections on the great theme of justice, beginning from the Pauline affirmation: “The justice of God has been manifested through faith in Jesus Christ” (cf. Rm 3, 21-22).
Justice: “dare cuique suum”
First of all, I want to consider the meaning of the term “justice,” which in common usage implies “to render to every man his due,” according to the famous expression of Ulpian, a Roman jurist of the third century. In reality, however, this classical definition does not specify what “due” is to be rendered to each person. What man needs most cannot be guaranteed to him by law. In order to live life to the full, something more intimate is necessary that can be granted only as a gift: we could say that man lives by that love which only God can communicate since He created the human person in His image and likeness. Material goods are certainly useful and required – indeed Jesus Himself was concerned to heal the sick, feed the crowds that followed Him and surely condemns the indifference that even today forces hundreds of millions into death through lack of food, water and medicine – yet “distributive” justice does not render to the human being the totality of his “due.” Just as man needs bread, so does man have even more need of God. Saint Augustine notes: if “justice is that virtue which gives every one his due ... where, then, is the justice of man, when he deserts the true God?” (De civitate Dei, XIX, 21).
What is the Cause of Injustice?
The Evangelist Mark reports the following words of Jesus, which are inserted within the debate at that time regarding what is pure and impure: “There is nothing outside a man which by going into him can defile him; but the things which come out of a man are what defile him … What comes out of a man is what defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts” (Mk 7, 14-15, 20-21). Beyond the immediate question concerning food, we can detect in the reaction of the Pharisees a permanent temptation within man: to situate the origin of evil in an exterior cause. Many modern ideologies deep down have this presupposition: since injustice comes “from outside,” in order for justice to reign, it is sufficient to remove the exterior causes that prevent it being achieved. This way of thinking – Jesus warns – is ingenuous and shortsighted. Injustice, the fruit of evil, does not have exclusively external roots; its origin lies in the human heart, where the seeds are found of a mysterious cooperation with evil. With bitterness the Psalmist recognises this: “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Ps51,7). Indeed, man is weakened by an intense influence, which wounds his capacity to enter into communion with the other. By nature, he is open to sharing freely, but he finds in his being a strange force of gravity that makes him turn in and affirm himself above and against others: this is egoism, the result of original sin. Adam and Eve, seduced by Satan’s lie, snatching the mysterious fruit against the divine command, replaced the logic of trusting in Love with that of suspicion and competition; the logic of receiving and trustfully expecting from the Other with anxiously seizing and doing on one’s own (cf. Gn 3, 1-6), experiencing, as a consequence, a sense of disquiet and uncertainty. How can man free himself from this selfish influence and open himself to love?
Justice and Sedaqah
At the heart of the wisdom of Israel, we find a profound link between faith in God who “lifts the needy from the ash heap” (Ps 113,7) and justice towards one’s neighbor. The Hebrew word itself that indicates the virtue of justice, sedaqah, expresses this well. Sedaqah, in fact, signifies on the one hand full acceptance of the will of the God of Israel; on the other hand, equity in relation to one’s neighbour (cf. Ex 20, 12-17), especially the poor, the stranger, the orphan and the widow (cf. Dt 10, 18-19). But the two meanings are linked because giving to the poor for the Israelite is none other than restoring what is owed to God, who had pity on the misery of His people. It was not by chance that the gift to Moses of the tablets of the Law on Mount Sinai took place after the crossing of the Red Sea. Listening to the Law presupposes faith in God who first “heard the cry” of His people and “came down to deliver them out of hand of the Egyptians” (cf. Ex 3,8). God is attentive to the cry of the poor and in return asks to be listened to: He asks for justice towards the poor (cf. Sir 4,4-5, 8-9), the stranger (cf. Ex 22,20), the slave (cf. Dt 15, 12-18). In order to enter into justice, it is thus necessary to leave that illusion of self-sufficiency, the profound state of closure, which is the very origin of injustice. In other words, what is needed is an even deeper “exodus” than that accomplished by God with Moses, a liberation of the heart, which the Law on its own is powerless to realize. Does man have any hope of justice then?
Christ, the Justice of God
The Christian Good News responds positively to man’s thirst for justice, as Saint Paul affirms in the Letter to the Romans: “But now the justice of God has been manifested apart from law … the justice of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction; since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as an expiation by his blood, to be received by faith” (3, 21-25). What then is the justice of Christ? Above all, it is the justice that comes from grace, where it is not man who makes amends, heals himself and others. The fact that “expiation” flows from the “blood” of Christ signifies that it is not man’s sacrifices that free him from the weight of his faults, but the loving act of God who opens Himself in the extreme, even to the point of bearing in Himself the “curse” due to man so as to give in return the “blessing” due to God (cf. Gal 3, 13-14). But this raises an immediate objection: what kind of justice is this where the just man dies for the guilty and the guilty receives in return the blessing due to the just one? Would this not mean that each one receives the contrary of his “due”? In reality, here we discover divine justice, which is so profoundly different from its human counterpart. God has paid for us the price of the exchange in His Son, a price that is truly exorbitant. Before the justice of the Cross, man may rebel for this reveals how man is not a self-sufficient being, but in need of Another in order to realize himself fully. Conversion to Christ, believing in the Gospel, ultimately means this: to exit the illusion of self-sufficiency in order to discover and accept one’s own need – the need of others and God, the need of His forgiveness and His friendship. So we understand how faith is altogether different from a natural, good-feeling, obvious fact: humility is required to accept that I need Another to free me from “what is mine,” to give me gratuitously “what is His.” This happens especially in the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist. Thanks to Christ’s action, we may enter into the “greatest” justice, which is that of love (cf. Rm 13, 8-10), the justice that recognises itself in every case more a debtor than a creditor, because it has received more than could ever have been expected. Strengthened by this very experience, the Christian is moved to contribute to creating just societies, where all receive what is necessary to live according to the dignity proper to the human person and where justice is enlivened by love.
Dear brothers and sisters, Lent culminates in the Paschal Triduum, in which this year, too, we shall celebrate divine justice – the fullness of charity, gift, salvation. May this penitential season be for every Christian a time of authentic conversion and intense knowledge of the mystery of Christ, who came to fulfill every justice. With these sentiments, I cordially impart to all of you my Apostolic Blessing.
“Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”
Today’s Scripture Message:
I woke up this morning thanking God for our Lord, Jesus, the gift of my salvation. Giving glory and honor to God for keeping my mind in balance. For the realization that I am not the conventional make up of the world but the miraculous embodiment of the spirit of God that guides me and keeps it all in perspective. I am powered and empowered by the unchanging word of God doing in me what I am unable to do on my own. Through all that I have seen, all that I have lived, all that I have felt and am feeling I praise YOU right now for always showing me You are right here, never leaving me keeping me focused and in 100% assurance of Your immaculate presence in my life. I am far from perfect and humbled by your hand of guidance showing me my faults and loving me through to correction. How magnificent You are, that when I feel alone, you remind me I am not. When I feel stagnated, You move me to a new better circumstance. When I see a wall, you break them down. It is only for me to ask to know it is done. How magnificent you are!!! I am a daily revision of what Your expectation for my life is and may the days I see be in praise of You, thank you Jesus, I am so unworthy of your sacrifice and you loved me through to confidence in myself and the restoration of my soul!!! Provision of your grace fills the gaps of my lack, Hallelujah!!! In Jesus’ name I praise you!!! Forever I thank you, Amen.
Thought for the Day:
To educate yourself for the feeling of gratitude means to take nothing for granted, but to always seek out and value the kind that will stand behind the action. Nothing that is done for you is a matter of course. Everything originates in a will for the good, which is directed at you. Train yourself never to put off the word or action for the expression of gratitude. - Albert Schweitzer
Goal for the Day:
Give thanks in recognition of the heart behind the act.
(From Pastor Gregory Dickow’s – Fast From Wrong Thinking)
Today we’re fasting from the thought that says, “Why is God letting this happen to me.” It can be so disheartening when you feel abandoned or feel God is not answering. This thought paralyzes us into inaction.
Let's CHANGE IT TODAY:
Less philosophy and more progress! The people who received breakthroughs and answers in scripture, didn’t ask “why?” They asked “what next.” (Philippians 3:13)
Rid yourself of false concepts of God. God is ONLY good. James 1:17 says every GOOD and PERFECT gift comes from God—if it’s not good or perfect, it’s not from Him.
God empowers! You have the power to do something about whatever is happening to you. (Luke 5:17) Power is present NOW. Receive it.
Heaven backs you up! Matthew18:18 says “...whatever we ALLOW on earth, is ALLOWED in heaven”—meaning, heaven allows what we allow. Let’s resist the devil. Resist sickness. Resist lack and defeat, etc.
Don’t take ‘silence’ as God’s refusal to answer. (Matthew 15:22-28) Be persistent. Don’t accept ‘no’ to something God promised. (2 Corinthians 1:20)
Don’t just sit there and take it. “Why do we sit here and die...” (2 Kings 7:3-4) Take action. (Daniel 11:32) Move head on, and expect things to change!
THINK IT & SAY IT:
God is on my side. Heaven is backing me up. I have the power to change things. God’s promises are “Yes” in my life and I expect breakthroughs today. I refuse to just take it anymore from the enemy or life. I know God and I take action and progress in the perfect will of God, in Jesus’ Name!
13Then He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand!" He stretched it out, and it was restored to normal, like the other.
14But the Pharisees went out and conspired against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.
15But Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. Many followed Him, and He healed them all.
Today’s Scripture Message:
Be revived. When you are born again, you are a new person in Christ– mind, body & spirit. Your life restored to a new, better existence, fully guided and supported by our Heavenly father. There will be those who do not understand the change in you and do all they can to pull you back, don’t allow it, know you are on track and remain there. Your life is what is ahead of you in the next second, next minute, next hour, next day – what is behind you is done, good-bad-indifferent, it’s done. You can never change the past, but you can always affect the future. You are instructed and if your guidance is to remove yourself from a negative situation, prepare and move. If your instruction is to advise, let your voice be heard. If you are told to use what you have in blessing to someone else, be that blessing. In your re-birth you are healed; your life witness to the grace and glory of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. It will inspire in others testament to the presence of our Father within you.
Thought for the Day:
“To get up each morning with the resolve to be happy... is to set our own conditions to the events of each day. To do this is to condition circumstances instead of being conditioned by them.” - Ralph Waldo Trine
(From Pastor Gregory Dickow’s – Fast From Wrong Thinking)
Today we’re fasting from the thought that says: “Life is passing me by.” And the thoughts that go with that such as: “I’ve missed my best opportunities.”
Let's CHANGE IT TODAY:
Think favor. Psalm 5:12 says God surrounds you with favor as a shield. Expect open doors. (Rev. 3:8) Jesus promised open doors.
God restores missed opportunities. (Joel 2:25) God restores the YEARS--years of missed opportunities are COMING BACK TO YOU!
God saves the best for last! Don’t for a moment give into the thought that your best is over. (John 2:10)
Stop looking back. (It hardens you from going forward: Genesis 19:26). Forget the missed chances. Look for the next ones.
Be diligent. “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” -- Thomas A. Edison
EVERYTHING God is involved with gets better & better. (Proverbs 4:18, 2 Corinthians 3:17-18, Hebrews 8:6)
You HAVE the life! (1 John 5:12) It CAN’T pass you by!
THINK IT & SAY IT:
I expect favor today; and open doors are coming to me. Opportunities are available to me all the time, and God is restoring whatever I’ve missed. He saves the best for last, and my life is on the rise—getting better and better, until His return, in Jesus’ Name!
If I had to guess on a subject today… I would bet there have been many roadblocks, potholes and detours on your journey through life... this is a true statement for me...Sometimes we just have to hang on while the storms blow through our section… the amazing thing to keep in mind is the power of persistence...Have a wonderful weekend...
Happy 84th Day of the New Year!!!
Open the Gift of Today with the Excitement you feel at Christmas!!!
“But You, O LORD, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head. I cried to the LORD with my voice, And He heard me from His holy hill. I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people. Who have set themselves against me all around.”
Today’s Scripture Message:
Fear is crippling. It will keep you in the same place because you are afraid of what is outside of your comfort. It will make you believe that all you see is all there is.It will impress upon you a weight heavy enough to hold you, keeping you from something that was purposed for you, waiting for you but you haven’t received it because you haven’t moved forward to get it. 7For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.-II Timothy 1:7.Access that power and fearnothing.
Thought for the Day:
“You block your dream when you allow your fear to grow bigger than your faith.” ~Mary Manin Morrissey
Goal for the Day:
Remove the feelings of fear & FEEL the power of that decision.
(From Pastor Gregory Dickow’s – FastFrom Wrong Thinking)
Today we’re fasting from thoughts of jealousy...such as “did they really deserve that more than me”; “why do other people get ahead”; “why don’t I have what they have”; “they’re just lucky”; “why can’t my kids be more like theirs”; etc.
Let's CHANGE IT TODAY:
Jealousy is only a feeling;an emotion. And all negative emotions come from a sense of powerlessness. You have been given POWER. (2 Timothy 1:7) And that power will drive out the root of jealousy.
All jealous thoughts are rooted in insecurityand fear. Stop fighting jealousy on the surface. Let’s drive out the fear.
You are not a “mere man”. (1 Cor. 3:3) You are a new, secure species of being.
Perfect love casts out fear. Don’t try to have perfect love toward others. Believe you are LOVED PERFECTLY BY GOD. It’s His perfect love toward you that drives your fears away. (1 John 4:18)
Ask God TODAY to deliver you from fear and insecurity. Psalm 34:4 says “…He delivered me from all my fears.”
There is a portion reserved for you! (This has helped me time after time). In 1 Samuel 9:24 God had reserved a “portion” for Saul; an anointing set aside. Had he believed that, he wouldn’t have been jealous of David.
Meditating on God’s Word produces YOUR success. (Psalm 1:1-3) Fill your life with God’s success for you; and you’ll be too occupied with blessing, to compare to others. (Eccl. 5:19-20)
THINK IT & SAY IT:
I have power over jealousy and negative emotions. I am perfectly loved by God and no fear or insecurity can have root in me. I receive total freedom from insecurity today; God has reserved a portion of success for me, regardless of anyone else. I have divine success that will elevate me to God’s best, in Jesus’ Name!
Failure is a big part of life... but it's how we react to failing that will determine our destiny. If we learn from it and move on...it can help us to be all we can be… If you fear it...then you will never the take risks to see the unknown...some things might seem a little off today...but keep in mind a positive mindset...and not allow others jargon to set you off course today…
