Donna Partow's Blog, page 21
October 11, 2016
Prayer for Protection
Here is the Prayer of Protection I have prayed over my family for the past decade. I pray it will be a blessing to you and yours. Click to download the entire prayer:
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Pray of Protection
Here is the Prayer of Protection I have prayed over my family for the past decade. I pray it will be a blessing to you and yours. Click to download the entire prayer:
The post Pray of Protection appeared first on Donna Partow.
September 30, 2016
Free Ebook: Healthy Living A-Z
You’ll love this absolutely beautiful, fully-illustrated eBook filled with practical, easy-to-implement ideas.
Just 1 idea – put into action –could dramatically change your life for the better.
From D for Dancing around your Kitchen to my top-secret (until now) 7-9-10 Strategy for better sleep and effortless weight loss (Read the tips under letter S), there’s something in this visually-stunning guidebook for people of all ages. Even your kids will love it!
Click to grab your FREE copy: www.donnapartow.com/az-ebook
I pray it’s a blessing!
Love & Prayers,
~ Donna
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August 16, 2016
Setting Up A Home Office
Believe it or not, my first home office was a closet. And not a walk-in closet. A tiny closet! Just wide enough to hold a 3-foot desk and just long enough for me to squeeze in a chair behind the desk. As long as I didn’t want to move at all, I was okay. But you know what? I was incredibly efficient in that office! I only went in there when I was serious about working and when I was in there, I remained serious about working. Unlike my large office now, where I sit around goofing off for hours a day. Just writing these words, I’m tempted to go move into a closet somewhere in the house!Your home office MUST be a dedicated space. Do not even think about having it at your kitchen table! Find a place that can be exclusively devoted to working on your home business. It can be a closet, the basement, spare bedroom, attic, a portion of a room, a remodeled garage–whatever, wherever, The key is to take it seriously. Whenever possible, find a way to ‘close up shop’ each day. If you can shut a door, fine. If not, hang a curtain or piece of fabric. Put up a partition. Do something that enables you to physically and mentally walk away when the day is done.
I strongly urge you to resist the temptation to put your home office in the corner of your bedroom. I did this for a year or
so, when we lived in a small apartment, and it was a disaster.
Set up a desk, computer, whatever equipment you need. A small laptop computer is an absolutely must. Even if you
have to buy one second hand on eBay, do it. Have a yard sale and sell some of your junk, if you need to, but don’t even
think about starting a home business without a computer.
Purchase basic office supplies.
Establish working hours and post them at the entry way of your home office area.
I do NOT recommend seeing clients in your home. Either meet them at their office or on neutral territory such as a
coffee shop. Your home office should be used just for handling the at-home aspects of your business.
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Marketing a Homebased Business
Market Your Business: Put the Internet to Work For You
The internet is the best thing that ever happened to homebased business owners. Now, you can actually market your
business internationally for FREE. It takes research and hard work, but you can do it.
Here are some strategies:
1. Your Own Website. Obviously, you need your own website although some internet markets claim you can use a free
WordPress blog instead (see #4 below). Personally, I believe you should have a website. Bluehost.com is affordable and provides downloads of free website creation software and other helpful tools.
2. Twitter. Twitter is the newest social media that’s growing like wildfire. It’s micro-blogging of 140 characters or less and it’s a great way to connect globally. Mike Hyatt has a great article on Twittering Mike walks you, step-by-step, through the startup process. Check out my Twitter page for an example of how it’s done. Within the first week on Twitter, I connected with a magazine editor and am forming a vital partnership with him.
3. Facebook. My favorite social media marketing tool, by far, is Facebook. It’s an incredibly fast growing site where you can network with friends, family and everyone in their network. You can promote live events, on-line events, form interest groups and more. If you want to market a home business, you absolutely must be active on Facebook.
4. Blogging. You can create a free WordPress blog in less than an hour. Then begin writing articles about your area of expertise. It’s a great way to establish yourself in your field and get customers coming to you.
5. Post Articles All Over the Internet. Article marketing is an excellent way to not only drive traffic to your website but to
establish credibility as an expert and to generate publicity. These informative articles should always provide a link back to
your website. You can post on blogs, forums and discussion groups. Be sure to check out Digg, a great tool for submitting your articles. And by the way, don’t let the word “article” intimidate you. All you need is 200-400 words! You should also search for on-line magazines or websites that might be interested in your articles.
6. Opt-in Mailing list. Your first objective with internet marketing is to obtain the name and email address of prospective
customers. So your website, twitter account, Facebook, Blog and articles should all have one primary mission: to get people to provide you with their name, email and permission to stay in touch via a newsletter or autoresponder. An autoresponder is a program that enables you to automatically send a series of emails to people once they sign up or “opt-in” to your mailing list. For example, I have an opt-in mailing list for a monthly ezine. Within seconds of signing up, the person receives an email from me welcoming them to my circle of friends. Then once a month, I sent out an ezine with information, inspiration, invitations to my upcoming events and special offers in my bookstore. (Be sure to opt-in, by the way. Just click here or send an email to donnapartownews@aweber.com Note “Subscribe” in the subject line.)
Then I have my 90-Day autoresponder. When people opt-in to that list, they immediately receive a welcome email, then every day for the next 90 days, the autoresponder automatically sends them the next message. All of this is automatic. I sent it up once, now my computer is keeping in touch with potential customers on my behalf–even while I sleep.
You should read everything you can get your hands on about marketing! The best books on marketing for the home-based
business owner include anything in the Guerrilla Marketing series by Jay Conrad Levinson.
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How to Set Smart Goals for the New Year
I’m getting ready to take down my Christmas tree and put away the decorations. This is probably my favorite week of the year. The week between Christmas and New Year. It’s a time for dreaming about FRESH STARTS. And I love fresh starts.
As you look to a new year—dare to dream of a New You. Don’t listen to that voice in your head that says, “You dared to dream last year and where’d that get you?” or “ Making resolutions is a stupid waste of time. You’ll never follow through on them.” Tell that voice to go bug someone else. Because without a vision, people perish. I believe God created us with an innate desire to press toward a goal; to have something we’re working toward. Otherwise, we grow bored and stagnant. Without goals, without a dream of the person you could become, there’s a place inside your soul that dies a little every day. It’s that vision that makes life worth living.
So go ahead and dream big for 2009. Let me encourage you to set goals for yourself. Goals should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Rewarded and have a Target date for their completion. Let me give you an example of one of my goals for 2009. I want to sell 45,000 copies of my latest book, Becoming the Woman God Wants Me To Be: A 90-Day Guide to Living the Proverbs 31 Life, by March 15th. It’s specific. I want to sell 45,000 books. It’s measurable. Either I sell that many or I don’t. It’s achievable – as my on-line support program, The 90-Day Jumpstart 2009, takes off and women who’ve already bought the book love it and tell others about it. I have set up a specific reward of going to a Spa to be pampered. There’s a specific target date. So that’s an example of a SMART goal.
An example of a not-so-smart goal is “Have a better relationship with my kids.” What does a better relationship look like? How do you measure it? Is there a deadline? Instead, make it a smart goal. I’m going to spend one hour of 1-on-1 time with each of my children each week for at least 40 of the 52 weeks in this calendar year. (The 40 out of 52 makes it achievable–life happens!) I’m going to make a chart and give myself a check-mark every time I fulfill that intention If, when I sit down at the end of the year, I’ve had at least 40 weeks where I had 1-on-1 time with each of my kids, I’ll reward my entire family with a weekend trip to their favorite place. That way, the whole family is pulling for you to achieve the goal, rather than resisting your efforts!
Suddenly, something vague has become a Smart goal. Once you make your chart and commit to it, it’s specific (an hour a week with each child), it’s measurable – either you invest the time or you don’t; it’s achievable – especially b/c you’ve built in some margin by saying 40 out of 52 weeks; you’ve established a reward for yourself and you’ve set a target date of year’s end. At the end of the year, you can re-evaluate and see if it’s something you want to continue or not. But your goal was 1 hour a week with each child during at least 40 weeks of this particular year.
Now here’s an idea I learned at a recent Personal Mastery Class. In addition to a REWARD, set up an intolerable negative consequence! And by the way, it helps if the consequence is HUGE in terms of your time, money or both. Something you absolutely, positively do NOT want to do. Like cleaning someone else’s house–unless you like cleaning other people’s houses, then that won’t work. Think of something that’s extremely distasteful to you.
For example, I’ve agreed that if I do NOT sell 45,000 copies of Becoming the Woman God Wants Me To Be, I will donate $500 (and I sure don’t have an extra $500, just so you know) but I have pledged to donate $500 to an organization that I think is one of the most evil , truly evil, organizations in the world. Absolutely, they’re like the spawn of Satan as far as I’m concerned. The last thing I want to do is give those people a DIME, let alone $500. So I am really motivated. I mean, really motivated. (Why do you think I’m offering a $100 Gift Card to Target to motivate people to buy the book? I’d rather invest $100 than have to donate $500 to the bad guys.)
Now I have a lot of components working in my favor. There’s the intrinsic reward of helping lots of women move closer to becoming the women God would have them be; the personal and financial reward of selling 45,000 books and the super-fun reward of going to a Spa to be pampered and treated like a modern-day Esther. I also have dire consequences hanging over my head if I DON’T follow through with my goal.
The other thing I should mention: it’s good to publicly ANNOUNCE your goals and invite a specific person or group of people to hold you accountable. That’s an area where I believe our on-line Facebook Group 90-Day Jumpstart to a New You can make a real difference. Post your goals for all the world to see! Tell us what you intend to achieve, your strategy for achieving it and then what the reward or consequence will be. Suddenly, you’ve put yourself on the line. And you’ll have hundreds of women keeping you accountable.
For example, let’s say your goal is to thoroughly clean and organize your entire house, room by room, drawer, by drawer, closet by closet, every inch—by a certain date. You could really put yourself out there by pledging to post photographs on the internet for all the world to see of the messiest places in your house. Girlfriend, if you are anything like me, you will surrender sleep for a week before posting your biggest mess on the internet! Talk about motivation!
Let me give you another example. I set a goal to weigh a specific weight – my goal weight – by January 1st. If I achieve the goal, I’m going to buy myself a new outfit for an event I have coming up here in Arizona the last week of January. If I do not achieve the goal, I have pledged to send a photo of me in a bathing suit to 12 friends and relatives. I can assure you, at my age, the LAST THING I want to do is send anyone a photo of me in a bathing suit. Several of these women have promised to post the photo on the internet. Now that is motivation!!!! So that’s a SMART goal. It’s specific, measurable, achievable (although all those Christmas cookies really took a toll on me), I have a specific reward planned and even a punishment – so there’s both a carrot and a stick. And, of course, I have a target date.
One last thing. Be sure to break down larger goals into intermediate goals and daily goals. For example, if you want to earn an extra $12,000 this year in your own business, break that down. What do you have to do in the next three months? What do you have to do EVERYDAY?
So. What are some goals YOU have for 2009. Think about different areas of your life. For example:
FAITH. Goal to memorize the entire passage of Proverbs 31:10-31 within the next 90 days.
FAMILY. Do something special with/for your husband. Redecorate the bedroom, perhaps?
FITNESS. How about exercising 3x/week.
FINANCES. Maybe you want to get all your bills set up online or all of your accounts set up on Quicken. Or get your taxes filed by February 15, rather than April 15.
HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT – This is another goal area I’m working on. I’ve set SMART goals for each area of my house – with target dates of when I want to have each room completed.
SMART goals work for any area of your life. Specific, Measurable & Achievable with a Rward & Target date for completion. I invite you to join our Facebook Group, 90-Day Jumpstart to a New You – and share your SMART goals with a group of women who will cheer for your success.
Helping You Maximize Your Life,
Donna Partow
www.donnapartow.com
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Creating a Prayer Place or Sacred Space
One of my favorite devotional writers observed that: “Discipline is the human effort to create the space in which God can be generous and give you what you need.”
You see, we don’t have a daily quiet time to do God a favor. We’re not earning points with him. We’re just making room for God in our lives; room for him to freely give us what we need…and so much more! How do we make room for that to happen?
Very simple. We create the space for God to bless us by creating the physical space to meet with him. Can you imagine if someone said to you:
Hey, Let’s have lunch.
Where?
Oh….just lunch.
When?
Oh, I don’t know. Sometime.
How would you feel about that conversation? Unless they set a time and place you know they’re just messing with your head. They have no intentions of meeting with you.
If you’re serious about meeting with God, prepare a place. A sacred space. A place you LOVE to spend time in. Make it the most beautiful inviting spot in your entire house. Put all your favorite little things in that space.
You may not be able to set aside an entire room – although I think that’s ideal. But surely you can carve out a corner of a room. Or reclaim a junk closet. Don’t laugh, my first home office was a tiny little closet—not a walk in closet, a tiny closet– and it worked very effectively. I only went in there when I was serious about working –and by the way, I have always considered studying my Bible, seeking God in prayer and setting my goals/priorities under the leading of the Holy Spirit an important part of my home business enterprise. So my home office/closet also doubled as my prayer room.
We used to have a dining room, but then it occurred to me one day: I can’t cook. And I certainly can’t cook anything fancy enough to justify everyone gathering around a formal dining room table. So I gave away the dining room furniture! That made it possible for us to turn what would normally be a dining room into our family prayer chapel.
Not only is it my favorite spot—when people come to visit, they love to sit in my prayer room. Even non-Christians are drawn to that room. They’ve even said to me, “There’s something special about this place.” They sense it. It’s a sacred space.
Your Sacred Space also needs to be practical. So put some practical tools in a prayer basket:
Bible
Notebook
Pens
Index cards
Post-it notes (I use those for writing out scripture verses or reminders)
Tissues
Cough drops
Chapstick
Devotional book
You’ll probably want to have a cozy blanket in case you get cold in the morning. I even have my little foot massager my sweet daughter, Taraneh, bought me.
Create your own Prayer Place, your Sacred Space, where you’ll meet with God first thing every morning. I know it’s going to make an incredible difference in your walk with God and in your journey to becoming the woman God wants you to be.
Blessings
Donna Partow
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Mighty Musk Ox Declaration
I have been chosen by God.
He has called me
to be a spiritual warrior
in my own home
in my church & community
in this nation
even to the very ends of the earth.
In this critical hour
I take my stand
and I declare:
No devil in hell
No porcupine on earth
Nothing and no one
Can thwart God’s good plan for me.
As long as…….
I choose to walk in peace.
With my soul at rest
and my body in motion.
I have absolute confidence
in my Father’s loving care.
God’s got my back.
I am standing in the gap
And I will not be moved.
I will fight battles worth fighting
And tell stories worth telling.
Because I am – and always will remain —
A Mighty Musk Ox Prayer Warrior Princess!
Need Encouragement to Stand Strong?
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The Story Behind the Mighty Musk Ox Prayer Warrior Princess Brigade
Up in the Arctic Circle there lives a mighty animal known as the musk ox. When the wolves, which prey upon the young musk oxen, begin to howl, the adult musk oxen form a circle around their young. They stand there, and by the sheer force of their countenance they say to those wolves, “If you want to destroy one of these babies, you’ll have to GET PAST ME.” This is extremely rare in the animal kingdom. In fact, there is only one other creature on the planet–the African counterpart of the musk ox–that forms a defensive circle. All other species turn and run in the face of danger.
When I look at the church in America today, I have no choice but to conclude that the wolves are devouring at will. When I hear that the divorce rate in the church is either equal to or higher than the divorce rate outside the church, I know the wolves are devouring at will. When I hear that the teen pregnancy rate is higher among teens raised in Evangelical Christian homes than it is in the world at large. When I travel this country listening to tales that just rip my heart out, I know the wolves are on the lose in the church.
And when I look at this situation, one burning question comes to my mind: WHERE ARE THE MUSK OXEN? Where are the guardians of the church? Where are the women who have been blessed with a rich spiritual inheritance, the women with all the great kids and the bragging rights? Where are the women who should be mighty in the land? Where are the Musk Oxen? Where are those who will stand in prayer, forming a circle of spiritual protection around the weak? Where are those who will stand in the face of the devil and say, “If you want to destroy one more family in this church, you’re gonna have to GET PAST ME!”
God is raising up an army: The Mighty Musk Ox Prayer Warrior Princess Brigade. Join in our Declaration
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How To Fast for Better Health in Spirit Soul and Body
Do NOT consume caffeine while fasting! If possible, eliminate caffeine a few days before your fast.
Be aware that you may experience headaches, jitters, shivering, nausea, diarrhea and other side effects as your body “detoxifies” itself. This is especially true if you have been eating an unhealthy diet for many years. Don’t give up your fast just because you experience symptoms of detoxification! It is actually good news. It means your body is getting rid of the junk. Do not take over-the-counter medications to counter-act these symptoms! If you are truly ill, visit a physician.
It would be helpful for you to do the Cabbage Soup Diet at least once before attempting a fast, because it is a great detoxification program. I know, I know, you are skeptical. But this was recommended to me by Dr. Alan Spreen, the Nutrition Physician himself (and my former neighbor).
You might want to eat a salad or steamed vegetables, then take a warm bath, before going to bed on the eve of your fast. This jumpstarts your body’s cleansing processes.
Eat healthy foods for several days prior to your fast. Don’t gorge yourself on junk food the night before.
If you have a juicer, you can consume a small amount of fresh vegetable juices.
Another great fasting drink is warm lemon water (fresh-squeezed only) with a tablespoon of Grade B Maple Syrup and cayenne pepper.
Drink at least ½ gallon of water. You may add a little fresh lemon or a small amount of cranberry juice concentrate (available at health food stores) to your water.
The day after your fast, try to eat healthy and light. For breakfast, you might start with fresh fruits, then a salad for lunch. Resist the temptation to eat starchy or sugar-laded foods, as these will undo the health benefits of fast.
If a complete fast is not possible, you may consider a partial fast. For example, fast from solids, restricting yourself to liquids such as protein shakes, fruit juice, soup, etc. (I often do this type of fast.)
Prepare your family’s meals in advance; crock pot meals are wonderful because you can throw the food in and forget it. Your family can serve themselves without too much involvement on mom’s part. Pray for your family while they enjoy their meals. When I am fasting, I often use mealtimes to read aloud to my children.
Keep your schedule light, if at all possible. Run errands in advance, put your household in good order by getting ahead of schedule on chores, etc.
Enlist your family’s support. Explain to them why you are fasting. them to pray for you and not tempt you with food offerings.
You can be certain the Enemy of your soul will do everything in his power to dissuade you from fasting. He knows you are about to tap into some powerful spiritual resources. Be determined, in advance, to resist every temptation he will send your way.
From the book, Becoming the Woman I Want To Be: A 90-Day Journey to Renewing Spirit, Soul & Body.
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