The tough mental work goes on unabated because we have learned that persistence is vital. I will persist until I succeed. Even when it looks like failure will be the reward for all my effort I will work on because I know that success is just around the corner. My choice is whether to press on or not, will I take that corner or will I go home in defeat, and if I do take the corner and success is not there will I take another, and then another?  I have said it out loud many times over the last three weeks.  “I will persist, I will win.”

I live and work and worship alongside the person with the winning attitude and also with the person who sees something wrong with every idea, with the company they work for, with the church, with society, with the government, with people, particular people or groups of people. And when he sees that things are not perfect he simply wants to surrender, to abandon the plan, abort the mission, give up on the goal, forget all about the ideal. His default setting is, ‘What’s the point anyway?’

And in some things he is right, the faults do exist, things are really not perfect, and they never will be: there is always something wrong with every idea, no church is perfect, no company gets everything right and there was only ever one perfect human being and look what they did to Him.

So let’s try to be the person that picks out the positives and wants to help our brothers become people that see the imperfections and yet look beyond them for all that is good. Persistence, focus and concentrated thought needs to be applied until every problem is isolated and eliminated and everything of value is extracted from the idea.  When every possibility has been exhausted then we will either have a workable project on our hands or we will know for sure that no-one could have done it better. So even if we do eventually need to move on and work with the next idea nothing will be wasted because we will have learned so much from the exercise.

The only time anything should be rejected out of hand is if it violates our moral, ethical or religious value system.

Every idea isn’t going to work out, maybe it’s not the right time and maybe it never will be but you only need one or two good ones in a lifetime and they will make your fortune. Just keep getting the ideas, and milking them for all they have and never accept defeat. If you fall, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again. Now doesn’t that sound like a good idea for a song?

Somebody did it already? shucks.

Part 1 of my new Blue Print Builder, taken from Napoleon Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich” Says I know that I have the ability to achieve the object of my Definite Major Purpose (DMP) in life, therefore, I demand of myself PERSISTENT continuous action towards its attainment, and I here and now promise to render such action.

So that brings us to the second key ingredient…Action.

All the thinking in the world will change nothing without a Plan of Action and even then we may still be stuck.

Question …5 frogs are sat on a lily pad when one decides to jump off. How many frogs are on the Lily pad?

Answer 5  Because deciding to jump off and actually jumping are not the same thing.

We must create the plan of action using focussed, concentrated thought but only by taking the action, by working the plan, will anything change.

So we can conclude that with right thinking, ie A Definite Major Purpose clearly written down, a Plan of Action also written down in great detail together with a Positive Mental Attitude. and then right doing, ie Having made a start, taken the first steps, however faulting and then committed to continuous, persistent action until we have the desired result, there is nothing that we cannot do.

I suppose I have taken many words to say what Jesus said in just a few words in Matthew 17:20 “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible for you.”

I am going for that, I believe it , If it is my heart and mind to do it however difficult it might seem right now, nothing is impossible for me…I just have to find the way to do it.

I have been thinking about The Seven Laws of the Mind a lot this week. Working to commit them to memory and obviously trying to use them whenever I can.

The Law of Substitution is number one with good reason. I have used it for many years without ever putting a name to it. Forcing myself to sing a happy song when under pressure, quoting a meaningful promise from scripture or a powerful proverb from elsewhere when faced with a difficult situation; even trying to transport myself mentally to a better time and place. I have probably done all of those things most of my life but usually only in very difficult situations. Now I think quickly about using it even when a fleeting negative thought comes in. The birds can hover but I am not letting them nest.

I have been using the other laws more too. The Law of Practice can work both ways. That’s why we make the proviso, Perfect Practice Prevents Poor Performance. Look what happens if you reverse the order of ‘poor’ and ‘perfect’, the opposite affect.

If someone is doing something the wrong way and keeps on practicing without correction then things can only get worse. We all hate criticism and whilst I don’t want to go off at a tangent here perhaps we should use The Law of Dual Thought and take criticism as a gift, even if it was not meant that way. Then wouldn’t that be a great opportunity to use The Law of Forgiveness.

But let me return to The Law of Practice and give you an example of how using it in combination with The Law of Relaxation and The Law of The Subconscious has been working for me recently.  I like to play table tennis and found when we practice regularly just on Friday evenings both my playing partner and I are getting better continually.

But more than that, I am learning to play without engaging my conscious mind. I jokingly call it using the force to the guys I play with but I can honestly say I am getting better than I have ever been in my life. I am in my mid 60’s and not as fit as some of the other guys but they can’t get near me when I am able to zone in, which is happening more and more; although not yet all of the time. I must practice not just the game itself but my ability to ‘zone in’.

I have always been able to play better when just knocking up and then seemed to go all tense once the game started causing me to make silly errors and throw away vital points. By using The Law of Relaxation…bypassing the conscious mind and letting the subconscious mind and muscle memory come together I am not only hitting great shots but am also moving much faster than when I was thinking too much.

I know it is only a game but I believe this principle is transferable into anything we might want to do. I am planning to teach the church congregation from the 4th chapter of Philippians on New Years Day. It is very rare I have a sermon outlined so far in advance but I saw so much more in it while preparing for last Sunday’s message that I had to say I will leave this portion and come back later. I think that’s the first time I have ever given a movie trailer for a future sermon, I am looking forward to hearing it myself.

Philippians Chapter 4 has always been important to me: this is what it says from verses 4-9 The Apostle Paul writes

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 

Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honourable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

How powerful is this? To Rejoice is a choice anyone can make.  You could worry if you wanted to, but there is always an ‘instead’ with God. Pray Instead.

Giving thanks is a choice…having an attitude of gratitude…we can be upset at what we don’t have right now but ‘instead’ count your blessings one by one. You will be amazed at how much you do have.

Use The Law of Substitution…FIX YOUR THOUGHTS…its another choice and maybe the most important one. You choose what you think about and that is the cause before the effect. What will be the effect of focussing on things that are “true, and honourable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.”

God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand… will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Solomon tells us to guard our hearts with all diligence for out of it come the issues of life. So it’s our choice to do it and God has our back when we do. I understand that it is a stretch for some people to recognise that God is real and He came in a human body in the person of Jesus Christ but that’s just your old blueprint at work. It’s the conditioning we were all given in this post Christian land. It took me till I was 30 to have my eyes opened a little. I just accepted the words of Christ by faith, faith is the substance. But what I have learned on this MKMMA has so enhanced my faith…I can almost see how everything works now. The 7 Laws, the Master Key, particularly finding out about the Solar Plexus have been nothing short of revelation knowledge. I knew my spirit had been reborn and now linked me to the Holy Spirit but just how that happened was a mystery on which much light has now been shed.

The law of Forgiveness is the drawbridge…Jesus is the Door…I forgive, I seek forgiveness…I am forgiven…forgiven for everything and let me tell it plainly; I needed quite a lot of forgiveness . So I give thanks, I aim filled with gratitude and I know that gratitude is not only the result of receiving God’s mercy but the seed of much greater blessings to come.

I can hardly believe my own cheek…A world famous author writes a best selling book and I don’t like a paragraph so I have rewritten it and glued mine into his book over his paragraph. Well I paid for the book so really its mine and I don’t suppose he will mind too much since he went to meet his maker 20 years ago…but why would I do such a thing? I love books, I have thousands of them in my home library… I get heated if someone even turns a corner over as a bookmark and now this…I have been blacking words out with children pencils…altering the odd word here and there and now I have taken to sticking in whole paragraphs.

But the fact is it’s my subconscious mind we are dealing with here and I have a duty to feed it with the right stuff.  The Wise King said, “Guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it come the issues of life” So that means the conscious mind calling the shots on what is allowed to get through to the subconscious.

The deceased writer is Og Mandino and the book is called “The Greatest Salesman in the World” I have, in obedience to the instructions, established the habit of reading a particular chapter three times each day for 30 days… and it is a very good habit too, because I have gleaned more than I could have imagined the book contained as each month has gone on.  We so often read a book, enjoy it, learn new things from it but then never take action. It’s not long before we forget what we learned and really that means we may as well have never bothered in the first place.

Certain chapters of The Greatest Salesman , the ones called scrolls, are designed to be repeated daily in order to turn the apprentice or the seasoned professional into the best salesman he can possibly be. It is only a little book but it has huge potential to unlock greatness in those who will follow its instructions. I highly recommend it not just to salesmen but to everybody who seeks self development. So having said all that why have I dared to alter it?

I have been used to a certain metaphor for half of my life, when I was 30 years old I first met the Good Shepherd. He has said “My sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow Me.” I am not ashamed to follow Him or to be called His sheep and that does not condemn me to the slaughterhouse as Og suggests but rather it keeps me safe from it. So I can’t allow my subconsciouses mind to hear my own voice repeating daily words that belittle and condemn the sheep as the originals do.

So here is my replacement paragraph.

I was not delivered into this world in defeat, nor do I tolerate failure. I care for the sheep entrusted into my care. Some weep and complain but I am immune to their negativity because the Good Shepherd protects me, I follow Him and listen to His voice. I give without expectation of reciprocity from the channel I enrich because I know I am in the dynamic flow and will receive compensation from another source.

That is the fourth law of Giving and it allows me the freedom to trust completely as do the doctors and nurses who minister in the midst of plague and pestilence. I hear the Master’s voice saying,  “A thousand may fall at your side but it will not come near you.”

Some things are difficult to understand and some things we may not want to even try to understand because of fear that we might be straying from the path.

But as Haanel says in Master Key 11:23  All truth is the same.  (Morris Cerullo has often said it another way, “all truth is parallel” which I think is a clearer definition.) but the same, whether stated in modern scientific terms or in the language of apostolic times.

I believe the Bible is the truth but even the most serious contender for the faith must admit that it has not revealed all of the truth to us, many mysteries remain though the curtain has been pulled back time and again through the centuries. True science has revealed much truth but even eminent scientist will admit the limitations even as they continually push at the envelope seeking ever new and more exciting discoveries. One thing I do know, where there is serious effort to know the truth there will be no contradictions, science will only support the scripture and the Spirit of Truth will open doors for the listening scientists; there can only be continual unfolding revelation.

Religious traditions that have bound us, deceptions that have been used to control us, scientific slight of hand that has been used to ‘prove’ false theories will all fail. But the truth is being revealed as the Master Teacher promised it would and it will set free those men who desire to know it.

To quote Haanel one more time. 11:27  A new faith has been born, a faith which demands a new form of expression, and this faith is talking form in a deep consciousness of power which is being manifested, in the present spiritual activity found on every hand.

And that is why I feel empowered to re-write the paragraphs that do not edify my subconscious. Why I will re-write whole chapters if I need to. Those authors are respected far more than those whose books I will discard completely and the contributions they have made are greatly appreciated. I am in a state of gratitude for all they have done and for the continued unfolding after they were finished.

Switching to the next scroll in Og’s Greatest Salesman was a bit of a challenge. Scroll 2 was flowing off the tongue so nicely that I almost didn’t want to leave it.

Then I read “each day I am tested by life in like manner”, like the bull being pricked by the picadors lance and just when I thought everything was going swimmingly it is almost as if I asked for this phrase to manifest. Someone told me just the day before that Mike Tyson is famous for saying “everyone has a plan till they get punched in the face” I laughed but not for long because the punch came the very next day.

Well the only thing I can say is I must be up to the test. I have grown in these last 10 weeks and perhaps the test that would have floored me for weeks previously knocked me back for about an hour. I was able to use the Law of Substitution quickly and to great effect.

I find I really am whole, perfect, strong, powerful, loving, harmonious and happy. I have been speaking that over my life but there have been a few other people this last week who need it more than me so I have been speaking it over them too. I even made a card all colourful for one person who is very dear to me. I wrote the law of substitution on one side and an explanation that he should turn the card over and read the other side as his thoughts began to wander down that road into depression. I had written the words, whole, perfect, strong, powerful, loving, harmonious and happy in big bold letter in several crayons colours filling the whole card.  He looked at me as if I were from another planet or a child just out of a craft class. I am neither, I am his dad and I love him every much and it was hurting me to see him lying for over 30 days in a hospital bed and beginning to lose his mind. Crazy Dad or not he was out of hospital and home with his wife three days later. It matters not a jot to me if he thinks these things are off the wall, I have more than enough faith for both of us.

It didn’t stop me getting punched in the face though and reading and also listening to Haanel week 10 I have to take the blame. I broke the polarity! I cut myself off from the source with wrong thinking. My relationship with my creator was damaged for a little while and the flow just stopped. Maybe you think God is not like that, but you would be wrong to think that. We had a discussion about it.

He said “Think about you and your son…He does something right in front of you that he knows you don’t like, how do you feel?

Well I don’t feel particularly good about it, in fact I am saddened by it.

You feel sadness and let down right, and do you want to bless him with good things at that moment.

Well not at that moment no, actually I want to shout but I resist.

But is he still your son? or is your relationship ended?…

NO OF COURSE HE IS STILL MY SON…

and do you still love him?

YES MY LOVE IS NOT AFFECTED AT ALL.

But do you want the rift between you healed?

YES.

And what does he need to do to make that happen?

STOP, TURN away from what he is dong, Ask for FORGIVENESS.

And how long will you wait before you grant him forgiveness?

“I WILL NOT WAIT not even for a second, my forgiveness will be immediate as soon as he fulfils the conditions. STOP- TURN – ASK”

And that is exactly how I feel about you…So I repented which is one word for stop and turn and I asked forgiveness, I accepted that the pain of the punch in the face was worth it. The flow was restored, the lesson learned.

After all these years how could I not have understood that God is bound by his own words. How can I have thought I could do something that offends Him right in front of His face and expect him to let it pass.

He loves me far too much to do that. I will greet each day with love in my heart even if the day brings tests and trials because I know they only make me stronger.