>> announcer: the following content is provided courtesy of tommiecopper.com. over three years ago, tommie copper created a new concept in relief and performance that has helped countless every-day people live more positive lives. along the way, it's helping a 21-time rodeo champion stay on top of his game, a world-class triathlete return to the top of the podium, a 21-time olympic medalist recover faster from knee surgery and pursue her passions, a pioneer in mixed martial arts capture her first world championship belt, a high-school girls softball team repeat as best in state, and the fastest american win against those half his age.

this apparel is unique because copper znergy provides uv and odor protection, while our compression brings natural soreness relief and recovery to the places that need it -- knees, elbows, wrists, lower back and shoulders, feet, and ankles. designed to harness the inner power of our body to recover naturally, tommie copper's original energywear is the new intersection of wellness and performance. and those who wear it call it revolutionary. we call it the next evolution in performance apparel. and the full collection can be found at tommiecopper.com. >> when i arrive at the stadium, i really don't want anybody know i'm there. i want to show up like a ghost. i want to show up like seal team 6. so, when i step on the track, there's nothing for them to do except run. and when i'm ready, i'm gonna be

the one that's more ready than them. when i was a little kid, i knew i had something special because i would run and beat all my classmates by far. then i'd tell them to get on their bicycle and i'd still be on foot, and i still would beat them while they're on their bikes. i became the student of my own sport. you know, i had to make sure i win, watch highlight tapes of dennis, watch carl lewis, michael johnson, those guys, and basically combine that and made who i am today -- a better runner, a smarter runner. >> justin gatlin. >> you're going into all different kind of environments all the time. i'm in jamaica right now. the next one. [ laughs ] in less than a week, i'll be in tokyo. you got to prepare your body to perform at the same level anywhere at any time. i'll put on my tommie copper shorts or tommie copper underwear, and i'll make sure that my body is relaxed, getting

ready for the next day. once you're flying, ankles swell up, feet swell up, shoes feel tight on your feet, joints start to feel tight, so you want to make sure you have something that's gonna counter that, so i use the compression wear for that. once we land, we got almost 24 hours to 48 hours to get ready to run as fast as we can. you walk into the stadium, people stand up. having to start running, just get a better look at you and be excited. you're not just a runner. you're a performer. people have paid to come see you run for only 9 seconds. >> on your mark... set... [ gunshot ] >> don't just visualize yourself running the track, running your race. visualize feeling the impact of your foot touching the ground, your breathing. visualize not just the grass, but a blade of grass. take it to a whole other level.

>> that was a sensational... by justin gatlin. >> announcer: tommiecopper.com has gear for sport performance, as well as muscle recovery and soreness relief. the recovery series of compression is designed for 24-hour wear. the comfortable four-directional compression promotes circulation and recovery for muscles. the performance series of apparel is designed for exercise and sport. the graduated compression with ergonomic handling maximizes muscle output, while our copper znergy fabric protects against uv and odor. >> an athlete at my level is just as important to be healthy and stay healthy post-race as it is for pre-race. in our sport, consistency is the key. that's how you stay on top. that's how you become a champion. that's how you put your name in the record book.

so, with tommie copper, it helps you get ready for your next race so you can go out and be consistent across the board so you're always staying healthy, you're always ahead of the game. >> announcer: call a product specialist or go online to tommiecopper.com to see a full range of recovery compression for all parts of your body. see how you can qualify for free shipping on multi packs. >> i have to train to be better every day, so tuesday justin is better than monday justin, wednesday justin is better than tuesday justin, and so on and so on. tommie copper's my arm. feels like it's a part of you. so when you're ready to race and ready to run fast -- arms moving fast, legs powering down the track, it stays with you. it's feeling like a gladiator, and that's what i feel like. i got to go out there and compete. >> announcer: call our product specialist or go online to tommiecopper.com to find the best selection of new colors and styles of the performance line. see how you can qualify for free shipping and multi packs.

>> don't put an age limit on your dreams. when i got to the olympic trials in '08, i felt like if i can make the olympic team, then all those middle-aged people out there can do what they thought they couldn't do because either they were too old or they didn't feel like they could find a balance in their life to do it. exercise and fitness are so important to me. it's always been a staple in my life, and when i go to the gym now, there's just so many things that i can't do because of no cartilage in my knee. the thing that bums me out the most is the fact that i can't do the things with my child that i want to do. i don't want an injury to dictate what i can and can't do in my life. basically, what's happening with my knee is i've lost cartilage, so i have bone on bone. >> dara's been a competitive athlete her whole life, as you know, and that doesn't just go

to swimming. that goes to everything that she does. she continues to have pain and swelling, and it limits what she can do. at this point in time, surgery is her only option. >> my daughter is eight years old, my stepkids are 14, and they are full of energy. as far as work goes, i hope i can still give motivational talks and go out there and try to inspire people. so, i am completely honored and inspired by you amazing athletes. the athlete in me knows that i need to work before the surgery and after. i've already started physical therapy, trying to work my leg, work some muscle into my leg. >> one of the biggest things that's gonna happen is that you're gonna have swelling of the muscles around the joint. so that's where using compression can really come in, is to help. >> managing swelling and pain is critical to any knee surgery. >> i use the tommie copper knee sleeve practically all the time. a great physical-therapy regimen is extremely important after surgery, but i know that i have that safety net of tommie copper to wear the sleeves and the compression wear. that's gonna be another entity in my recovery to make sure that i can recover much quicker. and i just want to get this

right knee done so i can go and do the stuff with my child that i love to do. the whole point of tommie copper is to help with aches and pains, to help with any kind of swelling or something you have going on in your body, to help with recovering. so if you can wear a line like tommie copper that's gonna help with all those things, it's only gonna make your workouts that much better and make your mind and your health that much better. i'm a very active person, and i love to exercise. so i want to be able to do whatever i want to do. you know, i just want my everyday life back. i really consider the tommie copper knee sleeve my security blanket. >> announcer: learn more about compression and view the full range of sleeves and apparel for performance as well as recovery. free shipping and multi-pack offers available.

>> tommie copper just fits my lifestyle. it looks great and it feels great. aww! thank you so much. i'm living a life now where i just take it day by day. everything is sort of through my children. i still enjoy working out. i can put a core band on and get the support i need. and then if i want to go out, i just put a shirt on over it, and i'm ready to go.

>> 21 world titles are going to camden, ohio -- shawn minor! >> shawn minor -- [ chuckles ] oh, man. cowboy, icon, legend. he's a guy that i love being around just because he loves this sport for what it is. and rodeo today is america's original extreme sport. it's not a matter of if you get hurt. it's a matter of when and how bad. >> i had a bull buck me off and step on my ribcage, broke my sternum in half, broke my ankle, spiral fracture, broke a

vertebrae in my neck, broke like 9 or 10 bones in my foot. >> tore my bicep in half. >> broke collar bone. i got ribs taken out of my chest. >> knee injuries, broken arms. >> cracked my tailbone. >> boy, you name it, i think we've seen it. >> when our guys don't play, they don't get paid. they ride with bumps and bruises and broken bones, and these are the toughest athletes on earth. >> you know, it ain't something that we just do because it's cool. it's who we are. most of these guys have been raised on ranches or work for ranchers. they don't get paid $60,000, $70,000 a year. they get paid $700 a week if they're lucky. >> this is the real deal. there's nothing easy about this work. but it's what we do, and we love it. >> i've seen every kind of different injury there is. >> i had a horse -- he went end over end and lit on top of me. and my hips hurt, my back hurt. you know, i was whinebagging around there and letting kids beat me that shouldn't. i was just like, "i'm not gonna be one of them guys that needed

to hang it up 10 years ago." my lower back was what was really bothering me. you know, it just grueling just trying to get going in the morning. and i was gonna quit riding. >> a guy of his age shouldn't be riding bucking horses at the level that he's at now. the last year, he has really shined. >> it's fun for me now. it has been this whole year. >> he is our copper cowboy -- shawn minor. >> for him to come in here and easily walk away as the ifr 44 champion in the bareback riding, it's got to be something. >> when i'm done riding bucking horses, my day job begins. running a ranch is just as painful as rodeo. my routine is first thing in the morning, i put the shirt and shorts on. i wear tommie copper's compression on all of my joints all day long. it loosens me up. basically, i have it on every day. i guess i should sleep in it.

tommie copper's compression helps enhance muscle and joint mobility. it's comfortable, it's easy to put on, and it soothes my aches and pains. as soon as i put on my tommie copper, i can feel the difference. i'll never go a day without it. >> announcer: live a more positive life with tommie copper. call or go online to see the entire range of recovery and performance lines. see how you can qualify for free shipping and multi-pack discounts. >> lesley paterson is a two-time xterra world champion and one-time itu cross champion. >> she races at the top of the world in xterra and in mountain biking. >> people think that she is just top-of-the-game all the time, but she deals with the same mental, physical battles that

every other single person does. >> being injured, as an athlete, is just par for the course. i've been suffering from an injury for about six months. it has been the most emotional journey i've ever been on in my life because you realize what the sport means to you. because it's part of my soul, and when i don't have it, i don't know how to function in life. it's been a really hard time. i'm working through it, and i'm getting better, and i'm now finding joy in passing what i've experienced to others. that's why i created braveheart coaching. this isn't about winning races or getting on the podium. it's really to mentor them, to

help them fulfill their dreams. >> lesley really introduced me to how i can be a triathlete. >> she learned what my weaknesses were, what my strengths were, and how we can adapt them to just be a better all-around triathlete. >> and i do believe in marginal gains. that's a huge part of how i train, so every little thing counts. wearing my tights every night to bed counts. every little positive increment you can get to make your body feel better is essential. >> it takes five seconds to throw on recovery tights or recovery socks and head to work. nobody knows i have them on, but all day, i'm getting that recovery process going. >> i get into compression as soon as i can. so it's been very essential for me. >> that's an easy recovery. they'll do whatever it takes to get that little bit of an edge. >> team braveheart is not necessarily about winning races or getting on the podium. it's been about excellence and the way that they live their

lives. the day of the race or an intense training, i put my tommie copper gear on and assume a fierce character. it's important that the compression and exercise gear look as good as it performs. i love the support they give me, and the performance line has so many bright colors to fit my mood or match my outfit. u.v. sun protection and moisture wicking is crucial when i'm training 12 hours a day in the california sun. so is compression. it helps stabilize muscles, reduce lactic-acid buildup, keep me going the extra mile. when it gets cold out, i switch into the agility compression tights and the agility mock neck. they keep my muscles warm and loose. the finger holes keep my hands protected, too. i've used a lot of different methods to help rejuvenate my body after a competition. but tommie copper's different. it all combines to make something truly unique. i'll never give it up. >> announcer: view the entire range of performance gear and

recovery wear by calling the number below or going to tommiecopper.com. >> depending on my training depends on what gear i put on. i wear tommie copper socks whenever i run. i love the support they give me, and the crazy colors can really be matched to my moods or the character i feel like that day. >> well, when you think of a team, you think of you come together as one. >> "team" on three. one, two, three. >> go team! >> the closer your team is, the more successful they're gonna be. 'cause they're gonna fight, they're gonna play for one another. anytime you can put team first, the more success you have on the

field. >> winning is always the goal, but it's not everything. because losses teach these kids something. if they won all the time, they'd never really get to figure out who they are as people and what they are as a team. >> i want to be a professional baseball player. i want to go to the big leagues and stay there for a long time. >> when he's on the field, it's all baseball. he's got to do everything he can to keep his body in shape. it's everything to milton to stay healthy. >> injury prevention now is essential for these guys. >> youth baseball -- now it's year-round. it's almost like a job for these kids. >> a lot of times, the girls may wear the tommie copper socks, because they have some lower-leg or calf or foot problems that may arise. some of my infielders who have to make a lot of throws overhand use the elbow sleeve, where there's a lot more stress on the elbow. my catchers and pitchers like the wrist sleeves, because they have to do a lot of flexing and

impact on their wrists throughout the game. so that helps them stay fresh and stay stronger for a whole game. >> you know, in baseball, injury's a part of the game. that's what happens. you can't prevent some injuries. and we wanted every opportunity to figure out, "how can i keep my elbow as good as i can keep it?" >> these guys play at a high level. these kids all have d1 aspirations. the goal is states every year. these guys -- they come to american heritage having that dream, knowing that this team has these capabilities, and that's the goal we set for them every year. as it comes down to everything, you know, it depends on them. once the lights turn on, are the stars gonna show up? is our pitcher gonna be the best she can be? or is our offense gonna be the best on the day? is our defense gonna be best on the day? so when the lights go on, the superstars need to come out. >> most coaches will tell you,

"we're gonna be pretty good if we stay healthy." most of our players want to look like a baseball player. they want to look like the big leagues. well, if you can get something that helps you and then you can get the look, that's a win-win situation. >> announcer: call or go to tommiecopper.com to explore the full line of recovery, compression, and all-new performance gear. free shipping and multi-pack discounts now available. >> winning is always the goal. there's so much wear and tear on their body every single day. injury prevention now is essential for these guys.

>> this is the day that i've worked at least 7h years for. all the hard work pays off. when i step into the cage, i'm prepared. now it's time to show them what i do. i'm so calm that i can see everything. it's like slow motion. yes, i am gonna win this fight. that's the fun part. after january 18th, i'll be the first female mma fighter to be up on the wall at american top team. that's huge for me. >> training at a.t.t. is the best. you know, there's not a lot of ego running around this place. >> punch each other, kick each other, trying to submit each

other, but after the workout, they're gonna hug, they're gonna have lunch. >> family is the whole entire motto of the gym. >> how important is family? i'll show its importance. >> i've been doing a six-week camp six days a week about five to eight hours a day. >> girls that come here and train -- they're some of the toughest girls you will ever see in your life. >> it's not fun to be a drill partner. it hurts. >> she'll knock out heavyweights that are guys. >> you want to train enough to be in shape for round 1. >> how bad do i want it? how bad do i want success? in the gym, it's just so dirty, i started wearing head-to-toe tommie copper compression. >> you don't know what these guys got on their skin. they're real prone to get abrasions. it's good to try and protect from that stuff. >> cleanliness is next to godliness -- you know the saying. >> this is the hard part -- my training. this is the time where i suffer. the fight is, like, my time to have fun. my daily routine is go loco. yoga has helped me slow down and

helped me with my mental game. it's, like, my time. >> her entire life is wear and tear, pushing a lot of energy out. yoga goes the other way. if when the lights are on and your head's not in the game, how well are you gonna be able to perform? >> good. just make it happen. make it happen. make it happen. one. >> one, two, three! >> a.t.t.! >> you got it. >> i fight for my team -- for american top team. when they call me up, i'm already kind of in my zone. i can't hear the crowd. i don't hear anything but my coaches. they tell me the direction, and i follow. i trust them. i feel connected. >> lock it up! yeah! there you go! >> it's pretty cool to have made history.

>> announcer: tommiecopper.com has gear for sport performance as well as muscle recovery and soreness relief. the recovery series of compression is designed for 24-hour wear. the comfortable, four-directional compression promotes circulation and recovery for muscles. the performance series of apparel is designed for exercise and sport. the graduated compression with ergonomic paneling maximizes muscle output while our copper znergy fabric protects against u.v. and odor. >> new age technology is the way to train, you know? >> tommie copper's compression gives me that edge plus properties including u.v. and odor protection. when you train as much as i do, skin health and anti-odor is necessary. my performance socks are one of the most important pieces of my gear. they're padded for comfort, and the compression helps keep my legs oxygenated and refreshed.

as soon as i get done training, i throw on my compression for recovery and the relief for every part of my body. i wear them the rest of the day, especially to sleep. it's that comfortable. the ankle sleeve is so thin it fits under my sock for a bit of added support and compression. when i wake up, especially after a tough workout, i feel energized. my legs aren't stiff, my wrist and muscles aren't sore. after a long day, i can't wait to slip the gloves on. they're cool and comfortable and have raised silicone for good grip. >> announcer: call our product specialists or go to tommiecopper.com and explore the full line of compression and exercise gear for every part of your body. tommie copper introduces a new category of socks that combine skin health and sports science. the performance line of socks is infused with copper and zinc. our copper znergy fabric offers anti-odor and u.v. protection while graduated compression helps with muscle and joint

performance, promotes circulation, reduces lactic-acid buildup during exercise, and helps prevent delayed-onset muscle soreness. the recovery line of socks helps offer soothing relief of aches and pains, keeping your feet energized throughout the day and night. graduated compression helps promote oxygen delivery to the muscles and circulation. the recovery socks are perfect for a long day at work, helping muscles and joints recover overnight, and are ideal for travel and flight. call or go to tommiecopper.com to see the full range of performance and recovery socks in ankle, crew, and calf length. learn about free shipping and multi-pack discounts to find relief for less. >> hi. tommie from tommie copper. back in 2010, i had a very serious water-skiing accident. my body was really broken up, but my knee took the hit. at the same time, i started identifying the well-known benefits of compression. it became simple -- design the most comfortable compression products available.

i came up with a couple of prototypes, and i was pretty amazed. so i had a few more made up and passed them out to my friends and family. i was overwhelmed by the response. from there, the company was born. tommie copper -- you've all heard of it. it started with a single knee sleeve. three years later, we have over 300 products. we are always focused on the original thought -- the most comfortable compression available. life is about performance and recovery. and helping everyone feel better and live a more positive life. so go online to tommiecopper.com see how we can help you as we have helped countless others. join us and become part of the tommie copper extended family. >> every little positive increment you can get to make your body feel better is essential. >> these are the toughest athletes on earth. it's not a matter of if you get hurt. it's a matter of when and how bad.

>> it's like putting on armor. it gets me physically ready. >> allowing my muscles to recover is key to a successful training. >> if tommie copper could make a whole one-piece suit, i would wear it. >> i wear tommie copper to help heal and rejuvenate my body after a competition. >> most coaches will tell you, "we're gonna be pretty good if we stay healthy." >> compression is a great way to help relieve those everyday aches and pains. >> i use the tommie copper knee sleeve practically all the time. i really consider the knee sleeve my security blanket. >> you got to go to tommiecopper.com to get it.

>> announcer: the following program is paid for by the friends and partners of joyce meyer ministries. [music] >> joyce: there's two kinds of people in the world. there's people who do things on purpose and there's people that are passive. now passive people are people who want something good to happen, but they're not gonna really do too much, if anything,

to make it happen. they have a lot of wishbone, but no backbone. and then there's people who read the word, they know what's right, and they purpose with god's help, which we can't do anything apart from god. let's establish that first. but here's the other thing we have to remember, is anything that god asks us to do, he gives us the ability to do. anything that you feel that god is leading you to do, god gives you the ability to do that. all we need to do is just keep leaning on him. "god, i need you, i need you. i can't do anything without you." give him the praise, give him the glory, and you'll keep that flow of power coming into your life all the time. and so i decided that i would talk about attitude. last night, we talked about just the power of an attitude, how to have a nose up attitude instead of a nose down attitude. if you have a nose up attitude, then you're always climbing in life. you'll have an above average life. if you have a nose down attitude, then you'll always be

below average. we'll always have less than what god wants us to have. now everybody wants to have a good life. everybody in this place wants to have a good life. but not everybody, even in here, is doing what you need to be doing to have that good life. it's really like passivity is one of the greatest deceptions from the devil. it's just that i want it, but they go more by how they feel. they wait to feel it before they do it. they wait until everybody else is doing it. you know, there's very few people in the world, i think, when you consider all things, that are willing to do what's right even if they're the only one that they know that's doing it. we're far too affected by the crowd and what everybody else is doing. and god is looking for people that will swim upstream while everybody else is floating downstream. it's easy to float, but going

against the current is not that easy. so this morning in this service, i'm going to talk about having a patient attitude. if you would like to stay for the second service, i'll be teaching on having an unselfish attitude because i really believe that there's a call for all of us to stand up and be counted in this hour that we're living in. five areas we're going to mention about impatience. there's a lot of different things that we can be impatient with, and some are impatient with some things but not impatient at all with others. i've overcome certain degrees of impatience in my life because, to be honest, being impatient probably would be my number one weakness. i'm a strong, choleric personality. i want it, i want it now. if i tell you to do it, do it right, do it the first time. don't make me tell you again. so you know, now i mean, that's the way i started out. thank god i'm not like that anymore. i mean, i could drift back in that direction if i didn't keep working on this attitude thing. so if you don't need this today, i'll just be happy to preach to myself because i need everything

that i say, amen? so first of all, when i started out, i was very impatient with god. like man, i just couldn't understand why i could not get god to do what i wanted him to do. and you know, even things that god promises in the word that he will do, he doesn't always do on our timetable. doesn't it frustrate you when you know that god could do something and it wouldn't be difficult for him at all, but yet he just doesn't? so if you could do it in 5 years, why couldn't you do it in 1 year? why did i have to go through all of this stuff? well, eventually you learn that no matter how aggravated you get, you're not going to rush god. so whatever it is that you're waiting on right now, you might as well learn to wait well because waiting is a fact of life. we all wait, but some people do wait better than other people. so make it easy on yourself. say, "my times are in your hands.

i know that you've got a plan for me." no devil in hell, no person on earth can keep you from what god has for you in the perfect time when you're prepared and ready. there's a lot of things that god has prepared for us, but he's got to get us prepared for those things that he has us ready for. i tell you, it's tough sometimes when you've got a dream in your heart and you see it so clear. oh man, you see it so clear and you know it's what god wants for you. it's hard to understand many times that, although that is exactly right, god does have that for you, it is his will, that he's preparing you now for the thing he's got prepared for you. not everybody is ready for everything when they think they are. we think we're ready, but we're not always. now impatience with people. how many of you sometimes get impatient with people? you know, people who--well, let's just think about some of the things that we can be impatient with when it comes to people. let's just say, how do you act

while you're waiting in line? what about if you have a slow clerk? what about a clerk who's new and doesn't know what they're doing? what if the person in front of you has three items with no prices and then they have to go on a search in the store to find the prices? okay, well now, see, i've gotten good at this. i can do that because i just about lost my salvation over slow clerks 30 years ago. i mean, it was like i just--i'd have my big, flashy rhinestone jesus pin on and, you know, all my christian jewelry and i'd be in the grocery store line, had three little kids then, and they were all driving me crazy. and i had my plan. i wanted to get those groceries, get through that line, get them in the car, get them home, put them away, and then do something else. i had my plan. don't mess up my plan. anybody like that? all right. and so i don't care--i mean, i got to the point where i would pray about which line to get in.

i mean, i would stand back, "okay now, lord. you know ahead of time what's going to happen. you know i'm in a hurry, lord. which one of these lines is going to go the fastest?" and i don't care what i did, i'd always get in the one that was going to be slow, something's going to be broke, there's no prices. and i'm telling you what, i mean, if you could have died from frustration, i would have been dead because that's how aggravated it made me. i just didn't get it. "god, what are you doing to me?" and then i would go into the, "i rebuke you, satan. i rebuke you in the name of jesus. you are not going to steal my joy. you are not going to steal my peace." i finally got it. god was using that on me because the word patience, actually if you study in the vine's greek dictionary, now get this, it says it is a fruit of the spirit that only grows under trial.

we can't pray this on you. it only grows under trial. so obviously people don't want to get stuff on patience because they figure when they start praying for patience, they're going to get trouble. and actually, that is true. however, the bible says when you are perfect, when you have this perfect patience, when a man is patient, he is perfect and entire, wanting nothing. i can be in this line and not want to be through the line and somewhere else. i can just be there and enjoy it. so i finally managed to master the slow clerk thing. then we went to no clerks. i mean, i'd get to the point where i'd want to pay for something in a store and couldn't even find anybody to take my money. and i thought this is escalating to something that's not gonna be pretty.

how do you act when you tell somebody to do something and they don't do it the first time you tell them? and you have to tell them again and again. and it's like, "can you not hear? did you not hear me tell you that?" how do you act when you ask somebody for something, they bring you something totally different than what you asked for? see, then the attitude comes out. it doesn't even have to be words. it's on your face, it's like--don't you love it? just like-- >> [audience laughing] >> joyce: so what are we saying with our facial expressions? "you are so stupid." and what we do many times with our bad attitude is we make people that are really, honestly, truly doing their best. just because people don't have the same gifts or strengths that i do or you do doesn't mean that

they're not valuable. and to be honest, god does put us with people that irritate us, and he does it on purpose. it won't do you any good to try to get away from the batch you've got now because you'll get a new batch wherever you go. because the thing is is god uses those things on us to polish the rough edges off of us. and here's a flash for you. he's using you on somebody else. so let's just don't go thinking we've got it all together because if you think that other person's personality bothers you, you ought to get them to tell you the truth about how they feel about you. mmm, so god's got a plan. impatience. so i finally got that one. i really think, by and large,

most of the time i treat people pretty good and i've really kind of gotten the deeper revelation from god that it really offends him when we mistreat people, and so we really do need to get out there and try to be decent to people because everybody's got a story, we just haven't heard it. and everybody's hurting and everybody's going through something. and you know, even somebody who just seems to be purposefully mean, if they're like that, they've got something in their life that's hurting them or something that has hurt them. and if we're going to represent christ, then we really need to develop a more patient attitude with people. so i dare you to start praying about patience. i saw that face, john. what do you think? you think--can you do this? i'm glad i got somebody new to pick on when i come here. i think i can pick on him. and then you can also be impatient with yourself. and i went through a lot of that, and i've pretty much gotten over that. i finally just told god one day, "look, this is what it is.

you knew what you were getting when you got me. if you didn't want to put up with me, you should have picked on somebody else. and i'm tired of apologizing for myself," not that god was ever asking me to. but the thing is you got to learn how to enjoy where you're at on the way to where you're going. you have to learn how to enjoy yourself while you're in the process of growing in god. can i say this again? learn how to enjoy yourself. learn how to enjoy yourself. learn how to enjoy yourself with all of your imperfections and your weaknesses, knowing that you are no surprise to god. he knows dumb stuff that we're going to do that we haven't even done yet and he's already pre-decided to love us unconditionally and to work with us all the way through and never give up on us. >> [audience applauding]

>> joyce: so just be patient with yourself. then there's the area of being patient with objects and things. now i'm not so good at this. can i have my little props there? there is something that i have a big problem with and i'm going to ask you to pray for me, and that is packaging. i just cannot--i mean, i can almost lose my salvation over packaging. okay, this is just a bottle of eye drops. i got these out this morning, went, "oh no..." >> [audience laughing] >> joyce: come on, any of you do that? and then i'll go like, "what is the matter with people? they sell you this stuff and

don't expect you to get into it and use it." well, now dave says, "why don't you just get a pair of scissors, cut that off?" well, because that would take patience for me to walk across the room and find the scissors and come back and do that. i don't like that. then you go to the mouthwash. oh my gosh, not again. i just--and see, i have these--ooh, that one's coming, yay. oh, but it's still not working. so this year, packaging is my goal. i'm going to get to the point where i'm free from being upset by packaging. now you know, the way that you get free from something is you go through it over and over and over and over until it just don't bother you anymore. you finally die to it. see, i can get in a line now where somebody's slow and it's just like, "not this time,

devil. been there, done that. i'm keeping my peace. aha." but the packaging thing i still have to master. i also have another little issue that i'll let you in on. i have one piece of hair right here and i'll show you what it does. you see that? okay, i don't care what we do to that, it's going to stick out, so i'm always going like that. okay, yesterday i got mad at it and i thought, "i'm cutting that dude off." so i got my scissors out, well now i've got it really way too short, so i just made it a whole lot worse. how many of you have things in your life like this? just some little thing that you just can't hardly stand. and then there's this whole area of--and this is also a goal of mine. these last two are like my things. you can't fully enter into what you're doing because you're mentally already onto the next thing.

and see, some of you are here this morning, but you're not here because you're already thinking about what you need to do when you get home. and so we're never anywhere unless we've got our mind where we're at. just because our body's there, that doesn't mean that we're there. and i don't know, i guess it's just part of the choleric, aggressive personality, but i have trouble staying where i'm at. i always am kind of like moving onto the next thing because i'm purposeful, i'm aggressive, and i've got a plan. we're doing this. let's get to that. so i have this thing where when i'm riding in a car, when we get close to our home and it's in view, i take the seatbelt off and start preparing to get out of the vehicle. not too long ago, my daughter said to me, "mother! would you let me park the car before you get out of it?"

when we park at a parking lot, i am out of the car, got all my stuff and in the store, and dave is still gathering his stuff up out of the car. i'm like, "how could anybody take that long to get out of the car? what are you doing?" how many of you are real fast, quick people? okay. how many of you are like more easygoing, slow, and you get tired of all of us that are fast? and i can pretty much guarantee you that a fast one's married to a slow one, and a slow one's married to a fast one. come on now. i mean, it's like, "okay god, are we having fun yet or what? i don't--this is--after 47 years, this isn't funny anymore." i tell you, that whole scripture in genesis that a man shall leave his father and mother and he shall cleave unto his wife, and the two shall become one flesh, doesn't that sound beautiful?

but i tell you, it's the becoming that's the problem. and it's an ongoing, never ending problem. all right, now let's get down to business. we've had some fun. first of all, if you don't have any patience with god and if i don't have any patience with god, i'm going to get into what the bible calls works of the flesh. and works of the flesh are my bright ideas on how to get what i want and my timing instead of waiting on god. and i tell you, we all make some of the most ridiculous messes in our lives getting ahead of god. we see it in genesis. i'm not going to take time to tell the whole story, but surely you'll realize that when god promised abraham and sara that they would have a child and the child wasn't coming, child wasn't coming,

child wasn't coming, they're getting tired of waiting, sara gets a bright idea. ladies, have you ever had a bright idea? okay, well, i was very good at bright ideas. and they come something like this. you're going along, you're like, "i know what god wants me to do." your husband's not saved, so you think--or maybe you're married to somebody that's got a bad attitude. you've already decided you're going to buy those five books on attitude and you're going to open those dudes up and lay them everywhere you can in the house because now you have a plan on how you can get his attitude fixed. how many of you know nothing works unless it originates with god? listen, he is the author and the finisher. and he told me a long time ago, "i am not obligated to finish anything i didn't start." if you start it, it's your baby.

so we really need to learn how to work the works of god and not get into works of the flesh. you say, "well, how can i tell the difference?" well, works of the flesh are works that don't work. it's us trying to make something happen that is just not happening, and we just don't understand why it's not happening. and we sound like this. "god, i've just done everything i know to do. and i just don't understand why this isn't working." and then sometimes we get very dramatic, which doesn't impress god at all. and we will even fall on the floor. "i just--i give up. i just, i just give up. what do you want me to do?" come on, sound like anybody you know? well, the truth is is god is not really asking us to do anything except believe.

and then when we do get an instruction from him, to obviously then do what we believe that god is telling us to do. we have to learn how to stay out of works of the flesh. i absolutely just about killed myself with works of the flesh, trying to make my ministry grow, trying to change my husband, trying to change my kids, trying to change myself, trying not to try. i mean, it was just like--truly, if anybody could have died from frustration, it would have been me. and i finally realized that frustration equals works of the flesh. anytime that you feel frustrated--now listen. anytime you feel frustrated or i feel frustrated, it's because i'm trying to make something happen that only god can make happen. did you hear me? come on, that's worth putting up on a sign. i had one in my house for a long time. "works of the flesh equal frustration." i had to put that thing on my

mirror, i had to put it on my refrigerator because i was just a very aggressive, active get a plan, get an idea, go for it type person. well, i've finally gotten over that, but some of you here probably have not. you're probably still in that area and you're frustrating yourself trying to get rid of things that only god can get rid of, trying to change people, which is something only god can do. can i tell you something? you can't make one of your relatives love god. i don't care how much you want the right thing for them, if they don't want it for themselves, you are just spinning your wheels and you are going to ruin your life and miss your joy. and the far better thing to do is pray for them and let god work. and let me just tell you, when you pray for somebody, don't expect them to act better. they're probably going to act worse before they act better. you say, "why?" because when you pray for

people, god begins to deal with them. and when god deals with us, if we're not ready to give in, it makes us act worse instead of better. you ever prayed for anybody and you're like, "well, that didn't work. they're worse than ever"? i used to pray for dave not to love sports so much because i didn't like them and so i didn't want him to like them if i didn't like them. >> [audience laughing] >> joyce: and you know, you've heard me say it probably. he loves anything that rolls or bounces, i don't care what it is. and when i grew up, my dad never let me do anything. i was just basically manipulated and controlled and could never even remember being happy when i was in my 20s. and dave played all these sports growing up and he just loves it all. i mean, anything, he loves it. and i mean, i started praying for him not to do so much of this and not to do so much of that and trying to get him to change. and honestly, and this is true, i walked in the room one night

where he was sitting and he was watching a football game, listening to a baseball game, and shining his golf clubs. and i thought, "you know what? this isn't working." >> [audience laughing] >> joyce: come on, could somebody get a realization today that what you're doing isn't working? anybody? it's just not working, so why not take a vacation from works of the flesh and let god be god in your life, amen? >> joyce: you know, as a believer in jesus christ, we all have the fruit of patience in our spirits. god has put it there as a seed. but we have to develop it. god wants us to develop that and to become strong in that fruit of patience. and the way that we do develop it is by having opportunities to use it. and you know, sometimes god wants us to wait patiently on

his timing so he doesn't do what we'd like him to do right away. he wants us to trust him in all things and to really learn how to enjoy every single moment of our lives. and that's not going to happen if we're frustrated and upset all the time because things aren't happening as fast as we would like them to. we're offering you some wonderful teaching today. it's actually called our action plan and it's about developing power thoughts in our lives. and it's 12 teachings that will teach you how to think things on purpose that will add power to your life. there's cds and dvds and a study guide and scripture cards. and i believe through all of these, it's going to help you really to renew your mind and to learn how to really work with the holy spirit to see all the fruit of the spirit developed in you and be in full measure. now stay with me and i'll be right back after this. >> announcer: start enjoying your life when you receive "developing power thoughts,"

two dvds, four cds, a booklet, and cards with each power thought displayed to provide you with the action plan you need to change your thought life. it's available for your gift of... call us toll-free... or visit us at joycemeyer.org. >> joyce: well, i really hope and pray that you feel that i am a partner in your spiritual life, that i'm helping you and partnering with you in being the kind of person that you know that god wants you to be. every day we're there, teaching you the word of god. and i enjoy doing that. and i hope that you will also see that you need to partner with us, with me and the ministry, in continuing to not only reach you, but reach other people who don't yet know what you know. and i believe as we partner together, we can do more than what we could ever even imagine. what is your part with us? we know what our part

is with you. we're teaching you the word, we're praying for you, but what is your part with us? i believe that you need to consider partnership with our ministry. i want you to pray about it and if you feel that god prompts you to do that, what it literally means is that you agree to pray for us, say good things about us, hopefully come to some of our conferences when we're in your area, watch the program, let us be part of your life, and then also financially support the ministry on a regular basis. you know, i'm asking--i'm committed to you and i'm asking you for a commitment also. it's not what we do right one time that makes a big difference in our life, but it's what we do right over and over and over. so as you support us on a monthly basis or however often you feel that is right for you to do it, i believe that you're going to see even a big difference in how you feel about us. it's not really good for anybody to just do all the taking and none of the giving. and so i'm inviting you to join us in partnership. help us glorify god and share christ.

help us help hurting people. help us feed the poor and get the gospel to people that don't yet know what we know. you can check us out on joycemeyer.org and find out all that you need to know about partnership, or you can call the ministry. god bless you and thank you for praying about this. >> announcer: thank you, friends and partners. together, we're sharing the love of christ around the world. to find out more, please contact us or visit us online at joycemeyer.org. join us in partnership as we share the love of christ around the globe. cc by aberdeen captioning 1-800-688-6621 www.abercap.com >> announcer: the preceding was paid for by the friends and partners of joyce meyer ministries.

>> welcome to gospel truth celebrating the good news of jesus christ, the coming of the savior of the world, emmanuel, god with us, and now, here's gospel truth bible teacher >> andrew wommack. welcome to our wednesday's broadcast of the gospel truth. today i'm continuing a series on taking the limits off of god and i tell you, this has transformed my life and i believe that as i share these things ov