Success Secrets of Christian Meditation--Meditation as God Intended

Biblical meditation is the key to the God-kind of success. The greatest key to well-rounded success is the open Bible. Thus, the bedrock of Christian meditation is the Word of God. The words of God are the very thoughts of God that created the universe. All you need to do to succeed is to update your life with the thoughts of God by meditating on the word of God. There's no way you can fail incubating the same intellectually creative and productive thoughts that fashioned the universe. "Tell me the mind of God and all other things are details," says Albert Einstein.

"The secret of being a wise person is to meditate on God's word daily, not just read it. Through meditation on God's Word, I learned God's answers to life's most important questions: Why am I here? What is my purpose in life? What did God design me for? It's all in the Word." --Dr. Rick Warren

Biblical meditation is what creates spiritual wisdom and wisdom is the foundation of wealth, witty inventions and dealing with all affairs of life. Yes, the laws of life are laws of success. You cannot divorce a life of inspiration from aspiration in life. "This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth. but thou shall mediate therein day and night; that thou may observe to do according to what is written therein; for then thou shall make your way prosperous and thou shall have good success" --Joshua 1:8

This is the success advice that God gave Joshua and subsequent generation of Christians. You notice that this verse on meditation is the only place prosperity and success is mentioned together in the entire Bible.

To many Christians, when they hear about meditation, their mind is closed because they think of what they see on TV and the secular media. The image they have of meditation is Eastern mysticism and new age garbage. It is better to light the candle of Christian meditation than to quench the fire of New Age meditation. No doubt, the God kind of meditation is Biblical meditation. And the bedrock or entry point of Biblical meditation is the word of God. Yes, the Christian mantra is taken from the Scriptures and not a meaningless phrase from an eccentric guru.

Biblical meditation is the ability to plant, and cultivate the word of God in the garden of your heart for creative and productive living. Because life is measured in thoughts, whatever you meditate is what you manifest. what you visualize, is what you materialize. Thus, biblical meditation is the most powerful way to manifest and possess your divine inheritance.

Words produce images and the soul must think in pictures. To manifest God's promises, the Word must become flesh. It is not enough to dream; you must convert the dream into reality through meditation. The process of meditation is to dream, visualize, incubate and hatch.

I have devised an acronym to help you meditate and manifest any promise in the word of God. Call it MR. AM (Meditation, Revelation, Application, Manifestation).

Therefore using the Word of God as the mantra or focus phrase of Biblical Meditation, let's breakdown the above meditation process into 7 components of Christian meditation:

Localization, Personalization, memorization, verbalization, visualization, actualization and materialization (manifestation).

My next discourse will explain, expound, and expose the 7 components of Christian meditation.

Road Warriors - Staying Fit and Healthy On The Go

Do you travel for your job? Don't think you can keep up your exercise routine while you are on the road? Not true...

Just because you are traveling for work doesn't mean that you don't have time to stay fit and keep in shape. Excuses do not help your heart or body nor do they allow you to able to keep up with the demands of your life. If you use a bit of imagination or the resources readily available to you, you can maintain your fitness routine no matter where you go.

Health Club Members


If you are a member of a health club, getting in a workout could be very simple. Many clubs allow you to use their facilities in other cities as a part of your membership or for a small fee. You could also ask your club if it participates in any programs that offer privileges at other facilities. Guest passes to certain spa and athletic clubs are sometimes free for one day -- check with the front desk. Often these clubs will give guest passes to the hotel for the hotel's guests to use.

Hotel Gyms


If your health club does not have arrangements with a club near your hotel, check out the facilities in your hotel itself. Ask at the front desk alert about the hotel gym. Lots of hotels at least have treadmills or similar machines, which are much better than simply laying in bed and watching TV during your stay. Then there is the pool -- which almost every hotel has. You could always take a swim. Swimming is definitely a workout that will work every muscle in your body.

The Y-M-C-A


Also remember that almost every town has a YMCA or YWCA. Find the contact information in the yellow pages in your hotel room or ask the front desk and give them a call. You should be able to go to the "Y" for a small daily fee or perhaps be able to obtain a weekly pass.

Using Your Imagination


If necessary you may need to get a little creative, by using your hotel room as the gym of the day. Exercising in your hotel room is an easily and very convenient way to make certain that you get in your workout. Before you leave for your trip, pack some collapsible hand weights or elastic exercise bands or other equipment that is made for travel, and turn your hotel room into an indoor gym. Elastic bands are great for getting resistance without lugging around big dumbbells everywhere. You can also use chairs and other pieces of furniture to your advantage for exercise. Body weight exercises are enough for a great workout. Combine crunches, pushups, and legups. You won't exercise a large variety of muscles using only body weight, but you will at least be able to work on your heart and your endurance.

If Time is Tight...


Working out on the road is not as easily done when you are in route to your next destination or if your trip is only an overnight trip. If your time is extremely tight and you don't have time for a complete work out, there are other alternatives to not working out at all. Stretch in your room, take a long walk. You can jog in the park or take a few trips up and down the hotel stairwells to increase your heart rate and get a bit of a workout in.

With all of these ideas for a good work out -- even if not the best work out that you've ever had -- you should no longer have any excuse for not continuing your fitness routine while traveling. Just remember that it doesn't really matter where you are when you do your work out but that you do your work out where you are. And if you can't do the exact routine that you are used to, just take solace in the fact that you are getting a workout.

Walking off the Pounds One Step at a Time

Looking for an easy way to lose weight that won't take up much of your day? I know the answer is a big, resounding yes! I mean, who isn't? Why would I even ask such a silly question? Well, the answer is easy and only requires as many steps as you want to put into it. It's walking.

You'd be surprised how much good you can do your body just by moving those feet of yours. Walking at a moderate pace for just thirty to sixty minutes burns up stored fat and builds muscle which in turns speeds metabolism. By walking an hour a day, you are cutting your risk of heart disease, breast cancer, colon cancer, diabetes and stroke.

Not only is walking great for your body, it's also fun and extremely easy to start considering you already know how to do it. Walking can be the highlight of your day with the right routine. Here are some steps for those looking to add walking into their daily schedules.

Set expectations - If you haven't been active for a long time, like if walking from your couch to your refrigerator and back is your idea of exercise, you may want to start out slow and go only short distances.

Pick an easy first walk - No matter how far you are from your starting point; make sure you are able to get back there. Walking on an oval track a quarter mile around is perfect.

Find a place to walk – For many of us, a walk around the block is quick and easy, but what if the terrain is too steep, curvy, or isn't safe? Go to your nearest high school; most schools allow town residents to walk the track when it isn't being used. Head to a local park. They are always flat and very peaceful.

Don't pay attention to how far you walk – In the beginning, it matters more that you walk for a longer period of time. Faster and farther walks will come later on.

Set a time - When you first start walking, choose how many minutes you will walk. Decide on a length of time you know you can make. Try not worry about how short that time is, just reach it.

Increase your time – With each walk, you should be increasing your time by thirty seconds to one minute until you are able to sustain a ten minute walk. Don't worry if you can't go longer than the day before. Set the goal and keep at it until you reach it.

Work on speed and difficulty - After you are able to walk 45 minutes a day, it is now time to start on speed and difficulty. Try moving off of the oval track and increasing the difficulty levels by walking the city streets. There you will encounter obstacles such hills and declines.

Determine your target and maximum heart rate - If you are under your target heart rate, you need to increase speed for it to be beneficial. Decrease it if you are above. Weight loss and health will come through sustained effort, not through increased speed or distance.

Try interval training - Walk at an increased rate for one to two minutes, then slow back to your normal rate for two minutes. Every day or two add an interval until you reach your desired total time, including rest periods. As you become more physically fit, reduce your rest periods until they are down to less than a minute.

Your weight multiplied by distance is normally equal to the energy you use during walking. Your time does not matter as much as your distance. For most beginner walkers, it is best to increase the distance before working on speed. Only increase your speed later on. By speeding up your walking, you will be burning more calories per mile which you may not be ready for.

Seek the opinion of your doctor before following of any diet treatment and regiment. Only a doctor can provide you with advice on what is safe and most effective for you.

Meditation & Awareness - 15 Tips to Get More From Your Spiritual Discipline

Meditation is one of the most important spiritual disciplines.
The benefits of regular meditation are numerous, too many
to list, yet peace of mind is one of the greatest.

Here are some of the meditation tips we recommend in
our Psychic/Meditative State Script.

*Try meditating on an empty stomach or at a different
time of day.

*Try it after a hot bath or shower.

*Try it after exercise.

*Try it after sex or instead of sex when in the
mood.

*Try relaxing music. Experiment with different kinds
to test which works best for you.

*Try no music.

*Try listening to our Let Go recording
( http://www.holisticmakeover.com/LetGo.htm )
which utilizes brain-mind technology to effortlessly
guide you into a meditative state.

*Try aromatherapy. Open a window when burning
incense or candles indoors to vent any toxic fumes.
Try rubbing a dab of pure scented oil on the back of
your hands or on your neck. The scent will relax you
and help you focus.

*Avoid all drugs. Even "just" marijuana "only once in a
while" hinders intuition and clouds your mind for weeks
afterwards.

*Try meditating with someone you love or with a group
of friends. The combined energy will help you go deeper.

*You may be sensitive to something you're eating or
drinking. Pick a day and eat lightly, perhaps about half
of what you usually do. Consume what you know will
be easy to digest, such as lightly steamed vegetables.
You should be able to focus more easily provided you
feel lighter and more alert.

*Avoid sugar, including fruit sugar if you have sugar
sensitivities.

*Watch the caffeine. Don't go without it if you know
you'll have withdrawal symptoms, but don't overdo it
either.

*Certain supplements, herbs, and medications, especially
if they affect your mood, may be disagreeing with your
system and causing you to be scattered. Ask your doctor
or health professional for alternative recommendations
or if you can do without them for a while.

*Try deep breathing rapidly in and out through your mouth
or nose for at least five minutes. Ten is better.

*Roll your closed eyes up to your third eye area, between
and just above your eyes. Keep them focused there at a
comfortable position without straining them. This position
can automatically induce an altered state.

*Alternatively, with your eyes closed, try focusing your
attention on your chest plate. If your attention starts to
wander, begin counting at 1 and imagine each number
appearing on your chest plate, as if you are painting them
with an invisible paint brush.

*Close your eyes, breathe gently, and fantasize about
your dreams and goals. What would your life be like if
your dreams came true? These fantasies will help you
become relaxed and may allow you to focus more.
Patience and practice are important. Sooner or later
something will click.

*Ask for help. If you keep asking God or your guides or
angels of the Light how you can be more successful with
meditation, you'll eventually become aware of effective
ways to go deeper and focus better. You'll be a pro in no
time.

*If you're still having trouble perceiving anything, jump
start the process by using your imagination. Tell yourself
you'll perceive the first image, thought, or feeling, in
response to any of the questions or instructions in the
script, on the count of three. Then count one, two, three
and provide a picture or thought from your imagination
or memory. Continue this process until other images that
feel more related to the issue you are exploring start
filtering into your mind.

*If you have tried everything and you still can't seem gain
any insight, there may be two other reasons: First, your
expectations may be interfering. You may be expecting to
see something when you might be more successful perceiving
in a different way, such as sound or feeling. Try not to think
during the process. Stay open and try visualizing white light
around you. Second, you may be blocked emotionally,
mentally, or spiritually. Keep asking for help, continue
practicing while utilizing the white light, and stay open
for clues.

*It will also help you to realize that meditation is best
approached as a long-term discipline, one that offers
invaluable benefits for those willing to commit to it.

Copyright © 2007 Scott Petullo, Stephen Petullo

Seattle SuperSonics' Future Uncertain

The Seattle SuperSonics had their worst season in 21 years and now owner Clay Bennett is contemplating whether he should fire coach Bob Hill or general manager Rick Sund.

To top it up, Bennett failed in his attempt to get approval to build a new $500 million arena in the Seattle area. In all probability he will move the team after the next season. Then there is Ray Allen who had surgery in both his ankles and this cost the Sonics 26 points per game in the last month of the season and they went for 31-51. The season was marked with injuries and erratic play.

Then the team's second leading scorer, Rashard Lewis, is due for free agency in July 2007.

Other than all these problems, everything is fine with the Sonics.

Allen said that these were uncertain times for the team and everyone is to be blamed for the bad results. He further added that no one could walk away from the team feeling they did a good job. Allen felt that the team was just not good enough and each person was to be blamed for the fiasco.

Over the last half of the season, Bennett has refrained from giving a vote of confidence to both Hill and Sund. Instead he said that they would be evaluated.

In all probability Bennett will fire Hill or Sund or both. Bennett will be deciding whether he needs to bring his own people to run the team next season.

Sund began his management career with the NBA in the mid 70s with the Milwaukee Bucks. He was hired by Wally Walker in 2001 when the Sonics were under previous ownership.

Hill was a coach in New York, Indiana and San Antonio. He has just completed his first full season coaching the Sonics. The Sonics picked up his one year contract option at the end of the last season and he was an assistant under Bob Weiss. After Weiss was fired, Hill replaced him and finished the last season 22-30.

This is the fourth season in five years that the Sonics have missed the playoffs. They had a franchise record 15 game losing streak that started at Thanksgiving and ended nearly till the Valentine's Day. This has ensured that the Sonics get their highest draft pick since 1990 when they picked Gary Payton with the second overall pick. This time the Sonics will get either the No. 1 or No. 2 pick in the draft lottery.

I Think I Should Start Going To The Gym

This thought has surely passed through the mind of every person at some moment, but notwithstanding the multiple benefits that we know that can be obtained by including physical exercises into our lives, a lot of people never start with these activities and others do start but quit very soon. What do we have to do to have a fitness lifestyle? and very important too, how to keep it?







Goals





As everything in life, one have to think and realize which are the important reasons, for each one of us, to include fitness as part of our lifestyle. These reasons might vary a lot from one person to another, but it is very important to state them to ourselves because they will become the base to determine our "goals".





Some goals might include:

• Improve my physical conditions and be healthier.


• Get more confidence in myself by feeling better about my corporal appearance.


• Get more strength to have better performance at activities of my interest.


• Lose weight to look good in the clothes that I really like.


• Strengthen some injury of the past.

Realistic Expectations





You now have your goals defined, you know exactly what you want, and you are completely decided and motivated. At this point, it is important to have some knowledge for you to have realistic expectations, because reaching your goals is not going to be something that will happen overnight, a lot depends on what you want to accomplish and what are your actual physical conditions.





Maybe a period from two to three months could be an average time to start viewing notable results at your body, this suggestion is just to have an idea and is not a rule since all bodies are not the same.





If you do not see changes in one month, do not start thinking that it is because it just does not work "for you", although you might have seen how fast the improvement was for some friend of yours or somebody else.





It is important for you to take on account that each body is different and give yourself time to improve, have patience and do not quit because it was not a magical process that made you reach your goals at light speed.





There is a secret you must know, there is no magical process to be in shape, it requires dedication as every other important thing in life, the reward is bigger than what you imagine and a huge part to be successful at it is to learn to enjoy it.







Hello! I Am The Trainer





So, you are ready! you walk inside the gym full of motivation and you head toward to do some bench-presses thinking that you are going to give all your potential so you add all the weight that you think you can lift, you lay down, start, and oops! now the bar and all that weight is on your chest and you cannot move it, luckily the trainer of the place goes and helps you, safe now! What should be learned about this? Always have present that there is a trainer at the gym and he is there to guide and help you.





At arriving at the gym, go talk to the trainer stating your goals, your situation, and what you want to accomplish by going to the gym, the trainer will teach you the adequate exercises routine that you should follow, which will help you reaching your goals in an optimal time and way.





If you already have an exercises routine, anyway, show it to the trainer to get advice about it since he/she is there to help you and, after all, you already paid for the service of this help.





Do not hesitate about consulting with the trainer any doubt you might have, which might be about types of exercises, routines, nutrition, what to do, what not to do, etc.







Learn To Enjoy It





To obtain satisfactory results you should learn to enjoy these physical activities since goals are not reached overnight and we do not want to quit at half way, right?





The best advice to enjoy our exercises routine is considering it as something more than that, it is a social activity. Who does not like to socialize with friends, have good conversations, and have a good time? Turn your routine into that, meet new people and make new friends, after all, if they are there it is because they have similar interests to yours.





Do not go just to do exercises away from everybody else, talk with the people there and turn the going to the gym into something fun, they will support and help you with your new fitness lifestyle. Just make sure to balance everything, socialize and do your exercises since it is not very probable that your tongue is going to give you the physical shape or conditions you want and it is not going to accomplish your goals by itself.





You can learn to enjoy your physical activities in many ways in addition to what we mentioned, discover them along the way and use them to keep a more healthy, fit, and fun life. Remember, think about your goals, have realistic expectations, consult and ask for help to the trainer, and learn to enjoy fitness and the great benefits that it offers to you.

Fat Loss Lie - Part 10

:: You can drop 30 pounds of fat in 30 days ::

You see ads like these all the time, and they sure are enticing, aren't they? They play on our emotions and our desires for instant gratification.

But is it really possible? Can you really drop Pounds that quickly?

The answer is YES. It's quite possible to lose 30 pounds in 30 days or 10 pounds over the weekend. But that's the wrong question; the question YOU should ask is,

"How can I burn 30 pounds of FAT healthfully and keep it off permanently?"

Don't confuse WEIGHT loss with FAT loss!

Your body is 70% water, so it's easy to drop pounds quickly. Any diet that dehydrates you will register quick, dramatic loss on the scale.

Want to cut 10 pounds over the weekend? That's easy; Just stop drinking water. Of course that would be pretty dumb and pretty dangerous too, but that's what you're doing when you lose too fast (you're simply dehydrating yourself - or worse - you're losing lean body mass too!)

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), one of the largest and most respected health, medical and exercise organizations in the world, has set guidelines for healthy rates of weight loss.

In their position statement on "Proper and improper weight loss programs," the ACSM recommends losing at a rate of no more than two pounds per week.

This two pounds per week guideline has become recognized as the standard rate for safe weight (fat) loss.

Time after time I see people get impatient and they attempt to violate this rule, only to chew up muscle, slow their metabolisms and eventually gain all the fat back...and then some!

You can take off 30 pounds of weight in 30 days, but you'll NEVER take off 30 pounds of fat in 30 days; nature just didn't intend it to be that way.

There are virtually no limits to what you can achieve in the long run. However, you must be patient; there are definite limits to how quickly you can safely achieve fat loss.

When you get yourself on a good, solid, no-gimmick program, you will absolutely astonish yourself at how much you can achieve in 3 months, 6 months, 12 months.

Yes, it takes time.

But if you don't start now, then when? Look at it this way, if you think it's going to take too long to do it the safe healthy, natural way, then just remember... the time is going to pass anyway. When 3, 6, 12 months rolls around where will you be?

And if you lose it too fast and end up gaining it all back in 6-12 months time, then where did that really get you?

I cannot and will not promise you miracles, but I can promise you that 8-12 weeks from now, you can see major progress and 6 -12 months from now, you could look and feel like an entirely different human being...never to go back to your old self.