lunes, 13 de enero de 2014

School education in Thailand

I have written before about the special needs of Evangelists Robert & Farah Imtiaz (please read my previous blogs for more information). 

This time I ask you to please consider helping my friends from Pakistan to educate their children in their new home in Thailand. 

They have been there several months but their children still don't have books nor any enrollment in school, due to lack of funds. 

Their children (a son and a daughter) are actually in 7 and 8 grade, so it has become too difficult to teach them by themselves at home. 

Their research has led them to find some low fee school (for 40,000 Thai baht) which translates to $1500 for each child and each Semester. 

Needless to say, my dear friends Robert & Farah are very concerned about their responsibility for the education of their dear son and daughter. But they always helped many children in their country (Pakistan) and are trusting that the Lord will come through for them now. 

If you are able to help them, I am able to receive PayPal donations to my email juanyramirez@yahoo.com and transfer them to their location. 

Thank you and may God bless you and yours abundantly and beyond your imagination!!

martes, 13 de agosto de 2013

from Pakistan to Thailand

PLEASE READ THIS COVER LETTER AND THE ATTACHED NEWSLETTER.
Thank you and may God prosper your finances and lead you to support my dear sister Farah Imtiaz and her family. They need $1000 for the 4 visas ($250 each) to move to Thailand as soon as possible.
I (Juanita) have a way to send them money via Western Union online, and I can also receive your contributions on my PayPal account (with my email juanyramirez@yahoo.com). 

July 2013
Dear Friends, Lovers of The LORD, Lovers of HIS People…
I really don’t know how to do this, so I will just tell you: “I am praying and seeking support to move our ministry partners from Pakistan to Thailand and establish the first Ruach Center community ministry.”
The RUACH Newsletter that accompanies this letter is a very brief synopsis of part of the wonderful, amazing journey that God has us travelling. The LORD has blessed and connected us with “those of like precious faith” 2 Peter 1:1. It is truly an honor for me to have Farah & Robert Imtiaz as friends and ministry partners.
Robert is a gifted teacher of Math, English and Computer. He is an anointed Evangelist and effective preacher of GOD’s Word. Farah was a music teacher before she and Robert had children. She is a gifted vocalist, effective manager and powerfully anointed as a prophetic intercessor and used by GOD in healing.
From October 24th to November 14th of 2012, Rev. Farah Imtiaz was part of our team for three (3) weeks of prophetic ministry in The Philippines. It was there that GOD revealed her gift of Healings; and it was there that GOD had me speak prophetically over her about the coming change of their ministry. I encourage you to look at the pictures from that time of ministry.
The Website is: http://www.ruachmf.org
The Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/RuachMinistryFellowshiprmf
The vision for the RUACH Centers is to be self-supporting community ministries. Each RUACH Center will have a worship center with men’s & women’s, youth & young adult ministries, outreach and counseling that are supported by community resource venues of coffee shops (with music), internet cafes (with content filters), and other services to draw-in and serve the community to build the relationship to share The Gospel of The Kingdom. As the needs develop, we will establish RUACH Regional Schools of The Spirit as discipleship training centers to equip local people for local ministry.
Robert and Farah have been faithful and obedient to serve the LORD with excellence and integrity and have now completed their assignment in Pakistan. GOD has united our hearts and vision and given us the direction. We will establish self-supporting, self-propagating ministries and then teach others how to do the same. I ask that you pray and sow some seed into this soil. It is time for us to move forward.
Thank you and GOD bless you for your prayerful consideration of this request.
Please contact me if you have any questions.
Rev. A H (Harry) Saunders
Ruach Ministries & Fellowship

miércoles, 8 de mayo de 2013

Persecución-en-Pakistan-Persecution


These are the most recent news from my dear christian friend Farah Imtiaz, her husband Evangelist Robert Imtiaz and their ministry to the orphan children of Lahore, Pakistan (www.rejoiceministry.webs.com):

Estas son las noticias más recientes de mis queridos amigos Farah y su esposo, el Evangelista Robert Imtiaz, quienes tienen un ministerio cristiano de ayuda a los niños huerfanos de Lahore, Pakistán (www.rejoiceministry.webs.com):


"We have daily bomb blast In all cities          "Tenemos bombas explotando en todas las ciudades diariamente
and near to orphanage center                                y cerca del Orfanatorio
All window glass Broken                                         Han roto todas las ventanas de cristal
And children injured                                                 Y han herido a los niños
Thank God they are all ok                                        Gracias a Dios que están bien
But they need Medicine and doctors                Pero necesitan medicinas y doctores
I should call doctor to come to the center      Yo deberia llamar a un doctor para que venga al centro
where the Children are living                              donde los niños residen
Please help them if you can."                               Por favor ayudelos si usted puede."

(Farah, via Facebook May 7, 2013
Pictures are from better days in March 2013      Las fotos son de mejores días, en marzo 2013.





IMPORTANTE:  Hay tres formas en que usted puede ayudar:
                                    There are three ways you can help:

1) PayPal - a mi correo electronico juanyramirez@yahoo.com

    PayPal to juanyramirez@yahoo.com

2) Deposito Directo a la Cuenta del Banco Popular de Puerto Rico: #206-356245;
    a nombre de Juanita Ramirez Fernandez ("Santiago Uno Veintisiete").
   
    Direct Deposit to Account # #206-356245
    Account Name: Juanita Ramirez Fernandez (James 1:27)
    Bank Name: Banco Popular de Puerto Rico

3) Envie cheque o giro postal a nombre de Juanita Ramirez Fernandez ("Santiago Uno Veintisiete")

    Send check or money order payable to Juanita Ramirez Fernandez ("James 1:27")

          Juanita Ramirez
          PO BOX 1810 - PMB 724
          Mayagüez PR 00681-1810


Por favor envíe la cantidad que usted pueda, ninguna ayuda es muy pequeña.
Yo juntaré sus donativos y pagaré la cuota de Western Union para enviar el dinero a Pakistán.
He estado utilizando este método en el Ministerio "Santiago Uno Veintisiete" para ayudar a los huérfanos y viudas necesitados en cualquier parte del mundo. No hay gastos administrativos en esta corporación sin fines de lucro, registrada en el Departamento de Estado de Puerto Rico con el Número 311898, excepto por las cuotas de Western Union, así que el dinero va a donde lo necesitan.
Gracias y que Dios le recompense con grandes bendiciones.

Please send any amount you can. No amount is too small.
I will put your donations together and pay the Western Union online fee to send the money to Pakistan.
I've been using this method with "James 1:27" (a ministry to help orphans & widows of the world).
There are no administrative expenses in this non-for-profit corporation (PR Dept. of State Registration No: 311898), except for the Western Union transfer fees; so all the money goes to where it's needed.
Thank you and God bless you mightily in return.


Santiago 1:27 - Nueva Versión Internacional (NVI)
“La religión pura y sin mancha delante de Dios nuestro Padre es ésta: atender a los huérfanos y a las viudas en sus aflicciones, y conservarse limpio de la corrupción del mundo.”

James 1:27 - New International Version (NIV)
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

miércoles, 23 de enero de 2013

Santiago Uno Veintisiete (James 1:27)

Santiago 1:27 Nueva Versión Internacional (NVI) "La religión pura y sin mancha delante de Dios nuestro Padre es ésta: atender a los huérfanos y a las viudas en sus aflicciones, y conservarse limpio de la corrupción del mundo."

James 1:27 (New International Version) "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

lunes, 21 de febrero de 2011

My christian friend from Lahore, Pakistan


Those who know me, already know that I love missions. My experience in the field has been limited (the Lord forgiving me, since He's in control) but I seemed to have thought that I would be 'going to far away places' instead of 'just' Dominican Republic, Yucatan and in my own country.. lately it seems that missions means my own house.. and with the Lord's help I hope to bring Him glory in this too !!
But thank God for facebook, yes, because last year, when I could travel the least due to my husband's battle with esophageal cancer, I was able to help a friend in Pakistan that I found through a mutual facebook friend. Her name is Farah Imtiaz and her husband is the Rev. Robert Imtiaz, an evangelist in the city of Lahore, near the frontier with India. (Farah is in the attached picture, standing on the left.) They enjoy certain freedom of worship and evangelism through years of experience and being established by their christian parents in this muslim country. Farah leads worship and teaches the children at their church. They have a beautiful web page that is regularly updated with pictures and you can see it at www.rejoiceministry.webs.com
The missions ministry of my church here in Puerto Rico matched a personal donation last December that we sent through 'Western Union' to their address in Pakistan:

Farah Imtiaz
Rejoice Ministry of Pakistan
32-S-63, Main Road Bahar, Colony Kot,
Lakhpat Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
Postal Code: 54600.
Phone Land Line: +92-42-35943954
Mobile Phone: +92-333-4404669

Farah bought new clothes and shoes for the needy children and this is part of what she wrote to me in facebook:

Farah Imtiaz December 28, 2010 at 10:53am Report
Thanks my dear Juanita for replying me, I was so glad and blessed when I distributed your sent love gifts to children. Hope your husband is recovering by the grace of Lord. We wish both of you a very prosperous cheerful and healthy wealthy year 2011. I pray to God that this friend ship may last forever.

Then she wrote again with a need that we haven't been able to address:
DEC 28, 2010
I want to share some thing important about one widow with three kids she is very poor lady and living alone in a rented house. She has no job, Her children have no clothes no schooling and no food, every month they knock the door of others to meet their needs. This family suffering badly they often come to me and ask for help I do what ever I can. I am sending you the picture of this deserving family (attached).
Being a developing country and bad economic conditions here its very hard for poor families to manage their livelihood. We come across such families and could not resolve there pathetic conditions alone.
I know you are still busy with the care of your husband at home. I just want if you find some spare time please look for such donors who can willfully and personally support the widow family and orphans at monthly bases, Their little contribution can light up the stove of poor family.
I feel in spirit that God is using you with us in this mission to help others. If there is any Organization who help the orphans and widows, is in your knowledge please let us know and about us let them know.
You are always in our prayers
May God bless you with long life and peace and happiness
Love you soooo much
Farah Imtiaz.

Soooo, there it is! (you can share this blog as you feel led to) I am sharing this and asking if there is any way you can help: for example $20 a month, donated by a different person each month, or a one time gift of whatever amount the Lord puts in your heart, or... the support of a missions group from a church, etc. I know the blessing will be great for this widow and her three beautiful children, but I also know that it will be greater for those who are able to help.
My first attempt was posting this need to a christian ladies network in Spanish, but it was not approved by the web page rules. So I thought of this blog that I created a few years ago when everybody in our family decided to become bloggers and I have mostly used it to re-post counseling articles which is another ministry I love.
I am trying this in English now... and let's see what happens.
God bless you all,
Juanita

viernes, 3 de diciembre de 2010

Stuck in Survival Mode?

"Reprinted with permission from the LifeWorks Group weekly eNews, (Copyright, 2004-2010), To subscribe to this valuable counseling and coaching resource visit www.LifeWorksGroup.org or call 407-647-7005"

Stuck in Survival Mode?
Managing stressful moods attached to money

By Dwight Bain

When you are one paycheck away from financial disaster it doesn’t take much to trip and fall over into the abyss of despair. News of foreclosures, downsizing and soaring bankruptcy levels only make it worse for terrified and stressed out families who often feel stuck in what I call “Survival Mode”.

When a family feels stuck in the survival mode they worry about everything. Stress comes from every side; getting enough groceries or gasoline can be a struggle, trying to figure out how to get through the challenges of making rent, trying to find enough money to turn around and pay down their growing debts. A roof over their head is one of the biggest factors because often they are forced to move from the home they have lived in for years over to more affordable temporary housing.

They have to go through major adjustments because of reduced financial resources which ripple over into areas you might not think of like family members who avoid going to the doctor when they are sick because there isn’t enough money for medical care or prescriptions. Vacations are replaced by ‘stay-cations’ because the concept of disposable income for the purpose of casual entertainment is long forgotten when a family is stuck in survival mode. College and retirement are also forgotten concepts because they struggle to just get through the day.


Destroying more than credit scores

During these tough economic times we have seen financial pressure destroy more than money and credit scores. Marriages breaking up, workplace violence, aggression toward banks, the IRS or financial institutions, a spike in suicide, homicide, or familicide, along with a rise in addictive behaviors, (gambling/porn), an increase in alcoholism and prescription drug addiction. Face it, many people are caught up in a tangled web of intense emotions and it’s caused by fear way more than by finances.

There is an old saying on college campuses, “no mon – no fun” or put another way, when the cash runs out, the party is over. This mindset isn’t just true for college students, because there are millions of families facing financial distress who are feeling that their lifestyle is over because they are stuck in the survival mode of daily life. For these families there is no fun while waiting for a financial lifeline to be thrown their way before they drown in debt. So how can families facing incredible financial pressure break out of the survival mode?


Survival is more than it seems

First understand that SURVIVAL is not just a physical concept, (like food/water/shelter), it is also a psychological one driven by deep emotional needs to feel safe and in control on one’s surroundings. When a person feels intense financial distress they can become irrational and full of desperation, leading to desperate decisions which only makes their stressful situation worse.

Here’s what Joseph LeDoux, a neuroscientist at New York University said about how the brain functions in high stress situations during a recession. “Survival depends on the ability of an organism to respond to threat or reward and predict the circumstances under which they are likely to occur. The emotional brain is highly attuned to signs of potential danger.” Since survival is more than the basics it’s important to take aggressive action to meet both the physical and psychological needs within a family.

How can a family break out of being stuck in Survival Mode?

First they have to identify the facts of their situation, and then balance their feelings against the facts. Let me explain how it works.

Identify your FINANCIAL status then identify your FEELING status
For an honest awareness of your actual status, (FACTS)

When considering your financial situation, consider both your actual financial level and then the actual circumstances of your lifestyle. I suggest considering this on 3 different levels- Survival, Stability and Security. This way you will be able to cross reference between your finances and feelings to know how to accurately respond.

(Circle any of these lifestyle factors that apply to your current situation to gain a realistic picture of your overall situation)

SURVIVAL LEVEL, (Basic)

Financial functioning with just the basics of food, clean water, shelter, clothing, utilities, housing, safe place to sleep, proper hygiene products, public education, public transportation, public assistance, community health care, banking through money order or cash advance, no savings, no emergency fund, no cable television, no vacations or entertainment choices, no health insurance, no life insurance, no retirement, basic phone/911 service, significant debt with likely poor credit score or tax problems, minimal wardrobe with few choices of clothes and shoes, used furniture, used appliances and used cars are the norm.

STABILITY LEVEL, (Building)

Financial flexibility with access to multiple professional services, owns home, cable television, high-speed internet, occasional vacations, occasional travel, moderate holidays, prescription medicine, dental care, optical care, dependable/safe car, gasoline, car insurance, multiple cars, health insurance, professional CPA /accounting services, lawn care, dry-cleaners, regular car maintenance, new furniture, new appliances, new clothes/shoes, new technology, access to home repair services, private education for parents and kids, home alarm systems, smart cell phones, multiple phone lines, (cell phone, land phone, fax, or home based toll-free), access to storage units to maintain their growing possessions, access to multiple entertainment experiences (professional sporting events, live music concerts, theme parks), occasional dining out, modern wardrobe with many clothing and shoe choices, professional hair-cuts, access to participate in team sports, basic retirement plan in place, health club membership, savings accounts, checking accounts, regular vet care for pets, regular medical care for family members, fully funded 6 month emergency fund, access to college and continuing education, plus all of the categories from the Survival level.

SECURITY LEVEL, (Blessed)

Financial freedom as evidenced by access to many choices and options, multiple new cars, fully funded retirement, fully funded IRA, extensive stock portfolio, PPO health insurance, frequent travel, regular vacations, extensive holidays, golf/tennis country club memberships, recreation vehicles, (motor coaches, boats, motorcycles, ultra-lights, wave-runners, 4 wheelers, planes), multiple homes or rental properties in real estate portfolio, vacation homes, personal tailors, personal assistants, exclusive private education, legacy protected through extensive estate planning and funded insurance or financial trusts, access to frequent dining and entertainment experiences, (at the highest level this would include attending major events like the Super Bowl, Olympics, World Cup, major concerts, going backstage at Broadway plays) plus all of the categories from the Stability level.


Life is like the stock market

I believe people flow through these 3 stages throughout life on a regular basis because no one is perfectly financially secure all of the time. Learn to view them more like a stock market report that goes up one day and down the next. It changes many times based on the circumstances on any given day and a wise investor knows not to panic but to trust the process. Life goes up and down, in fact Jesus taught that life would get tough but that we would never be alone in the process if we had faith, “In this world you will have trouble, but be of good cheer, I overcame the world.” (John 16:33)

Life flows- it doesn’t stay fixed at one particular level all the time. Since it ebbs and flows a healthy family has to learn how to flow with it between these three levels so that their mood can stay healthy and balanced no matter which level they may be on during a given day.

I’ve met people who were incredibly financially secure when you considered their portfolio on paper, yet who didn’t feel emotionally secure at all. Finances and feelings often don’t match and when they don’t people can quickly turn to panic. Listen to what author Orison Swett Marden said about this, “Our destiny changes with our thoughts; we shall become what we wish to become, do what we wish to do, when our habitual thoughts correspond with our desires.” Literally what we believe about money will affect our moods.

When a family feel stuck in survival mode they frequently don’t believe they can change because they feel trapped in a downward debt spiral which could end up in bankruptcy, homelessness and complete financial ruin if all of their resources are depleted. Yet this disaster mindset often isn’t based in the reality of what is happening that day, but in the anxiety about the worst case scenario unfolding in the future. It is a completely one-sided point of view that only considers the worst that could happen without considering that anything good could happen to offset the bad.


Moving from Panic to Peace

To break out of the survival mode a family has to break out of being focused on the financial pressure, which only brings panic; to turn and focus on faith in a better day, which brings peace.

Often these fearful emotions aren’t shared equally with the whole family, because the entire emotional load is frequently carried by only one spouse or parent who hides it from their partner and the rest of the family. The pressure often can become unbearable on this person, leading to feelings of failure, shame or embarrassment along with stress related disorders or depression which takes a complicated situation and makes it much worse for them and for the rest of their family.

God never designed for one person to carry the whole load of a family- no one is that strong. Rather, we need to share the burdens with the entire family so that one person doesn’t get burned out trying to carry the entire load alone. (Remember the classic television show “the Walton’s” about a depression era family who always pulled together and got stronger when facing financial challenges… that’s a lot different than many families today who seem pull apart from stress when facing financial pressure).

Another factor to consider is that every person reading this is a member of 1 of the 4 financial levels represented in the US. Once you identify your financial level, (more of the facts), then you can move forward to tackle your fears and frustrations, (the feelings), in a realistic way.

Average income levels in the United States:

___ Wealthy -$259,706 & above

___ Upper middle - $74,700 to 259,706

___ Working - $46,700 to 74,700

___ Poor - $20,200 to 46,700

These income levels came from a 5 year project conducted by researchers at Harvard College & Duke University and later published in a book called "Building a Better America.” They found out more than just income because they asked a lot of questions about what that income level actually represented in terms of lifestyle.

So what does this mean to a family feeling financially pressured? Let’s go back to the FACTS to find out. If a family is in the middle to upper income range with access to retirement funds or lines of credit and someone in the family lose a job or has a car in need of a major repair it’s not a crisis, it’s an inconvenience.

However, if a person from the working class has the need for a major car repair and they miss even 1 paycheck they could be facing a major crisis because there simply are not funds or lines of credit to solve the problem. So they have to park the car and save to repair the car another day.

It would seem that a wealthy person would always feel financially secure, but that’s not the case based on the number of people from upper income neighborhoods who have resorted to self-destructive behavior during recent years as the great recession slowed our nation’s economy to a grinding halt. Oddly enough many people with great financial reserves and very comfortable lifestyles reacted in a panic mode that would have suggested they were about to become homeless, when in fact they were only having to shift to a different level of lifestyle because of a change in finances.


Money affects Mood

You have likely seen when someone feels financially confident how they spend more than they should and ignore the reality of their total financial situation especially if they don’t live on a budget. The same holds true when someone feels financially insecure and shifts into panic mode making things seem worse than they really are.

How to stay emotionally secure when life has panic, problems, nuisances and crisis events? Remember that crisis reveals what you believe about yourself and your situation. If a financial setback occurs it can create an opportunity for radical change which can be for the good if a family learns to pull through it together, instead of pulling each other apart.

A great example of this is author and financial coach Dave Ramsey, who faced a complete financial meltdown with the strength of his faith and family. Listening to his story of how his family ate beans and rice for a few years while rebuilding financial stability is inspirational to anyone facing tough financial circumstances. (Learn more about how this family pulled together during some really tough financial times at www.DaveRamsey.com)

Learning to balance your actual finances, (income level) with your feelings, (emotional level) will guide you toward getting out of the mindset of believing your life is over because of struggling with cash-flow.


They aren’t going to Eat You

No one is going to kill you if you can’t pay all of your bills on time, but self-destructive behavior can ruin everything. Creditors aren’t allowed by law to harass you and my hope is that you and your family will learn to see the many options you have when facing a financially tough time and not fall apart in the process. Consider the words of author Dale Carnegie who said, “Do you remember the things you were worrying about a year ago? Didn't you waste a lot of fruitless energy on account of most of them? Didn't most of them turn out all right after all?”

People stuck in survival mode can’t see the long view that things usually do turn out better in time, so I recommend they focus on a 24/7 model of coping in tough times. Basically you think about what you need to focus on for the next 24 hours over the next 7 days and don’t worry about things outside of that time frame. Yes, I know this will fly in the face of what Forbes magazine tells you to do about your long term retirement planning, but in a financial crisis you don’t have enough emotional energy to fight battles today while worrying about twenty years from now.


Worst of Times can often lead to the Best of Times

Remember that tough financial times can actually help a family identify their priorities a lot faster than any other time and these challenges can lead to remarkable personal development. For instance consider both sides of this situation to gain perspective. When facing financial pressure do you and your family focus on:

Cash Flow or Character?

Net Worth or Self-worth?

Consumerism or Contentment?

Pity/Panic or Peace?

Feeling insecure or Secure in faith?

Fearful or “Faith-full?”

Self-provision or God provision?

Workaholism or Worship?

Escape reality or Facing reality?

Financial failure or Financial student?

Greedy/Self focus or Generous/Serve focus?

As you can see there are many ways to look at a financial tough time, but it’s been my experience that a wise person learns to see beyond dollars to develop the real issues of their character and soul. Robert Schuller said it well, “Tough times never last, but tough people do.” To break out of financial survival mode you have to know what you believe and then let the pressure push you deeper in those beliefs to become who you were meant to become. The toughest of times can actually become the best of times when you and your family develop these core values.


Here are the rapid ways to break out of Survival mode:

1. Share Burdens. You are not in this alone and there are others struggling with the same issues. Reach out and talk through the financial pressure because it will take a ton of pressure off and prevent emotional burnout.

2. Supports. Find support through your church, from extended family, from financial support groups in your community and basically any other place you can find. The more pressure on you, the more you need supports around you to manage that pressure.

3. Skills to cope. Journaling is essential to get out of the survival mode. Writing out your fears and frustrations will reduce pressure. Listen to positive music, take a yoga class, practice meditation, read biographies of people who made it through tough times, exercise and especially stay disciplined about getting enough sleep because exhausted people become emotionally frazzled faster. Learn to do all you can for the day and then go to bed and rest up to face another day with God’s help.

4. Systems. Develop routines for your family to manage tough times. This could be as simple as developing a grocery list to having family meetings about the home budget or setting a pattern to follow when facing unexpected medical expenses or costly repairs.

5. Strategy. One of my favorite sayings during tough times is “You always have options,” because it’s true. You can always call your creditors, you can call a hotline, you can sit in the floor and cry to release pressure or you can go out and look for a part time job for extra income. To develop strategies is to get a legal pad out and aggressively list every option. You will be surprised at how many strategies there are in tough situations when you can creatively list them out. And the more options you see, the more confidence you will feel.

6. Scripture. Study biblical principles that protect your mood, (here are some of my favorite sections of scripture which I repeated hour by hour through some of the toughest times of my life to stay focused and not afraid - “God will keep you in perfect peace when you keep your thoughts focused on Him.” “Cast all your anxiety on God because he cares for you.” “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength,” “Fear not for I am with you, be not dismayed because I am your God.”) I’m not sure what your favorite verses are, but memorizing short sections to meditate on continually throughout the day will give you new spiritual strength. (Side note- this strategy isn’t about a particular religious view, it’s about developing deeper faith. Since it’s impossible to get through tough times without faith it’s essential to know what you believe if you are going to break out of the survival mode)


Never Alone on the Journey

Don’t forget, no matter which financial level you are at you are not alone. Millions of families are feeling stuck in survival mode and they are making it, and you can too. You are not a failure if you are facing tough financial circumstances, but you do have to take bold action to make some positive changes in your life. However if you wait and wait you can experience more pain and embarrassment. Better to be proactive to move from the survival mode over to stability by making calls and asking for help.

Facing tough times isn’t just limited to this generation because thousands of years ago the Apostle Paul wrote Timothy these words of wisdom to use in building deeper faith when facing financial pressure.

“A devout life does bring wealth, but it's the rich simplicity of being yourself before God. Since we entered the world penniless and will leave it penniless, if we have bread on the table and shoes on our feet, that's enough. Lust for money brings trouble and nothing but trouble. Going down that path, some lose their footing in the faith completely and live to regret it bitterly ever after. But you, Timothy, man of God: Run for your life from all this. Pursue a righteous life—a life of wonder, faith, love, steadiness, courtesy. Run hard and fast in the faith. Seize the eternal life, the life you were called to, the life you so fervently embraced in the presence of so many witnesses. Tell those rich in this world's wealth to quit being so full of themselves and so obsessed with money, which is here today and gone tomorrow. Tell them to go after God, who piles on all the riches we could ever manage—to do good, to be rich in helping others, to be extravagantly generous. If they do that, they'll build a treasury that will last, gaining life that is truly life. (1 Timothy 6:6-19 in the Message)


Getting Past the Pride

False pride prevents a lot of people from asking for help, which is odd since many people who literally would give you the shirt off their back if you were struggling financially are embarrassed to reach out and ask for help from others. Reverse pride is still a major roadblock for families, and especially when they may have been at a very stable or secure level in the past and now are stuck in survival mode.

My challenge to people stuck by false pride is to get over it and reach out to some of the wonderful agencies and organizations designed to help in situations just like the one you may be facing. Pharmacies have discount programs, doctors have payment plans and everyone will work with you if you reach out honestly get past your pride to explain your situation.

A practical bottom line to begin this process of moving from financial survival mode to a more stable place is to aggressively work together to save money in key areas like groceries, cell phones and medicine. Here are some links to get you started in your search to gain financial stability by accessing the many values available online.


Big Savings on grocery products

www.couponmom.com
www.couponmountain-com
www.MySavings.com
www.retailmenot.com
www.Savings.com
www.CoolSavings.com
www.couponsurfer.com
www.printablecouponspot.com
www.smartsource. com
www.redplum.com


Savings on prescriptions

http://www.internetdrugcoupons.com/ http://www.prescriptiondrugs.com/
http://www.yourrxdiscounts.com/ http://www.nextag.com/ http://www.reduceprescriptioncosts.com/ http://www.patientassistance.com/
http://www.onlinepharmacycoupons.com/
http://www.edrugsearch.com
http://www.patientassistance.com/getcard.html

(& accessing sites like www.Groupon.com for discount family entertainment)


These coupons are free and available to anyone who wants to take the time to make a grocery list, (to prevent over buying) and then map out and print coupons for those items. It may not sound like much of a savings, but the average family can pocket another $20-50 per week, ($1000 to $2500 per year) by getting creative with coupons. Every dollar saved takes pressure off of a family which moves them from the survival mode over to feeling stable. When families work together to manage financial pressure they can feel financial peace and the best part is that they did it together.

This way they are creating positive memories of making it through tough financial times as a family who pulled together instead of terrible times of watching one or both parents self-destruct and pull each other apart by spending too much time stuck in the survival mode. There is a better way… find it and deepen your faith and build a stronger family in the process.

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About the author- Dwight Bain is dedicated to helping people achieve greater results. He is a Nationally Certified Counselor, Certified Life Coach and Certified Family Law Mediator in practice since 1984 with a primary focus on solving crisis events and managing major change.
Posted by The LifeWorks Team at 6:39 PM

viernes, 4 de junio de 2010

How to 'Freak Yourself Out'

How to 'Freak Yourself Out'
A formula to Steal Motivation

"Reprinted with permission from the LifeWorks Group weekly eNews, (Copyright, 2004-2010), To subscribe to this valuable counseling and coaching resource visit www.LifeWorksGroup.org or call 407-647-7005"


By Dwight Bain, Certified Life Coach & Nationally Certified Counselor

Have you ever watched someone ‘freak themselves out?’ If you aren’t familiar with this expression, (which I learned from our teenagers), it means to be so totally stressed you can’t think or function normally. So, back to understanding why people ‘freak out’ since this self-destructive process steals motivation and makes life miserable. Why would people do things to make their life seem worse? Even more importantly, are you doing things that steal your energy and rob you of the motivation? Let’s find out fast if you are living the ‘freaked out’ formula so you can enjoy today, instead of just enduring it.

The ‘Freak Yourself Out’ Formula

First understand there really is a process to create a ‘freaked out’ experience where life goes from bad to worse. It follows a series of predictable steps. ‘Freaked out’ people have conditioned themselves to follow a pattern of behavior that makes every day chaotic and every situation a catastrophe.

They never allow themselves to relax and count blessings because their total focus is on their problems. They don’t actually have good days, just less miserable ones where nothing goes right because they are always looking for the worst possible scenario. It’s like the old saying, “Cheer up- things could get worse. So I cheered up and sure enough, things got worse.”

If the only things you are searching for are more problems, then you can be sure that you will find more than enough to stay stressed out and afraid. Here are the basics of the ‘freak yourself out’ formula and remember the more elements of the formula you have in place, the worse you will feel- guaranteed.

Spiritual Strategies to create Significant Emptiness-

1) Ignore God and anything that would inspire you to see beyond yourself. No Bible reading, no prayer, no journaling or meditation about the blessings of your life, which would stimulate gratitude. Avoid any type of function that takes you out of your own world or that might make you aware of the greater needs in the rest of the world. Just focus on yourself and ignore everyone else.

2) Skip going to any church or concert where you might find inspiration, and make sure to skip any activity that places you around positive or prayerful people. This includes any form of shared music or ministry, including helping the homeless or reaching out to other families who may be facing tough times. As long as you stay focused on yourself and your problems you can feel empty, afraid and alone.

Media Messages to steal Motivation

1) Focus on the evening news and current events, especially big tragedies you can’t do anything about. This approach is guaranteed to discourage you with negative media messages which often are full of depressing images that discourage you with a continual flood of bad news.

2) Make Hollywood celebrities your main focus, especially if they have multi-million dollar lifestyles that you could never hope to obtain. Keep up with the drama of every tiny detail of their lives; in fact spend more time studying what is happening in the lives of famous strangers than you do in studying what is happening in your own life or anyone in your family.

Physical Steps to Feel Miserable

1) Ignore your own health. You can do this faster by neglecting to get enough sleep. Push your body to the limits and never sit still to take quiet times to just sit and rest. Follow the rule that ‘burning out is better than rusting out.’ (Forgetting that either way- you are just out)

2) Stay idle. Sit still and watch TV or the Internet; but never exercise or move around. In fact, stay inside most of the time and never allow yourself to see sunshine or feel the wind on your face. Nature is to be considered evil because being outside often reminds people of the beauty of creation. Use amusing entertainment to replace all forms of physical fitness.

3) Eat anything you want, especially large portions of comfort foods followed by soda with lots of sugar and caffeine. Remember the rule - the worse the food is for you, the worse you will feel. Avoid anything healthy or nutritious if you want to always feel freaked out.

Emotional and Financial Methods to Ruin your Day

1) Keep all your fears inside and never take time to release pressure in healthy ways. No journaling, no mapping out insecurities on paper to prevent feeling panic. And make sure to never set goals that would give you a positive point of view in facing the future. Stuff your stress to make the day worse.

2) Don’t ever budget or create a realistic financial plan – in fact, just let your financial obligations pile up until you feel like you are drowning in debt and financial fears. Not having any idea where you stand financially is sure to make you feel worse.

3) Never tell anyone what keeps you up at night, in fact, avoid any coach, counselor, pastor, family member co-worker or friend who might be a safe person who could help you process your fears to find greater strength. Go it alone to improve your chances of feeling miserable.


How do successful people ‘snap out of it’ to find new energy?
Have you ever felt beat up by life? Can you relate to feeling overwhelmed, undervalued, empty, lonely, unloved, stressed, depressed or afraid? Then you have likely followed the ‘freaked out formula’; but don’t feel bad because I’ve been freaked out before too.

Some of my worst days were spent with a dark cloud of moodiness overhead that I made worse by following the formula. I suspect the same is true for you because everyone feels overwhelmed at times and everyone has been too stressed to face the day.
Successful people have learned to identify the ‘freak out’ formula so they can make rapid adjustments to feel better fast. The real problem is when you feel so exhausted and beat up by life that tomorrow looks worse than yesterday. So what about you -do you wake up refreshed to face a new day with positive energy or do you live ‘freaked out’ day after day?

The Secret to Positive Energy is E-MOTION

The bottom line secret to feeling stronger to break out of the ‘freaked out’ formula is to remember that emotion really could be defined as E-MOTION. This is because when you drift through life with no positive movement, you always feel worse. When you learn to get up and get moving you always feel better and stronger.

Try this simple exercise sometime. Start marching in place and repeat three times, ‘I feel Good’. I know it sounds silly, but if you look in a mirror while marching and swinging your arms in rhythm you can’t help but smile. Just creating movement and motion will improve your mood and fire up your motivation. In other words, you have a lot more control of your mood and motivation than you ever thought possible.

Moving from being ‘Freaked Out’ to Feeling Good Again

Successful people take positive action to break the ‘freak out’ formula. Everyone faces challenges and tough days but some face them with strength by doing the opposite of the formula listed above. I’ve tried it both ways, and in fact ruined some days because of being so moody. Thankfully there were people around me who could say, ‘snap out of it’, ‘get on track’, ‘you were meant for more than this.’

Do you have someone who comes alongside to challenge you with positive steps to break the ‘freak out’ formula? On your worst days do you go it alone, or allow safe people to come close and help? If you don’t have those people know that my purpose in life is to add value to others, so until you believe in you, I’ll believe in you. God placed you on this planet for greater things than you could ever imagine!

Please let today be the day you break the ‘freak out’ formula to really embrace feeling good. No matter what you are facing today, you will face it better by doing the opposite of the formula listed above so you can develop spiritual, emotional, financial and physical strength. You really do have the power to change and make today better. Choose to break the formula and when you do, tell others what you learned so they can break out of the ‘freak out’ formula too.
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About the author- Dwight Bain is dedicated to helping people achieve greater results. He is a Nationally Certified Counselor, Certified Life Coach and Certified Family Law Mediator in practice since 1984 with a primary focus on solving crisis events and managing major change.

Datos personales

Mi foto
I was born once in my dear city of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, where I now live once more, after living 18 years in the state of Massachusetts where I was born again.