Sometimes we think we had it tough growing up...but what we faced pales in comparison to what Jesus, the most anointed of all, dealt with when we look at His short life on earth.

Sometimes we may wonder why we have to deal with everything we do...since God has given us a mission, a vision and a calling.  So naturally, we might ask "Why is this happening to me?"

If stuff happened to Jesus...it will happen to you too.  It's how you deal with the stuff when it happens to you...that makes all the difference in the world in how things will work out.

Have you ever thought about what Jesus had to deal with or experienced?  His life certainly wasn't a picnic.

10.  Never allow a fear of failure to keep you from taking a risk for success.

  9.  There's more to living than just inhaling and exhaling oxygen and going through the motions of a daily life. God has a purpose for us.

  8.  God does not want us to just settle for whatever and whoever comes our way.

  7.  Failure is neither final nor fatal. . .but not trying because of a fear of failing is.

  6.  If we allow past mistakes to control our thinking we will miss the purpose for which we were born.

Here are the Top 5 Rich Thoughts Nuggets of the week.

  5.  Pride doesn't allow God to receive any of the credit for the things that He has done and is doing in our lives.

  4.  The most important part about CHRISTmas is the first six letters.         

  3.  What he/she doesn't know won’t hurt them. NO money secrets in marriage.  Financial infidelity will ALWAYS be exposed.

  2.  Your energy. . .enthusiasm. . .excitement will draw others to help you fulfill your goals and dreams.

 # 1 Rich Thoughts Nugget you selected is:

  1.  Never create personal limitations based on the opinions of someone else.

Have you ever hesitated…procrastinated about an assignment because it seemed such a mammoth undertaking?

1 Chronicles 28:20 in The Living Bible says:

“Be strong and courageous and get to work. Don't be frightened by the size of the task, for the Lord my God is with you; He will not forsake you. He will see to it that everything is finished correctly."

Here are seven practical things you can do when you feel frightened by the size of any task.

I remember years ago, traveling to the mountains of North Carolina with my fine wife Bev and my parents for a long weekend get-away.

We started looking for a hotel room and were unable to fine one for over 60 miles along Interstate 40. 

The clerk at the first hotel we stopped at told us that we would have a problem finding accommodations.  He informed us that the annual Furniture Market was taking place in High Point, North Carolina and there wasn’t a sleeping room to be found within 60 miles in any direction of that huge event.  We found out he was right.

This particular journey was before the days of cell phones and computers.  If you wanted to call ahead you use a pay phone.  We stopped at exit after exit only to hear the same message. . .there was no room in the inn  . . . Holiday or otherwise.

10.  Success comes from doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.

  9.  One of the best ways to receive a miracle in your life is being used of God to facilitate a miracle in the life of someone else.

  8.  You are not destined to be a prisoner of the past.  Hebrews 8:12

  7.  Stop speaking self-defeating words like: "I can't; I don't know how; I've never done that before” or anything contrary to the Word

  6.  The most dangerous air pollution doesn't come from a factory smokestack but rather the negative words of an uninformed Christian.

Here are the Top 5 Rich Thoughts Nuggets of the week.

  5.  Poor thinkers don't like to be around Rich Thinkers.

  4.  Yesterday is gone.  You can feel good or bad about it but nothing about it changes.  But you can change what happens today.           

  3.  Visualizing your success will bring you closer to the destiny you desire.

  2.  Letting go of the past is a requirement for getting on with today.

 # 1 Rich Thoughts Nugget you selected is:

  1.  What you honor. . .what you spend your time thinking about. . .you will attract into your life.

Failure is an event. . .it’s not who you are.  Failure is never final if you have the God-given desire and direction to change your destiny.

Here are the A to Z’s on how to run failure straight into success.

A-Admit it when you mess up.  The best way to overcome failure is to face it, learn from it and move on.

Proverbs 28:13 in The Living Bible says:

“A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful. But if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance.”

7 Ideas To Make This A Christmas To Remember

1.         Prioritize and decide how much you can (and should) actually spend.

Don’t start 2015 with bills you can’t pay.  If you’ve already spent too much…it’s not too late to take it back and find something less costly.  If you don’t…you may wish you did…come January when the bills come in.

2.         Create an environment where Christmas presents are opened one at a time. . .savoring each moment.  You spent money to create a memories. . .take time to enjoy them.  

Lady Margaret Thatcher once said:

“I usually make up my mind about a man in ten seconds, and I very rarely change it.”

Have you ever heard the expression. . .you only have one opportunity to make a good first impression?

That’s true.  I will tell you that you can’t always judge a book by its cover. . .but the look of that cover may keep me from ever finding out what’s in the book.

The late Maya Angelou said:

10.  There are times to speak up and times to shut up…discerning the difference will increase the length of your life.  Proverbs 13:3

  9.  Never doubt that God planted a seed of greatness in you. . .after all . . .you were created in His image and after His likeness.

  8.  God wants our best moments in prayer and meditation on His Word…not the dregs or remains of the day.  Put Him first daily.

  7.  True happiness is not based on what you have...where you live or where you work. It's based on realizing who you are in Him.

  6.  Don't spend so much on Black Friday that you can't pay your bills off until Good Friday.

Here are the Top 5 Rich Thoughts Nuggets of the week.

  5.  A person may not have chosen to be born in or live in poverty but they definitely have made a mental decision to stay there.

  4.  One of four things will hold you back…old habits…wrong attitudes…lack of passion or stagnant ideas.  You can change all four.         

  3.  Some of God's greatest blessings are the opportunities He sends our way.  Be expectant.

  2.  Our lives would be so much richer if we listened more to what God has to say and less about what others have to say.

 # 1 Rich Thoughts Nugget you selected is:

  1.  Faith is believing in a God that you cannot see with an expectation of spending eternity in a place not found on MapQuest.

Who’s in your inner circle?  Do you have really close friends?

Write down the characteristics which make you consider each one a close friend.

How do you decide with whom you will spend time?

Are your social interactions uplifting and character building for everyone involved?