Are you being intentional verses accidental in all areas of your life? Areas such as the Physical, Mental, and Spiritual parts of your daily life. In todays world, we are all bombarded with information about self-help and manifesting your destiny. Just so we are clear, that is not this. I just wanted to share something I learned on my journey to better myself in those (3) areas of life (Physical, Mental, and Spiritual). We are all human being and live on the same planet, so.... Anyway, on my journey have personally discovered how to be more intentional in all the different areas of my own life struggles. As my family portion of the target grows, I must be intentional more than ever. The ultimate goal is to always be intentional with others. As a leader, we all can get bogged down with outside influences and maybe it's because we don't take the time to truly understand ourselves in the three areas. Those areas of life are what we call the 5 Circles of Influence. The bullseye or center is self, then the next ring is family, next we have team, then we have organization, and lastly community. Some of these areas, you may be saying to yourself, are not applicable. Well sorry.... If you are a human being, they are. :) Use the following questions for yourself to see how you can move from self to community. How intentional are you... (1-100; 100 is highest)? As a person (human being) - meaning with yourself? Do you exercise? In what you eat? In what you watch? In what you listen to? Mentally? Do you try to increase your knowledge levels? Do you seek out information? Spiritually? No matter what you believe concerning God, you still have a spiritual side of your being. This is how you can have inner peace. How you interact with others? (Family, Team, Organization. Community) Are my relationships in tact? Do I need to reestablish boundaries in areas of my life or with certain individuals or groups? 2. Where can you trade up in mind, body, and spirit? What area could be stronger? 3. What areas (delights/desires) are consuming you right now and proving you to be unfruitful? 4. What do you want to see happen on this journey for Yourself? For your Family? For your Team? For your Organization? For your Community? Always Remember: Intentionality starts with you! So we need to identify any roadblocks in your life that are currently setting you back. Then we need to determine what needs to be pruned out of our life? Then finally, we must commit to what you want to be encouraged and accountable for, as you move forward. If you are interested in learning more, please book an online or phone conversation on my website - www.for-the-father.com I would love to visit and share with you more on this journey we call LIFE..... Be well....

Forgiveness deals with our emotional response toward an offender. Pardon deals with the consequences of the offense. Unless we have the authority we may not be able to pardon an offense, but we can always forgive. Forgiving a person is "clearing the record" with us and transferring the responsibility for any punishment to God. Forgiveness will make it possible for us to have the same openness towards the offender, after they offend us, as we had before they offended us. The following insights of scripture, assist us in looking at forgiveness from God's point of view: Forgiveness involves a positive attitude toward the offense rather than a negative attitude toward the offender. If our initial focus after being offended is on the offender, it is difficult not to become bitter. But if we first focus on the offense and forget for the moment who offended us, we are much better able to look at the offense as a significant aspect of our personal character development. Our proper attitudes as a result of the offense become the important concern. By using this approach, both the offender and the offense fade into insignificance and our response to the offense becomes the major concern. 2. Forgiveness views the offender as an "instrument" in God's hands. In the final analysis, it is God who uses even the "wrath of man to praise Him" Psalm 76:10 King David could have become very bitter toward the vile, hateful person who tried to humiliate him by publicly accusing him and cursing him. Instead, he viewed him simply as an agent of a higher power. He said, "The Lord hath bidden him (to curse me)." II Samuel 16:11 Jesus Christ could have become bitter toward those who beat Him and nailed Him to the cross, but He looked at them as carrying out the purpose of God for His life. Because of this, He was able to say, "Father, forgive them; for they know what they do." Luke 23:34 3. Forgiveness looks at the wounds of the offense as God's way of drawing attention to the offender's needs. When the girl possessed of the devil continually disrupted Paul's meetings, he could have become bitter at her disturbances. Her offenses toward his ministry, however, caused him to become keenly aware of her spiritual needs as a result he healed her. Acts 16:16-18 4. Forgiveness recognizes that bitterness is assuming a right we don't have. Only God has the right to punish. "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." Romans 12:19 A response of bitterness is an instinctive means of revenge toward the one who has offended us. Most of us are prone to use silence toward the offender as a means of punishing that person. (See also Romans 12:17-20) 5. Forgiveness realizes that the offender has already begun receiving the consequences of the offenses. A person's happiness is dependent upon his harmony with God and others. An offense toward us simply indicates that the offender is violating one or more principles and these violations will have a deep effect upon their own happiness and success. If anyone has wronged us, we can be sure that they are insensitive toward others around them and will suffer from conflicts with others as well. The reproofs of conscience, friends, circumstances, etc. are sufficient tools of God to emphasize to offenders. When they recognize the seriousness of the offense, they will not give us the privilege of helping them, if we have not reflected a loving spirit toward them through our attitudes. 6. Forgiveness involves cooperating with God in the offender's life. When someone intentionally offends us, we can be sure that they are going to be fully aware of our responses to them. In this case, we have a significant opportunity to demonstrate the potential forgiveness of God to them. As they see our openness and love toward them, they will be able to comprehend the same openness and love that God has towards them, in spite of their offenses toward God. When someone unintentionally offends us, it indicates that the offender has personal deficiencies, which they may not be aware of. In this case, our continued openness toward them may provide the opportunity to be of personal help to them in the areas revealed by the offense. The reward of meeting the needs will be a spirit of joy in us as we see them sharing with others the same attitudes they saw in us when we properly responded to the offenses. Forgiveness is having a greater concern for a person after they offend you than you did before they offended you. It is using the hurts of others as the basis of demonstrating Christ's love back to them.

"For the power of Man to make himself what he pleases means, as we have seen, the power of some men to make other men what they please." --C.S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man I believe that universal understandings of freedom and truth are "written on the human heart." America's founders also believed this to be true. In 1776, John Dickinson, one of the framers of our Constitution, affirmed: "Our liberties do not come from charters; for these are only the declaration of pre-existing rights. They do not depend on parchments or seals, but come from the King of Kings and the Lord of all the earth." The words of the Declaration of Independence speak of the "Laws of Nature and of Nature's God/Creator," and proceed to make the historic assertion: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness." Today, more than two centuries of the American experiment have passed. We tend to take these words for granted. But for the founding fathers, writing on the brink of armed revolution, these phrases were invested not just with their philosophy but with their lives. This is why they closed with a "firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence." The words of the Declaration of Independence illuminate the founding principles of the American Republic, principles explicitly grounded in unchanging truths about the human person. The principles of the Declaration were not fully reflected in the social or political structures of its own day. Then human slavery and other social injustices stood in tension to the high ideals the Founders articulated. Only after much time and effort have these contradictions been reduced. In a striking way, we see today a heightening of the tension between our nation's founding principles and political reality. We see this in diminishing respect for the inalienable right to life and in the elimination of legal protections for those who are most vulnerable. There can be no genuine justice in our society until the truths on which our nation was founded are more perfectly realized in our culture and in American law. One of those truths is our own essential creatureliness. Virtual reality and genetic science may give us the illusion of power, but we are not gods. We are not our own, or anyone else's, creator. Nor, for our own safety, should we ever seek to be. Even parents, entrusted with a special guardianship over new life, do not "own" their children any more than one adult can own another. And therein lies our only security. Only the Creator is the sovereign source and creator of basic human rights, starting with the right to life. We are daughters and sons of the one God who, outside and above us all, grants us the freedom, dignity, and rights of personhood which no one else can take away. Only in this context, the context of a Creator who authors our human dignity, do words like "truths" and "self-evident" find their ultimate meaning. Without the assumption that a Creator exists who has ordained certain irrevocable truths about the human person, no rights are "unalienable," and nothing about human dignity is axiomatic. This does not make America sectarian. It does, however, underline the crucial role God's sovereignty has played in the architecture of American politics. While the founders were a blend of Enlightenment rationalists and traditional Christians, generations of Jews, Muslims, and other religious groups, as well as non-believers, have all found a home in the United States. This is so because the tolerance of our system is rooted in the Jewish-Christian principle that even those who differ from one another in culture, appearance, and faith still share the same rights. We believe that this principle still possesses the power to enlighten our national will. In the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World (Gaudium et Spes), it praises those women and men who have a vocation to public office. It encourages active citizenship. It also reminds us that, "The political community... exists for the common good: This is its full justification and meaning, and the source of its specific and basic right to exist. The common good embraces all those conditions of social life which enable individuals, families, and organizations to achieve complete and efficacious fulfillment" (74). In pursuing the common good, citizens should "cultivate a generous and loyal spirit of patriotism, but without narrow-mindedness... [they must also] be conscious of their specific and proper role in the political community: They should be a shining example by their sense of responsibility and their dedication to the common good..." (75). As to the role of the Church in this process: ". . . The political community and the Church are autonomous and independent of each other in their own fields. Nevertheless, both are devoted to the personal vocation of man, though under different titles . . . [yet] at all times and in all places, the Church should have the true freedom to teach the faith, to proclaim its teaching about society, to carry out its task among men without hindrance, and to pass moral judgment even in matters relating to politics, whenever the fundamental rights of man or the salvation of souls require it" (76; emphasis added). Pope John Paul II elaborates on this responsibility in his 1988 apostolic exhortation, The Vocation and the Mission of the Lay Faithful in the Church and in the World (Christifideles Laici): "The inviolability of the person, which is a reflection of the absolute inviolability of God, finds its primary and fundamental expression in the inviolability of human life. Above all, the common outcry, which is justly made on behalf of human rights -- for example, the right to health, to home, to work, to family, to culture -- is false and illusory if the right to life, the most basic and fundamental right and the condition of all other personal rights, is not defended with maximum determination... The human being is entitled to such rights in every phase of development, from conception until natural death, whether healthy or sick, whole or handicapped, rich or poor... [Moreover, if,] indeed, everyone has the mission and responsibility of acknowledging the personal dignity of every human being and of defending the right to life, some lay faithful are given title to this task: such as parents, teachers, health workers and the many who hold economic and political power" (38). I believe that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the Gospel of Life. It invites all people and societies to a new life lived abundantly in respect for human dignity. I believe that this Gospel of Life is not only a complement to American political principles, but it is also the cure for the spiritual sickness now infecting our society. As Scripture says, "no house can stand divided against itself." (Luke 11:17) We cannot simultaneously commit ourselves to human rights and progress while eliminating or marginalizing the weakest among us. Nor can we practice the Gospel of Life only as a private piety. American Christians must live it vigorously and publicly, as a matter of national leadership and witness, or we will not live it at all.

How do We Use All Our Energies to Fulfill the Expectation of those who are Counting on Us 1. The American Woodcock - is a migratory bird, who inhabits swamps, wet woods and thickets. It is known as a solitary and secretive species, averaging eleven inches in size. Three to four buff-colored eggs hatch in a shallow nest of twigs and leaves. Within two weeks the hatchlings are able to fly. How does the Woodcock illustrate responsibility in fulfilling expectations? The Woodcock carefully leads her family in search along the surface of the marchland. The ground was too dry for the probing of her bill to find food she needed for her young. The young woodcocks observed an important aspect of responsibility by the example of their mother using all her energies to fulfill the needs of her young. 2. The Pied-Bill Grebe - spends most of its life in the water, the element for which it is ideally suited. An inhabitant of both fresh water and salt water, this fifteen-inch bird has a wingspread of twenty-three inches. The migratory grebe weighs only one pound. How does the Pied-Bill Grebe illustrate responsibility for lasting achievements? Warm winds bent cattails over the nesting grebe and her young. An unnatural darkness covered the southern horizon and rapidly filled the entire sky. Several sandpipers and terns returned to the shore nests in sand and clumps of grass on the island as the rain intensified. In making the nest, the grebe had employed an amazing engineering feat which served as a precaution for just such a time as this. It had designed it to float up and down with the waves. By choosing the location carefully and constructing the nest against the danger of sudden spring storms, the grebe and her young escaped destruction. 3. The Common Crow - Despite the encroachment of civilization upon its natural habitat, the crow not only has survived but has actually increased in number. This omnivorous bird is twenty inches in length. Congregating in large flocks which could reach forty thousand in size, crows inhabit parks, woods and fields, displaying strong group loyalty. Two sentry guards were placed on the topmost branch of a dead tree, guarding the group. How does the Crow illustrate responsibility in performing a task? A distant sound broke the stillness of the afternoon. Indistinct at first, the noise grew in volume until a muffled flapping of wings filled the air. Gleaming, black-feathered crows approached from an adjacent field, soared past a white pine grove and began feeding on remnant corn left behind from the year's harvest. Suddenly, a stranger was spotted by one of the birds on the ground, and a scream of alarm was taken up by one crow after another. Almost as a unit, the entire flock took to wing, but they did not fly away as the intruder had expected. To his amazement they began diving viciously in attach against the two sentries. The unreliable guards were torn to shreds by sharp beaks and claws in a brief but brutal battle. Justice was delivered swiftly for their failure to watch and warn. The flock could not afford to tolerate such irresponsibility, and to ensure that the sentries would never again be in a position to jeopardize their safety, they were swiftly eliminated. 4. The River Otter - The frolicsome river otter inhabits watercourses throughout North America. This three-foot mammal averages thirty pounds in weight and is active at all times of the day and year. The only member of the weasel family with a webbed foot. it spends hours on end in spirited play. How does the Otter illustrate responsibility in making work enjoyable? Talented acrobats, the otters are the most proficient swimmers of the weasel family. It is hard to believe that an animal which enjoys and is so competent in the water would be afraid of it at birth. But such is the case with the young otter pups. To introduce them to this threatening element the parents employ an involved strategy. The parents remain in the same area throughout the summer concentrating on developing the skills of their pups, teaching them by example to fish and hunt for crayfish. By the end of the season, not only will the pups have mastered their aquatic skills, but of even greater importance, they will have learned how to approach a routine task with the carefree abandon that characterizes this fun-loving mammal. So how can we apply these Nature's principles to our daily lives and interactions with others? If you would like to learn more might be looking for a unique leadership/mentoring program. Please check out our website at www.for-the-father.com. We have all types of custom tailored programs for your needs! Just fill out the contact form to receive additional information and stay informed of upcoming events or workshops. Thank you and God bless!

Have you ever had questions about certain relationships? I found this passage in a very old document and I thought I would share it... It is very old wisdom that still applies today! 5 Pleasant speech multiplies friends, and gracious lips, friendly greetings. 6Let those who are friendly to you be many, but one in a thousand your confidant. 7 When you gain friends, gain them through testing, and do not be quick to trust them. 8 For there are friends when it suits them, but they will not be around in time of trouble. 9 Another is a friend who turns into an enemy, and tells of the quarrel to your disgrace. 10 Others are friends, table companions, but they cannot be found in time of affliction. 11 When things go well, they are your other self, and lord it over your servants. 12 If disaster comes upon you, they turn against you and hide themselves. 13 Stay away from your enemies, and be on guard with your friends. 14 Faithful friends are a sturdy shelter; whoever finds one finds a treasure. 15 Faithful friends are beyond price, no amount can balance their worth. 16 Faithful friends are life-saving medicine; those who fear God will find them. 17 Those who fear the Lord enjoy stable friendship, for as they are, so will their neighbors be. Sirach - Chapter 6 verses 5-17

It is one thing to agree to forgive someone after they offend you. It is a different thing to have a spirit of forgiveness toward every offender whom God allows to come into your life. In order to gain this, we must understand the following factors. Realize that God is working Through the Actions of your Offenders As long we think that the one who hurts us is acting independently, we can hardly help growing bitter. But as soon as we realize that God "raised them up" for a specific purpose in our lives, we will be able to gain a forgiving spirit. They may think evil against us, but God means it for good. (Genesis 50:20) "Surely the wrath of man shall praise Thee: the remainder of wrath shalt not restrain." (Psalm 76:10) 2. Thank God for the Benefits He plans through each Offense God's command to give thanks in all things is especially essential at this point. (1 Thessalonians 5:18) We don't have to be thankful in order to thank God. Thanking God is an act of the will. Being thankful is an act of the emotions. When our lives are dedicated to God, He puts a protective wall around us so that nothing can touch us except that which God permits. He permits it for a purpose, and this purpose is for our ultimate joy and reward. It is for this reason we can thank God for each offense. 3. Discern what Character Qualities God wants to Develop in me through the Offense When we wrongly react to an offender, we are revealing various lacks of character which need to be developed such as love, meekness, patience, faith, gentleness, self-control, etc. Even if we respond correctly to an offender, other qualities will have to be strengthened such as joy, peace, godliness, etc. 4. Expect to Suffer for Doing Right as a Normal part of Christian Living Many of us have mistaken the idea that if we are Christians we won't have to suffer, yet the Scripture clearly states, "For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake." (Philippians 1:29) "Yea, and all that will live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." (2 Timothy 3:12) "If we suffer we shall also reign with Him." (2 Timothy 2:12) The great news is when God allows someone to offend us, He is entrusting to us the responsibility of demonstrating Christ's love and presence to Him. Who can stand in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ very long and remain the same person? The purpose of our life's calling: "For this is thankworthy, if a person for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully... for even hereunto were ye called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow in His steps." The Example: "He did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth: who, when He was reviled, reviled not again: when He suffered, He threatened not: but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously: He bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: The Result: "By His stripes you were healed." (1 Peter 2:19, 21-24) The Basis of Removing Unbelief: If a Christian would respond to those whom God has brought into their life as Christ did to those that abused Him, they would see a new response on their part toward the Gospel. An example: One evening a woman made a hurried visit to the home of a family which I was visiting. I had not seen her for quite some time, so I inquired, "How is everything going for you?" Her reply was, Horrible! I'm getting a divorce. I can't stand to live with that man any longer!" I asked her if I could give her a three minute message. She agreed. I asked her if she could visualize the abuse and beatings and rejection and agony which Jesus Christ suffered in His life. She said she could. I emphasized that His response to those who did it to Him was one of love and forgiveness, and by His stripes we were healed according to 1 Peter 2:19-24. I then asked her if she knew that the very next verse was following this section in scripture? She didn't and was startled to hear it - "Likewise, ye wives be in subjection to your own husbands: that if any of them obey not the word, they also may be without the word, be won by the conduct of the wives." (1 Peter 3:1) Six verses later it also states the same applies to husbands. "Likewise, ye husbands …" The energizing power needed to live the entire Christian life is called in Scripture, "The Grace of God." (1 Corinthians 15:10 / Titus 2:11-12, etc.) God gives a certain amount of this grace to every person, but the proud resist the grace they get and lose God's power. how do we get more grace? "God resisteth the proud but giveth grace unto the humble" James 4:6 Thus, when ever we are humbled, we receive at that moment an added measure of God's Grace! We just have to recognize it and accept and apply it to the occasion or situation. I pray that God gives us the understanding to die to Self and commit our lives to living our lives as Jesus Christ did!

All you Coaches out there lets discuss Non-Defensive Communication and the impact you can have on or with your team: 1. Description vs. Evaluation: Use neutral facts that avoid any “loaded” words or judgments. “I feel like my opinion isn’t valued when you don’t ask me what my thoughts are.” (Descriptive) instead of “You don’t care what I think.” (Evaluative) 2. Collaboration vs. Control: Working towards a win-win where everyone’s voice and opinion are as important as the next person’s. “What do you see that’s working and what’s not working?” (Collaborative) instead of “I know you think you’re right but I know best because I’m the coach.” (Control) 3. Straightforwardness vs. Manipulation: Direct, candid, unambiguous, open, and honest communication. “We’re not starting you although you are scoring more this season because when you’re in the game, our team has lost by 25 points in your minutes over the last 5 games.” (Straightforward) instead of “If you just put in extra time before and after practice, that’s what we need to see for you to play more.” (Manipulation) 4, Empathy vs Indifference: Trying to relate to others’ perspectives to understand their perspective and promote a climate of care and respect. “You were late to practice today. Help me understand what went wrong and how I can help you get here on time.” (empathy) instead of “Everyone has issues! If you can’t get here on time, you’re not learning what we are trying to teach you!” (Indifference) 5. Equality vs. Superiority: A sense of fairness, justness, and impartiality to the situation. Everyone has the same chance. “I remember struggling when I was a freshman. It’s going to take some time, but I will help you learn faster.” (Equality) instead of “How many times have I shown you exactly how we’re supposed to do this? Here, let me do it.” (Superiority). 6. Flexibility vs. Certainty: Showing openness to new ideas and flexibility in discussions that lead to innovative solutions and greater buy-in “I wonder if there’s a way we could do this better.” (Flexible) instead of “I’ve done this a million times and it always works. This is the best way to do it.” (Certainty) Conclusion: It's not about volume but about the impact of your voice. We champion leadership that's less about command and more about collaboration. Lead with humility, spark innovation with empathy, and embrace the power of every team member's voice. Let's not just lead; let's inspire a movement of thinkers, doers, and trailblazers. Here's to transforming the way we communicate, one empowering conversation at a time.

How good are you at Active Listening? Studies have shown us throughout history that the best leaders were amazing at Active Listening! The first thing we have to do is to "Know Yourself to Lead Yourself before Leading Others." We have to know ourselves and our tendencies and what are our own personal tendencies and default communication styles or codes. The slide below gives us a visual tool to assist us with understanding ourselves first, before we can ever expect to lead others. And yes, this includes the action of Active Listening. This tool allows us to: Establish a simple, repeatable framework for growth - it also helps teach others how to process leadership issues Define a common standard for self-awareness and how to use it to lead yourself more effectively. Clearly and objectively discuss how issues affect the health and productivity of others. The loop is infinite because it never stops: "We never graduate for the school of self-awareness." Tendencies don't change. We have to be intentional to intercept our tendencies and create healthier Patterns of Actions: that's where you go from "Good to Great." The term "Consequences" can be positive or negative results of Actions. Here is a little test regarding Active Listening: Rate yourself from (1-10 (Best) with 50 being the perfect score). The questions below are about how you actively listen. Taking the time to truly listen? Asking open ended questions to draw out what others are actually saying? Summarizing what you have heard to ensure it is correct? Using body language to communicate interest and attentiveness? Resisting the temptation to jump right in to assume you know what they are trying to say? Next, if you are brave enough, ask someone close to you to use the same questions and rate You. This will provide you insight on the difference between what you want to hear versus what you need to hear. How good am I at active listening? And how good are they at active listening? Key points to Always understand about Active Listening: Perception is always reality. Intention is perceived Communication is the Key to True Leadership If you fail in your attempts, don't lose faith in the process. Just do a Communication reboot, hit the reverse button, apologize, and start over again with a better understanding of your own Communication Code tendencies and how it interacts with others abilities to receive it. If you would like to learn more about what the communication code is, please reach out directly to me through the website and we can discuss further. We must All strive to get to the understanding of this principle: "Seek to Understand before Seeking to be Understood!" Thank you for your time and I hope this helps someone out there. We have changed our website to clarify the services we can provide. These include Leadership & Mentoring programs for ALL ages and backgrounds. Check out our website for other blogs and fill out the form to receive more information or just to stay connected. If you would like more information please request a Free Online Consultation, through the website (www.for-the-father.com). We are here to serve! Sincerely, Aric Deacon Cunningham aka 81 Dragonfly....

There are four basic steps to maturity. Identifying and applying the lessons learned in each category as it relates to the basic principles of life can be a challenge. 4 Steps to Maturity: WISDOM 1. Principles of Life - Underlying all the basic teachings of Christ there are significant principles which are essential for successful living. Related scripture: "... the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." John 6:63 "My son, attend to my words: incline thine ear unto my sayings, For they are life unto those that find them and health to all their flesh." Proverbs 4:20,22 "According as his diving power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through knowledge of Him that hath called us..." II Peter 1:3 CONFILCTS 2. Relationships Affected By Principles - When a principle of life is violated or neglected, breakdowns result in one or more of these basic relationships of life: Response to God Acceptance of Self Family Harmony Purpose for the Future Effectiveness in Friendships Harmony in Dating and Marriage Management of Financial Affairs Related scripture: "The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise." Proverbs 15:31 "He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth reproof erreth." Proverbs 10:17 "For the commandment is a lamp: and the law is the light: and the reproofs of instruction are the way of life." Proverbs 6:23 DECISIONS 3. Steps to Correct Violations - Once a breakdown in a life relationship has been traced to a violation of a principle of life, clear and logical steps of action are required to reconstruct thinking and direction. Related scripture: "Turn you at my reproof: behold I will pour out my spirit unto you. I will make known my words unto you." Proverbs 1:23 "But let a man examine himself...for if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged." I Corinthians 11:28,31 PROJECTS 4. Instruction Based on Correction - Correction may produce an immediate solution, but further guidance of disciple in Scripture is essential to strengthen and reaffirm the importance of the steps which were taken. Related scripture: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." II Timothy 3:16-17 Developing these skills can take time and plenty of repetition & discipline. Along with a good mentoring or leadership program, you will be most successful in achieving the best out of life. We provide all types of mentoring or leadership programs for all ages and backgrounds. Please consider reaching out to us today if you have any questions or are interested in our programs. Thanks! God bless.... Check us out on our website at www.for-the-father.com.

A person's attitude toward themselves has a profound influence on his attitude toward God, family, friends, future, and many other significant areas of life. One of the major areas of conflict in both youth and adults is that if having wrong attitudes about ourselves. These attitudes affect every other relationship in our life. When the most attractive and popular students on a certain campus were asked if they were satisfied with their basic appearance, over 95% relied that they were NOT! These students were aware of their basic sin nature and their need for salvation. They had placed their faith in Jesus Christ and had been reborn by the Holy Spirit. But many were having continued struggles in the matter of dedicating their lives to the will of God. In further discussions with them, it was discovered that they had inwardly reasoned that if what they saw in the mirror was an example of God's love and creativity for them, they couldn't really trust God with their future. How we develop attitudes depends on the right development verses the wrong development in the areas of appearance, abilities, parentage, environment. The right development comes from comparing ourselves with the inward character of Jesus Christ in order to receive God's approval. The wrong development comes from measuring ourselves with the outward standards of those around us to gain their approval. We are told in God's word: "How can you believe, which receive honor of another, and seek not the honor that comes from God only?" John 5:44 "But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. For not he that commandeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commandeth." II Corinthians 10:17-18 "For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that command themselves: but they measuring themselves, and comparing themselves amoung themselves, are not wise." II Corinthians 10:12 God's basic purpose in creating us is that we have fellowship with Him through Jesus Christ, and that we experience the FULL POTENTIAL of Christ working in and through our bodies we were given at birth. "And this life is eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom God has sent." John 17:3 "... I have come they they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10 "... I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord:" Philippians 3:8 Satan is aware of the potential which God has put within our lives, and he desires to totally destroy it or at least partially diminish its potential. Satan's initial method of operation is to get us to believe that God has cheated or will cheat us out of that which we should rightfully have. We are told in scripture the following: "But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and earth... If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel to honor, sanctified, and ready for the master's use... Flee also youthful or worldly lusts." II Timothy 2:20-22 "And the serpent said... God doth know that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." Genesis 3:4-5 "Beware lest any man spoil you... for in HIM dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And you are complete in HIM...." Colossians 2:8-10 Success in Life - Is not measured by what we are or what we have done, but rather by what we are and have done compared to what we could have been and could have done. If you would like to learn more, please register for a free online consultation on my website www.for-the-father.com. We provide all types of mentoring/leaderships programs. Or we can discuss the gospel. We are here to serve. Thanks!

We can learn a lot from the wonderful world of nature regarding character and how it is developed in each and every one of us. We are all a part of the natural world we live in and play a major role in our environment and what we make of it. The great challenge of our day is to grasp the concept of being mighty in spirit and to see how it differs from being directed by intellect. When one is mighty in spirit they have the ability to comprehend both deeper thoughts of God and the hidden motives of man. The practical application of this is illustrated in the lives of such men as John the Baptist who was mighty in spirit and Stephen whose spirit of wisdom, the entire assembly could not resist. The multitudes and the professions came to John to learn practical wisdom and counsel for their lives and their work. In our day, we have unknowingly accepted a standard of education which hinders and destroys the potential of being mighty in spirit and emphasizes the idea that the highest achievement in education is to be guided by intellect. To be mighty in intellect is to judge truth by our mind. To be mighty in spirit, is to judge truth by the combination of God's Spirit (Holy Spirit) bearing witness with our spirit in harmony with the Scripture. In the life of every person, there must come a time when he decides which will be pre-eminent - his mind or God's Spirit (the Holy Spirit with our spirit). One with high levels of intellect or special mental abilities, will find it more difficult to submit his mind to his spirit. Thus Paul observes, in 1 Corinthians 1:26-28: "For brethren, you see your calling, how that not many wise men seek after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called or seek God, But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of this world, to confound the mighty things, And vile things of this world and things which are despised, hath God chosen, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are." To be mighty in Spirit means that we build walls that guard our mind from certain content. This is contrary to the philosophy of those who try to be mighty in intellect. To them all knowledge is God's knowledge. But to the mighty one in spirit, knowledge in the mouth of fools, is as destructive as poison in the mouth of man. He heeds the Scripture which commands, "Go or Leave from the presence of a foolish man when you perceive not in him the lips of knowledge." Proverbs 14:7 So let us All try to make our mind the servant of our spirit rather than make our spirit the servant of our mind. If we do this we can expect the result of Wisdom in practical matters, perception in false or true concepts, discernment in motives rather than Spiritual doubts, intellectual confusion, and ultimately lack the ability to understand the ways of God, resulting in weakness of spirit. If we are to accomplish this higher task in life, we must initiate a program of personal victory in the moral life of each person, because the flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh. For this reason, Peter says, ".....I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly habits (lusts), because they War against the soul." 1 Peter 2:11 ** EVERY PERSON MUST COME TO THE PLACE WHERE HE SUBMITS HIS MIND AS THE SERVANT OF HIS SPIRIT IN ORDER TO BE IN SYNC WITH GOD! If you would like to learn more about our Leadership training or Mentoring programs, please visit our website at www.for-the-father.com. Book a FREE online session today.

There are a number of obstacles that can hinder your growth and leadership development. Most fall into one of two categories - either Inhibitions or Prohibitions. Inhibitions refer to restrictions and obstacles you place on yourself while Prohibitions refer to restrictions and obstacles placed on you by forces outside your control. Too often, we mistake Inhibitions for Prohibitions. In other words, you have power over more things than you think. Distinguishing between the two is important though because you must respond in different ways to overcome them. Inhibitions are false obstacles - overcoming them requires you to shift your mindset, face your fears, and lead yourself more effectively. On the other hand, legitimate Prohibitions will take the form of either barriers, hurdles, or gaps, but they all require you to find someone or something with the tools, influence, position, or specific skills to help you break down and overcome it. So when you come across a challenge, ask: “Who says you can’t?” and if it’s a Prohibition, identify whether it’s a barrier, hurdle, or gap. The answer will inform your next step. There is so much more to life to explore and discover about ourselves. If you would like to learn more about our mentoring programs, please visit our website at www.for-the-father.com and book your Free Online Session today! #nofear #leadership #mentoring