Adam Lanza and Guns in the United States

Adam Lanza was a 20-year-old young man with mental illness. Adam Lanza lived home with his mother who was an enthusiast of guns. Adam Lanza's mother had a variety of guns in their home that weren't properly locked away. What's wrong with this picture?

This picture is very wrong. Mental illness and guns don't mix. I'm not saying that every mentally ill person would misuse guns, if they got the chance. I'm saying that when you have a person with severely impaired judgment handling guns, there's a good chance that bad things will happen.

The rest is history. We know that Adam Lanza shot his mother dead with a gun. Then went to a Connecticut elementary school and massacred 20 children and six adults with an arsenal of guns he brought to the school. Then as authorities closed in on Adam Lanza, he turned a gun on himself and took his own life.

Unfortunately, some people are using this tragedy as a political football. They're screaming for human rights to be taken away from United States citizens. They're using this single tragedy as proof that all United States citizens are too irresponsible to own guns and live their lives. They're demanding that the United States government should completely take over the lives of its citizens, enslaving them.

I don't think enslaving United States citizens is the answer. Thank God, only a very small percentage of people mass murder in the United States. And thank God mass murder is rare. That's why mass murder is huge news when it does happen.

In the United States, people are free. They're free to make decisions. And with freedom comes responsibility. So it's very important that each person conduct himself in a responsible manner. And if they don't, they should be punished accordingly.

I used to work at a group home of mentally ill individuals. During my time there, the staff members kept knives and other sharp objects locked up. They had a very good reason for doing this.

What is God's Will?

What is God's will? Is it possible to transgress God's will? What exactly are the parameters of God's will? These are questions that you may have asked yourself at one time or another.

You don't have to read the entire Bible to find God's will. God's will is summarized in the following Bible passages.

Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
~Matthew 22:37-40 NIV

If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.
~Matthew 21:22 NIV

So basically God's will consists of loving God and people, and praying for your needs to be met and believing that they're being met. That's it.

If you're doing these things, then you're following God's will. If you're following God's will, then you're living your life successfully.

Gods Visualize, Believe, and Actualize

Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
~John 10:34 KJV

After reading the above Bible verse, I realize that we are not helpless creatures to be run over by the cruelties of life. But are, instead, powerful forces that can surmount any obstacle that life can throw at us.

This verse states that we are actually gods. As we know, gods are more powerful than mere humans. Gods have more ability.

The one factor that makes us godlike is our faith. Faith is the ability to visualize, believe, and actualize something into existence.

To visualize, we form a detailed mental picture of what we want. We do this on a daily basis until the thing visualized becomes clearer and clearer, and more and more real.

To believe, we declare to ourselves that the thing we visualize has already materialized. We declare this out loud to ourselves. We declare this with power and determination.

To actualize, we transform what we believe into a reality. We roll up our sleeves and make it happen. We get off our butts and kick some ass. We manhandle life until it gives us what we want.

That's what it means to live life as a god. Gods are creators, not victims.

Gods visualize, believe, and actualize. Mere humans complain, whine, and whimper.

Prayer, Affirmations, and Visualization

Jesus was matter-of-fact: "Embrace this God-life. Really embrace it, and nothing will be too much for you. This mountain, for instance: Just say, 'Go jump in the lake'—no shuffling or shilly-shallying—and it's as good as done. That's why I urge you to pray for absolutely everything, ranging from small to large. Include everything as you embrace this God-life, and you'll get God's everything. And when you assume the posture of prayer, remember that it's not all asking. If you have anything against someone, forgive—only then will your heavenly Father be inclined to also wipe your slate clean of sins."
~Mark 11:22 MSG

The above passage points to the importance of prayer in everyday life. Prayer is important because it focuses the mind to solve a particular problem or attain a certain goal. Prayer is the concentrating of mental energy.

When you engage in prayer, you are automatically using affirmations and visualization. Affirmations are statements you say to yourself regarding what you would like to come to pass. Visualization is the process of imagining an event of what you would like to come to pass.

Affirmations and visualization are the bedrock of many self-help programs and books. If you join a self-help program or read a self-help book, chances are that the program or book will involve affirmations or visualization.

Affirmations and visualization appear to be the key ingredients for successful living. Therefore, prayer is the key ingredient for successful living, since prayer encompasses affirmations and visualization.

Level of Questions and Afformations

Asking yourself questions can be a powerful way to motivate yourself to achieve your goals. Nevertheless, all questions are not created equally. So it is important to ask yourself the right questions. But what are the right questions?

According to the founder of Afformations Noah St. John, the right questions are questions that are positive rather than negative. Also, they're questions phrased in the present tense. To add to this, I think that it's better to ask deep level three questions - questions that ask why.

For example, if you want to be rich, you can ask yourself "Why am I so rich?" If you want to be healthy, you can ask yourself "Why am I so healthy?" If you want to be wise, you can ask yourself "Why am I so wise?"

Notice that these questions are very similar to affirmations, except that they are asked in a question form rather than a statement form. Noah St. John would call these questions Afformations.

Noah St. John believed that Afformations are much more powerful than affirmations, because Afformations make you mentally focus on your goals on a much deeper level. Questions make you think more than statements do.

There are basically three levels of questions. They range from superficial questions to deep questions.

Level one questions are the most superficial. They involve asking who, when, and where. These questions are asked to obtain information involving environments, situations, and circumstances. Let's use the assassination of United States President Abraham Lincoln as an example.

When - It took place on Good Friday, April 14, 1865.
Who - It was carried out by the well-known stage actor John Wilkes Booth.
Where - It happened at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C.

Level two questions are a little deeper. They involve asking what and how. These questions are asked to obtain information involving behaviors, actions, and deeds. Let's use the assassination of United States President Abraham Lincoln as an example.

What - John Wilkes Booth murdered President Abraham Lincoln.
How - Booth opened the door which granted entry to the President's theater box seat, crept forward with his handgun and shot the President in the back of the head, behind his left ear at point blank range.

Level three questions are deeper yet. They involve asking why. These questions are asked to obtain information involving thoughts, beliefs, and emotions. Let's use the assassination of United States President Abraham Lincoln as an example.

Why - John Wilkes Booth believed and felt that his actions would revive the Confederate cause.

By asking yourself level three questions regarding achieving your goals, you're motivating yourself by thinking about your thoughts, beliefs, and emotions. This is much more powerful than asking yourself level two questions, which only motivates you by making you think about your behaviors, actions, and deeds.

The weakest way to motivate yourself would be to ask yourself level one questions, which only motivates you by making you think about your environments, situations, and circumstances.

Do you want to be successful? Yes? Then go ahead and ask yourself the following question several times daily: "Why am I so successful?"

Words, Thoughts, and Waves

"Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer" (Psalm 19:14 KJV).

Upon reading this Bible verse, I am reminded of the importance of the words we speak and the thoughts we think. Words and thoughts can be broadly categorized into two categories: faith and fear.

Why are the words we speak and the thoughts we think so important? Words and thoughts are important, because they affect the reality around us.

Physicists have discovered that there's really no such thing as empty space. They found that empty space is really made up of subatomic particles or waves.

If the empty space is viewed through equipment that allows a nonhuman machine to see on a subatomic level, the machine will see subatomic waves - waves of possibility. But if a human uses the equipment to see on a subatomic level, the waves will collapse into subatomic particles - particles of certainty.

Why would human observation affect the waves of possibility and not that of a nonhuman machine? The answer is that humans have consciousness and nonhuman machines don't. It appears that consciousness interacts with waves of possibility.

The waves of possibility represent energy and the particles of certainty represent matter. And mere human observation of the energy converts it into matter.

Indeed, we're constantly surrounded by subatomic energy. And our observations of reality via our thoughts affect this energy - converting it into matter!

If our thoughts are of faith (e.g., anointing of wealth, health, and life), then the energy will convert into the reality of faith. If our thoughts are of fear (e.g., curse of poverty, sickness, and death), then the energy will convert into the reality of fear.

If you want to know whether you're thinking mostly thoughts of faith or fear, just become aware of the words you say. The words you say come directly from the thoughts you think.

Faith and Life

"And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way" (Mark 10:52 KJV).

"There is no sickness problem. There is simply a problem of the believer's coming to know his inheritance in Christ" (E. W. Kenyon).

The above quotes imply that God wants us to be healthy rather than sick. That the way to become healthy is to believe that you're already healthy and see it in your mind's eye. Seeing something in your mind's eye that you'd like to occur activates faith, and faith activates changes in reality.

Faith is the fulcrum that the seesaw of life teeters on. Faith is the tool perfectly designed to mold life the way you want it. If a block of marble is life, then faith is the chisel used to sculpt the block of marble into a beautiful statue.

A life without faith is a life not worth living. I say this because a life without faith is a powerless one. It's a life beyond your control. It's a life where you're merely an insignificant cog in the vast machinery of the universe.

If you have no faith and believe that you have no control over your life, you'll become depressed if not already depressed. Depression is the emotion of hopelessness, the emotion of powerlessness. And if you maintain depression long enough, you'll die an early death. The body will eventually shut down.

We're all hardwired to have faith and use it. Faith is what keeps us in control of our life. Faith is what keeps us happy.

Health, Happiness, Prosperity, and Overall Well-Being

"For I know the plans I have for you - this is the Lord's declaration - plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope" (Jeremiah 29:11 HCSB).

Welfare can be defined as health, happiness, prosperity, and overall well-being. Given this, according to the above Bible verse, God wants us to have good health, happiness, prosperity, and overall well-being. In fact, God plans these things for us. He does not want the opposite to occur: sickness, misery, poverty, and overall ill-being.

Then why is it that some of us don't have good health, happiness, prosperity, and overall well-being? The reason is that God gives us a choice. The choice is in the type of thoughts and images that we hold in our heads. Thoughts and images are part of the spiritual world. If held long and consistent enough, these thoughts and images materialize into the physical world - reality as we know it.

If you want to claim good health, happiness, prosperity, and overall well-being for yourself, all you have to do is begin envisioning yourself as already having these things. After all, God wants you to have these things. In fact, He had planned for you to have these things.

If you don't already have good health, happiness, prosperity, and overall well-being, begin to choose these things today. Don't blame God or anyone else for your shortcomings. You create your own reality. Your reality is reflected in the type of thoughts and images held within your head.

Use your head or end up dead.

Public Speaking, Envisioning, and Faith

I have read that the fear of public speaking ranks far above the fear of death for many people. But public speaking seems to be almost unavoidable, if you want to progress and get ahead in life. So the question is what do you do if you find yourself in a situation where you have to do public speaking in front of a large audience, and are deathly afraid to do so?

The answer can be found in your Bible. Contained within the Bible are God's promises. These promises can subdue your fear and give you the confidence that you need.

If you find yourself devoid of confidence and ready to pull a no-show or make an excuse as to why you cannot do public speaking, you need to claim God's gift of confidence. Say to yourself, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13 KJV).

When you say this, envision yourself doing public speaking with total confidence and ease. Envisioning is integral to the faith process. Envisioning is power.

If you find yourself jittery and nervous before doing public speaking, you need to claim God's promise of peace. You need to meditate on the following: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27 KJV).

When you meditate on this promise, you need to envision yourself doing public speaking in a relaxed and peaceful manner. Remember. Envisioning is essential to the faith process. In fact, envisioning and faith are one and the same.

View public speaking as a test of your faith rather than a curse. Use public speaking to build up your faith muscles. Anytime you have to do public speaking, clearly envision yourself doing it successfully with confidence and ease.

Envisioning exercises your faith muscles. Even if you fail miserably at public speaking, keep envisioning yourself succeeding until it materializes in this physical reality.

Remember. If you fail miserably at public speaking, people will forget about your performance a few days later. People are more concerned with themselves than you. So don't exaggerate your poor performance. In the grand scheme of the universe, it really doesn't matter.

What do God, a Nice Life, Obstacles, and Prayer (Focused Thought) have in common?

"We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28 HCSB).

According to this Bible verse, if you love God, then all of your circumstances will cause your life to go in a positive direction. In my opinion, loving God is following the Golden Rule and consistently praying to God - putting God first in your life.

This makes sense. Here's why.

By treating others the way you would like to be treated (the Golden Rule), you are influencing others to be nice to you. After all, people tend to be nice to people who are nice to them. The more people are nice to you, the more positive your life will be.

Though you may be nice to people, there will be some who may despise you for whatever reason. They may despise you enough to put obstacles in your path, making your life difficult. In addition to this, life naturally will put obstacles before you, because that's how life works.

This is where prayer comes in.

Whenever you are faced with enemies, obstacles, or other trials, prayer is the answer. Why? Because prayer is focused thought. And focused thought can bend and change your reality by changing your behavior.

Focused thought can take you from a bad situation to a good situation rather quickly. One moment you're here, and the next moment you're there.

Focused thought = reality.

God Exists through Pascal's Wager

Given today's technology, proving that God exists or does not exist is very difficult or perhaps impossible. I have witnessed many arguments between theists and atheists that were very entertaining, but rarely productive. There simply is not enough proof one way or the other.

Given this, should you believe that God exists? Blaise Pascal thinks you should.

Blaise Pascal was a seventeenth-century French inventor, physicist, mathematician, philosopher, and writer. In pondering the pros and cons of believing that God exists, he came up with a type of reasoning called Pascal's Wager.

Pascal's Wager states that the pros far outweigh the cons when it comes to believing in God.

The pros far outweigh the cons, because if you believe that God exists and you die, and God really does exist, then you spend an eternity in heaven. But if you believe that God exists and you die, and God really doesn't exist, then you lose nothing; you simply die just like all living things eventually do.

So if you believe that God exists, you have everything to gain and nothing to lose.

Now let's look at the converse of what has been discussed. Let's suppose that you are an atheist and you die. If God exists, you spend an eternity in hell, since you led an ungodly life. If God doesn't exist, you lose nothing; you simply die just like all living things eventually do.

As an atheist, you have everything to lose and nothing to gain.

In considering the afterlife, believing that God exists is the logical thing to do. But what about the current life? Does belief in God benefit or detract from your current life? Let's use Pascal's Wager and find out.

Regarding your current life, the benefits of believing that God exists are as follows: the feeling of control over your life via prayer; not fearing death, since you believe that you will go to heaven when you die; and having definite guidelines to live by, eliminating any doubt of knowing the right thing from the wrong thing to do.

The cost of believing that God exists is as follows: feeling constrained in your behavior, in that you can't do sinful things even though they may be fun.

Regarding your current life, the benefits of believing that God exists far outweigh the costs.

Now let's look at the converse of this. Does atheism benefit or detract from your current life? If so, how exactly does atheism do this?

Regarding your current life, the benefit of atheism is as follows: feeling liberated in your behavior, in that you can do fun and sinful things without feeling guilty about doing them.

The costs of atheism are as follows: feeling powerless over your life, since you believe that you are but an infinitesimal cog in the vast machinery of the universe; great fear of death, since you believe that death is final and permanent oblivion; and not having guidelines to live by, leading you to feel lost in knowing the right thing from the wrong thing to do.

Regarding your current life, the costs of atheism far outweigh the benefits.

As we see, believing that God exists gives you a better quality of life than atheism does. Believing that God exists leads to hope and empowerment, fearlessness, and self-control in your current life. Whereas atheism leads to depression and powerlessness, terror, and promiscuous behavior in your current life.

After reading this article, the logical thing to do is crystal clear. The logical thing to do is believe that God exists or at least live your life as though He does.

This is Pascal's Wager.

Ask God to make you Wealthy

"Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not" (James 4:2 KJV).

After reading this Bible verse, I realize that one of the best ways to succeed in life is to ask God for what you want. I know this sounds ridiculously simple, but I believe that asking God for what you want guarantees success.

For example, if you ask God to make you wealthy on a regular and frequent basis, you are causing your mind to fully focus on this goal. Once your mind is consistently focused on being wealthy, your behavior will change. You will begin to read books on becoming wealthy as well as listening to audio books regarding this.

Your knowledge on becoming wealthy will grow and grow. Then you will start to invest your money in the stock market, in real estate, and in small businesses successfully. Your money will grow exponentially, making you wealthy.

When you ask God for something, you are altering the sails and rudders of your mind, causing your behavior to alter, thereby causing your life direction to alter. You see, words have power. Words are spiritual. Reality itself changes according to your words.

Ask, the Bible Promise

"And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it" (John 14:13-14 KJV).

After reading this Bible promise, I realize that if this promise is true, then we have much power at our disposal. Then we have the power to attain whatever we want in life. This promise alone would render failure impossible, and would guarantee success.

This Bible promise can revolutionize your life. Just think. To attain a goal, all you need to do is ask God for it and you'll have it, as long as you ask in Jesus' name. Given this, attaining goals can be as easy as pie.

This Bible promise can free you of any limitations or roadblocks. Not only will you be able to get from point A to point B without any trouble, you'll be able to be everywhere.

God and Suffering

"The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower" (Psalm 18:2 KJV).

After reading this Bible verse, it appears to me that God protects those who trust in Him. But paradoxically, those that trust in Him sometimes still suffer. It appears that God does not completely protect those who trust in Him from suffering.

Why does God allow those who follow and trust Him to sometimes suffer? Perhaps suffering serves a purpose. Suffering generally changes the direction of a person's life. Without suffering, a person will usually keep on the same course in life. Suffering can change the course.

Given this, perhaps God will sprinkle some suffering into a person's life whenever He wants the person to take on a new direction, such as a job change.

To Be Successful and To Rule The World

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth" (Genesis 1:27-28 KJV).

After reading this part of Genesis, I came to realize that God blessed humans and commanded them to be successful, to reproduce, to make the world a better place, and to rule the world. It amazed me that God blessed humans from the very beginning, and gave them the power to be successful and to rule the world. Not bad for the fate of humans.

You may ask, "If we are blessed by God and have the power to be successful and to rule the world, why is our life so miserable?" The answer is that we don't always claim God's blessings and the ability to be successful and to rule the world. To claim these things, we need to visualize ourselves as already having them!

Visualization creates changes in the spiritual world (world of imagination). And changes in the spiritual world eventually create changes in the physical world. The spiritual world causes the physical world.

If we don't claim God's blessings and the ability to be successful and to rule the world via visualization, then we don't receive these things. Gifts from God almost always are received first in the spiritual world, then later appear in the physical world.

Regarding ruling the world, I'm talking about having control over your world rather than ruling other people's world. I'm talking about controlling your corner of the universe and not the entire universe itself. That's success!

God, Affirmations, and Mental Images

"Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear" (Hebrews 11:3 KJV).

After reading this Bible verse, I came to realize the power of words. God literally spoke the universe into existence. And since we are created in God's image, we also have this power to some extent.

Affirmations are commands we make to reality. Affirmations can change reality, if they are made strongly and with emotion. But more importantly, affirmations must produce mental images to have real power.

What determines the power of affirmations is the extent affirmations produce mental images. Conversely, what determines the power of mental images is the extent mental images produce affirmations.

You may ask, "Which is stronger, affirmations or mental images?" The answer is mental images are extensions of effective affirmations, and affirmations are extensions of effective mental images. They are both almost one and the same.

So when God spoke the universe into existence, God had mental images of the universe before it came into existence.

The Unpardonable Sin, Holy Spirit, and God

"And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come" (Matthew 12:31-32 NIV).

Reading this Bible passage reminds me of my teenage years when I began reading the Bible. During this time, I remember saying to myself, "Christianity is a great life philosophy, if it wasn't for the unpardonable sin." The unpardonable sin caused me great concern.

When I first read about the unpardonable sin in the New International Version of the Bible, I interpreted the unpardonable sin as speaking or thinking negatively about the Holy Spirit. And I believed that speaking or thinking negatively about the Holy Spirit guaranteed the doer of this act an eternity in hell.

Looking back at this event, my interpretation of the unpardonable sin seems rather silly. My interpretation is silly if you think about it rationally.

Ask yourself the following questions: "Why would an all-powerful, all-knowing, and omnipresent God forgive humans of mass murder, serial rape, torture, burning down villages, inciting riots, and so forth, if humans merely repent -- but not forgive humans for calling the Holy Spirit a bad name? Why would an otherwise good person burn in hell for merely calling the Holy Spirit a bad name, whereas someone who committed mass murder on the level of Adolf Hitler could be forgiven and enter heaven?"

According to my past interpretation of the unpardonable sin, mass murder is okay, but name-calling isn't. According to my past interpretation, God is insane and unjust.

Pondering this, my past interpretation of the unpardonable sin must be wrong. And it is.

As I got older, I talked with pastors and read many theological writings regarding the unpardonable sin. My research led me to one conclusion.

To commit the unpardonable sin, you must permanently turn your back on God or more specifically on God's active power the Holy Spirit. By permanently turning your back on God, you cannot receive God's forgiveness for any sins that you may have committed. By permanently turning your back on God, you cannot receive any guidance or wisdom from God. He cannot help you at all. You are forever lost. This puts you in a hopeless situation. This is the unpardonable sin.

The unpardonable sin is NOT name-calling!

Prayer is Imagination

"Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17 KJV).

After affirming this Bible verse, I realize the importance of using prayer throughout the day, instead of just several minutes in the morning. The more I use prayer, the more powerful the results. Therefore, I should spend my day wearing my prayer, just as I do my clothes.

When I use prayer, I am communicating with God. I begin communicating with words that eventually transform into imagination. And this imagination transforms into reality.

Given this, the key to successful prayer is imagination, since imagination creates reality. Imagination is the essence of prayer.

I use my imagination to envision how I would like to be, and wear this imagination as I do my clothes. This will inevitably cause me to become the person that exists in my imagination.

Thinking and Doing Murder

"You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, Do not murder, and whoever murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Fool!' will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But whoever says, 'You moron!' will be subject to hellfire" (Matthew 5:21-22 HCSB).

After reading this Bible passage, I realize that thinking and doing are intimately related. Thinking often leads to doing, and doing often leads to thinking. For example, consistently focused thinking about doing murder leads to doing murder. And doing murder leads to more thoughts on doing murder.

Thinking and doing are so tightly related that they are practically equivalent. If you want something done, merely think it. And if you want to think about something, merely do it. Doing is an extension of thinking. And thinking is an extension of doing. They are practically the same thing.

Thinking is the genie in the bottle. Thinking is omnipotent. If you want something done, merely think it. If your thinking is consistently intense enough, whatever you think will be done.

The Wisdom of Solomon

"Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him" (James 1:5 HCSB).

"God gave Solomon wisdom, very great insight, and understanding as vast as the sand on the seashore" (1 Kings 4:29 HCSB).

After reading these Bible verses, I realize that I can have the wisdom of King Solomon by merely asking God for it. King Solomon was a King of Israel known for having great wisdom. King Solomon was the author of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, the Song of Solomon, and the apocryphal book the Wisdom of Solomon.

Having wisdom is having good judgment. Having good judgment is necessary for living a successful life. Failure is almost always the result of bad judgment, of making bad decisions. Your life direction is based solely on the decisions that you make in life.

If you ask God for wisdom, assume that you already have wisdom, and regularly envision yourself as having wisdom, then you will be wise. It's that simple.

Having a Vision

"Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he" (Proverbs 29:18 KJV).

After affirming this Bible verse, I realize the importance of having a vision to strive toward. That having no vision of where you want to be can be destructive.

Having a vision is like self-programming yourself to strive for something that you wish to attain. It gives you something to live for, a purpose.

Not having a vision can lead you into trouble, since you will be easily swayed by outside influences. You will be like a ship without a sail or rudder, tossed about by the waves of the sea, directionless.

By nature, we are all purposeful beings in need of a vision to strive toward. Having a vision is the key to hope, happiness, and why we exist.

Christianity, Friends, and Job Network

"And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these" (Mark 12:31 KJV).

After affirming this Bible verse, I came to the realization that making friends with people is of the utmost importance in Christianity. Making friends is so important that it is the second greatest commandment in Christianity.

Not only is making friends important in Christianity, it is also important in the secular world. When it comes to solving problems, who you know is just as important as what you know. Having knowledge is good. But having knowledge plus a large network of friends is even better.

If you lost your job and have a large network of friends, the chances of you finding another job quickly will be good. Upon hearing the news of your job loss, one of your friends will be sure to let you know that there is a job opening in his company. Your friend will probably encourage you to use him as a job reference.

Therefore, having a large network of friends gives you a huge advantage over others that have the same job qualifications as you. All things being equal, who do you think has a better chance of getting hired by a company: a person who has friends in the company, or a person who doesn't know anyone in the company?

Having a large network of friends may be just as important as having lots of money in your account. Both serve as a safety net. Both can help you solve problems quickly.

There are two ways to be rich. Rich in money, and rich in friends. Likewise, there are two ways to be knowledgeable. Knowledgeable through education, and knowledgeable through friends.

Good Cheer, Faith, and Not Afraid

Today, I read the following passage from Matthew 14:26-31 KJV:

"And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"

After reading this Bible passage, I am particularly aware of the following phrases:

"Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid."

"O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"

These Bible phrases state that you should be of good cheer, strong in faith, and not afraid. But how can you be of good cheer, strong in faith, and not afraid?

I think that the only way to be of good cheer, strong in faith, and not afraid is to completely trust God and your God-given ability to handle life's troubles. You can develop this kind of trust through regular prayer and affirmations. Having this trust will boost your confidence. And confidence is necessary to live life successfully.

In the above Bible passage, "the sea" could represent life's troubles. "Walking on the sea" could represent your God-given ability to rise above life's troubles and handle them successfully.

Problems and Taking Action

"Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life" (Philippians 4:6-7 MSG).

After affirming this Bible verse, I realize it's better to pray and get busy solving problems than to worry and fret about problems. The former is positive and constructive, while the latter is negative and destructive.

Problems seem to be inevitable. Everywhere problems seem to be. Problems can be found on a global, national, communal, and individual level. Given this, problems probably serve a purpose.

I think the purpose of problems is to strengthen your problem-solving skills. Problem-solving skills consists thinking positive (e.g., praying, affirming, envisioning) and taking action (e.g., physically solving problems).

Some people downplay the importance of thinking positive, and claim that the only thing that matters is taking action. But where do you think taking action comes from? That's right. Taking action comes from thinking. You think first. Then you take action.

What you think is important. Thoughts have power. Thinking positive leads to positive action (e.g., physically solving problems). And thinking negative leads to negative action (e.g., helplessly curling up in a ball).

Meditating on God's Presence

"Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth" (Psalm 46:10 KJV).

After affirming this Bible verse, I realize the importance of going off to a quiet place and meditating on God's presence. Meditating on God's presence centers me, making me more aware of the reality around me, making me more aware of myself.

Meditating on God's presence gives me peace. It gives me the feeling that everything is okay, that everything is working out, that God is in charge.

Meditating on God's presence gives me a glimpse of reality below the superficial surface. I see that things are really not as they seem.

Matter is made up of molecules, molecules of atoms, atoms of subatomic particles, subatomic particles of pure energy, and pure energy of consciousness. This consciousness is universal. It's God's consciousness.

Mental Programming and a man named Dennis

"And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour" (Matthew 17:18 KJV).

After reading this Bible verse and thinking deeply about it, I came to the conclusion that not only can this verse be interpreted literally, but it can also be interpreted figuratively.

For example, the word "devil" can really mean "negative mental programming." To be negatively programmed is to habitually think negative thoughts to the point of handicapping yourself.

A negatively programmed person is a behaviorally dysfunctional person. Being behaviorally dysfunctional can lead to a very crappy existence.

If you look at the above Bible verse and interpret it figuratively, it appears that Jesus was getting rid of the negative mental programming that was handicapping the child, thus curing him.

Do you want a modern-day example of how negative mental programming leads to dysfunctional behavior, leading to a crappy existence?

Okay here goes.

There once was a child named Dennis who got involved with some negative mental programming. This particular negative mental programming took the form of reading S&M (sadism and masochism) magazines. S&M magazines contain pornography involving sadism and masochism.

For those of you who do not know what S&M pornography is, I will explain it to you. S&M pornography involves bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, and sadism and masochism. Basically, the dominant sex partner binds, inflicts pain on, and humiliates the submissive sex partner.

A steady mental programming of S&M magazines led Dennis to steal and wear panties, peep in house windows, and bind dogs and cats with baling wire and hang them in a barn.

Throughout grade school, Dennis' sexual fantasies of dominating, binding, inflicting pain on, and humiliating women grew, since he kept fueling his fantasies with S&M magazines.

Dennis' sexual fantasies of dominating, binding, inflicting pain on, and humiliating women followed him into adulthood. But these fantasies grew, causing him to act on them.

Dennis began dominating, binding, inflicting pain on, and humiliating women. His fantasies became reality. He was actually doing the deed.

Nevertheless, Dennis had to murder his victim when he was done doing the deed. This was to ensure that his victim would not contact the police.

You see, Dennis was targeting innocent and unsuspecting women. He would catch them by surprise in secluded places and force his sexual perversions on them. Dennis would try to catch these women in places where there were no witnesses. If there were witnesses, he would have to murder them, so they would be unable to contact the police.

The police eventually found out Dennis' secret life and arrested him. Afterward, he was charged with ten counts of first degree murder, and received ten consecutive life sentences of imprisonment.

You probably have heard of Dennis -- Dennis Rader! Dennis Rader was the BTK serial killer. "BTK" stands for "bind, torture, and kill."

Dennis Rader claimed that a mysterious force made him bind, torture, and kill his victims. But we both know that the "mysterious force" was really negative mental programming, and that negative mental programming isn't mysterious. Powerful? Yes. But mysterious? No.

Dennis Rader could have had a different life, if he received positive mental programming instead of negative mental programming. This in no way excuses him for what he did. He still should receive maximum punishment for his crimes.

How about you? Are you receiving positive mental programming? Or are you instead receiving negative mental programming?

Life Goals and Distractions

"Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead" (Proverbs 4:25 HCSB).

After affirming this Bible verse, I realize the importance of keeping my mind fixed on my goals in life, no matter what circumstance I am in.

There are many distractions that will vie for my attention. But I will keep the influence of these distractions to a minimum.

There always will be distractions getting in the way of my life goals. I have come to accept this, because I know that this is guaranteed.

Currently, my only life purpose is to keep my mind fixed on my goals and allow the distractions surrounding me to fade into the background where they belong.

Empowered to Handle Adversity by Trusting In God's Power

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me" (John 14:1 KJV).

After affirming this Bible verse, I realize the futility of walking around in a troubled state of mind. I realize the advantage of thinking positive by trusting in God's power.

Trusting in God's power does not necessarily mean to sit around passively in the face of adversity. Instead, it means to feel empowered to handle adversity, and to act proactively if need be.

Some types of adversity require us to wait patiently and let events unfold in their due time. Other types of adversity require us to act immediately to solve them. The appropriate response all depends on the type of adversity we are dealing with.

The key to handling adversity is to feel empowered. And feeling empowered depends on our belief that we can handle the adversity. And our belief that we can handle the adversity can stem from trusting in God's power that flows through us.

Invulnerable Belief and Imagination

"When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee" (Isaiah 43:2 KJV).

Upon affirming this Bible verse, I realize that God is always with me, protecting me from all harm. That I can pass through all life's trials unscathed. That I am invulnerable. I am like Achilles without the Achilles' heel.

I am invulnerable, because I believe and imagine myself to be invulnerable. Belief and imagination always precede reality. Belief and imagination create reality.

German theoretical physicist Albert Einstein once said, "Imagination is everything." American self-help advocate, author, and lecturer Wayne Dyer once said, "You'll see it when you believe it." I agree with both of them. Imagination and belief are very important skills to have in life.

Worrying attracts Bad Things

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear" (Matthew 6:25 NIV).

After affirming this Bible verse, I realize the futility of worrying. I realize that worrying is actually a form of negative thinking, of negative imagination.

If I walk around worrying all the time, I am actually imagining bad things happening to me all the time. And by imagining bad things, I am actually attracting bad things. This is the negative law of attraction.

So what is the opposite of worrying? Believing.

If I walk around believing all the time, I am actually imagining good things happening to me all the time. And by imagining good things, I am actually attracting good things. This is the positive law of attraction.

Declare your Words with Power; use your Mind (Emotion and Imagination)

"So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it" (Isaiah 55:11).

Upon affirming this Bible verse, I realize that words have power - the power to change reality. That the real power behind words is the mind. The mind is the fulcrum of change.

Whatever you want to declare into reality, declare it boldly and often. Declare whatever you want or need, and you will have it.

Whatever you declare, make sure it is laden with emotion and imagination. Emotion and imagination are part of the faith process and will give your words power.

Perhaps you have read the New Testament and wonder how you can have faith that moves mountains. Faith as described in the New Testament is really envisioning the thing that you want to happen so vividly and consistently that it actually happens. Doing this will undoubtedly produce emotion within you.

Indeed, words have power. But it is the mind that gives the words power via emotion and imagination.

God, Consciousness, and the Universe

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1).

After affirming this Bible verse, I realize that in the very beginning only consciousness existed. And that consciousness was God. And through that consciousness all things were created.

This Bible verse has very deep implications. That everything in the universe came from consciousness or mind. That the universe is really a mental construct.

If the universe is a mental construct, then we can change the universe by changing our consciousness. We have the power to do so, since each one of us has consciousness or mind.

Since consciousness or mind is God, then each one of us is God. We have the power to create by using our consciousness. We do so by envisioning what we want.

If we want money, we envision money. If we want health, we envision health. If we want wisdom, we envision ourselves making good decisions.

Each one of us is the creator of his own fate via envisioning. Each one of us is part of the great God consciousness.

I Am God

"And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you" (Exodus 3:14).

Upon affirming this Bible verse, I realize that God is within me. Saying "I am that I am" makes me aware of God's presence within me. Saying "I am that I am" makes me deeply self-aware, causing me to focus on the real me. The real me is God, and God is the real me.

Knowing that I am one with God frees up my ability to accomplish anything. There are no more doubts or hindrances. I know that I can accomplish anything that I focus on. I have complete confidence.

The power of the great I Am is within me, is within my imagination. The great English poet, painter, and printmaker William Blake stated, "Imagination is the real and eternal world of which this vegetable universe is but a faint shadow."

Ask by Prayer and Imagination

"And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you" (John 16:23).

Upon affirming this Bible verse, I realize that the secret to living life successfully is to ask. I realize that if you want something in life, ask for it and it is yours.

Nevertheless, you must ask in the right way to obtain what you ask for. You must ask with some degree of intensity rather than in a half-assed manner. When you ask for something via prayer, imagine that you already have it as you go about your day.

For example, if you want a brand new, red, smooth-riding Corvette automobile, every time you get into your current, old, beat-up lemon of an automobile, imagine that you are driving the brand-new, red, smooth-riding Corvette. Eventually, your imagination will become reality. Imagination equals creation.

Prayer must always be coupled with imagination for it to work. A prayer without imagination is a prayer without power and faith. If you say a prayer without imagination, you are praying in a half-assed manner. You will get no results or weak ones at best.

You have heard the adage "A picture is worth a thousand words." It is actually worth much more.

Power and Strength

"He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength" (Isaiah 40:29).

Upon affirming this Bible verse, I feel a surge of power and strength within me. God is the source of all power and strength, and I am tapping into the source by believing that I am receiving power and strength.

Power is the ability to make things happen. And strength is the inner-toughness to handle circumstances. We need both to be successful in this life. Sometimes we must be a hammer, and sometimes we must be an anvil.

Belief is the key to power and strength. If you want power and strength, all you have to do is believe that power and strength are yours. You can do this by often affirming the Bible verse above or often praying, "Thank you God for giving me power and strength."

Blessings and Protection

"For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield" (Psalm 5:12).

After affirming this Bible verse, I realize that God is showering me with blessings and surrounding me with protection.

God's blessings in life are very important and make a very big difference in the quality of life that you live. Being sick, poor, or ignorant can make your life a living hell. And being healthy, wealthy, and wise can make your life heaven on earth.

Life can be dangerous at times and people can sometimes behave worse than animals. This is why God's protection is necessary. During times when you must enter "the lion's den," it is very important to thank God for His protection and believe that he is protecting you.

Blessings and protection equal a happy life.

Faith, Source, and The Law

"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19).

After affirming this Bible verse, I realize that God can and will supply all my needs if I tap into His power. God is the source of all things. He is the source of all health, wealth, and wisdom. By tapping into this source, a sick person can become healthy; a poor person can become rich; a foolish person can become wise.

How does one tap into this limitless source? The answer is by faith. Faith is the only path to this source. Faith is to believe a desired thing to be already materialized, even though it currently has not. This stepping out in faith extracts energy from The Source to create the desired thing.

Influential metaphysics teacher Neville Goddard calls this phenomenon The Law. Neville Goddard defined The Law as the technique of creating one's physical reality through imagining. This is exactly what using faith to tap into The Source is.

By using faith, you are vividly imagining what you would like to come into being. By repeatedly imagining this, you are bringing it closer and closer into reality.

An example of using The Law or tapping into The Source through faith can be praying, "Thank you God for making me healthy, wealthy, and wise." And vividly imagining yourself as already being healthy, wealthy, and wise as you go about your day.

Blessings, Poverty, and Sickness

"But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day" (Deuteronomy 8:18).

After affirming this Bible verse, I am reminded that God has given me the ability to become wealthy, that I need not suffer in poverty. That poverty, sickness, and foolishness are due to having a lack of faith and are not from God.

God is not the author of human suffering as many believe. Instead, He is the author of human blessings. That is why God encourages us to pray for blessings and believe that the blessings will occur.

Permanent poverty is a condition of hopelessness, just as permanent sickness is. There is nothing good about poverty or sickness. If you find yourself in the situation of poverty or sickness, it is best to begin praying, affirming God's Word, and working your butt off to get out of the situation.

Indeed, God has given me the ability to be wealthy. Not only that, but the ability to partake of other blessings.

Faith is the Metaphysical Force developed by certain Exercises

"And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all" (Acts 3:16).

Upon affirming this Bible verse, I understand that faith is the metaphysical force or energy within and around every living thing. Faith can be likened to the Force described in the movie "Star Wars," which gives the Jedi Masters supernatural powers.

The stronger my faith becomes, the abler I am to accomplish an objective. This objective could be good health, wealth, relationships, or other blessings. Faith is the metaphysical force behind success and living the good life.

Faith is like a muscle. For faith to be strong, certain exercises must be done regularly. These exercises comprise of prayer or affirmations. The more I pray or affirm something to be true, the better chance it will become true.

Just as a Jedi Master must do certain exercises to develop the Force, I must do certain exercises to develop my faith (metaphysical force).

Communication and Prayer contribute to Good Health

"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 5:16).

After affirming this, my awareness of communication and prayer regarding healing is increased. I am now aware that communication is vital to providing a harmonious workplace and home life, thereby contributing to good health. Also, I am aware that prayer is vital to providing a harmonious mind-set, thereby contributing to good health.

The communication of my faults, frustrations, and other troubles to a trusted friend is a good way of easing my mind, thereby creating a sense of equilibrium. A mind-set of equilibrium leads to good health, since stress is alleviated.

Saying a prayer for others as well as myself is a good way to keep my mind positive, thereby creating a sense of joy. A mind-set of joy leads to good health, since joy creates healthful chemical reactions within the body.

Indeed, communication and prayer contribute significantly to good health.

Prayer gives you Power over Circumstances

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name" (John 1:12).

After affirming this Bible verse, I feel myself being filled with power, power to direct my life in a positive direction. Having power is essential to living a successful life. It is important to have power over circumstances or else circumstances can swallow you up.

As sons of God, we need to connect to God via prayer. Just as a cell phone needs to be recharged regularly, we need to be recharged via prayer. Prayer equals power.

There is a connection between mind and body as well as among mind, behavior, and circumstances. Since prayer alters the mind, the other factors also get altered: body, behavior, and circumstances.

That is what mind over matter means - mind over body, behavior, and circumstances.

Faith is a Force

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1).

After affirming this Bible verse, I understand that faith is a force that builds a bridge from where I am now to where I hope to be in the future. Faith is a very important force that I must use to direct my life. Without faith, it is very difficult to direct my life.

Faith is the evidence of things not seen. In other words, I have to believe something will come to pass first, then I will see it manifest in my physical reality later. I have to believe that I can achieve my goals first, then I will achieve them later.

Faith begins from the invisible and intangible, and ends with the visible and tangible.

Many of the best self-help books regarding success emphasize the importance of faith. Books such as "The Secret," "Think and Grow Rich," and "The Magic of Believing" emphasize the importance of faith in achieving goals.

Though faith is an invisible force, its impact on success is essential and can never be overestimated.

Mind, Environment, and God's Word

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Romans 12:2).

After affirming this Bible verse, I feel my mind transforming into a more positive mind-set. The transforming of my mind is more inwardly driven rather than outwardly driven.

A person's mind is usually molded by his environment (e.g., television, radio, family, friends, coworkers, economic condition, neighborhood, and so on). If the person's environment is positive, his mind-set becomes positive. If the person's environment is negative, his mind-set becomes negative.

Given this, the person is at the mercy of outside forces and really does not have any free will at all. He is a mere puppet.

I, on the other hand, am immune to the effects of my environment, since my mind is molded from within. The force within me is God's Word. As long as I affirm God's Word regularly, my mind will be molded accordingly.

God's Word contains significant power.

Impossibilities and Possibilities

"And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God" (Luke 18:27).

After affirming this Bible verse, I realize that there is no firm barrier between what is possible and impossible. In fact, the barrier is blurry and fuzzy, with "impossibilities" becoming possibilities often enough.

Humans may have limits to what they can do, but God does not. Therefore, if I connect myself to God, then I do not have any limitations. Connecting myself to God enables me to turn "impossibilities" into possibilities.

I no longer have to be mired in the frustrations of my shortcomings. I can transform my shortcomings into long-comings. I can transform "impossibilities" into possibilities.

Strong, Courageous, and Fearless with Nerves of Steel

"Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest" (Joshua 1:9).

After affirming this Bible verse, I feel strong, courageous, and fearless with nerves of steel. I know that God is with me, no matter where I go or what situation I am in.

Since I am strong, courageous, and fearless with nerves of steel, I can handle all circumstances and succeed at any task. I am an unstoppable positive force.

Being strong, courageous, and fearless with nerves of steel, I am the conqueror, not the conquered. I am the winner, not the loser, I am the victor, not the defeated.

God's Presence Within Me

"Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21).

Upon affirming this Bible verse, I am feeling God's presence within me. With God's presence within me, I can handle all life's problems and can achieve any goal. Nothing is too big for me to handle or out of my reach to attain.

With God's presence within me, I am likened to a high-performance car being filled with super high-octane fuel as opposed to cheap crappy fuel. I have the power to get the job done, and to get it done fast.

With God's presence within me, I am no longer a victim of circumstances. Instead, I am a creator of circumstances. I have the power to rise above life itself.

The Power Within Me

"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us" (Ephesians 3:20).

After affirming this Bible verse, I feel the power within me, enabling me to exceed my limits. I am now able to do things that I thought was once impossible.

The power within me is restoring my body to full health, restoring my finances to wealth, and restoring my mind to wisdom. The power within me is making me healthy, wealthy, and wise.

Though the power within me is invisible and intangible, this power affects my life profoundly. I believe that the REAL power behind the most successful people is invisible and intangible, and very difficult to measure.

Thoughts are Powerful, Invisible, and Intangible

Today I am affirming, "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7).

As I affirm this Bible verse, I realize that thoughts are powerful things. Though thoughts are invisible and intangible, thoughts can dramatically change my life.

Thoughts can be likened to the inside of an atom. The inside of an atom contains highly concentrated energy, affecting the behavior of the atom. The highly concentrated energy inside an atom is almost invisible and intangible.

So it seems, the more invisible and intangible something is, the more powerful it is. The invisible world is much more powerful than the visible world.

The mental world is much more powerful than the physical world. In fact, the mental world strongly influences the physical world.

Being Powered Up for the Circumstances of Life

Today I am affirming, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10).

After affirming this Bible verse, I feel an increase in vitality, energy, and power. I have more control over my life, and have the power to steer my life in any direction I choose.

I am no longer a victim of circumstances. Instead, I create circumstances that are beneficial to me. Circumstances are extensions of my desires.

I am plugged into God. Therefore, I am powered up for maximum performance, powered up to live life to the fullest, and powered up to go beyond my genetic potential.

God and Problems

Today I am affirming, "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5).

I understand that I do not have all life's answers and insights. That I am a limited human being, with a limited understanding of problems and their solutions.

Given this, I trust in God's guidance, since He has a complete understanding of all problems and their solutions. God has all the answers.

Whenever I have problems, I thank God for guiding me and solving my problems. I know that the real solution to problems is to develop enough faith that God is empowering me to solve my problems. Faith gives me the confidence to solve problems.

I am no longer overwhelmed by problems. Instead, I feel completely confident in solving them.

The Weight of my Problems

Today I am affirming, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).

Upon affirming this, I feel a heavy burden being lifted off my mind. All my problems do not seem so big anymore. In fact, my problems seem small and manageable.

Instead of carrying the weight of my problems on my shoulders, I am now sharing the weight with God. The weight seems weightless. My problems are like helium-filled balloons.

I now know that the secret of handling problems is to share the weight of the problems with God. I am a worry-free problem solver.

God's Promises and my Current Situation

Today I am affirming, "For we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7).

After affirming this Bible verse, I am mentally focusing on God's promises rather than my current situation. By mentally focusing on God's promises, I feel motivated, empowered, and at peace - no matter how bad my current situation is. Because I know that God's promises will get me through all situations.

In life, you will go in the direction of what you are mentally focused on. If you mentally focus on your current situation, your life will go in that direction. If you mentally focus on God's promises, your life will go in that direction.

Since I do not like my current situation, I choose to mentally focus on God's promises.

Regenerating Body, Financial Situation, and Mental Condition

Today I am affirming, "And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee" (Luke 18:42).

After affirming this Bible verse, I feel my body regenerating, becoming new again. All old body cells are being replaced with new healthy cells. Malfunctioning or damaged body parts are becoming fully functioning.

Not only is faith regenerating my body, but it is also regenerating my financial situation. My broken, malfunctioning financial situation is being replaced by a healthy financial situation, a secure one, a luxurious one.

Furthermore, faith is regenerating my mental condition. My foolish mental condition is being replaced by the mental condition of wisdom. Instead of blindly making dumb mistakes, I have deep insight into most situations, seeing the best course of action. I know and do the right thing at the right time.

Faith is regenerating me into having a healthy body, a wealthy financial situation, and a wise mental condition.

God answers Prayers and Heals Bad Situations, including Death

Today I am affirming: "Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses. He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions" (Psalm 107:19-20).

In affirming this Bible verse, I know that God hears all my prayers, gets me out of bad situations, heals me of all ailments, and rescues me from death. God does all these things immediately, as long as these things do not transgress His will (love God and people).

During bad situations, God responds to my prayers immediately. God gets me out of bad situations; therefore, He is my problem solver. God either solves my problems Himself or He enables me to do so.

God heals my mind, body, and soul, preventing me from having an untimely death. In doing these things, I am able to have a high quality life on this planet.

God is a good God, in that He answers my prayers, gets me out of bad situations, heals me of all ailments, and rescues me from death.

Energy

Today I am affirming, "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31).

Almost immediately, I am being filled with energy. I feel awake, alert, and rearing to go with energy.

I am getting my work done easily and quickly, since I have the energy to do so. I am also able to think clearly and quickly.

I have boundless energy.

Being Diligent, Becoming Rich

"He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich" (Proverbs 10:4).

After affirming this Bible verse, money is suddenly flowing my way and I see possibilities to becoming rich.

In being diligent, my work gets done effectively and efficiently. I no longer procrastinate, but get everything done quickly.

In being diligent, I regularly obtain the necessary knowledge to becoming rich and implement the knowledge: real estate, stocks, and business.

I know that being diligent is key to becoming rich.

Affirming God's Protection

Today I am affirming, "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD" (Isaiah 54:17).

After affirming this biblical verse, I am feeling invulnerable. This verse states that no weapon can harm me, and that I can overcome all false accusations and libel against me, if I serve the LORD.

With God's protection, I can live my life fearlessly, without having to look over my shoulder, without having to worry about enemy attacks.

We live in a dangerous world, where someone can attack you out of the blue for no apparent reason. One day, you may think that you are safe. But the very next day, suddenly, you are attacked by a seemingly unprovoked person or group of people.

This is the reality we live in. That is why affirming and believing in God's protection is a must. Affirming and believing in God's protection makes His protection a reality.

Power, Circumstances, and Goals

Today I am affirming, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13).

In affirming this, I have the power to handle all circumstances, no matter how difficult they may be. God's power is flowing through me, giving me power to overcome circumstances.

Besides this, I have the power to achieve my goals, no matter how difficult they may be. God's power is flowing through me, giving me power to attain goals.

Indeed, attaining goals and overcoming circumstances comes easily to me.

Evil and Protection

Today I am affirming, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me" (Psalm 23:4).

Immediately, I am feeling God's protection surrounding me, making me impervious to the attacks of my enemies or evil people.

The world consists of good and evil people. I am avoiding most evil people. Those that I run into do not have the power to harm or harass me, because God's protection is surrounding me.

Indeed, God is my protection.

Faith and Circumstances

Today I am affirming, "And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you" (Luke 17:6).

As I affirm this Bible verse, I am feeling a sense of power and control over my circumstances. Circumstances are no longer beyond my control. In fact, I control circumstances.

Faith is a force as real as gravity. Not only does faith change my behavior, it also changes the behavior of circumstances around me. Faith has the power to bend reality.

Peace

Today I am affirming, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27).

I am now experiencing inner peace. My muscles are relaxing, and my breathing is slowing down.

Nothing is troubling or worrying me. I am free from all mental annoyances.

Inner peace is a sense of being still, a sense of letting go, and being centered and balanced.

Decision

Today I am affirming, "For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death" (Psalm 48:14).

After affirming this Bible verse, I know the right decision at the right time. And my knowledge is more perfect.

By knowing the correct decision in every situation, life is much easier and less painful.

Life is made up of one decision at a time, and each decision makes a big difference in where we end up in life.

Ask, Seek, and Knock

Today I am affirming, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" (Matthew 7:7).

I believe that God gives you whatever you ask for as long as it doesn't transgress His will. God's will can be summarized in the two greatest commandments: love God and love your neighbor.

If you ask God for anything that is within His will, He will answer you immediately in the spiritual realm.

If you want your prayers manifested in the physical realm, you need to display sufficient faith: "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them" (Mark 11:24).

I believe to "seek" means to search for the solution, and to "knock" means to implement the solution.

For example, if you are unemployed, you should

ASK: Ask God for a job and display faith
SEEK: Get off your butt, and do an exhaustive search through the newspapers, Internet, and word of mouth
KNOCK: Upon scheduling a job interview, go to the interview and convince the interviewer that you are the best candidate for the job.

Indeed, the universal problem solver is to ask, seek, and knock.

Answered Prayers

God's Protection and Power

Today I am affirming, "They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover" (Mark 16:18).

Almost immediately, I am feeling God's protection and power. I am imagining a bubble of protection surrounding me, and the power to heal others including myself.

Since I have God's protection and power, I fear nothing. And I can live my life without being weighted down by concerns.

Wisdom

I think wisdom, do wisdom, and live wisdom.

Today I am affirming, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7).

Immediately, I am feeling a transformation. My mind is working more soundly, more wisely. I am making better choices, wiser choices, and less mistakes.

I almost always know the right thing to do at the right time. This applies to all areas of my life: money, work, relationships, recreation, and religion.

I see things more in depth now, with a much deeper understanding.

Indeed, I think wisdom, do wisdom, and live wisdom.

Money

Today I am affirming, "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9).

Upon affirming this, opportunities and ideas for making more money are coming to me. Growing money seems easy. I am now getting offers involving more money. It is easy for me to get jobs involving more money.

My finances are secure, and I am living comfortably.

Healed

Today I am affirming, "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5).

This biblical quote states that we are healed. And to claim this healing, we must believe that it is so.

Since I believe that I am completely healed, I feel my body beginning to restore itself, becoming completely healed of all ailments, pain, and lack of functioning.

I am now fully restored to optimum physical functioning. Every organ, every cell is functioning at peak performance.

Word of Faith Movement, Faith, and God's Promises

The Christian religion has gone through several changes over time. One of the most recent changes is called the Word of Faith movement. The Word of Faith movement is based on the belief that if someone recites a biblical promise with faith, it will manifest in reality.

Not too long ago, I bought a small book that lists many of God's promises. The promises cover many areas such as advice, assurance, blessings, comfort, courage, endurance, faith, prosperity, goodness, guidance, help, hope, joy, love, needs, overcoming, peace, perseverance, prayer, protection, renewal, rest, safety, security, health, trusting, wisdom, and work. There is a biblical promise for almost every human need.

So according to the Word of Faith movement, if I want to be restored to full health, all I have to do is open my book of God's promises and recite with faith, "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5).

Likewise, if I want to be wealthy, all I have to do is recite with faith, "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9).

And likewise, if I want to be wise, all I have to do is recite with faith, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (11 Timothy 1:7).

Furthermore, the Word of Faith movement takes the following biblical quote very seriously: "What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them" (Mark 11:24). In other words, if you pray for something that is covered under God's promises and you display faith, whatever you pray for will manifest in reality.

Some people reading this blog post may scoff, and declare what I have written is twaddle and unscientific. Before doing so, please dust off your Psychology 101 textbook and reread the following phenomena: self-fulfilling prophecy, self-efficacy, and the placebo effect.

If you are more oriented toward metaphysics, please read the following books for further support: "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne, "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill, and "You Can Heal Your Life" by Louise L. Hay.

I am going to conduct an experiment on myself to see if the Word of Faith concept of reciting God's promises and displaying faith produce any positive results. Instead of orally reciting God's promises, I am going to recite them by writing them in my blog. I will write one promise per blog post. I will attempt to do this on a daily basis? Well, probably not. Who has time. But I will try to be as regular as possible.

Besides writing one promise per post, I will display faith by writing about how each promise positively affected me, even if it hasn't at the time. This is called stepping out in faith.

Stepping out in faith entails declaring yourself healed after you prayed for healing, even though it hasn't actually happened at the time. Then the actual healing follows. In other words, you have to believe first, then the healing follows.

Let the experiment begin.

Strange Relation between Black Holes and Newly Formed Stars Explained - What? The Big Bang Explained too?

Recently, physicists observed a very strange phenomenon - newly formed stars orbiting around black holes! This is strange, because black holes aren't known to create stars.

Quite the contrary.

They're known to destroy stars by swallowing them whole!

Many physicists are left scratching their heads, wondering what's going on here. I'll attempt to explain this very strange phenomenon logically, but first let's take a journey into the theory of everything.

THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

On Father's Day of 2008, I revealed the formula for the theory of everything. The formula is as follows:

EM = F/g x c²

where

• EM represents electromagnetic energy;
  
• F represents strong force, weak force, or any other force;
  
• g represents gravity;
  
• c² represents the speed of light squared.

The formula for the theory of everything, EM = F/g x c², reads as electromagnetic energy equals force over (divided by) gravity multiplied by the speed of light squared. This formula makes the following assumptions:

1. Electromagnetic energy and gravity are inversely related.
   
2. The stronger the gravitational field, the more time slows down within that gravitational field. This is called gravitational time dilation.
   
3. This formula can explain the four fundamental forces: electromagnetism, gravity, strong force, and weak force. Therefore, it meets the criterion for being the theory of everything.

Well, if this formula is the theory of everything, then it should be able to explain all phenomena, including why newly formed stars were observed orbiting around black holes. Right? Yes.

But to do this, we have to choose the proper fundamental force to use with our formula. Our formula already accounts for the fundamental forces electromagnetism and gravity. So should we use strong force, weak force, or both to fill the F value of our formula? Or is there some other fundamental force that we should use instead?

THE FOUR FUNDAMENTAL FORCES, OR IS IT FIVE?

Physicists agree that there are four fundamental forces in the universe: gravity, electromagnetism, strong force, and weak force. Gravity is a force involving mass; electromagnetism is a force involving energy; strong and weak forces are forces involving subatomic particles.

Are there other fundamental forces? I propose that there's at least one more. This force is called time!

TIME IS A FUNDAMENTAL FORCE

A force is something that can influence a body or system. Though most people don't think of time as a force, time can influence things.

For example, time influences the lifespan of animals. Larger animals tend to have longer lifespans, and smaller animals tend to have shorter lifespans. Whales have a maximum lifespan of about 200 years, while mice have a maximum lifespan of about four years.

Why?

The reason is gravitational time dilation. The more massive a body is, the stronger the gravity that surrounds it is, slowing down time related to the body. The less massive a body is, the weaker the gravity that surrounds it is, speeding up time related to the body.

In other words, larger animals age slower, because time travels slower for them; while smaller animals age faster, because time travels faster for them.

TIME AND THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

Okay, we now have time as an additional fundamental force. Should we use this force with our Theory of Everything formula to explain why newly formed stars orbit around black holes? Let's find out. Our original formula EM = F/g x c² becomes

EM = t/g x c²,

where

• EM represents electromagnetism;
  
• t represents time;
  
• g represents gravity;
  
• c² represents the speed of light squared.

Our new formula, EM = t/g x c², reads as electromagnetism equals time over (divided by) gravity multiplied by the speed of light squared.

THE ELECTROMAGNETISM TIME-PER-GRAVITY EQUIVALENCE FORMULA (EM = t/g x c²)

We can name our new formula the Electromagnetism Time-per-Gravity Equivalence formula. The Electromagnetism Time-per-Gravity Equivalence formula will lead you to the following assumptions:

1. Electromagnetism and time-per-gravity are the same thing!
   
2. Since time acts on and changes things, time is a force.
   
3. The faster time travels, the more gravity converts into electromagnetism.
   
4. The slower time travels, the less gravity converts into electromagnetism.
   
5. Within a black hole, where gravity is pure, time stands still and electromagnetism is almost nonexistent.
   
6. Within a subatomic particle such as an electron, where electromagnetism is pure, time travels at the speed of light and gravity is almost nonexistent.
   
7. At the outer edges of a black hole, where pure gravity begins to weaken, time begins to move forward and gravity begins to convert into electromagnetism. That's why newly formed stars are found around the outer edges of black holes.
   
8. The Big Bang began at the outer edges of a gigantic black hole, where massive amounts of gravity converted into massive amounts of electromagnetism, leading to a gigantic explosion, creating the entire universe!

SUMMARY

In summarizing, we can conclude that the Electromagnetism Time-per-Gravity Equivalence formula, EM = t/g x c², does a good job of explaining why newly formed stars are found around the outer edges of black holes.

If time stands still like within a black hole, gravity remains pure. But if time begins to move forward like around the outer edges of a black hole, it's at this point where gravity begins weakening and converting into electromagnetism.

Not only does this conversion explain how stars are created, but it also explains how the Big Bang was created. After all, the Big Bang was probably a gigantic star that eventually exploded, creating the universe as we know it. But who would have ever thought that the center of the Big Bang was really a gigantic black hole!

By Al A. Gammate
The Guaranteed Cure Company TM
http://www.theguaranteedcure.com/

Copyright © 2009 -- Al A. Gammate -- All Rights Reserved

P.S. Read my 2008 Father's Day article that turned physics on its head, shocking and dismaying physicists worldwide! Click on the following link now!
http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Al_Gammate
Then look for the article titled "The Theory of Everything Finally Revealed - Secret Relationship Between Gravity and Electromagnetism."