Faith

Self Sabotage

Stop Sabotaging Your Potential for Change. 

Subconsciously, we use defense mechanisms to protect ourselves from situations we perceive to be scary or painful. A part of you may want to grow and change, but another part may be resisting because change always takes you into new territory in your thinking and emotions.

If you find you are getting anxious, fearful, angry, frustrated, dismissive or unmotivated, then defense mechanisms are at work. Watch for them and know they are signs of fear that want to hold you back. Once you identify that fear, courageously move through it and keep going!

Leave It Behind You

It's Monday, decide to leave fear behind this week.  

Push forward, take the first step.  

You can do this.

Sinking Your Mind

Above everything, guard your thoughts and your heart to keep your life moving in the right direction.

Focus On One Reason

Focus on one reason things WILL work out!

Talking To Yourself

Replace fear and "I can't" with determination and "I will give it my best and try." 

You will be amazed at what you can accomplish!

Your Choices Matter

You have the power inside you to overcome the fear and doubt that lives in  your mind.  Take the chance and step out of your comfort zone!

No Fear

What would you do if you let fear go?

Learn To Laugh

Learn to laugh at yourself and at the world. Instead of getting bogged down in the mud of worry and fear, laugh and be happy because I am by your side. Just as parents delight in the laughter of their children, so I delight in hearing you laugh. I feel happy when you trust Me enough to enjoy your life." -Jesus Calling for Kids by Sarah Young

Live Without Regrets

Get out of your comfort zone, take chances, overcome your fears, and leave the regrets behind. Live life, don't waste it!

Fears

Sharing a blog post on facing our fears:

What Are You Afraid To Face?

Uncomfortable Grace

Uncomfortable grace.....when God takes you to a place in your faith that isn't what you intended, and not at all where you want to go, but it's a place of learning, healing, growth.  

Uncomfortable grace is a word that came up today around noon when I was talking with someone I consider a mentor in the faith.  We were talking about Beth Moore.  She asked me which study of Beth Moore's was my favorite.  I have done several studies, but told her which one touched me the most.  I told her how I did that study at a time when God took me to a place of rock bottom in my faith, broke me to many pieces, and then put me back together again. When I did the study, I was climbing back up from a dark place.  As I hit rock bottom, I understood grace more than I ever had, but it was not a pleasant time, God broke me, and I needed it.  Uncomfortable grace, for sure. 

Nine years ago today was the last time I saw my beloved, sweet Gram.  She died on the 17th, but slipped in to a state of unconsciousness and I did not want to remember her like that, so did not see her on her last day on this earth.  I sat in the waiting room, crying, overcome with anxiety, and worrying every time my mom would come out of her room that my Gram was gone.  But, my Gram being my Gram, went on her terms.  She left her earthly body right before her two daughters arrived the following morning.  What does this have to do with uncomfortable grace?  One, I dealt with learning how to grieve, work through that, cherish precious memories, and heal through loss.  Today, nine years to the date later, I sat in the same hospital, in the same waiting area, on the same floor, with my friend.  I have been to that hospital numerous times since that date, but today was tough as I walked by the last place I held my Gram's hand, kissed and hugged her, and told her I loved her.  Memories swept over me, and I fought tears, because I was there for my friend.  As the hours passed, my mind would drift to the room across the hall from where I was sitting, the place my Gram moved from this earthly life to life with Jesus.  Uncomfortable grace popped in my head, and I smiled at how God brought this phrase in to my life just hours before.  At that moment, uncomfortable grace was moving through my soul.  I was there to support a friend, but God brought some healing to me while I was there.  

Uncomfortable grace is where God intervenes so we can recognize our weaknesses, and lean into his strength.  Uncomfortable grace is where God reveals Himself to us in the difficulties, so we learn to trust Him.  Uncomfortable grace takes places of brokenness, puts the pieces back together, and though we are cracked, we are stronger because we have allowed God to carefully glue us back together and mold us as He wants us to be.  Uncomfortable grace goes into the places of fear, and covers it with peace.  Uncomfortable grace shakes up our comfort zone and makes us examine what we really believe.  Uncomfortable grace died on a cross for all of our sins, to save us.  

The Dance

I don’t want to miss the dance.  I get hung up on so many things in life,  worrying about what I will never do or achieve or have. But I don’t want to miss the dance. I want to love my spouse, care for my kids, and give life to my friends. I want to do the work God made me to do. I want   to love God and the world he made. I want to do my part to help it flourish, for my spiritual maturity is not measured by following rules. “The me God made me to be” is measured by my capacity to love. When we live in love, we flourish. That is the dance.

– John Ortberg, The Me I want to Be

How many times do we miss the dance? 

How many times do we turn away, quit trying, because we’re tired,  lonely, or forgot why we                         even cared in the first place? 

The world can be a difficult place to live at times. We need each other.

God wants us to love each other, serve each other.  He is asking us to dance without fear, so take                     the first step and enjoy the dance.

Battle For The Mind

Most of the battles in life are won or lost in our mind. To overcome those battles, we need to learn to control our anxiety, fear, and negative self talk.







Our beliefs affect how we act. We first need to examine what we believe, and make changes where needed. When we change our thinking, changing our behavior will come much easier.

Achieving Success

Success comes when we overcome the fear of failure, push forward to get past the obstacles in our path, say I CAN DO IT, and keep going!

Thought Checklist

Do your thoughts need to be trained? We can overcome thoughts that are harmful to us, but just like anything else worth accomplishing, we have to train ourselves to do it.

Let. It. Go

Worry strips away joy.  Worry puts us in a false reality, often making things worse than they truly are.  Worry destroys our lives.  

Today, decide to let worry go.  Push it out of your life, and close and lock the door behind it.  Work hard to keep it out of your life.  As soon as you find worry creeping back in, actively take steps to overcome it, and send it out of your life.

Focus instead on joy, love, laughter, and gratefully live every moment of this life you are given. Live with purpose and passion, and leave loving footprints on the lives of everyone you encounter.    

Uncertain Or Difficult Times

Dealing with difficult or uncertain times? 

"A surgery may fail, but God’s compassions will not. A treatment may fail, but God’s compassions will not. A relationship may fail, but God’s compassions will not. A dream may fail, but God’s compassions will not. My friend, no matter what you’re facing, God cares for you and will carry you. It may not be OK, but, because of the Lord’s great love, you will be OK..." - Jennifer Rothschild


Great blog to read:  

You Will Be Ok 

Dealing With Depression or Anxiety?

Feeling down or depressed? Need to overcome your depression, sadness, overwhelming anxiety?  A few simple steps are guaranteed to ease those feelings.  

Unplug. 

Take a break from Facebook, Twitter, the news, social interactions and discussions, people who cause much unneeded drama in your life.  Instead, take time to focus on good things in life, the things that bring you joy.  Go outside.  Read a book.  Go for a walk.  Have a true face to face conversation.  Enjoy a hands on hobby.  Go for a drive and enjoy the beauty of nature.  It will change your mood and your outlook on life.  

Choosing The Right Path

Are you struggling right now to know which path to take? Trust that God knows and directs your steps before you take them.