3 Keys To Success In 2017

1. Rejoice always.
2. Pray without ceasing.
3. Give thanks in ALL circumstances.

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.“    1 Thessalonians 5:18 (ESV)

Happy New Year everyone!

So many things happened in 2016 – some challenging but lots of great things too. I fulfilled a 30 year dream of beginning formal study. It was so very exciting, gruelling, but I loved almost every minute of it. I can’t wait to continue. I began blogging here which is also a dream come true.

I have so many things to be grateful for. Two of our sons got jobs, our youngest two children learnt to read, my husband celebrated one year in doing the job of Deputy Principal at a local high school, and tomorrow we celebrate 20 years of marriage. 20 years and 6 children later, still loving each other ….. I truly have so much to be thankful to Jesus for.

How about you? What are some things that you are really grateful for in this past year?

Keep Moving Forward – Don’t Live In The Past!

It’s great to remember the excellent and good things in the past as this spurs us on to keep moving forward, but I want to challenge you to keep looking ahead.

“The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”   2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)

“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?”   Isaiah 43:19 (ESV)

3 KEYS TO SUCCESS IN 2017

1. Rejoice Always

Rejoice means to “take delight in or to be glad”. Even when circumstances are tumultuous and/or challenging, you can rejoice in the fact that if you are in relationship with Jesus, nothing can separate you from His love and plans for you. There is nothing more important to Him than loving you and bringing you to Himself. You can rejoice that one day, you will be with Him forever. You can rejoice that you are NEVER alone. Jesus promises that He will never leave you nor forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5b) You have a constant companion to call upon day or night. Jesus has your best interests at heart and is NEVER out to hurt you. You can choose to rejoice in all circumstances, no matter what is going on in your life today. It may be hard but make the decision today to rejoice in your personal relationship with Jesus, your Saviour and Friend.

2. Pray Without Ceasing

What is the best way to pray? However you choose to do it. There is no exact formula, it’s all about talking to your ultimate best friend ….. Jesus. He never sleeps so you can be assured that you have His attentive ears, 24 hours, each and every day. I always laughed to myself when I was in a prayer meeting and the leader would say, “Assume the position.” You know, head down, almost to your knees and eyes closed. There is certainly a time and a place for this as it signifies submission to the Lord (well for me it does anyway) but in the real world, you don’t have time to be on your knees for 14 hours a day. I find that some of my best prayers happen in the shower, while I am washing up, or going about any of the routine jobs I need to do during the day. Jesus is ready to hear your prayers whenever and however you pray them. Talk to Him as you would your best friend – because that is who He is.

3. Give Thanks In All Circumstances

The theme of this first month of the year is ‘Thanksgiving’. If you are like me and live in a westernised country, you have a great deal to be grateful for. Sure, there are many things that need improving and we all face challenges in life, but we don’t need to focus on those things as they are before us all the time. We, as children of the Most High God, need to make a purposeful effort to CHOOSE to give thanks in ALL circumstances. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28 (ESV) That’s you. You are called according to His purpose for your life. If God works all things together for good, there must be at least one small thing that you could be thankful for – even in the most horrible circumstances.

There was a point in my life when I went through an absolutely horrific time. I felt that my life was over and there was no point to anything anymore. I was rendered almost completely useless for 4-5 months and I prayed for death to consume me. I would never wish this pain on anyone. During this time, however, two things stood out: 1. God had kept me alive and never left me, even when I blamed Him for the pain, and 2. my amazing husband stood beside me, never flinching, while he watched me fall apart. This is what I focused on and this is what I gave thanks for – I was never alone.

That was almost 11 years ago now and God has certainly given me a better life. God does indeed work ALL things together for good. It was so horrible, but the morning did come.

There is always something to be thankful for, no matter how small it may seem. Focus on the one thing. Whatever you focus on grows bigger in your mind. Focus on the good and the bad will get smaller. Focus on God and He will get bigger and will be put in His proper place.

Give thanks to the One who deserves it!

Remember to be writing in your Gratitude Journals daily and jump on over to the Facebook group to join the discussion of what you are grateful for today.

You can also write some things below from your gratitude list. I would love to read them.

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As always, many blessings to you in this brand new year of 2017. Remember, anything is possible!

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