Overcoming Distractions (7 Steps to Staying Focused)

By Tara Alexander

In today’s society, you have to make a clear and consistent effort to stay on course. Everywhere we go, there are billboards, advertisements and things that will try to make you come its way or buy into it. 24 hours a day, there is someone wanting your attention and your money. Our job is to identify distractions and stay focused on what we are supposed to be doing. We need focus in order to enjoy this life and to live it to the full. Your rest days even need focus. You need to be present in the moment so that you don’t lose the moment.

I was reading a study about phone cameras. I was amazed to find out (I didn’t notice it before) that many times people can’t truly enjoy the moment because they’re taking a picture of the moment. Just think about it… you can’t scream at the graduation because you’re the one with the camera. You can’t sing along at the concert because you’re trying to record it. You can’t enjoy the dinner for two because you’re too busy taking pictures of it. I must admit I am so guilty. Although there are times that we can savor things by taking a picture. There must be times that we forget about the phone, ignore the text and let things wait until later. Unplug from outside forces so you can plug into your family, your business, your life, your dream!

Distractions are like weeds. When you find weeds in your garden, you must pluck them out. When you find weeds in your life, you must do the same thing. You have to find ways to get yourself back on track to success. You have to say no to what is getting you off course.

If you want to Overcome Distractions & Stay Focused, here are a few things to remember:

(1) Pray Daily

When we take time to talk to the manufacturer, He will show us how to function properly. Who knows us better than the one who made us?

(2) Plan Your Work & Work Your Plan

Give yourself a schedule and stick to it because other than that, you’ll be yanked around all day.

(3) Everybody’s emergency is not yours

There are real needs in the world but don’t get caught up with thinking that you are the fixer of all things. Your friends can wait sometimes. Though we care and act to help others, you don’t need to drop everything every time. (This is hard for me too.) Pray and ask God how to best help in the situation. He’ll show you when to run in and when to wait.

(4) Don’t scroll your day away

Schedule a time for social sites rather than check it all day. If you like it, include it in your schedule but don’t keep checking all day. Just schedule a time for it. The extra time you save may help you get that chore done, write a new song, finish a chapter, etc..

(5) De-clutter  Your Life

Determine to get organized. Find some help if necessary. There are people anointed to help in this area. There are people that can help you get your office, your home, your finances together. Find them and take their advice. When you know where things are, you can get more accomplished. (Ouch!)

(6) Be Honest with Yourself

If you know there’s more you can be doing with your day, more you can be doing with your life, face the truth and change directions. You have to be willing to be honest with yourself.  This also a part of the spiritual healing process. Ask God for the grace to get things done. When you use your natural ability and ask God for His supernatural strength, He can empower you to do anything. He’ll give you the grace for the race!

(7) Keep Looking at the Vision

If the bible says that without a vision, people perish… I believe it is also indicating to us that with a vision, people live. When you have a vision, it brings life to your day. When you are working on something and it is before you all the time, you can get it done. Keep the dream, vision board, sales target, etc. in front of you. Hang it up where you can see it. Talk about it. Pray over it. Prophesy to it. Work on It! Keep the vision before you and you won’t have time to get off course. You’ll be constantly reminded that there is so much work to do.  You’ll be reminded that there are people (including your family, your customers, your community) who absolutely need you to stay on track.

© 2016 Tara Alexander … All Rights Reserved

Tara Alexander is committed to empowering lives and building community. She believes that the talents we have must serve for a greater purpose and intends to use her life helping people embrace that truth. For more articles and info go to www.taraalexander.com or www.withGODweWin.com For inspiring music by  Tara Alexander go to iTunes and/or Amazon.

Tune in to  Daily Inspiration w/ Tara Alexander…Mon-Fri at 12noon (cst) Listen Live at 641.715.3865 Access 771685#

 

 

 

 

Advertisement

Kings in the Cave

This week, I have been teaching from Joshua Chapter 10. In this account, Joshua is continuing to take territory, however, as they are in the midst of battle a group of 5 enemy kings retreat by hiding in a cave. Joshua instructs some of his men to place a rock over the entry to the cave where the enemy kings are hiding and to then continue annihilating the rest of the people in the land. After they have whipped the other citizens of the these lands, Joshua orders his soldiers to get the kings out of the cave and step on their necks. This, he promised, is what the Lord will do to anybody that would come against the children of Israel.

As I read this, the Lord has made it clear to me that we are in a season where the kings (demonic forces) that have been in hiding are now manifesting through prayer. As we drag the kings out of their hiding places, we must not put up with them but we must step on their necks in the spirit. Every enemy king must die. Everything that’s been coming against you must be stopped. Enemies of poverty, division, discord, strife are sent to conjure up plans to try to stop our progress in God. The Lord is God and He has given us the power over all the works of the enemy. Walk in your spiritual authority and step on the neck of every demonic assignment that has been railed against you. Your God will fight for you and rain hailstones of judgement on every force risen against. No weapon (or king) formed against us will prosper and every tongue (negative word, lie and word curse) we condemn and refute in the Name of Jesus. Please note, we do not fight to get the victory but we fight from a place of victory. God has given us the territory or land but we must possess it by running out anything on the territory He has already given us. It is through obeying the statutes of God that we step on the enemy’s neck. Our obedience is a weapon of war. Obey the word and step on the enemy kings in your life. Your God is on your side. With Him we always Win! (Read Joshua 10) Join me today for more teaching on this– Daily Inspiration at 12noon (c) Listen LIVE at 530.881.1300 Access 771685# Replay ALL Day at 530.881.1399

Day 7 – Don’t Be a Ship without a Sail

In our 31 Day Focus Challenge, trust me, I have wanted to slack off a few things. I have felt the tug of my flesh whispering, “Oh, you can do it later..” It’s a battle of the mind but I promise I am winning!! With my vision set before me, I realize, I can’t afford to get off track. Too much to do. My advice on this day is for us not to be ships without sails. If we are going somewhere, we must raise the sail of vision so that it can be visible for us and all around us. I am determined not too just drift in this season. I’m not going to be tossed to and fro by the winds of life. Instead, I’m holding steady to God and to His principles. I am holding on to the vision He gave me and to the promises He made me. Things are happening for us even though it’s a press. Don’t let the wind and waves mess you up. You are on a journey. Set your sail. Hold on to your vision, and your compass too. We need the Holy Spirit to help us get there. Every step of the way and everyday we need God’s help. Keep us on course, Lord!! Keep us focused!!! Our vision awaits!! 31 Days of Focus. Stay on track.

-Tara Alexander

It’s not too late to join us!!! #31DayFocusChallenge

31 Day Focus Challenge!!

Try This: Take 31 Minutes for 31 Days to do something that can possibly benefit you for a lifetime!!

Join us from July 1st-31st as we take time to focus on our vision, discipline our lives, develop new habits and renew our minds! There is so much distraction in this world that we feel the need to get back on track by spending quality time obeying what God has for each of us to do. Pray about what you need to do this month to help you get your focus or maintain your focus.

We’re challenging our church family and our friends to be a part of this time of renewal with us. Some are fasting from certain foods, some are abstaining from certain music, others are focusing on exercising just 31 minutes a day, some of us are even spending less time on other things to get into the word. This is going to be exciting!! Just pray about what you can do to make a change for the better and get you back on track to success!!

Send us a message on our contact page if you’re in!! at http://www.championchurchnola.com

Tools to Stay Focused
Join Us Mon-Fri at 12noon (cst) for our Daily Inspiration!! Listen Live at 530.881.1300 Access 771685# Replay All Day at 530.881.1399

You can also subscribe for Tara’s Blog for encouragement at http://www.taraalexander.com

Ministry is Not a Competition!

Last night I visited my friend’s church. Pastor Laurie is a powerful, talented and creative woman that I have known for more than 16 years now. (She’s getting older not me). What’s amazing about our friendship is that we have both grown so much in these years. Little did we know that both of us were called to ministry. (Still pinching myself!) God is soooo faithful to use ordinary women like us to lead His people.

I am so inspired by my sister. Pastor Laurie Adams is the real deal. She loves God and she loves the people she serves. When I look at her, I am so encouraged that God could use me to do even a piece of the great work she is doing. I don’t feel anything but love when I’m around her and her family. I am talking about a real sisterhood in ministry. She shares ideas and even allows me to use her ideas at our ministry. There is no competitive undertone between us because we understand that we are on the same team. Voice of Truth -LaPlace, LA (Pastor Laurie’s church) and Champion Church (where I lead) are a part of the larger body of Christ. When they win, we win!!

My prayer is that we have more of these type of relationships. Ministry without godliness is really not ministry at all. The root of thing determines the fruit of a thing. It is sad to say that some of us are only experiencing partial victories because we allow the enemy to place seeds and weeds of division in our minds. Just imagine what would happen if we would check and correct ourselves in this area. Imagine the effect of us really working as a body. Functioning to glory of God. Sharing resources. Each joint supplying the other. God would be greater glorified if we would have the faith to believe that unity is possible and the humility to repent and uproot anything the devil has planted in us.

Thank God for Pastor Laurie Adams and her wonderful church family. Thank God for everything I have learned from her. My life is so enriched because I have her as a sister and a friend.

-Tara Alexander, Pastor
http://www.ChampionChurchNola.com

Grace for the Assignment

By Tara Alexander

As we’ve been delving into the awesome message of grace, I can’t help but be encouraged. God is so loving that He would not only give us an assignment, but He gives us the divine enablement to get the assignment done.

Though I am personally encouraged, my prayer is that others would be the same. I am looking constantly into the eyes of beautiful believers who feel as if God has them in over their heads. And He does. He actually wants us to depend on Him. Being in over our heads is what makes grace so amazing. When you realize that you need Him, you have won the battle in your mind. While others are running away from God, we must run to God. In Him we live and move and have our being. We can do ALL things THROUGH CHRIST. Not through the banker, or the doctor or the therapist. God can use them all but ultimately strengthening comes from the Strength Giver. Power belongs to God!

In this season, my encouragement is for you to connect with this hope. Join us in reading Ephesians. 2:8-9, James 4:6, 2 Corinthians 9:8, 1 Corinthians 15:10

Resource for Spiritual Growth:
Daily Inspiration w/Tara Alexander & Special Guests – Listen LIVE Mon-Fri at 12noon (c) to exciting conversations that will help you grow in the word 530.881.1300 Access 771685# or RePlay ALL Day at 530.881.1399

For More Teaching Log On to:
http://www.ChampionChurchNola.com

12 Benefits of Family Worship

by Tara Alexander

Do you know that God is interested in your family coming together to glorify Him? In fact all through the word we see the giving of sacrifices that include parents and children participating in worship and serving the Lord together. Even Abraham said to others that he and his son, Isaac,  were “going to worship” in the Genesis account of Abraham’s sacrificial act[i]. From the account, worship did not seem to be a strange thing for him and his son to do together. In Nehemiah, the children of Israel were stationed by families as they rebuilt the wall in Jerusalem.[ii] Later these generations stood together for the reading of the word and worship to the Lord[iii] after their work was completed.

Together families can rekindle the flames on the family altar through worship, prayer and the reading of scripture. These times of humbling ourselves before God can cultivate a passion for God that can live for generations and a legacy of faith that can keep us in the most trying times.  When our children see our humbling ourselves before God, they too begin to do the same. When we get the generations to come before God together, He becomes the great “unifier”. He brings us closer to Him and closer to each other. Though there are many benefits of family worship, here are just 12 reasons that you should want to get your family involved in honoring God together…

12 Benefits of Family Worship

1. God is Magnified when we stand together before Him
2. Families are Edified as we sing songs that build our inner spirit
3. Humility is Cultivated in our character as we humble ourselves together before Our Savior
4. Teachability is Exhibited as we learn melodies  & harmonies in cooperation together
5. The Power of Agreement is Evident as we come together around the same theme of worship
6. Faith is Increased as we hear and speak forth  the Word of God
7. God’s Statutes are Learned  & Remembered as word-filled worship melodies are written on our  hearts
8. The Word is Obeyed as we worship on one accord and train up our children in the way they should go.
9. Teamwork/Unity is Mandated as we work together to accomplish the goal
10. Fellowship is Cherished as we spend quality time togther
11. Memories are Made as we experience God’s presence together
12. Legacy is Honored as we pass down our passion for God to the next generation

[i] Genesis 22:5

[ii] Nehemiah 3

[iii] Nehemiah 8:1-12

http://www.taraalexander.com

Youth & Young Adult Sunday!!! April 21st at 11:30

Launch Week is almost here! Get Ready New Orleans!!!

Join Us Each Sunday at 11:30am

 

Celebrating 300 Weeks of Community Service

PureWater has been serving the community for 4 years, now we’re taking a bigger leap! Launch Week for Champion Church Feb. 17th – 20th

February 17th at 11:30-  Opening Message w/ Tara Alexander

February 18th at 7pm – Pastor Steven Hixon & DCOM

February 19th at 7pm – Women in Ministry Night!!!!  Pastor Laurie Adams (Voice of Truth Ministries), Elder Eileen Johnson (Confront & Conquer)  and Sis Ruth DeBeau (Greater St. Stephen)

February 20th at 7pm – Pastor Antoine Barriere & Household of Faith FWCI