Environmental FIT Tip of the Month:
Nothing says welcome like flowers in the entry way of your home. My favorites are Calla Lilies. Each time a guest enters your home the inviting fragrance of the flowers will cause them to see your home as a place of love, life, and joy. They will lift your spirit too every time you walk through the door. For more tips on a healthy environment, click here.
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| Happy New Year Gems of God,
 It's a new beginning and a great time to take a look at the people in our lives. It is often said, if you want to see how far a leader will go/where a leader is going, look at those around them. So this month's article challenges you to answer the question, "Who are the players in my life?"
Enjoy!
Living freely wise,
Stanley and Karen Pina
P.S. A great big "GOD Welcome" to all the priceless gems who joined our community since last month! You're going to love Gem News...it's for the deep things in life. We go beyond the surface and disperse the gems. Enjoy!
P.P.S. - See the New Moves section for a special teleclass to help singles in the area of relationships. It's
free...so don't hesitate to sign up before you close out this email!
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"Who is Playing in Your Life?"
6 Players & Their Roles in Your Life
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What plays are the hireling and thief calling in your life without your awareness? Use this chart as a way to learn to discern the purpose of people in your life.
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Player |
Role |
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1. Shepherd |
Lead Sheep.
This is someone who is making the way easier and more graceful for you to travel down. As they go before you, they reach back and impart lessons learned. Who is leading you into a straight, obstacle free path? |
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2. Sheep |
Listen to the voice of the shepherd, led/follow, will not follow strangers. Who is speaking strange tales, fables, and intellectual fluff in your ear? Don't listen. |
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3. Watchman |
Opens the door for the shepherd. Every time you are around them, doors miraculously open on your behalf. Who is a door opener in your life? |
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4. Good Shepherd |
Gives up His life for the sheep.
Who, in your life, is willing to give up their life for you? |
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5. Thief, Robber |
Comes in through the door, but not in the right way. S/he climbs in some other way and his/her purpose is to steal, kill, rob, and destroy.
What do they rob and steal? Your time, joy, peace, fruit, as well as the spoils of your victory, your ideas, witty inventions, your good reputation, and credibility of ministry/motives.
The beautiful thing about it is God sees it all, especially what we aren't seeing. Truth of it is, they are stealing from Him, not you. See Joshua 7 on how to deal with the repercussions of the thief in your midst. Points to ponder: One steals because they have broken/lost faith. It's a fear-based action, not a faith based action (Joshua 7:11b Tanakh). |
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6. Hireling |
Operates in the spirit of the thief, fleeces sheep, will allow harm to come to sheep, and flees after the watchman's warning.
Who is in your life that runs when trouble, hardship, and difficulty comes? They see it coming and don't say a word. After you suffer a while, they say, "God showed me blah, bluh, blah, this and that." They always need something from you...they take, borrow and never return or repay. They rob you of enjoying the true leadership of a shepherd and pull you away from God-ordained leadership in your life. |
Bench the players in your life that are not leading you closer to your God-given goals and dreams. Look for fruit that is in line with the free goodness and kindness of the Good Shepherd, the Watchman, and the Shepherd without any agenda. Word of Warning here: I'm not talking about a good title that is thrown around or was earned. I'm saying look past the title to the essence of the actions and the character of the person. I admonish you to pay little attention to the promises they make. You know the things they say, "I'll help you." OR "We can help one another." I encourage you to pay much attention to the action, the words, and the fruit.
What does their being/existence in your life produce? What do their words produce, if anything?
Additional Pointers About the Thief:
When a thief is in your midst:
1) You can't hold your ground against your enemies.
2) You can't gain new ground against your enemy.
3) You can't stand up/confront your enemy.
4) You will tuck your tail and run from them in an area you may have been able to gain victory in before.
To regain footing:
1. Purge the entire camp/congregation.
2. Fast and consecrate for God to reveal the thief.
3. Allow the LORD to deal with him/her through you as the leader. The Old Testament leadership style of dealing with a thief was fire and stoning - Joshua 7. I strongly suggest you ask God to show you your New Testament strategy for dealing with those who have stolen from Him.
Word of the Lord for you:
The word of the LORD comes to you saying I have sworn by My right hand, by My Mighty Arm no more will I give your new grain to your enemies for food. Nor shall foreigners drink the new wine for which you have labored. But those who harvest it shall eat it and give praise to the LORD; and those who gather it shall drink it in My sacred courts. Pass through, pass through the gates! The road is clear for You, My people. Build up, build up the highway, remove the rocks! I raise a victory flag over My people! I see the LORD proclaiming it to the end of the earth.
I announce to Zion Your Deliverer is coming on your behalf! See His reward is with Him and recompense before Him. And you shall be called, "The Holy People, The Redeemed of the LORD," and you shall be called "Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken." (Isaiah 62:8-12 Tanakh)
Closing Word for Leaders
God has given Stanley and I great discernment regarding the purpose of people in our life. I pray He imparts this same wisdom to you throughout this year.
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| New Moves for Your Relationships
Singles Teleclass
This teleclass is an enjoyable, fast-paced, didactic call addressing singleness, ministry, marrying your Boaz, managing finances, and promotions in the workplace. It's an info-packed hour filled with all a woman needs to succeed throughout the crucial stages of her life. Register here and bring your most burning questions about Boaz, parenting, marriage, and ministry.
The class will be held on Tuesday, January 15, 2008 from 6:30 - 7:30 pm EST. Join us...it's FR^EE (all it will cost you is a long distance phone call). The registration deadline is this Friday - January 12, 2008.
Couples Workshop
This half-day workshop is for married couples who desire to gain tools to relate to one another in a healthier, balanced manner. See the workshop details and sign up your group right here.
Explode Your Marriage...With Vision
A package for couples who desire to create a vision for how they want to live and finish life together. Couples with a common mission, vision, and purpose have passion for living, remaining close, and finishing well. So team up with Stanley and Karen to create your couples commune-vision.
| Quote of the Month
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"People are like math tables in our life. They either add to, subtract from, divide, or multiply us." - Stanley Pina | |
