Everyone has there unique ways to spend the Christmas period. For me, Christmas has always been family time. When I was younger, I  loved the open fire, and this love is something that has stayed with me throughout the years. Sitting watch films with a glass of homemade ginger ale reminds me of my childhood.

For many, it can be a very stressful time; people get into massive debt. Debt which can loom over them until March. Christmas is not about, spending more than you can afford, just to impress people you already know love you.

Today I decided to write a blog post on the five essential things that you need to do this Christmas period, so you feel the genuine spirit of Christmas.

One
Christmas is a time to reach out; God is counting on you to be his messenger where ever you go. I see many people walk straight past homeless people, instead go over and encourage them; buy them a hot coffee. When you do this, you just released God’s grace into that person, and also everyone that witness your act of love.

Two
The most valuable present you can give is to be present for someone. Call a friend who is discouraged, tell them you are thinking about them and remind them there are better days ahead.

Three
Be careful you don’t forget the real meaning of Christmas, which is summed up in John 3:16, God loved us so much that He gave His Son, Jesus so that we can have eternal life. Christmas is a time to celebrate Jesus main message which was, love and forgiveness. Forgive someone that has hurt you.

Four
Spend time with family, listen more than you talk. The family is our foundation, and although often the hardest relationships, they are ones we need to feel secure.

Five
Last but by no means least, put up feet up. After spending weeks running around getting everything prepared, it’s vital that we take the time to relax and reflect and be thankful. No matter how bad thing may seem, take the comfort that there are those worst off.

I wish you a Merry Christmas.
Rev J Martin

Recently, I received a comment from a reader, regarding my book The Power of Words. In the book, I wrote mainly about the power that words have to shape our lives. Making sure that we speak words of victory, and not of defeat.

The point the reader was making was, thoughts also matter. The reader made a very valid point; thoughts do matter. Yes, it is true, we do tend to think negative thoughts sometimes. Maybe a thought repeats in our mind over and over, but we do not speak it out.

Every Step Of The Way

If this is the case, then speak out the opposite of what is troubling you. For example, I am simply am not confident enough to look for a new job. Speak out;  God is directing my every step, he will lead me to the perfect job, to challenge me; to make me grow.

Of course, saying this once is not going to make much difference. It’s like a DVD, each time we cancel a negative thought, we are putting a scratch on the DVD. Eventually, there will be so many scratches, the DVD will no longer play.

The same goes for negative thinking, when we speak out, carry out, the opposite of what is holding us back, we erase the old thought pattern, replacing it with a new one.

Negative thinking can be a very dis-constructive behavior if left unchecked.

Divine Destiny

Mostly, negative thinking only affects people to a level they can deal with. It may hold them back from their destiny, but they can still lead a normal healthy life. Because of this, people can get into a comfort zone.

As long as they don’t challenge themselves then, all is ok.

This is the worst case scenario. If you have fears, and you don’t confront them, then, them thoughts have you trapped. Most of what troubles or worries us, has happened in the past, we can no longer change that, no matter how much we replay it in our minds.

From today, we need to speak out what we want to achieve.

The mind like’s sameness, but look at nature, it never stays still, it is always evolving and regenerating. It so important that we do the same.

I speak in the book about writing a decree, of the person that you want to become, and read it daily. This practice can significantly help with negative thinking patterns, as you start your day with a positive statement of the person that you want to become.

The Sun is Shining

When you do this, your words are like the sun shining on a flower. From day to day it may not seem like the flower is growing, but over the weeks and months, it is very visible that the flower is growing.

Like with a flower, one day you will blossom into the person in your decree. To others, it will seem like luck, but you will know that it has been your faith and persistence that paved the way.

Success in any area of life doesn’t happen overnight, in some cases, it can take years. But it all begins with the words you speak on a daily basis.

Today I would like you to be conscious of the thoughts you think, if they are harmful or destructive in any way, speak out the opposite.

Thought – “it’s just the way I am, I can not change.”

Speak out – In nature everything changes, so I am going to allow God to change me. May God give me the strength to do what is necessary for my greater good.

Have a great weekend
– Rev J Martin

Negative thinking – Afterword
Of course in some cases, negative thinking can be severe. If this is the case, and you can not speak to a friend or family member, I recommend that you talk to a professional. There are many organizations that you can ring anonymously for free.

Busy week, it’s easy to just caught up with life; we can easily forget about visiting people, doing important tasks, and many other things.

The last two weeks, I have got caught up with my daily activities, releasing my new book, The Power of Words. I would like to thank everyone that purchased it, or any other of my books, I hope that it is helped you in some way.

Today I just took a moment and stopped. I had forgotten to do a lot of important stuff, like writing my weekly blog post. Writing 500-1000 words doesn’t take much time, but it does mean sitting in my chair and typing.

48 Hours

It’s important that in the next 24:48 hours you simply stop what you’re doing. Just take a few moments, press the reset button. Think of some of the things that you’ve been putting off, spending more time with loved ones,  going for a walk in nature, visiting parents or old friends.  Make it your priority this week to do some of them things.

We all need to press the reset button, to realign our values. It is so easy in this busy, hectic world where information comes from every angle. It’s enjoyable, it’s educational, it is part of our life, but we can easily neglect our values, the things that mean the most to us.

Importance of balance

It’s so important that we do the things that keep us balanced, spending time with those that developed us into the person we are today. The people that encourage us, teach us, ground us.

Everything seems to be important when we are caught up in the busyness of the day.  It’s when we reset, we instantly see the few things that matter.

This week I will be realigning my values with a reset.

My Top 10 Core Values

Love. The presence of love in my life, the love for my family, my friends, my faith and for myself. This for me is the single most important source of light and energy that I can tap into when I have the need to be filled-up; or when we see the need to fill someone else up with grace, hope and our love.

Forgiveness. The purpose of forgiveness is not to absolve someone of the sin(s) committed against you; but to free yourself from the pain and the anger that is keeping you stuck. When you forgive, you are better able to let go of the past and keep moving forward with your life.

Compassion. We are all part of this thing called the human condition. No doubt we have different skin colors, religious preferences, and political points-of-view, but at the end of the day, we still need to take care of one another.

Respect. We are all different, yet we are all the same in the sense we want to be recognized for how we think and believe. When we show the proper respect we are not only validating the other person’s dignity; we are also enhancing our own.

Patience. Patience is a value which can also improve productivity because it creates a better state of mind, a clearer state of mind, for better decision making.

Caring. Caring for others, as well as self-care, allows you to extend a helping hand and to pass along some unexpected grace. When we take the time to demonstrate we care; we demonstrate the fact there are still plenty of good people left in this world.

Honesty. To live authentically; to live honesty, keeps our hearts and souls pure and our minds free of doubt or uncertainty. When we are honest, we know we are doing the right things.

Listening. One of the best gifts I can to others is to listen; to really listen to what they are saying and to be fully present in the moment with them.

Sacrifice. Sometimes it’s appropriate to put someone else’s needs before your own. This is the meaning of sacrifice. Along with sacrifice comes some discomfort; perhaps even some pain. This is what makes sacrifice a value to live by.

Appreciation. Taking a brief moment to say, “thank you,” or acknowledging the exceptional job the restaurant server did when waiting on you is not only encouraging for the beneficiary to hear; it fills your soul with more appreciation too.

Press the reset button this week, focus on your values and let all the stresses drain away
Rev J Martin

My mother has a great passion and love for the crucifix. Personally, it always reminded me of the pain and suffering that Jesus went through. Yes, I am thankful for what Jesus did for us, but for me, it’s always been his words and deeds that inspired me, as with this words I could always inspire others.

This week my view on the crucifix changed.

I have always been a person that wants to help and please others, sometimes putting my important plans to one side.  Yes, it’s imperative to help others, but some people take advantage of the good nature shown to them, you might be able to relate.

They always seem to need help when you are about to do something important. Rather than say, No, which would leave them unhappy, I will say, Yes, of course I will help you, which leads to me cancelling plans that would help others, meaning being unhappy that I have taken the path of least resistance.

I say, taking the path of least resistance, because saying no to certain people creates resistance, as they will, ignore you, tell others how you didn’t help them, how you let them down in their time of need. All the times that you were there for them seems to mean nothing.

When you are a person of good faith it means that you have the qualities of Jesus, you are caring, generous, selfless. These are fantastic qualities to have, but you will find that there will be people in your life that will take advantage of these qualities.

In my life, certain people always take advantage of my good nature; they often take the caring that I could give to others, for themselves. No matter how much energy I spend on them, it is never enough.

The more I give, the more they seem to take, all my prayers and energy is wasted on them as they never truly listen to my advice.

Jesus did not take the path of least resistance, if anything, he took the path of most resistance. Jesus did what he wanted to do, even though it meant those around him questioning and judging him. Jesus followed his heart to the point of his death, to show the world he believed in this ideas so much, that he was willing to die for them.

The crucifix on the wall now means something very different to me, it reminds me to take the path of resistance like Jesus did. Rather than drop everything and help certain people, I am going to say, I have something important to do now, but I will be available in one hour, tomorrow, next week.

From today, the crucifix  will give me the strength to say no to those that take advantage of my good nature. Instead, I will focus more on the important tasks that will ultimately help those that need it.

Have a good week
Rev J Martin

A great personal interest of mine has always been health. Thankfully, I have always been blessed with good health, except maybe for a few knocks here and there. My good health is not by accident, or because of luck. It is because I have always made it a point to look after the body that God has given me.

God gave us our body as a vehicle to take us around. It is up to us to take care of that vehicle. If a friend was going to the other side of the world for a year and left you their diesel car, would you leave it lying up for the year? Would you put petrol in it? Of course not, not driving a car regularly can cause problems with the running of the car, and putting petrol in a diesel car would ruin the engine.

Recipe for disaster

Years of little to no physical activity, combined with years of unhealthy eating and you have a recipe for disaster. Just like the car, no movement will lead to problems, and putting in the wrong fuel can result in the car’s engine seizing.

Many people may not be aware of this, but a heart attack is not a disease that attacks you, it is clogging your system to the point where it breaks down, sometimes with fatal consequences. Of course, I am not a doctor so here is a link to the causes of heart attacks my WebMD.

Now I’m not saying this to scare you; I’m saying this to make you aware. Most people live on processed, tin, packaged food, plus get little physical activity, meaning they are overweight, which leads to being unfit, having aches and pains, and can even put the heart under so much pressure that it can result in a heart attack.

1000 Mile

Now I can’t unload all this information without giving you a solution. As the saying goes, a journey of 1000 miles starts with a single step. If you only make one small change each day of the week then over time that will result in massive change.

I write a post on this today because I deal with 100s of people daily that are overweight, have pains and aches, that are always going to the doctors, taking in some case 16-20 pills a day. These same people eat take out food 2-3 times a week, eat nothing but processed, tinned, or package foods. They have health problems because they don’t listen to advice from their doctor or me for that matter.

Sometimes I find that it is often a stranger’s word that resonates the most with us, someone that we have no connection to from day to day.

Change On Horizon

An excellent gauge to the best food to eat is, foods that are as close to their natural source as possible, just out of the ground, or picked off a tree. These foods have natural God-given energy and nutrients.

I always find that when given a challenge, we at the very least give it a go, so my challenge to you today is to eat as much natural, God-given food in the next seven days and please comment on any changes that you see or feel within you.

Praying to God for health will only work if you meet God half way.

Have a great weekend
Rev J Martin

James 4.11
Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.

It is so easy to judge others; maybe they are doing wrong in our eyes, but that does not give us the right to make a judgement on them for their actions.

Yes, people make mistakes, but don’t we all make mistakes? What makes my mistake any better than yours. James is a short but very powerful gospel. Another verse that fits well with this one is James 2.24.

James 2.24
You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

Many people think, all they need to do is attend service each week, and read the word of the Lord, and all will be ok. Meaning, whatever they do the rest of the week is ok. It is the complete opposite, what you do the other 6 days, if anything, is more important.

There is no point “eating the alter rails,” as my grandma used to say, if you talk badly of others, and spread gossip the rest of the week. Something that often gets over looked, is the judgement we deliver upon ourselves. How many times during the week, do we belittle ourselves, with judgemental opinions, saying things like,

I can’t…
L’ll never…
I’m not good enough..

Our children and those around us, don’t do as we say, they do as we do. This is a very important point, actions speak much louder than words. I can try to motivate someone for years, but the moment that i actually do something in my own life, only then do these people stand up and say, well if he can make a change, so can I.

Life Lesson

From today, realise, that all our actions are not just been monitored by God, but more importantly, by those around us. Children, friends, and family. We need to be more aware of our words and actions throughout the week, not just on Sunday.

None of us are perfect, but it is very important to develop a little gap of awareness, you are about to say something bad about a person, learn to pause, often,  all that is required is a restructuring of our words, so instead of speaking in judgement, we speak with compassion or empathy.

Read Often

James is a gospel that is full of strenght and one that i return to often, when anyone has done something against me, a family member or friend.

I would like to leave you with my favorite verses in James gospel.

James 1.2-4
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Have a good weekend, share words of love.
Rev J Martin

Many of us want to change; we want to be a better version of ourselves. We want to have more money, more friends, a better job. We always want more. Often people think of more in material terms, but even with myself, I want to see more fairness in the world, I want more people to live in faith, I want more children to have better role models, I want more people to stand up for what is right.

All this wanting creates frustration, mainly because God can not always grant us what we want, on our timetable. Sometimes what we pray for, is not what God thinks is best for us.

Over the last two weeks, I had many frustrations that I know you will be able to relate to,

•    Feeling frustrated that I would like to do more,

•    Frustrated that things are not going, as I would like,

•    Frustrated at others for not doing, as I would like them to do.

Some frustration is good to motivate us. The problem arises when we let the frustration build up inside of us and never check it, so, it is always just beneath the surface, waiting for something to set it off.

Being frustrated is bad for ourselves and the people around us.

So what is the solution?

Since my last post I have been very frustrated, as a particular situation in my life was not going as I would like. I couldn’t settle or relax as it was always on my mind. Then as I was praying one day, a thought came into my mind saying, be thankful for what you do have.

This thought resonated with me.

We get so caught up in our lives and the lives of others, that we forget to be thankful for what we do have.  When we are feeling frustrated with life, take a pause, and be thankful.  Yes, you may not have what you desire in your life right now, but if it is Gods will, it is on its way.

Learn to become thankful for all the things that God has graced you with, health, a family that loves you, a community that cares, a garden, a friend. We can take for granted even the simple act of hearing until we meet someone that is deaf.

When writing this post a friend mentioned a name of a speaker called Nick Vujicic. I searched for him on YouTube and discovered this heart touching video. Instantly all the minor stresses that were on my mind faded away; I was so thankful to God for blessing my life.

Frustration mainly comes from focusing on the wrong things, which makes you forget about how much you have already achieved, all the things that are going well in your life. It’s so easy to forget God is in control.

Over this Easter season, try to be a little more thankful when you feel life is against you. Also, when you see others being frustrated with life, remind them to be thankful.

A great part of faith is to spread the knowledge that we have gained with others. We all need a gentle reminder to realign our focus, to get back on course

Have a great Easter Tuesday
Rev J Martin

I actually had another post in mind for this week in draft but today on my way through town, I was rushing as always and happened to get caught behind an little old lady with a walking stick.

Instantly I was brought to the present moment with a thought, slow down, I realised that did not have to be anywhere for a couple of hours.

It is surprising how we rush through life, even when we have no place to go.

When I slowed down, I noticed that although it was a cold day it was sunny and there was a clear sky. I began to look around me, and noticed the sound of the street, I felt the cold refreshing breeze against my face.

The simple act of being stopped in my tracks reminded me of how important it is to enjoy each day and not just wait until my day off too relax.

As children we are so fascinated with the world, every new sound intrigued us, we notice the little things like a weed growing 4 foot in the air from a chimney top. There is a famous saying,

“You don’t stop doing things when you grow old, you grow old when you stop doing things.”

I realised that I had stopped being fascinated with the world, God creation is all around me at all times and often I ignore it. We all live in a fast-paced world that has our minds active from eyes open to eyes closed.

When this happens week to week it leads can lead to stress, tiredness, lack of sleep. We all need moments every day that we connect with God, not just through prayer but also through connecting with the world around us.

From today, I would like you to start to do some of them things that you stop doing years ago, maybe because you forgot to, or maybe because you think that you have grown out of them. Walk barefoot in grass, try not to step on the cracks in the pavement, look for that weed in a chimney top.

Our heaven father has given us a beautiful playground that quite often we take for granted trying to get to our next destination or locked into our smartphone.

Being thankful and admiring his creation does not mean that you will not get to your next meeting, or miss your plane, it means that you will have several moments throughout the day were you connect with him.

Take time to have a look around today

Rev J Martin

I once read a quote, everything you want is on the other side of fear. Many things currently in your life, possibly were fears at one time.

You may have feared to drive, but you overcome it.

You may have feared to fly, but traveling and work commitments meant that you had to overcome that fear or at the very least face it so often, the fear subsided.

Many people will say, well I had to learn to drive and holidays with family means flying. What happened is they changed a can’t to must, and to quote Tony Robbins,

“If you can’t you must,
and if you must you can.”

You need to change one can’t to a must. If you need exercise, but regularly say, I can’t go for a walk in the evenings because I am too tired, I’m too busy, I will do it tomorrow.

Change it to, I must go for a walk this evening, if only around the block or to the end of the street.

I started with facing one small fear. Facing one small fear is manageable. I always wanted to run a 10K for charity, but I never thought it was possible for me, it looked too difficult. So I decide to change I can’t run a 10k to…

“I must run a 10k.”

A friend that was an experienced runner gave me an excellent piece of advice, he told me, for your first run just do one length of a football field, I wanted to do more as it didn’t seem that much, but I did as he instructed.

On the second day I was ready to go, again he told me to do one length. I never thought it was enough but the next day I was ready for the next run.

After a couple of weeks, I had built up to one lap of the football field. Over the following months, I was doing a few laps, 2 – 3 times per week.

“Baby steps.”

Then I joined a running club, which I never had the confidence to do in the beginning. Within six months I ran my first 10k.

Whatever you want to do, learn to break it down into small manageable steps. As my friend advised me, start small and build up. Have you always wanted to apply for a new course but fear held you back from even trying? The first step could be, get a prospectus and look at what courses are available.

“Make the first step.”

Many of us just need that person in our life to give us encouragement. Someone to say, go for it, I believe in you. Well, i would like to be that person today.

You are capable of achieving whatever you want to. Stop letting them thoughts of fear hold you back. Think Luke 8.22, once you get into that boat and head to the other side of fear, Jesus will be with you every step of the way.

There might be some rough water, but as long as you stay in faith then you will be taken safely to your destination, as you are not alone.

Pick something today that you have always feared to do and make the first step. When you do this, a new world will open up to you. Breaking through one fear leads to challenging other fears, each one taking you one step closer to your divine destiny.

Have a great day.
Rev J Martin