Forgiveness has both a horizontal and a vertical aspect. Horizontal forgiveness releases us from judgments that bind us to unhealthy relationships. It is the gatekeeper to the unforgiving spirit. As long as we are alive, we will encounter hurt and disappointment. What we do with this disappointment will determine our future.

Vertical forgiveness begins at the heart of God and extends directly to our hearts. It is a supernatural force of divine love that has the power to lift every burden. God’s forgiveness can lift our perspective of our relationships and ourselves. It can cause us to rise above every offense and see things from a heavenly perspective.

Are you troubled in spirit? Right now reach out for God’s divine forgiveness and discover a new liberty and freedom in Him! You can be free, happy and loosed from the chains of an unforgiving spirit!

Did you know that the average person has between 25,000 and 50,000 thoughts per day? And much of your behavior depends on your thoughts and attitudes! While playing athletics I developed a saying to motivate me each morning: “I am alive, alert, awake, joyous, and enthusiastic about life!”

Although I had to rise each morning at 5 am for basketball practice, I would lie awake most nights with aching joints due to my rapid growth. How did I get up each morning? I programmed myself!  I learned that getting control of my thoughts allowed me to control my actions!

Behavior is defined as the way in which one conducts oneself, especially toward others. It is also defined as the way in which a person responds to a particular situation or stimulus. By evaluating our behavior patterns, both to internal and external stimuli, we discover new levels of self-awareness.

For the next two days I will be sharing some tips that can help you take control of your thoughts and attitudes and move toward a healthier you!

Perhaps today you are experiencing grief or a sense of loss; I want you to know that God is right there with you! My father and I were very close, and throughout my life he was a voice of wisdom and clarity. I remember him telling me, after many years of suffering from debilitating illness, that he was tired and ready to go on to the next life. He had called every family member, making sure that each knew Jesus as their personal Savior. He felt my mother would be ok and could take care of herself.  I remember thinking how odd it was that he was telling me all of this. My father passed away just a few days later.

I don’t know what you are walking through right now, but I do know there is one who will walk with you and give you the hope you need. The scriptures say, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

I also recall many weeks later, God opened heaven and I had an awareness of my father smiling and a knowledge that he was in a much better place.  As I spoke to the audience that day, I remember crying great tears of God’s love for the people who were listening…for them to know that they could face anything in life, and even death, if they had a hope in the future!

Recently a leading global medical research institute listed the following benefits that can be attributed to positive thinking:

• Lower rates of depression
• Longer life expectancy
• Increased resistance to the common cold
• Lower risk of heart disease and related death
• Better overall psychological health
• Lower stress levels
• Better stress management and coping skills
• Increased physical well-being

These facts alone should enthuse you about the real life benefits of thinking positively. One positive thought can indeed cultivate the dream that is in your heart!  http://bit.ly/1FcdCOj

What giants are you facing in life today? Remember that as you get busy helping others, you will find the strength to defeat seemingly insurmountable problems.  Maya Angelou said, “When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.”

Remember, helpers need wisdom, strength and resource.  God promises an abundant supply for those who are willing to go the extra mile. The scripture says, Give and it shall be given back to you, good measure pressed down and shaken together! With the same measure you give it shall be given back to you!

Let’s get busy helping someone today. When you add great value to someone else’s life, you will recognize just how valuable you really are!

Scripture: Luke 6:38 (paraphrased)

I’d like to share a story with you about a man from the Congo who was only one step away from a very tragic decision in his life. However, in just a matter of moments his world was changed instantly.

How? He heard words. Simple words of Good News opened the door to a new world. Do you need doors opened in your life? Today is your day!

In one of our meetings in the Congo, a young father was distraught and very upset about how life had treated him. I don’t know what situation you are facing—maybe you find yourself like this young father.

He had just purchased poison at a local pharmacy and was on his way home to take his and his family’s lives that night. As he walked, he heard words in the distance over loud speakers and decided to see what was happening. As he listened, he heard a new idea. The words began to penetrate his heart, and he had an overwhelming sense of God’s love and presence.

This young father later made his way to the platform to tell the audience what had happened. He stood weeping before 100,000 people, telling them the evil he had planned and how God had freed him and forgiven him. Suddenly, the crowd began to part as a woman with several children made her way to the platform. She was crying and shouting, “Honey, honey! We are here too!”

The couple embraced on the platform, forgave each other and committed their lives to the LORD. In an instant the question of who God is was answered—God is love! He is forgiveness, peace and restoration!

Do you need God’s presence? We have seen Him touch the masses around the world. Jesus is here for you right now. Wherever you are, just stop and turn your thoughts to God. He loves you. He believes in you. And today, He offers you forgiveness!

As a former collegiate athlete, intensity was my mode of operation, and “no pain–no gain” was my motto!  Only when a wonderfully kind Australian pastor I met in my travels challenged me to evaluate my life did I begin to realize that I was driving my life rather than enjoying it. He challenged me to establish daily, weekly, and annual routines of work, worship, rest and play.

As you embark upon your dream, remember:

Work routines provide healthy self-esteem and a confidence that your dream is well underway. Worship is our expression to God for all that He has done in creating and preparing us for life. Worship helps us acknowledge that a source greater than ourselves is gently guiding and strengthening us each day.

Rest is the time required to recharge our physical and mental capabilities. We are complex beings that have a spirit, live in a body and function through our mind, our will and emotions. Rest recharges our spiritual, physical and emotional energy.

My last encouragement is to remind you to play! The kind Australian pastor that convinced me to relax and do some reading, later graciously encouraged me to go play! All I could think of was how I wanted to go for a swing. Something about playing on the swings in my childhood recalled fond memories of the freedom found as the wind blew through my hair and the blood coursed through my veins as I went higher and higher to discover new untouched boundaries.

Allowing ourselves to play opens up a child-like spirit of creativity, allowing us to dream as only a child can do. So this week after you have completed your worksheet and determined to accomplish your dream for humanity, put down your paper and pen and run out to the nearest playground, and let your inner child go wild.  Go for a swing! Play! Ride the local carousel! Treat yourself to an ice cream! Tap into the supernatural reservoir of joy and energy that is resonant within.

Remember: Learn to establish rhythms in your life for true success and prosperity. You will need these in order to go the long haul. No orchestra ever created a masterful symphony without first tuning the instruments.

My husband, Kevin, and I founded the 100 Tent Project, and Tatiana is just one of dozens of Russian missionaries committed to helping the estimated 100,000 unreached villages of Eurasia through this unique method of connecting with these isolated communities and regions.

Tatiana and her evangelistic team travel from village to village with their 350-seat tent, bringing good news of encouragement, joy, and hope to regions overwhelmed by hopelessness.

No, Tatiana was not a public speaker, an educator, a government official, or an official voice of any sort.  She was a Babushka, a grandmother, who was gripped by what she saw—a staggering need with no apparent solution. But with God’s help, direction, and the gift of one great tool: a big, bright yellow and white tent, she brought an answer that has impacted the entire area.

Follow this link to find out more about the 100 Tent Project and learn why the project began, as well as its intended purpose and destination:  http://bit.ly/1SgDNLR.  If you’d like to get involved in these rural regions of Eurasia and invest in the 100 Tent Project, I encourage you to go to www.LeslieMcNulty.com.

One afternoon a young Russian man by the name of Ildus approached the platform in one of our outdoor events. This young man was so excited he could hardly wait to tell others what God had done for him. I was speaking when Ildus decided it was time to share his story. Ildus was so full of joy! He was pointing at his heart as if to say, “I am not alone—something has happened in my heart!”

Just as Ildus opened his mouth to speak, my husband arrived at the meeting. This young man was now grunting into the microphone pointing at his heart. I remember my husband looking at me as if to say, why is this guy on the platform? He’s not normal and he can’t speak!

Have you ever felt rejected because you are different? Or because you lack skills that other people seem to come by easily? I know that Ildus felt all alone and had little to live for. He’d been rejected by his family and was living on the streets; rummaging through garbage and wandering around aimlessly. In fact, one of our team members had just taken him into his own home.

The next evening, as my husband was speaking, Ildus once again approached the platform.  Several of us were attempting to get my husband’s attention, because something very different was about to unfold!  Kevin kept telling them not to give Ildus the mic, but finally we prevailed.  When Ildus took the microphone, he began to speak in perfect Russian!  He reached into his pocket and pulled out a card to show the audience. We were shocked to learn that it was his special medical ID, and that he was classified as having the most severe level of mental retardation!

He looked at the crowd and said, “You know me, I am the guy that begs from the trash cans—but something happened to me last night! Jesus came into my room while I was sleeping and put His finger on my forehead and on my tongue. For the first time in my life the fog has cleared from my mind! For the first time in my life I can think and speak clearly!”

Regardless of your situation, today you can rise above whatever holds you back and discover that you have a friend with God. He will come to you today and reconcile what distresses you. Just say these simple words with me, “Come into my life, Lord, and release me from the fear that holds me back. Like Ildus, heal my heart and touch my mind.”  If you would like more information on miracles, please contact us today. We are waiting to hear from you! http://bit.ly/1gmsroF

In the modern song entitled, “I Am a Friend of God”, the writer asks the question of God, “Who am I that you are mindful of me? That you hear me, when I call? Is it true that you are thinking of me?”

Mother Theresa said, “Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty.” You never have to be alone! The writer of “I am a Friend of God” concludes his song by stating of God, “You, God, call me, ‘friend’!”

Today I want you to know that you have a friend in God. For He said in His holy scriptures, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So go ahead and take His hand…. He’s there, right now.  http://bit.ly/1E6nEg2