Women of Standard Dec 2013 | Page 12

4 RelationScripts Abundant Living Pastor's Wives Corner Insufficient Funds by: Lady Emilie Robinson Finances Making the Shift to FINANCIAL FREEDOM: The Cure BY: Tanya Angelique, MBA The Greatest Love of All By: Vincent K. Harris | Health & Fitness Did You Know? By: Dr. Lorneka Joseph ~HIV MYTHS~ Now that you have taken out the trash, removed the misconceptions and replaced them with new realities, it is time now to realign your life with proven ideas. It’s time to invest in you through financial literacy because this is the cure to the disease called poverty. The biggest financial problem most people have is they don’t understand the real problem. The real problem is not debt, spending, or income. These are symptoms of the real problem. The real problem is what you don’t know about money. If you knew more about money you would be better off financially. Let’s look at some general principles concerning money. Basic Thoughts: S uccessful people don’t keep their success by doing the same thing over and over forever. Sometimes they must switch things up a bit, try doing thing’s a different way, or shift direction. This is the essence of repositioning yourself for virtually anything. Think about a business trying to survive in today’s economic climate. Do you think they’re going to operate the same way they did 10 years ago? Are they going to spend the same amount of money on payroll, marketing, or operating expenses? Of course not. As an entrepreneur they are faced with these types of situations and it’s how they reposition themselves that will determine if they remain successful or not. I want to explore repositioning yourself for love. Just as a business will not use the same tactics to sustain a business or to reenter an industry they were previously in, you must make changes also. You want a forever love this time around but you are still doing, speaking, and behaving the same way you did prior. You know the phrase to get something you never had you must do something you have never done. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results. Either phrase you select is applicable to desiring a relationship on a level you have never experienced. As always I love to ask, “How bad do you want it?” Being able to answer this is vital to whether or not you will make lasting 12 DECEMBER 2013 ­ • adjustments to that part of you that is hindering your love life. Trust me, we all have had some area of our personality, behavior or though process which stifles and restricts our ability to sustain a healthy, loving relationship. Make the necessary adjustments after some deep soul searching. Get clear about what you really desire and what sacrifices you are willing to make to have it. Remember what you think about you bring about... so guard the thoughts that you will never find love. So often I hear people say, “I need to find someone to complete me.” This is said by men but honestly it is more common in women. Yet most fail to realize that the only one who can complete you is you. We look for love from friends and family often saying, “I do so much for everyone in my life yet I feel used and taken for granted.” We chase love in many directions yet rarely feel fulfilled. We fail to realize that being loved begins and ends with self-love. If you do not love yourself, it still won’t make you feel content inside on a long-term basis. Remember, you are your star player. This is why self-love is the beginning of a wonderful loving life. If you want love in your life, go to the mirror right now and state positive affirmations of love and self-worth. It will raise your consciousness and bring about the best love affair you can have- the one within you! WWW.WOMENOFSTANDARD.ORG T he hustle and bustle of the holidays is in full effect. With the New Year right around the corner, people are busily planning for a year promised to yield great rewards. Many make resolutions for their personal lives, but what does a pastor’s wife do? She often will neglect herself and focus on making plans for the ministry in which she serves - plans that promise to bring others great spiritual growth for the year ahead. But what about her? What about the balance? Pastors’ wives carry a heavy load in the ministry along with the load of being a wife, and possibly a career woman, or mother and many other roles not named here. How can a pastor’s wife balance the desires she has for the ministry alongside the other desires she has without feeling like she is being selfish or self centered? The answer is this: If she continues to give and give and give some more, yet never making any deposits into her, she will begin to operate on insufficient funds resulting in being no good for anyone including herself. The sad truth is this happens more often then you may realize, but I have a secret. Pastors’ wives don’t have to live an imbalanced life; there are ways to ensure she is not running on insufficient funds. Step 1: Divide life into categories (e.g. God, family, ministry, self and relationships). Then divide it into subcategories under each main category. For example, a sub-category under the “God” category could be prayer, study, worship etc. This will continue to be • A formal education will make you a living while an informal education will make you a fortune. • School teaches you what to think, your job teaches you not to think, mentors teach you how to think. • We are trained not to think, thus we create problems we don’t know how to solve. broken down in all areas of her life. Step 2: As sign goals and deadlines for each category. For example, a goal for the sub-category “study” under the category of “God” could be to complete a specific book on fasting based on the Word of God by May 1, 2014. Step 3: Prioritize the categories, not neglecting to list yourself. God 1st, Family 2nd, Ministry 3rd, Self 4th, Relationships 5th These steps allow her to discover a healthy balance in all categories which will make her a whole woman. As a pastor’s wife, you are often pulled to focus on the ministry first however you are multi faceted therefore you must make deposits into every area of you. I extracted the principle for these steps from Habakkuk 2:2 and Luke 14:28. When these steps are taken and completed you will be able to write the vision for your year in every area of your life, making it simple to perform. You would have counted up the cost and planned accordingly resulting in your goals being completed. This then gives the pastor’s wife the opportunity to experience the joys of manifestation in every area of her life in the new year, making her whole. Pastors’ wives are valuable to the assignment, thus, caring for all areas of your life will cause your light to continue to shine brightly for the Lord. Now go and get to planning for this New Year! NOTE: The old saying goes like this, “A penny for your thoughts.” Maybe this explains why people don’t think more because they are only expecting a penny. Monopoly is not just a game; it is a blueprint of how your finances should be handled. As a child you knew the secrets to managing money. You applied the secrets to managing money daily as you played the game of Monopoly. Why did you grow up and stop playing Monopoly? Here are some things Monopoly taught you about money that you may have forgotten. 1. Your salary should be your initial source of income from passing “Go” not your permanent source of income. When you began playing Monopoly, you understood that initially, all of your money came from your salary or passing “Go.” However, you knew, as you became more experienced, the goal was to find better and more efficient ways of acquiring money from the purchase of assets. 2. Understand salaries are limited and they limit what you can do in life. Regardless of how long you played Monopoly or how long it took to go around the board (5 rolls or 16 rolls), your salary for passing “Go” was limited to $200. The same can be said in life. Your salary is limited to what your employer feels you are worth. Without properly managing your salary, it limits the things you can do in life. 3. Over time, your salary should become less important or required. Throughout the game of Monopoly, you continued to receive the $200 salary. During this same time frame, you were acquiring assets, so you became less and less dependent on your salary. Are you as dependent on your salary now, as you were when you began working? Changing your approach and way of thinking can be difficult. However, the legacy intended for you requires you to make the tough change. You can do it. It’s never too late to become what you should have been. You cannot become infected with the virus by just touching someone so it is safe to communicate and even socialize with infected persons. Just because someone was diagnosed with HIV, they do not also have AIDS. Well, there are some people who believe the myth that once a person has HIV they have AIDS as well and they will die. It is a fact that everyone will die; however, the life expectancy of persons living with HIV has increased with the advancement in medicine. HIV and AIDS are global epidemics that affect everyone because there is no cure. But to become a part of the solution means to actively get involved in your communities. To help you and others reduce becoming a statistic; it is important that you educate yourself. I know there are thousands of informational websites, books and media outlets that discuss HIV and AIDS, so here are ways to identify truth. When searching, read at least two to three sources and compare the information. Another way is to visit governmental sites or health departments. Governmental sites end with (.gov) in the URL. After you’ve identified a credible source, take the time to go through the consumer section if you are not an HIV or AIDSpatient. There are sections specifically for patients that can help with medication, support groups, lifestyle changes, contacts and more. This month Women of Standard would like for you to educate yourself on HIV/ AIDs by dispelling myths and seeking truth. It is heartbreaking to meet and counsel patients who are discriminated by people who still think that AIDS can be transmitted through touching. Below are a few educational tips concerning HIV and AIDS that is also worth sharing: HIV/AIDs can be transmitted through vaginal and anal intercourse; sharing of needle sticks, artificial insemination; mouth sores or bleeding gums and through birth from a HIV-positive mother. If you are going to have sex, PLEASE use a condom. Do not use a condom that has been stored in a glove compartment of a car. This is very dangerous. It is also very important to look for expiration dates on a condom before use. Make sure you open a condom carefully under light and avoid opening it with your teeth or long fingernails. This can puncture the condom. If you are pregnant, make sure your primary care physician or a local clinic tests you for the virus. There is a medication that prevents HIV/AIDS from being transmitted to the fetus. Talk before having sex with an infected person. It is highly recommended that you help your partner take their medications consistently; follow safer guidelines during sex; test at least once a year and not share certain objects (razors, toothbrush, and needles) that can carry blood. If you are a patient, do not stop taking your medication as this can complicate therapy and incur additional medical expenses. Do your part through education, prevention and KNOW YOUR STATUS! WWW.WOMENOFSTANDARD.ORG ­ • DECEMBER 2013 13