THE PHARISEE AND THE TAX COLLECTOR

It is fair to say that I have read this parable dozens if not hundreds of times. I’ve been “in church” since my birth and this was a Sunday School story for me. However, it is only recently that I have really thought through the story, and realised that it contains a trap into which our very nature causes us to fall, all too often.

Best summarised, that trap is this: "Lord, I thank you that am not like this Tax collector!”

In this Gospel (Luke 18:9-14), we see two ways of praying. One is arrogant, proud and contemptuous of others. As the Pharisee “prays”, it is telling that the text virtually says he is “praying to himself”. It is as if God is somehow meant to feel grateful that there are at least a few people as observant of the rules as he is. This is in comparison with the sinful and despicable outsider symbolised by the tax collector behind him. Yet his “prayer” is not accepted. It is not really a prayer at all but a speech of praise to himself.As Christians or as regular churchgoers, we can sometimes feel superior to others. The line of demarcation may vary: we may feel superior to those who have dropped out, backslidden, those who have no faith at all or perhaps those who lead what we regard as “immoral” lives or follow a completely different set of rules.  When we read this story, we must be careful not to scapegoat the Pharisee by committing exactly the same mistake ourselves.The tax collector is certainly a sinner; he has done wrong, that is not denied in the story or by himself. The key thing is that he knows and acknowledges his sinfulness. He is deeply repentant and he puts himself totally at the mercy of God. “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” 
(1)God accepts the prayer of the second one because he acknowledges two things
(2) God is not only his judge but his Lord and Saviour. His sins are not just against others, but against God    just as David confesses in Psalm 51:4).
(3) It is no comfort to compare himself with anyone else. He does not judge anyone else; only himself.We must be careful not to fall into a similar trap – "O Lord I thank you that I am not like this Tax collector". The issues he has, the faults he falls into are common to man – the idea of being superior because of a tribe we belong to, a label we carry, and the pernicious idea of “being in” whilst others are “out”, and the great temptation to judge others in order to make ourselves feel better about ourselves.
It is so easy to subconsciously feel bad and guilty about our own lives, but we project this onto others, in an insecure attempt not so much to judge them per se, but primarily to make ourselves feel better. When we do it, it points to a lack of peace and assurance in ourselves, about God’s love for us. God has freed us from slavery and saved us from sin – has asks only that we confess and repent. He does not ask that we outperform anyone else, and he expressly forbids us to stand in a place of a judge. So this is not just a story of warning and admonition but it is also a story of great reassurance. 
The real underlying point of the story is justification before God is unrelated to our works and virtues. That means that any of us, whatever we have done or not done, or however bad we feel about ourselves, can approach a merciful and loving Father in penitence and faith and go away right with God.Our prayer must always be an expression of our total dependence on God. There is nothing that we can give him which He has not given us first. All we can do is to make an effort to return a fraction of the love that He showers constantly on us. We are and always will be in his debt.

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Uhanan Mimi

SUBMITTING TO GOD'S CALL

Today, God is asking you, “What is that in your hand?” Then He is waiting for your answer. Whatever is in your hand, whatever skill, profession, ability, facility, capacity, or opportunity you may have, it is God who gave it to you. Moses had a staff in his hand. What do you have in yours? The only wrong and unacceptable answer is, “Nothing!”

Next, God is going to say to you “Give it to me, and let me use it for My honour and glory!” This was the experience of Moses, and a part of that story is in Exodus 4:1-12. God selected him before he was born. God orchestrated Moses’ protection from Pharaoh who had decreed that all Hebrew male children should be murdered in order to control the exploding Hebrew population. God ordained that Pharaoh’s daughter would find him floating in the river, and adopt him as her own son. God ordained that Moses’ mother would be paid by the Egyptian Government to nurse Moses. God ordained that Moses would spend forty years being taught in the wilderness, after his first forty years being taught in the Egyptian palace. And all this time God was preparing and equipping Moses for the mission of a life-time – the liberation of the Israelites from Egypt.
God has a mission for you and one for me, and He has been preparing us for that mission. Even when we do not know what the mission is, we ought to submit ourselves to the training and conditioning hand of God. We ought to treat every experience, every trial, every hardship, every success, and every victory as part of God’s training for our next great assignment from Him. Under His guidance and with His equipping, we will accomplish the purpose of God in our lives. But first, we have to yield ourselves to Him and realise that “it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfil His good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13)
Selfish pride and arrogance is unacceptable in our relationship with God. But did you know that false humility and self-deprecation in the face of God’s endorsement is also unacceptable? If not, why then do we read in verse 14, “…Then the LORD’s anger burned against Moses…”
In an attempt to convince Moses that He was empowering him for the mission, God showed Moses the following:
1. The miracle of the burning bush
2. The miracle of the staff turned snake turned staff
3. The miracle of the healthy hand turned leprous turned healthy hand
4. Having performed three miracles, God promised a fourth – the miracle of the Nile’s water becoming blood.
Moses’ response to these four evidences of God’s presence, protection and miraculous empowerment was not to bow down and worship God. Instead he began to plead his own inadequacy. How did God respond? By telling Moses that it was God who made his mouth and He could just as easily make him speak fluently and effectively.
How did Moses respond? He essentially told God that He did not know what He was saying and that God had made a mistake in sending him to deliver the Israelites. He actually told God to send someone else. That’s when God got angry.Are you so humble, so modest and so aware of your inadequacies that you doubt that God can, and will effectively equip you to do the task to which He has commissioned you? To deny God’s ability to empower you to do what He has told you to do is not humility. It's absurdity.

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Uhanan Mimi

WAITING ON GOD

Waiting on God is admittedly not easy for many of us. However, if we had some very good reasons for waiting, then the wait would become a lot easier, and eventually, even the preferred course of action. If our perspective on waiting caused us to recognize that a one-month wait on God could actually save us time, money and heartache, and convert to a one-year time-advantage gained, then we would view waiting on God, not as a waste of time but as an investment with guaranteed high returns.The Online Dictionary’s definition of “wait” is: “to stay where one is or delay action until a particular time or event”. A second definition is, “to remain in readiness for a purpose.” In both instances, waiting is not to be confused with “doing nothing”. Perhaps we should use the term “active waiting” as against “passive waiting”. While we wait on the Lord for a particular instruction that we seek, we are expected to be actively involved in completing what He has already told us to do. Each morning you awake, there is no need to “wait on the Lord” to commune with Him or go to the bathroom.In 2 Chronicles 20:17, Jehoshaphat was told, “You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!” “Standing still” applied only to “not fighting”, and did not mean freezing like a statue. In fact Jehoshaphat organized the people to praise and worship the Lord. Then it was when they began to sing and to praise that the Lord set ambushes against their enemies. God never wants us to do nothing. God always wants us to do something. While we are faithful in finishing the task that we already know God has given to us, there will neither be the desire nor the opportunity to do nothing. Additionally, the assignment to praise God is a 24/7 calling.

Here are a few good reasons to wait on the Lord extracted from Psalm 62 and elsewhere. Actively waiting on God is an investment that pays the highest possible Return On Investments (ROI).

1. I know very little, really very little about many things and nothing about most things. God knows everything about everything.
2. I don’t know where I need to go, nor how to get there. God knows.
3. I don’t know what I need, nor where the supply will come from. God knows.
4. I know what I want, but I don’t know whether having it will be in my best interest. God knows if and when.
5. I do not have a clue about the inter-relationship between decisions I make, their causes and consequences. God does.
6. He has already given me the best gift. He saved me.
7. He will fight for me when I obey Him. Wait on His direction.
8. Waiting on God renews my strength for the journey. (Isaiah 40:31)
9. God has a plan for me and his thoughts towards me are good… make that, the best. Trust Him.
10. He always shows up in His perfect time. Wait, I say… wait on the Lord. (Psalm 27:14)

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Uhanan Mimi

GOD THE MASTER ARTIST

An artist paints so that people might see.You share beauty, elevate the imagination, inspire and challenge the senses, and seek to do it all without being blatant or obvious. The good artist will let the viewer discover truth for himself. God too, is a Master Artist.He paints, molds and shapes us into works of art like only He can do.He created us each in a different way and we are all on our own journeys and different stages of the process. There are aspects of your life and character, good quality things, He wants others to notice. So without using blatant tricks or obvious gimmicks, God brings the cool, dark contrast of suffering into your life. That contrast, laid up against the golden character of Christ within you, will draw attention to Him.Light against darkness.Beauty against affliction. Joy against sorrow. A sweet, patient spirit against pain and disappointment, major contrasts that have a way of attracting notice.Your life begins to snap with interest. People notice you out of the corner of their eye, and are drawn to you without really understanding why.They are in fact, seeing what the Master Artist wants them to observe: Christ in you, highlighted against an opposing force of dark suffering.You are the canvas on which He paints glorious truths, sharing beauty, and inspiring others.
So that people might see Him.I hope you yield yourself to the Master Craftsman and be molded and made into His likeness.

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Uhanan Mimi

10 STEPS TO BECOMING A BETTER YOU

Here are ten steps that will take you closer to becoming a better you:
1. Evaluate Your Behavior. Everyone needs a reality check, including you. Sometimes we need to stop and evaluate are attitudes and behaviors. We must ask ourselves questions like, "Does my attitude project negative or positive energy? Do people consider me to be a positive person? Do I easily get angry and lash out at others? Am I pleasant to be around?" These are questions that we must take the time to genuinely answer. Self-evaluation is the key to self-improvement.
2. Correct and Acknowledge Mistakes. Are you the type of person who swears they are never wrong and everyone else around them is? Do you find it difficult to accept and acknowledge your mistakes? Well if this describes you, you not only have an issue with being right all the time, you also have a pride issue. Prideful people are not pleasant to be around. They never acknowledge their mistakes and feel as though no one can tell them anything. Sadly, this type of behavior not only affects your relationship but it also affects your growth process. Learn how to acknowledge and correct your mistakes.
3. Be Humble. Brahma Kumaris explains it better than I can: "Greatness lies in being humble. A seed grows only when it is mingled with the mud. In the same way, the one who is great is naturally humble. He understands the truth that only when there is humility will there be success. Humility gives the power to bow down without reducing one's own self-respect. When we are humble we are able to be experience our inner greatness, which naturally keeps us set on the seat of our self-respect. So when the situation demands, we have no problem bowing down. We are able to allow the situations to work on us and we are able to strengthen ourselves from within under all circumstances..."Well said Kumaris.
4. Stop Complaining. Its simple than it sounds..stop complaining. Even I am guilty of this at times. When you complain you fail to show how grateful you are. You fail to appreciate even the small things that you take for granted. The amount of time you spend on complaining, takes away from the time you should be thanking God for all he has done in your life. Chronic complaining is good for no one, not even yourself.
5. Be Approachable. Stop being so stand off and unapproachable. Fix your face and your attitude while you are at it. What you fail to understand is that the more you knowingly or unknowingly try to block people away...the more blessings, opportunities and favors you miss out on. Even a billionaire understands the power of people relations. You cannot be a success all on your own, there will be people to guide you and help reach your goals. And you cannot reach the goals you set before yourself if you continue to build "The Great Wall" around you.
6. Get Over It! I cannot stress this point enough! To simply put it...GET OVER IT. Whatever "it" may be, Let Go and Let God. So many people are held in emotional, spiritual, and physical bondage over something or someone that they refuse to let go. I understand that there may be some experiences that one can never forget, but by God's grace you can overcome it. There are woman carrying baggages filled with negative experiences that they will not let go. Holding on to grudges causes bitterness, frustration, envy, jealousy and more. You are more than your hurt...challenge yourself to rise above "it" and hand your baggage over to God.
7. Respect Yourself and Others. Respecting yourself and knowing your self-worth must be the Golden Rule. In order to respect others you must first respect yourself. We live in a society were people must earn respect, which is understandable. But, I believe the process of respect is not about earning it but first and foremost giving it. Respecting others is a sign that you value their self-worth.
8. Embrace Change. Life is all about change. You must learn how to not only embrace change but accept it. Stop always playing it safe and living a stagnant life. Learn how to chase after your dreams. Don't be afraid of change, change at times it not always easy...but it is inevitable. So do the best that you can while transitioning through life. If you going to make a change...make one that everyone can believe in!
9. Love yourself. There is only one you. No one can be a better you and you cannot be a better someone else. Love who are you are, flaws and all. Embrace your uniqueness. You cannot love someone else if you hate certain parts of yourself. You must first love yourself and become a better you before you can love anyone or anything. Be you, bold and clear.
10. Let go and Let God. Cast all your problems and woes unto someone who can guide you. Let go of all the emotions and actions that is stunting your progression in life. Learn how to Let Go and Let God.
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Uhanan Mimi

STAYING FOCUSED

How many things can you focus on at the same time? In order to be correct, your answer must be, “one!” If you are not sure, then try focusing on more than one thought at the same time, or on more than one object at the same time. It simply is a physical impossibility. The trick is in the meaning of focus, and in the fact that focusing on anything is not easy, especially for long periods of time.This, like so many other physical realities can greatly positively impact our ‘spiritual’ lives. My today’s devotional recommends focusing on God as a means of taking our eyes off our circumstances. That is as true as it is true that focusing on the Devil will help to take our eyes off God’s solution to our problems. The point is that focusing and its benefits are neutral. It does not matter what you focus on, you cannot focus on something else at the same time.We therefore have two challenges. The first is learning to focus, and the second is choosing the right thing or person on which to focus our attention. It is a good idea to address these two challenges in reverse order, simply because the second is the easier to overcome. Every follower of Christ knows that we should place our focus on Jesus. Many of our hymns and choruses remind us of this.
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Look full in His wonderful face.
And the things of this earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.”
The bigger challenge is, how? How do we learn to focus on Jesus. A good place to start is to recognize that we have a problem. Most of us who have not as yet attained “prayer warrior” status, will testify that soon after we begin to pray, the tendency is to fall asleep. The disciples of Jesus would understand what I am talking about. Then we can consider the many times that our thoughts, words and actions clearly indicate that, we were not focusing on Jesus. So let us move quickly to some recommendations.
It is a good thing to begin with a growing desire to focus on Jesus. It is in my best self-interest to focus on Jesus, for then I place myself in the best possible position that I could ever be in to enjoy the best that God offers me. Putting it simply, it makes maximum sense for me.With the desire in place, the thoughts and the actions begin to line up. The more time I spend thinking about Jesus, the more I will feed and reinforce my desire to focus on Him. Since focus is all about concentration, focus is a function of time. Concentrating on Jesus is something that I must do every hour and every minute of each day. Fortunately, we have some help, because, although we cannot see Jesus, we have His Word. A good place to start is Philippians 4:8 – “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”Praying, or just simply talking to God is another vital ingredient. Meaningful relationships always include dialogue… and dialogue is always at least a two-way interaction. Again, God Himself will help us to pray when we fall short. Romans 8:26 tells us, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.”My favorite strategy is praise. This is where I get to give God thanks for who He is and for what He has done for me. This is where I get to count my blessings, and name them one by one. This is where I get to tell God how much I love Him, not because I am such a great lover, but because He first loved me (1 John 4:10). And then I acknowledge that love is a two-way street, and because I love God because He first loved me, He requires of me that I love others also, just as He loves me. (1 John 3:16). Somewhere along the line as I enter His gates with praises… I graduate into worship… something best experienced.Finally, it is in practical acts of love that we cement our relationship with Jesus. We do not “work in” our salvation, but we are expected to “work out” our salvation (Philippians 2:12). We are not saved by our good works, but we are saved unto good works (Ephesians 2:10). The day will come when Jesus will say to us, “‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. (Matthew 25:40)Focusing on anything for a long period of time is hard work, but there are “tricks in every trade”. Focusing in Jesus is one of the easier “trades” to learn. When we begin with a genuine desire, He jumps right in, and helps us achieve that desire. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.

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Uhanan Mimi

OUR DEEPEST FEAR

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”- Marianne Williamson

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Uhanan Mimi

A MATTER OF CHOICE

Life is just a matter of making choices perhaps the right ones. When we analyze any area of our lives we can simply scale it down to decision making. Being successful, motivated, healthy, frustrated,unhappy are all matters of choice. Each of our lives depend solely on the choices we make. We choose our current state of mind, state of emotion and state of well-being. No one should have that much power over you to make you choose how you should feel or react.When we begin to see how simply life can be just by the choices we make we no longer subjugate ourselves to others. When we take control of our own lives, decisions and emotions we can become more content and less anxious. We give people too much power. Too much power over our past, future and current state. By constantly letting others control who you are meant to be or remind you of who you used to be...you let go of the decision to live.

“Whatever you decide, don't let it be because you don't think you have a choice. “Part of making a good decision is just making a decision. You can't always sit and weigh the pros and cons. There just isn't time for that. Making a good decision means sticking with your choice and dealing with what comes with it. Being able to deal with the consequences—that's making a good decision.” ..Now that's living life.― J.X. Burros

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Uhanan Mimi

DEALING WITH DISTRACTIONS

Distraction is attraction to anything or anyone that is not consistent with your goal. The solution to negative distraction is to focus on positive attraction, as the magnetic composition of our bodies and our thoughts will always attract and be attracted to something and someone. Distractions result in many people failing to achieve their goals. The Christian walk is no exception. From my Today’s devotion,We are invited to deal with distraction that takes our eyes and minds off of Jesus, His Word and His calling. In order to better understand distraction, we need only to understand “attraction.”The Online Dictionary of Etymology tells us that both the late 14th century French word “attraction” and the Latin word “ attraction em” were originally medical terms that meant “absorption by the body” and then “action of drawing to”. By the 17th century, the meaning extended to magnetic and eventuality to personal qualities.An attraction is therefore anything or anyone that draws you to itself, catches and holds your attention, and absorbs your interest and time. When we find something or someone attractive, we are saying that person or thing is an attraction and is attracting us.
But not so fast! Is it not true that what attracts you might not attract me? Whether it is sports, movies, food, clothes, human physical structures, architecture or almost anything else, what attracts some people will not attract others. Since that is so, we are forced to agree that the power of something to attract your attention is given by you, the person who is attracted. Why does the same pornographic movie attract one person, and makes the next person vomit? The answer can only lie in the fact that the two people are different. The attractive power in pornography, as in everything else, is derived from the person who is attracted. It is true that like attraction, beauty lies in the eye of the beholder.
So let us turn the searchlight on to where it needs to be focused on ourselves. John 14:30 in the Amplified Bible Commentary quotes Jesus. “ I will not talk with you much more, for the prince (evil genius, ruler) of the world is coming. And he has no claim on Me. [He has nothing in common with Me; there is nothing in Me that belongs to him, and he has no power over Me.]” Temptation is attraction to the wrong thing or person. “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” (James 1:14-15)If you have not as yet surrendered your life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, you face a major crisis of being eternally separated from God. This crisis can be averted only through inviting Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sins and to take up residency in your life. Full stop. However, as Christians we must , by the help of the Holy Spirit, daily work on strategically creating a mental, physical, emotional, social and spiritual environment that will attract “all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1;3)
To do this is simple, but will take lust-like desire, time and patience. Consume your daily limit of 24 hours in constructively fellowshiping with other Christians, reading and studying God’s Word, praying, and confessing your sin to God, and to one another where practical. Earn money to support yourself and help those in need. Love your neighbor as you love yourself, and everything else of which God approves. Viciously abhor that which is evil. Cling to that which is good. Do this over and over every day until it becomes a habit. You will feel the attractive power of sin and evil become weaker and weaker in your life, as the Devil finds less and less in you that belongs to him. More and more you will find that what used to distract you, becomes nothing more than a trivial irritation before it hibernates indefinitely.
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Look full in His wonderful face…
And the things of this world will grow strangely dim…
In the light of His glory and grace!”

Thoughts from Dr Perspective

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Uhanan Mimi

GRATITUDE

Taking the time every day to recognize what you’re grateful for helps keep things in perspective. Gratitude carries you through the tough times, and gives you the strength to surpass the stress of challenges.Reflect on your family, your friends or the place where you live, and the satisfaction they bring you. Think about your good health and your mental or physical talents. Consider the pleasure you received from a phone call with a friend or a laugh you shared with your family.Look back on small and large moments – the affection of a friend, your success,or a deep and fulfilling partnership. These are all things that nourish gratitude. And, gratitude makes life worth living!

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Uhanan Mimi

ACHIEVING YOUR GOALS

Follow the road map of life.”The best way to achieve your goal is to have one in the first place!As obvious as it sounds, there are plenty of people who have no real goal in life. When asked, they’ll answer that their aim is to “be happy.” But what does that really mean?To achieve what you want in life, you need to set goals. If you don’t have direction, you have nothing to aim for. Without a target, you are shooting blanks into the wind. Real desires are solid, not nebulous and vague. How can you hope to achieve if you have nothing to shoot for?Be definite! Set well-defined goals. As you do, you will discover a map to a better life. It doesn't matter if these goals are small, at first. They are still goals, and when you achieve them, you can move onto the next one with a sense of confidence.Set an achievable goal, today, and relish journeying toward your destination!
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Uhanan Mimi

TURNING MISTAKES INTO OPPORTUNITIES

“Mistakes are opportunities.”
Making mistakes are an integral part of living, learning and growing as a human being. We all make mistakes!The question is, what do you do after the blunder? As a child, if you were made to feel like a failure, you most likely feel inadequate and often give up. If you were told that mistakes were inevitable and you were encouraged to try harder the next time, you probably have a better attitude.If you feel depleted and defeated after a setback, make up your mind today to change your mind-set. Realize that mistakes are lessons in disguise. They’re your chance to make better decisions the next time armed with knowledge you didn't have before.
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Uhanan Mimi

ON FRIENDSHIP

Our friendships mirror ourselves.

You can’t choose your family, but you can choose your friends. So, how helpful are your friends to self-growth?Are they supportive, encouraging you to strive and achieve? Do they provide a sanctuary of love and warmth when the world becomes cold and bitter? Do you love them with all your heart and is that love reciprocated?Or, are your “friends” not really friends at all? Is there a tinge of jealousy when you succeed? In hard times are they unavailable, only to reappear once the crisis is past? Do they spend their time with you talking in negative ways about others? If your friendship experience is the former, then you are indeed blessed. If it is the latter, now is the time to take stock of the negativity that you are allowing into your life.Release your relationships with negative draining people. Choose friends wisely and your life will be filled with love.
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Uhanan Mimi

CONSISTENCY

“A life consistent with your values makes you secure, confident and strong.” What do you believe in? What do you stand for? In other words what are your values?Values lie at the very heart of all you do as a woman, because values create the core of your personality and character. Only when your values are clear and you honor them, can you experience consistent self-confidence and self esteem.Think about what’s important to you. Ask yourself, “What do I value?” “To what do I aspire?” and even “What do I despise?” Honest answers to these questions make you secure, confident and strong.Do you live a life consistent with your values? If not, make changes until you can answer, “Yes!”
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Uhanan Mimi