Life's Better Here | Audio Feed

LNO stands for "Ladies Night Out" and is time of connection for every woman - any age and life situation. We meet once a month on the 3rd Sunday night in a very informal, casual style that lends itself to lots of interaction. More information is available at http://www.newhcc.com/ministries/inspire_women.html Recorded live at New Horizon Christian Center, March 20, 2011. © 2011 New Horizon Christian Center. All Rights Reserved.

LNO stands for "Ladies Night Out" and is time of connection for every woman - any age and life situation. We meet once a month on the 3rd Sunday night in a very informal, casual style that lends itself to lots of interaction. More information is available at http://www.newhcc.com/ministries/inspire_women.html Recorded live at New Horizon Christian Center, February 27, 2010. © 2011 New Horizon Christian Center. All Rights Reserved.

Pride is such a tricky thing in our lives. It sneaks in when you least expect it and causes you to do really dumb things! God tells us very plainly in the Bible to have nothing to do with pride. There are many reasons God warns us against pride. One for for sure is to save us embarrassment. Another reason is that pride keeps us from fully submitting and trusting in God. So come on Girlfriend, let's step away from pride and embrace God fully, before we do something dumb! ’cause Life’s Better Here!

The word repentance can seem so old fashioned, irritating and annoying. We have come so far, I am so grown up and capable and confident. Besides, I really don't have time to deal with the hassle. The only problem with this is that I keep making mistakes! Why do I still find myself blundering it with people and situations! Ignoring my faults do not make them disappear. Instead they seem to get worse. Humbly repenting to God and those around me is the only way to reverse the guilt and damage caused. So come on Girlfriend, let's be quick to repent and admit our shortcomings! ’cause Life’s Better Here!

We all have tough stuff we have to overcome. I want to encourage you that you are not alone. God is standing in the window, giving you the go ahead to fight through. The Bible assures us God will not give us more than we can handle. I am always surprised that with Christ I am able to do far more than I think I can. What I think is just too big or too much to carry, through persistent faith, I am always able to overcome. You have more in you than you think! So come on Girlfriend, Let’s get through this thing and win! ’cause Life’s Better Here!

There are so many things that need changing. What can one girl like me do to make a difference? The answer is ‘A LOT!’ There is a lot we can do and a lot we can change just by being Christ in our world. We can quite strife with a soft answer. We can silence despair with hope. We can stop destructive choices with truth. We can dispel fear with love. Just being Christ’s heart, voice, hands and feet, we can change and influence that person that is near us right now. Trying to change the world can be too much for our own ability. But giving Christ to the one closest to us at this moment will make a bigger difference than you can imagine. Use your influence, be an influence….’cause Life’s Better Here!

Courage is the thing that gets you through You are so important to God and to those around you. Everything that you do needs to be done. Sometimes we can feel a little overwhelmed with the opposition to what we need to do. Things can get hard and challenging. We can feel like we are a little four year old with a stick facing giants with real weapons. If that’s the case then we need to have four year old courage as well! My son did not realize that in reality he was much smaller and less equipped than his opponent. He was convinced he had what he needed to overcome everything in front of him. It’s the same with you. No matter how big or small you are or how well equipped you are, God is behind you and with Him you are more than a conquer! Take courage, be encouraged, you can win because…..Life’s Better Here!

My children are notorious for re-defining the use of certain things. Some for the good, some for the worse. A stick becomes a gun, a towel becomes a means of flight, a blanket becomes a fort or a castle. God watches us do the same. The very woman He made to overcome and win (that would be you), tends to yield to discouragement and failure. God is the one that invented you. He knows what He has instilled within you. It's our job to let Him define us and our world. God does a much better job in setting our course than we do. Don't let yourself DE-VALUE you, instead let God DE-FINE you. Read the Word of God and you will be encouraged with what He sees in you. You will be amazed at His plans for you. So come on Girlfriend, listen to what God says about you because, Life's Better Here!

The power of contentment is highly UNDER-rated. Contentment is what helps us center our life in peace. The constant striving for more and any unhappiness with what we presently have can rob us of any peace that we might enjoy. But to be content almost seems like stagnation - aren't we suppose to be becoming more like Christ? More prosperous? More mature? The answer is yes, we are to continually press for these things but at the same time realizing that God loves us just the way we are, right now and right here. His love and acceptance is not based on what we will become. Instead, the Word says that while we were yet sinners He died for us. Before we became anything! So the Word calls us to be content and yet press on. This is how we can keep our peace and joy AND look up and beyond ourselves and keep growing.

Prayer is a universal activity. Everyone does it. If given the right circumstance even the atheist prays. I want to encourage you to pray, pray often and pray to God, your Heavenly Father. Prayer is your way to connect with the one that made you. It’s your way to hear from the one that created you. God loves you and has your very best in mind. He loves it when you take time to be with Him. He is truly your Heavenly Father in the purest sense of the word. Regardless of the actions of your earthly father, God wants to protect you, provide for you and be a part of your life. There are four aspects to prayer. Using the word ACTS as an acrostic you will be sure to hit all four as you pray. A stands for Adoration. This is your time to tell God how much you love and appreciate Him. C stands for Confession. This gives you the opportunity to ask for forgiveness for anything that you have done that is contrary to His will. T stands for Thanksgiving. It is so powerful when you take time to express your heart of gratitude for everything that He has done for you. S stands for Supplication. This is your opportunity to bring your needs to God. Direction, provision, and wisdom come from God and He loves to pour them out on those who ask. Don’t let prayer intimidate you. Call out to God and He will hear you and answer your cry. Don’t wait another minute and don’t use another excuse. Dive in and seek Him. You will be amazed at how it will change your life.

One thing I appreciate about the Bible is that it is not all about perfect people. Actually, the Bible is full of people that really messed up! As you read the Bible you will see a pattern. God is not about our being perfect. Instead, God is all about our being willing to give Him our brokenness so that He can make us something better! The Bible just might be the biggest book you have ever attempted to read. I want to help you so that you don’t get lost in it. Some people seem to get frustrated and give up before they’ve gotten to the ‘good stuff’. To keep that from happening, here are some pointers before you get started. Be sure your Bible is one that you can understand: That huge white one that grandma has on her coffee table with everyone’s birthday in it may not be the best one to start with! Look on the spine of your Bible. About half way down it will tell you what version it is. Try to stay away from the King James Version. It was written back in the 1600’s and is very hard to understand. If you can, start with a New International Version, New American Standard, or a Message Bible. These Bibles are closer to today’s language. Take it in bite sized pieces: I want to encourage you to start by reading about a chapter or two a day. Begin reading in the New Testament. The first four books of the New Testament give the story of Jesus’ life. Of these four books I recommend starting with John. Psalms, in the Old Testament is made of very short chapters that you can add in each day to encourage you as well. Journal: As you read the Bible, be sure you to keep a journal. Write down those things that really seem to leap off the page at you. It is also good to write down any questions you have, things that don’t seem to make sense. That way you can bring those questions to someone that has a bit more understanding and can help you. Be sure you get involved in a good church. They will be able to help you understand what you are reading and answer those questions for you. So come on, let’s get started reading that Bible because…Life’s Better Here!

There isn’t one person that can live and flourish in this life without relationships with another person. Some people try to isolate themselves but the end result is a strange sight. There is a reason that one of the worst prison sentences handed down is solitary confinement. We are made to interact with other people. Some relationships are strictly business. The checker at the grocery store or the gasoline attendant. Other relationships are on a deeper level – those people that you see more regularly and interact with. Then there are others that are considered ‘friends’. These are people that we choose to become closer to. They see our good and our bad. Good friends cover our flaws and love us beyond them. Good friends also see our positive traits and love us for them. Friendships can be painful and full of drama. Don’t give up on friendship just yet. Take a minute and a deep breath. Consider who would be a worthy risk and try again. Be the kind of friend that you desire. Base your actions on what you would like to have from your friends. Allow yourself to open up and connect. After all, relationships are there to make you a better person.

Hope is such a vital part of life. I think we can survive anything if we have hope. Hope for a better time, hope that there is a purpose for what we are going through, hope that our dreams will come to pass. Hope requires us to believe in something bigger than ourselves. That when we come to the end of what we can do, there is someone to pick up the slack. I know that I am not enough to complete all that is required of me. I am not enough for my kids, my work, my husband. I believe that God is there to fill in the blanks. Hope gives me the strength to continue on when I am at the end of myself. I know that God will be there when I am out on a limb and there is no limb left. I am never ‘all by myself’. He is always there to help finish the job. Hope gives me joy when everything is down. Just the word hope has a tendency to put that smile on my face. I know that what is in my hand is not the last word. I have a belief and a hope in all that God can bring forth. Hope is the opposite of discouragement. Discouragement is being without courage. Hope is the thing that puts courage back into your heart. Hope is courage, joy, future and strength. So come on, fill your mind and heart with hope. Because, Life’s Better Here!

Life is not a bed of roses or a box of chocolates! All day, everyday we are faced with hard things. Some are just small little disappointments all the way to very huge difficulties as well as everything in between. All of it can make or break us. The biggest thing to know and understand is that regardless of what goes on around us, our reaction is just that – OUR reaction. I have been raising kids now for 20 years. If I have learned anything during this time, it is to not make a mountain out of a mole hill. If only I could get back the time I spent 'stressed out' about the messy house, or the huge 'to do' list. Looking back, we all survived but I lost out on those opportunities to hug and love and laugh. I have also come to realize that my attitude directs the attitude of those around me…I am contagious! I was watching a home video a while back. Jasmine is about 2 ½. She is sitting at the kitchen table coloring and singing and having a great time. My husband is videotaping her. I happened to come home and walked into the kitchen. I am obviously NOT happy. I have no recollection of what the big deal was but apparently it was a BIG deal. My husband talks all cute to Jasmine and then asks me about my day. I grunt and vent a little frustration. The camera never moves from Jasmine. When she hears my irritated voice, she looks up from her picture and watches me with a concerned look on her face. After a few moments you can watch her face cloud over. She quits singing and starts to color with a bit more emphasis. Within a few more moments she is acting out and visibly upset. The camera then turns off. My stress and frustration transferred directly to her without any direct interaction. A wonderful moment in her little life turned sour and she had no comprehension of the reason why. Stress keeps us motivated, moving and changing. It is not meant to overwhelm or dictate our present emotions or our future life. Don't give away your joy, you can survive this thing, it's going to be OK. You can more than survive, you can overcome, you can rise above and come out smiling. Life is long and this current situation is very short. Keep everything in perspective. Your joy and those you love that are around you are far more important than anything that may be frustrating you. Come on Girlfriend, keep stress in its right place – under your control because…life's Better Here!

It’s all about perspective. How many times have you heard that one? Regardless of the source or the amount of repetition, it’s true. I believe that how you look at your situation has more bearing on where you will end up than the difficulty itself. Have you ever found yourself frustrated over certain people or events, and rightly so? "If they would just…things would be so much better." Given enough time with this line of thought and I will have run myself into a pit of irritation and even anger. Along with that comes pity, righteous indignation and the temptation to quit. None of which really benefit me or help me overcome the original situation. Just when I’m thinking that life is so hard and unfair, I hear of someone up against something worse. There they are, sharing their tragedy and yet still smiling and victorious. All of a sudden my issues are minuscule and I am acutely aware that my complaining sounds like a whining two year old. My daughter and I traveled to Uganda a few years back. It was during a particularly difficult time in our relationship as well as facing some emotional challenges here at home. I really felt I had permission to be in the dumps. While in Uganda, we had the privilege of meeting a young man in his 20’s attending Bible College. He was so full of smiles and infectious energy. This delightful person had every right to be bitter and angry. He was born with deformed legs. He had a pair of rubber boots that he would wear on his hands and drag himself everywhere he wanted to go, including the muddy one mile trek to school and back every day. Anything he needed or wanted, down and off he went. Never asking for help or requiring sympathy. Nothing stopped him physically, mentally or emotionally. Struggle is normal in this life. Pressure is the very thing that strengthens muscle. You are going to have challenges. The question is, will you allow God to give you peace and life or will you see it as insurmountable. Are you the victim or the victor? Come on Girlfriend, you can smile! Tough times are short and your God is bigger than anything in your way…Let’s do this thing with good perspective because, Life’s Better Here!

My husband woke me up yesterday out of a horrible dream. I actually thanked him for waking me up! I was dreaming that I was traveling with 3 of my friends. We HAD to get to a Seattle for an important meeting. We all had piles of luggage and I had my purse and my laptop. Somehow we were dumped off on a street corner and couldn’t seem to get any help. It started to rain and we were chasing after busses with all our luggage and I kept losing my laptop and my purse. The busses wouldn’t let us on. Of course it was my responsibility to get us there and I was desperately trying to succeed. I woke up EXHAUSTED and UNSUCCESSFUL! NO ONE WOULD HELP ME!! This is how REAL life can be – We need God’s help to get us through. Try as I might, I can’t seem to hold everything together! I can’t keep my kids from doing stupid stuff, I can’t keep my husband ‘on-task’ and I can’t fix the economic crisis (if they would just listen to ME)! No, this kind of stuff calls for someone bigger than me. I have to get God’s attention. First I call on him for relationship. It’s kind of hard to get someone’s help if we don’t even know them. Check out the ‘Getting to Know God’ tab on the home page. Watch my short video called ‘Getting to know God’ and see how easy it can be. This could be the most important thing you ever do. Secondly, come to Him from right where you are at. I love it when my kids come to me all banged up and dirty – in the midst of a situation and asking for help. I don’t despise their problems. In fact I actually love it when they are failing – at least they are DOING something! Thirdly we need to DO what He says. It’s a sad thing when I ‘know’ what to do but don’t do it. It’s all about realizing that He is a bit smarter than me….(could it really be?)… that He has a bit more control over the situation…(I can do this thing!)… and that He has a little bit more power to work that miracle than me….(not that I haven’t tried!). The Word of God is very clear that if we turn from doing things our own way, He will listen and help. He will take notice of our ‘insignificance’ as we attempt to interact with the God of the Universe. The crazy thing here is that we are NOT insignificant and unimportant to God. Instead we are incredibly SIGNIFICANT and IMPORTANT to Him. Just like a father would stop all that he is doing to bend down and respond to a little tug on a pant leg by a very small child – God will stop and take notice of you because you are His ‘favorite’ one, He is especially fond of you! So come on girlfriend, Take a minute, Get God’s attention because… ….Lifes Better Here!

Listen in as Pastor Joel gives a brief overview of Life's Better Here and its website, www.lifesbetterhere.org.