The Hope Issue - April 2020

The Hope Issue

APRIL 2020

The Everyday Crown Rocker Outrageous Hope

Are You Immune?

Until Next Time...

EDITORS NOTES. So let’s set the scene a bit. We are in Numbers 11: 10-35. Moses has brought the people of God out of Egypt and they are now in the desert. While there, they complain, moaning and groaning to Moses that they do not have meat to eat and that they were better off in Egypt.

Undoubtedly, Moses is discouraged. In verse 14 he cries out “I cannot carry all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me.”

Have you cried out the same thing? I know I have. While I may not be leading a nation out of slavery, sometimes the burdens of life get heavy. Sometimes I don’t know what I will feed my children, and I hear them complain. There are months when I cannot make the full car payment. Sometimes the laundry piles up to overwhelming heights or when the dishes go undone. Sometimes it feels like I don’t have enough money, enough training, enough emotional strength, enough faith to carry out what God has called me to do. I get discouraged as a mother. I am not always the best wife, and I feel discouraged by that. I don’t consistently make my monthly income goals and that makes me question myself, His will and my purpose and cry out: “ It is all too much for me to carry on my own".

In Numbers 11:15, Moses was so discouraged that he asked God to kill him at once- “So if this is the way You will deal with me, please kill me at once, if I have found favor in your sight, and do not let me see my wretchedness.”

That’s deep!! To be so discouraged that you ask that God would just kill you now? That’s a prayer born out of a deep disappointment. In our modern times, it is a prayer born out of the pressure to be Insta-perfect. It is discouragement born out of trying to keep up with the Jones’. It is discouragement born out of the perception that God is not moving in your life or situation. It is a weary, tired, broken prayer when the odds seem against you and the obstacles look insurmountable.

But we serve a good, good God that has a plan to ease the burdens on us. In numbers 11:16-17 God tells Moses to gather up 70 men and that He would divide the responsibility of leading the nation among them so that Moses would no longer have to do it alone. We have the same answer to our own discouraged prayers. God does not intend for us to walk this life out alone. He provides people - friends, family and even strangers - to help ease the burden.

There are resources - organizations, non-profits, churches, online communities, research centers - that are in place to help. God is faithful to answer our prayer.

EDITORS NOTES CONT. Discouraged by your weight? There are gyms, fitness coaches on and offline, dietitians, medical professionals and other women diligently battling their own weight loss that you can partner with. Discouraged by an addiction? There are recovering addicts that can sponsor you, there are meetings, there are alternative and holistic approaches to recovery, doctors, rehab centers, crisis hotlines and organizations dedicated to helping you have victory.

Discouraged as a parent? There are other Mamas walking this thing out that can support you and provide a listening ear. There are magazines, organizations, mom groups and community programs that are dedicated to nothing but parenting to help you out.

Whatever area of your life you feel discouraged in, be encouraged that there are resources, support and help there for it. Every area of your life God has made provision for. God never said that this life would be easy, but He promised that He is walking it out with us and has provided us resources and support along the journey. You just have to reach out and accept the help.

May this issue fill you with hope and inspire you to grow. May it be the start of conversations with your Heavenly Father. Our hope and help comes from Him, and that means camping out at his feet, moving as He directs and resting when He MAKES you lay down in green pastures.

Dear Sister, be encouraged; be of good cheer. The God who loves you, cherishes you, adopted you and crowned you is the same God of your here and now and is already in your future. He is and has already sorted it out. All you have to do is look up, child.

Jasmine Tosseth-Smith Editor-In-Chief

Cover picture & Editor's Notes picture: Hair: @TwistItSistah Makeup: @Jah Woo Beauty Accessories: @Dainty Dazzle Adornments Photography: @WithUNMindPhotography Follow them on Facebook

THE CONTRIBUTORS

Healing Series #3: Grasping for Hope 24" by 24" Mixed media on MDF wood panel www.instagram.com/paintingwithpapa

Outrageous Hope Get It, Live It, Give It

By: Danika Deva

“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Romans 15:13 (NLT) How is your heart? Are you worried? Anxious? Fearful? Is COVID-19 scaring the crap out of you? Are you wondering if you will survive this pandemic physically, financially, and even emotionally?

We are all there desperately spinning in a cycle of questions and hopelessness right now. We are wondering how to handle what we are going through and what the outcome is going to be. These are scary unknowns right now and we need hope.

I have been in a situation of hopelessness before and here is my story; I “hope” it reveals the amazing secret of hope to you, my friend and fellow Hope Seeker.

I was hopeless, discouraged and had no idea what to do. With tears streaming down my face, I decided to cry out to God on the mountain and see what He had to say about hope. I went to my computer and searched the word “hope” in a Bible program. I saved every verse in that 22-page document, printed it, and rolled it up to take with me. I went to the highest place in our area, Sharp Top Mountain, part of the Appalachian Mountains, and read all 22 pages. Why? Because my literal self believed Ps. 121:1 which says, “I look to the mountains. Where does my help come from? It comes from you, maker of heaven and earth.”

Yep, that is why I went to the mountains to study hope. While bawling up there, I read over all the verses I printed on HOPE, and I begged God to tell me what He wanted me to know. I begged for hope, living hope! You know, the kind of begging a frantic dog does when he wants a treat. Yep, that was me...

All I can say is that it was a good thing no one saw me bawling my eyes out and asked what I was doing because it would have been a bit weird to look up with my mascara streaked face (eww) and say that I was searching for hope on the mountain.

Well, God found me in a profound way that day. Or maybe I should say, “I found him!” Either way, I found what I was searching for.

Do you know what I found out? I found some amazing secrets. In fact, as you read on, you will see several Hope Secrets that will bring you outrageous hope.

Now, when I meet people who are hopeless, I tell them this story. In fact, I often print out the reduced version of the Hope verses (go smaller version), from a file on my computer, and give them a copy. Yes, it works…

Have you faced a mountain of hopelessness? Has your raw heart been in anguish over what to do in a desperate situation? I guess your answer is, “YES” since we are all living in the crazy pandemic of COVID-19 right now, and as a nation are facing a mountain of hopelessness in the scary unknowns of our future.

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Outrageous Hope Questions: How do I get it?

How do I live it?

How do I give it?

Let’s invite God into the process and ask him to “show up?” Here is my favorite prayer: "Hope Giver, will you show up in my hopelessness? Teach me what you want me to know, learn and apply about hope so I will live it and give it.

In Jesus’ name, Amen!"

Hope vs. Hope in God What is hope? Is there a difference between everyday hope and hope in God? We use the word hope like this. I hope I can get away for a few days to go skiing. In this case, it means a wish, dream or plan; it’s a desire, so to speak.

When we are in a desperate, barely- able- to- get- out- of -bed place, we don’t want a feeling or wish, we want guidance, comfort, a listening ear, a tangible solution. We want help NOW!!! Are you with me?

So I ask, where do we get that kind of hope? I’m pretty sure there isn’t a 1-800 number to call for HOPE. But if there were, it would go like this: The Everyday Crown Rocker Magazine |

“1-800-000-HOPE, How may I help you?”

“Yeah, I need some hope.”

“Really? What kind of hope do you need?”

“I don’t know. That is why I am calling. Can you give me some hope?”

“Well, sure. There is general hope but there is also specific hope. Do you know which one you need?”

“No, I’m hopeless. I just need Hope.”

“Ok, well, let’s talk about where someone can get hope. Do you know where to get hope?”

“Ummmm, well, (sigh) not really, that’s why I called you!”

“Yes, we do share about hope here, but we are just hope dealers, we get it from the source.”

“You do, well I want to get it from the source. Who is the source?”

“The Hope Giver is the source. Have you ever met Him?”“Actually, I don’t know. Does he live around here?”

“Yes, He does. He lives near us because he wants to be available to help us. He even wrote a book on hope.”

“So can I meet with him and get some hope from him, and maybe get a copy of that book too.”

“Absolutely!”

“So where can I find him? I’m hurting here. I need him now. My life is a mess and I just got a call from the doctor with bad news, my divorce is pending, and I just lost my job. Yep...it couldn’t get any worse.”

“Well actually, I have seen worse. Much worse.”

“You have? I can’t believe it. Did the Hope Giver help them?”

“Oh Yes!…. He helped them immensely.”

“Wow… That is amazing. I need to talk to this Hope Giver. Can you tell me how I can reach him today?”

“Certainly, first you…….”

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While this is a simple story that probably won’t happen, it represents exactly what we are looking for when we are hurting. We want a “drive through” method for hope, and well, pretty much everything in our lives. But in reality, it never works that way. It takes work, time, focus, and the desire for change.

So where do we get hope from? We get hope from the Hope Giver. He is the source. In fact, other people can encourage us, other people can tell a joke and make us smile, other people can listen to us over coffee, and that will be a blessing, however, that is not true hope..

Hope Secret #1: Hope comes from God and God alone.

Remember when I shared the mountaintop story where I cried over 22 typed pages of verses on hope. It was then that I learned that hope comes from God and His word, which are one and the same.

Psalm 39:7 (NLT) And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you.

Psalm 119:147 (NLT) I rise early, before the sun is up; I cry out for help and put my hope in your words.

What do you see here? The places of hope are: God and His Word. We also get hope from prayer with him too!

Hope Secret #2 Go to the Hope Giver for Hope.

So if hopelessness is your middle name right now, let’s fix that!

We know we don’t want to stay lonely, stuck, hurting, desperate, angry, afraid, discouraged, overwhelmed, and frozen. We want hope, but what does that look like, and how do we get it?

What we do know is that we are not going to find hope watching endless media coverage of the current circumstances in the world. We know we can go to a friend and they will listen, but probably not offer much hope.

There is a reason for this. The reason is that they are not the source of our hope, God is. God is the only one who can fill your empty hope jar. God and God alone. He is the Hope Giver.

Psalm 38:15 Lord, the only thing I can do is wait and put my hope in you. I wait for your help, my God.

Isaiah 40:31 "but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

How do we practically get hope then?

Spend time asking the Hope Giver for hope and help.

Read God’s word because it is full of hope, especially the Psalms Identify hope obstacles and pray over them. Ask others to pray with or for you.

Hope Secret # 3: Live it We don’t want to just get hope; we want to live it. Circumstances come in and out of our lives and we need to do several things to remain in hope. Here are just a few. Remember, this is something you continually do like running a race. It is not an overnight thing. It takes endurance. It takes purposeful planning and practice each and every day.

1. Keep leaning into God 2. .Put verses around your home to remind you of his goodness even in the middle of trying circumstances.

3. Seek to be with others who are hopeful.

4. Use a PTP -Positive Thought Process to replace your negative thoughts with positive ones. You can find a free printable copy (PDF) of Countering Covid-19 Concerns: Conquering Negative Thoughts in a Crisis at DanikaDeva.com or you can purchase it on Amazon. This tool will teach you the skills to replace your negative thoughts and feelings with positive ones so that you move forward with productive actions and get practical results. Please check it out if you are struggling with thoughts of despair, panic, worry, fear, anger, or other negative emotions. It was made for YOU, dear one, to help you shift your mindset in today’s crisis.

5. Write in a journal gratitude and tell God everything you are thankful for each day. It helps us keep things in perspective.

6. Use Pingpong Praise. I use ping-pong praise with friends. Just like pingpong, you bounce back and forth with a friend sharing what you are thankful for in life. Counting your blessings is a great way to live out hope.

7. Practice Self Care by exercising, eating healthy food, getting plenty of rest, and relaxing. Do this instead of watching endless media coverage of the circumstances around us.

8. Listen to uplifting music. Music soothes the soul, encourages our heart and calms the spirit.

Hope Secret # 4: Give it Ok, after practicing The HOPE Smackdown: Get it and live it, it is now time to give it.

What do you think you can do to give it? How can you be a Hope Dealer?

It’s simple, share about the Hope Giver and how to go to Him and His word. Teach others how to live it by working out the practical steps above. Send them a copy of Countering Covid-19 Concerns: Conquering Negative Thoughts in a Crisis from DanikaDeva.com or Amazon.

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Make a list of people you know who need hope and choose one thing you can do to help them from the list below or make up your own.

1. Write a card and send a verse. There is power, healing, and hope in the word of God. 2. Call and pray with or for someone.

3. Point others to God. Help them lean into Jesus.

4. Share your story and how God has helped you (kinda like my mountaintop experience has helped you).

Now is it recap time

Hope Secret #1 Hope comes from God, His word, and prayer with Him. Hope Secret #2 Go to the Hope Giver for hope.

Hope Secret #3 Live it by using practical strategies.

Hope Secret #4 Give It-Be a Hope Dealer and help others find hope.

One final thought, dear friends and Hope Seekers, you have now moved from Hope Seeker to Hope Liver to Hope Giver. Use these tools and then start a Hope Dealership so you can give hope to those in need!

Danika is a Jesus loving, intentionally living, principality fighting, woman of God! She is the director of The H.O.P.E. Network which provides practical solutions to restore H.O.P.E. Since Danika Deva has a God-given PH.D. in “hard knocks” and “God rocks,” she delights in coaching kids and family to find HOPE and RESTORATION in the areas of Home, Outlook, Purpose, and Education. :www.TheHopeNetwork.usemail: Hope@TheHopeNetwork.usFB: https://www.facebook.com/beintentional2day/

Healing Series #1: Letting Go 24" by 24" Acrylic on plywood www.instagram.com/paintingwithpapa

Birds?

DO YOU NOT COUNT MORE THAN

By: Ashley Sauls

When everything is still, we can hear. It sounds like a known fact that the opposite of sound is silence, but the phrase takes on a whole new meaning when you experience it for yourself.

Recently, I have been more aware of the chirping of birds outside of our home, particularly at night. It's amazing the clarity we receive when we must be still and take inventory of what is going on around us.

Hearing their conversation, I was reminded of Matthew 6:25-26, which says the following: If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds(MSG).

Our present Selah is not God's punishment. It's a call to remember His promises, His provision, and His consistency. When we become accustomed to "doing," we forget that the Source is not what we do, but in the Person who gives us the ability to live, move, and have our being. It is natural to feel concerned when we don't have the answers, when things are tight, and when things seem turbulent around us. How can we experience hope in these opportunities?

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God asks us in these moments not to "hide," but to come to Him with those cares and concerns. As we share and release our fears to Him, we experience an exchange for the fruit of the spirit, such as love, joy, and peace. What concerns do you need to share with Him? What fruit do you need at this moment?

Come to Him

When we experience the exchange of our fears for fruit, we can hear and believe His promises. Our hearts are in a position to take His words at face value, despite what our situation may say. In Matthew 6:25-26, we are reminded that we don't have to fuss about our needs. We can trust God cares about each one of them. The birds don't worry about being their Source, because God cares for each of their needs.

They need food and lodging. He provides it. We are the crown of His creation, why would He give us anything less than is becoming of sons and daughters. What is the promise God is speaking for you at this moment?

Rest in His Promises

Receive His Promises

Our culture mistakenly labels "rest" as a luxury and work (a.k.a. "the grind") as the standard. However, this ideology is not what God advocates. Are there action steps that we will receive to complete even in resting? Yes. However, instead of working so hard to make things happen and stressing, we can take each step in His grace. What work may take 8 hours to complete, in rest we can see clarification in minutes. Let’s look at the birds. They simply go where the provision is located.

They don't spend time in the tree, stressing about the "how."

The Who has put a gift in them to see where what they need is located. And if the resource is not available in the place where they were once able to find food or water, they simply shift and go where they are encouraged to go next.

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This season, God is challenging many of us in what we find our Source.

You may be someone who God is challenging to step out into entrepreneurship(yes at such a time as this), but your provision may have dried up with your present employer. He is the Source of business strategies.

You may be someone who has felt that resources must come from you, and God is going to provide support through the hands of others. He is going to be Jehovah Jireh, the Provider.

You may be someone who is being challenged to take a Godly risk, but His provision is in the stretch.

Whatever your situation might be, allow God to prove His faithfulness. The next time you wonder if God hears or cares, ask, "Don't I count far more to Him than birds?" I promise that you do.

Creative challenge Find a creative way to communicate what Matthew 6:25-26 means for you and engage your family and or friends. What do you come with? How can these visuals of God's care give you hope?

Ashley Sauls is a creative leader who loves to use the vehicle of written and spoken word as an author, blogger, and facilitator of Daughters Restored Heart and Soul Retreats. Ashley also learned that healing is a continuous process and is presently a student in the Soul Care Practitioner program and a mentee in the Emerge Collective mastermind.

Ashley enjoys graciously preparing the table for others to safely speak and to be served to find their healing place.Website - www.ashleysauls.comFacebook - www.facebook.com/ashleykossiesauls

RESTORING HOPE TO THE HEART: DEALING WITH RELATIONSHIP DISAPPOINTMENT

By: Mike Davis

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick; but when the desire comes it is a tree of life” (Proverbs 13:12) “When hope is crushed the heart is crushed but a wish that comes true fills you with joy” (Proverbs 13:12 Good News Translation)

When it comes to relationships one of the most important elements is to have is hope. Hope biblically speaking is a “confident expectation of good to come”. Being confident about a good to come creates in us an optimistic outlook about our future. This optimistic outlook in turn creates motivation that energizes and moves us to act and live in ways that make that future happen.

So hope is vitally important to life - it gives us the emotional fuel to make good things happen.

But what happens when we are disappointed and discouraged because what we hoped for and expected does not happen? What happens when our dreams are crushed and broken?

Proverbs 13:21 (quoted above) gives us some insight.

Though I think we all know through personal experience.

Hope that is crushed-crushes us. When our hope is dashed we become disappointed, and distraught, and can even fall into despair. We lose our motivation to act. We become pessimistic about the future and we begin to think, "Why even try?”

I have been there. How about you? And this really becomes problematic when we are dealing with relationships. In relationships we face disappointments, hurts, and pain. This makes it difficult to be optimistic about our relationships - to be motivated to keep trying.

Or to feel optimistic about having a great relationship in the future after a previous relationship has ended.

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How do we overcome the disappointment of past relationships or relationships gone wrong? How do we regain the hope so we can be motivated to work on current relationships, or look to the future with the optimism that we can and will one day have a wonderful relationship again? How do we restore hope to our hearts?

I have found that one of the most effective ways to deal with disappointment and move the heart back to hope is to own the story you tell yourself about what happened to you - and then re-tell that story. I once heard a speaker say, “There is no pain or pleasure outside of the stories we tell ourselves” Disappointment is one of the pains we experience -but the pain is a result of the story we tell ourselves about what has happened to us. This means that it is not what happens to us that creates the disappointment. What creates the ongoing emotional pain of disappointment is the story we tell and continue to tell about what has happened.

Now this is not for condemnation. Nor am I suggesting that it is wrong to be disappointment or hurt when things don’t happen or turn out as we desired. What I am saying is that if the disappointment holds you back from moving forward, from embracing your opportunities, and possibilities - then you have a choice about what to do in order to deal effectively with your disappointment and restore your heart to hope.

WE CAN TELL A DIFFERENT STORY. HERE’S HOW.

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Identify for yourself: “What is the story I am telling myself about what has happened to me?” Examples: “I’ll never be happy again”, “Men/women can’t be trusted” I’ll always be alone - I am not worthy to be loved”,etc. What are the thoughts you are consistently having day in and day out? Those thoughts are your story. And they are creating your pain. They are creating your ongoing disappointment.

Write your story down. Get it out of your head. Write your story as if you are writing about someone else. Write the story in the 3rd person voice. Use your name - but write it as if you are writing someone else’s story. This helps you to create some emotional distance between you and what happened. This distance helps you to think more clearly about what happened - and helps begin the process of healing from the disappointment. Example: “Michael was hurt by what his wife said. He was hurt that she wanted a divorce after only 3 weeks of marriage. And he cried - he felt his dream was over, and he did not know what to do. Michael wondered over and over what he had done that caused his wife to not love him?”

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Accept full responsibility for the story. Accept and tell yourself, “I am telling this story, I am creating this story -I am creating this ongoing disappointment. And I can change it! I can tell a different story!”

Decide you will be hopeful because you choose to, and this is how you want to feel. Make that decision!

Identify and begin to tell the new story that will help you to feel the hope once again. When you tell the new story tell this story also in the 3rd person present voice - as if you are telling the new hope story of someone else (who has your name!). Tell a story about the future that you like and even love. Example: “Michael realized this was not his fault. It was nothing he did. This was caused by all the abuse his young bride had experienced. But could He love her after being rejected? Could he go on? Yes. He knew he could. He knew that the love of God was in him and that through Christ he was empowered to do the will of God - which was to love his young bride”. Make sure you are now the hero of your new story - not the victim.

Now after you have written your new hero story in the 3rd person voice, read over it. Do you like it? Does it inspire hope? If not keep tweaking the story until it does. And when you have it just the way you like – re-write it. This time rewrite the story in the first, person present tense. Write it from an “I” perspective. Example; “I can do this! Christ lives in me and empowers me! The love of God dwells within me. I can love my wife and I do love my wife as Christ loves me! And I forgive her. And as far as it lies in me I will be with her all the days of my life.”

As you read this new story in the first, person present tense - are you inspired, are you more hopeful? If not keep tweaking the story until you are. If you are inspired and more hopeful -then read this story each day until it becomes your natural way of thinking and feeling. Focusing on and reading out loud your new story to yourself in the first person will make it a reality within you.

You have within you a wonderful ability - the ability to tell stories that shape how you feel and how you navigate life. Use this ability to leave the pain of disappointment behind and restore your heart to hope.

Mike Davis, also known as “The Emotional Success Coach”, is an author, speaker, corporate trainer and pastor. As an Emotional Success Coach Mike’s goal is to help people make their emotions their ally rather than their enemy in the pursuit of their goals so that they can live the life of their dreams.He lives in Southern CA with his wife of 30 years, His 3 daughters, niece and 2 grandsons.

Learning to Acknowledge Your Emotions BY

LATARA

VENISE

We all are born with a certain amount of intuition. The problem is, from a very young age we are often told to ignore our feelings or that our feelings are just wrong. Much like force-feeding an infant can cause the child to ignore their natural hunger control mechanism, it’s the same with emotions. The more we have been taught to push down our feelings, the more likely we are not to trust our emotions. It’s key to examine how to acknowledge your emotions. Following is a simple yet very effective process.

Make Your Environment Comfortable

Acknowledge the Emotions Others Are Having

Emotions need a safe environment to be felt fully.

To improve your capacity for empathy, practice naming

You’re your own best friend. Only you can create the

and expressing the emotions that other people are having.

right environment; safe for you to feel the emotions you

People who can show great empathy to others, even if they

have. Make your home safe for yourself and safe for

haven’t gone through the situation themselves, have much

your entire family. As Dr. Phil says, “home should be a

happier lives than those who cannot relate to other human

safe place to fall.”

beings at all. You don’t have to be homeless yourself to understand how truly demoralizing the experience is.

Acknowledge the Different Emotions You Experience

Write Down Your Feelings.

Don’t push away emotions when you feel them

Keep a feelings journal for yourself to help you process

surfacing. Instead, allow yourself to experience a full

different feelings that you are having, and different

range of emotions as, and when appropriate. Therefore,

feelings that you note that other people have about

your home should be that safe haven of expression and

situations in life. Your journal can help you work through

acknowledgment. The key is to acknowledge that they

emotions in a healthy way, and give you something to look

exist but to express them in proactive ways. It’s not a

back at when you are having trouble.

good idea to express anger with violence or loud talking.

As you learn to trust your emotions by practicing feeling them, you’ll get better at discerning what’s right and wrong.

It’s important as you learn to become more emotionally intelligent that you understand how to acknowledge your emotions and give them space to exist in your life. Doing so will help you manage life more effectively.

LaTara V. Bussey is a certified master life coach, author, entrepreneurial mentor, storyteller, and vision keeper.

She has been there; done that, and now writes books, helps people have healthy emotional conversations and speaks nationwide about a life not lived and the dangers it causes. It is the mission of her brand to help people tend to their soul, get comfortable with their truth, and succeed in discovering, developing, and delivering vision.

Facebook - www.facebook.com/coloryoursoul Instagram - www.instagram.com/coloryoursoulig

Hope is Healthy By: Theresa Horne

I felt useless, used up, dirty, and used. I didn’t plan or ponder I simply walked into the

bathroom and took all the pills in the medicine cabinet. Several days later, I had a conversation with my earthly father about why I was still alive. Through his words, I caught a revelation that if I was still breathing, there must be a reason. If taking all the pills in the medicine cabinet didn’t kill me, then there must be a reason. Maybe there really was a purpose for my life.

Maybe God actually had a plan that still involved me. There must be a plan and a reason. I had a little hope.

A foundational precept of building a healthy lifestyle is defining your why.

What reason do you have to healthy?

Why do you want to be healthy?

Why does that matter at all?

I always want to point back to our relationship with God for the answers. Health matters because we matter. We serve a loving God who cares about our health. Healthy lifestyles matter because we are created with purpose and therefore we should be good stewards of what God has created. God has plans for you.

“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.” Jeremiah 29:11 So when life gets dark, and it will. When you feel like giving up, because you will.

When the world seems to crumble all around you, look up. Spend some time with God asking about His plans for your life. He still has plans for you and that my friend should give you Hope.

Theresa Horne is the owner and lead coach of Sisterhood of Strong. She is a Certified Personal Trainer - National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), Fitness Nutrition Specialist (NASM) and certified group fitness instructor with National Exercise Trainers Association (NETA). She coaches people to walk in the fullness of the strength of who they are in Christ Jesus. StronBody, Strong Mind and Strong Soul.

Follow: https://www.facebook.com/sisterhoodofstrong/ and https://www.instagram.com/sisterhoodofstrong/

When a Fast Becomes a Feast By: Devon Choque

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I’ll never forget my first experience with fasting.

I had been reading my Bible and it was very clear to me that fasting was a necessary part of a victorious Christian life, but no one had ever taught me about this practice, much less modeled it for me. I had made several attempts throughout college, but they were a miserable failure I must confess. My mindset was all wrong and my cravings felt totally out of control. Honestly, I became discouraged that I could ever successfully complete a fast and grow in this spiritual discipline.

Then, my church began the New Year with a church-wide Daniel Fast. I liked the idea of being able to eat while fasting so I committed to it. It took a leap of faith because I was a broke college kid, but the results of my fast really surprised me. After a week I found my rhythm in the kitchen, I began experiencing more mental clarity and intimacy with God. memorably I had more energy than I knew what to do with. While the physical benefits were glorious, the most precious thing in my experience with fasting has been the spiritual benefit. The reason I now view fasting as a gift and a blessing is because it is the quickest path to healing, breakthrough and and intimacy with God.

One thing to note is that biblical fasting always includes prayer.

As we discipline ourselves to go without something in the natural, we can redirect those hungers and desires toward feasting on the God who lives within us. My first experience with the Daniel Fast was the beginning of a major breakthrough in my walk with Christ as I sought His Kingdom over natural sustenance, my hunger for the Lord grew.

Over a decade later, fasting has become a regular practice for me. What I’ve found is that feasting on God has the tendency to create more hunger. He satisfies us and yet always leaves us craving more. I pray that my testimony encourages you to seek God about whether the Daniel Fast might be exactly what you need right now.

A 21-Day Daniel Fast might be right for you, if:You desire spiritual, emotional, or physical breakthrough.You want to discern the voice of God more clearly.You are praying for healing in your body.You want to experience freedom from food addiction.You struggle with chronic fatigue or indigestion/bloating.You have high levels of inflammation in your body.You want to reset and strengthen your immune system.

Devon Choque. is a child of God, wife, mother, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, trained chef, and Kingdom-driven entrepreneur. If she is not in the kitchen or curled up with a good book, you can find her playing with her family or enjoying the ABUNDANT LIFE she has found in Jesus

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5

Steps to Going After Your God-Size Dreams By: Christina Kimball

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Ask anyone actively pursuing their God-Size dreams, and they will tell you, it isn’t easy, but I do know from experience that it is possible!! Over the past decade of working with entrepreneurs going after big, big dreams I realized that there are really five steps that lead to success. These five steps will take you from thinking, dreaming, stressing, and discouragement to being hope filled, confident, and moving forward with great momentum in taking your BIG dream from fantasy to reality and I’d like to share them with you today.

STEP ONE

Recognize That God Is Speaking To You You know that thought that keeps resurfacing? That idea that just won’t go away? That desire burning in your heart? That might just be God trying to get your attention. You know that thing that drives you nuts that you just know that you could help people with? You know that thing that stirs up passion within you so strongly?

That just might be a clue that God has a plan for you to make that thing better. God is always speaking. We aren’t always listening. Take a moment and dream for a few minutes on that one idea you’ve had for a long time. What would it look like if that big dream came true? What if I told you that in three years’ time, you would be living that dream? What would it look like? Now ask God, “Father, is this desire, this dream from you?” If you sense that God is saying “Yes, yes it is” ask Him to confirm it. And then listen with your eyes, ears, and all of your sense wide open to receive from Him. Once you have confirmation (He might just want you to take a step of faith too!), it’s time for step two.

STEP TWO Seek Direction from Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit is our great Counselor. He will lead you in the way that you should go. That includes in business or the work that you do! Ask Him for direction daily. It is as simple as “Holy Spirit, what is the next step I should

take to bring this dream into reality?” And then write down what you are sensing from Holy Spirit. Perhaps you would rather draw or create in another way with Holy Spirit. That’s great too! Just get that direction and move onto step three.

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STEP THREE Be Accountable

There is this enemy that doesn’t want you to go after your God Size dreams and he will try to distract you with all kinds of things. Lies including: attacking your qualification, authority, and even trying to get you to doubt that you heard God in the first place. He does this because he 100% believes what God told you and he really doesn’t want you to succeed. But you know what’s really amazing and fantastic?

1. He’s already defeated.

2. That’s a sign you’re on the right track! Woo hoo!!!

One of the best strategies to help you stay on track and maintain that forward momentum is to be accountable. Share your dream with someone you can trust to encourage you and hold you accountable to what you say you are going to do. If you really want to be accountable in one of the best ways possible, hire a coach. A great coach will not let you succumb to excuses and procrastination. A great coach will lovingly keep you focused and even push you (in love of course!) so you stay on track. As human beings, it is easy to get off track because, well, life happens. Having a coach for accountability and who can stretch you helps ensure that you keep moving forward to make your God Size dream a reality. Which leads us to step four.

STEP FOUR

Get Into Action

Not just any old action. Solid action. Taking steps as you’re directed by Holy Spirit. This is super important.

You can find all kinds of advice on how to start a business or launch a program or service online. There are plenty of gurus who will sell you a blueprint. But is that really God’s best for you? Just because it worked for someone else, does not mean it will bring about God’s best for you. Prayerfully receive guidance from Holy Spirit. If you look back at a previous article I wrote for The Everyday Crown Rocker, you’ll find an article I wrote about having business meetings with God. By the way, you can have a business meeting with Him at any time! Have a question? Ask Him! Wondering which service to use or product to buy? Ask Him! He isn’t short on answers. He longs to partner with you throughout the entire adventure! He will give you details.

Sometimes, He’ll speak through others. If you choose to hire a coach or consultant, I encourage you to choose one that is Holy Spirit-led. It makes a tremendous difference when you’re doing business God’s way. After you take one step after another after another, it’s time for step five.

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STEP FIVE LAUNCH!

This is a very exciting time! You’ve overcome obstacles. You kicked doubt and procrastination to the curb and it’s the big day! It’s time to LAUNCH! You’ve worked diligently and, hopefully, by the supernatural power of God’s grace and the time has come to publish the page, send the email, start the marketing campaign, and press that button that officially signifies that you have launched. CONGRATULATIONS!!!

This is an incredible opportunity for lives to be blessed and lives to be changed because you took one step of faith after another. Yay, God! Yay, you! You have a God Size dream. It’s a dream that is so much bigger than you and so much bigger than you think you could ever accomplish. When it’s so very big that you feel it could never happen, that’s a great indication that it is a God Size dream. And guess what? Abba desires to partner with you, to go on an adventure with Him and bring your dream out of fantasy land and on the path to launch. Ready to get started? It starts by saying, “Yes, God! I will do it.” and then buckle up. You just started on an amazing and grand adventure and I’m so proud of you!

In 2005, I was medically retired from law enforcement and chose to be retrained in website design. This began my grand adventure in doing business online. I am passionate about providing the platform and support for kingdom driven leaders, business owners, and entrepreneurs, and those who desire to be, to impact lives, advance the kingdom of heaven on earth and release heaven through the work that they do.

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Are you immune?

By: Autumn Hoover

While working on my second book during the

recent

received

Coronavirus

the

topic

for

quarantine, this

I

month’s

magazine publication. The theme “to give you a hope and a future” made me think of

a

Type

recent A

blog

that

Christian’s

I

posted

Instagram

on

my

account.

Please read the blog post below: There are many who post negative remarks regarding vaccines, and in the coronavirus's wake, where there are no vaccines, I wanted to share one simple fact.

The importance of a vaccine is to stimulate antibodies and provide immunity to a specific disease and its side effects.

While many receive vaccines, these individuals provide a “herd immunity,” or resistance to the spread of a particular disease, for those who choose NOT to vaccinate.

Christianity unfortunately does not work in this way. Jesus spoke of many blessings throughout His time on earth to His followers. While blessings are bestowed upon those who have opted to receive immunity [from God’s] judgment of our sins, many unbelievers may also benefit from these same blessings on earth, but it will be short-lived when they face the day of Final Judgment.

I ask that in the wake of this ever-changing virus that is upon us that you choose the One who is unchanging in His promises to you and your families. And I pray that God has blessed you with your own “herd” of believers to encourage your faith as you immunize yourself against the death sentence of sin and accept the eternal gift of salvation.

As a women’s health nurse practitioner (NP), I have seen the importance in newer vaccines as they provide protection against certain types of cervical cancer. Whether you are provaccine or anti-vaccine, I hope we can all agree that the goal of vaccines has always been to prevent various illnesses and now cancers.

Some even say that vaccines are “one of the greatest health developments in the 20th century.” And, as a healthcare provider, I understand that not everyone is a candidate for vaccines due to allergies and side effects.

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Prior to enrolling into nursing school, they required me

While nonbelievers may prosper on earth, they do not

to take the hepatitis-B vaccine, which is traditionally

have that same promise for eternity, nor do they have a

given in three different injections over a certain

“herd immunity” to prevent protection against receiving

amount of time. (This vaccine is now recommended to

Final Judgment. I once heard a wife say to her husband

newborns after delivery.) A few years later, after

who did not accompany her to church that when they

receiving the vaccine series, I accepted my first job as a

entered Heaven, Jesus would not function like the host of

registered nurse (RN) in our local emergency room

a restaurant—Smith…Party of 2…your mansion is now

(ER). However, the employee health office checked to

ready? But, while the concept is pretty funny, the overall

see if my body had developed antibodies toward the

picture is very sad. Heaven is the eternal home for

virus, and unfortunately, I was labeled as a “non-

individuals who have made a conscious effort to believe in

responder,” even after I repeated the vaccine series. I

Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, believers cannot force

was very frightened at the thought of taking care of

doubters to have faith or believe the Good News. All we

patients with hepatitis. Due to the high volume of

can do is continue in our prayers and in our witnessing

blood draws while working in an ER setting, I was

abilities. Even if they do not have a fear of sin on earth,

already at an increased risk for accidental needle

they will face the consequences of God’s Judgment.

sticks. And if I was stuck with the needle from an infected patient, I would be at risk for serious

While there is debate over the use of vaccines, I definitely

consequences, including liver disease, cancer, or even

did not want to create controversy regarding the hope we

death. Obviously, I was very careful and used

receive as believers in Christ. I am a sinner saved by

appropriate precautions in working with all of my

grace, and I know there is no vaccine with that type of

patients, but I was very fearful of the potential for

protection or power. Thankfully, after having a third

transmission due to my body “not-responding” to the

series of the hepatitis vaccine as a NP, I was excited to

vaccine as expected, nor did I have a “herd immunity”

learn that my body had finally developed antibodies

to aid in my protection.

against the virus!

Now, the goal of my article is not to argue the idea of

So, always remember, we will meet “non-responders” who

vaccines, but to talk about the hope we have in Jesus

do not react to the Holy Spirit the first time, or even the

Christ, and how we urgently need to share the Gospel

third, but the herd of God is mighty and has the power of

with others.

the Holy Spirit to bring all men to Christ.

1. “Should Any Vaccines Be Required For Children,” updated May 24, 2019, retrieved March 30, 2020, from https://vaccines.procon.org/ 2. “Vaccine Non-Responders,” retrieved March 30, 2020, from https://www.hepb.org/prevention-and-diagnosis/vaccination/vaccinenon-responders/

Follow the Author:FB at https://m.facebook.com/TypeAChristian/Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/type_a_christian/Pinterest at https://www.pinterest.com/typeachristian/

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Until Next Time...

By: Amy Allmon

She could feel it when he left this time. Even though she was totally engaged in another activity and not physically in the same room, she could literally feel his presence leave her heart. Her breath left her body in an inaudible gasp as she willed her mind to be still and concentrate on the task at hand.

“Stiff upper lip, stay grounded, focus”, she said to herself.

Her hands worked with skill and deftness, finding the trigger points that needed attention and giving them the permission they so desperately needed to lay calm and serene. How thankful she was for this calling that served presently as an automatic distraction allowing her mind to flit above the reality happening in the next room.

Her youngest son was leaving home, again. He was gathering his meager belongings accumulated in 21 years of living and stepping into his next opportunity that would take place in a different state. She knew this day would come again. When he left for the first time earlier it had almost killed her. This time, there was every chance that it would kill her. She could feel the darkness calling to her, serenading her with promises of forgetfulness and escape. Dying from a broken heart always seemed so dramatic, so surreal, until it was her heart that was being shattered. The darkness reminded her she was to blame for the pain.

Her work was finally complete. The re-entry into her home confirmed what her heart had told her an hour ago, he was gone. Before she had gone to work, she had held the tears in check as she held her “baby”, lavishing him with heartfelt blessings and words of strength that should have been said years ago but weren’t.

Now, she stood at the door looking out to where his car had been parked for the last 31 months and she let the tears flow. Tears for lost time that could never be regained. It was in this moment of grief and weakness that the darkness took it’s best shot. The dark played a tempting hand and hopelessness was offered like a temporary amnesia to the hurt that cut her to the very core. Truthfully, she considered it for a moment, a quick dance with the devil....

Suddenly, there was a thought, a nuance really. A word pinged her subconscious so subtly it was almost imperceptible...

Hope. That was it it.

Like a tiny spark, a newborn’s faint cry, there was this word, Hope.

It was being whispered to her heart; take a hold of HOPE. Personal experience had shown her that the dark only offered empty promises, not even worth the energy it took to form the thoughts. Still, the darkness called to her and volleyed fiery arrows at her vulnerable place of pain. Choosing the darkness meant choosing everything that came along with it because the darkness never rode in alone; shame and brokenness were its constant companions. She knew that all the good that was rebuilt and shared over the last 3 years would be drowned at the bottom of a vodka bottle if she gave in to that darkness. It was in that moment of clarity, right in the middle of her hurt, that she, that she chose hope. A vision rose up from her heart in which hope was no longer a fleeting, fledgling spark but rather a roaring fire that would empower her to storm the gates of hell to reclaim all the lost time and treasure.

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This new hope would equip orphans and free captives, it would fuel their destinies as well as hers and still have power left over to shine on others. This hope would be a force to be reckoned with, a call to holiness and wholeness that would usher in true peace and power to those who would come into contact with it.

Right now she just needed a Kleenex.

For now, it was enough for her to choose to feel, instead of numb. It was a victory to simply let all these emotions wash over her and cling to the promise that she was not, and never had been, alone. It was enough for her to choose hope even if it was only a hopeful whisper. She would choose to embrace hope, even though it meant feeling the pain of lost opportunities, wasted time and sad goodbyes. She now would look at the pain in the eye and thank God for the ability to still feel.... anything.....everything. She now would choose hope and keep the faith until next time.

Amy Allmon is an entrepreneur who works with men and women to transform their hair, body and heart. As a recovered addict, Amy offers hope from the inside out through hair care,massages and speaking engagements.

Having experienced the healing love of Jesus, she is passionate about sharing hope through everything she does. Her personal restoration led to the creation of amyallmon.com, a website offering hope that she invites you to explore. Amy is married to Dwayne and they are empty nesters to 9 children.

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The Bunker Strategy By: Musekiwa Samuriwo

Musekiwa Samuriwo is an entrepreneur and business development consultant specialising in strategy, new product development and futures research. Musekiwa is a prolific and eccentric author with amazing titles that are suitable for strategy and daily living, which he has published under his consulting brand "African KnightHe is the author of 4 books, The God Idea, The Shark and the Japanese Fisherman and The Catapult Effect: 13 Principles of War in Business and How to own YOUR car. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Steinbeis in Germany.

Surviving in Lock-down When I wrote the book the Catapult Effect in 2019, I was convinced that business is war. In January this year, I was reflecting on my goals and planning for an awesome 2020, with great plans for my business and my life in general. By the time I was celebrating my birthday on the 1st of March the threat of COVID-19 was becoming much more apparent. COVID-19 was threatening our health, survival and way of life.

When nations started going into lock-down, it was painful to hear of deaths and hard to see vibrant city streets emptied of all life. It was encouraging to see the strength and commitment of those called to the front-line to defend and safeguard our survival like doctors, nurses, till operators in supermarkets and the random delivery guy.

It was interesting to read stories about how people all over the world are trying to live during lockdown.It was funny seeing peoples’ experiences of work-from-home (WFH) routines in an attempt to maintain some semblance of sanity. But the reality was that COVID-19 had forced the majority of the world to retreat to the bunker. While in my own lock-down situation I have reflected on 5 reasons why we needed to retreat and 4 reasons why there is hope after COVID-19.

The Bunker Strategy We face difficult situations and we need to hold out and survive We need to hold a defensive position whilst the enemy attacks We need to recuperate and recover after a brutal showdown We need revisit our plans and manage resources We face a level of uncertainty that we can’t handle or confront that easily and we don’t know what will happen if we do.

We Need to Survive When COVID-19 broke out it didn’t seem like it was going to affect the world as it has done now. This meant most of us were caught unaware and without sufficient resources and planning to survive and weather the pandemic. By the time it was declared a pandemic and nations were announcing lockdowns supermarkets and any supply store was full of people buying reserves for survival.

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The reason was very simple, when we face difficult situations and we need to hold out and survive.

COVID-19 is a real threat to our survival and some times it is better to holdout at home in a safe place than to face the treacheries of being stuck no-man’s land facing a barrage of enemy bullets.

We Need to Hold the Defensive Line After years of unrelenting progress and growth some of us have been advancing and growing so much that we didn’t realized how much of what we have can be lost easily. When COVID-19 finally hit the world as a pandemic the potential economic losses that have been projected are enormous. From jobs to small businesses, to industries like education.

I don’t think anyone ever simulated a pandemic of this magnitude or an enemy with this level of aggression in attack. But what is important is that we need to hold a defensive position whilst the enemy attacks. Lock-down represents an opportunity to fortify and build stronger defensive lines in the face of the biggest black swan event of our time so far. It is this time that we appreciate the people who serve in the essential services like medical staff.

We Need Rest and Recuperation Some of us have been working tirelessly for years without end, for long hours in a bid to secure a stable future. We have missed our child’s first steps or meaningful conversation with our families and friends.

We have forgotten relationships that we valued as we drifted apart because there never seemed to be any time. We forgot to sleep to take time to re-energize and harmonize our whole being. Lock-downs all over the world have presented an opportunity for us to recuperate and recover after years of brutal showdowns at work.

We Need to Revisit our Strategy It has taken an event of significant proportions to bring the world to a standstill. Some machines in factories and the people who man them had never come to a standstill.

Many companies had to stop the way they were working and implement continuity plans drafted years ago and filed away in some dusty filing cabinet or in some computer’s recycle bin.

Some had to finally implement the digital strategies that the IT department had been proposing for years. Some companies faced the daunting threat of closure after the pandemic. This time has presented an opportunity to revisit strategic plans and allocation of resources.

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Tomorrow is Unclear, Uncertain & Unknown For some of us COVID-19 has introduced a level of uncertainty we can’t handle or confront easily and we don’t know what will happen if we do. It is a threat and an enemy that we have never faced before. It has brought worry and tension in our lives and may be even in our homes. Unlike risk which we can measure and rationalize, we can only attempt to learn and understand the potential impact of uncertainty.

It is a scary and stressful feeling to be totally unsure of what to do. While waiting things our the bunker is a place of despair. It doesn’t have to be. Though the situation may not be ideal it represents an opportunity to rediscover who we are. When we are stripped bare and reduced to the core of our being, there is a great opportunity to explore the latent potential hidden inside us.

Is There Hope After Covid?

I would emphatically say yes though I don’t know what it will look like. The reality is that we are in a difficult and uncertain situation. What will be important is maintaining the hope and faith we will make it in the end. While in lock-down facing an uncertain future we can accept that

We can simultaneously be optimistic about the future while having a deeper and more steadfast perspective of our present and challenging circumstance. Optimism along won’t get us past this unprecedented challenge. We can draw on the fortitude and strength we possess to live under battened hatches with the faith and hope to continue dreaming beautiful tomorrows.

We can be lights in the darkness.

We can reflect on our present circumstance and accept what it means. It has been a difficult time for many people needing to adjust to life without certain amenities and activities. Yet, it doesn’t have to continue that way. One of the most important steps to take is to accept reality for what it is, COVID-19 is war. it is a battle for survival. We cannot take it for granted. We can however take it as a challenge and an opportunity to learn and grow.

Hope is an anchor in the storms of life . in strenuous and challenging conditions the light is never at the end of the tunnel, especially when we have no idea how long it is. The brightest light we can shine is in our hearts. Hope is the deep and unflinching expectation that we will see a brighter tomorrow no matter how dark our present circumstances are. The storms may break our masts and sails but they will certainly not break our will to live.

We can Rediscover our humanity: We are social creatures and we need each other to survive.

Individualism has its limits and in times like these social support is imperative. We must seek out old friends, engage counselors and mentors, interact with anyone who has anything positive to say, encourage and reach out to someone in need and make every effort to live.

In a nutshell whilst in the bunker we need to remember what it means to be human by sharing our faith, hope and love.

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By: Brandon J. Galici

INVESTING - STAY THE COURSE

With the current situation we are experiencing with COVID-19, many of us are adapting to the daily changes. If you have watched the news recently, you have probably noticed that the stock market has also been negatively impacted. I wanted to share a few brief tips on how to invest in times of uncertainty with the goal of easing your concerns about your financial future.

Stick to Your Long Term Plan We want to ensure that we are investing with a goal in mind. This could be preparing for retirement, saving for kids’ future education, or working towards financial freedom. Once we have a goal, we can then determine how to invest our hard earned money. The two most important factors are: • Time horizon • Our personal comfortability with risk (price fluctuation in our portfolio) For example, if we are saving for retirement and it is over ten years away, we have a long enough time horizon to handle some ups and downs in our portfolio. However, if we will retire in the next few years, we want to invest more conservatively since our timeline to use the money is shorter.

We should also have proper expectations on the potential upside and downside of our investments. The more risk we take in investing, the increased potential for higher returns, but also larger decreases when the market is down. As long as we understand how our investments should perform in both good and bad situations, we will feel more confident in our long-term plan. Overall, we should decide with a focus on our ultimate goals instead of based on shortterm circumstances.

Avoid Making Rash Decisions We want to ensure that we are investing with a goal in mind. This could be preparing for retirement, saving for kids’ future education, or working towards financial freedom. Once we have a goal, we can then determine how to invest our hard earned money. The two most important factors are: • Time horizon • Our personal comfortability with risk (price fluctuation in our portfolio) For example, if we are saving for retirement and it is over ten years away, we have a long enough time horizon to handle some ups and downs in our portfolio. However, if we will retire in the next few years, we want to invest more conservatively since our timeline to use the money is shorter.

We should also have proper expectations on the potential upside and downside of our investments. The more risk we take in investing, the increased potential for higher returns, but also larger decreases when the market is down. As long as we understand how our investments should perform in both good and bad situations, we will feel more confident in our long-term plan.

Overall, we should decide with a focus on our ultimate goals instead of based on short-term circumstances.

If you look at the price of the investment in the short term, it can look very confusing and is difficult to predict.

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It can currently feel like we are in a situation like the chart shows here, where it seems the market may continue to fall. Many people get caught up in their fear and panic and sell at this point which guarantees their loss (bought at $15 and sold at $5 for a $10 loss).

This chart simplifies things. Over the long run, the stock market goes up as companies generate more revenue. The person who maintains their long term investment strategy and does not make a hasty decision in the short term will have better returns and have a higher rate of success at achieving their future financial goals.

Talk to Your Financial Advisor At the end of the day, you should feel comfortable with your investments. I suggest understanding what you own, why you own it, and what it costs. This is a great opportunity to have a conversation with your financial advisor to ensure that you are still on track to achieve your financial goals. Even if your portfolio is down in the short term, what matters most is that you are on pace for what matters most to you, whether that is retirement, paying for your child’s education, or financial freedom. Your advisor will be able to answer all of your questions and concerns to make you feel comfortable even when things seem bleak.

I hope that this high level overview helps you with your current situation and as always please feel free to reach out with any questions you have and I will be happy to help!

Brandon Galici is a Christian financial advisor whose focus is to help others take control of their finances and steward their resources to the best of their ability. Upon completion of his finance degree, Brandon spent six months in a training program designed to enhance his skills to better serve those he works with.

He has since been building a practice where faith is an important part of nearly every client conversation.

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Hope on Crown Rocker!