Universal Life Church Monastery of Massachusetts

Thursday, March 10, 2016

LIFE: Make a gratitude list

I’ve heard that what we focus on, we empower and enlarge so if we find ourselves being negative, we actually invite more things in our lives that will attract negative thoughts and feelings. Negativity tends to distort our reality and oftentimes we find ourselves thinking irrationally. I mean, really, how many times have we told ourselves, “This is so terrible and I can’t handle it!” but in reality, we could and did handle it and it wasn’t “so bad” after all”.

Reality tells us that life isn’t normally quite as terrible as we think. To become more positive, I encourage you to sit down and make a gratitude list. List the things you are grateful for in your life whether it be attributes, people, relationships, material things, etc. Everyone has at least one thing to be grateful for. Making a gratitude list and looking at it frequently will help you to focus on the positive things in your life.

Thursday, March 3, 2016

HEALTH: Success

God wants us to be successful spiritually, physically, and emotionally. Our bodies are God’s temple and it is important for us to take care of our bodies. We find in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 that our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God dwells in us, and we are therefore to honor God with our bodies.
How do we do that? By first, finding out what God requires of us regarding physical health. God’s word is a roadmap to health and if we want optimal health, it is important to read and follow God’s instructions. God is willing to help us honor him with our physical body. All we need to do is ask and put forth effort at following his guidelines for optimal health and happiness.

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

LIFE: Be humble

Humility is an important virtue that oftentimes gets overlooked. Humility means putting others ahead of you. It means having a lower opinion of yourself and willingly submitting to God and others.
In a world where selfishness seems to prevail, humility is necessary for peace to prevail in our society. Jesus thought humility very important as he states in the book of Matthew, “But the greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” (Matthew 23:11-12)

Are you putting others before you or are you looking out for number one? Ask God to show you how humble you really are and make a decision to walk humbly before God and others.

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

HEALTH: We think, We are

Proverbs 23:7 states that as we think, we are. The thoughts that we think about ourselves are exactly who we are. Who we are today is a product of the thoughts we’ve thought of all the years before today.
How do you see yourself physically? Strong, healthy, vibrant? Sick, tired, and apathetic? Your thoughts and perspective can help you or hurt you. If you struggle with negative thinking patterns, it’s time to change that. It’s time to begin thinking positive thoughts about you and everything about you. I encourage you to envision yourself healthy, strong, happy, and vibrant. No matter what your situation is or how you are feeling, visualize you at optimum level. Also, use positive affirmations such as, “I am strong. I am healthy. I eat healthy. I am confident, successful, and happy. I can do anything through Christ, who strengthens me.”
Before long, you will notice that you will change the way you feel and see yourself. You are not your thoughts, but your thoughts greatly influence your perception of yourself.

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

LIFE: Take control of your thoughts

Refuse to let negative thoughts rule your life. Our thought life controls us more than we’d like to admit, and if you are allowing negative thoughts to rule, then you will struggle with low self-esteem and living a life of disappointment and frustration.

God wants our minds to be at peace and full of good, positive, confident thoughts. God wants our thoughts to be full of faith and love and he tells us to take control of our thoughts. He tells us in the bible to renew our minds with the word of God and take every negative thought captive and make it obedient to what God has to say. 2 Corinthians 10:5

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

HEALTH: Diets

Our physical health can affect other areas of our lives such as career and family. If we are not feeling well or are battling sickness and disease, it affects not only us, but those around us.

God has given us the best diet plan in the Bible. If you will read Leviticus and Deuteronomy, you will find a diet blueprint that will help you walk in optimal health. Walking in good health requires discipline and commitment. You might not feel like eating fruits and vegetables over cookies and hotdogs, but the rewards of feeling energized and fully alive are well worth the effort. Educate yourself on how you can live a healthier lifestyle and share your good news with others.

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

LIFE: Love

When asked the famous question, “What is love?” I always refer to what Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 13. If everyone could live according to these admonitions, the world would be such a loving and joyful place.
“Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. Love doesn't strut, doesn't have a swelled head, doesn't force itself on others, isn't always "me first," doesn't fly off the handle, doesn't keep score of the sins of others, doesn't revel when others grovel, takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, puts up with anything, trusts God always, always looks for the best, never looks back, but keeps going to the end. Love never dies.”

In a world where we see more than we’d like of selfishness and hatred, we need to strive to walk in love daily and be an example of God’s character. Love really does make a difference.

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

HEALTH: Learn the art of meditation

Various cultures and religions have used meditation for healing for thousands of years. Studies have revealed that mediation can help those who suffer from stress, pain, depression, and high blood pressure, as well as an assortment of other ailments.

Meditation calms the mind and allows individuals to learn to take back control of their lives. There are various meditation techniques used throughout the world. The bible explains that if one meditates and follows God’s word continually, then he/she will have success. Take some time to learn about mediation and commit to spending time each day in prayerful meditation.

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

LIFE: Habits

In order to create a good habit it has been said that you need to do it for 21 days straight and those who take the time to develop good habits state that it is worth the time and effort. Good habits such as eating healthy, creating goals, being on time, doing chores, and so on seem to make life go smoother and increase self-esteem.

Bad habits can be procrastinating, nail-biting, being late, over-spending, yelling at your children, and so on. If you find yourself stuck in bad habits, sit down and write down what they are. Then create a plan to change the negative habit into a positive one. For example, if you are continually getting to work ten minutes late, set your alarm to go off fifteen minutes earlier and consistently make the extra effort to get there on time. The more you do this the easier it will become.

Take the time to invest in good habits. Feodor Dostoevski speaks volumes when he said, “The second half of a man’s life is made up of nothing but the habits he has acquired during the first half.”

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

HEALTH: His Plan

God has a divine plan for optimal physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Through Scripture, prayer, good nutrition, and modern medicine, we can walk in health, strength, and joy.

The Bible says God made all of our delicate, inner parts of our body and knit us together in our mother’s womb.” (Psalm 139:13) God created our bodies with organs and systems that work in perfect order. Ask God to help you live a healthy lifestyle and understand the healing power of God.