HEALTH: Being healed

Jesus was an extraordinary man.  He spent a great deal of his time going from city to city not only teaching people about God, but also praying and healing people.  There are many references in the New Testament of healings and miracles taking place.  In Matthew 8:16-17 it speaks of Jesus driving out demons from people that were brought to him and healing all that were sick.  Matthew 11:5 states that the blind could see, those who were lame could walk, and the deaf could hear. 

If God’s son, Jesus, was so concerned about healing all the sick, then it’s safe to say that God wants us healed and whole also.  God wants us in optimal health.  God laid out a diet plan in the Bible and if we heed God’s instructions, we will be able to walk in better health to enjoy this awesome life we’ve been blessed with.

©2010-2011 Minister Claretta Taylor Pam, Global Ecumenical Ministries Inc. and Universal Life Church Monastery of Massachusetts. All Rights Reserved

MARRIAGE: What do you focus on?

In any relationship, focusing on the positive instead of the negative is helpful when it comes to having a joyous and satisfying relationship.  Oftentimes, when couples are struggling it is because they are putting too much emphasis on the character defects of their spouse and not enough emphasis on the positive qualities. 

We must consciously make an effort to focus on our partners good qualities and appreciate him/her because of them. God gave your partner to you as a gift and it is important to be able to treasure your spouse despite their character defects.

©2010-2011 Minister Claretta Taylor Pam, Global Ecumenical Ministries Inc. and Universal Life Church Monastery of Massachusetts. All Rights Reserved

WORK: Hard work

Being successful in any area of life requires hard work, especially when it comes to your career.  You must work hard and not be afraid of failure.  Many successful men and women have failed over and over but they continued to get up and continue on, learning what they could from their failures.  Hard work and determination are necessary for success.  

An excellent quote regarding hard work comes from Norman Vincent Peale. “Nothing of great value in this life comes easily. The things of highest value sometimes come hard. The gold that has the greatest value lies deepest in the earth, as do the diamonds.”

Hard work brings prosperity but being lazy brings about poverty. (Proverbs 28:19)  If you have struggled with being a hard worker, make a commitment today to make a change.  Challenge yourself to put forth your best effort every day. 

©2010-2011 Minister Claretta Taylor Pam, Global Ecumenical Ministries Inc. and Universal Life Church Monastery of Massachusetts. All Rights Reserved

LIFE: Gratitude

Sometimes we get to feeling down in life, or tend to overlook the positive and focus on the negative.  I remember going through a particularly difficult season of my life and it seemed like every time I would go to my best friend about my problems, she would tell me to make a gratitude list.  I didn’t want to. A big part of me just wanted to stay on the pity-pot, but I knew deep down she was right so I sat down and made a list of all the things I was grateful. I posted it on my wall and looked at it frequently.

I realized that I was blessed beyond belief and I was allowing one or two things to distort my perception of my life.  I began saying thank you often and learned to cultivate an attitude of gratitude and foster a grateful heart.  Zig Ziglar nailed it when he said that, “Of all the attitudes we can acquire, surely the attitude of gratitude is the most important and by far the most life-changing.”

©2010-2011 Minister Claretta Taylor Pam, Global Ecumenical Ministries Inc. and Universal Life Church Monastery of Massachusetts. All Rights Reserved

WORK: Most productive hour of your day

While reading about successful business owners, I have noticed that the majority of these men and women have learned an important principle for success. It’s quite simple yet so many aren’t willing to utilize this technique.

It is simply taking time each day (a good rule of thumb is 1 hour) or when making your weekly schedule and making a list of the top priorities to accomplish for the next day and beginning your business day ACTUALLY DOING THESE THINGS.

Now during this hour, it is very important to turn your telephone off and don’t allow any other distractions. That means no texting, emailing, or surfing the internet.

I suggest you make it your goal to accomplish this in the morning before you begin other activities, but you can schedule this hour at anytime during your day.  Make sure it is a quiet place.  Bring a cup of coffee or water and learn to love this time. It just may double your productivity!

©2010-2011 Minister Claretta Taylor Pam, Global Ecumenical Ministries Inc. and Universal Life Church Monastery of Massachusetts. All Rights Reserved

HEALTH: Stress

Stress affects such a high population of America that the U.S. Public Health Service has made decreasing stress a high priority.  Stress has a tremendous impact on our physical, emotional, and spiritual health.  Disorders such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and strokes are at higher risk for those whose stress levels are high. 

There are various ways to reduce and manage stress.  Doctors recommend various techniques such as exercising, eating healthier, getting plenty of sleep, prayer, and meditation to alleviate symptoms of stress.  God does not us walking around all stressed out.  In Matthew 6:34 we find the writer admonishing his readers to trust God and stop being anxious about the future.  Worrying about things does not help matters.  Live one day at a time and allow God to take care of your needs just for today.

©2010-2011 Minister Claretta Taylor Pam, Global Ecumenical Ministries Inc. and Universal Life Church Monastery of Massachusetts. All Rights Reserved

MARRIAGE: Change

Sometimes when a couple gets married, things begin to change.  There is not as great an effort at winning over the other and little by little, time spent together may decrease due to jobs, kids, and other responsibilities.  With a divorce rate at more than 50%, it is important to understand that relationships need to be continually nourished in order to be fruitful.

Don’t stop nourishing your relationship just because you are married.  Take time to stay connected and keep the love alive and fresh.  Marriage requires many ingredients to be successful, but quality time and effort are extremely important.  This will also help your relationship to grow and deepen.

©2010-2011 Minister Claretta Taylor Pam, Global Ecumenical Ministries Inc. and Universal Life Church Monastery of Massachusetts. All Rights Reserved

LIFE: Hope

Are you tired, frustrated, disappointed?  Are you in a tough season of life and ready to give up?  Have you tried just about everything to get through, fill the void, and find some peace?  Listen to a quote found in Isaiah 40:31:

"But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength."

Perhaps your hope has been in something different.  Your job, your partner, your kids, etc. but this says that those who hope in God will have their strength renewed.  That’s great news.  When we are hopeful, it helps us get through adversity. 

As the Psalmist declares that his hope is in God and he waits expectantly for Him, so shall we hope and anticipate in God, who always has our best interest at hand. 

©2010-2011 Minister Claretta Taylor Pam, Global Ecumenical Ministries Inc. and Universal Life Church Monastery of Massachusetts. All Rights Reserved

LIFE: Success

Everyone wants to be successful, but many do not find it or feel very successful in their lives.  Success is defined differently by people, but it is generally thought to be a desired outcome For one, success may be

Regardless of what one terms successful, finding it is not accidental.  It requires knowing where you are and where you want to go.  It requires coming up with goals and making a step by step plan to achieve them.  95% of people do not take the time to create goals in their lives, thus they don’t have a plan.  The chances of being successful, whether it be spiritual, financial, relational, and so on, increase dramatically when the time is taken to devise goals and a plan.  If this is something you cannot do on your own, ask a friend to help you or hire a Life Coach.  The Apostle Paul stated that faith without works is dead.  He meant that we can sit around believing all day, everyday for our goals and dreams to come true, but if we don’t take action, it cancels out our faith.  Take action today by writing down your goals and creating steps to achieve them.

©2010-2011 Minister Claretta Taylor Pam, Global Ecumenical Ministries Inc. and Universal Life Church Monastery of Massachusetts. All Rights Reserved

WORK: Working Hard

We live in a society that puts a lot of status on vocation.  The typical motto is: “Work hard, make lots of money, and accumulate all you.” In other words, go after the American Dream even if it stresses you to the max!

I do believe God is concerned about our vocation and wants us to be productive no matter what role we find ourselves in, but God also tells us to set our hearts on what is in heaven, not on what is here on earth.  (Colossians 3:1-3) Yes, careers are great, and money is a necessity for paying the bills, but to be obsessed with earthly things, or neglect our family for more material possessions, is not God’s will.  

God wants us balanced.  Ask God to help you be balanced with your time and energy regarding your career and know that your spirituality is not separate from your work.  You can be spiritual at your job as well as at home.  Ask God to help you perform your job with a good attitude whether it be at home with the family or at work with the boss. 

©2010-2011 Minister Claretta Taylor Pam, Global Ecumenical Ministries Inc. and Universal Life Church Monastery of Massachusetts. All Rights Reserved