Have you ever thought about something so much you believed you actually did it without actually doing it?!? No, just me... ok. Well, case in point, I thought so much yesterday morning about getting this week's post up, that I thought I actually did it, only to find out today it was still set to draft. LOL
But timing is everything, so I believe there is someone who needs this message specifically for TODAY.
But timing is everything, so I believe there is someone who needs this message specifically for TODAY.
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"There was a king and he once said to the court sages - I have a ring with one of the finest diamonds in the world and I want to hide a message under the stone that can be useful in a situation of extreme despair. I will give this ring to my heirs and I want it to serve faithfully. Think of what kind of message will be there. It must be very short to fit in the ring.
The sages knew how to write treatises, but did not express themselves in one short sentence. They thought and thought, but did not come up with anything.
The king complained about the failure of his venture to a faithful old servant who raised him from infancy and was part of the family. The old man said to him:
“I’m not a sage, I’m not educated, but I know such a message. For many years spent in the palace, I met a lot of people. And once I served a visiting mystic whom your father invited. And he gave me this message. I ask that you don’t read it now. Save it under the stone and open it only when there’s no way out at all.
The king listened to the old servant.
After some time, the enemies attacked the country and the king lost the war. He fled on his horse and his enemies pursued him. He was alone, his enemies were many. He rode to the end of the road. There was a huge deep cliff before him, if he fell there, it is the end. He could not go back, as the enemies were approaching. He already heard the clatter of their horses' hooves. He had no way out. He was in complete despair.
And then he remembered the ring. He opened it and found an inscription: “This too shall pass”
After reading the message, he felt that everything was quiet. Apparently the pursuers got lost and proceeded in the wrong direction. Horses were no longer heard.
The king was filled with gratitude to the servant and the unknown mystic. The words were powerful. He closed the ring set out on the road. He gathered his army and returned to his state.
On the day when he returned to the palace, they arranged a magnificent meeting, a feast for the whole world - the people loved their king. The king was happy and proud.
The old servant came up to him and said softly: “Even in this moment, look at the message again.”
The King said, “Now I am a winner, people are celebrating my return, I'm not in despair, not in a hopeless situation."
“Listen to this old servant,” the servant answered. “The message works not only in moments when everything is bad, but also in moments of victory.”
The king opened the ring and read: "This too shall pass."
And again he felt a silence fall over him, although he was in the midst of a noisy dancing crowd. His pride dissolved. He understood the message. He was a wise man.
And then the old man said to the king; “Do you remember everything that happened to you? Nothing and no feeling is permanent. As night changes day, so moments of joy and despair replace each other. Accept them as the nature of things, as part of life”"
Take some time to ponder this parable today, friend. Look back on the events of your life, both good and not so good, in light of 'this too shall pass.' Grab a journal or notebook and consider jotting down your thoughts and feelings about this. I bet ya weren't expecting homework! ;)
Until next time...
Until next time...
Blessings!
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If you are a lady looking to find encouragement and wanting to fill your FB feed with positive vibes, I invite you to check out our new group...
You are the gatekeeper... you get to decide what you will allow into your home, your body & your mind. Easier said than done sometimes, I get it!
This group is a place for women to come together and find their reinforcements. Here you will be educated, inspired, and equipped to guard your gate and guard it well!
Hey Friend,
Would you consider yourself a patient person?
Do you like to wait for things?
Do you like to wait for things?
For me, that's a BIG NO!!
If you have been holding on to a big dream for a long time,
if you have been working towards a goal for years,
if you have been praying about a specific need for what seems like forever,
the waiting can be really hard... really hard.
That's where part of that persistence comes in that we talked about last week...
Staying the course.
Pushing forward.
One foot in front of the other.
God is always faithful to remind me through various means that even in the waiting He is still working.
“Throughout scripture, there’s not a man or woman that God used in a powerful way who didn’t first face a long and difficult time of waiting.”
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"So what do I do while I'm waiting?"
Well.... I'm glad you asked. :) Here are my thoughts...
1. Be Grateful - yes, as my friend Anna says, "Even in this you are blessed." Even in the waiting you are blessed. Grab a journal and purpose to write down 1-3 things every day that you are grateful for and allow those to be your focus.
2. Continue to Trust - even though God is not working things out as fast as you may like, He hasn't went anywhere. He still sees, hears, and knows all. Do not let your trust in His plan and purpose for your life waver in the waiting.
3. Lean In - the devil wants nothing more than for your season of waiting to cause a separation. He will begin to plant seeds of doubt and do everything in his power to steal your peace. Now is the time to press hard into Jesus, my friend.
4. Serve - shift the focus off of yourself and look outward. Who can you serve while you are waiting? God may purposely have you in this season as a way of slowing you down long enough so that you can be available to meet someone else's need.
5. Be Watchful and Hope - fill yourself with anxious expectation of what God is doing on your behalf, even if you aren't seeing it yet. There is a beautiful song by Danny Gokey called, "Haven't Seen It Yet." Find it on YouTube or Google and give a listen. Don't be so caught up in the way you think things should turn out, that you miss the blessings He is dropping all around you.
None of these things come easy friend, they require intention and perseverance. But stay the course. I promise, God isn't finished yet.
Until next time... Blessings!
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Don't forget, the gate opens on our new group, Guarding the Gate... of your Home, Body & Mind, on July 15th!
- If you are in a season of waiting and you are looking for a space filled with education and encouragement, come and join us!
- If you aren't in a season of waiting and you have education and encouragement to offer others, come and join us!
- If you are looking for a group of like-minded people and you want to just be a fly on the wall, come and join us! :)
Hey Friend, would you consider yourself a perfectionist... "a person who refuses to accept any standard short of perfection"?
I would have to answer yes for myself.
But to my downfall, that need to have things 'just right' before moving forward has oftentimes...
- kept me feeling 'stuck' in places I don't want to be
- caused me to fear not making the 'perfect' choice, so I make no choice at all
- left me feeling frustrated and discouraged over my lack of progress
Can you relate?
Thankfully, true to His amazing character, God always meets me right where I am, in the middle of my mess, with gentle reminders that He is looking for persistence rather than perfection.
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Social media has been a place where I have been able to connect with so many amazing people. But given everything that is happening in the world today, I have not been interacting much in good old FB world. Many times I am still unsure of when to speak up and when to shut up. I find that scrolling through my newsfeed no longer brings me joy.
I want a space free of politics, free of negativity, free of confusion, free of overwhelm, free of everyone knowing everything and everyone else knowing nothing, free of judgment, free of criticism...
A space where I can be me and you can be you, and that's OK...
A space where others can come to learn, be inspired and feel equipped to handle whatever it is you need to handle.
A space where YOU can feel supported, heard, and encouraged.
So I started to create that SPACE... and boy oh boy, did all the fears and doubts come right to the surface.
All of these feelings well up and spill out every time I embark on a new journey. I was reminded yesterday by a very dear friend that whenever we commit to God's good, the old devil always tries to get his two cents in there and he knows exactly where to strike... for me it is at the heart of my perfection.
The last time you tried this it failed.
Do you really think this time will be different?
What if this isn't the right choice...
There is no perfect choice, there is no perfect answer, there is no perfect outcome.
There is persistent, messy action that moves you forward... done is better than perfect.
I don't know exactly what it's going to look like...
I don't have everything perfectly planned out...
I don't know where it will lead...
and that's OK (or at least that is what I am telling myself, remember I'm not perfect!)
Do you have a spirit of perfectionism that is keeping you from taking action?
Have you been feeling led to step out of your comfort zone and do a new thing, but fears over it not being 'perfect' are keeping you right where you are?
Are you mulling over whether or not it's the right choice, so you aren't making any choice at all?
Step out in faith today, my friend.
Kick that spirit of perfectionism to the curb.
Take messy action.
Just do it.
Until next time... Blessings!
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Did you ever really stop to consider...
the insane amount of thoughts that go through your mind each day
the insane amount of information your brain processes each day
the insane amount of garbage your mind needs to filter through to find truth...
I am super fascinated by something that God created us with called a Reticular Activating System (RAS)... ever heard of it?
Indulge me for a minute while I tap into my inner science geek...
The reticular activating system is a short, pencil-sized piece of the brain located just above where the spinal cord is attached to the brain. It acts as the gatekeeper of information between most sensory systems and the conscious mind. Simply put, it makes sure you brain doesn't have to deal with more information than it can handle, and it lets information through that you are already focusing on... (spoiler alert, that last part is super important!).
In the first three-ish minutes of THIS VIDEO by Mel Robbins, she gives a great explanation from a scientific standpoint of why this system is so important. This is where I geek out when I can learn about specific ways that God designed us to function and then link it back to Scripture.
"For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." Romans 8:6
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Romans 12:2
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Philippians 4:8
Why do you think God gives us so much instruction regarding our mind and the things that we are to think on? It's like He knew whatever we choose to focus on would become more prevalent in our life. ;)
When He created us, He gave us the freedom to be able to think for ourselves. I am pretty sure you are aware of the fall of mankind... enter sinful nature. So now, by nature, our minds are restless, unruly, and at times, downright evil.
Ever notice how you don't have to teach a kid to lie?
Ever notice how you don't have to train your brain to think nasty thoughts?
Those things just seem to come naturally, don't they.
Those things just seem to come naturally, don't they.
It takes work to "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5)
It is a conscious decision to shift our focus to thinking on those things mentioned above.
But it is possible when we give God the ultimate mind control. Does that mean you will never think another negative thought again? Oh, heck no! It is a daily battle. But just like with anything, the more you do it, the easier it will become. And because of the RAS, the more you choose to focus on the good, the more you will see the good.
This passage is from a devotional I use daily called Jesus Calling: Morning and Evening by Sarah Young.
"Habitual ways of thinking do not die easily. You may need to recapture the same thought many times before you gain mastery over it, but all that effort leads to a marvelous result: increased freedom to think My thoughts and commune deeply with Me. Wait with Me while I renovate you - from the inside out!"
Friend, your mind is a battlefield (and I believe it always will be), but by filling your mind with Truth (His word) and opening yourself up to allow that to transform your way of thinking, one day with God's help you will win the war.
Until next time... Blessings!
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Maybe you can help me figure this one out, friend... I told you from the beginning this was going to be a learning process, and that we would be learning together.
Time... one of the most precious resources that we have been given.
I know that I tend to be a waster of time.
I know that I don't always utilize my time wisely.
I know that I need to become a better steward of it.
(Yikes, that is kinda hard to type out loud.)
What about you?
Are you good about managing your time?
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So here's the deal... I am an early to bed, early to rise kinda girl.
I am most productive in the mornings, but I also like to sleep (so the struggle is real).
My alarm goes off at 4:15 am...
then again at 4:25...
then again at 4:35...
then again at 4:45...
See where I'm going with this? The snooze button is my friend, and by the time I get up, lately around 5:00ish, I feel like I have already wasted almost an hour of my day.
So herein lies my dilemma... scale back the goal or scale up the effort?
When you set a goal for yourself that you continually DON'T reach, how does that make you feel?
- Discouraged
- Frustrated
- Angry
- Ready to throw in the towel
Yeah, me too... it becomes harder and harder to work toward that goal when you have it in your head that you won't reach it anyway, doesn't it?
The flip side of that is if you decide to modify the goal, you then feel lazy, like a failure... and by 'you' I mean me, but also maybe you.
No one ever said being a good steward over all these seeds would be easy...
In my mulling this over trying to come up with a good solution, two words came to my mind... (I also told you I like using those three dots, a lot... maybe it will be my trademark, my signature style... I am getting off topic...)
Two words came to my mind... GRIT & GRACE.
You don't quit on a goal just because it's hard. Sometimes you need to grit your teeth, dig in your heels, gristle up, and just do the dang thing... just get out of bed when the stinkin' alarm goes off! Grit...
But sometimes you may need to take a step back, evaluate the plans you have, figure out what makes sense for you. Does that 45-60 minutes that I allow myself to get all bent out of shape over because I spent it in bed, really effect the entire course of my day? Is it worth it to continue to set a goal for myself that I am continually not reaching, just so I can say I didn't quit? Grace...
And guess what... there is no right or wrong!
You get to be the judge and jury.
You get to decide what fits you best.
And you also get to change your mind.
This may seem rather trivial to you, but you can apply these same principles (those two words) to whatever it is in your life that you are trying to accomplish.
For me, today... I think I am going to choose grace.
Tomorrow maybe I'll set the alarm for 4:45.
Maybe I won't set the alarm at all...
No, I definitely won't do that. :)
But friend, if you find yourself always frustrated because you feel like you are never able to hit the mark you've set for yourself... I am giving you permission today to move the mark.
Until next time... Blessings!
