Well you can once again mark me down as a participant of National Novel Writing Month, which is affectionatly known as NaNoWriMo. This will be my 12th year participating in this literary challenge. I took this on as a personal goal back in 2005 and failed miserably. Finally in 2009 I crested the 50000 word mark to get my first winner certificate. Since then I have continued to play this game. This year will be no different. Here is an info graphic showing some stats from my 11 years of craziness.

So today I am playing house husband and loving every minute of it. I have no problem when sitter challenges result in a day off from work. When I was younger than I am now I wanted to be a house husband. So while I was watching Zoelle, the one in the glasses in the Taking Pictures post, She started singing Peanut Butter Jelly Time. It was hilarious. Any way I hope that you are progressing on your challenges? Whether you are hitting the mark everyday (not me) or something less than (Me Me Me) the attempt is what is important. You are building habits that will help you attack other issues in your life. I used to drive my wife crazy with this quote,

"How you do anything is how you do anything."This worked similiarly to the quote she uses all the time, "Narrow is the way..."You have to set boundaries and then plan your life within them. I know that we spent all of our growing up years trying to push and even breaking through the boundaries that those around us imposed. It is very counter to our "do whatever" culture. However setting up a framework in your life is what keeps it from being overrun by all the stuff that comes your way. I hope that this challenge is allowing you to see the cracks in the walls and provide you with some ways to patch them up. So here are my items for today.

Plan Parties
This is an easy one. I am planning to have a small get together for everyone who has taken a shot at this 30 Day Trial Challenge. I would like to have it on Saturday August 15th. I will continue planning the details today and will let everyone know once I are done. Trule-Blsd, your help would be great. ;)
Show Affection
This is also another easy one today. When you have two adorable little girls at home there is plenty of affection. Hugs, kisses, laughs and "I love you daddy"'s. I love it. Hopefully this will continue once Mommy comes home. =)

Know Happiness
Knowing God's love, having my family around me, and having a been given a purpose for my days I have so much happiness. I wish there was a way to better articulate it but with them I have the "Now"
Write Something
There once was a guy who couldn't figure out how to meet a goal of writing something. He looked around, up and down, left and right until the time came for him to move onto the next thing. Before he knew it, it was there right in front of him. So these words are for all of you to validate that this man lived and wrote in order to fulfill today's task. The. End.

No exercise yet but planning to go outside with my girls so there will be adventure, and chasing. ;)

No debit card use. Good thing about not having the temptation in front of me.

So where are you?

Go Go Go

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God; children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. – John 1:12-13God is clear. Those that have received Him through His Son Jesus have the right to be His children. Once this has been achieved than you can truly accept what He says about you. If you are unsure about your relationship with God; now is the time to clear the air. Ask God to forgive you of your sins and ask Jesus to come into your life. If you honestly prayed that simple prayer, than I welcome you into the family.

I found this wonderful resource over at Freedom in Christ Ministries. It is entitled Who I Am. It is a powerful collection of declarations. The main things that God wants you to know about yourself is:

I am accepted...

You are God's Child. That means that you have a family and a place to feel connected. Even better that connection can never be lost. If you've ever gone to a wedding you've heard it said, "God hath joined together, let not man put asunder". As a married man I understand what that statement means. God bound my wife and I together and no man can remove that link. If God gives that much thought to connecting a husband and a wife. Do you think He left a loophole to remove His relationship with you? There is no disconnection once you are in this family. Even if you run in the opposite direction God will welcome you back. And this is true security.

I am secure...

Once you know that you have been accepted by God you can find security in that relationship. No more condemnation. No more anxiety. No more worry. As long as you remember that the God who created the heavens and the earth has got it all covered. You line yourself up with God and He will help you. Take a look at this

Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. -Romans 8:28(MSG)I am significant...

Do you realize your significance? Do you know that God looked out over time and saw you? That he saw you and said this one is mine. That He sent His son to die for you? That sacrifice should be enough to convince you of your significance. God loves you and wants you. He desires a relationship with you. So even if you life has been crazy and no one has ever valued you. just know that there is a God who values you. You are His child and He has given you the title prince and princess. He has crowned you High Priest and Priestess.

My Prayer for you Today...Father I stand here today confident in your word. I am confident that you have called your children aside. That you have set us apart for your God works. We are accepted into your family regardless of our pasts. You are neither concerned with the mistakes that we have made nor the mistakes that we will make. All you ask is that everyday we work at lining ourselves up with you.We are secure in our relationship with you. Since you created our connection nothing can separate us. Even when we walk away from you, you are there to welcome us back. We thank you for being a true parent to us. Loving us unconditionally but setting boundaries that we can operate within. You correct us when we need it but always in Love.Finally Father we are thankful that you have given us worth. We are significant in your sight and that make us valuable on an eternal scale. Unlike the markets of this world that shift minute by minute our worth to you never loves value. When Jesus looked out over time before going to the cross he looked straight at us and gave His life. Thank you God for filling the empty places in our life. You truly love us and we want to declare our love for you today.In Jesus NameAmen.-God's Man

God spoke: "Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature so they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, And, yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth." God created human beings; he created them godlike, Reflecting God's nature. He created them male and female. God blessed them: "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge! Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth." -Genesis 1:28 (Msg)God did three very important things in this passage. First he gave you your identity, than he gave you a purpose and lastly he blessed you.In God’s Image?

What does it mean to be made in God’s image? I think that this is something that we all struggle with from time to time. It is hard to believe that we could in any way be made in God’s image but you are. Don’t let your self-doubts keep you from understanding what God did when He created us. We are made in His image not just in style but also in substance. When God made us He imparted into each and every one of us His essence and Power. That means that we have the power to Create as well as destroy.
How Do I Access This Power?

In a word, “Speak”. Since you have God’s essence than you would access His power the same way that He does… through his Word. If you go back a little further in Genesis God created with His Word.

And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness.So when you need to access this power all you have to do is open your mouth. We have not because we ask not.Open Your Mouth,

God’s Man

The Choice

When I looked at the title of Chapter 1 of Beyond Positive Thinking : "Positive Thinking - Negative Thinking - Right Thinking"
The first thing that came to my mind was this passage from Genesis:

"Then God planted a garden in Eden, in the east. He put the Man he had just made in it. God made all kinds of trees grow from the ground, trees beautiful to look at and good to eat. The Tree-of-Life was in the middle of the garden, also the Tree-of-Knowledge-of-Good-and-Evil." -Genesis 2:8-9(MSG) There we have it. Choices. It always comes down to choices. Adam was given a choice Knowledge or Life. The choice is not explicit. God never says, "Adam you can either eat from the Tree of Life or the Tree of Knowledge." The choice is implicit in that God never forbids Adam from the Tree of life. Adam fails in his test and we know how the story goes. He loses Paradise and tragically his relationship with God is forever tarnished.

God gives us the same choice. If you were to look at your life can you see how God has planted us in a place where there are things that can build up and tear down. Then He gives us the choice of which we will participate in. Will we embrace life or cling to death.
Which Do You Choose?

Here are three choices that the book discusses

1. Positive Thinking
2. Negative Thinking
3. Right Thinking Positive/Negative Thinking

The first and second choices can be combined while they are oposites of each other in the end they are the same. It was not just the evil that condemed Adam. It was the knowledge of Good and Evil that got Adam removed from God's presence. So when someone tells you that thinking positive is the answer let them know that Positive thinking will only get you so far.
The Right Choice

Truth is more powerful than all knowledge. You can have all the facts, all the figures, a panel of experts and still be wrong. Knowledge is never enough. There will always be someone smarter than you. Someone can always be better at research but when you cling to truth you will always win. So what is Right Thinking? Right thinking is focusing on God. Put Him first. Think about Him often. Go to Him early. The bible says in Proverbs:

"Skilled living gets its start in the Fear-of-God, insight into life from knowing a Holy God." -Provers 9:10Fear of the Lord?

I used to have a hard time with the term, fear of the Lord. I'm a guy and the idea of fearing anything(other than spiders) seemed ludicrous to me. Especially because of my thoughts about God at that time. God, in my mind, was what my Pastor called, The celestial santa claus. He existed to make my life easy. I was His fair-weather friend. When things were good I talked about Him but when I was frustrated or angry, he was the furthest from my mind.

It wasn't until He hit me on the head(revelation) did I "get it". When you hear "Fear of the Lord" it means a true awknoledgement of who He is. When you really understand who He is it fills you with an awe that makes you tremble. I mean if you met you hero, I mean true hero, someone you idolize, wouldn't it make you shake. When I understood who God is: The one who created the heavens and the earth... The one who fashioned every aspect of the universe, set everything in motion I was blown away.
And He wanted to have a relationship with me!

Right Thinking

So what are you thinking? What is going through your mind? Speak the Truth because it will set you free. Let God be ever-present in your thoughts and you will only think speak and act in a way the gives life.

-God's Man

Create a series of blog posts using the chapter titles from your favorite books.

I have decided to use one of my favorite self-help books, Beyond Positive Thinking: A No-Nonsense Formula for Getting the Results You Want by Dr. Robert Anthony.

Here is the Chapter Breakdown for the book along with where I will be coming from scripturally:

1. Positive Thinking – Negative Thinking – Right Thinking (added 10-12-07)
   

2. Genesis 2:92. The Truth About You (added 10-26-07)
   

3. Genesis 1:283. What Are You Telling Yourself?

4. John 1:12

5. Who Am I

6. 2 Corinthians 3:17-184. Believing is Seeing

7. Hebrews 115. Write Your Own Script

8. Habakkuk 2:26. Program You Mind For The Best

9. Proverbs 18:20-217. Techniques for Imprinting

10. Philippians 4:8-92. 1 Corinthians 9:24-278. Achieving Your Financial Desires

1.9. Five Words that Create Results

1. Philippians 4:610. Who or What is Stopping You?

2. 1 Peter 5:7-92. Romans 7:18-2011. Give Up Hope and Take Action

3. 2 Timothy 4:5-8

4. The Quote12. The Greatest Obstacle to Happiness and How to Overcome It