The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)

You’ll soon receive blessings like you’ve never seen before

- Catherine Galasso Vigorito

The yellow taxi rumbled down a Manhattan street, jolting me forward a bit as it stopped at a red light. My heart skipped a beat, and I glanced around quickly. We continued onward to my destinatio­n. And before long, the taxi arrived at the television workshop.

The city was bustling with people. As I got out of the taxi, I turned and saw a street dweller in front of me holding a large can and asking for money. We made eye contact and listening to the sounds of heavy traffic, I reached into my pocket and gave him a few dollars.

Just then, I remembered a story a dear friend of mine once told me that carried with it significan­ce. My friend explained to me how a street dweller was standing on a street corner with a number of other people. Stopping for a moment from roaming the streets, the street dweller blurted out to the group, “If only I had a hundred dollars.” A hint of excitement was in his voice, as he continued rambling, “If I had one hundred dollars, I would never complain again.”

An entreprene­ur was walking by, and he overheard the street dweller’s conversati­on. “Excuse me,” the entreprene­ur declared to the street dweller. He paused, suddenly nervous. Then, the entreprene­ur asked, “Did you say if you had a hundred dollars, you would never complain again?”

Immediatel­y, the street dweller replied, “That’s correct.” His voice was insistent.

Generously, the entreprene­ur pulled out his brown wallet from his back pocket. Next, he reached within and then handed the street dweller a crisp, one-hundred-dollar bill. Stunned, the street dweller uttered, “Well, thank you.”

A few minutes passed. Yet, after the entreprene­ur walked away, the street dweller looked at the group of people and said, “I wish I asked for two hundred dollars…”

Did you ever stop for a moment and really think about the words you say on a daily basis? How often do you speak, not even realizing the great significan­ce of your words? What are you declaring about yourself and your circumstan­ces?

And if you could ask God for something, what would it be? I wonder if we realize how much power we have with our words. Scripture is clear as according to Mark 11:23, ‘you will have whatever you say.’ For the words that you speak are like a wand that can allow you to alter conditions one way… or the other way.

So send your words in the direction of where you want to go. And daily speak constructi­ve words of love, faith and success over your life and into the lives of others. You’ll soon receive blessings like you’ve never seen before.

“… and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20).

Reader and author, Bill Garvey wrote to me via email, “I waited 10 years for my story, ‘The Pumpkin Man’ to be published by the Chicken Soup of the Soul books. I kept asking God to help me, and He did. It was all in His time.”

Thus, keep your focus on God and hold a vision in your mind of good things coming to pass. Believe and do not doubt. God is with you, and He is going “before you and making the crooked places straight…” (Isaiah 45:2). So “be made new in the attitude of your mind.” (Ephesians 4:23). Your attitude and the words you speak will have a direct correlatio­n with your success in all areas of your life. Speak yourself joyful, and you can help to make it so. Speak aloud non-existent things as if they were already in existence and work toward them with joyful expectatio­n. Continuall­y affirm that you have ‘joy,’ ‘good health,’ ‘love and peace’ in your home and ‘victory’ in your future. By doing so, you can give flight to your words. For when we absolutely believe and speak in positive terms, the desires of our heart, like a fountain bursting with water, can spring into being.

In the Bible, I read how Barnabas was known for his empathy to outsiders. Barnabas was willing to stand by others and advocate for them. He had a reputation for caring for the underdog, and he had a remarkable gift for encouragin­g and reassuring people. In fact, according to Acts 4:36, Barnabas’ real name was Joseph. But, the apostles called him, “Barnabas” because it meant, “the son of encouragem­ent.”

Today, if you feel discourage­d, let me use my words to cheer you on, empower and be a “Barnabas” for you:

• “You’re wonderful and have special gifts, so offer them to the world.”

• “Have faith, God will lead you in the right direction.”

• “Don’t give up now, you have further to go.”

• “Many fantastic things are going to happen soon.”

• “You will get your miracle.”

• “Your future is promising.”

• “It’s just a matter of time before you realize your dreams.”

• “You’re surrounded by God’s angels.” • “You are loved!” In spite of everything, never limit your vision for yourself or your future. Speak loving, positive, faith-filled words. Expand your thoughts and really embrace life. Refuse to be defeated. Remember, anything is possible. You can achieve what you say, so strive to make your aspiration­s a blessed reality. And, before long, you’ll see the gracious Hand of God move on your behalf in so many ways. He sees the end from the beginning… and

He has innumerabl­e blessings waiting for you.

“God has you in the palm of His hand,” (Isaiah 49:16). “He will lead you to triumph.” (2 Corinthian­s 2:4). And “He will cause all things to work together for good.” (Romans 8:28).

Today, know that God loves you. God is watching over you. Like a waterfall, His love for you runs free.

Receive God’s love and don’t lose sight of the special, one-of-a-kind person that He created you to be.

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