“You shall love your neighbor AS YOURSELF.” (Mark 12:31)

How would you rate your health in each of these four areas — spiritual, physical, emotional, relational — from 1 (terrible) to 10 (fantasic)?

Today is Day 5 in our 30 days series titled “One Month To Live,” based on Kerry and Chris Shook’s book by that same title. “One Month To Live empowers you to focus on being who God created you to be – passionate, fully alive, living without regrets.”

If you’ve flown before on a commercial airline, you probably are familiar with this routine airline safety announcement, “In the event that our cabin pressure should change, an oxygen mask will be released from the overhead compartment. Please place the oxygen mask on yourself first before helping small children or others who may need assistance.”

While it may seem obvious that you can’t help anyone if you have passed out from lack of oxygen yourself, I’ve been guilty over the past few years of putting the oxygen mask on many others without taking in enough oxygen myself.

I confess that I have grossly undervalued my time and made poor choices that have allowed numerous Christians and Christian organizations to soak up my time and financial resources to the point where my income and business has become cachectic. Julia and I have sown every last penny we own into God’s Kingdom work.

We’ve reached the point where we must be STRATEGIC in business and ministry. We can no longer afford to offer free services to any businesses or organizations.

It’s not that we don’t care. We simply don’t have any more money or time to give away.

Here are some excerpts from Chapter 5 of Kerry and Chris’ book.

Jesus indicates that before we can really love others and make a difference in their lives, we have to first love ourselves. You have to first take time to get healthy so you can impact the world around you.

Get Physical: Whether you have thirty days or thirty years left, you should realize that how you treat your body has a direct and lasting impact on the quality of life you enjoy. Our bodies require sleep, exercise, clean air, water, and quality nourishment. To be healthy physically, we must be healthy spiritually and listen to what God says about our bodies. Check out the daily exercise and diet plan at www.OneMonthToLive.com.

How Do You Feel: The next crucial area where we must breathe first is in our emotional lives. So many people function according to how they feel. A huge part of maturing, of growing up, is learning to acknowledge and experience our emotions without being controlled by them. “For God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power and of love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7, RSV).

Relationally Connected: The whole reason we put the oxygen mask on ourselves first is so we can breathe in and get healthy and help someone find God’s oxygen. Breathing first is not selfish. It’s essential.

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, forgive me for putting the oxygen mask on many others while neglecting myself. Thank You for your wake up call. I finally get it. May I never forget this life lesson. May many others benefit from the hard lesson I have learned. Thank You Jesus. Amen and hallelujah!

Blessings of the Day
1) Make It Last For Life – 3 simple action steps to apply today’s message [see below]

2) UNCOMMON Wellness Coaching course A Hope Filled Future“ free webinar with guest panelist Shelley Grieser
Category: Coaching
Date/Time: Tuesday May 5, 2009, 11 am EDT
Your marriage may have ended, but your life is not over!

3) “A Hope Filled Future” free webinar with guest panelist Shelley Grieser
Category: Coaching
Date/Time: Tuesday May 5, 2009, 11 am EDT
Your marriage may have ended, but your life is not over!

4) “The Crisis Of Belief“ free webinar with guest panelist Rev. Nasir Iqbal
Subtitle: Experiencing God Through Journaling (EGTJ) – Week 7
Date/Time: Tuesday May 5, 2009, 8 pm EST
Rev. Nasir Iqbal is a Palelstinian with an amazing story of salvation and miraculous healing from coma, near-death, and paralysis after beign robbed and beaten over the head with a metal rod.

5) The Grand Opening Of The Journaling Cafe
Date/Time: Thursday May 7, 2009, 3 pm EST
Finally! Finally! Finally! The Journaling Cafe is opening. Jesus has taught me how to hear His voice through two-way journaling and now He’s inviting YOU to learn too. But not only that, the LORD is inviting to be part of this world-wide journaling community.

“If we don’t act on a good idea within 24 hours, we are less than 50% likely to ever act on it. If we haven’t acted on it inside of days, then we are less than 2% likely to ever act on it.” – Bill Gates

Blessings to put the oxygen mask on yourself first!

Randy Peck, M.D.
“Blessed to be a blessing”
The Connector – connecting people, ideas, and resources in Christ through the POWER of the Holy Spirit

P.S. At the Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders in the U.K. earlier this year, the primary word received was “no more business as usual.”

Zec 4:6 So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts.

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Make It Last For Life – 3 simple action steps to apply today’s message

1) How would you rate your health in each of these four areas — spiritual, physical, emotional, relational — from 1 (terrible) to 10 (fantasic)? What’s the greatest challenge to improving your health in these areas? What can you do to work through this challenge?

2) Spend time journaling about a specific goal for each of these four areas that you can pursue during the rest of this month. Make sure the goals are practicle and measurable.

3) Connect daily to www.OneMonthToLive.com and spend fifteen to thirty mintues working on your spiritual, physical, emotional, and relational health.

For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power. (1 Corinthians 4:20)

What are the current barriers to spiritual health in your life?

Today is Day 4 in our 30 days series titled “One Month To Live,” based on Kerry and Chris Shook’s book by that same title. “One Month To Live empowers you to focus on being who God created you to be – passionate, fully alive, living without regrets.”

I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t settle for an ordinary life anymore. After experiencing the power of God in my life, how could I settle for anything less.

In Chapter 4 of their book, Kerry and Chris talk about the importance of relying on God’s power to accomplish His purposes in our lives. Here are some excerpts:

We need the power to change. The problem is, we often think we can make the necessary changes with a little willpower, and we don’t see how dependent we are on God’s power.

We have to move from willpower to the real power that comes from a connection to our Creator. If you have come to the end of yourself and are exhausted from trying to control your life, Jesus offers you the invitation of a lifetime. In Matthew 11:28, He says “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Spiritual Energy: While our lives include many facets, our spiritual energy is more important than the others, because everything else hinges on it. We usually put a great deal of emphasis on our physical health, and that’s important, but many people completely neglect their spiritual health because they can’t see it… The key to spiritual health is maintaining a strong relationship with your Creator.

Fruitful Living: If you want to reduce your stress, for this month and beyond, then realize your role in life is to stay connected to the vine. Sometimes, I forget my role and try to be the vine. I come up with a plan and a schedule, goals, and an agenda. Then I try to work my plan and make everything happen according to the timetable I’ve set. Finally I get so stressed that I lose all my energy.

Perennial Pruning: Any gardener or vintner knows that pruning is the key to producing the best fruit… Our heavenly Father, the Master Gardener, is an expert pruner. He knows when to cut, where to cut, and how much to cut to produce the best in our lives. The pruning process is always painful, but it’s always productive.

Constant Connection: How do we maintain our connection to the ultimate power source? We need two connections to remain healthy, grow, and produce the best fruit. Constant communication is first. We maintain this connection through conversational prayer. When you wake up in the morning, it’s vital to start your day right by just talking to God. Begin the day with God!

The next element for a healthy spiritual connection is constant confession. When you become aware of something you shouldn’t have said or done, or something you didn’t do but believe you should have, just confess it and move on. We’re all works in progress. Confession simply means you take responsibility for failing and admit it to God rather than making excuses or comparing yourselves to others you think are doing worse.

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, thank You for this important reminder to stay connected to the Source. Forgive me for times when I try to be the vine. Guide me to let go and let God each day. Jesus, thank You for being my Vine, the Source of everything good within me. Amen and Hallelujah!

Blessings of the Day
1) Make It Last For Life – 3 simple action steps to apply today’s message [see below]

2) Affiliate Marketing free webinar at 11 am EDT today – Learn to leverage other people’s time, money, talents, ideas, and relationships

3) Experiencing God Through Journaling free webinar at 8 pm EDT today. Virginia Morton will be sharing the amazing story behind the Marching Through Culpeper movie project.

“If we don’t act on a good idea within 24 hours, we are less than 50% likely to ever act on it. If we haven’t acted on it inside of days, then we are less than 2% likely to ever act on it.” – Bill Gates

Blessings to stay connected with the ultimate Source!

Randy Peck, M.D.
“Blessed to be a blessing”
The Connector – connecting people, ideas, and resources in Christ through the POWER of the Holy Spirit

P.S. At the Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders in the U.K. earlier this year, the primary word received was “no more business as usual.”

Zec 4:6 So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts.

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Make It Last For Life – 3 simple action steps to apply today’s message

1) What are the current barriers to spiritual health in your life? In other words, what keeps you from connecting to God as your primary source of spiritual life?

2) Write a letter or prayer to God, being as honest as you can about your present disappointments and frustrations. Consider how those problems or issues might be preparing you for a more fruitful season.

3) How are you doing in the areas of communication and confession? How would you practice them differently if you knew you only had one month to live?

He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy. (Proverbs 28:13)

What sins or mistakes do you need to confess to God?

During my two-way journaling time on September 3, 2008, Jesus told me, “Keep working hard to eliminate hurry from your life. Learn to say “No” much more often. When your desk is clear, you get 1-2 weeks ahead on your devotionals, exercise daily, and go to bed at 9-10 am most nights, you will know you are caught up.”

As I’ve prayed through my list of key messages from Jesus, this is one of those that has really stood out to me. So how am I doing? On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the best, I would rate myself a 4. My 12 foot desk is mostly clear. For the past 4 weeks, I’ve been exercising 3 days per week plus walking lots. I’ve been going to bed before 10 am most nights, but also getting up too early. Of the 17 weekdays in January so far, I’ve sent Your Daily Blessing devotionals on just 8 of those days. That’s the worst I have done in the past 2.5 years.

Oh, I have plenty of good excuses – and that’s what they all are – excuses when I don’t obey what Jesus tells me to do. My top goal (and primary focus) in the past 7 weeks has been to complete my 200 page new e-book titled “UNCOMMON Journaling For Breakthroughs.” I initially planned to complete this before Christmas, then early January, and here it is Jan 26 and it’s still not quite done. This week I commit to finish my journaling e-book. That will mean saying “no” to almost everything else that is new.

Don’t get me wrong. My January has been very fruitful, albeit too busy. Five of the most significant things that happened from my perspective included:

1) Joining an “Experiencing God” small group that meets at Dr. Elizabeth Powell’s home
2) Launching a brand new weekly webinar series on Tuesday evenings (6 pm EST) called “Experiencing God Through Journaling”
3) Starting formal JIREH Marketing (Journaling + Coaching + Web 2.0) apprentice training for more than 3 people. One was my pastor, Matt Gregory.
4) Creating new blogs for at least 7-10 people. One was for Pastor Matt.
5) Joining a new small group “Managing Our Finances God’s Way” with my wife yesterday led by my pastor, Matt Gregory

During the 2.5 hour Financial Workshop on Jan 24, Pastor Matt said that 80% of our financial situation is a dependent on behavior, while only 20% is a result of knowledge. BEHAVIOR. Get it?

Yesterday morning while I was writing out my 2-way prayer with Jesus and listening to my scheduled iTunes playlist for Day #25, the message from Stormie Omartian in Chapter 25 of “The Power Of A Praying Wife” really jumped out at me, convicted me, and led me to repentance.

According to Stormie, “There is an epidemic in the world today of people who can’t admit they did something wrong.. According to God’s way of doing things, there are three steps to changing our behavior.” For Stormie’s entire message, which is outstanding, see today’s Link of the Day.

Prayer Power
Lord, I pray that you would convict me of any errors in my life. Let there be nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known” (Matthew 10:26). Cleanse me from any secret sins and teach me to be a person who is quick to confess when I am wrong (Psalm 19:12). Help me to recognize my mistakes. Give me eyes to see Your truth and ears to hear Your voice. Bring me to full repentance before You. If there is suffering to be done, let it be the suffering of a remorseful heart and not because the crushing hand of the enemy has found an opening into my life through unconfessed sin. Lord, I know that humility must come before honor (Proverbs 15:33). Take away all pride that would cause me to deny my faults and work into my soul a humility of heart so that I will receive the honor You have for me. Thank You Jesus! I love You dearly. Amen.

Link of the Day
His Repentance – Chapter 25 of The Power Of A Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian  [see below]

Blessings to quick to confess your sins and then turn from your wicked ways!

Randy Peck, M.D.
“Blessed to be a blessing”
The Connector – connecting people, ideas, and resources in Christ through the POWER of the Holy Spiirt

Growth Opportunities For This Week

1) “SEO Is Simple” free webinar at 11 am EST on Tues January 27. Our guest expert is Lynne Lee from the U.K. Are you ready to see for yourself how easy search engine optimization can be? Would you like more website visitors, quickly and easily without spending a fortune? Discover How To Drive Free Targeted Traffic To Your Website. Learn more …

2) “Experiencing God Through Journaling: Write The Vision Down” free webinar at 6 pm EST on Tues January 27. I’ll be sharing the global vision God hasrevealed to me for ”God’s Voice Worldwide!”Learn to reccgnize the voice of your heavenly Father and come to know Him as your dearest friend. He wants to give you “Wisdom, Understanding, and Revelation For Every Area Of Your Life”

To learn more about these and other upcoming webinars, visit www.webinars777.com. The “777″ represents Jesus, so Webinars 777 means “Webinars for Jesus.”

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His Repentance (Chapter 25 of The Power Of A Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian)

Suzanne prayed every day for years that her husband, Jerry, would stop using drugs. Over and over she caught him doing the same thing. Each time he would confess it, say he was sorry, and swear he wasn’t going to do it again. But time and again he fell. She never gave up praying for true repentance to happen in his heart—the kind that turns a man around to walk in a different direction. Unfortunately, Jerry had to learn some hard and painful lessons before God got his attention, but eventually there was a life-changing transformation. Today he is a new man, and together with Suzanne he has a public ministry helping people with similar problems. Suzanne was a praying wife who never stopped believing that God would bring her husband to repentance.

Everyone makes mistakes. That’s not the issue. But there is an epidemic in the world today of people who can’t admit they did something wrong. God says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). But first we have to be sorry about what we’ve done.

According to God’s way of doing things, there are three steps to changing our behavior. First there is confession, which is admitting what we did. Next there is repentance, which is being sorry about what we did. Then there is asking forgiveness, which is being cleansed and released from what we did, The inability or resistance to do any of these three steps is rooted in pride. A man who can’t humble himself to admit he’s wrong before God and before man will have problems in his life that never go away. “Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him” (Proverbs 26:12).

Does your husband have trouble confessing his faults? Or is he the kind of person who can say “I’m sorry” twenty times a day, yet the behavior he apologizes for never changes? In either case, he needs a repentant heart. True repentance means having so much remorse over what you’ve done that you don’t do it again. Only God can cause us to see our sin for what it is, and feel about it the same way He does. “The goodness of God leads you to repentance” (Romans 2:4). Repentance is a working of God’s grace, and we can pray for it to be worked in our husbands.

Too many men have fallen because of pride and the inability to confess and repent. We see it all the time. We read about it in the newspapers. Unconfessed sin doesn’t just go away. It becomes a cancer that grows and suffocates life. Pray for your husband to be convicted of his sin, to humbly confess it before God, then turn from his error and cease to do it. God is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). This kind of prayer can be very annoying to the one being prayed for, but it’s far easier to have God shine His light upon our sin than it is to experience the consequences of it. Your husband will be thankful in the end, even if he won’t admit it.

PRAYER

Lord, I pray that you would convict my husband of any error in his life. Let there be nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known” (Matthew 10:26). Cleanse him from any secret sins and teach him to be a person who is quick to confess when he is wrong (Psalm 19:12). Help him to recognize his mistakes. Give him eyes to see Your truth and ears to hear Your voice. Bring him to full repentance before You. If there is suffering to be done, let it be the suffering of a remorseful heart and not because the crushing hand of the enemy has found an opening into his life through unconfessed sin. Lord, I know that humility must come before honor (Proverbs 15:33). Take away all pride that would cause him to deny his faults and work into his soul a humility of heart so that he will receive the honor You have for him.

POWER TOOLS

If our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. – 1 John 3:21-22

He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy. – Proverbs 28:13

Search me, 0 God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. – Psalm 139:23-24

When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer. I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and You for gave the iniquity of my sin. – Psalm 32:3-5

A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will. – 2 Timothy 2:24-26