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He Will Never Leave You Nor Forsake You

Rev. Dr. I. David Byrd. May 2019

 

Recognizing He’s With You

In the book, “Where Is God When I Hurt?” Wilson Adams tells the story of an older couple driving along when the wife spots a newly married couple in the vehicle ahead. She exclaims, “Look at them, Harold! Would you just look at them?” She continues, “She’s all scrunched up next to him with her head on his shoulder…” She sighs, “Harold, do you remember when we used to do that? I would sit next to you with my head on your shoulder…” She sighs again. “Look at us, Harold. Just look at us! You’re way over there under the steering wheel and I’m way over here next to the door. What happened to us, Harold?” She sighs even more. Harold was a man of few words. Ten miles later, he cleared his throat and said, “I never moved.” The same is true in our relationship with the savior. God is as near to us as He has always been. It is us that from time to time lose faith and move away from Him. He has promised to never leave us but like the father in Mark 9:24 we cry out “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.” In other words, we never reach self-sufficiency. Growing in faith is a constant daily renewing of our trust in Him. 

To forsake another person is to leave them entirely, usually in a moment of need. I’m glad our savior has promised to never leave us or forsake us. Over 100 times in the Bible we are told God will never leave us nor forsake us. To repeat it so many times and in so many different ways, He must have known we would struggle with this concept. Scholars call it parallelism, which means to restate something several different ways for emphasis. We assume if we struggle, He must not be with us. When we narrow our focus so all we can see are the challenges along the way and the things that are going wrong, it will keep us from understanding that God is compassionate, loving and faithful to bring forth His promises to us. The lyricist says, “He is moving in your life even when you can’t see it. Maybe you just haven’t seen it yet”.

 

Trusting He’s With You

The Book of Acts teaches that He sent a comforter to be with us, to encourage us when we’re weak, to guide us and to help us see right from wrong. In this, we can be confident. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble.”(Psalms 46:1)

I am reminded of an invitation to golf at a swank Country Club in Boca. As I was parking, the car a caddie came to the car and introduced himself as Josh. Josh took my clubs and directed me to the locker room to change. After changing my shoes and a little stretching, I headed to the driving range. Josh was waiting for me there with my clubs set up. As I worked my clubs from wedges to the driver, Josh watched closely, sometimes asking me how I thought I hit a certain club and then making notes on a card. When it was time to go to the first tee Josh told me to enjoy myself he would be carrying my clubs. Now, this is important because, on the regular courses where I golf, folks carry their own clubs or put them on an electric cart. We make decisions based on our own beliefs, thoughts, and desires. We don’t have someone guiding us. In other words, the caddie knew the course and he had an understanding of my strengths and weaknesses. He knew how far I could hit various clubs. He knew the blind spots on the course and he knew how to read the greens and advise me. When I arrived at the first tee, Josh was there waiting for me. From my car to the first tee, he was developing a relationship with me. All I had to do was to make the decision to trust Josh with my total game.

On a par 5, I had hit a beautiful drive down the middle of the fairway. I asked for my 3-wood for the next shot over the water. Josh said, “You can’t get over, there’s wind down there. Lay up with your 5 iron”. I was going to show him, I was feeling good and swinging well. I could handle the challenge before me. I appreciated his advice but he didn’t really know me. I struck the 3-wood perfectly; the ball starting out low and rose like a plane takes off. As I posed in my finish position waiting for the ball to land in the fairway on the other side of the water – splash! The wind had held it up just as Josh had explained. He winked at me and told me not to worry; he would still guide me for the rest of the round. See Josh knew the dangers in front of me and he knew my swing. After that, I listened to Josh’s instructions for the rest of the round and played one of my best rounds of the year. I was able to accomplish this because Josh was carrying my heavy bag, giving me instructions, warning me of upcoming danger, advising me of my best option given my skill level and the situation. However, I had the free will to follow his lead or not.

It is the same in your relationship with the Holy Spirit. The Father has sent the Holy Spirit who is standing on the tee box waiting for you to accept Him as your life caddie. Before each shot or decision, talk it over and strategize with Him. Just like golf, life is better when we don’t play it alone. Jesus unconditionally loves you and wants to guide you around the course of life. He has provided us a yardage book, the Bible, which identifies the pitfalls of our course. It instructs us on how to prepare and how to identify for the challenges of life.

Unlike the caddie, Jesus can forgive your bad shots and wipe them off your scorecard. He wants you to reach out to Him in good times and in bad times. In the words of Ken Blanchard, “ you have a chance to have the ultimate Mulligan in your life. Someone who will forgive you for your bad shots, someone who will forgive you for your transgressions, and someone who will stand beside you and never leave you”. He promised in Matthew 28:20, “ . . . and be sure of this: I am with you always, even until the end of the age”. Always literally means all day. The Holy Spirit will never leave you. He has set you on a journey. He has a plan for your destiny. Yet, you have the free will to follow his lead or not.

Last month we celebrated His power over death. This month we celebrate His power in our lives. Now that you understand His presence in your life, you can join Smokie Norful in praising Him for never leaving you nor forsaking you:

 

 

 My prayer for each of you is that you will make the pivotal choice to tee it up with God and seek to play His course. That you will embrace the plan God has for your life. He will never leave you nor forsake you.

 

 

Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank you for dying on the cross for our sins; yet, we thank you even more for defeating death. Help us to always remember that you are always with us. You sent the Holy Spirit to comfort and guide us. Very much is promised to our believing. The enemy desires to deceive or destroy our belief. However, your Word teaches us that faith and belief prove to the mind, the reality of things that cannot be seen by the eye. Help us to always consult you before our every decision. You are a good God, and you only have what’s best for us.

 

In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

 

 Thank you for allowing me to speak into your life. Hey, spend a few moments of quiet time discovering your application of what you just read by clicking this link  myTime with God

 

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God Has Promised To Answer Your Prayers

 

Rev. Dr. I. David Byrd. March 2019

One Minute Summary

“True prayer is not the noisy sound that clamorous lips repeat, but the deep silence of a soul that clasps Jehovah’s feet.” God’s promises are a gift to us paid for in full on the cross by Jesus Christ. Although His promises have been paid for, we still have to talk to Him in prayer. Seeking solitude was an important priority for Jesus. He made room in his busy schedule to be alone with the Father. Spending time with God in prayer nurtures a vital relationship with Him and equips us to meet life’s challenges and struggles. You are coming to your heavenly Father who knows you better than anyone else. Come to Him in intimacy not with your hand out. Don’t allow yourself to try and back Jesus into a corner by saying “you promised”. He has a plan for your life and when it’s time and your request aligns with His will, you will receive what you ask. God will pick up the slack when you choose to worship Him instead of chasing stuff. Not asking for the quick fix to make us feel better, but that His will be done.

March Devotion

Pursuing Critical Conversations with God

Why is it that our prayers only become urgent, fervent, passionate, desperate, and unceasing in the midst of great pain or situation. Is it because a lot of us still don’t understand who Jesus is? If we did, we would be talking to Him a lot more regularly. We may have found ourselves in situations so desperate that we have uttered almost a primal cry to God for help or relief. Then again, we may be people who live by prayer, having plumbed the depths of relationship with God, through the communion of prayer. Jesus told the disciples,

 

“If anyone does not get his life from Me, he is cut off like a branch and dries up. Such branches are gathered and thrown into the fire and they are burned. 7 If you get your life from Me and My Words live in you, ask whatever you want. It will be done for you”.                                              John 15:6-7 NLV

 

What does it mean when Jesus says, “If you get your life from me”? Christian theology teaches the doctrine of prevenient grace, which, briefly stated, means that before a man can seek God, God must first have sought the man. Before a sinful man can think a right thought of God, there must have been a work of enlightenment done within him. Imperfect it may be, but a true work nonetheless, and the secret cause of all desiring and seeking and praying that may follow.

“We pursue God because, and only because, He has first put an urge within us that spurs us to the pursuit. “No man can come to me,” said our Lord, “except the Father which hath sent me draw him”(John 6:44), and it is by this prevenient drawing that God takes from us every vestige of credit for the act of coming. The impulse to pursue God originates with God, but the outworking of that impulse is our following hard after Him. All the time we are pursuing Him we are already in His hand: “Thy right hand upholdeth me.” (Psalms 18:35) Come near to the holy men and women of the past and you will soon feel the heat of their desire after God. They mourned for Him, they prayed and wrestled and sought for Him day and night, in season and out, and when they had found Him the finding was all the sweeter for the long seeking. Moses used the fact that he knew God as an argument for knowing Him better. “Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight”(Exodus 33:13); and from there he rose to make the daring request, “I beseech thee, shew me thy glory” (33:18). God was frankly pleased by this display of ardor, and the next day called Moses into the mount, and there in solemn procession made all His glory pass before him. Davids life was a torrent of spiritual desire, and his psalms ring with the cry of the seeker and the glad shout of the finder. Paul confessed the mainspring of his life to be his burning desire after Christ. “That I may know him” (Philippians 3:10), was the goal of his heart, and to this, he sacrificed everything. “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ” (3:8).”[1]

These three Heroes of Faith, who you read about last month in your study of Hebrews 11, followed hard after God letting the Lord alone be the object of their prayer. Theologian Charles Spurgeon said, “Prayer when rightly performed, all the faculties of the spiritual man are called into devotional action. Reverently hearing the word exercises our humility, instructs our faith, irradiates us with joy, inflames us with love, inspires us with zeal, and lifts us up towards heaven”.[2] So let the Lord alone be the object of your prayer

Spurgeon further taught, “Prayer is the tool of the great potter by which he molds the vessel. All our libraries and studies are mere emptiness compared with our [prayer] closets. We grow, we wax mighty, we prevail in private-prayer. Your prayers will be your ablest assistants while your discourses are yet upon the anvil. How wonderfully were the books opened to Daniel when he was in supplication! How much Peter learned upon the housetop! The closet is the best study. The commentators are good instructors, but the Author himself is far better, and prayer makes a direct appeal to him and enlists him in our cause. Waiting upon God often turns darkness into light. Persevering inquiry at the sacred oracle uplifts the veil and gives the grace to look into the deep things of God. How much of blessing we may have missed through remissness in supplication we can scarcely guess, and none of us can know how poor we are in comparison with what we might have been if we had lived habitually nearer to God in prayer. Vain regrets and surmises are useless, but an earnest determination to amend will be far more useful. We not only ought to pray more, but we must.”

The Protocol of Connecting To God

From the perspective of God’s prophetic plan for history, we can see that God always fulfills His promises for His people. It may not be in our time or in our way, but God always keeps His promises. This should encourage us to pray. You may wonder, “Why pray if God has promised to do it? Won’t it happen anyway?” God’s purposes will happen, but prayer is the protocol of connecting with the spirit of God. Prayer is how you birth your promise.

Those in whom the Holy Spirit dwells will realize his promises. It’s the same spirit that dwelled in the disciples; the same Holy Spirit that dwelled within the Heroes of Faith. Hebrews 11 should have helped you understand that faith was revealed because they believed, conceived, and then received. The disciples understood the power and purpose of prayer. That it would be how they would communicate with Jesus after he ascended into heaven. So they asked him “Lord teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). Let’s stroll through the Lord’s Prayer, unpacking the structure, meaning, language, and today’s cultural relevance.

He taught them six purposes filled petitions. Notice it begins with worship: 

  1. Praise – “Holy is your name”;
  2. Priorities – “Thy will be done”;
  3. Provision – “Give us this day”;
  4. Pardon – “Forgive us our sins”;
  5. Protection – “Deliver us from evil”;
  6. Proclamation – “Yours is the kingdom”.

You should be struck by the fact that He asks us to put the interest of the kingdom before our own. “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Let’s park there for a minute and unpack what Jesus was teaching them. Often we ask God to bless OUR kingdom, i.e. to do OUR will. Well, that is not what God is doing. If all you want is another miracle so you can feel better or have more money, that is not kingdom work. We addressed this bad theology last month. That’s not about the kingdom. God is after His kingdom, not after making you and I rich.

“Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. The will of God in heaven is perfect. This world we live in is failed and filled with trouble. The rebellion and revolt of satan caused he and one-third of the angels to be expelled from heaven. This rebellion has spilled over into humanity. Satan got Adam and Eve to think, “did God really say this was wrong”Satin has gotten people, today, to believe in their own truth and treat the Word of God as a smorgasbord of truths from which to pick and choose. We live in a world where individuals think they can be their own authority. Jesus wants us to pray to God for restoration. We should ask Him to fulfill the promises to save, restore, heal and strengthen His people for His glory. Invite Him to make His agenda your agenda. Submit your kingdom to become His kingdom.

The Lord did instruct us to pray for our personal needs (our daily bread), but only after we pray for His name to be hallowed, His kingdom to come, and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. When you have come to this reality, you will ask for your provision, not your stuff. You will pray for your need and not your greed. Matthew 6:33 complements this thought, seek Him first, and everything else will be added. Most of the stuff we worry about has no eternal significance anyway. This petition of the Lord’s Prayer, then, teaches us to come to God in a spirit of humble dependence, asking Him to provide what we need and to sustain us from day to day. We are not given license to ask for great riches, but we are encouraged to make our needs known to Him, trusting that He will provide.[3]Too often, our prayers are more like a shopping list than a conversation.

Communicating Best When It Matters Most

Praying in the name of Jesus is powerful because when we pray in His name, we pray with His authority. God promises to answer whatever we ask in His name according to His will. This is why we must know the will of God in order to pray with the authority of Jesus.

 

Therefore, do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

                                                                                      Ephesians 5:17

 

This truth is wonderful because we have the assurance that He hears our prayers. Through prayer, in His name, we shall make known among the nations what He has done. Develop the discipline of spending time alone with God. It will help you grow spiritually and become more and more like Christ.

But be careful, we cannot use the concept of the “power of faith” as a means of getting what we want. That would be redefining faith from “a trust in a holy and sovereign God despite our circumstances” to “a way of controlling God to give us what we want.” Faith becomes a force whereby we can get what we want rather than an abiding trust in God even during times of trials and suffering. Remember, His answer could be not now. It may be a test of your faith to draw you closer or to change your perspective. Job who suffered tremendously proclaimed, ”Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” (Job 13:15) Can you trust Him when you can’t trace Him?

Praying In The Holy Spirit

Here’s a personal test for you. If you go day-to-day, week-to-week or month to month without bringing up the name of Jesus to anyone then the Holy Spirit is not with you. How can you ask for something from someone you don’t know? God communicates with us through the Holy Spirit, in the form of good thoughts and ideas or peaceful, comforting feelings. When we feel those things, it means God is encouraging us, showing us the truth, and giving us direction.

Everyone will feel the Holy Spirit in their own way. In the Bible, it’s often described as a “still small voice,” (see 1 Kings 19:11–12) that almost seems to whisper to your mind. If your prayer is relational, intimate and personal then like Peter and the disciples on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit will radiate from you.

[14] But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. [15] “For these are not drunk, as you suppose since it is only the third hour of the day. [16] “But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:[17] ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; . . .

 [21] And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved.’

 [33] “Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. [34] “For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself ‘The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, [35] Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”’ [37] Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” [38] Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. [39] “For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.

                                                                                 Acts 2:14-39 (NKJV)

Have you asked the Holy Spirit to fill and control you today? He will, if that’s your prayer. Next month we will deal with the Holy Spirit to help you understand its role in fulfilling His promise to always be with us.

 

[1]Excerpts from A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God, Moody Publisher, Chicago, 1948

[2]Excerpts from Charles Spurgeon, Lectures To My Students, Volume 1,

[3]R.C. Sproul, What Does “Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread” Mean?, Aug 31, 2016

 

Dear Heavenly Father, This prayer is a little different.

Normally our idea of prayer is doing all the talking, but friends don’t have conversations like that. There’s give and take, speaking and listening. Therefore, we are going to read, one at a time, each of the things you have promised us. Then we will spend a few minutes listening to hear what you have to say to us about it. We may have questions or comments, but we believe that’s ok because this is meant to be a conversation with you. You said, 

  • If you’ll give me your whole life, you’ll find the life you’ve always hungered for. 
  • My purpose in your life is to give you a rich and satisfying life. 
  • I sacrificed my life for you, and I’ll never stop fighting for you, no matter what. 
  • I know you, and I’ve given you the ability to know me. 
  • Wherever I am, I want you to be with me. 
  • I want to fill you and your life with joy.

 

Father, we thank you for spending this time with us. These are not the normal prayers we send up to you. We are coming to the understanding that the promise is always preceded by the sacrifice. Change our hearts, change our minds and give us the courage to live a life that is pleasing to you. We trust that you will fulfill our every need and whatever you are giving, we’re taking. If our wants are not of you, we don’t want them. Thank you for these promises for us, Jesus. Amen.

 

 Thank you for allowing me to speak into your life. Hey, spend a few moments of quiet time discovering your application of what you just read by clicking this link  myTime with God

 

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The Promises Of God

The Manifestation Of God’s Promises In Your Life

God Says Yes

A devotional for the brothers of the Iota Mu Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi

 

My sands, the honorable Judge “JQ” Harmon, asked me if I would create a monthly devotional that provides inspiration to the brothers. I was humbled by this request after realizing he was serious. When I asked what to write about, he and Deacon Holland said to start with New Years Resolutions. I spent time in prayer for guidance on what God would want my uncommon friends to hear, through me. I was led to the umbrella subject “The Promises of God”. Following the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, 2019 will be dedicated to unpacking in real and relevant ways the joy and confidence in understanding God’s promises. When we come to understand who He is and the promises made to us, living a life pleasing to him will become less challenging.
Each month I will cover different promises with a goal of encouraging you in your daily walk. so that you may be joyful and confident in this Great Affirmation:

“For ALL the Promises of God in Him [Christ Jesus] are Yes, and in Him [Christ Jesus] Amen, to the Glory of God through us”

2 Corinthians 1:20

Every claim in faith upon every Promise of God results with a “Yes!” answer. God will never provide a negative answer to prayer  — IF His Conditions are met. The LORD can answer in a way that results differently than we had expected, but He will never answer with a “No,” if we pray His Way. He can answer with a “wait”, as in, “Therefore will the LORD wait, that He may be gracious unto you” (Isaiah 30:18), or He can answer with “be patient”, as in, “Be patient, therefore, brethren, unto the Coming of the LORD” (James 5:7). He can give an answer that is better than what you had expected, as in, “Him that is able to do Exceeding Abundantly Above All that we ask or think, according to the Power that worketh in us” (Ephesians 3:20).

My prayer for you, like Paul’s, is that you gain a spirit of wisdom and revelation:

I have not stopped giving thanks to God for you. I always remember you in my prayers, asking the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, to give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation so that you will know him better. I pray also that you will have a greater understanding in your heart so you will know the hope to which he has called us and that you will know how rich and glorious are the blessings God has promised his holy people.

                                                                                        Ephesians 1:15-18

 

I walk in expectancy of the promises each of you will receive.

Welcome to the conversation . . .

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Part 5: Taking Consistent Action

Author: Adam Sicinski, IQ Matrix
Adam is a qualified life coach residing in Melbourne, Australia. His life coaching work is however somewhat unorthodox. It’s unique and a little different in the way that Adam uses mind maps and visual thinking principles. Over a period of 8 years, Adam has developed over 300 self-growth mind maps that he calls IQ Matrices

 

 

Now that we have clarity about what consistency demands from us, it’s time to put consistency into action, and of course the key to consistency comes in the form of proper preparation and focused attention.

Preparing Yourself for Consistent Action

Before you begin taking consistent action, it’s important that you mentally prepare yourself by first establishing a goal or objective that you would like to achieve. Ask yourself:

What goal would I like to achieve?

Now reverse engineer this goal by progressively moving from the end outcome to the present moment backward step-by-step. Really take a deep look at this goal to get an understanding of how all the steps and pieces came together over time. Once done, break this goal down into parts and outline specifically how you will work through each step. To help you with this process, ask yourself:

What do I need to do to achieve this goal?

What repetitive actions or activities are required?

What specific habits and/or rituals could I develop to support these actions?

When will I partake in these activities? How? When exactly? How often?

It’s important here to identify specific timeframes you will be working with that will keep you on track as you work toward the attainment of your goal. With timeframes in place you will work with more purpose and a sense of urgency. With no timeframes in place it will just be too easy to get sidetracked or distracted throughout this process.

You should now have a very clear idea of what exactly needs to happen in order to achieve your desired outcome. It’s now in your hands to follow through with these specific actions over an extended period of time to help you accomplish your goal.

There is however one additional question you need to be asking yourself. That question is:

What repetitive activities must I avoid doing?

Often it’s not only what we focus on or do that matters, it’s also what we avoid doing that makes all the difference in the end.

Have a think about all the various distractions and counterproductive tasks that could divert you from what’s most important. Often these tasks/activities are irrelevant and will end up hurting your productivity. In fact, often they are nothing more than poor excuses for indulging in procrastination.

 

Maintaining a Steady Focus

Having gained clarity about what it is you will be working toward, it’s now time to get to work. However, in order to stay consistent in your actions it’s critical that you maintain a steady focus. To maintain a steady focus you need to address the following three areas:

  1. Focus on what’s most important, not what’s fun, easy and/or convenient.
  2. Focus on one thing at a time, not on trying to multi-task.
  3. Focus on the execution of an activity, not on the desired outcome.

The overarching key here is of course simply to stay focused on what needs to get done without distraction. This is where your priorities must come into the spotlight. You must focus-in on the one most important thing you need to do at this moment that will help you in the long-run to accomplish your goal. However, this rarely as easy as it seems. It’s not easy because your brain will always be prone to getting caught up in distractions. It will always want to focus on what’s fun, easy and convenient. However, what’s fun, easy and convenient is probably not the most optimal use of your time.

It’s very likely that the activity you are trying to focus on can become a little tedious and boring. In such instances it’s critical that you focus on the execution of that activity. Focusing on the execution helps you stay focused with little chance for distraction.

We will typically get distracted and sidetracked when we look too far forward and tease our brains with other thoughts or things that need to get done. However, when you focus on the execution of an activity you are unlikely to fall into this trap because all your focus and attention is on what you’re doing right now in the moment. This moment is all that matters. Everything else just fades away into the background.

This kind of focus is of course not easy. It requires discipline on your part to maintain your focus over the long-term. To assist you with this focused-attention you may find it helpful to regularly ask yourself:

How must I think to stay focused?

Reminding yourself of this question will help you to stay focused on the execution of the task at hand. Afterall, everything you do always begins with a thought. Therefore if you are able to effectively direct your thoughts in an optimal way this will help you to stay focused on what needs to get done.

Now of course, at times you will naturally lose focus. Staying focused for extended periods at a time is not easy to do. At some stage you are bound to feel uncomfortable, however you must push through this discomfort and stay the course until your objective has been achieved.

Having said that, the key here to staying focused is to work in bursts. Focusing on something for several hours at a time without a mental and physical break is extremely taxing on the brain. As such, it’s important to introduce short breaks of only a few minutes in between your focus-time. This will effectively help you to recharge your batteries and allow you to refocus on your work when you begin again.

 

IQ Matrix strives to help you improve and maximize your potential through the use of a potent combination of mind mapping and life coaching principles that provide you with the guidance you need to overcome life’s toughest challenges.  Visit IQ Matrix at www.iqmatrix.com

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Part 3: What Consistency Demands From You

Author: Adam Sicinski, IQ Matrix
Adam is a qualified life coach residing in Melbourne, Australia. His life coaching work is however somewhat unorthodox. It’s unique and a little different in the way that Adam uses mind maps and visual thinking principles. Over a period of 8 years, Adam has developed over 300 self-growth mind maps that he calls IQ Matrices

Okay, so let’s say that you are intrigued by this idea of staying consistent and committed to a daily set of actions aligned with a specific goal you have in mind. On the surface staying consistent seems quite straightforward. It’s all about repetition, right?

On a surface level most people are quite aware of the value of repetition. Repeating something over and over again forms the foundation of any skill we are wanting to learn. What’s however not quite as clear is what repetition (consistency) demands from each individual.

Consistency-in-action is not purely about repetition. It’s rather about evolution.

This is not about mindlessly repeating an action over and over again. It’s about learning, growing and adapting your actions that can help lead to incremental improvements over an extended period of time.

Consistency-in-action is about gaining ever greater insights and understandings about what it is you are doing, and subsequently making the necessary adjustments to these actions to help improve your results and performance over the long-haul. In other words, it’s all about improving your effectiveness and efficiency at each step along your journey. Therefore consistency demands that you stay vigilant and focused on making incremental improvements and not just sticking with the status quo.

To be consistent means understanding that the greatest power lies in the present moment. Therefore consistency demands that you stay vigilant, mindful and present on the task at hand without losing focus. It demands that you are able to discipline yourself to this moment, and only to this moment without exception.

I discipline myself in this very moment…

Right now is the only moment that matters…

I only need to be consistent in this very moment…

Many people struggle with consistency when they fail to see immediate results from their actions.

We live in a society that thrives on instant gratification. We feel hungry we dial for a pizza; we get bored we switch on the television; we get lonely we call up a friend. As we have grown up we have been hardwired to expect that our desires will immediately be satisfied. However, when it comes to achieving any worthwhile goal, the rules are a little different.

Typically success in any field of endeavor initially requires that we commit ourselves to taking consistent daily action for next-to-no-reward. The rewards will of course come over time, however early on success demands that you put in the work with very little to show for your efforts. And this is of course where consistency-in-action comes into play.

You must consistently apply yourself to something over an extended period of time in order to reap long-term rewards. This sounds simple on the surface, but because we all live in a world built upon instant gratification, is it any wonder that only a select few people achieve any worthwhile long-term success?

 

IQ Matrix strives to help you improve and maximize your potential through the use of a potent combination of mind mapping and life coaching principles that provide you with the guidance you need to overcome life’s toughest challenges.  Visit IQ Matrix at www.iqmatrix.com

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Part 2: Why People Struggle with Consistency

Author: Adam Sicinski, IQ Matrix
Adam is a qualified life coach residing in Melbourne, Australia. His life coaching work is however somewhat unorthodox. It’s unique and a little different in the way that Adam uses mind maps and visual thinking principles. Over a period of 8 years, Adam has developed over 300 self-growth mind maps that he calls IQ Matrices.

Even though the concept of staying consistent seems very simple on the surface, most people do struggle with this idea. They find it difficult to stay consistent because there are just too many distractions. People are simply not focused, committed or disciplined enough to stick with something in the short-term for long-term results.

The key reason why most people struggle with staying consistent over the long-term is that they only live for the short-term. In other words, if they don’t get immediate results from their actions, they don’t see the point with continuing with those actions over the long-haul. However, the habit of consistency isn’t about obtaining quick results. It’s rather about making incremental progress and improvements over an extended period of time.

Consider for a moment a skill that you have developed over the years. Maybe you’re a good singer or guitar player. Maybe you’re a great dancer or can speak a foreign language very well. No matter what skill you developed, you developed this skill over many weeks, months and years. And you developed it because you applied yourself consistently toward learning that particular skill.

A Practical Example of Consistency-in-Action

Consider for a moment a child learning how to shoot a basketball. In the beginning the child is shown the proper technique of how to shoot the ball. However, early on things aren’t easy. They practice and practice the proper motion and movement but results are just hard to come by. The basket just seems too small and too far away. However, the child persists with practicing their shooting technique over many weeks, months and years. And through repetition they start shooting more baskets.

The results become more consistent over time because of the muscle memory the child has developed through the act of repetition. Furthermore, repetition has helped the child to better understand what works and what doesn’t work while shooting the basketball. In other words, they have learned from their mistakes and errors and made the necessary adjustments along the way.

Years down the track shooting a basketball has become second nature, and it’s all because they committed themselves in the beginning to consistent daily practice through repetition.

This is of course just one example of consistency-in-action. It’s just one example of how doing something consistently over a period of time can reap incredible results. However, what if the child didn’t commit him or herself to daily practice? What if they just practiced once or twice per month? What difference would that have made years down the track? Obviously a tremendous amount of difference.

You Are Already Applying Consistency-in-Action

There are no quick results when it comes to a commitment to consistency. Consistency is rather about making incremental improvements over time. The results you are after will eventually come, however they will only come over an extended period of time when you commit yourself to consistency-in-action.

Now of course if for any reason you feel that this is something that’s difficult to do, then consider for a moment all the poor habits that people develop over time.

For instance, regularly snacking on that candy bar or overeating just a little each day over the course of many years can lead to major health concerns, obesity and mobility issues. But of course you probably won’t notice what overeating “just a little today” is doing to you, because it really doesn’t make much of a difference “today”. It probably won’t even make much of a difference tomorrow or next week, and maybe not even next month. But over the course of several years, overeating a little each day makes a significant difference; for that is when you finally start seeing the results from your consistent daily actions, and therein lies the power of consistency.

This is just one example of many where we use consistency-in-action in a very negative and limiting way. I’m sure you can probably think of at least a dozen more examples.

Given this, it’s quite clear that we are certainly capable of applying the consistency habit into our lives. However, from here-on-in it will all be about applying it in the right way to help you achieve your desired goals and objectives.

IQ Matrix strives to help you improve and maximize your potential through the use of a potent combination of mind mapping and life coaching principles that provide you with the guidance you need to overcome life’s toughest challenges.  Visit IQ Matrix at www.iqmatrix.com

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What Are The Effects Of The Government Shutdown?

What Are The Effects Of The Government Shutdown?

Skip the blame game! In non-technical terms here is what you need to know about this government shutdown.

The federal government operates with funding granted to it via appropriations legislation passed by Congress. When that funding legislation expires, Congress must pass new legislation or else shut down the government’s non-essential operations.

A shutdown would have little immediate impact on the armed forces. Workers deemed essential by the federal government are exempt, a group that includes not just the military but also TSA agents, air traffic controllers, food safety inspectors, border patrol agents and others.

The government is required to pay essential employees who continue to work during a shutdown, although those checks are not paid out until after the shutdown is ended and the government is funded again. Furloughed employees are not necessarily paid for the shutdown period, and paychecks for them must be appropriated by Congress.

Members of Congress, whose paychecks are written into law, would still be paid through a shutdown. Congressional staffers deemed essential by their members or committee chairs must still show up to work and be paid later, like other essential federal workers. Non-essential congressional staffers are furloughed, and as with other furloughed federal workers.

Nearly all federal agencies would be temporarily but dramatically pared back should a shutdown occur, with thousands of employees likely furloughed, almost certainly resulting in reduced or slowed services government-wide. In the past, national parks have closed entirely, as have the Smithsonian Institution museums. Passport services and IRS processing, among other services, would likely slow substantially if not stop entirely.

The U.S. Postal Service, which operates in part based on its own revenue, will continue to function and deliver mail, and Social Security checks, Medicare checks and food stamps will still be distributed.

The VA is in a fortunate situation in that they have what’s called an advanced appropriations, so they get our money a year ahead of time.

This is a time we must all move past political ideology and pray for all our leaders that they may find solutions that represent the entire country and not just one side or the other.  We are the UNITED States of America.

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Part 1: The Key to Success Very Few Talk About – Consistency

Author Adam Sicinski, IQ Matrix
Adam is a qualified life coach residing in Melbourne, Australia. His life coaching work is however somewhat unorthodox. It’s unique and a little different in the way that Adam uses mind maps and visual thinking principles. Over a period of 8 years, Adam has developed over 300 self-growth mind maps that he calls IQ Matrices.
Have you ever wondered how some people are able to achieve massive amounts of success in their field of endeavor, while others work just as hard but achieve very little?
It could be said that those who achieve high levels of success are simply more intelligent, or maybe more ambitious, or maybe more persistent, or possibly just luckier than the people in the second group. These are of course all key factors that certainly can help people achieve their goals. However, there is just one ingredient that goes into success that is more important than anything else. And that ingredient comes in the form of consistency.
To be consistent means to fully dedicate yourself completely to a task, activity or goal. It means to fully stay engaged without distraction.
To be consistent requires a commetment on your part. It requires that you commit yourself to a sustained effort of action over the long-term. What this essentially means is that you keep your word to yourself and others that you will follow through with what you set out to do consistently over a period of time up until the moment your objectives are achieved. As such, consistency is all about your ability to be dependable, reliable and responsible for all your choices, decisions and actions.
Consistency is about building small empowering habits and rituals that you partake in every single day that keep you focused on your highest priorities and goals. It therefore essentially comes down to your ability to hold yourself accountable for the daily choices you make with no excuses and no complaints. You and you alone are accountable for what you do and what you fail to do. All responsibility lies solely in your hands.
To be consistent means to focus on the present moment while maintaining a long-term view that helps you measure your results and the impact of your daily actions. With this regular feedback in your hands you are better able to learn from your failures and mistakes to help you effectively alter your course of action where required.
Consistency is therefore all about repetition. It’s about repeating the same actions (habits and rituals) over and over again; gaining feedback from these actions, and adjusting them accordingly to help you stay on track as you work towards your goal. And that in essence is the difference between success and failure in any field of endeavor, and the key to high levels of achievement.
IQ Matrix strives to help you improve and maximize your potential through the use of a potent combination of mind mapping and life coaching principles that provide you with the guidance you need to overcome life’s toughest challenges.  Visit IQ Matrix at www.iqmatrix.com
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Changing the Narrative for South Side Students by Creating Ladders to Economic Mobility

 

Statistics from Chicago Public Schools show that only 74% of high school students graduate and a smaller percent go on to college. These numbers add up to a heavy burden on the cultural and economic health of our society. Studies have shown that high school graduates are 5-8 times less likely to be incarcerated and accumulate 10 times more wealth than those headed by dropouts. College graduates earn 60% more than high school graduates; have increased personal/professional mobility and experience improved quality of life for their offspring. These numbers are the summation of thousands of tragic stories for which opportunities are few and hopes are diminished.

Most students have an inherent sense of optimism that they can accomplish any thing they want. Yet many from the south and west sides of Chicago don’t wake up with similar optimism. For some students, school is not valued because the messages they receive from culture, music, peer groups, celebrities and the media suggest sports and entertainment are the path to success. Showing students that there are many achievable alternative routes to success, provides them optimism and awakens hope as they walk out their destiny.

Students make thousands of decision and choices everyday, each having a cumulative affect on reaching their destiny (future). And while Freshman On-Track is a critical make or break academic measure; sophomore year is a critical make or break social measure. Sophomore year is when students begin to become comfortable in defining themselves. It’s the point in life when peer pressure is the driving force for all their decisions – those mundane, critical or life altering. Students call it “The fight to fit”. Our research of 1,500 students in rural, suburban and urban communities identified peer pressure as the top challenge students face. The Barna Research Group conducted a study in which 42% of parents choose peer pressure as the most challenging issues facing their teenagers. “The percentage of young people plagued by peer pressure issues more than doubles once a child reaches high school,” Barna revealed. “That pressure takes many forms: using drugs or alcohol, befriending certain groups of peers, owning specific media technologies, having sexual experiences, wearing particular types of clothing or brands, and possessing a certain attitude.”

Destination Destiny has seen that cultural exposures coupled with high-character mentoring enable students to put peer pressure in context and enables them to focus on a future larger than their block, community or city. A destination without a route leads to meandering and inefficiency.  Exposure and mentoring prepares students to take their intangible cause and build the personal infrastructure to give it life; to make their cause actionable and tangible; to take their vision and make it a reality. Personal infrastructure is made up of the systems and processes that are defined by their values and volitions.  Their decisions and choices are the actions they take to realize their vision. This process prepares them to remove some seemingly simple obstacles and mange the more difficult ones, so they have an opportunity to lift themselves up and reach their potential.

These opportunities drive Destination Destiny’s mission to inspire students to become responsible, high-character global citizens, mobilizing them for significant living as future leaders, husbands and wives. We prepare them to build resilient lives through relational, experiential and educational activities that enable them to realize their passion, potential and purpose. 100% of our students have graduated and gone on to attend college.

If you believe students can achieve an alternative path, join us in providing the skills, exposures, knowledge and the confidence to create ladders of economic mobility. Click this link to support our efforts: ImpactDestiny