God can do amazing things with the 'little' that you think you have to offer... it's enough!
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Did you ever play this game as a kid (or maybe even as an adult)?
You are just going along your merry way, you have almost made it to the finish line, that 100 square with the big ribbon on it is in sight... and all of the sudden you hit a chute! Just like that, you find yourself all the way back to the bottom of the board. You are crushed, devastated, ready to give up because the board is filled with so many chutes you wonder if you will ever be victorious.
Such is life, right?
We find ourselves just going along our merry way... then BAM! Tragedy strikes, sickness is diagnosed, a job is lost, the stock market crashes, the economy is turned upside down, bills aren't getting paid... you have hit a chute and it sends you spiraling to the bottom of the board.
So what are you going to do?
Become frustrated because it feels like you are faced with so many obstacles?
Wallow there because you know more problems are waiting?
Determine that there is no point in trying again?
OR... grab a ladder and climb out!
Oh the joy that comes when you land on a ladder... you are at the lowest of lows, there are so many squares on the board and so many chutes that you need to get by, right? But then, one spin of the spinner lands you on the biggest ladder on the entire board and you climb all the way to the top. Oh, glorious day!!
You have the ability, with God's help, to shift your perspective and climb the ladder!
See, when you encounter a problem, it does not have to send you into a downward spiral. That is what happens when we are not being good stewards of our mind and we allow the problem to consume us instead of focusing on the solution.
Immediately, look up. Ask God to allow you to see this problem from His perspective. What is the end result that can only be reached by walking this particular road? Oh my, when we can take that high road and look at things from above, we quickly realize that "our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." 2 Corinthians 4:16
(Ok, wait... let's be real... we may not quickly realize that truth, but it is possible to eventually be able to recognize the good, see the light, and find the purpose.)
Yes, you will be faced with difficulties and challenges.
Yes, you will hit chutes in this life that will send you spiraling.
Yes, you will find yourself being blindsided with trouble.
On these days, look to Jesus and affirm your trust in Him.
Yes, you will have days when life is good.
Yes, you will have moments when problems are absent.
Yes, you will experience times of victory.
On these days, rejoice and thank Him continually.
No matter if you find yourself at the bottom of a chute or the top of a ladder, always keep your eyes on the prize, the end goal, the hope of Heaven.
Until next time...
Until next time...
Blessings!!
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If you are looking for support and encouragement, and a group of like-minded women looking for the same, you are welcome in Guarding the Gate. We are getting ready to embark, together, on a 30-Day Transformation Challenge to take back control of our days and shift our focus. Find us HERE, the gate is open for you, friend!
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! :)
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!
