Northwestern Theological Seminary Christian Life Development Module OneChristian Lite Bevelopment Module One Assignment: 1. You will receive 6- credits for reading the manual and writing a thorough report, in the form of an overview, which comments on each topic, assignment or exercise as presented in each chapter of the Christian Life Development Manual (Module One). N You will receive another 6- credits for developing a workbook for the Christian Life Development Manual (Module One). Any questions, assignments or exercises that are noted in the manual, should be duplicated and completed in your workbook, as well as other questions assignments and exercises that you create to aid in the understanding and application of what is learned through the instruction of this manual. Total Credits 12Encouragement If you will simply read and apply the principles taught through this book you will virtually guarantee your own success and fulfillment in life. Howard M. SarkelaRECOGNITION T recommend Dr. Sarkela with great confidence and enthusiasm and absolutely no reservation. Keith Leenhouts District Court Judge Dr. Sarkela, we are grateful for what God is doing in your life, and we rejoice at your accomplishments. Oral Roberts Dr. Sarkela is a spiritual man whose programs help change lives. Bishop John F. Du There is no question as to Dr. Sarkela's unwavering commitment and desire to bring about positive change in people's lives. William Cua, MD. PsychiatristINTRODUCTION The New You Total Life Improvement Programe took over twenty-five years to complete, It was written by Dr. Sarkela as his life's work to provide solutions for many of life's problems. The program is designed to inspire hope and encouragement in realizing positive change and success for those struggling in their pursuit of happiness and peace of mind. Be encouraged... it doesn't have to be such a struggle. There are some simple solutions to be found hidden within the pages of this very practical book. In fact, all who read and apply the basic principles taught in these pages will find new purpose and direction, guaranteeing. total life improvement, empowerment and ultimate fulfillment in life. All of your life you've had a dream And now you hold the key To happiness and peace of mind “The New You" guarantee...TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Chapter I - Know Your Needs .. Chapter II - Your Life Book... Chapter III - Ten Steps To The New You ...... Conclusion ...... One Solitary Life 10 22 37 39THE NEW YOU CHAPTER I KNOW YOUR NEEDS ‘As we recognize the need for a New You, we need to start really appreciating the "NOW" of life. Most people are so absorbed in the past and how it was in the old days, or so caught up in the future and how it could be, that they are missing the present... the "NOW" of life. There is an ancient parable about the Holy man who was chased through the jungle by a tiger, out to the end of, and over a high cliff. As he ran off the edge of the cliff, upon looking down, he saw a lion gazing up at him! Just then he noticed a branch and reaching out caught hold of it. He looked up and saw the tiger salivating above him; he looked down and saw the lion anxiously licking his chops in anticipation of a meal! He then looked out at the end of the branch, to which he was clinging, and noticed a rose. He plucked the rose and stuck it to his nose. His nostrils flared as he inhaled the most fragrant, beautiful sweet aroma that he had ever encountered in his life, for he had never before taken the time to smell a rose. In that instant, caught up in between the tiger of his past and the ferocious lion of his future, he learned to appreciate the value, the beauty and the fragrant sweetness of the Now of Life. The moral of this story is — Don't hurry (from the tigers of your past). Don't worry (about the lions of your future). And most importantly, don't forget to smell the flowers of the present, the Now of Life— TAKE TIME Take time to work Itis the price of success Take time to think Itis the source of power Take time to play Itis the secret of youth Take time to read It is the foundation of wisdom Take time to pray Itis the way to Heaven Take time to dream‘THE NEW YOU Itis the highway to success Take time to be friendly It is the road to happiness Take time to laugh Itis the music of the soul Take time to look around Itis the shortcut to unselfishness The next thing that we need to do if we are really going to digest and appreciate the "NOW" of our lives is we need to eliminate worry. We need to recognize worry for what it is Worry is a lie that steals. Studies have shown that more than half the things we worry about never even come to pass so it's a waste of valuable time. It's a negative behavior that kills, It causes sickness and disease. It causes stress and anxiety. It causes you to focus on what you do not want, It wastes valuable energy and destroys. Worry is interest paid on trouble that often times never comes due. It is putting today's sun under tomorrow's cloud not realizing that the skies will be clear. Since an enemy known is an enemy defeated, begin to recognize now that worry is your enemy and don't allow it to come into your life. Recognize it when it tries to raise it's ugly head and close it out of your life as often as it tries to come in, Worrying is a habit, a bad habit, that is a subtle destroyer, a discourager, a thief and a liar. Be aware. Be conscious of it and eliminate it. [fall you do to better your life is to eliminate worry, you will be a far happier and healthier person who can experience true joy and peace and be a blessing to others. We need to lear to appreciate joy and peace in our lives for they are the gift of God. ‘When you really come to know true joy and peace, you will double it. Think deeply about that statement for a minute to really appreciate joy and peace is to double the effects of the experience. For when you really appreciate something, you take time in the "Now" to recognize its value in your life. You focus on it's benefits, you digest it, you savor it, you know it. You own it and possess it, It is a part of you. But, if you are caught up in worry about the past or worrying about the future, you can never come to appreciate joy and peace in life. You can't own it, you don't fully experience it, let alone double it's life giving effects.‘THE NEW YOU You should have at least a 20 minute quiet time every day., preferably twice a day, once in the morning and then at the end of your day. A special time to be alone to pray over your needs to give thanks for all of your blessings, to appreciate your life, to review your goals, to fully appreciate joy and peace, to fully relax, and to read God's Word! Stop now and plan when you will have your daily quiet times, write it in your schedule, This will develop more purpose and direction in your life thus adding more blessing as you continue to improve. Another important part of our lives which many of us neglect is our bodies need for a well balanced diet and adequate exercise. Are you enjoying well balanced meals? Are you taking vitamins? Are you getting enough exercise and physical recreation? STOP NOW and consider your physical needs. What do you need to do to improve in these areas — write it down and do it. Our lives need to be balanced in MIND, BODY AND SOUL. If we neglect our physical needs, we will suffer negative effects. If we focus on a little improvement in exercise and nutrition, it can only result in blessing as we continue to improve our lives. We should all seek to develop a learning positive attitude. We should desire to lear and improve our lives to the glory of God. There's an old saying that goes like this: The one who knows and knows that he knows is a teacher, listen to him. The one who knows but doesn't know that he knows is asleep, wake him. The one who doesn't know but wants to know is a student, teach him. The one who doesn't know but thinks that he knows is a fool, shun him. Which one are you? We never know it all, so we should always be open and willing to earn, Attitude is everything and a positive attitude is the key to success. A positive thinker may not do everything better but he will do almost everything better than a negative thinker. This reminds me of the grumpy guy who fell asleep in his easy chair and being found asleep, his granddaughter decided to play a trick on him. So she took some stink perfume and put some on his mustache. He soon became restless, wiggled his nose and awakened wondering what the stink was. He got up and said, "This chair stinks!" He then went into the kitchen and said, "This kitchen stinks!" His dog walked by and he said, "Gee, even the dog stinks!" He then went outside and wiggled his nose once more, saying, "The whole world stinks!" He had the wrong SarTHE NEW YOU ‘attitude. ‘The problem was really as close as the tip of his nose! Many people are like that, blaming everything and everybody when if they would clean up their own lives a little, it would solve the problem. They need to have the right attitude— the whole world doesn't stink, sometimes it's our own attitude that stinks. Sometimes i's our thinking that’s stinking— we need to replace negative thinking with positive thinking. Positive thinkers are optimistic. Ithas been said that an optimist is: - someone who believes a housefly is searching for a way out of your home. ~ someone who is always talking about the fool he used to be. = someone who thinks there will be no more corny jokes in this book. - someone who marries his secretary thinking he can continue to dictate to her. = someone who cheers you up when things are going his way. = someone who can always see the bright side of someone else's troubles. = someone who feels that when his shoes wear out, he'll be back on his feet (he's right) Of course, we're adding humor to the subject, but we should all seek to be optimistic to be positive thinkers. Optimists are winners. ‘Associate with positive people... with optimistic people! If you associate with winners, you will win. Birds of a feather flock together. If you spend your time with negative people, they will drain your energy. They will discourage you and hold you back. Associate with criminals and you will become one, Associate with drinkers or drug users and you will be drawn into their ranks. Associate with losers and you will lose — but associate with positive thinkers, with optimists, with winners and you too will surely win! ESTABLISH A WINNING ATTITUDE It’s easy to get caught up in the wrong crowd and doing the wrong things. Group psychology can have a negative effect and peer pressure can draw people into negative behavior‘THE NEW YOU and habits. Winners are not the majority but they are willing to take a stand for what they know is proper behavior. It's easy to get caught up with the crowd and to flow downstream under the influence of circumstance and/or the desire to be popular but that stream leads into a mighty current, the rapids of a miserable life and a fall off into despair and destruction. Just like a river, to go with the flow is to degenerate, but to go against the flow, to take a stand for what is morally right is to generate... generate what? Why... life improvement and blessings, of course! The scripture says that there is a way which seems right unto a man, but the end thereof is destruction. God's way is not man’s way. Popular opinion is often wrong. Winners don't always go with the flow and do things just because everyone else is doing it. ‘That's why winners are few and losers are many. Jesus said, "Wide is the path, but narrow is the way leading to life." Behavior is very contagious so associate with positive winners and be blessed. Do you realize how special you are? You need to know that you are very special. In fact, according to the scripture, you were created in the image of God. There are many creatures in creation... animals, insects, fish, etc. but you are special. You are a human being created in God's own image. In this world we have good people and bad people but we are all God's people. Sin makes people bad. When controlled by the sin-nature, people exhibit selfish, cruel rebellious behavior. But Jesus our Perfect example, Who was God appearing as a man, loves all people, The scripture tells us that Jesus hates sin but loves the sinner. Do you know how to tell a good person from a bad person? When a good person does something bad, they feel bad about it, but when a bad person does something bad, they feel good about it.‘THE NEW YOU We who are involved in a close personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ, are only good because we have the righteousness of Christ legally applied to our lives which allows us to be indwelled by the Holy Spirit and accepted as part of the family of God. It's the Holy Spirit alive in us that convicts us of sin and makes us feel guilty and bad when we violate God's moral law, We are Righteous in Christ, bt it is nota righteousness of our own, itis an imputed righteousness. Jesus as our perfect sinless redeemer was our perfect sacrifice for sin. He paid our sin debt in full when He shed His precious blood for us on the cross as redemption for our sin. The scripture says that “He who knew not sin became sin for us, that we might attain to the righteousness of God through Him." He purchased us off of the slave market of sin, cleansing us with His blood, fulfilling God's perfect law and making us legally righteous in Him. You are special, so special that God gave you the gift of faith to believe in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The scripture says that "He draws us to believe” and the scripture also says that "We are saved by grace through faith, not of ourselves, is the gift of God not as a result of works, lest anyone should boast. * So you don't deserve it and you can't eam it, but its a free gift, The scripture says that the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God, (that's grace (01) unmerited favor we dont deserve it and we can't eam it), is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. We owe it all to the God Man who was perfect God and Perfect Man, our Lord Jesus Christ, and now we are one with the family of God. We are indwelled by the same spirit that filled our Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and we have become part of a close personal relationship with God the Father as our Father and God the son, who is Jesus our brother and we are united as one by the same Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit. You are very, very special.‘THE NEW YOU ‘Most people do not realize just how special they are, a great way to take inventory and come to a better understanding of yourself is to do the following exercise. Simply write out your answers to the following questions: 1. What do you love in your life experience? (Make a list) 2. Who and what do you think you are? (Make a list) 3. What are your skills, talents, gifts and abilities? (Make a list) 4, What are your 3 greatest accomplishments in life? Do you have more? (Make a list) Now, take 10 minutes and study these answers. As you concentrate and identify with your life, you will acquire a more well-rounded picture, a clearer image of who you really are. You will recognize that you really are special. You are so special, in fact, that you own a billion dollar computer and its located between your ears. If you had a billion dollars to invest, you actually could not duplicate the full capacity, in a computer, that you already possess. It's God's special gift to you and it sets you apart from all other creatures. Now do you recognize that you indeed are very special?‘THE NEW YOU One of the goals of the remainder of this book is to help in programming your God-given computer, You will be enabled to program your brain, for your own fulfillment and for your total life improvement. But, before we move on, grab your pen and write down the answer to one more question. What are the 7 greatest things that you like about yourself? (Make a list) 1 2 6 7. ‘So, now that you have recognized that you are indeed special, you should easily improve ‘upon your ability to think positive. We all need to become empowered with acquiring the constant practice, behavior and good habit of Positive Thinking. But not like the schoolgirl who upon arriving home from class, preoccupied, bewildered and distressed, got the attention of her mother, who, noticing her dismal physiology and pathetic demeanor, spoke to the child saying, "What is the matter with mama's little girl?” The girl responded, still frowning, "I think I failed my test today!" The mother quickly retorted, "Why dont you just think positive?” But her daughter responded, "I am! I'm positive I failed my test!” ‘At least the mother tried to encourage her daughter to think positive. The mother's glass was half full while the daughter saw her glass as half empty.‘THE NEW YOU Do you see your glass as half empty in life or are you a positive thinker who sees it half full? Does every cloud have a silver lining (or) does every silver lining have a cloud? There were two buckets sitting upon a wall. One bucket says to the other bucket, "Ya know I hate the fact that every time they fill me up, they immediately empty me." The other bucket responded, "Y don't see it that way because every time they empty me, I know I will be refilled again. I look forward to being filled up." It's really a matter of your point of view. It's how you look at things in your life. You can ‘chose to look at things from the negative side and be discouraged and depressed, living a life of misery, or you can look at the sunny side. You can see the positive and the good in things and live a happy, contented life. It's really a choice in how you look at things and the choice is up to you. Is your glass half empty or full and running over with blessings for others along the way? If youre going to be a positive thinker, you have got to eliminate worry. This is a point so important Ill be reminding you again. Worry kills. More than 50% of the things people worry about never come to pass. . Anyway, it's a waste, It wastes your time, your life, your health, your joy, your peace and it affects your relationships with other people. Worriers are often negative filters and complainers, negative thinkers whose effects are contagious. They are that one bad apple that can spoil the whole bunch. Eliminate worry. Break the worry habit and start a new habit of always looking at the good side. Become a positive thinker. You can do it and you will do it if you choose to do it.THE NEW YOU CHAPTER I YOUR LIFE BOOK It is a profound fact that: Anything you can conceive and believe you can achieve. That's anything, if you can conceive of it and truly believe in it enough to see it accomplished in your mind. If you study great achievers and inventors, etc., you will find that they all hold this way of thinking in common, from Ford to Einstein, from Edison to Alexander Graham Bell. Any great contributor to mankind develops first an idea that they believe in enough to see it materialize. It's a profound law to know about our human nature. God created us in His image and even gave us the ability to reason and create through faith. So, write it down and memorize it. Make it part of your belief system and your own self-confidence will increase. Write it down now and read it out loud 10 times. "Anything I can conceive and believe I can achieve!" Anvthing... claim this ‘truth now and make it a part of your life. We easily leam through repetition so it is very important that you write down affirmations, statements that you believe and read twice daily. Through repetition they will become a part of the New You. You become what you think. The scripture says, "ds a man believes in his heart, so is he." Through repeating of your daily affirmations, which you write down and read twice a day, once in the moming and again at night, you can Jearn to be happy, you can learn to be confident, you can leam to have joy, peace and fulfillment. I am going to give you an example of just five of the affirmations that I use. 1. Tan do all things through Christ who strengthens me. 2. Anything I can conceive and believe, I can achieve. 3. 1am a good person. I give my best. I deserve the best and I will receive the best of all things in life because I am special, chosen and loved by God. 10‘THE NEW YOU 4, 5, Lam anice person, People like me and want to cooperate with me. Lam very happy and healthy in mind, body and soul and I always will be. You can use these affirmations too, as well as to create others. Affirmations are powerful. They are life giving, life transforming, powerful words and you will be transformed if you believe them and continue to repeat them twice daily. ‘Take the time right now to write down 5 to 7 affirmations, this will bless you as you read them twice daily, programming your mind with positive suggestion. Another very powerful action that you need to take in improving your li is that you need to write down your goals because if you don't, know where you are going in life that is exactly where you will wind up... no where! Simply take a piece of paper and write out in detail the answers to the following questions: fk 2. 7. 8. ‘What do I want to accomplish with my life? What kind of service can I provide to others in gratitude of God's forgiveness? ‘What can I do to become a better person, friend, family member? ‘What kind of career do I want to have? What kind of home do I want to live in? ‘What kind of possessions do I want to acquire? ‘What can I do to improve my health? What can I do to increase my knowledge? Write down and answer any other question you feel may apply to goal accomplishment in your life ‘Now, with pen in hand, answer each of the questions in detail, i‘THE NEW YOU When done writing out your answers, go back to each question and ask the question, "Why do I want this?" and again write down your answers. Now, on a separate piece of paper, go back again to each question and ask yourself, “How can I accomplish this?" Abbreviate your first answer, and then write "How can I accomplish this?" and write out a plan for the accomplishment of each of your goals. Now, analyze the information you have gathered and make a list. First write down your short range goals, the goals you intend to accomplish in one year or less. Now make a list of your mid range goals, which are those goals which you intend to accomplish in 2 - 5 years. And finally, write down your list of long term goals, those that take over 5 years to accomplish. Each time you write down a goal, always begin with "I have..." and continue to write down the goal. Now, re-write each list of goals followed by your plan for this accomplishment. Write it or print it out neatly since you will be placing this written work in plastic sleeves for daily reading during your quiet time, Did you know that only 2% have written goals and plans. It's no coincidence that only 2%, that's 2 people out of every 100 enjoy great success in life. STOP! DO NOT PROCEED UNTIL YOU HAVE WRITTEN DOWN YOUR GOALS AND PLANS AS DESCRIBED. Have you written down your goals and plans and answered all of your questions? Great! This will give a new found purpose and real direction in your life! You are now ready to move forward. Now I want you to close your eyes and relax and begin to visualize yourself as already having accomplished all of your goals. See yourself as there. You have achieved this victory. ‘How does it feel to be there now? 12‘THE NEW YOU You have the home of your dreams. ‘You are at the top of your profession. you have perfect relationships with people. You are able to help many other people. You really sense that you have been used and are being used by God to bless others. ‘You are full of joy and at peace with life. How do you feel? Do this exercise until you can really picture yourself as having accomplished all of your goals, Once you are able to see yourself as there already, grab a pen and paper. Now write out your life script. Write it down in past tense. You have already achieved each and every goal. You will notice that your affirmations often begin with AM but your goals should be written down as [HAVE even when you write down a goal itis written down as though you already have it (past tense). This is the principle and truth of the Power of Faith. ‘The scripture says, Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. Faith is the ability to see things which are not as though they were. Remember, anything you can conceive and believe, you can achieve. Therein lies the Power of Faith. A spiritual truth, a spiritual Law that is very real. So, see yourself as already having achieved your goals and write down your future in the form of a life script going beyond the future and looking back at all God has blessed you with accomplishing. Describe your job, family, friends, home, car, the clothes you wear, your hobbies, the food you eat, pets, travel, the flowers in your garden, your activities. Describe how you feel. 13‘THE NEW YOU Describe in full detail, the colors, the shapes, every detail, a day in your life, while fully appreciating and mentioning all of your life's accomplishments and fulfilled goals. See yourself as there... you have already accomplished it. STOP... DO THIS EXERCISE NOW. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT. When you are able to close your eyes and visualize clearly, seeing yourself having acquired your life's goals, you are then creating a vacuum for fulfillment, manifestation must happen and it will surely happen. The only factor that remains between conceiving, believing and achieving is time. But, remember, time is relevant to us as people but irrelevant to God. Later we will explain the benefit of communicating with God through prayer. As for now, just ‘be sure that you complete the above written exercises. You should now have the following: 1. List of daily affirmations. 2. List of goals with plans. 3. Life script. Now, buy a nice 1/2 inch ring binder and enough plastic sleeves to place your written affirmations, goals, plans and life script within. Assemble it all together. This is your "Life Book." A priceless, valuable tool that you will read through twice daily, once in the morning and then again at night, praying for God's help in accomplishing all you have written. The new you will see your dreams come true. "Anything you can conceive and believe, you can achieve." ‘We should all seck after and desire positive change, thus improving our lives. If I told you to clasp your hands together right now, you would notice that the way your hands hold each other is the same way they always do, Try it, Grasp your hands together with your fingers interlocked. Is your right thumb resting on top of your left thumb? Or is your left thumb resting 14‘THE NEW YOU ‘on top of your right thumb? Now take your hands apart and grasp them opposite of the way you normally do. The thumb normally on the bottom should now be on the top. It feels weird, doesnit it? It’s not as comfortable as the way you're used to doing it by habit. Change is not always comfortable. And it's not always easy to get out of the pre-conditioned behavior patterns, habits and rats that we have accepted as a normal part of our lives. But change can be a positive, life improving experience. Instead of flowing down stream with the masses, always going the way of peer pressure or public opinion, sometimes it is good to just stop and observe what you are doing and if you don't agree, then, buck the system. Go against the flow. Stop the process of degeneration and stimulate life through generation. Positive change is good—. Just because everyone is doing it doesn't mean it is right. It takes a special person like yourself to make a stand for what is right even if it will bring about persecution and ridicule. You are special. You should not allow yourself to be molded by the influence of the masses. After all, the majority is often wrong. God's way is not man's way. Why not trust and obey Him from whom all blessings flow? The blessings come from up stream and you have to go against the flow of popular opinion to get to the source and its never too late to change. The trouble is, everyone is so busy blaming everyone else, they have overlooked the source of their problem, in lack of improvement, which is oftentimes themselves. There was a wise old man, who in his youth sought to change the world, but he soon surrendered in the face of such an apparently insurmountable task. He then thought, "Well, maybe I can change my country,” but again he soon gave up. He then tried to change his city, but again grew discouraged and quit. In his old age, he awakened to the desire of changing 15‘THE NEW YOU. himself and he then realized that by first changing himself for the better, it would then be possible to influence others, even the world, for positive change! Ask yourself this question: "If I could live my whole life over again, what would I change?” Now write it down on paper in list form. Study that list and circle everything you observe that is possible to still improve or change. Now, write out a plan for each item circled as to how you can correct the error, change it into a positive or improve it. Write out your plan in detail and do it. Include it in your Life Book, study it daily until the plans have been accomplished. ‘Now, make another list. Ask yourself, "What do I not like about myself?” Write it down. ‘Now, make a plan and write it down as to how you can change areas of your life that you are not happy with. ‘Now, ask yourself, "How can I make my wife's / husband's life better?" Write out your plan, Don't tell them - just do it and work your plan. Next, ask yourself, "How can I make my family's life better?” Write out your plan and do ‘Then ask yourself, "How can I please God with my life?” Write out your plan and do it. ‘And, finally, ask yourself, "How can I make my life better?" Write out your plan and do it There's always a solution, There's always a way, if you will study it, analyze it and plan for change. There's always a way. Which reminds me of the tournament golfer who was one stroke ahead on the last hole when having drove the ball, it landed just to the right of the green, bounced and stopped on the 16‘THE NEW YOU top of a piece of candy wrapper carelessly dropped by a spectator. Observing the situation, the golfer realized if he removed the ball from the wrapper to improve his lye, he would be charged a penalty stroke which could cost him the tournament. What would you do? The solution came in changing his thinking—. He did not remove the ball, but by reversing the situation in his mind, he discovered the solution. He asked his caddie for a book of matches, lit one and set the candy wrapper on fire, thereby removing the obstacle. He then proceeded to play through and birdied the hole, He won the tournament. It was the last hole but it was never too late to change. Ifyou think you are beaten, you are, Ifyou think you dare not, you don't If you want to win, but you think you can't It's almost certain you won't Ifyou think youll lose, youve lost, For out in the world we find, Success begins with a man’s will Its all in his state of mind. If you think youre outclassed, you are, You've got to think big to rise, You've got to think positive, and be sure of yourself Before you can win the prize Life's battles aren't always won By the stronger and smarter man 7‘THE NEW YOU But soon or later, the man who wins Is the man who believes he can. ‘We have just reviewed in detail what you need to do to refine and improve your life. However, there is one final need which is all important in your taking action towards positive improvement in your life. You need to make the commitment, to take action now. it! So, if you have not written out all of the suggested life improvement exercises, stop! ‘Now, go back and reread this book and do the written exercises. It will bless your life and make you a better person with a new sense of purpose and direction. Get serious. Make the commitment. It's all for your good so do it. Do it now! Go back and review, complete all exercises, this program will change your life but you must cooperate. Do it now, you need to make the commitment. Make an honest decision to improve your life. You need to take action now, today, immediately. Don't procrastinate, don't put it off. And you need to follow through on your honest decision, That's commitment, Review and write out all the exercises and assemble your Life Book. In karate, the secret to breaking a board with your bare hand is belief, commitment, decision and follow through. First, you believe. Then you commit by deciding to follow through. And then, you do it. Bang, itis broken, But, you don't just tap at the board... you don't ‘even focus on hitting the board. You focus on hitting beyond the board, past the board. You believe you can follow through with a punch that will go beyond the board. Your power doesn't just hit the board and bounce off, your power breaks through the board. You see the board breaking before you hit it. That's belief. That's faith. That's follow through. Faith is calling 18‘THE NEW YOU ‘what is not as though it were and seeing it before it manifests and appears. That's why you will accomplish your goals when you write them down in the past tense. (Example) have sold 3 million copies of my book, "THE NEW YOU". You write it down as though itis already accomplished. Then you write down your plan and work your plan, all the time seeing it happen. Visualizing it as if it has already been accomplished, When you can see it done in your mind, you own it, you have it, only time stands between visualization and realization so make the commitment. Believe, decide, commit, follow through, i's done, nothing can stop you. The scripture says, "All things are possible for him that believes.” Review all that you have written and leamed up to this point. Do not proceed until you have completed all written exercises and assembled your Life Book. 19THE NEW YOU Congratulations! You have accomplished a lot already in building your new foundation for life as you begin to transform yourself into the New You. You have uncovered and recognized some important needs in accomplishing your transformation. You have written down your goals and plans for their accomplishment, you have written down your positive affirmations. You have thought through and written out your life script for your future, seeing your life having already accomplished your goals. ‘You have written other lists and assignments helping you to become more aware of who you are, This was all designed to make you think and take action. You have compiled all of these assignments into your Life Book which you are to read through and study twice each and every day. By doing so, you will actually be conditioning your mind toward success and life fulfillment. If you have prepared and assembled your Life Book, you are now ready to move to the next phase of instruction leading to total life improvement. So study, leam and perform each of the ten steps that follow. The foundation for the New You has already been established and you are now ready to take action by performing the ten steps leading to the New You. 20‘THE NEW YOU CHAPTER IT TEN STEPS TO THE NEW YOU ‘Step One PRAY To pray is to communicate with God, the Creator, who is your heavenly Father who loves you, who hears your prayers and who will never leave you nor forsake you. We should live a life in constant communication with God. Jesus paid our way with His earthly life so that we could experience oneness with his father who has become our father. We are united as one in spirit. God knows your needs before you even ask but it is in the asking that He is prepared to receive the praise, honor and glory for answering. Prayer is more than asking for solutions. Prayer is communicating. It's expressing your faith. By talking with God, we show that we recognize He is real and alive, a part of our lives. There is no greater privilege, no greater significance or security that we can experience than to be part of the royal family of God and to know without any doubt that He loves us and cares for us, that He protects us and that He has provided for our future eternal life resurrected into His presence to live as spiritual creatures with Him forever. How blessed we are to be enabled through Jesus to partake in this divine appointment and to be blessed with the gift of faith in knowing Him whom to know is life and health and peace. The Apostle Paul said we should pray without ceasing, which means we should maintain an attitude of communing with God, constantly aware of His presence, His greatness, His love, to maintain an attitude of gratitude. Prayer is communicating with God. It's not just talking to God, it’s also listening. At least half of prayer should be listening. If you will slow down and really take time to listen, God will reveal great wisdom to you. But very few listen and most only pray when they have 2 need, How selfish! Communication is a two way street. Until we 21‘THE NEW YOU learn to listen, we are really missing out on the fuliness of our relationship with God. He wants to instruct you and guide you as your Father but you have to respect Him enough to listen. When you pray, remember to pray for others not just yourself and listen for that still quiet voice as He answers and instructs from within. ‘The scripture says when you pray, pray believing that God hears you and if you believe that He hears you, you shall have your request. Pray believing and you will receive. Prayer is the way to build and maintain your relationship with God. Step Two BELIEVE ‘The scripture says, All things are possible for him that believes. remember, anything you can conceive and believe, you can achieve, Jesus said that it is through faith that we overcome the world. Faith is our all conquering priceless gift from God. When we believe we give action and momentum to thoughts and plans. As belief in accomplishment increases, the result grows closer to realization. Daily repetition of goals, affirmations, plans and life scripts increases your belief in their achievement drawing them into realization. So, believe in the accomplishment of your goals and they will manifest. Someone asked a champion high jumper how he was able to successfully get his whole body over such a high bar. His answer, "I just throw my heart over the bar , my body must follow." That is belief, that is the power of faith. We need first to believe in God. Second, we need to believe in ourselves. Third, we need to believe in accomplishing our goals and plans. 22‘THE NEW YOU We build our faith in God through studying the Bible. The scripture says, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Through increasing our belief in God, we are enabled to believe in ourselves and the fulfillment of God's will in our lives. If your goals are in line with His will and based on proper motives, you will be able to believe in their fulfillment. The scripture says, whoever believes in God will not be disappointed Step Three FORGIVE : Never hate anyone. It is a self destructive emotion. It eats you up inside and taints your ability to have a fulfilling relationship with God, and other people. Make a list right now of anyone in your entire life that you have held a grudge against, anyone who you hold resentment and unforgiveness in your heart toward. Take 5 minutes to really think and remember, this is very important. Now, write down every name of every person you have a grudge against. The scripture says, you cannot expect God to forgive you if you haven't forgiven others. So, go down that list now and forgive each one, You're going to feel a weight drop off of your mind when you do this. Really forgive them and pray for God to Bless them, Dont continue until you make a list and go down that list truly forgiving each and everyone on your list. As you do, cross out their name. Now, crumble up that list into a ball and throw it into the garbage, You are eliminating all the unforgiveness from your life. It is gone. ‘Now you are ready to move on. Now, pray to God and tell Him that you are sorry for your shortcomings, sorry for any sin in your life. Name any sins you know you are guilty of and that you have not confessed. Ask God to have mercy on you and to forgive you. Now, ask God to help you live your life free of conscious sin. Ask God to give you strength to please Him with your life. Thank God for His 23‘THE NEW YOU forgiveness. You are already forgiven by the shed blood of Jesus Christ and when you confess, God cleanses you from the guilt of your sin. You are set free!! Now, make a list of what you hold against yourself, what you have done in your life that you're ashamed of. Write it down. Now, forgive yourself for each of these things. God already has forgiven you. Now, you need to forgive yourself. Have you completed this exercise? If you have forgiven all others, asked God to forgive you, and forgiven yourself, you have, for the first time in your life, total forgiveness. You are free!!! Now, stay free. Don't hold grudges. Always forgive others as well as yourself, None of us are perfect. We all make mistakes and if you sin in the future, confess it and grow up. To grow spiritually is to recognize and eliminate sinful behavior from our lives and to truly desire for God to prepare us so that we can be an effective tool so that He may use us in helping others. Step Four ELIMINATE BAD HABITS Michaelangelo's David is probably one of the most perfect and most beautiful works of sculpture ever created and legend has it that when Michaelangelo was asked how he was able to create such a masterpiece, his response was"... actually it was quite simple. I simply began with a block of white marble and chipped away everything that was not David!” ‘And if we are to improve our lives to the ultimate possible development, we need to identify and remove that which is not the true self, that which is not good and is not right must be removed if we are to crystallize our beings as much as is possible. We must remove the impurities. 24‘THE NEW YOU “The scripture says that when you remove the dross from the silver. You have a vessel for the smith. Our bodies are to be the temple of the Holy Spirit. If God is to use us, we should make ourselves acceptable for His use. Itis a profound statement worth memorizing, that Your life always goes in the direction of your most dominant thoughts, Leam this statement, commit it to memory. It will be a source of wisdom and guidance, and by realizing this simple fact, you will guard your thoughts and not be easily drawn to folly, corruption, failure and disgrace. Write it down in large print and read it aloud 10 times. Your life always goes in the direction of your most dominant thoughts! If you allow your mind to dwell on vices, you will be controlled by vices. If you think on doing good, you will do good. The scripture says, as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. Will you be evil or will you be good, it's a matter of your thinking. It is a fact that in the beginning you make habits but in the end, your habits make you. A life full of negative habits is a life full of negative behavior, and a life headed for despair and destruction. When you learn to control your thought life, you will control your behavior. If you are sincere and you want to improve your life through eliminating negative habits and behavior, the first thing to do is repent. Repentance is a conscious act of recognizing your sin and seeing it the same way that God does— it is sin and it is wrong. Pray to God and sincerely communicate your desire to turn from wrong thinking and wrong behavior. Ask God to help you, to strengthen you and protect you from temptation. In the case of bad habits, you have been using your energy in a wrong way of expression. You still have to express (or release) energy, but the solution is to replace negative behavior with positive behavior. Form new habits of positive behavior for that energy. ‘The scripture says ‘Put off the old man and put on the new.’ You have learned some new exercises in this program which you‘THE NEW YOU should adapt to your life, Now when you get a craving, a temptation or bad thought, you can transmute your energy by leaming not to go along with the thought unconsciously. You must earn to be conscious of your triggers and bad thoughts that draw you to act on the bad habits or behaviors that have become a part of you. Those old habits and behavior patterns are hindrances to your growth and improvement. When you get such thoughts in the future, lear to stop them. Say "No! I will not be controlled any more, Lwant to improve my life." Then immediately focus on your affirmations, your goals, your life scripts. This way you will be reconditioning your mind to re-focus thus transferring your energy towards positive action. If your goals are more important to you than destroying your life though negative behavior, you will leam to STOP, say NO, and RE-FOCUS. You will form a new habit of positive conditioning to replace bad habits. Another thing to do is place a rubber band on your wrist and when you get a bad thought, stop, say "No!", then pull and let go of the rubber band so as to sting and cause pain to your wrist. This causes a neuro-association. Your mind will associate the negative desire with PAIN. Then focus on your affirmations, goals and life plan. Another smart thing to do is join a support group (or 12-step program) where you can help and be helped by others with the same problems. Remember: YOUR LIFE WILL ALWAYS GO IN THE DIRECTION OF YOUR MOST DOMINANT THOUGHTS. SO ALLOW YOUR AFFIRMATIONS, YOUR GOALS AND YOUR LIFE SCRIPT TO BECOME YOUR DOMINANT THOUGHTS. THIS WILL AUTOMATICALLY OCCUR THROUGH THE MIXTURE OF REPETITION AND TIME. 26‘THE NEW YOU Choose now, to be free and happy and healthy in mind, body & soul. Make the decision now. Take action now. Follow the plan. You will change. You will become your affirmations. ‘You will accomplish all of your goals. You will live your life plan... If you have numerous negative areas to eliminate, you will do this by replacing negative behavior with positive behavior. This is the process of transmuting energy. New positive behavior should be assumed. Since you still have to use that energy, become more active in sports and hobbies, even reading, research and writing, Start an exercise program, join the gym, jog or power walk daily, play golf, handball, basketball, jump rope, fish, go hiking in the country, take trips. Focus on improving your health, your diet and nutrition. ‘Ask yourself, "What have I always wanted to do but haven't yet done?” Make a list. Use your energy to do it. Live your life to the fullest. Be a generator not a degenerator. Stop... make a list of the things you have always wanted to do but have not yet done. Study the list. If you make each a goal you will accomplish each desire on your list. ‘Step Five- WRITE DOWN YOUR GOALS, AFFIRMATIONS AND LIFE SCRIPT. This is of such dynamic importance and so very foundational in establishing total life improvement that it bears repeating. If you have not completed the exercise of writing down your goals, affirmations and life script clearly and in detail, then make it your #1 priority to do so. These and all written exercises make up your Life Book. It's a fact that people who think they have goals but fail to write them down and plan in detail their fulfillment do not have goals, they merely have wishes or dreams. It's also a fact that people with written, planned out goals dictate to others, they are leaders with purpose and 27‘THE NEW YOU direction in their lives. While people who have no written goals and plans are dictated to by others who have goals. ‘A goal is only an idea or dream until you write it down along with your plan for its accomplishment. It then becomes a focal point giving your life new meaning and direction. The moment you write it down you have taken the first step toward a definite positive accomplishment. Most people live their lives being led and dictated to by those who have written goals and plans. Should the limited time and energy that you have to live your life be spent in pursuit of completing someone else's plans? Shouldn't you be setting and attaining your ‘own plans in line with God's will for your life? Ninety-eight percent have no goals or written plans in life. They just flounder in the sea of diversity, tossed about by the waves of circumstance, going nowhere, making little progress, and often drowning in despair. But, it doesn't have to be that way. We need to wake up to reality and start being part of the solution, Write down your goals, plans, affirmations and life script. Read them every morning when you get up and again before you go to bed at night. You will be amazed at the fulfillment you will achieve with your life. ‘Step Six: NEVER GOSSIP, NEVER MALICIOUSLY CRITICIZE I am convinced that gossip is one of the worst sins that a person can commit. The scripture says that the tongue is such a little member of our bodies, yet, it is able to defile the whole body, that it is able to set on fire the course of nature and that the tongue itself is set on fire by hell, Just a little spark can start a raging inferno of destruction that can destroy forests and even cities, even so the power of our tongue is able to destroy, with gossip and lies, the lives of innocent people, causing others to forever mistrust individuals who, in fact, may have done no 28‘THE NEW YOU wrong and yet like a fire beginning with a spark, then raging into an inferno, so is the spread of gossip. Gossip is a deceptively subtle sin, a powerful tool of the devil. Eliminate it entirely from your life. Don't listen to it and dont spread it. To participate in such sin is to cooperate with the enemy of God. ‘Also, do not maliciously criticize others so as to cause hurt and discouragement. If criticism is necessary, then offer words of tactful advice meant to help and build up rather than to hurt and tear down. And judge not lest you be judged. Are you perfect? Have you never made a mistake yourself? Be diplomatic with your words. Speak in love, be a blessing to others, not a curse. Jesus said there is one commandment that fulfills the whole law, and that is to love the Lord Thy God with all your soul, all your heart, and all your mind. And your neighbor as yourself. We will have the right attitude when we lear to love our neighbor as we do ourselves. Jesus gave us the ‘Golden Rule' to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. If we ‘would just remember this simple teaching of the Lord when we speak we would surely speak ‘words of love and healing and we would cease to gossip and maliciously criticize others. Step Seven: HELP SOMEONE EVERYDAY Be willing and looking for the opportunity to help others every day having an attitude of ‘concern wanting to be a blessing to someone else each and every day from the moment you awaken until the moment you go to sleep. If someone stops you on the street requesting help, by all means help them if you are able. If someone calls you on the phone when you are in bed at night and they need help, don't put them off. Go and help them. It is in this way that God helps others through you! God ofien uses people to answer prayers. Be willing to be used by God as a‘THE NEW YOU willing and obedient servant, to sacrifice yourself for God and the needs of others. Be kind to all and love one another as Jesus loves the church which is His body composed of many members. ‘There is value to every member of his body. After all, we need our foot just as much as we need an eye or a hand, don't we? So we should be willing to help others, great or small, rich or poor, powerful or lowly, for God loves us each the same. It has been said that the great Apostle John, when he grew older in years, was still recognized at each church celebration and service. In fact, he would be called forward to speak to the crowd. When taking his position standing in front of the audience, he would simply look ‘everyone in the eye and say, "Love one another," then he would sit down. It is all fulfilled in that one profound statement and if we would obey it as a people, we would have a world of joy and peace. There would be no bittemess, no crime and no war if we would learn to LOVE ONE ANOTHER. When we truly love one another, we are willing to help those in need and we are willing to take our eyes off of ourselves long enough to observe the needs of others. We should be willing to really respect others and listen to them when they express themselves to us. We will earn to become a true friend and a worthy servant of God when we leam to love one another and practice the ‘Golden Rule.’ Step Eight: READ THE BIBLE AND MOTIVATIONAL BOOKS I saw a bumper sticker recently that stated, Are you having trouble putting your life together? Why not read the instruction book? God has provided us with a detailed blueprint and instructions on how to live a fulfilling life, yet few people spend time studying the Bible.‘THE NEW YOU God created all things and knows everything. Doesn't it seem the wise thing to do, to study his instruction book for life? The Bible is a supernatural book. Every year the Bible outsells every other book. They don't even list it on the best seller list but it's automatically the most purchased book year in and year out. The author literally owns the market! There is one thing that has been found that most great people throughout history have in common... that ig, they have read the Bible from cover to cover. The Bible reveals Jesus Christ to you. He is the golden thread which runs throughout the ‘Holy scripture from: Genesis to Revelation. The Old Testament is Jesus Christ concealed while the New Testament is Jesus Christ revealed. There are 60 prophecies and 270 ramifications, all of which were fulfilled in only one man, The God Man, our lord, Jesus Christ. From a purely scientific point of view, the chance of prophecies of such magnitude being recorded into scripture over such a long period of time by so many writers and yet being fulfilled in one man is astronomical. The odds are actually 1 in 10"? To illustrate the odds, picture the state of Texas covered two feet deep in silver dollars and a blind man walking across the state reaches down and picks up the one coin with the face of Jesus on it. Well, that is the same chance of so many prophecies being fulfilled in one man and yet they were fulfilled and documented as fulfilled in one man, our Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible is a supernatural book inspired by God who revealed the words to be written by many writers, yet all pointing towards one man who is the center and power of history. A supernatural book that reveals the supernatural reality of Jesus Christ. Read your Bible. The pages will begin to come alive to you ‘and as God reveals himself, He will impart wisdom and knowledge to you. You will grow 31‘THE NEW YOU closer to Him and as you leam about Him, you will come to really know Him whom to know is life and health and peace. Knowledge is power and all truth is God's truth so become a reader of books. — first the Bible and then other motivational books geared toward life improvement. Step Nine: CHOOSE HAPPINESS EACH MORNING: ‘Ask yourself what determines whether you are happy or not? Do other people? Do circumstances? ‘Are people and circumstances controlling your life? It's time to take control. You have within you the gift of God — the ability to will yourself to be happy. You can decide right now to be happy and you can continue to choose to be happy. It's a choice that you make. You can cither choose to be controlled by circumstances in life and other people or you can take control and form a new habit of always choosing to be happy. Form the happy habit. It's God's will for you to be happy because happiness is contagious and when you are always happy, you will make other people happy. So, the next time you feel sad, stop! The next time you feel mad, stop! The next time you feel hurt, stop! Choose to be happy. It's your choice. No one can do it for you so just do it. Take control and choose to be happy and smile, Allow God's joy to fill you and flow through you to bless and encourage others. You are so blessed and you have so much to be grateful for, so smile, be happy and share the joy of the Lord with others. The great defense lawyer, Jerry Spence, has used the following story when making his final appeal to the jury: “There was once a wise old man and a young smart aleck who shows the old man ‘a young sparrow then immediately places both hands behind his back while still clutching the young bird. The smart aleck then asks the old man, ‘Old ‘man, if you are so wise, tell me, is the sparrow I'm holding behind my back 32‘THE NEW YOU alive or dead? Knowing that if the old man chooses that it is alive, he will crush and kill it and then produce the dead bird in his palm proving the old man wrong and vice versa. But, in his wisdom, knowingly the old man answered wisely by saying, ‘Son, whether or not that young bird remains alive or dies is up to you for the decision is in your hands’ ‘And so I say to you, the choice remains in your hands as well. You can choose life or death today. You can choose to be happy or sad. It's in your hands. The choice is up to you. It costs nothing, but creates much Itenriches those who receive it without impoverishing those who give it It happens in a flash, and the memory of it sometimes lasts forever. None are so rich that they can get along without it ‘And none so poor but are richer for its benefits It fosters good will in business It creates happiness in the home It is the counter sign of friends It is rest to the weary Daylight to the discouraged Sunshine to the needy And nature's best antidote for trouble It's a smile — Henry H. Evansen 33‘THE NEW YOU Are you smiling? Step Ten: NEVER GIVE UP. ‘The key to success is persistence so never give up, because even failure can lead to success... Did you know that: Michael Jordan, who led the Bulls to numerous Championships was cut from his high school basketball team when he was a sophomore because they felt he wasn't good enough? ‘The first book by Dr. Suess was rejected by 27 publishers who told him that nobody would buy that type of material. Since then, more than 200 million of his books have been sold. When Walt Disney submitted his first drawings for consideration, the editor told him he had absolutely no talent whatsoever. E, W. Woolworth was not permitted to wait on customers at a store where he worked as a stockboy because his boss said he did not have enough sense to deal with the public. Albert Einstein was labeled as a slow learner by his school teacher. ‘Thomas Edison tried thousands of experiments before inventing the electric light bulb. He later registered 1,097 patented inventions. Michael Blake, author of DANCES WITH WOLVES, and winner of the Academy Award had more than 20 screen plays rejected over a 25 year time period before striking ‘overnight’ success. =n 34‘THE NEW YOU + Willie Mays, the great baseball player, hit only one hit, a single, during his first 26 times at bat during his first year in the major leagues. He then analyzed his performance, made a minor adjustment and then achieved a batting average of .345, + Babe Ruth, who set the Longest Running Home Run record of 60 home runs in a season, also held the strike out record that same season. + Abraham Lincoln failed at business in 1831. Was defeated in his bid for legislature in 1832. He failed again at business in 1834. In 1835, his sweetheart and love of his life died. In 1836, he had a nervous breakdown. He lost his bid for speaker of the House in 1853. He lost his bid for Congress in 1843. Again in 1846 he lost his race for Congress. He then lost his bid for land officer in 1849. In 1855, he was defeated again for the Senate. In 1858, he was defeated again for the Senate but in the same year he was elected President of the United States. So remember, everyone experiences failure but the prize goes to the one who doesn't quit. Quitters never win and winners never quit. Every failure carries with it the seed for a greater benefit. Failure brings with it the opportunity to try again having leamed from your mistakes. Each attempt brings you closer to the prize. When they built the Houston Astrodome, they were so thrilled to finally have a weather-proof enclosed stadium, But there was one major problem—the grass would not grow, it just kept dying. Experimentation began immediately and the experts soon developed the artificial grass known as Astro-turf, considered to be a superior playing surface. They could have given up and removed the dome but they didn't. They used God's gift of human ingenuity, a gift we all share, but only winners use it.‘THE NEW YOU “There was once a man who dreamed of owning a gold mine, He saved all his life until cone day he realized he had enough capitol. He then shopped around and bought a mine which experts said contained gold. He immediately began digging and after six months had found no gold, He then decided he'd try for another 6 months although he was very discouraged. The next six months passed and the would-be gold baron decided to give up. He advertised his mine for sale and another hopeful prospector bought the gold mine. The next morning the new owner went out to dig and after digging only six more inches, he struck gold and became a multimillionaire. When you set your mind to accomplish a goal, never give up, for it's the time that you quit that you are nearest your prize. Remember the story, 6 inches from gold. Let it serve as a source of motivation to you so that you will never be a quitter and you will never give up. CONCLUSION If you have diligently studied this book and performed all of the written exercises then you have now prepared the good soil of your mind as together we have planted powerful seeds of the fruit of life fulfillment. We have prepared, watered and fertilized and now you know how to take care of your garden. So, continue to do all you have been taught to do so that you and God, the real gardener of your mind, may bring forth a harvest of much fruit for the nourishment of many others. ‘That which you are learning, leam well. Study to show yourself approved a workman who need not be ashamed, able then to teach and enable others to do the same, that they may teach still others also. That many good seeds may be planted, cared for and brought to harvest thus renewing all the earth even as you are now being renewed,THE NEW YOU ‘There is a native tribe in the Philippines, considered to be so primitive that they had yet to discover the wheel. You may have seen them on television documentaries or in National Geographic magazines. Imagine you are walking down a jungle path in the Philippines when suddenly from out of nowhere you confront several of these primitive tribesmen. You reach into your backpack and present them with a package, all the while gesturing that they open it up and look inside. : ‘They open it up and pull out a radio. They look at the radio, then look at you. They look back at the radio and again, at you. They then ask through an interpreter, "What is this?" If you told them, "This is @ radio and voices speak and sing from it!" they would not believe you. If you explained about radio waves, signal strength and how sound resonates from the speakers, they would probably think you were crazy... but when you tum on the volume and they hear it, they would then experience the wonder of radio and believe. Words alone were not enough, they had to experience it to accept it as reality. I believe in radio because I have experienced it and I believe in the profound truths being communicated to you through this book because I have experienced their beautiful positive fulfilling effect upon my life. You too will know this reality. ‘You too will experience this fulfillment as you apply what you have leamed and begin to experience the joy of the New You. The scripture tells us to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and then all of these things shall be added unto you. We are to recognize our position as servants in the Kingdom of God. Keeping an attitude of love, respect, obedience, and allegiance to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Always willing to be used in the accomplishment of His divine will in our lives and to be an example of His love to others. God‘THE NEW YOU is love and when we come to Him with our vessels empty of self, He is willing and able to fill us with His love, with His joy and with His peace which is total life fulfillment. The scripture admonishes us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is our spiritual service of worship. Our glory is in serving the King What greater fulfillment can you experience, what greater significance and security can you know than to realize that you have been chosen by God to be made part of His holy family. What greater joy and fulfillment can we ever experience beyond being enabled to live our lives in a vibrant personal relationship with God the Father, as our Father, God, the Son, Jesus as our brother and God the Holy Spirit, our helper and counselor, who is given to us to dwell in us as the promise and proof of our relationship in the Royal Family. Jesus said, "Truly, I say unto you, He that believes in me, the works that I do, shall he do also: and even greater works than these shall he do, because T go unto my father. And whatever you shall ask in my name I will do it, that the father may be glorified in the son. If you ask anything in my name I will do it. If you love me keep my Commandments and I will ask the Father and He will send you another Comforter that He may abide with you forever.” The Holy Spirit whom the world cannot receive because it does not know Him. But you know Him for He dwells with you and shall be in you. If you believe the words of Jesus then you know that you already possess everything that you need to live a fulfilled life. One of the most profound statements in the scripture was made by our Lord when He said, "Only believe, for all things are possible to him that believes.” Be encouraged, you are special, You are blessed. You have access through prayer to unlimited power. Nothing is impossible for those who believe. So go... do it. Accomplish something great for the Kingdom of God. 38‘THE NEW YOU ONE SOLITARY LIFE He was born in an obscure village. He worked in a carpenter shop until he was thirty. He then became an itinerant preacher. He never held an office. He never had a family or owned a house. He didn't go to college. He had no credentials but himself... Nineteen centuries have come and gone, and today he is the central figure of the human race. All the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned have not affected the life of man on this earth as much as that ONE SOLITARY LIFE. .-OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST... 39DON'T EVER GIVE UP!!!