Becoming Connected to the Truth of Who You Are

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It sounds really good that we want to be totally connected - that we increase our spiritual might simply by giving all we have to Spirit. But that is really frightening to a lot of people. They think you have to go to a mountaintop somewhere, or escape into the wilderness in order to be that committed. But nothing could be further from the truth!

The truth is we are always connected, regardless of where we are or what we are doing. We cannot be not connected to Spirit! The issue is that we are not always grounded in that awareness of our connection ~ and that’s when we begin to feel a sense of separation. So to really increase our MIGHT, we must become so totally grounded in our awareness of our oneness with spirit that nothing can throw us off balance. Then it becomes a way of being to live life full out!

A great analogy of this is the ocean and the wave. They are one, and cannot be separated, yet each wave is unique and individual. However, it is still a part of the ocean. You can take a sand bucket and bring some of the ocean water home collect some of the ocean water to take home - and you know that although it is separated, it’s still the ocean. But a wave can no longer do what waves are destined to do, unless it is where it’s destined to be in and of the ocean. Only as a part of the ocean can waves live life full out!

It is the same with us! We are in and of this daily life we have chosen to live. Our job is to allow our Divine nature to unfold as we live our life full out! When we have that solid grounding in our oneness, it becomes a way of life for us to give our all to Spirit.

The challenge remains: How do we do that? There are three ways you may want to try. It is the “3-S Formula for Living Life Full Out!:

SILENCE:

You create a solid grounding in Spirit by spending time in the Silence. The connection gets stronger even if you think nothing is happening.

It’s like going to Weight Watchers! You stick to the eating plan, and each week you go in and get weighed. You may not feel any lighter - but you discover you are a mere half a pound lighter! It is so minuscule you almost deny its value. But a few months of this, and all of a sudden you are able to wear a pair of jeans that were uncomfortably tight, and now, magically, they feel great! You didn’t comprehend what was actually happening, until you performed some kind of action that made it real.

Spending time in the Silence is sort of like that. What you are doing is putting your Intuitive Connection on Alert. You will notice that by spending time in the Silence, you begin getting messages, insights, ideas, strength, wisdom, things you need. By giving time to Spirit, you grow a life of spiritual growth, inner peace, and pure joy.

SERVICE (Through SHARING):

Albert Schweitzer is quoted as saying, “I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.”

It’s interesting that all of us can give. We all have gifts, talents, opportunities to help others. We just need to be aware that there are some things an individual can’t do alone. For example - We’ve read that people are able to hold more weight in one hand than the other. In fact, we bet we can think of something you can hold in your right hand that you cannot hold in your left hand, regardless of how strong you are! Ready? Stretch out your left arm - and bend it. Now, place your left elbow in your right palm. Okay - you are now holding your left elbow in your right hand. Show us how you can hold your left elbow in your left hand!! See - there are certain things we just can’t do on our own!

It’s incredible - whenever you are feeling particularly sorry for yourself, or going through a difficult time, one of the best remedies is to do something for someone else! It transforms your whole attitude!

There are lots of opportunities to serve: community projects; volunteering; visiting people in need or sick; taking food to a family in need. A first grade class in Green Bay WI saved their chore money and bought 22 baby books for a hospital’s newborn intensive care unit. A group of nursing home residents hand sewed quilts, which they donated to a homeless shelter in Ohio.

Giving and receiving is a cycle, and we become a part of that cycle through giving. It need not be money. (A friend of ours observed that it was much easier for her to tithe when she had a little money than when she got a windfall!)

By giving to Spirit through sharing, you claim a permanent spot in the cycle of giving and receiving!

SNACKS!

We know - this sounds weird! But give us a chance to explain! What do you think about with snacks? Feeding yourself, in delightful ways that bring you joy! The snacks we’re including in this formula are low calorie/high Consciousness ones. Snacks like making time to feed yourself spiritually, by taking in books, classes, retreats, labyrinth walks, or group discussions.

The neat part is, just like food snacks, spiritual snacks become addictive. You find that the more you snack, the more you desire! And the more you desire, the more you snack! And the more you snack, the stronger your grounding in Spirit, the stronger your awareness of NO separation! And that changes the way you THINK - the way you ACT - the way you live your life! When you hit life’s little problems - or the BIG ones - they just can’t throw you off center! You are grounded, and able to stand firm in Truth.

This week, make your adventure to live life full out by give your whole self to Spirit! As you strengthen your grounding in Spirit, you’ll increase your spiritual might by practicing Silence sharing and spiritual snacking. We guarantee that your time will reap millions in spiritual currency. Don’t settle for a penny less!

Stop Yourself from Smoking

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Counting the Days and the Ways to Quit Smoking

Smoking is a nasty habit that can be difficult to break. Quitting smoking might seem like the obvious choice, but many people are reluctant to quit because they are aware of the many withdrawal symptoms that go along with quitting smoking. However, what these people do not know about are the many ways to quit smoking. Such a wide assortment of options for kicking the gross habit makes it easier for people to quit smoking once and for all.

Feeling Sick

People are often discouraged from quitting smoking because, regardless of the many ways to quit smoking that exist, the withdrawal can be a very difficult process. Your body becomes physically addicted to the nicotine and cigarettes, and it becomes used to putting things in the mouth. Employing one of the ways to quit smoking eliminates both of these factors, thus causing withdrawal.

People who experience withdrawal might have many different symptoms, including: cigarette cravings, irritability, frustration or anger, tremors, decreased heart rate, fatigue, restlessness, depression, increased appetite, constipation or upset stomach, anxiety or nervousness, difficulty concentrating, headaches, insomnia, and increased coughing. These symptoms can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks after you first find a way to quit smoking.

Taking the Plunge

Though quitting smoking is difficult, it is important that you do so for your on health, and for the health of those around you. Today, there are many different ways you can quit smoking. One of the most common ways is medication of some sort. There are many nicotine and non-nicotine medications available, such as a nicotine patch, nicotine gum, and Varenicline.

If you do not wish to take medication, then there are other ways to quit smoking as well. Hypnosis, acupuncture, behavioral therapy, and nicotine vaccination are all alternatives to using medication in order to quit smoking.

Management Skills One you have found a successful way to quit smoking, then you will still have to manage the cravings that might occur in your daily life. This requires using psychological strategies. For example, remind yourself about why you decided to quit. Another idea is to keep busy, so you do not constantly think about smoking.

Other people find it helpful to brush their teeth or drink water when they experience a craving. The trick is finding the strategy that works best for you. Although quitting smoking is a very difficult task, once you have done it, you will have made a very big accomplishment that you and all of your loved ones can be proud of.

Is it Time for you to Allow Your Heart’s Desires?

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“Allowing,” in relation to the Law of Attraction is a tough thing to describe because it’s a state of being, rather than a state of doing. It’s a process of releasing any effort to control what occurs around you and instead allowing the cosmos to work on your behalf.

Remaining in a state of allowance can be difficult for some people because they are so accustomed to taking action in order to get what they want. Allowing your heart’s desires may seem contrary to this approach, but it’s really just a matter of taking different actions and choosing a positive mind-set.

In the Following you will find some simple steps to help you flow easily into a state of allowing.

Sit in silence.

Meditation is the fastest and easiest way to get into a state of allowance because it places you immediately into the process of watching and being, rather than doing. As you focus on letting go of fear and frustration, you encourage a flood of inner peace and acceptance in to replace them. This mind-set removes obstacles and removes resistance, which leaves only . . . allowance!

Do what you love as often as possible.

Allowing is not just about getting something you want, but rather figuring out how to open up to the natural flow of joy, passion and abundance that is available to you at all times. When you do what you love, you automatically attract a flood of positive energy into your life. Yes, this can definitely help you attract what it is you want, but it also sets you up to attain a lot more than you asked for. Rather than just receiving one thing you wanted, you find yourself in a constant state of surprise and joy as more and more wonderful things come your way.

Think positively.

This should be a no-brainer, since the majority of us are completely aware of the benefits of positive thinking. However, don’t limit your positive thinking in relation to your current goal only! Figure out how to construct a true positive thinking habit, and spread it evenly through your entire life. Think optimistically, speak positively and act positively whenever you can. You’ll be happier, increase the frequency of your energy and stay in a steady state of allowance.

Have unwavering faith.

A lot of us tend to flip-flop between immense faith and crushing doubt. Our faith is sturdy when everything is going fine but as soon as we run into problems, uncertainty knocks us out of kilter. The real test of faith is being able to hold it while in the midst of difficulty! It might not be simple, but remember that having faith is an option. You can opt to trust in and know that everything will be fine, or you can opt to believe it won’t. When difficulties come knocking on your door, select your mind-set wisely.

Detach completely.

Most of us are inclined to regress back to childish behaviors when we want something. We figure if we can just nag the cosmos to death, it will give in and give us what we want. So we continue meditating and praying and imagining. We spend hours mentally pleading for what we want, and fixate on it constantly. This is not allowing - it is clutching and clasping! The cosmos heard your appeal the first time, so there is no need to continue asking. Instead, tell yourself that time may be needed before it will show up, or it’s also possible that you won’t get what you requested - but you might get something much better!

Be open to whatever comes your way, knowing with all of your heart that it will be absolutely perfect in all ways.

Think And Grow Rich. The Top 6 Things You Should Know

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Strategies of Knocking Out Harmful Stress

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Stress and worry many times comes in the form that something in life is changing, or needs to change and hasn?t yet. Sometimes change is so hard to embrace, but sometimes it is the best thing ever. Some changes are definitely negative, but we really have no choice over the matter and must simply learn to adapt.

There are many events, situations and things that cause stress. For many of us it is money worries, work and family life issues that cause us the greatest amount of stress. Health is another topic that can cause stress, especially for people that have chronic conditions, medications to buy and testing that needs to be done. Common symptoms stress has on our bodies?

When you are facing stress whether it is acute (short term) or chronic (long term) stress it affects your overall physical and emotional health. Obviously short term stress is not as dangerous if you deal with the situation causing the stress and handle the stress properly. Chronic stress is another story, at first the symptoms that this stress causes may be very mild, but you may find that you are more susceptible to colds.

The longer the stress goes on though you may begin to experience more health problems such as depression, diabetes, heart disease, hair loss, hyperthyroidism, OCD or anxiety disorders, tooth and gum disease, sexual dysfunction, obesity, ulcers, fatigue and lethargy, difficulty sleeping and possibly death at the most extreme end.

There are a number of things you can do that can help you deal with stress. Part of it is dealing with the situation causing the stress, if you can. If you realize it’s something beyond your control, simply letting go of trying to gain control will be stress relieving. Sometimes it means confronting the situation head on, and sometimes to means to put it on a shelf to deal with soon, but don’t procrastinate too long and that only delays the stress itself.

Quiet time and deep breathing can also help soothe jangled nerves. Perhaps taking a powerful nap would be very restorative. Turn off the cell phone, music, TV, computer and other noise making items. Sometimes we just need quiet.

Sometimes we just need quiet. Quiet time and deep breathing can also help soothe jangled nerves. Perhaps taking a powerful nap would be very restorative. Turn off the cell phone, music, TV, computer and other noise making items, unwind and unplug!

You can also create a gratitude book. Naturally do this when you aren’t stressed and use it when you are. In the gratitude book you are going to write the things in your life that you are thankful for. This can be as simple as the fact you are able to get up and live another day, that you are able to take a breath on your own and so on.

Talk a leisure walk outside, especially if you can find a beautiful quiet area to walk.

Try to eat healthy, organic foods and drink plenty of fresh water. Get rid of the junk foods as they only provide temporary comfort, but longer term leaves you feeling lousy

Talk a leisure walk outside, especially if you can find a beautiful quiet area to walk. Exercise is a wonderful tool. Sometimes a good run or a round of aerobics or something else that will get your heart rate up can really help get the tension out of the body.

Write in a journal, sometimes getting your thoughts and anxieties on paper help diminish the power of those anxieties and worries.

Read a great book and curl up with a cup of chamomile tea.

Write in a journal, sometimes getting your thoughts and anxieties on paper help diminish the power of those anxieties.

Don’t let stress ruin your health or your life. Take action today to help you live a more satisfying and less tension filled life.

Try to stop obsessing the problem over and over and over in your head. Try to turn off that old tape. If at all possible take a vacation, or even just a mini get away if you can, to get a fresh perspective. It could lead to the change that is just what you needed to get over the crisis point.

Back to School At 40+

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Have you considered the possibility of returning to school to acquire a degree or to complete a degree you that you didn’t finish, but disregarded the notion for fear of being too old to return to school?

College is not just for recent high school grads or the twenty-something crowd. College is for anyone interested in higher education, self improvement, personal development, and self empowerment.

Going back to school at 40+ may seem scary at the start, but the truth is, you are never too old to go back to school. Returning to school as a mature adult may require some sacrifices that may stretch you beyond your comfort zone, but it may also prove to be one of the best decisions you’ve ever made in your life.

The world’s oldest college graduate, Nola Ochs, graduated from Fort Hays State University in 2007. She was 95 years old when she graduated with a degree in General Studies!

Another senior citizen named Mozelle Richardson graduated from the University of Oklahoma, at age 90, with a degree in journalism.

If these women mustered the gumption to go back to school, so can you. Don’t be discouraged. Be inspired. Think of all of the possibilities. Weigh the pros and cons.

Going back to school is a chance to:

1. Make more money.

2. Grow professionally.

3. Avoid being passed up for promotions.

4. Career advancement.

5. Come upon new career opportunities.

6. Change Careers.

7. Set an example for children/grandchildren.

8. Personal fulfillment.

9. Personal fulfillment.

10. Set an example for children/grandchildren.

A commitment to continuous learning is essential to living life abundantly. Knowledge is power.

There are numerous programs and scholarships for non traditional students. For instance, mature women 40 and over, may apply for the AARP Foundation Women’s Scholarship Program. For more information visit www.aarpfoundationwlc.org

Going Back to School at Age 40+

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Have you flirted with the idea of returning to school, finishing school, or entering college for the first time, but felt discouraged because of your age? School isn’t just for the young, it is also for the young at heart! Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and go back to school. Education goes a long way these days. If you are interested in growth, development, and empowerment, head back to school. You owe it to yourself and it could mean a major difference in your future.

College is not just for recent high school grads or the twenty-something crowd. College is for anyone interested in higher education, self improvement, personal development, and self empowerment.

A senior citizen named Nola Ochs graduated from Fort Hays State University, at 95, with a degree in General studies. Another senior citizen named Mozelle Richardson graduated from the University of Oklahoma, at age 90, with a degree in journalism.

The world’s oldest college graduate, Nola Ochs, graduated from Fort Hays State University in 2007. She was 95 years old when she graduated with a degree in General Studies!

Mozelle Richardson got a degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma in 2004. She was 90 years old when graduated, making her the second oldest college graduate in the world.

If Nola Ochs and Mozelle Richardson can go back to school and successfully earn degrees, so can you. The only thing standing in your way is you. Instead of thinking about being too old to go back to school, think about the benefits of returning to school. Instead of spending time thinking about how it cannot be done, think about how it can be done.

Going back to school is an opportunity to:

1. Grow professionally.

2. Earn more money.

3. Career advancement.

4. Learn new skills.

5. Grow professionally.

6. Change Careers.

7. Set an example for children/grandchildren.

8. Achieve educational goals.

9. Achieve educational goals.

10. Expand your personal and professional network.

The more you know, the more you grow, education is key to living life abundantly.

There are a lot of programs and scholarships for non traditional students. E.g., mature women 40 and over, may apply for the AARP Foundation Women’s Scholarship Program. For more information visit www.aarpfoundationwlc.org

Are You Taking Action with the Law of Attraction?

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When you start out working with the Law of Attraction more proactively, you may wonder whether you need to take physical action in addition to your mental and emotional exercises. The answer to this will vary according to who you ask.

There are those who claim that no action is needed; just directing the right frequency of thought and emotion toward a desired outcome is enough. Then there are those who believe that action is always required, because action is the medium through which all wants are manifested.

In my experience, it can undoubtedly work both ways. Depending on the circumstances, you might possibly find yourself needing to take certain measures toward your goals.

Here is an uncomplicated process to help you know for sure:

Take care of the intimate work first. Focus on getting your thoughts, emotions, beliefs and expectations into complete alignment with what you want. Don’t worry about “how” it’s going to happen, just focus on exerting the right frequency of energy to attract it. You can do this by meditating, imagining, establishing, and making a vision board, and so on.

Completely let go. Once you are in alignment with your yearnings, turn it over to the cosmos. Don’t fret about whether it will arrive, or put yourself in a panic trying to come up with a plan. Take a step back from it and let it build for a little while. The amount of time is up to you, but I recommend no less than a week or two.

Tune into your sixth-sense. During this release period, turn your attention inward frequently. Tune into your intuition and ask if there is anything you can do to bring this yearning into your life. You may or may not obtain any insights about it. If you do get a hunch or nudge to do something specific, by all means do it. If not, constantly keep on the lookout for any opportunities that might show up later. Don’t try to force or speed the process along, because you’ll probably end up causing more interruptions. These things have a way of arriving at exactly the right time, regardless of how we try to mess it up!

The truth is there is no right way or wrong way to use the Law of Attraction. Interestingly, the way it works often seems to correspond with your beliefs.

If you believe you have to take action to attract your desires, guess what? You probably will. Likewise, if you believe that action is not required, the cosmos will find a way to deliver your desires without any extra exertion on your part.

However, there are instances when you will be prompted to take action even if you originally didn’t believe you’d have to do so. When this occurs, simply follow where your heart takes you. The actions you are urged to take will ALWAYS be in your best interest, and they will usually be quite enjoyable! Discover how to trust your intuition for assistance whenever you want to attract something, and you will be guided on how to get it as fast and easily as possible - whatever that may involve.

Pray and Have Faith

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You pray day and night with deep faith, but God does not seem to hear you. You remain jobless, your friend remains seriously ill and the man of your dreams is nowhere in sight. What should you do?

Waiting in prayer and doing nothing, you believe God will see your faith and take action. God may be teaching the virtue of patience while you ponder God’s silence with a stoic resignation and a belief that the prayers have not been heard.

Perhaps you think that if you pray longer and harder, God will eventually answer your prayer. After all, isn’t that what Jesus was implying in the parable he told about a man who kept knocking at his neighbour’s door in the middle of the night asking for bread, until his neighbour finally got up and gave him the bread just to make him go away (Luke 11: 5-8)? What about the parable that Jesus told about the widow who kept coming back to an unjust judge begging for justice until she wore him out that he finally relented and granted her justice (Luke 18: 2-5)?

On the surface, it seems that you have to literally nag God and He will eventually answer and grant your heart’s desire. Pray persistently and you will get what you want. But is this really what Jesus was saying? Will God give you what you asked for just to get rid of you so that He could attend to the countless others who demand His attention?

Surely, you know God is not like that. Just remember Jesus who personifies the character of God in the flesh. The Bible shows various accounts of Him always ready to help the needy, hearing their cries and showing compassion. The truth is God always hears and answers prayers. At times, He immediately responds to a prayer with a resounding ‘Yes’ but there are also times when He responds differently in spite of persistent praying.

Have no doubt. God wants you to pray persistently. Why? The life of the apostle Paul is an example of faith. Paul was believed to have “a thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7). There is no description but readers believe the “thorn” was a chronic and debilitating problem that kept him from doing his work. Paul prayed many times asking for God to take the ‘thorn’ away and waited in patience for an answer. But God didn’t take the “thorn” away.

Yet, Paul got something better. Because he persistently prayed, he heard God’s voice and found out God’s will. He heard God say to him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”(2 Corinthians: 9) Further, Paul realized that his ‘thorn in the flesh’ kept him from being conceited. He had such wonderful spiritual experiences and preaching prowess that it would have been hard not to brag about them. His ‘thorn’ kept him humble, however. He was always aware of his weakness and knew that whatever he achieved was God’s doing, not his.

Returning to God in prayer keeps the lines of communication open. It allows God the opportunity to communicate with you. The silence of prayer provides the opportunity for you to hear God speak. Many times it is after praying that the words no longer come. This is the time, when you stop talking, that you will hear God in the silence.

Persistent prayer provides God the opportunity to give you the solutions you’re looking for. You may have your own idea of what the solution should be, which guides you as you continue to pray. However, what you think as the solution may not be God’s. There are times when God bends your will and allows the broken spirit to shine. It is in prayer that you realize that letting go is the answer that lets God work miracles in your life. God will reshape your desires and show the right resolution.

Hence, pray persistently not because you think that by doing so you will eventually get what you want, but because by doing so you are keeping your communication lines with God active which is what He wants. Don’t lose heart. Keep on praying. Otherwise, you will miss out on a great opportunity, that is, allowing God to work through you, in you and with you.

Pray for the right reasons and experience His presence, experience His goodness, experience His mercy and experience His power in your life!

Praying with Persistence

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You pray day and night with deep faith, but God does not seem to hear you. You remain jobless, your friend remains seriously ill and the man of your dreams is nowhere in sight. What should you do?

You may think you should do nothing because if you continue praying, God may think you lack faith. Or you may think that God is teaching you the virtue of patience so you should just accept His silence with stoic resignation.

Continuing to pray longer and harder, you hope (not trust) that God will eventually answer those prayers. Jesus implied persistence in the parable of the man who kept knocking on his neighbor’s door in the middle of the night asking for bread, until the neighbor got up and gave him the bread to make him go away (Luke 11: 5-8). His persistent action produced the desired response. In the parable about the widow, she kept returning to an unjust judge begging for justice. She wore away at him until he relented and granted justice (Luke 18: 2-5).

On the surface, it seems that you have to literally nag God and He will eventually answer and grant your heart’s desire. Pray persistently and you will get what you want. But is this really what Jesus was saying? Will God give you what you asked for just to get rid of you so that He could attend to the countless others who demand His attention?

You know God is all loving. Jesus personifies the character of God in the flesh. The Bible shows various accounts of Him being prepared to help the needy and showing compassion towards them. God always hears and answers prayers. The immediate response to a prayer may be a resounding ‘Yes.’ At other times you receive a negative response despite persistent prayer and the patience you believe you exhibit as the wait continues.

Still, have no doubt that God wants you to pray persistently. Why? Let’s look at the life of the apostle Paul. He had what he referred to as “a thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7). He didn’t say what it was but it must have been a chronic and debilitating problem which at times kept him from doing his work. He prayed more than once for God to take this ‘thorn’ away. But did he get what he prayed for? No!

Paul got something better. Paul prayed persistently with faith and heard God’s voice. Paul learned God’s will in his life. God told him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”(2 Corinthians: 9) Paul realized that his ‘thorn in the flesh’ prevented him from being conceited. Paul had many wonderful spiritual experiences and developed great preaching prowess and it was difficult not to brag. The ‘thorn’ kept him humble. Paul was aware of his weaknesses and knew that his achievements were gifts from God and not of his own making.

Returning to God in prayer keeps the lines of communication open. It allows God the opportunity to communicate with you. The silence of prayer provides the opportunity for you to hear God speak. Many times it is after praying that the words no longer come. This is the time, when you stop talking, that you will hear God in the silence.

Persistent prayer affords God the opportunity to give you the solutions you seek through the silence. You may have your own idea of what the solution should be, which guides you as you continue to pray. Your solution may not be God’s answer to the problem at hand. There are times when God bends your will and allows the broken spirit to step forward. It is in times of prayer that you soon realize that letting go is the answer that lets God work miracles in your life. God will reshape your desires and show the sensible resolution.

Hence, pray persistently not because you think that by doing so you will eventually get what you want, but because by doing so you are keeping your communication lines with God active which is what He wants. Don’t lose heart. Keep on praying. Otherwise, you will miss out on a great opportunity, that is, allowing God to work through you, in you and with you.

Pray for the right reasons and experience His presence, experience His goodness, experience His mercy and experience His power in your life!