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Are we there yet?

January 23, 2021 Gaspar Anastasi
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Finding significance in life, Making positive change, Success & victory

“Are we there yet?” That’s the question we always asked as kids on a long car ride. As long as we could envision the destination, we could tolerate the monotony and discomfort of the trip. But what happens when the goal is still far away?

We start looking at the road and focusing on how hard life is. Giving up on our dream becomes a viable option. That’s why you must stay focused on the bigger picture, the reason you were created.

Of course, the journey plays an important part: It prepares you to be successful when you reach your destination. Sadly, too many people get off track along the way. They get their eyes off the prize, quit along the way and then never fulfill their life’s purpose.

Keeping the bigger picture in mind (the end goal, the destination) helps us to press on.

Focus on the end game

Walt Disney was fired from his newspaper job because he “lacked ideas” and went bankrupt several times. When he tried to fund the development of Disneyland, over a hundred banks turned him down.

When Thomas Edison was 4 years old, his teacher sent a note home saying, “Please remove Thomas from this school because he is too stupid to learn.” That opinion didn’t keep him from going on  to invent the incandescent light bulb, becoming history’s most prolific inventor or having  1,093 U.S. patents as well as many in the UK, France and Germany.

Then there’s Lou Ferrigno who, as a child, developed an ear infection resulting in hearing loss in one ear. His father was very critical of him because of his hearing loss, believing he would never achieve success. Yet, at the age of 20, Ferrigno became the youngest body builder to win the Mr. Universe title and then became a legend on the TV show “The Incredible Hulk”. He once said, “If I hadn’t lost my hearing, I wouldn’t be where I am now.” It forced him to stay focused on the bigger picture (his desire to be successful) and maximize his potential.

There are many others who stayed focused on the end game in spite of obstacles they faced on the journey. Early teachers considered Albert Einstein an un-teachable fool and Wayne Gretzky (the most famous hockey player to play the game) was said to be “too small, too slow and would never make it in the NHL.” The experts considered Beethoven hopeless as a composer.

Pursue the prize ahead

These men had two things in common: 1). They never quit when it seemed like the only option and 2). they stayed focused on the bigger picture. They kept their eyes fixed on their destination—not just the journey. They accepted that life isn’t fair and doesn’t give you what you deserve. (But they obviously believed it gives you what you demand.)

Don’t let past failures deter you from pursuing your God-given dreams. There is a prize ahead, so press on toward your goal. Like the Apostle Paul said:

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13, 14).

If this blog has been a blessing to you, please comment.…

Do you know who you are?

December 26, 2020 Michele Anastasi
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Finding direction, Finding significance in life

Today’s Blog is a little different than usual. We want to take this time to introduce the new Breaking Free Living Well offices in Fort Myers, FL. At Word of Life, we’ve counseled and prayed inner healing for thousands of people over the past 35 years, and God said it was time to take this very special ministry into the community and beyond. 

We’re also adding a new component of Life Coaching which ties in perfectly helping people to, “Live Well.” We’ve wanted to do this for a long time, and I’m excited to share that we’ve recently received our Life Coaching certification. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Life Coaching let me explain what it’s all about.

Why would someone want Life Coaching?

  • Coaches help people to set and reach specific goals.
  • Coaches help in developing a closer walk with God.
  • Coaches walk with people through life transitions and other changes.
  • Coaches help stimulate and clarify vision.

Often a person may feel like something is missing in their life, but not know what that something is. One of the coach’s first tasks is to help a counselee become aware of what is creating that sense of dissatisfaction.

How is Coaching different from counseling?

  • Coaching is not for people who need to overcome painful influences from the past. That’s where inner healing prayer and counseling are invaluable.
  • Coaching helps you build vision and move toward the future.
  • Coaching is not about looking back; it’s about looking ahead.
  • Coaching is not about healing; it’s about growing.

What happens in Coaching?

Coaching is client-centered and goal-directed. Every coaching situation is unique, but usually coaches will begin by exploring the issues the person wants to change. In what areas do they want to grow? Christians in coaching may seek to determine where God appears to be leading them.

There is also the need for awareness of where the person is at present.

What are their strengths, weaknesses, abilities, spiritual gifts, interests, passions, values and hopes? Often the coach will use assessment tools to enable people to learn more about themselves.

Then comes vision. Coaches might assist in helping the person in formulating their life-vision or mission statement. Without a clear vision, people tend to drift with no direction. 

Coaches will also help people set  goals and plan ways to reach these goals.

When obstacles get in the way, coaches challenge, encourage and give accountability so the person can get past the obstacles and experience success. A coach can help you remove the blinders, allowing you to see what you may not recognize and give support as you move forward. 

A Christian coach is there for you, prayerfully listening to your concerns and asking questions that will give you clarity on your situation, get you past roadblocks, realize your God-given potential, and challenge you to be your best. So let’s get started!

Location is no obstacle. We can counsel or coach you online using Zoom. Call (239) 244.3912 or visit BreakingFreeCC.com for more information on how you can benefit from Life Coaching or Counseling from our experienced and compassionate. team.…

How do you want to be remembered?

December 5, 2020 Gaspar Anastasi
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Finding significance in life, Success & victory

Every day, you and I are writing the story of our lives. The chapter you pen right now is being read by the people around you. But the full story will be published and perused by many others long after you are gone.

I have good news! You can know and even write the ending before it happens. “How is that possible?” you ask. Below are some ways we can do just that.

Write the ending you want

 1.) Learn to say “no” to the good, so you can say “yes” to the best! Each decision you make has short term results, but it also shapes your future. Your today is the result of all the decisions you’ve made up to this point. Your tomorrow is the sum of the decisions you make today. So, here’s a word of advice: Never make permanent decisions based on temporary circumstances. You must manage the fruit of that decision for the rest of your life.

2.) Don’t accept the agenda that someone else mapped out for you. Live your life the way God created you to. You never want to be a cheap copy of a great original! Ephesians 2:10 puts it this way: For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

By reading God’s word and listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit, you can find out for what purpose God created you . Choose to walk in His ways no matter how much pressure people place on you to conform to their ways. Remember, you’re writing your own history—not theirs.

Our time is the greatest resource God has given us, and the Bible warns us to protect it. “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil, (Ephesians 5:15-16).”

3.) Every day, manage your thoughts so that you can manage your life. Like actual decisions, your thoughts greatly influence your destiny. In fact, nothing else affects your decisions like right or wrong thinking. So allow Jesus to be Lord over your every thought. After all, a good idea doesn’t always mean it’s a God idea. Don’t jump to conclusions until you are certain your idea leads to the ending you desire. Avoid negative thinking because once your mind is tattooed with negative thinking, your chance for long term success is diminished.

4.) As you change your thinking, start to immediately change your behavior. Take action and begin to act the part of the person you want to become. The problem is that people want to “feel” instead of taking action. That never works. The faith walk is not the same as the feeling walk! James 2:20 says, But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?  The world says, “If it feels good, do it.” God’s word says, “Do it, whether it feels good or not.”

5.) Stay focused on the end. Don’t allow the spirit of offense to distract you and take you off track. So many people have their wheels stuck in the mud of offense and they aren’t advancing to their original goals. Remember, planning your end is a daily thing, so consistency is non-negotiable. To be remembered the way God intended you to be depends on the consistency of your daily routine. Success is not a “destination thing”. It’s a “daily thing”. Don’t let Satan take you off track through offense.

Remember: The person you are tomorrow, you are becoming today. Live every day of your life wisely. Our time is the greatest resource God has given us, and the Bible warns us to protect it. “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil, (Ephesians 5:15-16).”

Plan your tomorrows today and be assured that your ending will be what God (and you) want it to be!…

What are you believing for?

October 3, 2020 Gaspar Anastasi
2 Comments
Finding significance in life, Making positive change

Years ago, someone asked me, “How are you doing?” My answer and their subsequent response changed my life forever. I said, “Oh, I’m hanging on.” Their response was, “Don’t just hang on. Stand on the promises of God!” I suddenly realized that my faith wasn’t secure in any foundation. I didn’t know specifically what I was believing God for.

Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him.” Faith must be strongly founded on something to work. That foundation is our belief, trust and hope in God’s promises for our lives. God’s promises (His word made real to us) are always “yes and so be it (2 Cor. 1:20).” God’s promises don’t work just sometimes, or if you do everything perfect and right in His eyes. They shout “Yes and amen!” all of the time because His love is unconditional. No strings attached.

I find that even most Christians are skeptical about God loving them unconditionally. Why? Because it’s spiritually discerned, not naturally. They doubt His promises to them because they lack the solid foundation of belief necessary for their faith to work.

He doesn’t do anything outside of your faith. And your faith is not operating if you don’t believe God for a specific promise that He revealed to you in His word. In fact, He commands us to remind Him of His promises, giving Him no rest (Isaiah 62:7).

The reason I responded to “How are you doing?” with “Oh, I’m hanging on” is because:

  1. I didn’t know God’s promises to me regarding my present circumstance or condition.
  2. I wasn’t convinced that God loved me unconditionally. The people in the church I attended loved one another conditionally. They declared Jesus Christ, but they were judgmental, critical and performance-oriented. So that’s how I perceived God’s love for me.
  3. I lacked the assurance that says If God said it, I believe it and that settles it for me! Like many of us, I had no foundation for my faith to work from. Yes, I was praising God, shouting with the best of them, but I wasn’t standing on His promises.

Are you just “hanging on” like I was, hoping for something good to happen? Or is your faith built on the strong foundation of belief in God’s promises personally to you? That’s what allows Him to release blessings into your life. Don’t deceive yourself into thinking that just going to church regularly, reading your bible and living the best you can for God will earn His blessing. Many people live their Christian lives like that, hanging on for dear life, hoping God will see their desperation and move on their behalf.

Know your God! He isn’t moved by your circumstances or condition, but only by your faith. Sure, He cares what you go through and He hurts when you hurt. But His method of blessing is through faith that is based on a strong foundation. So the next time someone asks, “How are doing?” your answer should be, “I’m standing on the promises of God!” Then confess what they are. What are you believing God for?…

What’s following you?

September 5, 2020 Gaspar Anastasi
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Finding significance in life, Making positive change, Success & victory

No one lives this life without affecting others, whether for good or evil. Our influence makes lasting impact for generations. Our legacy lays a path for our children and grandchildren to follow. It will either lead them to do greater things or cause them to stumble.

Deuteronomy 30:19 says that the choices we make today will bless or curse those who follow us. Every one of us has an account in heaven where we make daily deposits for our future—either blessings of mercy or curses of iniquity.

What are you depositing?

We store up blessings of mercy by making God-honoring choices that put Him before ourselves. When we make time to go to church, give tithes and offerings, forgive others and overlook their wrongs, resist temptations—all these things bless God.

Conversely, taking the easy way out, compromising, giving in to temptation, refusing to forgive, following our feelings and intellect, inconsistently attending corporate gatherings, holding back tithes and offerings—these actions store up curses for our future and that of our children and grandchildren (Exodus 20:5).

Look back in your own family tree, and you may realize that a legacy of mercy, favor and blessing was stored up for you by your parents and grandparents who paid the price in sacrifices and right choices. You may also see how some of your present struggles are inherited from them.

The buck stops here!

Those curses of iniquity need not go any further. We’ve all sown bad seeds in our lives, but its time to reverse the curse. You can be the “bloodline-changer” in your family and end its negative effect on your children and your children’s children. Ask “What is in my heavenly bank account? Blessings of mercy? Or curses of iniquity?” The buck can stop with you!

The legacy we leave is more valuable, enduring and life-changing than silver and gold that perish. 

The Apostle Paul pointed out to Timothy that his strong faith first lived in the hearts of his grandmother Lois and mother Eunice (2 Tim. 1:5). Their deposits of faithful prayer and worship into their heavenly bank account benefited their child.

Wouldn’t it be great if God could tell your descendants the same about you when they see divine favor and special blessings in their lives? The legacy we leave is more valuable, enduring and life-changing than silver and gold that perish. 

Every family needs a David.

That’s why Solomon asked the Lord to remember the mercies of His servant David (2 Chron. 6:42). David wasn’t a perfect man, but he knew how to honor God, which deposited blessings of mercy in his heavenly account for his sons to withdraw.

God honored David’s sacrifices and his right choices. For all that, God promised David that, instead of giving them what they deserved, He would correct his sons with mercy if they turned away from Him (which they did).

God’s covenant of mercy also extends to you and me. Be the David of your family! The next time you put down your flesh and make a right decision, remember that, like David, you are depositing mercy in your heavenly account. Leaving a lasting legacy for future generations.…

Light the fire again.

August 29, 2020 Gaspar Anastasi
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Finding significance in life, Making positive change, Success & victory

Isn’t it amazing how big a $20 bill looks when you take it to church and how small it is when you take it to the mall? Or think about how long an hour serving God seems compared to the same 60 minutes spent watching TV, playing sports, sleeping or taking a lunch break!

Where are your priorities?

Consider how laborious it is to read a chapter in the Bible, but so easy to cuddle up with a 200 page bestselling novel. We may have trouble getting up for church on Sunday morning but no problem whatsoever staying out late on a big date the night before.

Isn’t it strange how quick we are to trust directions from a total stranger if we are lost? Or take the advice of the latest pop-psychologist? But we are so hesitant to seek God’s direction in the Bible for the issues of our life. You get my point.

It comes down to priorities. You may go through life convinced that your priority is loving and serving God, but is it really? When examined more closely, your actions may betray your true priorities.

1. Recognize your condition and repent for living a hypocritical Christian life!

Admit that, like the Church of Laodicea in the Book of Revelation, your heart for the things of God is lukewarm at best.

According to scripture, a lukewarm Christian is worse than an unbeliever. At least an unsaved person, when faced with the truth of their ungodly lifestyle, may recognize their need for Jesus. But a lukewarm Christian is deceived into thinking that everything is good. How far from the truth!

2. Study God’s Word to find out what He expects of those who have His Spirit.

John 15:1-7 tells us that, if we’re connected with Him there must be evidence (fruit) of His life in us. We should obey His Word, demonstrate a giving nature, show unconditional love for one another, worship and praise Him continually, develop a prayer life and—last but not least—come together regularly to worship Him.

3. Get baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit daily.

He is the presence of God and He will keep you passionately in love with Jesus. When the fire goes out, we’re all subject to living a compromised Christian life, but the Holy Spirit is available every moment of our life. Get into the habit of being filled with His presence daily. It’s as simple as asking, “Please fill me.”

4. Share your faith with someone daily.

I believe this is absolutely necessary. Why? Too many of us are closet Christians… afraid of rocking the boat. Or we’re deceived into thinking that we should keep our faith to ourselves.

We must flow the river of God’s love by sharing our faith with others. This allows God to continually pour more of Himself in us and keep us fresh in His anointing.

Let’s rip the veils of deception off of our eyes and start living the true Christian life! Don’t buy the lie many Christians are falling for today: They believe they’re going to heaven, while not believing there is a hell!

It’s time to face the truth and get your priorities straight… or face the consequences. Believe me: It’s worth the effort.…

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