Category Archives: Prosperity

How to Create a Vision Board

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Learn the steps to create a Vision Board

How to Create a Vision Board

Now that you’ve learned to set SMART Goals and how to take some action steps to achieve those goals, it’s a good idea to create a vision board.  A vision board is simply a visualization tool to keep you focused on your life goals and dreams.  It’s a vision for your life in the form of a collection or collage of pictures of your goals and dreams to be displayed somewhere where you will see it often.

Proverbs 29:18 says that “where there is no vision, the people perish”.  We have to have that vision in front of us to make it happen.

What do you have in mind?

You have to see something before you can have something.  For example, you can’t go to a builder and ask him to build your dream home without having something in mind.  It’s been said that you become what you behold.  The Bible describes one example of this in 2 Corinthians 3:18–that we will reflect like a mirror what we are looking at—just as when we look to God, He transforms us into His likeness.

“So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord–who is the Spirit–makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT) 

You have to see something before you can have something. #visionboard

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Vision manifested

There is an amazing, transformational force in what we set our heart (spirit), mind (soul), and eyes (body) on.  Many modern theorists and success coaches refer to this transformation as the “Law of Attraction”.  The Law of Attraction basically states that you will attract into your life whatever you think about–that your mental perspective will attract external circumstances.  This is not a new concept. The Bible encouraged focusing on the positive long before the Law of Attraction theories.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.” Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

“Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.” Proverbs 4:23 (GNT)

“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…” Proverbs 23:7a (NKJV)

Our minds see in images or pictures

Writing your goals out is an important step in order to achieve them.  A vision board just takes it to the next level.  Our minds see things in images or pictures as opposed to words.  If I were to say the word “bear”, you would probably picture a visual image of a bear in your mind instead of the word “B-E-A-R” spelled out.  The idea behind a vision board is to surround yourself with pictures of your visions and dreams so they will eventually become a reality for you.  When they are in a place where you can visualize and see them often, they will constantly be in the front of your mind.  You will have a visual reminder of your intentions, and your dreams, goals, and vision can become a reality!

Visualization brought into reality

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Having Trouble Getting to Sleep?

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Having trouble getting to sleep? Try using these bible verses to help...Having Trouble Getting to Sleep?

Sleep is vital for life.  In fact, I happen to think that sleep is a necessity to help us be happy, healthy, and prosperous!  Obviously, sleep can help us to be happy.  You can actually see the effects more in reverse—when you don’t get sleep you get unhappy!  A sleep deficit can have a definite negative impact on our emotions.

We also need sleep to keep us healthy.  Our bodies restore and repair at night as we’re sleeping.  A lack of sleep can weaken our immune system and increase our chances of getting sick.  Lastly, a lack of sleep can hurt our finances too.  Our prosperity can be influenced by the state of our emotional well-being and our health.  If our happiness and our health are suffering, it can lead to a loss of prosperity.  If we’re not happy and healthy, we’re less creative, miss work, have poor decision-making abilities, and thus make less money.  In fact, it can actually cost us money and time if we have health and/or emotional problems.

Sleep is a necessity to help us be Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous!

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Sleepy momma

When my daughter was a baby she refused to go to sleep.  She fought sleep like crazy.  This actually lasted until she was a toddler.  At one point we even had to put duct tape on her light switches so she would quit getting up in the middle of the night to turn the light on and play!  This didn’t work either…she then just got up and played in the dark. 🙁 So her refusal to sleep on top of a bit of colic as a baby made us made pretty sleep deprived.  I was one worn out momma!  Saying I was sleep-deprived was an understatement.  That’s when I decided to try to find a scripture to pray and confess over her (and me) to help us go to sleep and get a good night’s rest.

I’ve since found these verses and others I’ve discovered to be extremely useful even after my daughter’s sleep boycott years.  Sometimes getting enough sleep and/or going to sleep is an ongoing battle for me, and boy does it show!  I’m super cranky when I’m tired.

I’ve had to lean on and confess these verses over myself on a number of occasions…

  • Nights where I didn’t feel well
  • Times when I was anxious about something coming up the next day
  • Nights when I was dealing with conflict with someone that was eating me up (I can sit awake for hours at night having imaginary conversations and clenching my jaw so much that it hurts the next morning! I think there’s a reason the bible says don’t go to bed angry–Ephesians 4:26.)
  • Nights when I couldn’t quiet my mind from all the busyness and to-do lists
  • Sometimes nights when I brought sleep difficulty on myself due to drinking coffee after 5pm (I’ve gotta stick to decaf or herbal tea at night!)
  • Nights when I woke up and couldn’t get back to sleep

Here are some of the bible verses I’ve found and used to help me with sleep: Continue reading →

Scriptures About Kindness

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Scriptures About Kindness

I’ve written previously about kindness and unity. Scriptures abound about how we should display kindness as a quality and character trait of being a Christian and follower of Jesus. There are also numerous scriptures about how God is kind. (Hence, if we are children of God, we should follow suit.) In this post, I thought I’d create a resource page by compiling a list of scriptures about kindness and how we are called to be kind. In addition, I’ve included a list of scriptures about the kindness of God.

Next week’s post will contain some practical application to these scriptures. We’ll discuss characteristics of kindness and what it might look like in action, WHY we should be kind, and HOW to be kind (especially when it’s not easy or might not come naturally). All of those things will be based upon the foundations of these scriptures in this post.

Scriptures About Kindness

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:31-32 (NLT)

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” Colossians 3:12-15 (ESV)

“A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth.” 2 Timothy 2:24-25 (NLT)

“Your kindness should be known to all!” Philippians 4:5 (NAB)

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)

“We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love.” 2 Corinthians 6:6 (NLT)

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12 (NIV)

“Do to others as you would like them to do to you.” Luke 6:31 (NLT) Continue reading →

Do Not Resent the Good Fortune of Others

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Do not resent the good fortune of others title photo

Do Not Resent the Good Fortune of Others

During the Christmas season I sent out an email to my subscribers informing them of a holiday hiatus. I unfortunately received a very hurtful and critical reply. After the holidays and vacation time, I prayed and thought about this exchange and felt like this would be a good, teachable moment for my readers. The lesson is on learning how to rejoice with those who rejoice and learning not to begrudge or resent the good fortune of others.

I’ll first share my initial email to my subscribers and the response I received. Then, I’ll share a reply to that response. After that, I’ll communicate what God put on my heart about the importance of celebrating the good fortune of others instead of being offended by it and what the posture of our heart should be.

My initial email sent out to notify I wouldn’t be posting for a while:

“Hello Happy, Healthy & Prosperous Subscribers! 

There will be no new teaching posts for the next few weeks. I’ll be taking a holiday hiatus! I’ll be in Europe for a bit to celebrate my 20 year wedding anniversary (so excited!!). It’s also my goal to make the most of the time with my kids and family to celebrate Christmas.  I encourage you to do the same!  Please don’t let the busyness of the season get in the way of your most important relationships.  Make the most of the opportunities you have while you still have them!

“How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil.  Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.” James 4:14-17 (NLT)

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:15-16 (NIV)

May you and your families have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

“The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26 (ESV)

I’ll see you again in 2020!

Tracy 🙂 “

A reader’s email response:

“Seriously have to flaunt your personal life? It’s such a snub to people who are single. Whatever.”

My reaction or reply to this reader’s response…

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Confess Your Sins…

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Confess your sins...

Confess Your Sins

“Whoever hides their sins will not be successful, but whoever confesses their sins and stops doing wrong will receive mercy.” Proverbs 28:13 (ERV)

Do you have some hidden sin that is blocking your success and prosperity? Concealing sins can prove to be a road block or a hindrance to us. Hidden and unconfessed sin can also cause anxiety and inner turmoil. It can begin to eat away at us.

“When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long.” Psalm 32:3 (NLT)

“I am dying from grief; my years are shortened by sadness. Sin has drained my strength; I am wasting away from within.” Psalm 31:10 (NLT)

God knows this and therefore has given us confession as an outlet. Weights can be lifted and refreshing can come when we confess things and come clean. Proverbs 28:13 promises us mercy when we confess our sins and stop doing wrong. Today I’d like to share four observations that I took away from this verse about hiding sins versus confessing them. 

Hidden and unconfessed sin can cause anxiety and inner turmoil.

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Observation #1: Hiding sins blocks success

“Whoever hides their sins will not be successful, but whoever confesses their sins and stops doing wrong will receive mercy.” Proverbs 28:13 (ERV)

Don’t hide or try to conceal your sins. You shouldn’t cover them up. Don’t act fake. Don’t act as if you never do anything wrong. Claiming to be without sin is just deceiving yourself and others. Everyone has sinned. So be transparent! Concealing sins blocks success and prosperity.

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.” 1 John 1:8-10 (NIV)

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” Romans 3:23 (NLT) 

Hiding sins blocks success and prosperity.

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Observation #2: Confess your sins

“Whoever hides their sins will not be successful, but whoever confesses their sins and stops doing wrong will receive mercy.” Proverbs 28:13 (ERV)

Admit your wrongs. Tell God. Tell someone else so that you may receive help, healing and accountability. Confession of sins can bring healing (emotional, physical, etc.) to yourself and to others involved.

“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” James 5:16 (NLT)

It will also lift weights to get them off of your chest. It’s important to get sins into the light so that the darkness can be dispelled. Satan wants to keep them in darkness.

“All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.” John 3:20-21 (NLT)

However, keep in mind that all things in darkness and hidden will eventually be revealed anyway!

All things hidden will be revealed…

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With a Long Life I Will Satisfy You…

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With a long life I will satisfy you...

With a Long Life I Will Satisfy You…

My family took another hit this past week as we had another death in the family. I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that we lost my cousin. This past week we lost the matriarch of our family, my 92 year old grandmother. Though her death was very difficult, there was still a lot of peace and comfort in her passing because we know she was the epitome of a godly woman who lived a long and rewarding life leaving behind a magnificent legacy. Now she is with her Jesus, a long awaited dream of hers.

“For those who follow godly paths will rest in peace when they die.” Isaiah 57:2 (NLT)

There are so many things that come to mind when I think of my grandma, so many things from which we all could learn. She totally rocked the whole Proverbs 31 thing! As I’ve discussed before, these are not just important character traits for women. She was very family-oriented, and she loved her husband deeply. She had a great love for people and welcomed them with open arms, even the sometimes unlovable or those who occasionally made poor life choices. Forgiveness and generosity were in her nature. She had a gentle, quiet spirit.

“You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.” 1 Peter 3:4 (NLT)

Most importantly though, my grandma loved Jesus with all of her heart. I think her greatest desire was for her family to share that love of God.

The morning of her funeral

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Prayer for Your Finances

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Prayer for your finances...

Prayer for Your Finances

For some, Christmas can be a time of excitement, fun, and generosity. Unfortunately though, for others it can be a time of worry and anxiety due to finances. Sometimes the end of the year, corresponding with Christmastime, comes with extra expenses. Then on top of that, purchasing gifts can add up…especially if you have numerous events like family celebrations, work parties, church events, Secret Santa gift exchanges, outreaches or charitable giving that requires some of our finances, etc. Sometimes it can be stressful figuring out where the money is going to come from for all of that.

The wise thing to do would be to budget for the end-of-year expenses and Christmas giving. It’s a good idea to allocate or set aside a little bit of money each week or each month for this purpose. Regrettably, many of us haven’t exercised this kind of wisdom (or unexpected events and expenses have prohibited us from doing so). Because of this, when we don’t use wisdom sometimes we have to pay the consequences of poor decision making. That being said though, God still cares about our finances. He cares about the details. Additionally, even when we mess up He still cares about helping us.

Several years ago, I learned a few strategies for praying over finances. With Christmastime being a stressful time for finances for many people, I thought this might be a good opportunity to share some of those strategies and a Prayer for Your Finances. These strategies and prayer work anytime though–they don’t just apply at Christmas!

Remind God of His promise provision

God is our provider. We can approach God boldly with His promise of provision. Philippians 4:19 promises us that God will supply all of our needs. Jesus also gives us an example to pray for our needs in the Lord’s Prayer. Moreover, one of God’s names is Jehovah Jireh, which means “the Lord will provide”. All throughout scripture you will see countless examples of the Lord’s provision. When praying over your finances, remind God (put Him in remembrance) of His promise of provision.

“Put me in remembrance; let us argue together; set forth your case, that you may be proved right.” Isaiah 43:26 (ESV)

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

“Give us this day our daily bread” Matthew 6:11 (KJV)

“Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the LORD will provide”). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”” Genesis 22:13-14 (NLT)

“God is my helper! The Lord is the provider for my life.” Psalm 54:4 (GW)

Take a look at this hilarious short video clip of Joe McGee when he was at a point in his life where he was frustrated financially and decided to put God in remembrance of His promise of provision.

Pray for wisdom over your finances

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A 5 Day Lesson in Generosity

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A 5 Day Lesson in Generosity... a start in my journey to overcome greed

“Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.” 1 Timothy 6:18 (NIV)

A 5 Day Lesson in Generosity

There are many, many things that I need to work on and improve upon in my life. Thankfully God doesn’t convict us or work on too many of our flaws all at once! He doesn’t want to overwhelm us, and he meets us where we are. This week I thought I would share with you something that God has been teaching me the last few weeks. It’s the concept of generosity.

Recently, in my church small group we’ve been doing a book study on Andy Stanley’s Enemies of the Heart. It’s been a very convicting study. I started the book thinking that I didn’t really struggle with some of the “heart issues” he discusses. However after further study, I found myself saying, “Crap. I totally struggle with that.”

Greed

Unfortunately, greed was one of those heart issues. I never really considered myself a greedy person. After reading the book, however, I discovered that greed and selfishness are issues that I still need to conquer. Tithing has never been an issue for me since I was taught that growing up. Also, I’ve always been giving with my time and gifts. Sometimes though, I have a harder time letting go of money, material things or even my desire for superficial things in life. Sometimes I struggle with contentment.

NOTE: God wants us to be blessed, prosperous, and have good things. However He does not want those things to become idols or lord over us. Nor does He want them (or the desire for them) to pollute our hearts with greed and selfishness, causing us to become less effective in loving Him and our neighbors.

With each heart issue Andy Stanley covered a practical step to overcome that issue. (You know how I love practical steps! 😉 ) According to the book, the best way to overcome greed is by practicing generosity.

He listed a few examples in the book of ways to apply generosity. First and foremost though, he suggested that we pray and ask God to show us how HE would have us carry out acts of generosity. For after all, we are just managing His assets/money anyway. I also remember hearing another pastor give similar advice many years ago. He suggested that you pray each day and ask God to show you how you can be more generous that day. 

The best way to overcome greed and selfishness is by practicing generosity.

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My lesson in conquering greed started with 5 days of generosity.

Day 1: Giving 2% of my paycheck

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