How to be successful during this season!

Hey there!! The season of holiday parties is upon us so I wanted to share some tips with you to help you stay focused and not lose sight of your goals. 

Also, if you want more of these tips daily I'll be sharing them on my FaceBook page. Would you mind checking it out, liking it and sharing it with others?

www.fb.com/coachmelissaivette 

Thank you all so much for your support. I love helping you all reach crazy goals. 

 

Love, Melissa Ivette

reflections

A few weeks ago I posted this on my Instagram but now I wanted to re-visit it.

What do worship and working out have in common?

Focus. Perseverance. Commitment. Outcome. 

"Thinking about the story of Joseph in the Bible, he truly faced adversity. His brothers were jealous of him when he shared his dream and they wanted to kill him, instead they sold him as a slave, talk about betrayal by ones you love. Later, his boss' wife tried to get him to sleep with her and he refused yet she set him up as if he tried to take advantage of her, talk about being lied on. Then he was thrown in jail, talk about injustice. But even still, while, in jail he helped others out by interpreting dreams and doing what God called him to do. He wasn't focusing on himself and how he had been wronged, he focused on others and went about his business.  Even as one of the inmates that he helped out was leaving he told that friend of his to not forget him, and guess what? That man forgot about him...quickly. Then one day, (when it was his time to rise) because of his gift to interpret dreams, he was let out of that jail and placed second in command over the land, talk about favor and wisdom from God! From the prison to the palace, Just. Like. That. 

When we surrender our lives to God and stop focusing on the negative going on around us, putting our efforts into what we're supposed to be doing we can find the benefit from every bad experience. Nothing catches God by surprise, He knows all things and He's always working things together for our good. We can also rise from the prison to the palace. #itsnotover #yourdreamsareAWAITING 

#stayfocused

I'm excited for you dream chasers out there! Let's partner together to hold each other accountable to our dreams. 

Spaghetti squash.......what??!!

Have you ever tried spaghetti squash pasta? I know it sounds weird but it tastes pretty darn good. This is so quick and simple to make. I had my dad and grandma try it while they were in town a few weeks ago and they loved it. My husband, not so much, but then again he's not a vegetable eater.

I pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees then when it's ready I stick the whole 

squash in the oven and bake it for 45 minutes. 

Once it's done I cut the squash in half and let it cool for a few minutes.

Then I "gut" it out. 

I literally take a fork and scrape out the middle, it just falls apart perfectly.

While the squash is baking, I will cook my choice of meat, we really like ground turkey. 

I cook that stovetop then add my favorite spaghetti sauce to it. 

Then I take a strainer and lay a paper towel in it and let the spaghetti squash "drain"

The paper towel helps the excess water to be soaked up.

 (this step is optional) 

I let the drained squash cook stovetop with some olive oil and garlic/garlic powder. 

Stir and after a few minutes it's ready to be eaten. 

I only do this because I really like the taste of garlic 

but you don't have to do this at all if you prefer not to.

Sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese on top.

Then mix and enjoy! 

As I mentioned earlier my hubby did not like it because he's not a vegetable eater so I made him some

whole wheat spaghetti to eat with the ground turkey (pictured below) and he was happy. Easy meal for everyone.

Let me know if you try it! I'd love to hear your feedback.

Let's talk teeth

Did you know that your oral hygiene has a lot to do with your overall health?

I recently listened to a podcast about fitness (go figure!) and the speaker talked about how important oral hygiene is to your WHOLE body. Any infection, bacteria or tooth decay that is not taken care of can cause the acidity levels in the body to get all out of whack and cause your ability to fight illness to be weakened or even make you prone to more illness. This really is a cool fact to know when you are helping others be completely healthy. Just brushing your teeth alone is not enough. 

I am pretty serious about my oral hygiene but this made me think even more about it and the importance of it. Here are some facts below that I read and I was blown away to learn this information.

"Studies also suggest that oral bacteria and the inflammation associated with periodontitis — a severe form of gum disease — might play a role in some diseases. In addition, certain diseases, such as diabetes and HIV/AIDS, can lower the body's resistance to infection, making oral health problems more severe." taken from this article

"Research has found an association between gum disease and rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation of the joints." also this article

"Proper oral hygiene is important in helping you stay healthy if you have risk factors such as diabetes and heart problems." According to the American Dental Hygienists Association:

• A major cause of tooth loss in children is cavities; while periodontal (gum) disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults.
• Eating healthy snacks such as celery, carrots, or apples help clear away food loosely trapped in-between teeth.
• The leading oral health problem for infants is baby bottle tooth decay, which can be caused when babies are given a bottle filled with sugary liquids, like milk or juice, when put to bed.   

quoted from this

 

Below is a picture of the products that I use, including a tongue scraper. You may think that brushing your tongue is enough but it's definitely not. I had never even seen one of these things until my dental hygienist gave me one a few years ago and I am so thankful that she did. This handy little tool really helps to get all those hard to reach spots and be more thorough.

      He

                     

I usually will start out with flossing, then I rinse with mouthwash, then I use the tongue scraper and then I brush my teeth. I once heard someone say "Only floss the teeth you want to keep." Well, I know I want all of mine, ha!  I hope you all get to brushing better! Have a great day!


*There's a proper way to brush and floss. If you're unfamiliar with the correct technique, ask your dentist or dental hygienist for help. You can also visit the American Dental's Association's website to watch some great tutorials on proper technique.*

"The mouth is a portal into the rest of the body," said Dr. Donald Ratcliffe

from this article

A quick yummy snack!

I love these yummy energy bites! I’m a chocolate lover with a major sweet tooth. This is a great way to satisfy the sweet tooth with some good stuff. 

I used:

1/2 cup of almond butter 

1/2 cup of peanut butter (I personally like using both but you could use one or the other)

1 cup of oats

1/4 cup of ground flax seed

1/4 cup of raw sunflower seeds

A dash of pure vanilla

2 tbsp of honey

1 tbsp of chia seeds

Coconut flakes (optional) 

1 scoop of chocolate Shakeology or 1/2 cup of chocolate chips  

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, then form into individual bite-sized pieces and refrigerate, then snack as needed. Enjoy! 

my very own gym!

This is my space, this is where I spend my alone time. It's just me competing against myself. Making myself better every day. Here you'll find me pushing play & yelling at my personal trainer on the screen, haha, yup it happens.  Everyone needs their own personal space to develop, to be creative, to express your passion and, most of all, to grow. If you want to be a better person you've got to dedicate time to work on Y O U. That's it. 

Anyhow, my basement was the perfect room to transform. I fought it for a while but then I embraced it.  

This was the before process....my clean up crew ;)

And this is the "after" yup that's a Christmas tree you see there! 

I have a place of my very own that I am so proud of. 

Where do spend your "me" time?

Yay for new hair!!!

There it is, I chopped it off!! And for good reason. I've always wanted to donate my hair to Locks of Love and today I decided it would be the day I finally did it. 

My hubby was out of town and I wanted to surprise him so I decided to head out to do this thing. Well, in my excitement, I totally forgot to book an appointment (on a Saturday, in the middle of the day, I know, dumb) and I ended up frustrated. I visited a few places in the area and called a few places no one had availability so I was going to head home but then I remembered a place by my favorite Target store. So I looked up their number, called, and they had room for me. I walked in nervously and sat down. When the lady came over to ask me what I was looking to do today I told her that I was going real short. I had already tied my hair back and it was braided, since Locks of Love requests it to be donated that way. She just loved the fact that I came prepared with my hair ready to be chopped off and shipped out. 

Another stylist heard me telling her and immediately came over to me and said "hey, well we can send it over to Locks of Love for you.....and your haircut is free!" I was so shocked I'm pretty sure my jaw dropped.

F R E E?!!

How amazing is that?

And here I was just minutes before frustrated and ready to go back home when God had it set up all along. He's so good and I am so glad for His perfect timing. 

Now someone else will have the joy of a new 'do. 

Doing this gave me such great joy. 

I can truly say it's better to give than to recieve. 

Here it is... All 16 inches of it. 

It's a little creepy looking but it's a cool story and those sweet ladies made me feel amazing. 

Plus, I love my new hair. 

Has anyone out there ever donated your hair? 

I'd love to hear about it. 

Good night! 

be proud of your failures

Let's talk about failure....

It's rough.

It's tough.

It can beat you down.

It makes you feel weak, unworthy, incapable and washed out.
That is N O T true.

On the opposite side it means that you have tried.
Failure doesn't feel good but it sure means something good.
It can build us up stronger, tougher and bolder than we have ever been.
It is not just a setback, it is a reminder that what you tried didn't work...BUT...don't give up.
Don't give in to the false satisfaction of mediocrity.
You were created to shine, so do just that.
Be bold.
Laugh at your past failures.
Thank those experiences for showing you that you were capable of trying.
Then, crush your goals and create the future that you really want or need.
Try harder.


Did you know:
-Oprah Winfrey was fired from one of her first jobs because she was "unfit for TV."
-Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor because "he lacked imagination and had no good ideas."
-Before J.K. Rowling had any "Harry Potter" success, the writer was a divorced singled mother on welfare struggling to get by.
-The first time the young comedian, Jerry Seinfeld, walked on stage at a comedy club, he looked out at the audience, froze and was eventually booed off stage.
-Before landing "I Love Lucy," Lucille Ball was widely regarded as a failed actress.
-Fred Astaire was noted, "Can't act. Can't sing. Slightly bald. Can dance a little."

-Steven Spielberg was rejected from the University of Southern California School of Theater, Film and Television three times.
-After being cut from his high school basketball team, a young Michael Jordan went home and cried in the privacy of his bedroom.
-Steve Jobs was a college dropout, a fired tech executive and an unsuccessful businessman.
-Jimmy Denny, manager of the Grand Ole Opry, fired Elvis Presley after just one performance telling him, "You ain't goin' nowhere, son. You ought to go back to drivin' a truck."
Read more here


Sometimes it's a matter of the right timing, but failure is not final. 
It is a refiner. 
What have you failed at that you believed you were supposed to do? 
(wow! as I wrote that last sentence I was literally reminded of something that I gave up on) this is a challenge for me too.
I'd love to hear how this post inspires you.
Contact me and tell me.
Can I help you meet a goal? Email me at coachmelissaivette@gmail.com, I want to hear your story.

                                           

Try it! 

I dare you to go out and fail. 

I guarantee it will bring you one step closer to your desired goal.

Want to chat about this more? Message me.

You are a winner that was created by the hand of the Master. 

Let His light shine through you.

-Mel

What can 3 days do for you?

                           

What can 3 days really do for you?

I'll tell you.

It can help you break some bad habits.

It can put you in the right direction towards weight loss. 

It can help you drop some pounds and even some inches.

I tried this 3 day refresh last week and was impressed with the results. 

I lost 3 pounds and 3 inches. I definitely was encouraged to drink more water (I am always working on that). 

I liked that, literally, every hour your eating, drinking tea, or having a shake. 

The average that people have lost on this program is 3 lbs but some people have lost even as much as 9lbs! That was enough to convince me to try it. Plus, I've never done anything like this and really wanted the first hand experience.

It's definitely not a starvation diet/cleanse. 

It alkalinizes your body and rids your body of toxins.

It rids your body of the acid and that's why people lose weight.

It sets you up for your next phase.

It's a quick fix to kick start you in the right direction.

With this program you can customize it to you. (Pick the recipes you like, the flavor of Shakeology that you want and your options of tea or coffee.)

You don't need any other vitamin supplements because it literally has all the vitamins you need with the vanilla refresh that's included. 

There is a fiber sweep included but it's not one of those dangerous ones that you have to hang out by the toilet (hehehe!) but its gentle and it tasted good. 

Even now after I've done the refresh I'm still using the recipes with my meals. 

I recommend it.

I think it works just like it says that it should.

It's not long and drawn out either, it's short, sweet and to the point.

It was so worth it. 

It's a great price. 

Now I want to try the Ultimate Reset which is a 21 day body reset program. 

Beachbody seriously amazes me with their products all the time. 

If you're interested just ask me how! or just click here

*also Beachbody has a money back guarantee with all of their products. That speaks volumes for me!*

Just try it!

Thanks for taking some time to read my thoughts.

XoxO

Why Shakeology?

I began drinking shakeology 2 months ago!

At first I complained about the price.

Then I became a coach and I must say that as a coach I get a generous discount. 

Anyhow, I thought I'd share my results thus far.

- my face looks the best it has ever looked

- my hair looks better than ever

- I have had the most energy that I've ever head E V E R! (that makes sense just go with it)

- my nails are long and strong

- my body recovers from those difficult workouts faster

- my body just feels better

- I definitely don't crave all the junk that I used to

- my body literally wants more nutrient rich food (seriously, who am I?)

- it fills me up for a good 2-3 hours or so (that's a miracle for me!) 

So what's Shakeology you ask? It's only the healthiest meal of my day. If I read off the ingredient list to you and told you everything that was in a single delicious shake you would not even Bellevue me, also the fact that there are NO artificial sweetness in it. I mentioned earlier that I complained about the price. I thought I could outsmart the system and find a shake that was just as great but cheaper (as you can see I didn't succeed because it lead me right back to ShakeO) and I even bought one that was on sale at GNC for $13. I thought it was a score. Then I read the label and saw that sucralose was on the label. Just a quick side notes sucralose is chlorinated sugar, your boy doesn't even know what to do with it and those are the things that can turn into to cancer within our bodies and there are other ingredients in it linked to cancer (for more details you can read about it in this article). Anyhow, back to my story. Once i discover more about this dangerous chemical I instantly threw that bag of powder away! It's not worth it.

One of the major reasons why I began drinking Shakeology was to get my husband on board with it. He doesn't eat veggies, he doesn't like them and he won't budge on that. Now in the mornings when I make my ShakeO I will fix him one too and I feel better knowing that he has so many delicious nutrients (and veggies) going into his body.

I'm a believer. I drink my ShakeO daily. No question about it.

Here's a fun video to help you understand a little bit better! 

Make today great!

gym vs at home workouts...which do you prefer?

I was up late the other night thinking about my workout routines. I have been trying to be consistent for YEARS and always failed. 2014 was a year of change for me, a year of double. Let me share with you why. So I was the girl that would go to the gym and literally stare around asking myself "where in the world am I going to start?" I always felt so out of place and out of my comfort zone. I hated the drive to the gym and couldn't wait for my workouts to be over. I realize that not everybody feels this way, this is just my story, and that is ok. So fast forward to 2014. I joined an accountability group with awesome ladies and felt so right. I just made myself work harder because I didn't want to fail on my commitment to them. I started with Beachbody's 10 minute trainer and that worked well for me. Then I sort of hit a plateau and needed to be pushed more. I actually needed to get my eating under control. That's when I started with 21 day fix after 2 rounds of that I was feeling better and eating even better. I wanted to challenge myself even more and I realized that this was my new lifestyle not just a temporary fix. That's when I signed up as a C O A C H and I started using Turbo Fire I love this program, it is fun and furious. My legs have never looked so good. I am getting ready now to do the 3 day refresh & then try the brand new program PiYo I cannot wait to share my results with you all! 

I am all in. 

I believe in Team Beachbody but more importantly, I believe in ME! 

Anyhow, I was thinking about the reasons why gym workouts failed for me & why home workouts were much better. There are a ton of benefits for either path you choose but these are the benefits for me.

home workout pros:

-convenience (no need to travel)

-24 hour access 

-price (I pay once for a workout program & get unlimited use)

-privacy (no weirdo creeper men bothering me)

-accountability (my husband or friends can workout with me & it's free for them)

-being part of a group (we log our before and after stats & share progress with each other)

-no need for a babysitter

-lots of floor space

-no need to worry about sweaty germs from other people b/c all equipment is your own

-one on one trainer (with my videos I have my own personal trainer)

-no volume control (I can yell or scream at the tv as I fight my way through the workout...believe me it helps)

-I can win money!!! If I log my workouts with teambeachbody I have a chance to win money. Who doesn't like that?

I hope that you can find this useful or even inspirational. 

It's been a journey for me and I am so glad that I started. 

Now I am on my way to becoming physically and financially fit.

Would you like to join my journey and have success of your own?

Decide. Commit. Succeed. 

zucchini pasta!

I've been wanting to try zucchini pasta for quite some time now. Last night I finally did and it was yummy!!!! I bought one of those cool veggetti things at Walmart for $14.

It took about 2 minutes to turn a big zucchinni into this.

While I created my pasta I was heating up some grapeseed oil in a pan and sautéing fresh garlic and onions. I rarely measure anything while I cook so if that frustrates you....sorry! 

Once the garlic and onions heated up I added chopped grape tomatoes, tri-colored bell peppers and a cube of frozen basil.

                                

Then I added chicken broth. I covered that and let it simmer about 8 minutes till everything was a perfect softness.

When done, I sprinkled a small amount of Parmesan cheese on top.

                               

I also made turkey burgers to go with it. 

We really like turkey burgers around here.  

A delicious healthy blend of veggies and goodness. 

Enjoy and let me know if you tried it too!

Push harder for what you want!

Let's chat! I'd love to help you out with your fitness goals. So tell me what are your biggest obstacles/challenges in losing weight?

Let me help you through it. 

You can succeed.

What does Christ's love look like?

Getting to the end of my #lampandlight devotional journal and I can't help but share what is on my heart tonight. Based off Col 3:16

{Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.}

What is the message of Christ? 

When I think about His ministry I came up with this:

1. always be about your father's business even if others don't understand 

2. pray, fast and worship even if you're doing it alone 

3. lay down your life for others even if they will betray you

4. love others unconditionally & pour into them even if they will deny you

5. and love God with all of your heart even if you feel that He has abandoned you

I'm trying Lord, I really am! Let Him work on your inside today.

Are you the commitment type?

Hi there! I have some exciting things going on lately, like, recently becoming a Beachbody coach! YAY! So that means lots more healthy recipes, ideas, posts and info on how to change your life for the better. 

Regardless, this is my space to talk about everything I love.

I have just been thinking about how easy it is to say "YES" but how hard it is to actually commit to a routine. It's almost like marriage...you have your future all mapped from the start. And so, your happily ever after begins. You're so certain that everything is going to be smooth sailing, I mean, really what could go wrong when you are madly in love? But when hard days come, and indeed they will, what will you hold on to? Some people choose to cling harder to their partner and persevere together, while others choose to give up on their parnters altogether. Likewise, when it comes to working out....get EXCITED, but please STAY EXCITED! Remember why you started. Don't ever let a busy week or a bad day deter you from continuing on. Don't give up! The harder you push the more you'll see that you want to be better and stronger than you have been. I have always tried to commit to a workout routine and eventually fell off but this year that changed. Since January of this year (2014) after responding "yes" to an nvitation from a dear friend of mine, I joined my very first challenge group and that is where it all began for me. It's been a rough 6 months but I love it and now I am a coach, inspiring others daily. I never thought this would be a journey that I would be excited for but I believe in it, I believe in BeachBody and now I believe in myself. All it takes is a little bit of commitment and a whole lot of consistency. You can be the greatest you that you have ever been.

I made a decision.

I am commited.

I am succeeding.

Are you ready to decide, commit and succeed?

Encouragement from Paul to the church

A little encouragement from Paul in  Philippians 3:14 - 21

In my interpretation this is what he's telling the church:

I'm pushing through the obstacles towards my prize which is heaven, where I want to be, & Christ has made a place for me. All of us who understand the true purpose of our walk need to look at things in this perspective, be heaven minded! And if any of you lose focus God can get you back on track. Let us continue to keep up the pace and live worthy of the life we are called to & not fall back into evil. What we have already achieved live up to that as you press on and press forward. See my example, live that way too and keep your eyes on others that live right. It breaks my heart to see those who live and direct discord with God those who do not make Him known him or reverence his sacrifice, they don't take hold of the power that it has, they live as if what Christ did means nothing to them. Sadly, the Bible says that they are enemies of God. (An enemy is someone who is actively opposed to someone or something.)  

Their end will be ruins, their focus is on things that will waste away. But we have set our hearts on heaven, we have made that our home, our place of belonging, our final destination, we have been stamped with the citizenship of heaven. We believe that our Savior is coming back for us and we wait for his return. We believe that God has given him the power to rescue us from our sinful nature and transform us to heavenly glory. Amen!

I'm loving my new devotional it's really helping me to dig deep in my spiritual walk. 

Reflecting

Happy Date of Birth to meeeeee!

I love May 15th, it's the sweetest day of the year (or so I've heard!) 

I just love my family and friends who always make me feel so special. It's quite amazing.

So, I'm thirty two these days and I'm not sure how I feel about that. It's funny they say age is just a number and I see the truth in that, I don't feel any older than 23 really. I'm so excited though because 2014 has been remarkable thus far, I've lost 15 pounds, I did a 5k, I've started reading more faithfully and hubby and I are really working on our fitness/health lifestyle as well as working hard to pay off bills and enjoy our life. I can't ask for anything more. Sometimes I feel more blessed than I deserve. This year big things are happening, I'm setting goals with purpose and reaching them on purpose! I am so very excited about what this "age" will bring to me. I'm also dreaming and believing for bigger and better in my life, no holding back. Taking more action, dreaming deeper and believing bigger. This is my year! Thank you Lord!

What are you believing for this year?!

{being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.} Philippians 1:6 NIV

Chasing Giants!

Chasing Giants (August 2013 Sermon notes)

Prepare yourself because this post is quite lengthly but it's so worth a read. It's a months worth of sermon notes but my goodness it's good. Push through & grow your faith!

A giant is an obstacle, something harassing us and chasing us. Giants are good because they show me that I'm in the promised land.

Chase them, face them, conquer them!

Numbers 13:1-3

"God spoke to Moses: “Send men to scout out the country of Canaan that I am giving to the People of Israel. Send one man from each ancestral tribe, each one a tried-and-true leader in the tribe.” So Moses sent them off from the Wilderness of Paran at the command of God." 

All of them were leaders in Israel, one from each tribe. There are 7,000 promises in the Bible, we need to find out which ones belong to us. (Claim what Has been given to us)

Numbers 13:25-27

"²⁵ After exploring the land for forty days, the men returned ²⁶ to Moses, Aaron, and the whole community of Israel at Kadesh in the wilderness of Paran. They reported to the whole community what they had seen and showed them the fruit they had taken from the land. ²⁷ This was their report to Moses: “We entered the land you sent us to explore, and it is indeed a bountiful country—a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind of fruit it produces."

God sent them to get a vision so they can be it. He gives us a picture so we can see it! 

The land that flowed with milk and honey....it stands for health and wealth. Guess where the milk & honey are? They are where the giants are.

Numbers 13:28 
"But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak!" 

child of Anak, Goliath came from Anak 

Instead of facing the giants they focused on the giants. Focusing on the giants make us weak in our faith, it is cowardice.

Facing them is positioning you to conquer them. 

Deuteronomy 7:1

"When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are about to enter and occupy, he will clear away many nations ahead of you: the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. These seven nations are greater and more numerous than you."

7 giants...7 is the number of perfection...7 giants=the perfect storm

How do you kill a giant? With your faith b/c we are not fighting flesh and blood. People aren't the problem. There are the "We can" people and the "We can't" people.

Face them, chase them, fight them, beat them, and then possess your possession.

We kill a giant with our faith, a giant is a bully. 

Giants aren't in the desert and we don't grow where it is comfortable. Either we chase giants or they chase us. We don't focus on our problems, family situations but we FACE it. The best relationships we've got to fight for....

Deut 7:1 (the seven 'ites') perfect storm 

Hittite means FEAR

Deut 7:22
"The Lord your God will drive those nations out ahead of you little by little. You will not clear them away all at once, otherwise the wild animals would multiply too quickly for you."

We conquer the giant little by little. Inch by inch it's a cinch by the mile it's a trial. Daily....

A giant is any obstacle that stands between where I'm at and where I am supposed to be. 

In Number 13, when Moses sent the spies to check out the land, 10 came back with a negative report and 2 of them had a positive report.

There are giants in the desert & we don't want to stay in the wilderness forever.

Deut 6:23
"He brought us out of Egypt so he could give us this land he had sworn to give our ancestors."

Our focus is a determining factor of the achievements that we will accomplish in our life. If we focus on our problems then they grow. [What I am talking about is a reflection of what I'm thinking.] We can either be a lightbulb or a laser. A laser focuses and accomplishes. The Israelites died in the desert b/c it was "comfortable."

God wanted to bring them out to (of the desert) bring them in (to the promised land) but they died b/c they focused on the giants. Their focus was a determining factor of where they ended up. The wealth of the wicked is turned over into the hands of the righteous!

Are we focusing on the giants or God's promises?

There is a giant between the promise & the possession. God wants us in the land of more than enough.....the land of milk & honey. The giants are proof that we are about to enter God's best. 

Numbers 13:2
"Send out men to explore the land of Canaan, the land I am giving to the Israelites. Send one leader from each of the twelve ancestral tribes." 
As the leader goes so goes the tribe. 

People's number one giant is money.

Our giants are not people.

(Vs 6) Caleb of the tribe of Judah, Jesus & David were both of the tribe of Judah.

Joshua & Caleb were giant killers, they were optimists.

Judah means praise. A life of praise will change our focus, perspective. Praise is the voice of faith, the voice of a giant killer but complaining is the voice of unbelief.

Caleb is a praiser. He held on to the promises of God. He possessed his possessions, he made it through the desert. He ended up in the promised land. He held on to a promise And lived a life of praise.

Hold on to the promise, praise God for it & it will carry you. 

Joshua 19:9
"Their allocation of land came from part of what had been given to Judah because Judah’s territory was too large for them. So the tribe of Simeon received an allocation within the territory of Judah."

Praise will bring your promise, your inheritance, your possessions.

Praise will bring you too much joy, peace, blessings. A sacrifice of praise, when we praise him we make room for his goodness and when we can't see a reason to praise him then we need to reflect, remember what he has done. 

Numbers 13:23
"When they came to the valley of Eshcol, they cut down a branch with a single cluster of grapes so large that it took two of them to carry it on a pole between them! They also brought back samples of the pomegranates and figs."

How to kill a giant:

with a grape= the blood of the lamb pomegranate=worship 

figs=bread of life 

Through the blood we gets new identity to go after our inheritance. We overcome by the blood of the lamb and word of our testimony. Confession proceeds possession. We find out our identity and our possessions through reading the word.

There are 365 times in the bible that God says "fear not" there is a FEAR NOT for everything we face.

Feed your faith & starve your doubt.

Numbers 13:1
"The Lord now said to Moses..."

Israel was in the desert b/c of disobedience. God raised up Moses and Moses' name means deliverer.

God's will for my life is to live fearless!

Just b/c I am a Christ follower doesn't mean everything will be given to me, I have to fight the good fight. God promised it but in between the promise and the possession is the GIANT.

How to chase the giant of fear from my life. 
Deut 7: 1-2
"When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are about to enter and occupy, he will clear away many nations ahead of you: the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. These seven nations are greater and more numerous than you.² When the Lord your God hands these nations over to you and you conquer them, you must completely destroy^[a] them. Make no treaties with them and show them no mercy."

In the land of milk & honey, in the land of Canaan, the land of health & wealth there are 7 tribes:

Hittites is our English word for FEAR so our first giant we have to face in order to have everything God has for us. The first tribe that wants to sit on our inheritance is FEAR.

Changing our focus can chase fear out. Whatever we focus on grows. If I focus on the worst I build fear but if I focus on the best I build faith. [The law of displacement.] 

David is of the tribe of Judah, he's a praiser. He reviewed, reflected, reminded himself of what God has done with/for him. The God that helped him kill the bear, the lion, etc.

We chase fear by changing our focus, we get our focus right with our praise life. When we change our focus we invite praise in our life and our fears are scattered.

1 Sam 22:1
"So David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. Soon his brothers and all his other relatives joined him there."

The cabe of Adullam is 'refuge'. We can't hear God if we are in discontent. The devil wants us in doubt, in distress & discontent. In the scriptures there are about 400 men, in The Message translation it says 'losers'. 

1 Samuel 22:2
"Then others began coming—men who were in trouble or in debt or who were just discontented—until David was the captain of about 400 men."

Fear & failure are connected when we make a decision out of fear we will fail. 

2 Sam 23:1

" These are the last words of David: “David, the son of Jesse, speaks—    David, the man who was raised up so high, David, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, David, the sweet psalmist of Israel."

Praise releases grace.

Grace comes as a result of praise.

Grace is what we need to chase giants away from our lives. 

Praise & worship release grace. 

David wrote Psalm 34 in the cave of Adulum when he was running in fear

David was writing & praising while he was in the cave he was not complaining about his circumstances but he was praising God! David was blessing The Lord! 

What comes out of your mouth sets the tone for your house.

Nothing happens 'til I get happy....rejoice in The Lord always!

Psalm 34:1

"I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises."

What we talk about, and/or focus on gets bigger! He chased the giant of fear out of the cave through focus on praise! Faith is an act & action removes fear.

God wants us to live a fearless life. 

There is a "fear not" in the bible for every day of my life. Grapes represent the blood or our identification we need to know who we are to use our authority. We don't know our authority 'til we are in Christ and we are only in Christ through the blood of Jesus, our identification. Pomegranates signify worship we chase giants with our worship, full of the spirit. Figs signify the Word, full of Him.

That's the 3 components to chase giants: the blood, worship & The Word!

Numbers 14:6
"Two of the men who had explored the land, Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, tore their clothing."

Milk & Honey= Health & Wealth 

3 John 2 says health & wealth is God's will for us. Until we know God's will...faith can not be released. Giants help us grow, w/o them we will coast and not get bigger in God. We run towards our giant b/c we know that greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. Giants are proof that I am in the promised land. Giants are my meat, they bring us nourishment. We are bigger & better on the other side of them.

The mindset of Joshua & Caleb....giant chasers, giant killers. We don't compare them to us but to God.

1. We reflect.

David says "the God who helped me kill the bear and the lion...." He was remembering and reflecting & thanking God for what he had done the victories we have overcome with him. Bring God's goodness from the past into the present and it builds us up.

2. We Respond, how we respond will determine our destiny

How would things have been if David ran away from the giant? 

3. Readiness. How I respond determines my readiness to receive

4. Receive, receive what you believe 

Through reflecting we count it all joy, my readiness determines how I respond and that shows God if I'm ready for a new level.

Numbers 14:8,9
"And if the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey. ⁹ Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!"

We fight off fear with God's presence & we get God's presence through praise....

Deut 7:2

The 7 tribes that we will fight: 

Hittites - Fear 

Girgashites-Unbelief 

David wrote Psalm 34, 57 while in the cave of Adulum, he was fighting his giants in that cave, he was overwhelmed, weary, fearful and on the run but when he praised God he was transformed he ran away the losers of doubt, distress, discontent 

Praise will run out all those things. When Gods presence comes in fear leaves.

2 Samuel 23:1, 2, 16, 20

Benaiah, one of mighty David's men, chased a lion in the winter/snow he jumps in the pit and kills the lion. Transformation happened in his life.

Chase•Face•Kill giants

He was of the 300/30/3 men 

Benaiah, his name means "built up in The Lord" How to chase a giant? Build your self up daily in The Lord!! 

Colossians 3:16
"Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts."

*Confession leads to possession*

Joshua 14:6-12

"⁶ A delegation from the tribe of Judah, led by Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, came to Joshua at Gilgal. Caleb said to Joshua, “Remember what the Lord said to Moses, the man of God, about you and me when we were at Kadesh-barnea. ⁷ I was forty years old when Moses, the servant of the Lord, sent me from Kadesh-barnea to explore the land of Canaan. I returned and gave an honest report, ⁸ but my brothers who went with me frightened the people from entering the Promised Land. For my part, I wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God. ⁹ So that day Moses solemnly promised me, ‘The land of Canaan on which you were just walking will be your grant of land and that of your descendants forever, because you wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God.’ 10 “Now, as you can see, the Lord has kept me alive and well as he promised for all these forty-five years since Moses made this promise—even while Israel wandered in the wilderness. Today I am eighty-five years old. 11 I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on that journey, and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then. 12 So give me the hill country that the Lord promised me. You will remember that as scouts we found the descendants of Anak living there in great, walled towns. But if the Lord is with me, I will drive them out of the land, just as the Lord said."

To kill a giant we need to know what The Lord says....what The Word says. We need the sword of the spirit. My praise life & holding on to God's promise will get me there.....

We've got to see what's on the other side of the giants, change my focus, see beyond the giants, see the promise because blessing, growth, influence & platform are on the other side of the giant!

David would have never been king without Goliath. How we respond determines our destiny. God won't give me more until I'm ready. Caleb was after hebron for 45 years. He held on to the promise. Hebron means fellowship, communion that births blessing & prosperity. We are going to have to fight for daily fellowship and communion with God but it brings us blessing & prosperity.

God's presence chases the fear out of my life.

2 kinds of unbelief: ignorance & reluctance 

One is not knowing & the other is just disregarding.

Unbelief is a thief. It robs me of my future. The antidote for unbelief is speaking words of faith. My mind controls my mouth.

Find out what God has said and I must begin to say it. 

I master/control my mind with my mouth. Speak words of faith which are the sword of the spirit. I release belief with what I say, I release unbelief with what I say. 

Deut 7:1 [the 7 tribes in the land]

Girgashites means unbelief, unbelief kept them out of the promised land

Hebrews 3:12
"Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God."

Unbelief is evil, it's a thief that will rob me of God's best for me, it hits the door on my destiny. Unbelief, rejects and responds to God without faith. It moves me away from the living God. 

Hebrews 3:13-18

"¹³ You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. ¹⁴ For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. ¹⁵ Remember what it says: “Today when you hear his voice don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled.”16 And who was it who rebelled against God, even though they heard his voice? Wasn’t it the people Moses led out of Egypt? 17 And who made God angry for forty years? Wasn’t it the people who sinned, whose corpses lay in the wilderness? 18 And to whom was God speaking when he took an oath that they would never enter his rest? Wasn’t it the people who disobeyed him?"

Kill unbelief with faith, an action plan

Chase the giant of unbelief by speaking words of faith. Get rid of fear with faith, get rid of unbelief with belief. You can start or stop a thought with your word.

My mouth controls my mind...the enemy targets my mind with fiery darts. 

*Matthew 6*

He obtain faith by hearing and we release faith by speaking it.

Hebrews 3:19

"So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter his rest."

Every morning & night say Phillipians 4:13 ten times

{I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.}

My self talk determines my self esteem/self portrait which determines my confidence which determines my choices. 

Matthew 13:58 "And so he did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief."

Mark 4:24 *what you hear* 

"Then he added, “Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given—and you will receive even more."

To kill a giant we call those things that are not as though they were.

*Job 22:26* "Then you will take delight in the Almighty and look up to God."

*Read 1 Samuel 17:7-45*

David declared to Goliath his future 

Luke 8:18
"So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them."

Mark 5:25 "A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding."

*she heard* vs 26-28 

*she said it* it's not enough to hear it...she had to say it. The woman was always told she couldn't, she would never, she was a woman...etc but she chose not to let the giant of unbelief win...she heard the word of God and said it......

*she believed* Mark 5:28 AMP & vs 29 

We need to "say" until we "see" it. We don't need faith for what we've got! We need faith for what are expecting! We cannot pray for faith...it only comes by hearing. We need to continually hear it daily to build our faith.

She..Heard

She..Said

She..Saw

She...Felt

We are to pick up Gods aroma, His scent, his smell by being in His presence

Humility & honor/healing are connected

Deut 7:1-2 the 7 tribes

Hitites- fear

Girgashites- unbelief

Amorites- pride

Canaanites- to belittle or criticize, as Christians people will criticize or try to belittle you, humiliate

Perezzites- represent robbery, theft, the enemy comes to steal, kill & destroy

Hivites-stand for, their name means deception. The enemy is a liar. That's all he has...he deceives us into believing lies to destroy us. 

Jebusites- means depression, discouragement 

These 7 names/tribes represent spiritual warfare and what we have to deal with throughout our life if we want to pursue Christ.

*Faith never believes for less*

Romans 9:33 AMP

❤Therefore thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am laying in Zion for a foundation a Stone, a tested Stone, a precious Cornerstone of sure foundation; he who believes (trusts in, relies on, and adheres to that Stone) will not be ashamed or give way or hasten away [in sudden panic]. [Ps. 118:22; Matt. 21:42; Acts 4:11; Rom. 9:33; Eph. 2:20; I Pet. 2:4-6.] (Isaiah 28:16 AMP)❤

New Generation, new leaders, new time...Joshua 1:1-8

"After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ minister,

² Moses My servant is dead. So now arise [take his place], go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land which I am giving to them, the Israelites.

³ Every place upon which the sole of your foot shall tread, that have I given to you, as I promised Moses.

⁴ From the wilderness and this Lebanon to the great river Euphrates—all the land of the ^[a]Hittites [Canaan]—and to the Great [Mediterranean] Sea on the west shall be your territory.

⁵ No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.

⁶ Be strong (confident) and of good courage, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.

⁷ Only you be strong and very courageous, that you may do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you. Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.

⁸ This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good ^[b]success."

Vs 3 is our authority

(We need to know what God has said)

We cannot know our authority if we don't know our identity in Christ.

Vs 8, meditation brings revelation, God's commandments. Keep God's word coming out of your mouth! Our mouth controls our mind! Our mind moves in the direction of my mouth. When I stop speaking scriptures I lose strength, get weak. Change begins with my mouth....believe in your heart but confess with your mouth. What I say I begin to think and what I think I will believe & what I believe I see & what I see is what I will receive.

When I speak scripture in the morning I gain strength.

2 Cor 10...spiritual warfare starts in the mind

*Numbers 14

*Joshua 1

A filled mind produces a fulfilled life. 

But we must fill our minds with God's word through meditation.. Vs 8

There should not be a time when God's word isn't on my mouth b/c my mouth controls my mind which controls my action!!! 

We obtain faith by hearing but we release faith by speaking! 

Luke 17:6 (say)
"And the Lord answered, If you had faith (trust and confidence in God) even [so small] like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, Be pulled up by the roots, and be planted in the sea, and it would obey you"

*Mark 11:12-14 Jesus is answering the tree which represents giants, obstacles and obstructions in our life. When sickness, when lack comes. We speak to it, we don't listen to it!! We have more than enough, we are healed, we have enough money!

*1 Sam 17:45....Time to declare war!

We destroy our giants by focusing on the faithfulness of God, when we focus on His faithfulness it feeds my faith.

Vs 45-51

David released his faith with his mouth, he told Goliath that he would prevail & he took his weapons, and with God's anointing he prevailed.

2 Cor 10:3 "For though we walk (live) in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons."

*Ephesians 6:10-18*

7 pieces of the armor of God, 7 is the number of completion & God has given us all the weapons that we need to fight our giants.

1. Loins represent my emotions-truth

2. Breastplate of righteousness

3. Shoes of peace 

4. Shield of faith

5. Helmet of salvation- renewing my mind

6. Sword of the spirit- God's word

7. Praying 

Pray this armor on daily 

Pray much=much power, pray little=little power

Psalm 103:20
"Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, you His angels, you mighty ones who do His commandments, hearkening to the voice of His word."

Angels harken to God's word being prayed. 

Exodus 33:2 
"I will send an Angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanite, Amorite, Hittite, Perizzite, Hivite, and Jebusite."
God will send an angel before me to destroy all the tribes against me. When we pray God's word we release warring angels to go before me and release angels.
The angels will fight fear/unbelief/pride/criticism/theft/deception/depression before me! Amen! 

Hitites- fear

Girgashites- unbelief

Amorites- pride

Canaanites- to belittle or criticize, as Christians people will criticize or try to belittle you, humiliate

Perezzites- represent robbery, theft, the enemy comes to steal, kill & destroy

Hivites-stand for, their name means deception. The enemy is a liar. That's all he has...he deceives us into believing lies to destroy us. 

Jebusites- means depression, discouragement 

This is a read and re-read! A constant tool. I hope it blesses you like it does me every time I read it. 

Love, Melissa