The Woman You’ve Always Wanted to Be

By Taffi Dollar

Being a woman in our current society is tough. TV shows, magazines, movies, and other media outlets attempt to convince women to measure themselves according to society's standards. However, doing so limits the beauty of a woman. According to the world, you have to be a certain size, height, skin tone, and have a certain type of hairstyle and wardrobe to be considered beautiful. What does a woman do to uphold her self-image in a world where advertisements are flooded with influences that promote worldly beauty? This is where she draws the line by refusing to conform to society's image of beauty and renews her mind with the Word of God.

Due to impossible worldly standards, countless women have developed a poor self-image. Fear of not measuring up has caused them to develop harmful habits to prove their beauty and self-worth. For example, some women may spend all their money trying to keep up with the latest styles in beauty and fashion, and nearly starve themselves just to be thin. However, this type of behavior almost always leads to self-destruction. 

Women who have problems with their self-image are often bitter, angry, and have a bad attitude. When a woman doesn't know how to respect herself, she will most likely mistreat others. As Christians, we are taught to love our neighbors as ourselves. However, if you have never learned to love yourself, you cannot possibly love anyone else. 

Proverbs 31 is an excellent guide for all women, because this woman does not suffer from a poor self-image. Interestingly, the proverb does not describe this woman's physical appearance, yet by her works we see her beauty radiating from within. I am not saying run yourself into the ground trying to do everything this woman did! However, take note of how she lived her life and became a woman who was celebrated above all women. She was a woman of elegance and extraordinary intelligence because she honored God. 

Proverbs 31:10 says the price of a virtuous woman is far above rubies. She is rare, precious, and esteemed above treasured jewels. As a woman, you have to understand your worth according to God's Word. You can be the woman you have always wanted to be when you begin to see yourself as God sees you.

Make a quality decision to define your standards of beauty by God’s standards found in His written Word. When your self-confidence comes as a result of a personal relationship with God, you will realize that you are loved, precious, and

Standing Your Ground

 It is very important for you to know your right and insist on having it. If you don’t do this, you may spend a whole lifetime nursing sicknesses and diseases as they come.

I remember many years ago, the devil afflicted me with tuberculosis. I just woke up deep in the night one day and shouted, "No no, no. It is a shame to God that this thing is happening to me. It is a shame to You God!" That was the last I knew of that affliction. It just disappeared and I have been enjoying perfect health from that time till date. If I did not take my stand, I would still be groaning under that bondage today. 

You need to understand very clearly that if you are a child of God, you have been redeemed from sickness. There is no reason to live with sickness. Christ has done it. Take your stand and get out of that bondage of sickness and disease. God’s Word says: Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth (3 John 2). God’s ultimate desire is for you to prosper and be in health. In essence, God’s will for you is divine health.

It does not matter what your state of health was before. The moment you come into the experience of the new birth, God will do all things possible to ensure that you are made whole. Towards the end of this teaching, I will show you how you can have this new birth experience.

A doctor once tested my blood pressure and said, "Oh, very high!" I said, "Will you stop that! My blood pressure can’t be high!" I told him, "Some devil must have entered into your instrument. I am one of the healthiest people on earth. My blood pressure can’t be high. If it were not for medical test, I would not have come to you."

Before I walked out of his room, I told him to check himself up, that since he was also touching the instrument as myself, his blood pressure could be the one reading so high! I have nothing against medical doctors. They are good people doing their jobs, but I am not their customer.

It is high time you took your stand. You have to get to a point where the devil respects you. When it comes to his afflictions over humanity, you are not his equal. You are not on the same level with him. You are superior to him and you are far above him. Take a look at Deuteronomy 28 from verse 15. Look at every curse of the law, one after the other. Then compare those things with what is happening in your life and come out angrily, with a holy wrath and react violently against any trace of the curse in your life.

React against the devil. Let him know that Jesus hung on the cross and took your place and every curse was heaped on Him right there, and you are now free. The devil has no answer to God’s Word, but obedience. That is your freedom. You need to put more faith in what God says about you, than in what the doctors say. The doctor says you have an incurable disease and you believe it. Then you begin to plan your funeral before your death! His report begins to rule your whole system.

The doctor tells you you have no chance of being pregnant and your heart begins to fail for fear. He says your tubes are blocked! That is doctor’s report. Don’t lose sight of the fact that God is not bound to work by human reports. The Bible says: And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32). God’s Word is the truth which will make you free. Believe God’s truth at the expense of the doctor’s report and act accordingly.

God is not the author of sickness. He is the Giver of good gifts, including good health (James 1:17). He does not tempt any man with evil (James 1:13). The devil will continue to embarrass and harass you, until you violently take your stand against him. He is not a gentleman. Treat him harshly and violently (Matthew 11:12). If you pamper and placate disease, it will always make your body a suitable abode. Before the symptoms begin to manifest, you are already expecting them, and you are already out there looking for sympathizers! This should not be! Don’t give room to the devil (Ephesians 4:27). If you resist him, he will flee (James 4:7).

Do not treat any body ailment as ordinary. It is the work of the enemy. React against it violently, as you will react against the worst plague in the world today. That way, you stand your ground and take your victory of divine health by force.

Do not forget that one basic step to triumph over sickness, is the new birth. To qualify for the new birth, you have to confess your sins and accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. You can do so now, by saying this prayer: Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins. Today, I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You Jesus for saving me! Now I know I am born again!

Every exploit in life is a product of knowledge. 

I know this teaching has blessed you. Write and share your testimony with me through: email: nseng78@yahoo.com

Simple rules to becoming your own sales superstar.

As a business owner, you're in sales whether you think so or not. Every day you have to sell yourself and your product or service to grow your business. If you're not sure you have the personality to succeed in selling, consider these 13 simple rules to create a superstar sales mindset.


1. Stay hungry. Every good salesperson I've ever encountered is driven. They have a strong work ethic and a high energy level. They work harder and longer than their peers. When the economy is poor, they are still out there pounding the pavement, making calls.

2. Never compromise your integrity. I've always believed that telling the truth is the best policy. In business, especially today, it's a must. A few years back, the Forum Corporation in Boston studied 341 salespeople from 11 different companies in five different industries. Their purpose was to determine what separated the top producers from the average producers. When the study was finished, the results were startling. It was not skill, knowledge or charisma that divided the pack. The difference came down to one trait: honesty. When customers trust salespeople, they buy from them.

3. Stay positive. Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude. Success is 90 percent mental. You can alter your life by altering your mind. In tough economies, it may not be your fault for being down, but it is certainly your fault for not getting up. You have to be a believer to be an achiever.

4. Be authoritative. Sales superstars know their products backward and forward. They also know their competitors' products and are prepared to point out the differences.

5. Get prepared. I still remember the old Boy Scout motto, "Be prepared." Well, it's true. It takes a lot of unspectacular preparation to produce spectacular results.

 6. Mind your reputation. You can't buy a good reputation -- you must earn it. If you don't have a positive reputation, it will be difficult to be successful in whatever you do.

7. Be genuine. I have never known anyone to buy from someone they don't like. Likability matters. Are you genuine? Pleasant? Easy to talk with?

8. Put your best foot forward. You never get a second chance to make a good first impression. Are you neat and well groomed? Underdressed or overdressed?

9. Set goals. Winners set goals; losers make excuses. Goals give you more than a reason to get up in the morning; they are an incentive to keep you going all day. They must be measurable, identifiable, obtainable, specific -- and put them in writing.

10. Become a customer-service fanatic. I've often said the sale begins when the customer says yes. Good salespeople make sure the job gets done on time— and done right. There's one thing no business has enough of: customers. Take care of the customers you've got, and they'll take care of you. You must have a fanatical attention to detail.

11. Remember to listen. You can't learn anything with your mouth open. For too many people, good listening means, "I talk, you listen." Listening is a two- way process. Yes, you need to be heard, but you also need to hear others' ideas, questions and objections. If you talk at people instead of with them, they're not buying in -- they're caving in.

12. Keep it all in perspective. It is impossible to underrate the importance of a sense of humor. When there are inevitable setbacks along the way, learn to laugh about them.

13. Develop a thirst for self-improvement. You don't go to school once for a lifetime. You are in school all your life. Sales superstars are constantly working to become better. They take courses, read books, listen to audiotapes and inhale everything they can to improve.

Bottom Line: A salesperson tells, a good salesperson explains… and a sales superstar demonstrates.

Adapted excerpt from The Mackay MBA of Selling in the Real World by Harvey Mackay (Portfolio Penguin, Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 2011).

Dealing With Stress

Feeling anxious, weighted down? Feel like you just can't deal with the stress around you? Wishing the things that cause you to feel this way would just go away? Well, there's good news and bad news.

First the bad news - some of the things causing your stress are here for the long term. Others will go away, but be replaced by new distressing things.

Now the good news - even though you can't escape the fact that there will always be some stressor in your life, there are some basic things you can do to put yourself in a good position to handle stress that comes your way. And you can do your best to not be the source of your own stress!

1 - Get enough sleep

Something as simple as getting to bed at a decent hour is a great start. Recognize how much sleep you need to function well. Stress can cause a lack of sleep. Relax for a while before going to bed (and don't go to be right after watching the news). Caffeine and alcohol before bed are among the most common causes of insomnia. If you have health complications or are on medication, your doctor may be able to prescribe a different medication that won't interfere with sleep.

2 - Eat a healthy diet

Nutrition and stress are related. The greater the stress you're facing, the more good nutrition you need. Protein, B vitamins, C and A vitamins, magnesium are depleted when the body is in the fight or flight mode brought on by stress. Skipping meals, eating junk foods, having excessive caffeine can actually contribute to stress by making you feel worse. Poor eating habits lead to blood sugar issues, lowered immune system, and that "drained" feeling. Eat healthy snacks of fresh fruits and veggies along with healthy meals and a balanced nutritional supplement. You'll feel more energized and you will help yourself have the stamina to fight back at all the stress you encounter during your day.

3 - Underbook yourself

You need time to recover from daily stresses. Plan less things for yourself to do in a day. If you regularly plan 10 things and you're feeling overstressed, then start to plan 5 things a day for yourself instead. Learn to say "no". Watch your stress level decrease!

4 - Take a break

Do something fun. Laugh. It reduces the flow of stress hormones. It's amazing how a brisk 10-minute walk clears your head and gives you a fresh outlook. A 10-minute nap has been associated with increased energy, motivation, alertness, and concentration. Taking a break is not being lazy! You're refreshing your mind. You're relieving stress. Enjoy a good break every couple hours.

5 - Exercise

Exercise is one of the best ways to relieve stress. The more stressed you are, the greater the amount of exercise you need. When you exercise, mood-elevating endorphins are released into the blood stream. Break a sweat. You'll feel great. As the blood flow to the brain increases, it will "wash out the cobwebs". In addition, exercise promotes restful sleep.

6 - Declutter your space

Clutter reminds us of all we need to do. It gets worse as we waste precious minutes plowing through it to find our keys and important papers. Try setting a kitchen timer for 15 minutes, pick a spot and clean it up the best you can in that time. Stop when the timer goes off and plan to do the same tomorrow. Having a tidy environment is a great stress reliever.

7 - Pay your bills on time

Avoid the stress of late notices, extra charges, and your credit record being jeopardized. It takes a little organizing, so have a specific place to put all bills and pay bills every 2 weeks. Be sure to record in your checkbook and keep your checkbook up to date.

8 - Stop procrastinating

That means stop putting off till later what you need to be doing now. You know the end result of procrastination - feelings of guilt, inadequacy = increased stress levels.

Determine why you're procrastinating. Feeling overwhelmed by a project? Try doing little bits at a time. Are you avoiding something because it's unpleasant? Just do it! Waiting for just the right time? It usually doesn't come.

Fear of failure (or even success)? Visualize a good out come. Feel the need to be perfect? Set a deadline, do your best, and realize that your 80% could be someone elses' 100%! You'll always feel better when you do it and have one less thing on your mind.
9 - Think the best

When you expect bad things to happen, you are programming yourself to feel anxious, actually attracting and bringing on bad experiences. This can bring out the worst in you and in others. Choose the opposite. Believe good things are going to happen. You will attract good things. Of course, bad things happen to everyone, but keep looking for the good. You usually find what you look for.

Set your mind on things that are beautiful, noble, happy. Have a grateful attitude. In the worst of affairs, there's always something to be grateful for. Look for that. Say to yourself "Something good is going to happen to me!" Expect that to be true!

10 - Get help for life issues that are out of control

When life stresses are getting to an unhealthy level, seek help, buy a book on the subject, look it up on the internet, talk to a counselor, pastor, ask a friend for help, get professional help.

A certain amount of stress is normal. An unhealthy stress level over a period of time takes its toll on your body. How you prepare for facing stress and how you deal with it is the key. You might be surprised at how just a couple of life style changes can make all the difference in your stress level.