God Is a Positive God; He Wants to 'Supersize' Your Peace, Joy

Joel Osteen at Night of Hope DC: 

By Michelle A. Vu , Christian Post Reporter

(Photo: Joel Osteen Ministries/Brad Person)

Joel Osteen delivers a message to tens of thousands of people at the Nationals Park baseball stadium for the Night of Hope event on April, 29, 2012, in Washington, D.C.

Joel Osteen didn't disappoint the tens of thousands of people that filled the Nationals Park baseball stadium Sunday evening expecting him to "plant the seed of hope" in them. He not only delivered a potent dose of hope, but also rolled out an American Idol star and his own mother to share their uplifting stories of survival in the face of death at the "Night of Hope" event in Washington, D.C.

With his signature smile even wider yesterday, Osteen declared that believers of Jesus Christ are "not victims but victors" and that "before anyone put a curse on you, God put a blessing on you." The pastor of America's largest and fastest growing church often paraphrased Bible stories or verses as he taught the massive crowd – also watching online via live webcast – how to have a more positive attitude about life and have faith that God is for, not against them.

"The Scripture says that you got to take off the coat of heaviness, and put on a coat of praise. Put on a coat of thanksgiving. In other words this: don't focus on what is wrong, thank God for what is right," said Osteen. "Don't look at all you don't have, thank God for what you do have. Don't look at how far you got to go, sometimes you got to look back and thank God for how far He has already brought you. Have a grateful attitude today! Let's say like David, 'It is another day the Lord has made.' We are going to choose to rejoice!"

The Night of Hope event is a combination of praise and worship music, encouragement from Victoria Osteen, a special testimony from Dodie Osteen (Joel's mother), prayer, and an inspirational message from Joel Osteen. Unlike many other large-scale Christian events, the main speaker – Joel Osteen – and worship music alternate throughout the event, rather than having a separate worship block and a message segment, although Osteen does deliver a longer message at the end.

"Some people say, well Joel, you're just real positive, you're just hopeful," said the pastor of the 40,000-strong Lakewood Church in Houston. "But let me tell you this, God is a positive God. If you are going to get into agreement with God, you got to get your mind going in the right direction."

"David said 'my cup runs over.' God doesn't want you to have just enough peace for yourself, enough joy for yourself, God is a running over God. He wants you to have so much peace that you can give peace wherever you go … He wants to supersize anything in your life. He wants to give you more joy, more peace, more victory."

While Osteen is adored by millions of people worldwide, has penned several New York Times bestsellers, and was named by Barbara Walters as one of the "10 Most Fascinating People of 2006," some people – including his own fellow evangelical Christians – criticize him for preaching what they consider a watered-down Gospel and for his weaktheology. Osteen did not attend seminary, but succeeded his father to be pastor of Lakewood Church after he died. A common criticism is that Osteen teaches prosperity gospel, given his common references to health and finances in his messages, and that he teaches more self-help than Christian faith.

But those criticisms didn't bother his fans, who came out to the ballpark Sunday and filled the stadium, hoping to get an injection of hope.

American Idol star Danny Gokey shared during Night of Hope in D.C. his personal story of losing his first wife Sophia Martinez just weeks before auditioning for American Idol. Martinez died from complications during a routine surgery for congenital heart disease. Not only did Gokey become a third place finalist on Season 8 of the popular singing contest show despite losing his high school sweetheart, he has also since started a foundation in her name, Sophia's Heart Foundation, to help children and families struggling with poverty and diseases. In January of this year, Gokey also became a husband again, to Leyicet Peralta.

And Joel Osteen's mother, Dodie, shared that 31 years ago she was given a prognosis that she had weeks left to live because she had cancer. At that time she weighed only 89 pounds and her skin was "yellow" as could be. But despite the grave prognosis, the family prayed and kept hope alive. Her husband and her laid face down on the floor to pray for her health, and every day she read scripture verses about healing that she compiled. She would drive across town to pray for others even despite her illness because she believed that when she prays for others, her health would improve. During her battle with cancer, Dodie wrote letters to everyone she thought she might have offended to ask for forgiveness, including to her children, which made her feel "clean" inside.

"I think unforgiveness in your heart is like poison in your body," she said. "You might say 'I can't forgive,' you can with God's help."

"They couldn't treat me with chemo, because they didn't know where the primary tumor was," said Dodie Osteen, who advised people to get medical treatment any way they can if they have cancer. "But I found the place where it was written, and I read all those Scriptures and I still read them because they are like my medication every day I take."

Despite given a prognosis of only weeks to live in 1981, Dodie Osteen has exceeded everyone's expectation and has lived another 31 years so far.

At the end of the event, after Osteen gave a message about God's positive destiny for everyone's life, he prayed with those who wanted to dedicate their lives to Jesus and told them to pray that they repent of their sins. He also encouraged people who watch his weekly church service broadcast to find a local church to attend so they can get "plugged in" to the Christian body.

Joel Osteen's children performed together several times during the Night of Hope event, with his son Jonathan playing the electric guitar and his daughter Alexandra singing. Several D.C. pastors also took the stage to pray for the city, including Mark Batterson of National Community Church and Dennis Pisani of Capitol City Church of D.C.

(Photo: Joel Osteen Ministries/Brad Person)

(l-r) Joel Osteen, his daughter Alexandra, his son Jonathan, and wife Victoria Osteen at the Night of Hope event at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, April, 29, 2012.

http://www.christianpost.com/news/joel-osteen-at-night-of-hope-dc-god-is-a-positive-god-he-wants-to-supersize-your-peace-joy

How to Enjoy Life Despite Your Circumstances

by Joyce Meyer

Which of these phrases do you utter to yourself most mornings? Do you greet each day with an expectant, positive attitude about what the day holds, or do you feel like pulling the blankets over your head, dreading what awaits you outside your front door? 

We must combat the dread that tempts us to stay in bed by keeping a positive attitude and mindset. Our attitude is so important to how we feel each day. The kind of day we have is, to a great degree, determined by our thoughts and actions. If we dwell on negative thoughts, expecting the worst, our actions will reflect those thoughts. 

It’s impossible to reach your God-given destiny if you allow negative thoughts to fill your mind. Dread is a close relative of fear, and allowing it to remain in your mind, sets you up for misery and robs you of joy. 

Motherhood Is Not a Competition

Three ways to confront and overcome the destructive nature of jealousy.

by Dr. Meg Meeker

Twenty-some years ago, I was driving down the highway very early in the morning. I was a senior pediatric resident at Children’s Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and was trying to get to work early enough to check on the younger residents’ patients before I started morning rounds. It was spring and I was pregnant with our second child. I was driving about 60 mph in a 65mph zone when I saw, with my peripheral vision, a friend trying to pass me in the left-hand lane on her way to make rounds.

Beauty from the Inside Out

Janet Maccaro, PH.D.,

You’ll need more than cosmetics for great-looking skin and a lovely appearance. You’ll need to understand the health and beauty connection.

Beauty truly does radiate from within. A healthy, vibrant woman defies age. As a testimony and reflection of our self-esteem, inner beauty and vibrancy, true beauty is the result of inner vitality, balance, health and happiness, not vanity.

Optimal nutrition, stress-relieving exercise and a positive frame of mind are requirements you must tote along on your continued journey toward complete balance. A balanced body and a beautiful spirit are better than the very best cosmetic application or surgery.

With proper nutrition, rest, relaxation and exercise, you can keep your body balanced, healthy and youthful throughout your entire life. Your skin can be wrinkle-free and elastic, your eyes can sparkle, your complexion can be smooth, and your face can be firm and tight.

10 Confidence Secrets of Successful Women

Always exude a can-do attitude when it comes to work

By Pierra C. Labrador for Yahoo! Southeast Asia

Confidence and success are inextricably linked—confident women tend to excel at whatever they set out to do. Need a little help addressing your wallflower tendencies? We interviewed some successful women in the fields of business, marketing, and even blogging, and came up with a list of 10 confidence secrets to help you achieve your potential.

1. The cardinal rule of confidence: love thyself. "I think in whatever role we play, we first have to like ourselves. When you are happy in your own skin, others pick up on that vibe," says Christine Dychiao, popular fashion blogger (manilafashionobserver.com), columnist, and social media consultant.

Stop worrying about what others will think or say. Rather, know that when people see how you value and believe in yourself, they instinctively follow suit.

2. Radiate positivity and a can-do attitude. Make it easy on yourself by working in a field you actually enjoy. Vivacious PR practitioner Annie Delgado Ringor, Managing Director of Bridges@com, says, "I love what I am doing and so it shows in every aspect of how I do my job."

3. Know your stuff. Widen your network. Whether you're at a corporate presentation or cocktail party, as Annie says, "Learn your craft, dress the part, know how to converse."

Marketing entrepreneur and blogger (OCMominManila.com) Kris de Guzman shares, "When I meet with clients or present to a big group, the ultimate confidence-booster for me is knowing I am credible. I make sure I am prepared for meetings by studying, researching, practicing, and thinking of possible questions from the audience."

4. Contribute something. When you know you have something valuable to offer—a skill, a talent, your expertise, even a good restaurant recommendation—let the world know!

Says Christine, who is also a columnist at The Philippine Star, "I think what gives me the confidence to keep on writing is the fact that I know what I am talking about. I make an effort to fact-check stories, I get my content straight from official sources, and I write about what I like. It's hard to contradict a story based on a foundation like that."

5. Manage your time wisely. Confidence can stem from a sense of accomplishment, but that means being able to allot enough time for every hat that you wear. Devise a schedule that works for you so you can focus on what's important.

For Kris, who is also wife to a TV producer and mom to two young girls, quitting her corporate marketing gig and working at home is the best decision she every made. "The main perk of owning your own business is owning your own time. I schedule things according to when I can do them. Even if I just gave birth a week ago, I am still able to find time to do a little work and take care of the new baby."

6. Have a good support system. Venisse Laurel-Hermano, sister of top designer Rajo Laurel and the business force behind House of Laurel, draws her strength from her family. "I believe that we are a powerful force, because I have been blessed with a strong family unit. Hard work and perseverance was instilled to us by our parents, and my mom taught us to always take care of each other and be supportive of each other's decisions."

Maureen* AVP for Marketing of a leisure developer corporation says, "My husband is always there whenever I need advice. Because we are so different in terms of personality, he gives me a different perspective on things."

7. Be driven to succeed. Having a defined mission or goal powers you to excel. For high-powered corporate exec Maureen, her family serves as an inspiration. "I hope I am being a good example to the kids by having a strict work ethic and a passion for excellence. There's a certain level of fulfillment you get when you put your heart into something and it works!"

Shares Venisse, "We are driven and determined not by how much we can make but how success can help a lot of families in our employ."

8. Keep your cool. Not everything will go your way, and the true test of a person's character is how they face adversity.

Says the PR maven Annie, "In a normal situation, when something goes wrong, I immediately try to look for an option to right the wrong. I always appear calm in many situations even if my stomach is churning!"

Meanwhile, Maureen turns to a higher power during trying moments. "I pray extra hard whenever I need direction. Sometimes you just need to go through painful and difficult experiences so you can learn to appreciate the good in your life later on—also these challenges make you wiser and stronger."

9. Be inspired. It always helps to have role models to emulate. Christine says, "I don't think there is anybody out there who is absolutely confident. So I am inspired by the many people I have met who are successful in their own respective fields, but still have bouts of fear, nervousness, and insecurity... what sets them apart is that they did not let fear and insecurity keep them from doing what they feel they are destined to do. I think confidence is important to have, but fear and insecurity can also be the catalyst to take the next step, try harder, dream bigger."

10. Dress for success. When you need an extra boost, turn to power dressing. Look good, feel good! Annie channels confidence via a bold color: "I wear a red dress and a pearl necklace." Maureen's confidence boosters? "Killer stilettos! Or a really cool accessory." As for Venisse, she shares, "My no-fail outfit? My black dress with my white overblouse and heels. A nice pair of earrings and a smile."

*not her real name

Pierra C. Labrador is a freelance writer, editor, stylist, and co-founder of the Philippine's new virtual styling site miss-match.com.ph. She's worked for the top Philippine glossies for over 10 years, and recently co-authored the Enjoy Philippines Manila Travel Guide.

Dating Online? Watch that Ad!

New to Online Dating? Trying to find the man or woman of your dreams through the Virtual World? You need to have a Good Personal Ad or Dating Profile

Some people don't believe me when I tell them that most problems with not enough Responses to your Ad can be fixed just by writing a better Ad. And then I often take them, real-time, to an Online Dating Site. I randomly start reading out profiles, and they cannot believe that so many people write such terrible ads! Maybe it is this overvalued notion of spontaneity, of writing whatever comes to your mind, letting it flow, being you - which leads you to write gibberish in your ads. Say goodbye to any success in Online Dating with that. Think what would happen if NASA Engineers became spontaneous.

So stop your Dating shuttle from crashing and read these examples of common Mistakes in Dating Profiles. Have a laugh, but be careful, your own profile may have bugs too! (All examples are real)

.."I am a funny, witty person...."

Funny and witty people never write that directly. Instead of saying this, add a touch of humor to your profile.

.."I was just bored, so wrote my profile here..."

A negative attitude. Instead, say, "I am new to this..."

..."I am an Honest, Spontaneous, Creative, Intelligent (..other personal adjectives) ...person."

Very few people think they are not, so this is very subjective (same as the fact that 80% people believe that they have an IQ above average!). Even if true, it is redundant information at best. Avoid using personal adjectives in your Ad or Profile.

Define yourself concretely-better to say I am a Guitar player in a Band or I write Novels or I am a practising Doctor than I am Creative or Intelligent.

..."I want a guy who can make me laugh..."

Comes across as negative-you sound slightly depressed if you need someone just to make you laugh. Theres plenty of stuff on the TV to make you laugh, and you are not looking for a joker, you are looking for a boyfriend, a mate...remember?

..."I like dark haired men, but if you are blond and good-looking, write me anyway, maybe you can change my mind...."

Turn-off to blond men. Make up your mind, if you are looking for only dark haired men, just say that. Dont play both sides of the coin, generally backfires. Better not to say anything if you are not sure.

..."I like taking walks by the ocean, or watching TV, or going camping with my friends..."

Unimportant details. Most people like these things, and these are hardly important details in finding a partner (it is unlikely you wont like going out with someone just because they dont like walking the beach or watching TV with you) . Your hobbies is where you put these things, and more specifically-e.g. Camping, or Watching Basketball.

..."I am sexy, flirtatious,... I like kisses on my back, full body massages from my boyfriend/girlfriend..."

Generally speaking, keep the sexual innuendos out. You will have plenty of time to exchange many raunchy emails if you are addicted to writing sexual stuff... but in the first impression, keep it out. Think about it this way-would you say this to a guy or a girl in a bar who you meet for the first time? If not, then dont say it in your Ad either.

..."I am looking for a REAL man/woman, with all the letters of REAL..."

Everyone is real. Basically, dont worry, sounds like you have had some bad experiences in relationships, but thats over now. Come with a positive attitude to Online Dating, and just meet the people. Then when you email them and meet them in person, you can decide if they are real or not.

..."I am not interested in guys who are bitter and boring..."

No one is. Use the Ad mostly to tell what you like, not what you dont like. Agreeability is a must have in first introductions. 


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