I am going to ask you a few questions so that you can simply ask yourself where you stand within your heart and mind, to know whether you are being in service or in servitude.

It is not a simple process because before one can cross, unknown dangers may have to be faced and terrifying battles fought. This is what Jacob discovered. To cross over into Canaan was not just a matter of crossing a stream, because in the darkness a strange and mysterious presence arises. Ancient tales had it that rivers had spirits which had to be defeated before the river could be crossed.

Ancient Indian saints and sages realised the divine truth and composed Upanishads which are considered as the fountainhead of spiritualism for the whole mankind. Upanishads proclaim that God resides in all living beings. Since the essence of a being is its soul(atman), God is not different from soul.

Paul and Silas were escorted to the lowered dungeon, uncomfortable, in chains, mistreated, hurting and still probably bleeding from the beatings. One would expect them to be belligerent, angry, complaining but instead we find them singing and rejoicing. At midnight when it would seem they would have been trying to rest and soothe themselves, they prayed and sang praises to God.

So it was with John the Baptist, the martyr Stephen, the apostle Paul, John Kennedy, John Kennedy Jr. They have all joined with countless others, the gallant march with God’s greats who went to their glory with their work undone, their business unfinished, their dreams unfulfilled, and their lives incomplete.

Controlling What YOU Hear By Watching What YOU Say: If you’re going to listen to anyone you’re going to hear yourself. It does not matter what anyone in the world says about you, it means nothing until you allow it to get into your spirit and you begin to say what is being said to you.

At times when we think honestly, if we stop deceiving ourselves, we are forced to admit that life per se can become an unmitigated horror. Not only are we threatened by wars, financial shifts and joblessness, the calamities of nature and narcissistic manipulators, the very earth itself treats us with supreme indifference. The beautiful and productive world we inhabit slowly but surely converts every plant that sprouts a stalk and each creature that draws a breath into fertilizer to feed yet another doomed generation.

The universe is much more than the ego can contain but the ego does try to limit what it does not comprehend.

Failing at something and getting back up is much less painful than to look back and regret not doing something (or doing something) and not being able to go back and change the outcome.

In human terms the loneliest feeling that one can experience is to believe that no one knows you are alive and the most hurtful thing is to be ignored. Although the creator cannot be hurt in any fashion, the only desire that he/she has is to experience itself, to be recognized and acknowledged.

Why do bad things happen to good people? Surely this is a question all of us ask from time to time. Some of Jesus’ listeners asked Him the same question.

This article is an introduction to the meaning and message of the Gospel of Matthew.

In order to start living the life of your dreams, there are a few things you have to do first. One of the most important things you must do is become enlightened. What does that mean? Well, read on...

The command to live by faith can be kind of scary. It's like going into a black hole. How can you navigate blind? It is not talking about going without our physical senses. Depending on only what you can see has limitations. Jesus told Peter to launch out into the deep. To catch the big fish and the sought after positions you have to get beyond shallow water. The righteous must live by faith.

How are you going to DRIVE-HOME GOD's PURPOSE IN YOUR LIFE? Get more active at church? ... or at work? ... Start a church? ... or a ministry? CHURCH ACTIVITY There are books on how to find GOD's pu...

In an exercise program, the muscle groups you concentrate on are the ones that improve. In a garden you can tell what is negelcted and what is lovingly sprayed, weeded, and enriched. Our spiritual lives are no different. Here are four ways to measure spiritual growth. Can you tell you are making progress?

As Christian’s we are often very independent. We try to do everything and often feel we do everything. Are there times when you are frustrated, tired, irritable, and have no energy? I am not selling you a vitamin supplement, so don’t worry. I have recently realized this past week how little I turn things over to the ultimate Power Source - God. Lord, I cannot do this in my own strength. If the children argue one more time - I will scream. God, help me to know what to say without screaming. Lord, what is your agenda for me today - you know I all ready have one figured out.  Do we see the many requests of our children as divine interruptions or just another thing to do on our list?

Stress can affect professionals of all ages, in all business sectors, and, because of the additional pressures and workload, it can also be a threat to those who are studying by distance learning.

Taking time out to recharge your batteries is just what you need. So, what's stopping you? Leave your chores behind, just for a little while, and give yourself permission to take a much needed time-out. Here are just a few of my favorite Stress-Busters!

Do your friends always come to you wanting advice? Do you take over when others are incompetent? Are you doing more of your fair share at work or at home? There are four dysfunctional patterns on the Karpman Drama Triangle and the rescue role is the one with which most women identify. Leaving the rescue role is difficult but your life is worth it.

Self Management at work has not evolved much past the 1920's. Techniques of stress management and business management are antiquated and irrelevant. Times change, technology changes, demands are up, so we must evolve our way of dealing with it. Most self management is taught by corporate drop outs, people who couldn't hack the pace, but we need better than that, instead of trying to reduce the inspiration at work, we need to bring our self management tools up to speed with reality. There is no excuse for stress, burn-out and bringing exhaustion home. This article explains how and why it all must change.

For many of us, fear of public speaking is an everyday reality. Striking up a conversation with a stranger often goes quite well, but having to speak during a meeting is far more difficult. Even the thought of a round of introductions breaks many people into a sweat, and if they have to give a speech, many of them contemplate driving their car into a tree.

Anger eats up proper thinking, Ego eats up the mind, Worry eats up age, Bribe eats up justice, Greed eats up conscience. How are we to tame our raw emotions of life? Our attitude towards those 5 negatives will lead to unseen stress which is a silent killer of the 21st Century. What has anger, hate and sorrow to do with our health?

You are reading this here and NOW for a reason. You need some space, a moment to call your own. I'm writing this to let you know you have found it: a moment all to yourself, a moment to take a nice, deep breath in, and release all the tension that has been building within you.

The fact that we can refer to stress as being a force for both good and bad is often confusing and this article gives a simple example of just how stress can work to our advantage and disadvantage.