Believe in the Promises of God and Discover Your Destiny

The holidays come with a lot of expectations, don't they? Receiving that much wanted gift, spending quality time with loved ones, & enjoying lots of laughter and fun. The reality is that things don't always turn out picture perfect; people don't get along, tensions are high, someone doesn't like the food, people don't show up. This list of things that can go wrong is endless. Why? Because we live in an imperfect world and people are imperfect. As the year draws to a close, today I'm sharing on what can we do to better handle these expectations so we can have more peace, more joy and less frustration in the New Year.

Tip #1. Realize we are all in process.
Everyone is at a different stage in their journey in life. We each have our lessons to learn for our personal and spiritual growth. We can't make anyone grow any faster, but we can work on our own growth. It is a choice we make. Some people are too busy to be concerned about personal growth and/or they don't think they need to change. News flash - we ALL need to change!

Others don't want to change. I met a woman recently who I came to realize has the habit of cancelling at the last minute. I brought this to her attention and gave her grace multiple times. She just wouldn't change her behavior. She said to me "It's too hard to be your friend". What she really meant was "I don't want to change for you." And I didn't want to be continually stood up and stressed out by her behavior so we both agreed to part ways.

Tip #2. Accept people where they are but don't spend too much time with them
I guess since I am a growth person, I like to think others are open to growing as well, but that is not always the case. As in the situation above, the woman did not want to grow. Apparently she thinks repeatedly cancelling at the last minute is acceptable behavior. Maybe in her circle of friends, but not in mine.

If we want to get along with others, we have to overlook some things. The key is to figure out what we can overlook and what we can't.  If we want to live a peaceful joyful life, we want to hang around with people who want the same thing. Some people crave strife and drama. That is their way of getting attention or else they have a personality disorder. I choose not to associate with these types. Life is too short for strife and drama.

Tip #3. Lower your expectations of others. 
The expectations we put on ourselves and others can cause undue pressure, stress and conflict. The key is to realize that our values and priorities may not be the same as others. This takes understanding. I have another friend whom I've known for years. The problem is she is constantly late. I am an on time person and I think being late shows a lack of consideration for others. She apparently doesn't. Solution: don't do too much with her. Now that I know how she is, I can make different plans like tell her an event starts earlier than it does. My goal this year is to accept circumstances and people as imperfect as we all are, the same way Christ accepts me, with love and without judgement.

Tip #4. Do less. 
Over the years I have learned to put less and less effort into all the hoopla that surrounds Christmas. Yes, I still put up a tree and put out the Advent wreath. I still buy and wrap presents and I still bake. Why? Because these simple things are meaningful to me and remind me of the joy of the season. But Christmas cards have gone electronic. The house is simply decorated and I limit the number of parties and events I say yes to. Why? Because I want to enjoy the peace and the joy of the season without overextending myself, feeling rushed, or getting sick.

I've also learned not everyone is in to gift-giving, so I buy less. Saves me time, money, and effort as well as not being disappointed.

Tip #5. Remember the promises of God. 
One year, not too long ago, it was only my youngest son and myself together on Christmas Day.  As I settled down to open my gifts, my youngest son points to a large box under the tree.
"That one is for you," he says as he gets out the video camera.
"Now what could this possibly be?" I ask as I dig through the huge pile of styrofoam packing.

To my utter surprise and joy, there in the box were six cups and saucers from my Lenox china pattern I selected when I got married. Somehow when I moved to my new home years ago, the cups and saucers were lost in transit. These six cups and saucers would restore what I had lost and complete the set. As I gazed upon the beauty of a simple china cup, I noticed the name of the pattern -"Promise".

"You know, people may break their promises, but God never does," I said to my son with a quiet peace. "God promises to restore the years the locusts have eaten" (Joel 2:25).

In the same way my beautiful china collection was restored and made complete, know that God is still in the process of restoration and completion in each of us - to make us whole, complete, and like new. Whatever pains, losses and hurts we have endured, God knows about all of them and He is faithful to heal us and make us whole once again. But He doesn't stop there.

God wants you to go higher - to reach new levels, to do bigger and greater things. Jesus himself said, "Whoever believes in me, will do greater things than I" (John 14:12). Catch the key - "Whoever believes in me".  We have to believe - in God, in others, and in ourselves. You have been gifted in many ways; some gifts may not have even come to the surface yet. You are not meant to settle for a just-get-by life. You are meant to SOAR to new heights and fulfill the purpose you were created for!

Just as Christ came to earth as a little child, let us, too, become as little children filled with awe and wonder as we usher in the New Year. Let us let go of any hurts, unforgiveness, and mistakes we may have made and look forward to a new year filled with  healing, wholeness, and harmony. Let us use our gifts and talents to make this world a better place.

For Reflection

As the New Year begins, what do you need to let go of? A habit? A relationship? What is it that you truly would like to accomplish in the New Year? 

If you were encouraged by this post, and would like to join our community and receive my weekly posts, enter your email address in the box provided. You'll also receive a copy of my free e-guide e, "7 Steps to Finding  Your Spiritual Path". We're all on a journey so we might as well travel together.

Stay tuned for more practical and positive wisdom on igniting the power within and discovering YOUR destiny!

Until next time, keep looking up!

Ariel Paz

How to Walk in Abundance - Part 1

Everybody seems to be talking about abundance these days. It's natural to want to see more good things in our lives. What is it you want to see more of? More money? More fun? Better relationships? More peace? These are all good things and today we are going to talk about the 3 steps to help us see more of these in our lives.

As a single divorced mom, I lived from paycheck to paycheck. We went out to dinner only on occasion. My kids never had the latest and coolest clothes or toys. We lived in a older townhome and I drove my cars until they died. I was stressed, anxious, and pressured much of the time. Until....I found Jesus. Yup, Jesus was the key that unlocked the door to a better life: a life of joy, freedom, hope, and most importantly, a life of faith.

Today, some 20 years later, life is much different. I am more relaxed, have more confidence, and am blessed beyond belief in every area of my life. I have seen miracles in my health, my relationships, and my finances. They have all turned around. Perhaps you would like to see things turn around in your life. Well, today I am going to share with you the first of 3 key principles that can make that happen for you, too. I hope you are as excited as I am to learn them.

First, we must understand one thing : ALL GOOD THINGS COME FROM GOD. Not "the universe". God is the creator of the universe. Not from our own strength and skill, although we do have a part to play in seeing our dreams come true. Not from merely wishing for good things. Nope. Every blessing and every good thing in our lives ultimately comes from God. He is the Source. He gave us life. He gave us smarts. He gave us skills. He gave us our bodies and our brains.

Now that we have that straight, let's jump into the first step to receiving the promises of God.

Step #1: Start expecting good things. 

Many of us were brought up in a negative environment. Perhaps your parents lived through the Great Depression or the Holocaust. These events dramatically impacted the minds of people growing up in those years. Or there was a parent with an illness such as alcoholism, addiction, or mental illness. There are many circumstances that can cause us to have a negative mindset. Yet, we can change our thinking. If we want to see good things show up in our lives, we have to expect to see them show up. We have to realize we are children of God! We deserve good things to show up.

It's all about expectation. When we have low, just get by expectations, that is what we will receive. When we have better expectations, that is what we will receive too. Now I am talking about expectations for ourselves and from God, to be clear. We have to watch our expectations of others. When we have unrealistic expectations of others, we will often be let down.

Expectations have to do with the spiritual force called Hope. Without hope, we cannot set our expectations higher. Hope is a key ingredient to seeing our lives improve. Without it, we are doomed to settle in status quo and who wants that? We were meant to soar with wings like eagles.

For Reflection
So what have you been expecting recently? In what area of your life can you adjust your expectations? No matter what has happened in your past, today is a new day and you can change your tomorrow by changing your expectations.

If this post resonated with you, please consider signing up for my bi-weekly blog posts and becoming part of our community. You'll also receive my free e-guide "How to Develop a Spiritual Practice ". Simply enter your email address in the box provided. That's it!

Stay tuned for the next two keys to walking in abundance. You won't want to miss them!

Until next time, keep looking up!

Ariel Paz