RESURRECTION IS A LIFESTYLE - LIVE IT!
Are you suffering from the heart sickness of a dream deferred? If so, the resurrection of your hope is at hand. Resurrection is not limited to the Easter season; it can be an everyday experience as in the motto coined by the St. Paul Community Baptist Church: “Resurrection is a Lifestyle – LIVE IT!” Each time you endure and persevere through another year, you are an overcomer, who has been given an opportunity to live another day and contribute to making a difference with your life. With each new day, you have a chance to begin again, continue on, tap into your creative force and realize your divine self. If your dreams have been held captive by fears and insecurities too long, apply the following principles for your liberation and success. Now is the time and this is the season to resurrect your dreams and make them live!
1. Know And Embrace Your Dream. When you have a constant and strong desire or interest that has been rooted in your heart and thoughts, embrace it. If it has followed you into each New Year, acknowledge it as your dream, your heart’s desire, and determine to pursue it to see what the end is going to be. Put forth 100% effort. In doing so, you will extinguish any regrets of never trying or ever knowing if your dream could be realized.
2. Know And Embrace Yourself. Know that you have been blessed with at least one gift, talent, ability, and unlimited potential. Step into your future with hope of the peace, prosperity and security that is yours. If you can believe and look for it wholeheartedly, you will find it. Everything you need to make your dream a reality is already within you.
3. Know What You Have To Work With. The wisdom that you need is available. Use what you have, learn what to do, and do what you know. Tap into your inner strength and sound mind, utilize the power and authority you possess, accept God’s unconditional love and hold Him accountable to His faithful promises. Take advantage of the diverse and abundant resources that will be more readily available than ever before. Your thoughts will become clearer and your direction ordered, with each step you take toward your plan.
4. Counter The Negative With The Positive. Do not accept a person’s put downs or ridicules of you or your dream, even if they are only “joking”. Negative words that are planted in our minds have a tendency to sprout up like weeds, choking our creativity with self-doubt and fear. Verbally confront them on it immediately; state that you will not receive that remark, it is not true, and no longer acceptable. Then make a statement that is true and positive about you or your dream. Feed your mind with good things to inspire, enhance, and facilitate growth. Do not share your dream with everyone, share only with people you know will be genuinely supportive and encouraging.
5. Affirm Yourself Daily. Practice speaking positive “I” statements that will build up your self-esteem and encourage you to keep striving until you accomplish your goal: “I can do it,” My service(s) is needed,” and “I am gifted, unique, and special”. Call yourself by whatever profession you have chosen: “I am an inspirational writer, encourager, and motivator”. The more you speak it, the more you will think it. Then, it will begin to take root in your mind, grow in your heart, and blossom into a visualization that you can feel and believe, as it becomes who you are.
6. Do It In The Face Of Fear. Face your fears and do it anyway, task by task, and day by day. Work your plan, believe in yourself, your dream, the power within you, and expect to see and receive ripe fruit from your labor. Make positive “I” statements out of all the principles and speak them daily: 1) “I will do everything in my power to make my dream a reality”. 2) “I have a divine purpose and I will work my plan until it is fulfilled”. 3) “All that I need is readily available within me and within my grasp”. 4) I will not let myself, anything, or anyone hinder me from achieving my greatness". 5) “I am anointed and appointed to succeed in my creative ministry”. 6) “I will overcome my fears with each victorious step forward”.
I believe that dream resurrection is relative to one’s personal thoughts and actions. Some people harbor doomsday thoughts and give up before they begin. They expect the worse because they have already created their end. Others think it is life as usual, taking it for granted. They exist one day to the next, not taking any risks, until their time is up. Then there are those of us, who choose to believe that the opportunity of a lifetime is at hand to fulfill our divine destinies. It is a time and place where the field is wide open and the prospects are great for resurrecting a dream and making it live!
Jo Anne Meekins is a spiritual leader and founder of Inspired 4 U Ministries LLC (www.joannemeekins-inspired4u.com), providing inspiring poetry, informational articles, and motivational messages to encourage, enlighten, and facilitate hope and transformation in the world at large.
Jo Anne is also the author of two books: ON SOLID GROUND: Inspirational Poetry For All Occasions, a book for all ages that includes poems of encouragement, challenge, relationship, celebration, comfort, testimony, ethnocentric expression; and scripture references for each poem; and For Such A Time As This, a 16-poem collection of scripture poems, poetic bible character narratives and sermon summaries. Both available for purchase at www.onsolidgroundpoetry.com.
In addition, Jo Anne is a blogger at www.Hubpages.com/profile/Inspired+4+U; a member of the Boost In Your Bathrobe Prayer Line leadership team (http://liveyourdestinytoday.com/boost-in-your-bathrobe); a founding lifetime member of Women In Ministry International/ Wisdom Women Worldwide Interfaith Center; a member of the National Writers Union; and she formerly worked as a policy & procedure writer for 7 years at Healthfirst health plan before resigning on July 30, 2010 to pursue her passion for ministry on a full time basis.
She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Community Mental Health at New York Institute of Technology; a certificate in Basic Journalism & Poetry from Writers Institute; and a certificate in Communication Skills from the NYU School of Continuing and Professional Studies.