December 2023 Edition

ENGLISH SPECIAL EDITION - ONLINE DIGITAL - DECEMBER 2023

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Youth

ntil it happens to your kid, U bullying can seem like some-

Contact: Phone: (347) 600-5347

thing that's just on TV shows and in the movies.

cartasaoeditor@aol.com www.omensageiro7.com

It's easy for this behavior to stay under the radar because many people don't have a full understanding or awareness of bullying.

©2023 by: O Mensageiro7Inc. All Rights Reserved The Newspaper O Mensageiro7 is a monthly publication via ONLINE in English, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Plus, kids don't always speak up to ask for help.

But, unfortunately, bullying is a pervasive, complex problem that many kids encounter at school or in their daily lives.

Reproduction in whole or in part of the context of the publication without proper permission is expressly prohibited.

Bullying can occur just about anywhere, from the lunchroom to social media platforms to a child's own home.

O Mensageiro7 Newspaper is not responsible for the insertion of photos, logos, slogans, errors or omissions by advertisers or information provided by third parties, edited in any part of this publication.

And bullying stereotypes can blind us to the many forms of bullying that can occur.

To stop or prevent bullying, it's key to understand bullies and victims of bullying, cut through the misconceptions, and identify the diverse ways bullying can take place.

Bullying happens more often than you might realize.

One study found that about 20% of teenagers faced bully-

To stop or prevent bullying, it's key to understand bullies and victims of bullying, CONTINUES ON PAGE 3

Articles, messages, interviews, and studies published in this Newspaper, by each author, do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Editor.

Each writer is responsible for their own content.

Therefore, each author is available to answer the reader's questions.

Youth

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THERE ARE 6 TYPES OF BULLYING

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ing.1 Almost all of the bullying happened at school, and a good portion of it happened online as well. The most common type of bullying reported was having lies and rumors spread about the person.

When most people picture bullying, they likely imagine a group of kids punching and kicking another kid. But physical bullying is not the only type of bullying. Researchers have identified six unique types of bullying:

THERE ARE MANY REASONS FOR BULLYING

• Cyberbullying

A common misconception is that all bullying (and bullies) are the same.

• Physical bullying

But there are many reasons why bullying occurs and just as many different types of kids that become bullies.

•Sexual bullying

•Prejudicial bullying •Relational aggression •Verbal bullying Knowing how to spot all types of bullying helps parents and educators respond more effectively to bullying situations.

It is a mistake to assume that all bullies are loners or have low self-esteem.

While some bullies do suffer from self-esteem issues, others bully because they feel entitled.

Be sure you can recognize relational aggression and cyberbullying as easily as you can spot physical bullying.

Sometimes, kids who bully are the popular kids who want to rule the school.

Other kids bully because they too have been victims of bullying. Some bully to climb the social ladder. Others bully due to peer pressure.

Bullying involves having power over someone.

Many kids who bully crave power, particularly if they don't have it in other areas of their lives. In other words, the bully is looking to improve their status and/or feel more important or powerful.

BULLYING HAS SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES

Many kids who bully crave power, particularly if they don't have it in other areas or their lives. often lead bullies to target someone, it’s a mistake to assume there is one type of target. Often, bullies pick on kids who seem least capable or willing to stand up for themselves, but that's not always the case. Even the most popular kids at school can be victims of bullying.

Other kids participate in (or tolerate) bullying because they view it as an effective method for controlling and manipulating the social hierarchy at school.

It’s important to remember that kids are bullied because BULLYING the bully chose to target CAN HAPPEN them. It's not because of anyTO ANYONE thing they did or who they While certain characteristics are.

It's also wrong to assume that kids are bullied because they have a victim personality.

This removes the blame from the bully and places it on the victim.

Being targeted by a bully can have significant consequences. Many victims feel alone, isolated, embarrassed, and humiliated. If bullying is left unaddressed, other issues can crop up, including low self-esteem, academic problems, depression, and other mental health conditions.

Research shows a strong link between being a victim of bullying and developing mental health concerns, including suicidal ideation.

The responsibility for bullying Parents and teachers must should always fall on the kids realize that bullying is not a doing the bullying. rite of passage and experiencing it won’t make victims They are the only ones with stronger. It can have lasting a choice in the matter. Like- adverse impacts and should wise, labeling kids who are be dealt with swiftly and efbullied lets the bully off the fectively. ◙ hook and implies the victim deserves to be victimized.

SOURCE: BETTERHELP.COM

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Hidden behind the Chugoku

Mountains in west Japan, a three-hour drive from Hiroshima, lays the Izumo region, home to a large concentration of Japan’s greatest gardens.

Adachi Museum of Art is a must-see for any Japanese garden connoisseur and such people would do well to find themselves visiting Yuushien on “Peony Island” Daikonjima and staying at some of Matsue’s traditional inns known just as well for their beautiful gardens as their natural hot springs while visiting this remote and unique destination.

Adachi Museum of Art has attracted international renown as its superb quality and unique perspective on Japanese gardens has led them to be named the greatest garden in Japan by Japanese gardening magazine Sukiya

Tourism

Adachi Museum of Art is a must-see for any Japanese garden connoisseur and such people would do well to find themselves visiting Yuushien on “Peony Island” Daikonjima and staying at some of Matsue’s traditional inns known just as well for their beautiful gardens as their natural hot springs while visiting this remote and unique destination.

Living (formerly The Journal of Japanese Gardening) every year since 2003, and gain a three-star rating in the Michelin Green Guide Japan.

GARDENS AT THE ADACHI MUSEUM OF ART In addition to its gardens which are sublime in every season, the unique framing of the gardens as a “living picture” makes this site an absolute must see.

Accessible by free shuttle bus from Yasugi Station, or a 35-minute drive from Matsue Station, the museum features an inspired blending of an art collection with beautifully cared for Japanese gardens.

The art collection contains over 1,500 pieces and primarily features early modern Japanese painters, particuCONTINUES ON PAGE 5

Tourism

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larly those by artist Taikan Yokoyama, which the museum founder Zenko Adachi found strongly resonated with the Japanese style of gardening.

Also, a connoisseur of traditional Japanese pottery, the museum also includes his impressive pottery collection.

painting on a wall, a painting whose trees sway with the wind and whose snow falls.

Some of these frames allow guests to “enter” the painting, creating excellent photo opportunities.

ADACHI MUSEUM OF ART GAIJINPOT TRAVEL Unlike typical Japanese gardens, you can only walk along, and not through, the gardens at Adachi Museum.

This is because they are set up to be viewed as pieces of art, observed and not disturbed.

There are still opportunities to be surrounded by gardens but you may find you didn’t need them.

The appealing view of the gardens is enough to satisfy any visitor. The windows and doors of the museum cleverly portray the gardens as a

The appealing view of the gardens is enough to satisfy any visitor. The windows and doors of the museum cleverly portray the gardens as a painting on a wall.

The museum features various gardens, including traditional rock and sand gardens, moss gardens, lake-focused gardens, and more, each with a different beauty each season, and combined they reach an impressive 16.5 hectares.

The mountains behind the gardens are constantly rented so that they won’t be altered in any way that would spoil the view.

Bring your foreign passport to access the 50% discounted foreign guest ticket. Tickets prices are further reduced for students just bring any necessary ID. ◙ SOURCE: https://www. adachi-museum.or.jp/en/

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Science

limate change is a broad C topic that includes periodic

When combined with hydrogen, it forms a hydrocarbon, which can be burned by industry and vehicles to produce both heat and energy.

alterations in Earth’s climate caused by natural forces (moving continents, changes in the wobble of Earth’s axis, and other biological, chemical, and geologic factors) in combination with the effects of various human activities (such as the burning of fossil fuels and changes in land cover and biodiversity).

Although climate change is a process that has continued since Earth’s formation some 4.6 billion years ago, over the most-recent 100 years or so, the collective weight of human activities has emerged as an important factor in guiding the trajectory of global and regional climates.

Carbon, it turns out, is key to understanding climate change. Carbon is taken up by plant respiration and weathering, and it is expelled when an animal exhales.

It is the key element in two of the most-important greenhouse gases (GHG)—that is, carbon dioxide (CO2), which is produced by combustion, and methane (CH4), which is produced by a number of sources, including rice cultivation, animal waste, natural gas extraction, and wetlands.

Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius created the first model that considered the influence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

In 1896, Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius created the first model that considered the influence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

The general rule that emerged from the model was that if the quantity of CO2 increases or decreases in geometric progression, temperature will follow, increasing or decreasing nearly in arithmetic progression.

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Science

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Stark evidence of climate change at regional and global scales has appeared since the late 20th century, the most apparent being the decline in Arctic ice extent and the cluster of the warmest global surface temperature averages occurring between the year 2000 and the present.

Since Arrhenius’s time, the CO2 concentration of the atmosphere has increased more than 70 percent, from 280–290 parts per million to more than 400 ppm by 2016.

(One of the world’s longest ongoing studies, operated by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, has graphed atmospheric CO2 since 1958 on a plot known as the Keeling Curve.)

As a result, controlling carbon emissions, as well as emissions of other greenhouse gases, has become a global priority.

With such a dramatic rise in CO2 concentrations over such a short period, scientists fear that it will be only a matter of time before air temperatures rise and people start to experience the results.

The ultimate goal of the Paris Agreement was to provide a legal mechanism with which countries would set stringent GHG emissions targets to keep the temperature of Earth’s lower atmosphere well below the critical threshold of 2 °C (3.6 °F) above preindustrial temperatures.

Stark evidence of climate change at regional and global scales has appeared since the late 20th century, the most apparent being the decline in Arctic ice extent and the cluster of the warmest global surface temperature averages occurring between the year 2000 and the present.

The 2015 Paris Agreement, similar to the 1997 Kyoto Agreement, which it replaced, is designed to control and reduce greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere.

Controlling carbon emissions, as well as emissions of other greenhouse gases, has become a global priority.

The agreement became fully legal and binding on November 4, 2016. ◙ SOURCE: Encyclopaedia Britannica networks.

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Pregnancy

7

any women get baby M blues during the first weeks

after childbirth. This is a normal part of getting used to becoming a mother.

Having a newborn baby is exhilarating, exhausting, and physically challenging. The sense of responsibility can be daunting. Feelings of inadequacy and guilt can be overthese feelings pass - usually whelming. within a few days.

The baby blues are very common. They are considered SIGNS OF normal for new mothers. BABY BLUES Most new mothers feel baby blues a few days after giving Signs of baby blues include feeling: birth.

•Tearful

WHEN BABY BLUES HAPPEN

•Emotional •Irritable

Baby blues usually begin •Isolated around day 3 after your baby has been born. As your body •Irrational starts to return to normal, •Vulnerable

•Overwhelmed •Lonely •Like you are on an emotional rollercoaster

like a partner, family member, or close friend.

You will need support to help you get as much rest as you can.

These feelings may be due to the change in your hormone HOW LONG THE levels after giving birth.

BABY BLUES LAST

You may go from feeling great Although you may find it disjoy to feeling great sadness. tressing, the baby blues will pass quickly, usually within 1 FINDING SUPPORT to 2 weeks. ◙ FOR BABY BLUES Talk to a person close to you, SOURCE: WEBMD.COM

Health

dults are so sedentary that A simply replacing a few mo-

A 54-year-old woman exercised for 30 minutes instead of sitting, the study said. She had a 2.4% decrease in body mass index, a 2.7% decrease in waist size, and a 3.6% decrease in blood glucose levels.

ments of sitting with any type of activity, including sleeping and standing, can improve cardiovascular health.

That’s according to new research in the European Heart Journal conducted by the University of College London and the University of Sydney.

"We do hope this data reaches a broad population and impacts behavior," Matthew Saybolt, MD, medical director of the Structural Heart Disease Program at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center, told Fox. He was not involved in the research.

Researchers have found that adults are sedentary for an average of 9½ hours a day.

They looked at six studies involving 15,000 people from five countries. Participants used trackers to measure activities and heart health over a typical day.

People who participated in more rigorous activities generally saw better heart health.

And even standing and sleeping brought improvements.

“When participants swapped out sitting for as little as five minutes of moderate to vigorous activity, there was a tangible positive impact on their heart health,” Fox News reported.

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Adults are so sedentary that simply replacing a few moments of sitting with any type of activity, including sleeping and standing, can improve cardiovascular health.

"As cardiologists, we know that regular physical activity compared to a sedentary lifestyle has positive effects on blood pressure, glucose/sugar levels, body fat, cholesterol, sleep patterns and mood," Saybolt said. "All of these things are closely linked with the cardiovascular system.

We encourage at least mild to moderate exercise and activity daily to all of our stable patients." ◙ SOURCE: WEBMD

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Family

SOCIALISATION

ic support necessary for their members.

One of the primary roles of a family is to prepare children to become productive members of society.

This process, known as socialization, involves teaching children societal norms, values, skills, behaviors, and roles.

Families instill traditions, cultures, moral values, and beliefs that shape future generations.

ECONOMIC SUPPORT Families provide the econom-

This includes direct financial support, such as providing food, shelter, and other essentials, but also indirectly by teaching members the skills and habits necessary to eventually become self-sufficient.

Families instill traditions, cultures, moral values, and beliefs that shape future generations.

NURTURING AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT Families offer an environment of warmth, love, and understanding, which is essential for the emotional and psychological development of their members.

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Family

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One of the primary roles of a family is to prepare children to become productive members of society. protective layer against soci- MAINTAINING etal issues and personal diffi- SOCIAL ORDER Families often encourage culties. healthy lifestyles and habits among their members.

This support structure is a significant part of why societies ROLE function effectively. health support.

ALLOCATION

IDENTITY AND SELF-ESTEEM

The emotion al stability provided in a family fosters self-confidence and self-esteem in individuals, making them resilient and capable of dealing with life's challenges.

In society, each individual has specific roles and responsibilities.

Families play a crucial role in assigning these responsibilities based on age, gender, and capability, preparing memWithin families, individuals bers for their societal roles. form their identities.

HEALTH MAINTENANCE Families are typically responsible for the health and well-being of their members.

This includes physical care in terms of nutritional and medical needs, as well as mental

By instilling societal norms, morals, and ethics, families contribute to societal stability. The values and discipline taught in families reflect in the behavior of individuals in society, maintaining social order.

In essence, families are fundamental building blocks of society.

They shape individuals who, Cultural heritage, family val- in turn, shape society. ues, and societal roles all con- Therefore, the health and tribute to self-perception and well-being of families are of self-esteem. paramount importance to the A positive family environ- overall health and well-being ment helps individuals to de- of society. ◙ velop a strong sense of self, Families provide a safety net which they carry into their for their members, offering a broader societal interactions. SOURCE: BETTERHELP.COM

PROTECTION

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New unemployment claims

in the US rose to their highest level in three months, jumping by 13,000 to 231,000 in the week ending 11 November. Signs of a slowing job market are likely to bolster the Federal Reserve in its ongoing battle to tame inflation, says Reuters.

South Africa will become the first African nation to implement shared parental leave.

Under a new high court ruling, both parents will be able to decide how they use the four months following the birth of a baby or the adoption of a child, The Guardian reports. Previously, only mothers were allowed to take the full period, with fathers entitled to 10 days.

Argentina’s annual rate of inflation will be higher than expected, according to the results of an economic survey.

Analysts polled by the country’s central bank have revised up their October estimate of 180.7% to 185.0%.

Annualized inflation for the month reached 142.7%.

Economy

household energy costs decreased. Annual consumer price inflation fell to 4.6% from September's 6.7% – the smallest increase in two years. But Britain still has the highest rate of consumer price growth in the G7.

Russian families are having to scale back on spending as the war in Ukraine and Western sanctions reshape the country’s economy. While the International Monetary Fund projects 2.2% growth for Russia this year, inflation is running high and official statistics show over 15.7 million people living below the poverty line.

High inflation and sluggish growth in Europe and the US may lead consumers to prioritize essentials over gifts this holiday season, with some toy company executives predicting a 10-12% decline in sales compared with 2022.

The US Senate averted a gov- already brought Washington But retailers will be eyeing ernment shutdown on 15 No- to the brink of default on its Black Friday as a sign of how vember by passing a tempo- over $31 trillion in debt. the season might pan out. ◙ rary spending bill. The 87-11 vote ended the third fiscal UK inflation eased more SOURCE: EURONEWS standoff in a year that has than expected in October as

Christmas

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not coherent.

A good story can challenge our perspective on reality, but it must be cohesive.

Christmas is definitely one of those stories that, over time, became suffocated with an excess of parallel narratives that, perhaps in the beginning, were intended to improve the narrative.

Daniel Lima

Among the many mistakes

a writer can make, there is the mistake of suffocating the idea with too much information.

Be it too many characters, or a very confusing or disjointed story line, or a world that is

Christmas is definitely one of those stories that, over time, became suffocated with an excess of parallel narratives.

The inclusion of extra characters, parallel stories, or even pagan traditions ends up obscuring the essence of the Christmas narrative.

It is interesting to note that, of the four biblical gospels, three of them provide very detailed accounts of the birth of Christ.

Matthew, Mark and Luke describe, in more or less detail, the birth of our Savior.

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Christmas

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The fourth gospel does not describe the birth of Christ, but it is perhaps the clearest account of the essence of Christmas.

The Holy Spirit inspired John to write not an account of events, but the very essence of what occurred.

“In the beginning He was He who is the Word.

He was with God and was God. He was with God in the beginning.”

Reading the first chapter from verses 1 to 14, I identify five elements of this message that is expressed in the Christmas narrative reported The third character, the Holy by the other evangelists.

Spirit, will be introduced later. The first character is the Are they: Word. Here we are not talking about the word as the JESUS AND GOD emission of sound, or even the written word, but about The first two verses state: “In what is the very expression of the beginning he was he who is the Word. He was with God God. and was God. He was with This character is eternal, as God in the beginning.” he was with God before time This is an introduction to not even existed. When it all bejust one, but two central char- gan, he, Jesus, was already acters. present.

of presentation), who is God himself.

This is a character known to his audience. As Israelites, all of his readers had a clear concept of who God the Father was.

JESUS BRINGS LIFE AND LIGHT

Describing then more clearly the character being presented, since God the Father Not only was he with God, needed no further introduction, John goes on to describe demonstrating his personal Jesus. In verses 3 to 5 of John and eternal relationship with 1 we read: the Father, but he is also his “A l l t h i n g s w e r e m a d e equivalent. through him; Without it, John states in the most direct nothing that exists would way that the Word was God. have been done. In Him was life, and this was the light of And notice that, in this sense, men. The light shines in the the Word was not just an ex- darkness, and the darkness tension of God, as it was with has not defeated it.”

God as a distinct person.

There are at least three stateNext, John introduces the ments here about Jesus second character (in order Christ, the prominent characCONTINUES ON PAGE 15

Christmas

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CONTINUING FROM PAGE 14

"In Him was life, and this was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not defeated it.”

ter in this account.

of our Savior... We read verses 9 to 11 like this:

Firstly, he was not just an observer in the act of Creation, he is the creative agent. This once again points to his authority.

“The true light that illuminates all men was coming to the world. He who is the Word was in the world, and the world was made through him, but the world did not recognize him. He came to what was his, but his own did not receive him.”

Secondly, he has in himself the light and life for men.

Namely, Jesus is much more than that, but, for our understanding at this moment, it is enough to know that he is life and light for us.

The unbelievable happens.

He who is our hope, who is our Savior, who should be welcomed with open arms, is not recognized and, even worse, is rejected.

In other words, this new but eternal character has what we need in him.

He is the hero we have been waiting for since the beginning of humanity.

And finally, he opposes and resists the darkness. Darkness is always the feared enemy, now we have a hero who can defeat them.

JESUS WAS REJECTED However, the next verses (after the passage about John the Baptist, verses 7 and 8) state a turnaround or a problem that arises at the arrival

JESUS AND THE CHILDREN OF GOD

“All things were made through him; Without it, nothing that exists would have been done.

In the midst of this moment of tension (our hope was rejected), an alternative hope is found: those who received it were saved. John 1:12-13 states: “But to those who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born not of natural descent, nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, CONTINUES ON PAGE 16

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Christmas

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but were born of God." Through a new “turn” in history, some did receive it and, for these, history takes on a new dimension: they are made children of God! The report then states that this transformation was not due to human power – in fact, it surpasses not only the capacity but also the very hope of human beings.

These were transformed into children by God himself. Anyone, upon reading this point in the story, begins to think: “What if I received it too?”

JESUS IS THE INCARNATION OF GOD. Verse 14 gives us the summary, or the very essence of this

“The true light that illuminates all men was coming to the world. He who is the Word was in the world, and the world was made through him, but the world did not recognize him.

He came to what was his, but his own did not receive him.”

message: “He who is the Word became flesh and lived among us. We saw his glory, glory as of the Only Begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

That character presented as someone equal to God – like God himself, but still distinct from the Father – came, lived among us and it was possible to see the glory of God himself in him.

This Jesus came full of grace, which makes him very attractive, as a character so powerful but devoid of grace would be terrifying.

But he also came full of truth, that is, we can trust him! ◙

Important Message to You

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But David, who was a young shepherd at this point in his life, came up and asked, "What do you say they will give to anyone who kills that, Philistine?"

Now, that was a bold move on David's part.

Joyce Meyer

Most people are familiar

with the story of David and Goliath.

He was a giant warrior who came against the armies of Israel and the soldiers were terrified to fight him (see 1 Samuel 17).

In fact, his older brother, Eliab, started making fun of him, basically saying, “What are you doing here? You are not a soldier. Don't you have some sheep to look after?"

But David was used to that kind of attitude coming from his brothers, and he already knew who he was in his relationship with God. So how did you respond? He CONTINUES ON PAGE 18

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Important Message to You

CONTINUING FROM PAGE 17

Later that day, more people attended my session than any other! The enemy simply wanted to prevent Him from succeeding.

says in 1 Samuel 17:30 that "David departed from Eliab."

In other words, he kept doing what he was doing. That is exactly what we need to learn to do!

You see, when you feel that feeling of "smallness" taking over you, it is Satan trying to diminish you.

See, when we think we have an assignment from God, a dream, a goal, a plan, or a vision, we need to stop thinking about what everyone else says we can't do... and just focus on what God says about us and what we can do.

ADVANCED TOWARDS GOD'S GOOD PLAN Have you ever been in a room full of people who seemed smarter or more talented than you and started to feel less and insignificant?

But the Bible clearly says that Satan is a liar and "the accuser of the brethren" (see Revelation 12:10).

When you feel that feeling of "smallness" taking over you, it is Satan trying to diminish you.

I can vividly remember years ago, in the early days of this ministry, when I was invited to speak at a large conference with many renowned speakers.

You need to know in your heart that God is always with you!

I was petrified! As I stood on that stage, the enemy began to attack my mind with thoughts like: You don't belong here! You're a nobody from Fenton, Missouri, whom no one knows!

Well, even though I was shaking, I managed to say a few things and talk about my workshop.

You don't have to be intimidated by anything or anyone because your value is not in what you do, but in who you are in Christ, who God says you are.

And here's something else to think about: If you really want to do something for God, you better get used to people telling you what you can't do because the enemy wants you to think it's impossible.

At one point, the host called all the speakers up on stage to give a brief synopsis of what they planned to teach in their individual workshops.

In that moment, I had a choice: I could run from that stage and go home…or I could ignore the lies of the enemy and choose to move forward, knowing who God says I am and doing what He told me to do.

When he comes at you with his lies, don't bother entertaining those thoughts or even trying to argue with him. The best you can do is turn around and go about your business.

It's amazing what God will do if you keep putting one foot in front of the other and refuse to give up.

You don't have to be intimidated by anything or anyone because your value is not in what you do, but in who you are in Christ, who God says you are.

I encourage you to get up every day and move on. Keep studying God's Word and ask Him to direct and guide you in everything you do.

Because as you continue to seek God and learn what He says about you in His Word, it will open your eyes to the greatness that He has put within you, and no man can take that away from you. ◙

Motivation

ome people may find Sthemselves completely sty-

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and then challenge yourself to read five pages of the book on your nightstand first.

mied by a project; others may simply want to pack a little more productivity into their timeline.

This approach gives space for negative thoughts and feelings, while helping you change ingrained patterns.

No matter where motivation begins, there are always ways to increase it—whether that be your own motivation or someone else’s.

HOW CAN I STOP PROCRASTINATING? Procrastination is often driven by underlying feelings of distress or anxiety elicited by a given task.

HOW CAN I FEEL MORE MOTIVATED? Sometimes you might feel completely unmotivated— and that’s ok. In that situation, allow yourself to feel the discomfort, hear the negative self-talk, and then take action anyway, For example, let’s say you come home after a long day at work and just want to unwind and watch TV. Instead of turning the TV on, acknowledge that you’re tired

No matter where motivation begins, there are always ways to increase it—whether that be your own motivation or someone else’s.

But there are ways to navigate the discomfort and beat procrastination.

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Motivation

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CONTINUING FROM PAGE 19

Many people struggle to stick to a diet.

You can break the project into small, more manageable pieces; accomplishing one step will fuel your motivation for the next.

You can set limits for the time spent preparing to begin, or aim to complete tasks as quickly as possible.

You can also set a reward that you’ll get after completing the task or a part of it.

How can companies motivate HOW CAN I STICK their employees?

TO MY DIET?

hurtful comments or fit into an outfit—can jumpstart the process but that intrinsic motivation—interest, enjoyment, and challenge in the journey—is key to sustained, lasting weight loss.

2) believe that the diet, start date, and end goals have been chosen autonomously and not “assigned” by others

Intrinsic motivation encompasses competence, autonomy, and relatedness, so it’s helpful to:

3) find a community of supporters.

How can politicians motivate Many people struggle to stick their constituents? to a diet.

DIET, EXERCISE, AND Research suggests that exFINANCE GOALS trinsic motivators—to avoid Some of the most common goals people make—and the most common goals they struggle to meet—are to eat healthier, work out more, and save more money.

Many traps can prevent people from achieving those goals, but anticipating those challenges can help achieve real change.

1) choose a diet that will be sustainable and effective

HOW CAN I STAY MOTIVATED TO EXERCISE? There are a few creative ideas to consider if motivation is a barrier to exercise.

One is to widen the options you have: If you don’t have time to go to the gym, exercise by going for a walk, doing a bodyweight circuit, or watching a yoga video.

Another is to make exercise more enjoyable, such as by listening to a book on tape.

Yet another is to establish a social contract with a friend or family member. For example, if you allow phone time to supersede exercise, you must donate to a cause of the other person’s choosing. ◙ SOURCE: BRITANNICA.COM