Service, Not Sacrifice, Is Essential To Abundance

As an avid student of Ayn Rand's philosophy as outlined in her famous book,

Atlas Shrugged

, I am forced to consider the idea of sacrifice. As a Christian, I accept that Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice to pay for my salvation. The night before his crucifixion, he washed his disciples' feet and instructed them to be servants of each other. To me the basic premise of both sacrifice and service is willingness.

When one is not free to choose whether to serve or sacrifice something, then that is slavery. And slavery comes from many places. It can come from people, governments and even from our thoughts. However, most slaves become so because because they willingly allow this condition to happen.

So to be in service is a good thing. It is to the degree that we offer service to others that we are rewarded for our efforts. As human beings, we were created for increase, both personal and corporate. The idea that we are here only to give and never to receive is irrational. So being forced to sacrifice something to benefit another is slavery.

If I can inspire one other person to break loose of any kind of enslavement, then I am successful. I look for ways to be of service in all areas of my life. However, when I feel I am being forced to sacrifice something against my will, I become understandably resistant. It is service, not sacrifice, that is essential to abundance and a fuller life. I invite everyone to meditate on that thought today.

Sandra Hayes
803-391-7577

Network Marketing and Christianity - What's The Turn-Off?

Having been involved in network marketing off and on since the early 80's, I understand many of the challenges involved. In fact, I decided I was not a salesperson and totally gave up on the idea of a network marketing home based business in 1986. It seemed I couldn't quite master the art of instilling the same enthusiasm I had with others.

Then, 3 1/2 years ago, my husband Ed, a retired USAF officer who worked as a realtor after his retirement, was at his wit's end. After our move to SC, he was not happy with the real estate business and had taken a job as a retail store manager. While surfing the internet looking for something better, Ed found a website describing a home business opportunity.

We have been conducting this business ever since. This experience has given me the opportunity to examine this business model for its good points as well as its not-so-good ones. Network marketers know that only 2 - 5% of the people they talk to are willing to get started. Of that number, roughly the same percentage experience any lasting success. The question is "Why? What's the turn-off in this business?"

I got some insight into this answer in church this morning. It occurred to me that Christianity is also a network marketing business. We hear the message and either accept it and share it with others, or we turn around and run the other way. The reasons people run away from both opportunities are the same.

Most people in industrialized countries know both Christians and network marketers. Many people have actually "tried" one or both out to see if it is real. What they hear from either one may sound too good to be true. Or maybe they've read negative things about both groups, or they know people who got involved and were disappointed. Perhaps leaders misled them or didn't measure up to their expectations. Maybe they felt like they were lied to or that the representatives turned out to be hypocrites.

Regardless of the perceived experience, they developed mistrust for either Christianity or network marketing. Of course, millions of people have had wonderful, life changing experiences with Christianity. Millions have also been able to earn great incomes and help others do the same in home business ventures.

I don't seek to equate Christian faith with a business except to say that we were created as both spiritual and physical beings. We develop relationships with each other and seek to share what we learn in order to help others. My purpose in life is to open people's eyes to possibilities. I look for the positive in situations and people. As a result, I have a deep seated faith in God and believe He created us for abundance.

When I look at the world, I see abundance everywhere. When I study Scripture, I see wealthy patriarchs. In fact, when the Israelites, who had become slaves during their 400-year stay in Egypt, followed Moses into the wilderness, they received expensive gifts from the Egyptians to take with them. God did not deliver them in a state of poverty but rather in one of wealth. There is no evidence that God considers poverty to be the ideal human condition.

My question today is why does one person's enthusiastic belief in something trigger skepticism in someone else? It's sad to know that many people won't even consider something that could bring huge benefits to themselves and their families because of skepticism, which means the fear of being disappointed.

In my quest to open people's minds to life's possibilities, I seek to be a non-threatening, honest, communicator of the truth as I know it. By the grace of God and through my acceptance of Jesus Christ as His son and my savior, I have eternal life. Because I believe that wealth is also a blessing to be shared and not a curse, I choose to work a business that gives me the freedom to live the life I was created to live. What I want for myself, I want for others.

Abundance Is Our Birthright

I am so blessed and grateful to be sitting here in my home watching the sunrise on Lake Murray. It's Sunday and a bit chilly this October morning. Sundays are special in several ways. They represent a fresh start on a new week. They also offer an opportunity for me to join good friends and fellow Christians in Sunday School and worship services at Chapin United Methodist Church. In worhip, I thank my creator for the abundance of blessings we enjoy.

Over the years as we have lived in different places, Ed and I have worshipped at different churches. They have each blessed us in a special way and taught us lessons about God, life, and ourselves. Regardless of the pastor or the message, however, the recurring theme has been how abundantly blessed we are. As a result of being blessed, our duty is therefore to be a blessing to others.

As I read the story of the great patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in Genesis, I realize that abundance was their birthright. These men and their families had challenges to be sure. Sometimes they made wise choices and sometimes not. Regardless, God continued to bless them and stay true to his covenant promise to bless them and make them as numerous as the stars in the sky or the sand on the shore.

Here we are, four thousand years later, and these blessings continue from one generation to the next. Like the patriarchs, we have challenges in life. And often our challenges are similar to theirs. As families we deal with sibling rivalry, jealousy, alienation, forgiveness, and reconciliation. As nations, we deal with war, peace treaties, immigration, and trade agreements.

The beauty of all of this is that the same God who made a covenant with Abraham seeks to make one with us. We may think we live in a different time with all our technology and so we do. But all we experience today was made possible by the one God who set everything in motion by His powerfully spoken word.

As we approach this Sunday with all of its abundance, let's take the time to recognize and offer thanks to the creator who makes it all possible. Abundance is our birthright. Our grateful stewardship of this abundance is our response. We have been freely given so that now we can freely give.

May you enjoy all the abundance, peace, and joy that you were created to experience.

Sandra Hayes
Prosperity, South Carolina

Abundance Is Real

The abundance available to all life forms is staggering. Every time I look out the window, take a drive, go shopping, or visit the library I witness this. It is absolutely impossible for me to meet every person, read every book, taste every food, and hear every note played or sung in my lifetime. But I can achieve some of these things every day. And I can share the abundance I enjoy with another person - EVERY DAY.

For I am the only one who can do these things for me. God gave me the gift of free will, which is to me the ultimate gift. It gives me the freedom to think, believe, and act according to what I know to be true in this moment. God's relationship to us as humans is fundamentally one of freedom to love and serve Him and others or not.

How then have human beings inacted laws and systems that take away these freedoms? Some laws are necessary for a civil society because some humans have taken free will to mean they can do things to and against others. There are more than enough laws to deal with this behavior and I only mention it here to recognize that need. But telling another person what they can read or believe or how to raise their children is tyranny and should never be tolerated.

The challenge I put before myself and others is to take this gift of free will very seriously. We must all take ownership of our thoughts by choosing carefully what to read and believe. We must look at who we are individually and what our goals are for ourselves. We are not victims but co-authors with God of the lives we create.

What changes would you like to see in your world? Do you want to see more love, more sharing, more personal wealth for the freedom to be, do, and have more than you ever have before. The key word is more. We were created for more. With the abundance you see all around, more is so possible. The possibility of more gives us the ambition, motivation, and energy to make things happen.

After all, everything you see, hear, or read, began with an idea. Let's all come up with some good ideas and take action on them, today.

To your abundance.

Sandra Hayes

Socialism Does Not Favor Abundance

I received an interesting email this morning about socialism. It seems an economics professor challenged a class on the viability of socialism. Young, idealistic minds like to think that sharing equally by taking from the rich and giving to the poor will fix everything. To prove this does not happen, he assigned grades along socialistic lines. All test grades were averaged and every student received the same grade. After the first test, everyone got a B. They all received a D after the second test and an F after the third. Working hard to achieve more was no longer beneficial so no one did it. As a result, all failed and no one was happy. The professor had an abundance of A's at his disposal but they had to be earned.

This reminds me of a verse in the Bible, Mark 14:7, to be precise. Jesus told his disciples "You will always have poor people with you, and any time you want to, you can help them. But you will not always have me." Good News Bible There are some key words in this verse: always, want, and can. There will always be poor people. There are various reasons for this. Sometimes poor people indeed need our help. Jesus gave us the free will to choose who to help and when. In my experience this works far better than forced aid by taxation, or stealing from the rich to give to the poor by the government.

Some people are actually poor by choice. Haven't you heard people say they can't get married or earn more money because they will lose their welfare or social security income? As long as people perceive they deserve to be paid regardless of their productivity, many will choose to be unproductive. And when the productive realize that no matter how hard they work, what they earn will be taken from them and given to those who do nothing, they will lose their ambition. And where is a society when people are no longer motivated to be creative and productive?

Please note that I believe in missions and giving to those with burdens that are too great for them to carry. A good example is Katrina Relief along the U.S. gulf coast. People were hard hit by a natural disaster and needed all the help they could get to rebuid their homes and lives. The last time I was there, however, I saw some examples of people who were not helping themselves but complaining about the government. It actually put a negative thought in the minds of many volunteers who were using their vacation time, money, and energy to be of assistance only to be met with ingratitude. Right now I have a choice about where to go on my next mission.

I have this choice because right now I have the time and resources to be self-directed and spirit-led. If the government strips me of these resources and loses them in a quagmire of bureaucratic red tape, does anyone really benefit? This has happened along the gulf coast. Are there still people there who really need our help? Of course there are. Many didn't qualify for government funds the first time around for whatever reason. In fact every volunteer agency has paid social workers who take applications, fill our forms, and continually follow up to see what help is available and when. And everyone has become despondent because the government proved frustrating to both the poor and those who would like to help them.

You see, the residents there and the volunteers from out of state no longer see themselves and their hard work as the solution. So, I ask you. Are we all better off in a system where everyone has the potential to achieve an A? Or are we as a society better served when no one is allowed an A becaue all must receive the same grade? Remember, socialism does not favor abundance for anyone.

Abundance Abounds

So here we are in the last month of 2008. Worldwide people are wringing their hands over the state of the economy. I met with my financial advisor today and we were both laughing and enjoying life, knowing that the current state of the stock market is temporary. Such is the case whether the Dow is up or down. It's all about perspective and faith. This fact is taught in our personal development business and was solidly reinforced by in our pastor's sermon this past Sunday. How can we ever think there is lack when it so obvious that abundances abounds in our world.
Today I celebrate my physical , emotional, and spiritual health. In so doing, I focus on what is good and positive in my life and in the world. Hopefully, we all know that we manifest what we focus on and think about. My prayer is that everyone comes to realize this immediately. There are circumstances we cannot change or control, but we can choose our thoughts. The best way to guard our thoughts is by limiting what we allow ourselves to see, hear and read. TURN OFF THE NEWS. STOP READING THE NEWSPAPER. Read, watch, and listen to positive material only. Ask yourself if what you are reading, watching, listening to and thinking about are moving you closer to your goals or not. If the answer is "not," then leave it alone and focus on something that will improve your life.
So let's get back to my Jody's sermon (he's my pastor - I don't always enjoy his sermons but this one was one of his best ever). The basic premise is that God is all-powerful, the creator and sustainer of everything both animate and inanimate. Secondly, God is willing, even eager, to share that power with us. In Ephesians 3:20, we read, "His power at work in us can do far more than we dare ask or imagine. "(Contemporary English Version, E-Sword) That is so amazing if you just think about it. The same power that created the universe and living cells is available to me. I just have to acknowlege and believe this.
Jody went on to say that we are given the "power along the way." This means that we don't immediately realize we have the power until we step out on faith and take action. As soon as we obey and move in the direction our heart (the Holy Spirit) is directing us, we see the power manifest itself in the occurrence of miracles. This reminds me of Indiana Jones stepping into the abyss to reach the Holy Grail. As soon as he takes the step, the bridge appears. We just have to take the step, knowing a miracle is about to happen.
I am so grateful for this knowlege of abundance and power. Because of this certainty I have no fear of the future. You see, I'm living my life with full knowlege of the final story. When you know how a story ends, there's no need to fret about the challenges the hero encounters in the middle chapters. When you start living this way, there is no limit to the miracles you can manifest. God is eager for us to live our lives with His power.

To your abundance (and God's Power),
Sandra Hayes

Abundance and Prosperity Consciousness

Have you ever caught yourself saying something like, "That's just how I am"? Or "I'm a pessimist by nature." We all remember seeing the picture of two 8 ounce glasses with 4 ounces of water in each glass. We were told to describe the glasses and we found ourselves either responding with "half full" or "half empty." If you chose half full, you lean toward abundance and prosperity consciousness. If you chose half empty, you lean more toward lack and poverty consciousness.

Depending on a lot of factors, most people lean toward being more positive or more negative. In spite of your inclinations, remember that the world really is a level playing field. Even though some people may start out with an apparent advantage such as being from an affluent family, we are all capable of achieving any goal we set our hearts and minds on.

Just this morning I was doing some personal development meditation and journaling. My assignment was to choose 3 beliefs to impress onto my subconscious mind everyday until they become second nature to me. All of us can improve our self-image and become more capable and positive in our approach to life.

The three beliefs I am impressing upon my subconscious are:

1. My world overflows with neverending abundance.
2. I have talents that deserve to be richly rewarded.
3. Everywhere I look, new opportunities present themselves.

Feel free to use these statements to change your outlook. In the process you will become more prosperity and abundance conscious. In fact, your attraction to this blog could very well be a step in the right direction. If you'd like to find out more about personal development and how it can make your life more abundant, contact me.

To Your Abundance and Prosperity Consciousness,
Sandra Hayes
1-800-852-7695
prosperitytoday@bellsouth.net

You Don't Have Because You Don't Ask

How did we come to think that poor is better than abundance? Greed and abundance are polar opposites. Greed implies there is not enough for everyone so I need to grab what I can and hold on to it. Abundance causes us to relax because there is plenty for all of us and none need to suffer. Look at creation for examples of this abundance - stars, galaxies, grains of sand, oxygen molecules, blades of grass, flowers, animals, plants, ova, sperm, hair, water molecules, and even people.

I am 52 years old and there are twice as many people alive today as were alive when I was 10! Amazing, isn't it? So why do we think we need to hoard things and fear that we won't have enough of something? Satan tells us this lie so we won't be effective Christian witnesses. Instead of having the peace that passes understanding and freely sharing our blessings with others, we believe the lie and spend our lives working hard and never feeling fulfilled because we don't think we deserve to be fulfilled. Think about it. Now relax, drink a glass of water, count the stars, and be thankful for the abundance in your life.

To Your Abundance,
Sandra

The Abundant Life

Most people lead "lives of quiet desperation." How can this be since Jesus said he came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly? The two chief gifts of the Holy Spirit are power and love. Wow, how awesome that is!

Sadly enough, much of my employment life has been one of quiet desperation. I have been a registered nurse for 31 years. Initially, I became a nurse for idealistic reasons. I wanted to help the sick and dying in our world. As time has passed, my idealism has been tainted by many factors. Hospitals have become big corporations with profit margins being the main focus. Litigation and huge lawsuit awards have caused health care providers to spend more time, money, and energy on "risk management" than on patient care.

I prayed for an alternative and we were blessed with an answer. Our new business allows us to work from home, take time off whenever we want to, and help people become healthy and whole. In fact, I feel so much better about being able to offer people a way to achieve health, wealth, and spiritual wholeness now than I did as a nurse. I have more resources to live the abundant life in work and in missions than I ever saw possible working as a nurse. And the best part is that I haven't stopped being a nurse. I can use those gifts in missions when and where the Holy Spirit leads me. God, not my boss, is in charge of my life.

If you are looking for an alternative to what you're doing, I would love to help you explore some solutions.

To Your Abundance,
Sandra