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How You Can Really Listen to God

Do you long to listen to God?

Oh, you may hear Him, but that isn't the same as listening, is it?

They are related and even interdependent, but there is a big difference between just hearing and really listening.

You might have the physical ability to hear, but listening requires more than just apparatus.

Hearing is passive.

In fact, if you are a hearing person, you are almost always hearing something. You likely aren't even aware of most of the sounds because you--like all humans--have developed unconscious ways to automatically filter the sounds around you. You hear them, but you don't process them or attach meaning to the input.

Listening, on the other hand, is active.

Listening to God requires effort.

Listening to God requires focus and attention.

Perhaps most important when it comes to receiving what God wants us to receive, listening requires silence. 

Here is how you can really listen to God:

• Silence your environment. Find a comfortable place that is not cluttered by sounds, sights, scents, sensations, or other extraneous stimuli.
• Silence your body to listen to your words. Be still.
• Silence your words to listen to your thoughts. Let your mind operate without words.
• Silence your thoughts to listen to your heart.
• Silence your heart to listen to your spirit.
• Silence your spirit to listen to God's Spirit.

You will note that this approach gradually removes the filters and distractions that stand between God's Spirit and yours. We shed the external stimuli and then gradually scrape away the layers that separate us and the One in whose image we were created.

Ironically, each of these activities makes you more able to listen to God by making you less active. As you become less active, you will become more sensitive to the activity of God's Spirit.

So, do you long to listen to God?

Then silence your self.

Image: "Sky" by dan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Global Mobile Trends - Dig Where the Gold Is

This is a fabulous look at the explosive growth of the mobile phone market.

A wise person digs where the gold is.

Do you see any gold here?

Infographic source: Culturelabel.com

Only 99 Cents for Better Health, Calmer Kids, & Improved Concentration?

Wait a minute. Does my title really ask that question? Can you really enjoy better health, calmer kids, and improved concentration for a measly 99 cents?

Well, as of this moment, yes!

I don't know how long this will last, but as of this moment, Amazon is honoring Bach's March 21st birthday by offering 9 hours of Bach for less than a dollar.

That's 120 of his wonderfully written, performed, and recorded masterpieces at more than 99% off!

The many benefits of classical music are undeniable, so this could be the single best purchase you make all year! In fact, even at full price, this is a wonderful collection.

What a way to celebrate the birthday of this masterful composer!

Tell your friends, and then click HERE right now to get in on this generous offer from Amazon.

Simple Procrastination Cure

I am not what you would call a "dog person," but somehow it has fallen to me to walk our Tuffy every morning while she...well, you know what she does.

She loves those walks and usually sports a big, goofy, ear-to-ear doggie smile as she struts around looking at birds and sniffing things.

Me? Not so much.

Oh, I enjoy being outside and the birds do make me smile. Just not the other stuff that goes with taking Tuffy for her first-of-the-day stroll.

Sometimes I put the walks off until later, but you know what? Waiting doesn't make them any less onerous, or if you prefer, odorous.

Other than being later in the day, the whole endeavor is the same.

In fact, I could make a strong argument that it is actually worse, because I've extended the period of dread before the deed. That reluctance distracts me from my work and diverts my thoughts from the places they need to wander.

Tuffy suffers.

I suffer.

My work suffers.

What's the lesson?

Well, just as bad news doesn't get any better with age,* the jobs we like least don't magically become more palatable because we put them off.

There's a better way.

Tuffy is going to get a surprise tomorrow morning!

Listen, if you have an unpleasant job to do, don't delay. Just do it and move on.

What is your cure for procrastination? Click here to share your thoughts.

19 Things We Should Say to Our Children

Are you raising your kids to be loving and successful adults, or are you just feeding them and putting a roof over their heads?

Do you freely share your love and affection for them, or are they starving for your attention?

As parents, we are blessed with the opportunity to raise our kids to love God and those around them.

We are fully accountable for the outcome and we cannot slough off the responsibility we have for loving and nurturing our offspring.

As with all relationships, communication is the foundation for building strong ties with our children.

Answering the question, "What should we communicate to our children?", The Maternal Lens offers, "19 Things we should say to our Children," and they are right on the mark.

Just to tease:

1. I love you! There is nothing that will make me stop loving you. Nothing you could do or say or think....

2. You are amazing! I look at you with wonder! Not just at what you do, but who you are. There is....

3. It's all right to cry. People cry for all kinds of reasons: when they are hurt, sad, glad, or....

4. You've made a mistake. That was wrong. People make mistakes. I do....

5. You did the right thing. That was scary or hard. Even though it wasn't easy, you did it. I am proud of you....

6. I'm sorry....

By the way, this piece can be a great bonus for your own relationships, you caring husbands and wives!

Click here to read the entire post at The Maternal Lens.

[Photo courtesy of crimfants - Some rights reserved]

Reduce Your Reading Time by Two-Thirds in Just 20-Minutes!

How would you like to cut your reading time by 60 percent or more...in just 20 minutes?

What would you accomplish with the extra time?

How much more could you read--and DO--if you read 300 percent faster?

It can be done. I know it because this is the same process I learned in a speed-reading course many years ago and it worked for me.

The primary difference is that the course I attended lasted about 16 hours, while the synopsis of the process that Tim Ferriss shares can be read in about 5 minutes.

Invest a few minutes to do this and let me know what you think. Post a comment or email me.

30 Dr. Seuss Quotes for Your Life's Plan

Infographic via Mamiverse.com

Simplify

From Jessica Hagy over at Indexed -- Her title = Silence from the bells & whistles ... My title = Simplify:

What in your life has too many moving parts?

What can you do to simplify your life?

Now, This is a Good Dog!

Here's another reason to smile...

Have a blessed day!

Four Lessons from a Seven-Year-Old...If at first...

Here are four simple lessons from 7-year-old Audri Clemmons for your Friday fun and inspiration:

 

Honestly, I cannot think of a better way to catch monsters.

I also can't think of a better way to illustrate four lessons that will help us all succeed.

1. Be Creative. Don't trap your monsters the way you always have. Monsters have a way of adapting, so don't just look at one way to get them.
2. Embrace Failure. Audri happily anticipated his failures and even predicted many more than he experienced. He was ready to fail because he knew that failure would be a part of his creative process. Audri had confidence that he would ultimately prevail over the monster, despite his plan's initial shortcomings.
3. Don't Quit. Audri refused to quit and I suspect he still wouldn't have quit even after dozens of attempts. Rather than crying over his failures, or worse yet, quitting, he adjusted his plan and bagged that monster.
4. Celebrate Your Victories. Did you notice? Not only did Audri dance around and cheer his victory, but he also acknowledged the fact that his failures paved his road to success. Audri had reason to celebrate because he stuck with it and got his monster!

Audri is the bomb and we can all learn from his wonderful example.

Way to go, Audri!

If at first you don't succeed...