motivation (425)

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by Chuck Lawless

We still have several days to go in this year—which means that life could still bring difficulty and/or great joy even before a new year begins.

Nevertheless, here are eight life reminders that have grabbed my attention this year:

  1. Life really is precarious. The unexpected and tragic deaths of my friends and teammates, Randy and Kathy Arnett, in the spring of this year reminded me of this truth. Even still today, I find email exchanges I had with them. Pam and I miss them.
  2. Heal
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When You Don't Feel Good Enough

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by Dr. Arvis Murrell  

I love the movie Pretty Woman. I have seen this movie countless times, and each time I look at it, I get a fresh outlook on life. It’s like a modern upgrade of Cinderella. The story focuses on a young woman living a degraded lifestyle and a rich business man who offers to pay her to be his date at elite business and social functions.

 

In one of the scenes, Vivian, the lead character, struts into an elegant ladies’ boutique on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, California. Ins

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Bible Verses to Inspire Men

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Bible Verses to Inspire Men

Isaiah 40:31 - “but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Joshua 1:9 - “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 - “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him,

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Encouraging Quotes for Men

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1. “Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: You don't give up.” - Anne Lamott

2. “What gives me the most hope every day is God’s grace; knowing that his grace is going to give me the strength for whatever I face, knowing that nothing is a surprise to God.” - Rick Warren

3. “True faith means holding nothing back. It means putting every hope in God's fidelity to His Promises.” - Francis Cha

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Below are some scriptures that are perfect for anyone looking for some inspiration and encouragement.
Take a leap of faith Take a leap of faith

Here are 10 great Bible verses for improving

They are:

Mark 11:22–24

"And Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe

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How to Pray To God For A Miracle

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Develop a prayer routine that aligns with your understanding of what it means to pray passionately, persistently, precisely, positively, and with praise.

Part 1

Praying Passionately, Positively, and With Praise
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Pray passionately. As you pray, allow yourself to be moved by God’s power and grace. Pray with an open and receptive heart. Don’t subdue your emotions—let them out! When you feel moved to tears, allow yourself to cry. When you feel the need to shout, yell! When the spirit calls yo

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``Character, Intelligence, Strength, & Style...That's What Makes A Gentleman``

Being a gentleman today is not much different from many years ago…

Sure – some of the old school “hat tipping” may seem cheesy, but overall three things have remained timeless…

  • Manners
  • Style
  • Mindset

Manners of A Gentleman

#1 He never makes others feel beneath him: in fact, a gentleman’s goal when interacting with others is to bring out the best in them. This is seen in the genuine interest he shows when pe

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1. We must rapidly begin the shift from a “thing-oriented” society to a “person-oriented” society.

We live in a materialistic society – a big house, a flashy car, money to spend on holidays in exotic locations – these are the things that most people want. But if we focus more on people and less on things, the world will become a more peaceful place.

2. We have flown the air like birds and swum the sea like fishes, but have yet to learn the simple act of walking the earth like brothers.

We have

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Don't be a negative nancy.

Remaining positive when life seems to be constantly kicking you down is hard. Many of us, myself included, tend to let all the negative energy consume us.

We start to give up on ourselves and our dreams as we continue to feel like nothing we do is good enough. We feel like we aren’t making any progress. We begin to settle and think that maybe we just aren’t meant to be truly happy.

Maybe we have made too many bad decisions, and this is life’s way of paying us back. B

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Have you ever had one of those days where you wake up late because you overslept or you spilled your coffee on your way to work? Either you’ve experienced the same or something totally different.

Having a bad day can totally mess with your mood, and if you’re not careful, it can ruin the rest of your week. To make sure that doesn’t happen, we’ve compiled a list of 21 inspiring life quotes to help you get through a bad day.

Life Quotes

Some of these life quotes are self-explanatory, while

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Everyone needs a pick-me-up once in a while. With the stress of planning and traveling for the holidays, it can be hard to focus on the reason for the season. Here are some inspirational quotes from our One Small Thing Instagram account to get you through a rough patch or to just give you an extra boost!



It's never too late to pick yourself back up.

For more simple advice, sign up for our One Small Thing newsletter



Sometimes getting started is the hardest part. When opportunity doe

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By Andrew Hess

The Place and Timing of Your Birth

  1. Thank God for your conception.
  2. Thank God for knitting you together in your mother’s womb.
  3. If you survived your mother’s pregnancy, thank God.
  4. If you survived your birth, thank God.
  5. If you were born in a free country, thank God.
  6. If you were born to parents who loved you and provided for you, thank God (and thank them).
  7. If you enjoyed growing up with siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents, thank God.

Life Before You Can Remember

  1. If s
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Here’s Why You’re Struggling

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All we had were potatoes to eat. Nothing else. During our early years of marriage my husband Kenya and I were struggling hard to make ends meet. We had gotten down to our last bit of food. So we took those potatoes and prepared them in different ways.

We rotated our dishes. We made French fries, home fries, hash browns and baked potatoes. I had never eaten so many potatoes in my life! Times were difficult and very lean, but God got us through that dry season and never once did we go hungry. W

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There’s much controversy in Christian circles over the Proverbs 31 woman. To many, she is the unrealistic portrait of a woman we can never quite become. To others, she’s the model of contented homemaking. But what does Scripture itself teach us? I find the actual picture quite compelling—inspiring, even—and motivating to my own life as a woman, wife and mom.

We often think of her as industrious, possibly even a workaholic, judging by how much she gets done! Some people put her down because, af

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1. “If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then, you are an excellent leader.” -Dolly Parton

2. “It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies, but even more to stand up to your friends.” - J.K. Rowling

3 .“Take criticism seriously, but not personally. If there is truth or merit in the criticism, try to learn from it. Otherwise, let it roll right off you.”
- Hillary Clinton

4. “Don’t compromise yourself

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1. Madam C.J. Walker, the first Black woman self-made millionaire

"I am not ashamed of my past. I am not ashamed of my humble beginnings. I am a woman who came from the cotton fields of the South. From there I was promoted to the washtub. From there I was promoted to the cook kitchen. And from there I promoted myself into the business of manufacturing hair goods and preparations. I have built my own factory on my own ground. I got my start by giving myself a start." 

2. Oprah Winfrey, the rich

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7 Ways to Become a Woman of Wisdom

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1)  Ask.  

Too simple, right?  But there you have it. God told us if anyone lacks wisdom they should ask for it by faith, without doubting (James 1:5-6).  Solomon did it and worked out pretty well for him.  

What might our lives look like, what kind of women might we become if we committed to regularly asking God for wisdom? (Daniel 2:23

2)  Follow others carefully.  

Social media, books, and podcasts give us the opportunity to learn and grow from all sorts of leaders who can become our mento

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1. “I am what time, circumstance, history, have made of me, certainly, but I am also, much more than that. So are we all.” – James Baldwin

2. “Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time: the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence. Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression, and retaliation. The foundation of such method is love.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

3. “Th

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10 Churches You Should Avoid

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Churches come in all shapes, sizes, and sometimes even beliefs.

In Revelation 2-3, the Bible gives us some descriptions of a church that might have lost its way. Although the Bible also mentions positive things that these very same churches were doing, so they weren’t all bad. This is an important idea to remember because no church is going to be one hundred percent perfect; after all, they are run by humans.

Be wise and be aware, but before you leave any church, take some time to evaluate yo
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“My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer” (Psalm 45:1).

Some of the most profound insights and experiences of life come through prayer journaling. God wants to speak and give us insights into life. Journaling brings shape and order to everything that we do. I have been keeping a prayer journal for many years, and it helps keep my life in order and my priorities right. It has been an important discipline in my prayer lif

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