Pastoring Today February Issue

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Let The Works of God Shine Through You

by Sonja Mattison

We do not have to worry about when or how we will die. If we believe in Christ, we will live eternally. Christ is the window to our souls; therefore, we do not have to worry. It is through Christ who bonds us with God to give us the best life experience for now and later.

We are fortunate that the Lord Jesus Christ allows our spirit to live forever. Through God, we have abundant grace to rejoice in peace, love, and joy. Hence, the breath of life he gives us does not die but gives us hope to be grateful and appreciative of Christ. When Christ lives through us, he erases doubt, fear, and mistakes and transforms them into confidence, strength, and happiness.

Dying and choosing to live through Christ means we can “let go” to move forward instead of going backward and reinventing our pain that causes misery. As spirits of God, we are under the dominion of the only superior Universal Almighty God who gives us the power to continue living each day with excellence. He loves us.

God gave us light over darkness to be enlightened and recognize the trees he planted that are like us that are confidently beautiful with the ability to grow. In Christ, our souls live forever. Thank God that we live through Jesus to see his works.

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Financial Wisdom: 3 Tips That Work

by Tonja Taylor

If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him.--James 1:5, AMP Here are three tips that my husband and I have proven to work for us. We believe they will work for anyone who will do them, for the LORD is no respecter of persons. He wants to help us all be free and prosperous, and Jesus died for that (John 3:15-17, John 10:10)!

(1) Tithe. This is for today, not just for Old Testament times! God only asks for 10% of the gross (before taxes are taken out; from the initial amount, from the whole). He could ask for 50%, or 70% or all of it!

(2) Pay more than the required monthly amount, which is called "principal". If you can possibly pay the monthly payment twice a month, or at least add a few dollars to your single monthly payment, that will save you money, because you won't pay as much interest (the money the lender charges to loan the money).

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Financial Wisdom: 3 Tips That Work (continued…)

by Tonja Taylor

It's a great feeling to pay off a debt early, and I've done that several times, including with a car I had. I paid two monthly payments, instead of one. (Note: For some reason, from what I've experienced, it's more powerful to pay two separate payments, on two different days, than to double up on one monthly payment.)

(3) When you pay off a loan or credit card, do not close the account--leave it open! I know, it sounds crazy, and contrary to what should be, right? It seems that it would make sense (and prevent temptation to use the loan or credit card again!) to close such accounts. However, as my husband and I have learned (to our slight shock, thinking we were good stewards to pay off debt and close the accounts!), when you close an account, it can lower your credit score!

All the more reason to "owe no man anything but to love him," as Romans 13:8 (AMPC) states: Keep out of debt and owe no man anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor [who practices loving others] has fulfilled the Law [relating to one’s fellowmen, meeting all its requirements].

So these three tips: (1) tithing; (2) paying more monthly on a loan; and (3) not closing paid-off accounts, to prevent the lowering of your credit score, can only help your financial situation. God bless!

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Counselor's Corner: How Not to Stop When Life Gets Rough

by Stephanie Reck

Life can be hard sometimes, and there are those times that life can throw us devastating blows. I know how easy it is to want to quit and pull the covers over my head when life gets rough-I have done this more than I would have liked to. There were times in my life that I got hit so hard by a difficult circumstance that I just stopped-stopped caring, stopped taking care of myself, stopped being productive, stopped enjoying life. I can say from doing this, it does not help but makes any discouragement or depression you may feel worse.

Sulking in self-pity never makes anything better, but we feel that somehow feeling sorry for ourselves makes us feel better. There is a time and a place to deal with painful emotions and circumstances, but then there is a time to move forward.

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Counselor's Corner: How Not to Stop When Life Gets Rough (continued…)

by Stephanie Reck

The following list is some tips for how you can get through when life gets rough and not stop: Give your body needed time to rest. If you are dealing with painful or stressful situations your body will use more energy. Sleep in an extra 30 minutes or take a longer break during the day.

Cut back on all non-essentials. If you don’t need to do it, then don’t! Take a walk in the morning or the afternoon, or even both as a way to declutter your mind and to destress.

Change your perspective. Not every day will be rough. We all have good days and not-sogood days. Focus on the good days that will come again.

Focus on what you can control. So much of what happens to us is out of our control, but the one thing we do have control over in any given circumstance is our attitude. If you can’t change a situation, why worry about it?

Change your focus to what is good, lovely, praiseworthy, and a good report. It is not helpful to keep focused on what is bothering you continually. Set aside a designated day each day to deal with what is concerning you, and then do your best to stay focused on what is good.

Start a gratitude journal as a way to implement tip #6.

Practice acceptance. Much suffering can be greatly reduced by coming to terms with our lives and accepting what is. If you can do something to change your circumstance, then do so, but if you can’t; then accept what you are not able to change.

Rough times happen to all of us, you are not alone in this. If life gets too overwhelming, take it one day at a time and do what you can do just for that day.

Reflect and respond: What tip(s) will you use when you have a rough day, week, month? Do you have any tips you can share?

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