"Never let go your Dreams.."
-Yohard-

Years ago, when we found out that Victoria was pregnant with our first child, we were so excited. I remember coming out of the doctor's office and the first thing we did was call our parents, and everyone in our families. It was a great day! We were amazed that we were going to have a baby. We were so overjoyed with the news. We were on cloud nine as we left the doctor's office, giving each other high five's. But, seven or eight months later, when Victoria was carrying all the extra weight, uncomfortable, a little bit irritable, hurting in her back, not able to sleep at night, you know, it's kind of funny but we didn't call too many people during that time. She wouldn't give me any high fives any more. The excitement of conception had worn off and now we were "where the rubber meets the road." We were down in the trenches where we had to suffer some inconveniences. We had moved out of the fun, easy stage of conception and into the much more difficult stage of development. It wasn't as easy in this stage; there was some pain and discomfort. Did we do something wrong to bring this on? No, it's all just part of the process. Inside, where we couldn't see, the seed was growing and developing. Changes were taking place.

If you think about it, it's the same way in the spiritual realm. When you conceive a dream in your heart from God, it's so exciting. You want to tell everyone about it. When you first get a revelation of His promises, it's easy to stay encouraged and full of faith. But the real test happens in the next stage. Are we willing to fight the good fight of faith and go through the development process? Are we willing to keep a good attitude even when we're uncomfortable and things aren't going our way?

Today, remember that in the process of giving birth to your dreams, sometimes things are going to be uncomfortable. Sometimes things aren't going to go the way you planned, but remember, that dream is still growing inside of you. You are closer than you think. As you stay in faith and keep speaking God's Word over your dreams, you'll see them come to pass. It won't be long until you are holding that promise in your hands and giving all the glory to Almighty God!

-Illustration is taken from Joel & Victoria' Blog-

http://www.joelosteen.com/HopeForToday

"Wherever You Go, the Blessing Goes..."

-Joel Osteen-

Psalm 37 says, "Even in famine the righteous will have more than enough." Notice, it doesn't say "barely enough," it says "more than enough." Why is that? Because wherever you go, the blessing goes. Your spouse, your family, your company should be glad to have you because when you show up, the blessing of God shows up. Be encouraged today to keep being your best and following God's Word because there is a commanded blessing on your life. He wants to overtake you with His blessings and prosper you in every area of your life!

"All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey the LORD your God" (Deuteronomy 28:2, NAS).

"It involves effort, patient, open mind and forgiving to make your relationship last.."

-Yohard-

There are times when you get into a relationship and wonder if it will last. There are some indicators that your relationship will last. The main ways to know if your relationship will last are: communication abilities, major differences of opinion, and what type of honestly is there in the relationship.

So to begin with to know if your relationship will last is the communication abilities that your relationship began with and currently has. Communication is very important in any relationship. When two people can have open communication in the relationship it will have a better chance of lasting through time.

Good communication includes not jumping to conclusions, but talking to the other person in the relationship and getting the facts. No matter how great a relationship is it will not last if you cannot communicate between those in the relationship with an open mind and forgiving heart.

Good communication allows those involved in the relationship to overcome any hard times that may come to the relationship. With good and open communication you can know that your relationship will last.

Another way to know if your relationship will last is to consider any major differences of opinion. It is good for a relationship for those involved to not have every opinion the exact same.

How to know if your relationship will last is to look at the level of honesty in the relationship. Honesty is very important if you want a relationship to last. If you want to know if your relationship will last you will need to be sure and be honest with yourself and within the relationship.

Honesty within a relationship will allow those involved in the relationship to not have secrets or hurdles to hide from each other. When there are a lot of hidden issues in a relationship it typically doesn't last long. Be careful what you hide form the other person in the relationship.

This doesn't mean that every relationship will need to have every little detail told about. It just means that if there is something that is relevant to the relationship and those in the relationship, don't keep it a secret. Even if you think you are protecting someone.

If you are concerned about an issue in the relationship, take your time and be certain what you want to say. Or even wait until the other person brings it up. Being honest is talking about what goes on and not keeping information from those you care about. Be honest and the relationship will last.

How to know if your relationship will last can be hard sometimes. There are some major indicators that will help you to determine if your relationship has a good chance of lasting. First, what kind of communication is there in the relationship? Second, are there major obstacles because of differences of opinion? And third, is there honesty in the relationship, so that barriers are not made? Having a lasting relationship is important in lifes long journey, may you find lasting relationships and enjoy those you know.

"Love must be learned, and learned again; there is no end to it...."

-Katherine Anne Porter -

Our relationships are precious, valuable treasures from heaven, and we should handle them carefully, always looking for ways to build bridges to each other's hearts. I know that all of us desire to come up higher and one way we can take a step towards the next level is in our love for one another.

At one time or another, we have all faced the temptation to disconnect by giving someone the silent treatment. Sometimes when someone hurts or offends us, we can be tempted to disconnect. But one of the most common mistakes people make in relationships is to give the other person the silent treatment in an effort to pull back.

One of the most freeing experiences is to recognize that you are two different people who see things differently, and you can still love each other and stay connected. Just because you have a disagreement with your friends or family members does not mean there are not plenty of other areas on which you see eye to eye. It just means you have a difference of opinion. Having the same heart and the same goal is what maintains a good connection. There will be times when we do not agree on every decision or subject, but we should always believe in one another, support one another, and move forward through life together—connected.

-Victoria Osteen-