What Do You Think?

What occupies your mind?  What has taken up residence in your thoughts?  Is it helpful or hurtful?  Worries, negative thoughts, regrets, and anxieties can infest our minds like a parasite, going through each part of our thoughts making us sick, depressed, and  only seeing the bad in life.  What goes on in our minds can be an invisible invasion to others, but eventually, those diseased and harmful thoughts do spill out of us, in our words, our actions, our lack of caring about life.  

Guarding and protecting our thoughts is very important.  Recognizing when our worries have  parasitically invaded our minds and exterminating those thoughts and worries from our lives is essential to good health, a good attitude, and true joy.  

Everyday take time to examine your thoughts, and gather up those that are wandering away in a harmful direction.  Instead of complaining about something, find something to be grateful for and focus on the positive, not the negative.  If the news is overwhelming your mind, which it can easily do, turn it off, don't read about it, take a media fast for as long as it takes to calm your anxious thoughts.  If you are judging someone, find something good about them and focus on the good, not the bad.  We all make mistakes, we are all human, we all struggle.  Live in the present, not the future or the past, and be present in the day you are given.  Worries about what could happen, or what has happened, easily infest our thoughts and steal the joy of living today.  Today is a gift, don't waste that gift on 'what if's' and 'I should have's.'  

Life happens.  It's our choice how we react.  When we refuse to let worries infest our brain and stop them before they start, we can enjoy life much more, see the beauty around us, be grateful for what we have, and be a blessing to those in our lives.  

Change

Are you willing to change what needs changed in your life?  Are you willing to take steps to overcome your fears?  Are you willing to take a step out your comfort zone?  Changing your life, or getting unstuck  from the rut you may be in, requires some level of discomfort.  Stepping into the unknown can be scary, but if it's something you want, it's worth taking those steps.  Change may not be easy, but it is worth.   

Unplug

Silence.  Stillness

When you think of those words, what do you feel?  Relief?  Tension?  Uneasy?  Peace?  Desire to have, or the need to run far from anything resembling them?

In our loud and busy world, silence and stillness are something we tend to forget about, and on a rare occasion when we do have a moment of complete silence, I have noticed it can make many people uneasy, they don't know how to just sit and be still in silence and enjoy the peace that surrounds them.  

The book of Psalm's tells us to BE STILL....   If we are running around, filling our heads with continual media outlets, always connected to social media, gaming, noise, we can't be still.  The verse in Psalm 46:10 goes on to say: "be still and know I am God." To me, that makes sense because if our minds are always busy, always connected, how can it be quiet and focused on anything.  Instead, it becomes numb because we put it on overload, we don't think, we don't read, we don't put down the phones, computers, tablets, or shut off the TV, to just be, to reconnect with ourselves, our loved ones, and God.  If we did disconnect for a day or two, we would realize how absolutely exhausted our minds truly are, because they were not designed to have continual noise and input.  They were designed to rest.

"We need to find God, and He cannot be found in noise and restlessness.  God is the friend of silence.  See how nature--trees, flowers, grass--grows in silence; see the stars, the moon, and the sun, how they move in silence.  We need silence to be able to touch souls."   ~Mother Teresa 

We all need to get some silence and stillness in our lives, to disconnect and reconnect with ourselves, others, and God.  The more we clutter our brains with social media, gaming, TV, noise, the less we know how to think logically because we are being influenced by all the voices going in our head on a continual basis.    The more we fill our heads with noise, the less we hear the beauty of creation-birds singing, children laughing, the wind howling, waves crashing into the shoreline.  The busier we are, the less we notice beauty..sunsets, glistening snow, flowers, eagles soaring, the beauty in a smile. When we quiet the noise and still the busyness, we can see and appreciate God's creation, we can think clearly, and we can connect with others and with God.

Take some time and put in your schedule time for YOU.  Time for you to disconnect.  Turn your phone off, or leave it somewhere away from where you are.  Leave all devices that connect you to noise behind.  Take time to just sit and be quiet.  Time to listen.  Time to observe beauty.  Time to connect with loved ones, and with God.  During this time, don't go over your to do lists, just sit and be still.  Look around and find the beauty that God has placed around you.  It's not easy at first, it can actually be uncomfortable, but the more you do it, the easier it becomes.  

We all need this in our lives.  I disconnected some last week, not completely, but took some aspects of social media away, and I must say I really enjoyed it.  I had more time, so much more time.  I read a book.  I thought.  I wrote. I was quiet.  I enjoyed the beauty of creation. I found some of the creative outlets that being over-connected shuts down in us.  I spent time with loved ones.  I chose to do it.  I chose to disconnect.  It is a choice.  It's worth it.   

One small step of disconnection can make a difference.  What step will you take this week to disconnect, and reconnect with your thoughts, with others, with God?  





"I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction.  The world will have a generation of idiots." ~ Albert Einstein

One Word

What one word can become your focus for this year?  What one word do you want to be your life theme,  do you want to strive for, to describe your life in the year ahead? Put that word up in front of you, like on a mirror, a wall, your refrigerator, in your car, and live that word out each day.  Read books on that subject, look up quotes and verses that will inspire you to live that word out and make it your theme for changing something in yourself this year. 

My word is overcome.  It applies to many areas of my life already this year. 

Words have great power to change our lives.  

Here are a few words that may inspire you:

Courage     Hope     Overcome     Joy     Passion     Purpose     Forgiving    Worthy 

    Change     Discipline     Intentional     Empowered     Grateful     Transformation 

  Bold     Trust     Thankful     Health     Wisdom     Compassion   Balance 

     Perseverance     Simplify     Listen     Restore     Whole     Gentleness     Integrity

Fearless     Worship     Transparent     Friend     Quiet     Focus    Beauty

     Surrender     Humble     Action     Mercy     Laughter     Love     Grace     Peace

Selfless     Give     Content     Obedience   Truth    Faithful    

Worry-free     Organized     Strength

Self-esteem     Rest



It doesn't matter if you haven't chosen a word yet this year, choose it now.  What is your word?  What will you do to live it out, to change things about your life?  Please share with me what word you will make your theme for 2013. 

     

Stressed Out Life

Stress affects many people, for many different reasons. 

Too much stress can make you sick.  Have you been there?  I have. We will all face stress, we have to learn how to deal with that stress to keep our bodies healthy, our emotions and choices healthy, our brains healthy, and our spiritual selves healthy.  This diagram is from Men's Health on a few affects of stress on our mind, body, emotions, and behaviors:

There are many ways to manage stress.  One, is separating true reality from fears we blow up in our minds.  Sometimes fears take over and make a false reality in our brains, making things seem much worse than they actually are.  It is essential to get a grasp on what is truth and what is exaggerated fears in our minds. 

One great place to start in managing stress is by eating well. Eat nutritious, balanced foods, and don't skip meals.  Veggies, low sugar to no sugar, and a lot of water helps our bodies to be nutritiously sound.  Regular exercise is also important to help get rid of the stress in life.  

Getting enough sleep is another key. The right amount varies with the individual, but most adults need eight hours for proper restoration of our body and mind.  

Something very important, that many forget about when stressed, is to take time for yourself.  Creative outlets are important, such as reading, drawing, photography, music, artwork or building something, whatever it is that gets your creative mind moving. God gave all of us creative gifts.  I know when I am out with my camera in nature, my stress levels immediately go down.   Also, take time to get a massage, soak in the tub, go for a walk, get away by yourself for a little bit and quiet your mind of your to do list during this time for yourself.

It's important to remember that it is ok to say NO, as you are only one person, who cannot, and should not try, to do everything. It is important to know your limits and stick to them.  

Daily prayer has been shown to reduce stress.  In the book The Faith Factor by Dale Matthews, he says that people who read the Bible and pray every day are 40% less likely to suffer from hypertension than others.  

Learn to laugh. Research shows laughter brings down, and helps controls stress hormones.  "Laughter is the best medicine" is very true when it comes to reducing stress.  

Enjoy your life and let the stress go.  Laugh a lot, love those around you, live every moment of life.  For every moment wasted on worry and stress, we lose that moments potential to have joy and love fill our lives.  It is truly a choice, I know as I have suffered with a lot of stress in the past.  I have learned to take steps to overcome it, and capture and enjoy life.  If you would like to learn how to take steps to a healthier, less stress-filled life, please contact me.  Life keeps going.  Are you truly living it, or is stress and worry robbing you of the gift of each day?  It's your choice, what choice are you making?  

What Will Be Your Story?

Tomorrow starts a new 365 day book for your life story. What will your story be? Will you live a joy-filled, worthwhile life, filled with love for those around you, no matter what may be going on in our country, our world, and life in general? We choose the legacy we leave behind each day, choose wisely and be the change you want to see in the world. One person can make a difference.  Will you offer hope, love, joy?  Will you care about those around you and not just focus on self, and the problems that face us each day?  Hope and love can change us.  Choosing joy, deep down inside us joy, can get us through difficult times.  What will you choose for 2013?  What legacy will you leave, not just in 2013, but daily?  Each day matters, each moment matters.  Will you choose to be defeated, or will you set goals and work to achieve them?  Will you offer hope to a hurting world?  Need some help with figuring out how to do this?  Contact me for a complimentary session, and let's get started in making 2013 life story worth sharing! 

Christmas Week

One week until Christmas.  What is your focus right now?  Is it on all the things that have to be done yet?  Are you stressed out, grouchy, overwhelmed?  Do you feel like crying, instead of being filled with joy?  If so, your focus needs to shift.  Christmas is simply about love and hope.  We are the ones who have made it about overdoing on gifts, decorating, overspending, running ourselves ragged until we are ready to explode from stress.  

Have you taken time to stop, enjoy, and breathe?  Have you enjoyed the season by walking in the snow, laughing with children, looking at Christmas lights, listening to uplifting Christmas music, watching your favorite Christmas movie, or reading Luke 2 in the Bible?  It can be difficult to focus on the real reason for this Season...Christ's birth, followed by family, and sharing love with others.  I challenge you in the next week to take time to breathe, to laugh, to stop and be still.  Take time to focus on love with those around you.  Time with loved ones is precious, don't miss the opportunity to make memories together.  

When you think back over Christmas memories, what stands out to you?  Is it the gifts you received or the way you felt because someone took time to love, to give, to invest in you? My best memories are on simple things like decorating the tree as a family while listening to Christmas music, baking cookies and making candy with my mom, sister, and my Gram when she would visit during the holidays.  Also, driving around and looking at Christmas lights on homes, and attending Christmas eve services together as a family and focusing on the real reason for Christmas, Jesus, are times that are precious to me and forever in my memory.  

Where is your focus?  Take some time to be quiet, and enjoy the peace that this season represents.  Make memories with loved ones.  Find your hope in Jesus.  

Merry Christmas!