The Journal of a Champion

iUniverse, Inc.

Contents

INTRODUCTION.......................................................................9Preface............................................................................xiAbout the Author...................................................................xiiiAcknowledgements...................................................................xvARTICLES...........................................................................9A Cool Breeze in the Midst of Storms...............................................1Becoming a Champion Made Easy......................................................4Becoming a Real Person to be Promoted..............................................7Being in Season to deal with those that Do Not reason..............................10Being Mindful of God's Presence....................................................13Carrying Your Happiness Along to Succeed...........................................16Challenging Your Lost..............................................................19Dealing with the Present...........................................................22Diligent Workers rise to Stardom...................................................25Do You Want Happiness?.............................................................28Fame, Success, and Satisfaction....................................................31Fathers, Your Blessings are tied to Your Sacrifices................................34God's Door is Open to You at All Times.............................................37His Provisions as You Journey......................................................40His Words Will Make You a Winner...................................................43How to Level Yourself to Reach Others for Riches...................................46Ignorance is Your Real Enemy.......................................................49Knowing What to Do.................................................................52Lighten Up to Enjoy Life...........................................................55Making Excuses May Put Your Life on Hold...........................................58Making Good Plans for Your Life....................................................61Motherhood: the Voice That Can Change Our World....................................63overcoming Vision Loss to See Your Destiny.........................................66Pains Turned into Gains to Liberate You............................................69Playing by the Rules to be Successful..............................................72Protecting Your Vulnerability During Crisis........................................75Real-Rime Measure for New Year Resolutions.........................................78Rebuilding Yourself for Victory....................................................81Recovering Your Losses By Giving Thanks............................................84Seeing Yourself the Way God Sees You...............................................87Staying in God's Divine Protection and Provision...................................90The Attitude of a Loser............................................................92The Choices You Make May Corrupt Who You Are.......................................95The Downside of Resistance to Change...............................................98The Goods in Difficult Times.......................................................101The Hind Side of Hard Times........................................................104The Mindset of a Victorious Person.................................................106The Other Side of a "Tell A Vision" (Television)...................................109The Season of Miracles in unusual Places...........................................112The True Voice Among Voices........................................................115The Two Things You Need to Survive.................................................117The Voice and conscience...........................................................119The Wonders of Love Connection.....................................................122This is Your Season to Recover If You Have Lost Something..........................125Turning our teenage Boys into Exploring Young Men..................................127Using Where You are to Meet Your Needs.............................................130Viewing Your World From the Right Angle............................................133Wasted talent is the Saddest thing in Life.........................................136We are All a Work in Progress......................................................139You Have Work to do as a Woman.....................................................142Your Keys to open doors of opportunities...........................................145Your Level of trust in the Lord is Synonymous to Your Miracles.....................148Your Position in Life May be the result of Your Words..............................150

Chapter One

A champion is expected to encounter storms, engage in warfare and encounter oppositions. However, the promises of God and His words are available for you to not only resist your adversary but to rise above every challenge. (Joshua 1: 1-9; 17: 17-18). The adversary is constantly watching over you and hoping you make mistakes, slack behind, and cut corners so that he can bring accusations against you and hold back your progress. We have all fallen short of righteousness. However, your righteousness comes through your belief that your transgressions have been forgiven. There is no amount of good deeds and conviction for doing the right thing to make you unquestionably righteous. Why? Adam and Eve, from whom we all came, separated themselves from God through their disobedience (Genesis 3:1-8).

This separation came about as a result of human action, and consequently, a human, one who is seeded by the Holy Spirit, had to counteract the action to redeem the sinful human. In essence, no person of Adam's seed could redeem the world. Of course, the story of the man who did come to redeem the world came from the virgin birth and saved mankind, before he was the sinless son of God. Jesus Christ is the God with each of us that restored humans to God's original plan (Isaiah 61). Thus, your righteousness in Christ is your door to victorious living. He subjected Himself to everything that you could possibly face in life and cancelled out all your problems (Luke 24: 44-46). He suffered pain and died on the cross to destroy the real spiritual death. He went to hell just to take the keys of your inheritance from Satan and give them back to you. These steps had to be taken for complete restoration.

Righteousness through forgiveness is your certificate of membership to occupy your rightful position on earth without fear, trembling, and bondage. You are once more an ambassador of the almighty God when you believe in Christ with willingness. This position comes with a seven-day-a-week, twenty-four-hour-a-day, and fifty-two-week-a-year toll-free number to help you walk this new path. Your new access to God is embedded in your conscience as the Holy Spirit. Your new life comes with the power to change your habits through His words. This is your inheritance in Christ (Acts 26:18; John 8:11-12). In addition, your words also have the power to change things that are preventing you from becoming an ideal boss, parent, student, doctor, lawyer, child, among other things.

It is very easy to give up on life when you're a boss, a teacher, and/ or a parent, especially when you focus on your problems, surroundings, uncertainties, struggles, and all the resources involved in your journey without God's support. It is just like a ship sailing without a compass. It is like someone going on a journey without the ability to read the road signs. There is nothing joyful in driving to an unknown destination. Your burden is given to you by God, but He also gives you the opportunity to live without stress and strain, because He provides the resources and the grace your burden requires. The destinies of people and things that have been included in your burden are forever tied to your own destiny. These burdens drive and motivate you so that you can start to move away from your comfort zone and change your lifestyle to fit your new role. This comes with your new nature in Christ. Your life in Christ motivates you to stay physically, spiritually, and mentally fit to fulfill your purpose. Understanding that the destinies of others are connected to your will leaves you spiritually charged to handle authority. Your new status brings calmness to enjoy the ride you have started as a result of your conviction, because God is always behind you.

Your belief in the Lord brings calmness, because your open eyes will see abundance in the midst of lack. You will see peace in the midst of chaos. You will see a detour when you come to a dead end. Your inner spirit warns you to walk away from dark corners and to refrain from vices, unprofitable habits, and destructive words. It changes you so that you can become a role model, attracting people who are looking for mentors. The power of God's words overpowers Satan's hold over you (Isaiah 45:1-3). The benefits of life are reveals when your sins are forgiven through Jesus Christ (Acts 26:18). God's words are also your offensive and defensive tools to overcome the adversary, Satan.

The Lord has given you truth and salvation as tools. Your salvation is the greatest gift, for it makes you royal and gives you the ability to enact decrees and make declarations. Your faith, which is grounded by the truth, is your shield, which you can use to block every attack of the enemy (Ephesians 6:16). The grand finale is your belief in the power of His words to counter every accusation of the enemy by speaking His promises into your life. In all analysis, your offensive and defensive tools needed to circumvent, cultivate, and dominate on earth all originate in Christ. He is the truth, your righteousness, your salvation. Your faith in Him brings things that His words promise. You are equipped with the bulletproof vest of Jesus Christ in every situation. You are protected because you are taking cover in the same bunker with God in war against evil.

You are living in a complex world in which everybody believes in something. Essentially, you either believe in the truth or the lie. Some people believe in their money, careers, luck, magic, society, or even certain animals. However, the test of whatever you believe must be verified by evidence. It is not the truth if it does not fit. Your lack of understanding this absolute truth can create panic, fear, anxiety, and comparisons to others (2 Corinthians 10:12-13). Ignorance will make you prone to condemning yourself when things do not necessarily go your way. For example, a lack of an understanding that the gestation age of a baby is nine months can create a panic for an uninformed expectant mother who seeks to have the baby in three months. It may sound strange, but such incorrect conclusions are common according to the way we all reason when we lack understanding of the things we face in life (Romans 8:1-3).

A clear understanding comes from your daily dose of God's words (John 15:10-12). It relaxes you so that you can enjoy the cool breeze in your storms, blizzard, hurricane, and other turbulent situations. The truth is that God has already done everything to prove His love to you. The truth never leaves you in a vacuum; however, a lie creates a void in your life so that you seek more lies to cover up the original lie. This is almost always the case when one loves alcohol, money, drugs, and all other delights outside of God (Romans 11:16-22). Lies make you struggle with conflicts, whereas truth makes things happen for you while you are resting and enjoying the cool breeze in the midst of storms.

BECOMING A CHAMPION MADE EASY

Many past and present presidents, top CEOs, spiritual leaders, and Entertainers often express how they were inspired by other champions in their fields. Many of these people have followed, studied, and read the profiles and accomplishments of their emulated champions. Some have even admired their champions at a very young age, listening to their speeches, watching their tournaments and shows, and they are still fans today. In short, you do not have to be related to a champion to become one. You could also be adopted by a champion or even adopt his or her characteristics (1 Kings 19:19-21). This adoption process is reflected in younger generations during shows like American Idol and other talent exhibitions.

This process exemplified God's words, for you focus your eyes on what you desire in yourself without pride and prejudice. In the Old Testament of the Bible, Abraham was promised that he would possess the land as far as his eyes could visualize or imagined (Genesis 15:5; 17:6-8). Lots of people have become professional singers and entertainers using this principle of engagement and joining church choirs, junior league football and baseball, among other organizations. Some have chosen famous singers to train their voices and the figures of fashion models to shape their bodies in order to achieve their goals. Our world needs more champions in various fields to better contribute toward improvement. The creator has brought these world champions to light through their talents, personalities, and skills so that the upcoming generations can emulate them, avoiding their mistakes and using their strengths for improvement. There are obviously boundaries and limitations; however, studying these limitations can be very beneficial for future development. Anyone can become a champion just by adopting the ways of other champions through indulgence, patience, discipline, and focus on their passions (1 Kings 19:19-21).

Complaining, murmuring, and pointing fingers at champions may not help you become one (Matthew 7:1-7). People going through challenges have the tendency to complain about other aspiring people around them; However, unnecessary comments and discouraging words can never improve or create change or become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Now is the time we should fill our vocabularies with the encouraging words, ways, and styles of champions. People in strategic positions, such as fathers, mothers, bosses, and leaders, should be reminded to adopt lifestyles worth emulating. Your character is what projects you as a champion. A championship has no value if you have a tarnished image. Champions are treasures that are full of wisdom, encouragement, provision, love, guidance, and empathy. God knows the importance of this, for He sent Christ to become a mentor to the twelve disciples, who then mentored numerous others of our time.

Christ made Himself the greatest champion of the world, setting examples for champions to prove themselves and be celebrated (Philippians 2:6-9). Your legend and legacy as a champion will live on in those who adopt your lifestyle, tastes, models, fields, and walk. Hence, it is important that you live a purposeful and sacrificial life to encourage others to emulate you. Champions should think about the number of people who will be copying them (1 Corinthians 4:6-8). Remember that a tree does not eat its own fruit. Champions are like trees on display for the public either because of their fruits, fragrance, beautiful flowers, or shade against the sun.

The process of becoming a champion is a tool for all youth with or without inherited family values. This process makes it possible for anyone to become whatever he or she desires to pursue and become. It is already established in God's words that you will obtain anything with a pure heart and honest desire. Elisha desired so much of what was in Elijah, and when he pursued such qualities to the very end, he received a double portion (2 Kings 2:9-14). Hence, you can become a greater champion when you devote your time to becoming what you desire to become. There are many volunteer opportunities out there to study, learn, and reshape your thought processes so that you can talk and walk like a champion.

That's what Elisha did to become even greater than Elijah. Nelson Mandela read political newspapers and studied political events in prison to keep his vision focused on becoming a president, and he eventually became the first black president of South Africa. God takes notice of anyone who honestly desires a thing and is willing to pursue it regardless of mitigating factors. Being imprisonment, subdued, or labeling will not prevent a zealous person with a sincere heart from becoming a champion. God sees your heart, intentions, willingness, and how you will use your championship to bring positive changes. These are the determining factors that will get His attention. These factors open closed doors. King David was neglected and forgotten even by his own father; however, God took notice of him and made him a king. David volunteered to help his referential champion, King Saul, to bring honor to God and his country (1 Samuel 17:23-51).

Are you spending your time digging up information on champions to put them down or to become a champion yourself? God's word approves of the latter. It's about time you start appreciating champions in your life so that you can learn from their mistakes and become a better one in the future. People have talked down on their leaders, mentors, bosses, and certain professionals to discourage others. The talk-down syndrome is also affecting various homes in which spouses use words to discourage children. So too, bosses in various offices do the same thing to decrease the growth of champions.

God created diversity and champion forerunners for obvious reasons. There are self-starters, emulated starters, early starters, as well as late starters, but He rewards each of us equally based on our roles as champions. It is your responsibility to desire your championship and pursue it by obtaining knowledge either by inheritance from parents, by the acquisition of knowledge, or by adoption. It is about time we encourage each other to become the champions that God created us to be. A champion is not driven by money, comfort, and belonging. Rather, a champion is interested in career path of joy, fulfillment, and contribution. Mighty men and women of the past did just that so that they could be celebrated. After all, you have already obtained your first championship medal for just being born. God's words have gone out like a whistle, to get you ready to acquire more medals as an already-made champion, who was created not to quit.

BECOMING A REAL PERSON TO BE PROMOTED

There must be something magnificent about anyone with such attributes to fascinate everyone. People, children, and even those going through challenges want to hear real stories from real people. A real person is an objective, forward thinking individual who readily admits faults with willingness to learn from others. Being real is an important attribute of a champion because of its attachment to promotion, integrity and trust. In the operating room, real time is used instead of the actual time to reimburse the operating surgeon. This demonstrates how realism is a vital attribute that pleases both people and God. Real people are admired by others, because real people are equipped to forget the things that make them sad. Real people hold on to the things that made them happy and transparent. Real people choose to forget issues of the past that do not contribute to the future (Ephesians 4:26-32). A real person is bold and accepts his or her mistakes. Real people may not be proud of the negative things in their pasts, but they make strides to improve and move forward. For example, a objective person may go to the supervisor to explain the reason for being late instead of ignoring the situation. A forward thinker does not hide in his or her secret place of refuge to cover up unwanted things. The downfall of most people can come as the result of hiding in their secret places to avoid discovery. Some people have used food, drugs, hangouts, jobs, and even religion to cover some long-standing issues in their lives. Staying in these secret places traps you and eventually destroys you. The tragic thing about these secret habits is that they are initially appealing and harmless but you are inevitably trapped by them.

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Excerpted from The Journal of a Championby Love Otuechere Copyright © 2011 by Love Otuechere. Excerpted by permission of iUniverse, Inc.. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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