3 Best Lifetime Movies for Inspiration

Do you lack inspiration or motivation? Think about it. Do you need inspiration to start, motivation to work towards your goals, a reminder to stay focussed, etc.? We all give a number of excuses to either avoid or procrastinate, don’t we? Here are 3 lifetime movies you should watch to get motivation and inspiration for life.

Magic Beyond Words: The J.K. Rowling Story

Who doesn’t know J.K. Rowling??? Harry Potter series was a bit hit throughout the world in the late 1990s and it continues to be, which made Rowling famous in no time. However, before she could find success doing what she loved, she went through some hard times.

After her mother’s death, Rowling shifted to Portugal and worked as a teacher. By then, she had already started writing the first part of the Harry Potter series. A few months later, she met the man of her dreams. They got married and had a child. Unfortunately, the marriage didn’t work, so they parted ways and she went back to UK. She saw herself as a failure. She was jobless and was left with a dependent child to care for. She survived on welfare benefits.

The beautiful part is Rowling refers to this phase of her life as ‘liberating’ because she could focus on her novel. Her sister was always there to motivate and encourage her during the tough times. After writing the first part of Harry Potter, she sent her manuscript to various publishing houses. Though she was rejected by twenty of them, she didn’t give up and went on to succeed as an author. Mind you, those were children’s books, but her creativity took her far and beyond.

Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story

Liz Murray is an American Inspiration Speaker. This movie shows how she struggled through her growing years. Her mom was addicted to drugs and was hardly there for her and her sister, Lisa Murray. Though she seldom went to school due to her situation at home, she seemed to be smart and intelligent. Her dad, who lived in his own world, did not show much care too. After her mom died, her grandad didn’t accept her, so she was literally homeless.

As a teenager, she needed someone to not only take care of her but also guide her in life. Guess what! She was left to fend for herself. Did that stop her? No!! Her dream was to go back to school and then Harvard University. Though there were so many issues and circumstances that could have stopped her, she didn’t give up on herself and her dream. When she decided to go back to school, there was a teacher who guided and encouraged her. Following that, she received the New York Times scholarship and got accepted into Harvard University.

Full Out: The Ariana Berlin Movie

Ariana Berlin is an American artistic gymnast. During here teen years, she dreamt of joining the UCLA Bruins gymnastics team. Unfortunately, she met with a car accident that shattered her dream to pieces. A rod was put in her leg, and the doctor advised her to forget gymnastics if she wanted her leg to be in shape; however, she was desperate to get back.

Apart from her parents, there were two women who made a difference in her life when she underwent physiotherapy. They encouraged her to see life from a new perspective and move on.

When she felt gymnastics was not her cup of tea anymore, she started to learn breakdancing with Culture Shock, a dance crew. As time went by and being surrounded by gymnasts, she realised that she wanted to get back to the sport. Soon, things changed for her, and she got into the UCLA team. Nevertheless, she struggled to get back to where she was before because of the persistent pain caused by the rod in her leg.

Berlin didn’t give up and continued to practice and gave it her all. She not only did gymnastics but also introduced dance moves to the sport. Her hard work paid off, and she is one of the most successful gymnasts in the history of UCLA.

Final thoughts

There are two things common in all the three life stories. First, they never gave up on their dream. They continued to focus on it and worked hard to achieving it. Second, at some point, they all had someone to guide and encourage them. In this journey, we need people who can guide, encourage and motivate us.

Rowling is known for her ‘rags to riches’ life story, Murray is known for her ‘homeless to Harvard’ life story and Berlin is known for her come back after the critical car accident. These factors show that nothing could stop these women from achieving their dreams.

These stories give one message, i.e., where there is a will, there is a way. If these women could rise to the occasion and take risk to see their dream come true, what is stopping you? Let bad circumstances or lack of resources never stop you from working towards your dreams. Here is A Simple Secret to Tackle Demotivation.

There are a number of people whose stories are worth sharing. What about you? Are you ready to persevere, face the challenges, stick through the odds and reach for your dreams?

 

Know Your Worth

You are unique and special in every way
‘Cause that’s what the word of God has to say.
You are so beautifully and wonderfully made;
You’re beautiful than the sight of a natural cascade.

He had you in mind before He laid the earth’s foundation;
You are the crowing glory of His absolutely stunning creation.
Did you know that the art was not good without you?
To complete the fabulous masterpiece, He had to create you!

He said that you are the apple of His eye.
This is true because He will never lie.
He has called you to be your man’s helper,
But this doesn’t make your worth any lesser.

You are costlier than silver and precious than rubies
You are worth more than gold, that’s how He sees.
To be a daughter, sister, wife and mother is not so easy,
But He chose you to be ’cause you’ve got a nature that’s breezy.

You are clothed with sweetness, gentleness and tenderness,
Yet you are called to win the fight as a warrior princess.
It really doesn’t matter how a man looks at you;
Just remember there’s someone you can always run to.

You are wonderful and amazing just the way you are
‘Cause God placed you in this world as a beautiful star.
On this lovely day, to all of you, I can only say
That you are unique and special in every way.

 

How Overconfidence Can Fail You

A few weeks back, I had to play drums at my church. One of the songs for that Sunday morning worship was ‘Our God’ by Chris Tomlin. I have played drums for this song a number of times, and I had no issues playing it again. This time, however, I was asked to play another beat, which was simple enough for me to grasp. Mind you, I am not a pro in drumming.

That Sunday morning, after singing the first song, while transitioning to ‘Our God’, I felt so good. I said to myself, ‘this is gonna be a piece of cake’. The leader started the song; I had to join only in the second part of the stanza. When my turn came, my beat was all over the place. I realised I mixed the usual beat with the new one and struggled to be in sync. I stopped a few seconds later, calmed myself down and got back to playing the right beat.

After the worship service was over, I analysed the whole thing because it was the easiest beat I played that morning. I was left with this thought.

There was sense of overconfidence

When I told myself, ‘this is gonna be a piece of cake’, I was way too confident about what I was going to play. Whether I am a pro or not at drumming, I was stupid enough to let my guard down.

Just like how pride goes before a fall, it’s true that overconfidence precedes carelessness.
What’s the difference between confidence and overconfidence?

Confidence refers to the state of being sure about something, while overconfidence is when the state of being sure about something is overestimated.

For example, imagine you have a habit of sleeping late and getting up late. One day, you decide to get up early the next morning for some reason. So, you set your alarm and go to bed early. This shows you are confident that you would get enough rest, which in turn will help you get out of bed when the alarm rings. Overconfidence is when you don’t bother to set the alarm, believing that you can wake up on your own when you have never woke up early in years.

Final thoughts

Overconfidence seems like a great feeling until we are done with what we were overconfident about. The result mostly leads to embarrassment, regret, etc. This great feeling ditches you when you need it the most. So, why not ditch the feeling before it ditches you?

Motivational quotes

Have you ever felt overconfident about something? What was the result of it? How did you feel later? Please feel free to share your story.

 

3 Easy Ways to Live Without Regrets

I love to watch family-related movies and sitcoms because they are usually clean enough to be watched anytime, anywhere and with anyone. Recently, I watched one and fell in love with the story line. The best part is the actors did an amazing job. Whenever I watch something, I try to draw a moral out of it. Here are three life lessons I learnt from the Korean sitcom My Golden Life.

Love consciously

We all love our families and friends, don’t we? Though we love them the most, does this feeling remain constant. I doubt it. There are times we just can’t tolerate each other, can we? Mind you, I am talking about those in our closest circle. When it not easy to love those who are the close to us, how will we love the ones we meet at work, church, school, etc.? People are not going to be their best every time, but if they matter to us, we can choose to love them despite their weaknesses. To love someone is a choice rather than a feeling because when the feeling is gone, we can still choose to love the other. When things don’t go the way it should, are we willing to stick together and bear with one another. During the rough and not-so-happy days, are we willing to face it together?

Inspirational quotes

Give generously

There are number of things we can give someone: money, clothes, food, physical expressions like a hug or a smile, a listening ear, time and so on. Time plays an important role. Most of us do not understand the value of time. There are people who want us to spend time with them rather than give them gifts. Setting apart time for those we love, making effort to catch up with old friends, investing in the lives of people we care, etc. are great ways to make use of our time, instead of wasting it on things that don’t add value to life. Time plays a crucial role in almost every part of our lives from relationships to reaching goals. Without spending quality time, we cannot expect a relationship to grow or believe that we would reach our goal.

Inspirational quotes

Live graciously

Life is not a bed of roses. There are times when we rub shoulders against people who walk into our lives. For various reasons, there are misunderstandings, betrayals, scars, abuse and them some that cause pain, bitterness, anger and all others emotions to rise. That is life. Everyone has gone through pain and suffering. No one is perfect. We all make mistakes and we learn from them. The problem is we quickly recover from a mistake we made, but we take a long time to recover from a mistake done by another person. Why? Probably, it is because we are able to forgive ourselves but find it hard to forgive another person. When we learn to be gracious enough to forgive the mistakes (both big and small) of others, we will live in peace not only with others but also with ourselves. I have been blessed by a few people who were gracious enough to give me a number of chances before I came to my senses. If it were not for them, I wouldn’t be here in the first place. Never hold back forgiveness if you want to live without regrets.

Inspirational quotes

Final thoughts

These are the 3 easy ways to live without regrets. Did I just write ‘easy’? Yes, it’s easy to write, teach and preach, but it’s difficult to put these into practice. However, it’s never too late to start somewhere. Let’s love consciously, give generously, and live graciously!

Do you have other ideas to live life without regrets? If so, do comment below and let me know your thoughts.

3 Supernatural Experiences You Might Find Hard to Believe

I studied in a Christian boarding school, where the kids are taught to read the Bible and memorise verses at an early age. I was 5 years of age when I joined school, and I remember the scripture classes I had, especially during my primary years (1st–5th grade). The booklets had a memory verse, a story and a picture to colour. I am glad that the foundation for my faith was set there. I am grateful to the teachers who taught and encouraged me. The below-mentioned experiences I have shared only with my closest friends and family and with my Sunday school kids. Hope they inspire you to have a childlike faith like never before.
The Second-Rank Experience
This happened when I was in my fourth grade. The 1st mid-term exam was over, and along with other kids, I was waiting for the class report. The class teacher stood in front of us to read out our ranks. There was one girl who always got the first rank, but a few of us often fell between 2nd and 5th ranks. Therefore, the competition was among us.
The class teacher read out, ‘first rank—Nimila Matthews’. This was obvious, so it was no surprise. I made a quick prayer, ‘Lord, let me get the 2nd rank’. Before I could tell ‘Amen’, the teacher said, ‘second rank—JK’. I couldn’t believe that my prayer was answered. It was a short, simple, and clear prayer made, not knowing whether it would be answered. I still remember that day and how my faith in God grew.
The ‘Flashes of Light’ Experience
That same year, one night, when I was in the hostel outside my room, there was power cut. I was alone in the corridor; all my friends were inside the room. I was just 8 years of age and was obviously frightened to be alone in the dark. I quickly shot out a prayer, ‘Lord show me the way to my bed’. When I opened my eyes, I saw flashes of light in front of me. I am not sure if you will believe, but I must tell you that I followed the light and reached my bed. Five minutes later, the power was back and I was there in my bed. This experience doubled my faith in God, and I started praying for the simplest of things that mattered to me.
The Gideon-like Experience (This is my favorite)
This happened two years later, that is, when I was in the 6th grade. In my school, every Sunday, after tea time, all the kids and teachers go to a garden, ground or pond to play and relax. It was called ‘walking’. One rainy Saturday, I washed all my clothes, so I didn’t have any casual wear for the next day’s walking. I did have a skirt though. The condition of the weather was bad and I didn’t expect my clothes to dry.
The need of the hour was a shirt or a top for Sunday walking. I remembered Gideon’s story in the Bible, where he asks God to confirm his calling using a fleece. Though I had nothing to get confirmed or ask for any kind of direction, I prayed, ‘Lord, the way you answered Gideon’s prayers, can you keep my brown shirt (I was specific) dry if it rains in the night. That one shirt is enough for me. Amen’.
I must tell you this because it was beyond my expectations. When I got up the next morning, I knew it rained the whole night. I remembered the prayer I made and ran to the backyard to see if that particular shirt was dry. Many girls had washed their clothes too. As I passed their clothes, I saw that they were drenched in the rain. Soon I reached my spot and directly went and touched my brown shirt, it was dry and perfect for use. I was spellbound. As if this was not supernatural enough, when I checked my other clothes, I found them all dry. None of my clothes had rain drops nor did they feel damp. As a 10-year-old girl, all I could do was stand there in awe.
Final Thoughts
These experiences make me believe that when we have childlike faith, things do happen. The problem is as we grow older, we tend to reason, apply logic, and expect signs and confirmations to believe. Thus, there is no place for childlike faith inside of us. Often, we are the main reason for not seeing a breakthrough. If you are there, waiting for a miracle or a breakthrough, just have simple faith and leave it to God; He will take care of the rest. Don’t fret if it takes time because He is neither early nor late.

Encouragement

Have you ever had supernatural experiences in life? If so, would you like to share them in the comment section? If not, what do you think about these experiences??? What does childlike faith mean to you?

3 Significant Traits that Make You Stand out

Last week, I watched a Bollywood movie, Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi. It depicts the life of Rani Lakshmi Bai, who fought against the East India Company during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. I was not only smitten by the bravery and boldness of the queen but also fascinated by the 3 significant traits she displayed as the leader of her people. If you are a leader or you desire to be one, developing these traits will make you stand out.

Gain the love and trust of your followers

It is necessary for a queen to stay indoors, be taken care of and be available whenever the king needs her. However, here, the queen was ready to go to the streets, meet the people and help them in times of need. A leader has followers, but if the followers are not taken care of, how will they follow? A great leader stands up, takes care of and mingles with the people he or she is leading.

In one scene, the queen and all her people are moved out of the palace by the enemies. The antagonist says, ‘you don’t have a palace or anything left to be a queen’. Looking straight into his eyes and with confidence in her voice, she replies, ‘the palace or the things within the palace do not make me the queen, but it is the love and trust of the people.’

Isn’t it true? If you don’t have the love and trust of your followers, can you call yourself a leader? Without their love and trust, you cannot shine as a leader. If you are there for the people when you have everything (name, fame and authority), they will be there for you even when you have nothing.

How to do this? Whether it is at work, church or home, the principle is the same: spend time with your people. If you don’t spend time with them or try to get to know them, you will never know what they are going through or what struggles they are having.

I am reminded of my parents, who are missionaries. I see a different level of passion that flows out from them. They have been through really hard times, and even today, the situations are not so favorable. In fact, there is no need for them to travel far and wide to minister to people anymore. Nevertheless, they do everything to visit families, pray for them and be there for them. In turn, during times of tribulation, the people are ready to help my parents.

Motivational Quotes

Lead by example

During the final battle in the movie, the warrior spirit of the queen is evident. She leads her troops from the front. There is no sign of fear of the enemy or death itself. She makes her move first so that the others can follow.

Leaders don’t sit and give orders; they lead by example. If you want your people to do something, you not only show them how it’s done but also do it in the first place. In other words, you walk the talk. When you do that, you provide a reason for your people to be committed and loyal.

I have come across a few good leaders in my life. One of them is Mr Stanley Mehta, the former overseer of the Gateway Ministries International, India. He is a great leader. I admire him not only for his leadership skills but also for the charisma he carries with him. I have never worked under him anytime, but he has visited my church for a few programmes, seminars and classes. From my observation, I can say that he leads by example. I admire many things and one of them is time management. If there is a programme or seminar, he is there a few minutes earlier than the scheduled time. Whether anyone else is there or not, he is there. Seeing him there on time obviously makes the others want to be there too.

Motivational quotes

Equip people when needed

In one of the scenes, the queen realises that only a few hundreds of men are there to fight the battle. She decides to join all the women who are there in the town to enlarge the army. After talking to the women, she wins them over and the women get ready to fight. As a warrior, the queen is skilled enough, so she chooses to train all the people for battle.

As a leader, it is your duty to figure out the drawbacks of your team and find ways to work things out. If your people lack any skill, rather than removing them from the team, equip them for better results. Find out their strengths and weaknesses and give them opportunities to grow, which in turn will benefit your team.

My senior pastor, Mr Srikanth Christopher, is known for this. I have been under his leadership for almost 5-6 years and have seen the extent he goes to train and equip people. The training sessions have been beneficial in every way. He doesn’t like the one-man-show thingy; he desires to raise leaders. I believe there are quite a few men and women who have quickly understood his heart and have become leaders themselves.

Motivational quotes

Final thoughts

As a leader, you have a number of responsibilities. You are expected to have several skills and qualities to keep that position. Don’t let your responsibilities stress you out or boost your pride. If you want to stand out, work on these three areas. Trust me, no one stop you from shining bright.

Motivational quotes

If you are a leader or you have been under a great leader, what traits make you or your leader stand out? Please feel free to share them in the comment section.

7 Proven Ways to Be Productive Every Day

Often, we believe that we can be productive only at work because it requires our time, skills and energy. Here are 7 proven ways to be productive every day even when you are not at work.

Stop dwelling on the past

The irony of life is that it is the painful memories that stop us from moving on. But how long will you hold on to that pain and suffer. It’s a new year and a new day; it is a choice we make to either hold on or move on. Everything that has happened so far, both good and bad, cannot be changed. The best thing to do right now is to accept the fact and release the past. Let it go because unless you let go of your past, the present is going to look like your past too. In a wink, another day, week, month and year will pass by. Do you really want to waste another year because of the pain you are feeling. Find out How to Make Peace with Your Past and move on.

Start living every moment

There is no perfect time or moment. Make the best of what you have when you can. Time is not in our hands, and it is precious. We can neither buy it nor do anything to earn it. If we don’t use it well now, we will never get this time again. I learnt this lesson the hard way. I am known for procrastinating. There were many things I wanted to do in the last few years. I always thought if I wait for the right moment, right people or right situation, I will be able to do it better. To my disappointment, those right moments, people or situations never came, and there are many things left undone.

Socialise with different people

How many people in your friend circle belong to a different state or country, have a different belief system or have completely different interests? Sticking to one group of people is not enough if you really want to live a productive life. Until I joined a few Bloggers’ groups in Face book last month, I never knew the vastness of ideas and interests people have. Every blogger has a different content, interest and style. It’s a nice feeling to be belong to big groups that have people from various countries. Socialising is good because either you learn from people or they learn from you.

Strategise before you implement

Strategise or plan your days. I admire people who are organised because they are organised not only at work but also at home and everywhere else. Most of these people have a balanced personal and professional lives. There are many things we can do without planning ahead. Nevertheless, planning ahead and working on the needed areas will help us give our best. Have you ever heard a sermon that was delivered without any planning or preparation? The outcome of such a sermon would be confusion. I believe strategising can keep one calm even under high pressure.

Scale up your scores

Are you stuck in the same level when it comes to skills, talents, knowledge, etc.? I have quite a few skills and talents, but I have been in the same level for a few years now. I believe it’s time I did something about it and moved to the next level. The saying ‘Jack of all trades; master of none’ applies to me perfectly. If you are in the same boat, it’s time we moved out of our comfort zones to learn and grow to the next level. By the way, there is no bar to stop us from improving ourselves in any area as long as it benefits both us and the people or community around us.

Seize every opportunity

What kind of opportunities are you looking for? Are you looking for a job, wanting to take a risk, desiring to make a change, longing to showcase your skills at work, etc.? All these are good and necessary. However, I want to say that if you want to be productive, seize every opportunity to be grateful for the simple things, generous with time and money, non-judgemental in your thoughts and actions and forgiving towards others and yourself. These simple, positive attitudes enable one to appreciate life in every way.

Show random acts of kindness

Kindness is a free gift that we give to those in need. Even the smallest of things we do for people fall under this category. Every day gives us A Second Chance to be kind to someone in some way. It may be in a public transport that you are travelling in, at the signal, while walking down the road, while shopping in a mall or at a grocery store, and then some. The list can be endless because the opportunities are many. Showing kindness is a great way to keep humanity intact.

How an Addict Overcame Addiction Instantly

34-year-old Ashley Hancock lives in Winter Haven, FL, where she was born and raised. She is a house keeper for a private residence. She has 5 children: 16-boy, 13-girl, 7-boy, 6-boy and 4-girl. Her oldest son plays Varsity soccer for Winter Haven High school; her oldest daughter is gorgeous and has the most generous loving heart; and her youngest 3 are like triplets (who went through some really hard times). She was a drug addict for many years until she found victory over it recently. On her off and free time, she reads the Bible, prays and worships. She dedicates much of her time to ministering to others lost and broken and to her savior, Lord Jesus Christ!

Hancock shares her journey answering a few questions. Please continue to read and be blessed.

When did you get into drugs and what made you try it in the first place?

At age 14, I was with a 25-year-old man. He had introduced me to Methamphetamine one night. That night, my life changed – not for the better but for the worse! I then started stealing my mothers pills, such as Xanax, soma and Vicodin. This became an everyday thing for me. I hung out with people who were using cocaine, ecstasy and LSD; this was a normal life to me! I went to high school and snorted meth in the bathroom in between classes. About a year later, when I was 15, I started hanging out with drug dealers aged 25–28. I would drive them around since most of them had a suspended license or just been up for days and paranoid by police. I started robbing people, houses and stores, and I was involved in many car thefts. When I was 16, I moved out of my parents house and moved in with my boyfriend, whom I eventually married. We did drugs and robbed people together. Soon, I was pregnant with our first child at 17 years. We were married by then. Two years later, we had our second child. Throughout our marriage, he was physically and emotionally abusive, and we both were unfaithful in our marriage and sold drugs together. We got divorced after 5 years. I was highly addicted to pills; Xanax was my drug of choice – I was eating them like candy. I was also seeing a psychiatrist who prescribed highly addictive medications, making my problem worse. I started selling meth and Oxycontin on the streets. During this time, I had 4 abortions. I met my 2nd husband on the streets and had 3 children with him. Finally, after many years of domestic violence and abuse, I was able to get away from him. Now, he is in prison. We got divorced and I have sole custody of our 3 children, glory to God!

Did you ever feel like overcoming your addiction during those years?

I’ve never been to a recovery centre or any drug rehab, but I’ve been in the crazy hospital 4x for manic bipolar disorder, anxiety and depression. I’ve tried committing suicide numerous times, first by cutting my wrist at age 14 and throughout my 20s. I was diagnosed with seizures at 22; doctors couldn’t explain it. I was on medication for that, always having test done by specialist. At this point, I was highly addicted to pills and slowly killing myself! In June 2017, my mother took me and my youngest three children to Kansas to stay with my oldest sister. I was still using meth and taking pills and drinking alcohol. I got worse there ‘cause both my sister and I were using drugs. After some time, I moved from my sister’s and was able to live with the Mennonite ladies. I had my own apartment and continued using even more. I became an alcoholic and it wasn’t till Oct 2017. I woke up one day and I was tired. I was tired of chasing the high, depending on a pill or ingesting meth. I read my Bible, prayed and begged God to take the withdrawals and the want for this high away. Mind you, I was raised in church. Only thing is home life was the opposite. My step father was physically abusive to my mother and us. My mother would take us to church to cover up and hide the pain from home. All my life, I was in and out of church to hide and cover up the pain I had from being rejected from my step father and so forth. I have never known my biological father ‘cause my mother has never and will never speak of him to this day. I’ve heard from her close friends that he raped my mother and I’m the product of that. But anyhow, I never picked up another pill or touched meth that day in Oct 2017 by God’s amazing grace and mercy on my life. He took away all the physical needs and mental wants. Unfortunately, after my 3 youngest children were sexually abused and my best friend was shot and killed, I lost myself again. I picked up alcohol and began drowning myself morning and night.

How did you find complete victory in this area?

I never thought I’d overcome this! It wasn’t till the end of April 2018 when I had a radical encounter with Jesus Christ. I was on an elliptical working out that late morning outside in a garage of my house in Kansas. He was in all white, His hair like wool and His face so bright and amazingly beautiful. He came with His arms wide open and hugged me. I laid my head on the right side of His shoulder and wept. I remembered all the things I had done from the time I was 14 and about how I was a thief, a murderer, an adulteress, a liar and an addict. He said, ‘forgive them for they know not what they do.’ He was speaking to me about the two women who sexually abused my 3 youngest children and the man who killed my best friend. I knew at that moment Jesus had forgiven me and redeemed me of all my transgressions. I wept harder and yelled out, ‘I forgive them Lord, I forgive them!! After that day, I’ve had the deepest love and hunger for Jesus Christ. I have been serving Him since that day in April in Kansas. He saved me during the darkest time in my life. You see, I was carrying a murder Spirit and I had planned on hurting people who hurt my children, but GOD reached down and saved me. Now, I am redeemed, forgiven, chosen and adopted into His family for such a time as this!

Many are struggling with addiction of different kinds. Would you like to give them a word of hope?

There is hope. There is light in that darkness you are facing. Call on His name, Jesus, and He will answer you. He will never leave you nor forsake you! I don’t care how far gone in drugs, alcohol or pornography you may be ‘cause He will see you through. He is a loving, gentle, miracle-working God, and His plans for you are for good and not for evil, a plan for a future and a hope! Believe and trust Him! His word is living and is truth and is life! I’m sure there are facilities and drug rehabs that can work, but I believe the only one true physician is Jesus Christ. He has delivered me from seizures, anxiety, depression, addiction and everything else “man” has said over my life! He loves each and every one of you and is waiting for you to open your heart to him with full surrender and repentance of your sins. Be obedient to him, stay faithful, trust him with your life and your family’s life, and repent and forgive others no matter what it cost. Our ABBA Father has His arms wide open and is ready to give Himself wholeheartedly to you and all that He has is for you! You are an heir of God. You are the apple of His eye – fearfully and wonderfully made, so come with a willing heart and He will transform you from the inside out.

I hope you were blessed by Hancock’s story. If you are struggling with any kind of addiction, I pray you would find a breakthrough and are set free for good. If her story seems too supernatural and you are not sure whether you will ever overcome your addiction, here are 5 Ways to Break Free from an Addiction.

5 Reasons Why Your Life Is Boring

It’s 2019 already!!! Are you sure your life is boring? Here are 5 reasons why your life is boring.

You don’t have a dream

Do you have a dream or a vision? If you don’t have one, your life is going to be as plain as possible. When you have a dream, it gives purpose to your life. When you work towards it, the challenges you face will shape and move you from one level to another. You will try to take risks to reach your goals and fulfill your dream. Every single day will matter to you. Boring will not a vocabulary in your dictionary when your eyes are fixed on the reward that is ahead of you.

If you don’t have a vision or a dream, find one.

You don’t have influencers

Despite having a dream, if you still feel your life is boring, I believe you don’t good influencers in your life. Look for people who are like-minded; join groups that will help you in various ways. Is social media just for fun or for looking at others’ feed. No! It’s time to use social media to network with people who will influence you in a way that will re-ignite the fire in you. Influencers subtly push you to work on your dream or vision.

Having the right influencers in life will take you far and beyond.

You don’t like what you do

Maybe you have a dream and you have influencers too, but you don’t have all the other requirements needed, so you end up in a job to make ends meet. You don’t like the job, but you are right there every morning, trying your best to like it. Unfortunately, it isn’t working. What to do? I was in this condition until a few months back. I couldn’t hold myself any longer. I asked a few people for help in various areas and started this blog. Now, though I work for the same company, I make time to write at least twice a week.

Make time for what you love, or love what you have time for.

You don’t have time for yourself

Are you too busy meeting deadlines or checking files. I know your job is important, but you are important too. Take a break and make time for yourself. Don’t become a slave to your work. Learning to manage your personal and professional life will help you stay physically and mentally healthy. I know people who work all the six days and are ready to work on Sundays too. I wonder if they have a life apart from work.

Remember, it is now that you have good health and enough energy; make the best of it when you can.

You don’t have time for others

Do you love your job too much? Because of that, you don’t seem to have time for anyone, do you? It’s good to be passionate about what you do, but it’s better to be with people who cherish you. In other words, work is important, but let it not rob all your time. We are created to be social beings. Jobs will come and go, so does money; however, the people who truly love you will always be there for you. These are the people who spice up your life.

Make hay when the sun shines, not only workwise but also in all aspects of life.

The Hidden Secret of Generous People

If you have read my previous blog The Ultimate Secret to a Happy Life, you would know the old beggar (let’s call her Ms. Beautiful) I had introduced. There is another pleasant thing that I discovered recently.

The day after Christmas, I took some pudding cake for my colleagues. I wanted to give some to Ms. Beautiful too. So, that evening, while leaving from my office, I looked out for her. She was there sitting at her usual place. I gave the cake, exchanged greetings and left.

The following evening, i.e., 27th December, I left from work a little late. Ms. Beautiful saw me from a distance and gave a big smile. I smiled as I walked towards her. She impatiently waved at me, wanting to talk. I went to her and knelt down to hear what she had to say.

She looked at me with eager eyes, “Where did you get that cake from?”
“Oh why? Did you like it?” I bent towards her.
She smiled, “I loved it. It was great!”
“Wow!! Really! Do you want more?” I felt excited over the fact that she loved the cake.
“Yes, there are three people who live with me; I want some for them.” Looking into my eyes, she waited for my response.
“So, there are three people already. Including you, it’s four, right?” I smiled back.
“Oh, I already tasted this lovely cake. I don’t want it. I want to take it for them,” She clarified.

After talking to her for a little longer, I got up and left. As I walked towards the bus stop, I was struck by the level of generosity Ms. Beautiful had.

If I were in her place, I would have done just the opposite. I would have asked for more so that I could have enough before I gave it to the others. Yes, I am selfish, especially when it comes to food that I love. However, here, I saw an attitude that contrasts mine.

Though she has almost nothing, she is ready to think about the other people at home. I don’t think those people are her real family, but that didn’t stop her from being generous.

It is ironic, isn’t it? The more we have, the less we give. But, it’s just the other way round when it comes to people like Ms. Beautiful.

Generosity is not in giving me that which I need more than you do, but it is in giving me that which you need more than I do. ―Kahlil Gibran, Sand and Foam

What I saw in her was a selfless desire to give someone what she loves. I realised I am not even a little close to her in this attribute. She showed me that generosity requires us to live a selfless life.

Without being selfless, can we ever think of being generous?

Generosity is a sign of a selfless heart. –JK Darling