What sort of New Year’s Resolution should You make this year?

The practice of making New Year’s resolutions goes back over 3,000 years to the ancient Babylonians. There is just something about the start of a new year that gives us the feeling of a fresh start and a new beginning. In reality, there is no difference between December 31 and January 1. Nothing mystical occurs at midnight on December 31. The Bible does not speak for or against the concept of New Year’s resolutions. However, if you determine to make a New Year’s resolution, what kind of resolution should you make?

Our plans may or may not be God’s plans. If we want to be successful with any New Year’s resolution, we must seek God’s will first. With his strength we might lose weight, eat better, or even become better stewards of our finances. What does God want for our lives? When he convicts, he also equips us to follow through with his plan. When we know we are following his plan, not ours, then we have more strength to stick to it. It allows God to work with us way before our usual January 3rd quitting time.

However, we must ask ourselves. Why do we only make resolutions about weight, exercise, and money?

God would be honored if we made spiritual resolutions also. How about resolving to reading a scripture from the Bible every day, getting involved with your ministry at your church, share your faith with your friends, then make a step of faith so big that only God can make it happen. Resolve to represent in your life that everyone can see it no matter what the cost.

Philippians 4:13 tells us, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength”. If God is the center of your New Year’s resolution, it has chance for success, depending on your commitment to it. If it is God’s will for something to be fulfilled, He will enable you to fulfill it. If a resolution is not God honoring and/or is not in agreement in God’s Word, we will not receive God’s help in fulfilling the resolution.

So, what sort of New Year’s resolution should we make? Here are some suggestions:

(1) Pray to the Lord for wisdom (James 1:5) in regards to what resolutions, if any,      he would have you make.

 (2) Pray for wisdom as to how to fulfill the goals God gives you.

 (3) Rely on God’s strength to help you.

 (4) Find an accountability partner who will help you and encourage you.

 (5) Don’t become discouraged with occasional failures; instead, allow them to             motivate you further.

 (6) Don’t become proud or vain, but give God the glory.

“Let’s then go out to Him and resolve to bear the insult and abuse that he endured.”  Hebrews 13:13 

Signing off for this year...Debbie from Care Placement Service in Westminster, Colorado

CHRISTMAS - ITS SPIRITUAL MEANING

Christmas is known to all men over the world as the memorable day of the birth of Jesus, the Savior. Though it is true that Christmas is celebrated as the day that Christ came into this world. It also symbolizes a very deep significant truth of the spiritual life. He was born at a time when ignorance, greed, hatred and hypocrisy prevailed. The rulers were arrogant and unrighteous. Morality was neglected.

In the midst of these conditions, Christ was born and He worked a transformation in the lives of people. He gave a new and a spiritual turn to the lives of man. There was a change in the land. People started a new way of life.  A new era dawned for the world.

Those conditions of darkness, impurity and materialism that prevailed before the coming of Christ signify to you the inner state of the seeker’s personality. In that period the seeker has no thought of God or a higher spiritual life. He is immersed in the pursuit of the material things of this external physical world. He is the slave to his senses. He has no spiritual ideal in life. He is desire-ridden. He lives a life of lust, anger, greed, deluded attachment, pride and jealousy.

The real Christmas is when the Divine element begins to express itself in the heart of man. From then on, a light begins to shine where darkness was before. Ignorance gives place to the beginning of wisdom. Impurity is replaced by purity. Hatred ceases and love begins to blossom. This starts the life of self-restraint and simplicity, of unbroken serenity and peace, balance of mind, unflinching courage in the face of all oppositions and perfect dedication to the worship of God through the service of man. This is the spiritual implication of the Christmas that is now celebrated.

Jesus Christ was not born in a grand palace. He was not born to very wealthy or learned parents. He was not born in the full blaze of daylight with the knowledge of all men. Jesus Christ was born in a simple lowly place, a corner of a stable. He was born to humble and poor parents, who had nothing to boast about, except their own spotless character and holiness.  He was born in the darkness in the obscure hour of midnight, when no one even knew about it, except a few divinely blessed people.

This is the birth into a Divine Life. It was the secret of this birth that centuries ago the Lord Jesus sweetly explained to the good Nicodemus. The good man did not quite understand what precisely Christ meant when He taught that a man must be born again if he is to attain the Kingdom of God. “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. Then it was that Christ explains that this birth is inward, not of the body, but in the Spirit. Such inner spiritual birth is essential if the Supreme is to be attained, if true bliss is to be experienced. Rejoicing takes place only when Christmas has come.

Please take the time in this time to really listen to this significant message of Christmas. May the true reason of Christ’s birth or Christmas dawn upon your hearts! Realize fully that so long as the thirst for money and the arrogance of power infects the nature of man, you cannot be blessed and true happiness cannot enter into your life. When Christmas is being celebrated all over the Continent and in England, America and in the entire Christian world, bear this in mind that, “unless ye be born again, ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven”. The fundamentals of true faith, true charity, genuine humility and a spiritual rebirth alone can usher in true bliss and brotherhood upon this earth.

Beloved seekers, bring the real and spiritual Christmas within your being. Conquer egoism. Become the embodiment of true humility. Develop meekness and lowliness of spirit by simply surrendering to the Lord. Be courageous to overcome all obstacles. Welcome the Light of Grace within. Celebrate the Christmas that ultimately leads you on the glorious Transfiguration, Resurrection and Ascension. Through Christmas realize Christ and the radiant light Wisdom we are being offered.

John 3:16

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

John 10:10

"I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Signing off...Debbie with Care Placement Service, a non-profit employment agency in Westminster Colorado

INTEGRITY - WHAT IS IT AND DO YOU HAVE IT?

If I could teach only one value to live by, it would be this: Success will come and go, but integrity is forever. Integrity means doing the right thing at all times and in all circumstances, whether or not anyone is watching. It takes having the courage to do the right thing, no matter what the consequences will be. Building a reputation of integrity takes years, but it takes only a second to lose, so never allow yourself to ever do anything that would damage your integrity. It is a choice we make every minute. Do we do what we said we would do or just make excuses not to?

We live in a world where integrity isn't talked about nearly enough. “The end justifies the means” has become an acceptable school of thought for far too many. Sales people over-promise and under deliver, all in the name of making their quota for the month. Applicants exaggerate in job interviews because they desperately need a job. Customer service representatives cover up a mistake they made because they are afraid the client will leave them. Employees call in “sick” because they don’t have any more paid time off when they actually just need to get their Christmas shopping done. The list could go on and on, and in each case the person committing the act of dishonesty told themselves they had a perfectly valid reason why the end result justified their lack of integrity.

 It may seem like people can gain power quickly and easily if they are willing to cut corners and act without the constraints of morality. Dishonesty may provide instant gratification in the moment but it will never last. I can think of several examples of people without integrity who are successful and who win without ever getting caught, which creates a false perception of the path to success that one should follow. That person has lost their ability to be trusted as a person of integrity, which is the most valuable quality anyone can have in their life.

The value of the trust others have in you is far beyond anything that can be measured.  For employees it means a manager or a boss that is willing to trust them with additional responsibility and growth opportunities. For companies it means customers that trust giving them more and more business. For you it means having an army of people that are willing to go the extra mile to help you because they know that recommending you to others will never bring damage to their own reputation of integrity.

Contrast that with the person who cannot be trusted as a person of integrity.  Warren Buffet, Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway said it best: “In looking for people to hire, look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy.  And if they don’t have the first one, the other two will kill you.”  A person’s dishonesty will eventually catch up to them. It may not be today, and it may not be for many years, but you can rest assured that at some point there will always be a reckoning.

It is important to realize that others pay attention to those you have chosen to associate with, and they will inevitably judge your character by the character of your friends. Why is that?  It is best explained by a quote my father often says when he is reminding me to be careful of the company I am keeping:  “When you lie down with dogs you get fleas.” Inevitably we become more and more like the people we surround ourselves with day to day. If we surround ourselves with people who are dishonest and willing to cut corners to get ahead, then we’ll surely find ourselves following a pattern of first enduring their behavior, then accepting their behavior, and finally adopting their behavior. If you want to build a reputation as a person of integrity then surround yourself with people of integrity.

Proverbs 10:9 "Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out."

Signing off.......Debbie with Care Placement Service

DONATING JUST FEELS GOOD AND IS TAX DEDUCTIBLE TO BOOT!

From fancy cars and expensive clothes to fine dining and exotic vacations, there are many ways you can spend your hard-earned dollars. And there is nothing wrong with rewarding yourself for a job well done -- but what would happen if you rewarded someone else instead?

A recent study by Harvard Business School faculty and graduate students titled “Feeling Good about Giving: The Benefits (and Costs) of Self-Interested Charitable Behavior," explores the ways in which charitable behavior can lead to benefits for the giver. While the the concept that giving to others can make you feel good about yourself is not revolutionary, there are several more subtle ways that giving your money or time for a cause can benefit your psychological, spiritual and emotional well-being.

Here are five reasons to donate to charity based on the research of the Harvard Business School as well as other experts and websites.

Donations are tax deductible

When you donate to a charitable organization or a non-profit group, the amount you donate is tax deductible. But not only is the money you give tax deductible, so are the amounts you spend on travel, parking costs and even convention and event fees that are related to the non-profit group, as long as you are not being reimbursed by the charity for these expenses.

Giving to charity may improve your sense of well-being

The act of helping others can create an improved sense of well-being. Knowing that you sacrificed something such as time, finances or property in order to help others in need can give you a sense of purpose in life or work and inner satisfaction.

Supporting a cause can help keep you informed about issues of social injustice

When considering donating to a charity, many people tend to research the issues connected to that organization. As a result, you become more educated about social injustices around the world. You may discover new points of view and opinions on topics about which you were previously uniformed. This knowledge may position you to help increase the awareness of social problems among those in your sphere of influence from a balanced and educated standpoint.

Giving to charity out of spiritual conviction can strengthen your spiritual life

Selfless giving is a key component to many spiritual and religious belief systems. Recognizing that you have taken action in line with your spiritual beliefs by offering your resources to others in need can bring a sense of inner peace and contentment.

Volunteering with a charity may result in physical and social benefits

After donating financially to a charity or non-profit organization, you may feel an inner pull to become more involved with the cause by donating your time and skill as well. By volunteering, you have the opportunity to build your social circles while reaping the physical, mental and spiritual benefits from the labor you contribute to your favorite cause.

Now that we have explained how good it feels to donate, please don't forget that Care Placement Service is a Christian based, non-profit Employment Agency for everyone! Your donation would be tax deductible and we will immediately send you a tax receipt via email! We are working to build up our communities, fighting poverty by putting hardworking people back to work. Go to our website at www.careplacementservice.net and on the side bar on the left hand side at the bottom is our DONATE button. It is easy after that. We may not touch your heart like a puppy or cute child, however we are involved with them also. We have to keep families thriving by finding them jobs so they can help themselves and take care of those children and pets. That's what we do and we need your help to keep going. Please push that button on our website or call us at 720-457-3078. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

You can also come by and see us at 7280 Irving Street, Suite C-310, Westminster, Colorado 80030.

SIGNING OFF.....Debbie

GRAND OPENING TOMMORROW!

Care Placement Service is having their GRAND OPENING on December 6th from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. YES, it is THIS Saturday!

BE THERE!

7280 Irving Street, Suite C-310 in Westminster 80030. We are a nonprofit employment resource for employers and their future employees. So whether you looking for a job, or starting a new career, or if you own a business and are looking for employees...THIS IS THE PLACE FOR YOU TO BE! 

But let’s not forget about FUN. Come on over to enjoy free food and drinks, fellowship and fun. We have so much going on…a free 5 minute chair massage that Shannaw the massage therapist usually takes to at least 10 minutes, A Mary Kay consultant Charlynn to answer any of your skin care questions and sign up for our other personal training programs. On the professional side, we have many new classes to sign up for such as tax expertise, no credit check and no fee checking accounts and so much more…Have I said that before?

How about Prayer time with Pastor Susan in the flesh right there on the spot? Or be more private and put your prayer request in our Prayer Box to be prayed over later.  

Don’t forget about all the good free food to share with like-minded people. People who want to help themselves. So this is definitely the right place to be THIS Saturday, December 6^thstarting at 11:00 am and goes to about 3:00.

If you can not make it be sure to check out our new and improved website at careplacementservice.net


This Debbie signing off....See everyone tomorrow!

GRAND OPENING THIS SATURDAY THE 6TH OF DECEMBER!

Care Placement Service is having their GRAND OPENING on December 6th from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. YES, it is THIS Saturday!


BE THERE!

7280 Irving Street, Suite C-310 in Westminster 80030. We are a nonprofit employment resource for employers and their future employees. So whether you looking for a job, or starting a new career, or if you own a business and are looking for employees...THIS IS THE PLACE FOR YOU TO BE! 

But let’s not forget about FUN. Come on over to enjoy free food and drinks, fellowship and fun. We have so much going on…a free 5 minute chair massage that Shannaw the massage therapist usually takes to at least 10 minutes, A Mary Kay consultant Charlynn to answer any of your skin care questions and sign up for our other personal training programs. On the professional side, we have many new classes to sign up for such as tax expertise, no credit check and no fee checking accounts and so much more…Have I said that before?

How about Prayer time with Pastor Susan in the flesh right there on the spot? Or be more private and put your prayer request in our Prayer Box to be prayed over later. 

Don’t forget about all the good free food to share with like-minded people. People who want to help themselves. So this is definitely the right place to be THIS Saturday, December 6^th starting at 11:00 am and goes to about 3:00.

This is Debbie signing out…