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How To Be Content In A World Full of Discontent

Discontent with 2020

 

Discontent with virtual learning but unsettled about sending them back

 

Discontent with the government 

 

Discontent with work

 

Discontent with yourself 

 

 

So how do we cultivate contentment in a world full of discontent?

 

Contentment is a decision. It is a state of mind. It is looking at the issues of life in the face and choosing JOY in spite of it all. 2020 has presented me ample opportunity to be discontent: 6 children underfoot ev-er-ry second of ev-er-ry day , limited time to execute the treasure trove of ideas in my head, health challenges, missing my friends and more.

 

But you know what?! I am committed to conquering discontent. Every morning when I rise, I give thanks to God, I ask for His wisdom, I come into agreement with heaven’s plan for my day and I purpose in my heart to choose joy.

 

So if you’re in the middle of the battle, here are 10 practical strategies that will position you to be content in a world full of discontent.

 

Train Your Brain

When thoughts of discontent arise like, “The world really sucks right now!” capture those toxic thoughts and replace them with the truth of God’s word. You have the ability to take those thoughts captive and make them obey Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).

 

Have Godly Perspective 

When we look at things from our vantage they can sometimes appear skewed. The eyes of the natural man can warp a scenario like one of those amusement park funhouse mirrors. Which is why we have to see through eyes of faith. We have to have a godly perspective. We can gain godly perspective when we spend time in His word.

 

Purposeful Purge

Get rid of things that no longer spark joy. Purging is so therapeutic for me. The idea of getting rid of stuff just brings me a feeling of satisfaction. Purging also creates space in your heart, mind and emotions. Clear out your house, your contact list, your friends list. Try the purge, it’s very cathartic.  

 

Embrace The Moment

Slow down. Plain and simple.  Be a noticer. Take time to see leaves falling from the trees, a bird soaring overhead, to hear a child’s joy filled squeal, to slowly chew your food and savor the flavor, to feel your chest rise and fall as you breathe deeply. We spend so much of our energy moving from one thing to the next to the next that it’s very easy to miss the beauty that exists in the present moment.

 

Be Humble

Humility recognizes that without God, I can do NOTHING. And maintaining that posture puts your faith and reliance on God and God alone. Your humility positions you to abound in His grace, in His mercy, in His favor and this my friend is the secret sauce for contentment, HUMILITY. 

 

Silence The Voice of the Accuser 

The enemy of your soul wants you discontent. That’s his primary job, to sow lies and discord into your head. He wants you to think you’re not enough. He wants you to think you don’t have enough. Don’t buy into his nonsense. Silence that fool. Tell him what God said, resist him and he will flee from you (James 4:7).

 

Be Grateful

While the enemy may be trying to get you to focus on what you don’t have, give thanks to the Most High for what you DO have. Express your gratitude in praise and worship unto God. What are you grateful for right now? Go ahead, what 5 things immediately come to mind? Thank Him for it.

 

Be Generous

When we give, we take the attention off of ourselves so that we can love and serve others. Are you giving of your time, talents or resources?

 

Eyes on God 

When our attention drifts to what we see what other people have and what other people do,  we can begin comparing. Comparison is an evil trap that robs us of contentment. So let’s be diligent to keep our gaze fixed on God.

 

Honor Yourself

Neglecting yourself is a sure fire set up for discontent. Make a commitment to honor yourself by showing yourself some love, care and attention. Create space for you to nourish yourself, to get rest, exercise, to spend time with God and to embrace the moment. It can be done. Listen, I’m a mom of 6 and it’s not easy as everything is clamoring for my attention. But in order for me to give my best to those counting on me, I’ve got to honor myself. And it doesn’t have to occur in big blocks of time. Ask God to show you the windows of opportunity where you can put yourself on your daily schedule.

 

Listen friend, in the Lord there is no lack! Let me remind you of this verse, you know it well. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want Psalm 23:1. Another version translates that to I LACK NOTHING. So if there is no lack, then there is no discontentment because in Christ you have everything you need.

 

In a world of discontent, the totality of Christ’s love, grace and mercy abound toward you, enabling you to be content.

 

Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. 1 Timothy 6:6-7 

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired to Live Fully!

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It’s My Favorite

Fashion.

Music.

Food.

Books.

People.

 

We can claim to have a favorite. But times changes. Big hair was in. It was my favorite style then but now it’s gone. Fuchsia lipstick is a thing of the past.

 

Favorites are relative to what feels good today. My sweet husband is quick to claim, “It’s My Favorite!”

 

Though there is one favorite I’ve had that hasn’t waned and that’s my love of popcorn. It’s truly the one thing that I know withstanding changes in culture, space and time and space that have remained a constant, a favorite. It’s not just my favorite snack but also my favorite food. Yet this popcorn holds a position that would otherwise be easily occupied by another.

 

What has given my popcorn a place of prominence?

 

What is it about the popcorn that allows it to hold my taste buds and hold my heart?

 

What is it about the popcorn that has cemented it as a lifelong favorite?

 

Simply because it bring me joy.

 

Popcorn doesn’t merely make me happy. Happiness is fleeting and contingent on too many external circumstances. True joy is a state of mind. And everything about popcorn brings me joy. From the smell, to the taste to the motion of eating it, I am filled with joy. Even thinking about it as I type brings a smile to my face.

 

Joy is a condition of the heart. External factors can’t stand a chance against joy.

 

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

 

What are your favorites?

 

Are they things that make you happy or things that bring you joy?

 

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11

 

May you abide in joy that is full and favorites that are fulfilling.

 

Joy… It’s My Favorite.

 

As always it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

 

And if you ever want to make a deposit in my JOY bank, I love Garrett’s Popcorn (hint, hint)

 

Happy to connect today with #FiveMinuteFriday on the word #Favorite

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Summer Slow Down

7 more days. Really?! Seven more school days until the completion of the 2014-2015 school year. Of my 5 children, 3 are in school. Our school year has been greatly extended because of many snow days and delayed openings. And not only does it mark the completion of the school year but also a break from their STEM club and Boy Scouts.

 

With the intensity of their schoolwork, extra curricular activities, my home, business and ministry commitments, we are all in need of the summer slow down. I usually have their summer calendar FULL by April. From VBS and camps to vacations and festivals, that calendar is jammed packed. Not this year friends.

 

I’ve taken a different approach. As always (well, almost all the time), I’ve followed the Holy Spirit’s leading. He gently showed me that some of my family’s joy and fun have been squeezed out. As stated earlier, with the intensity of our day-to-day activities and my husband starting a new job, fun has been in “Life’s” clutches struggling to get free.   So I release FUN from its restraints. We will bask in the summer slow down, embrace the now moment and have fun.

 

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11

 

Lord I resolve not to allow “Doing Life” to squeeze You out, squeeze fun out, squeeze joy out. I will find my delight in You Oh Lord and will reflect your glory and fullness of joy onto my loved ones. And with the reflection of your glory I will command the atmosphere in my home to be saturated with love, joy, peace and fun.

 

To embrace the summer slow down and have fun I’ve left the calendar pretty open. The 3 oldest will have one week of camp each and we’ve got one family vacation planned otherwise, we’ll figure it out as we go along.  I’ll have the children create at least 20 things they want to do and we’ll put them in a jar and pick.

 

And so far we are off to a great start. I went to an all-day jazz concert with a friend who is witty and kept me in stitches. The children have had fun hanging out at The National Harbor, a pool party, eating out (which is a real treat because we usually eat at home) a health and fitness expo, and a water gun battle. Now if mommy and daddy can get a date night….

 

Some of my personal favorite ways of summer slow down:

 

~Reading historical Christian fiction

~Going to the beach

~Going to a concert

~Sitting in a coffee shop with my laptop and a steaming cup of Joe (this is a rare treat)

~Sitting on the front step of my home, gazing out onto the water, listening to the birds and geese.

 

What are you doing to embrace the summer slow down and have fun? Let me hear from you. If you are challenged with granting yourself permission to have fun, CLICK HERE.

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

Happy to connect with these friends encouraging the Body Life Giving Linkup, Purposeful Faith, Dance With Jesus, Grace & Truth

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Does God Want You To Have Fun?

Ok, sometimes, actually most times I think I’m just a bit too serious. My life necessitates it; lots to do for lots of people. This requires me to have laser focus and to carry out affairs in militaristic fashion. Then couple that with my A-Type personality, perfectionist nature and being a borderline Pharisee, leaves a sister little room to even think about fun, recreation or pleasurable activities.

 

The Pharisee in me thinks, “My God is a God of order. He is a God of rules. Just get the work done. Maybe you’ll have time for fun later”. But then God dropped this in my spirit, “Your denial of pleasure wasn’t imposed by me. It was self-imposed. Lighten up and have a little fun.”

 

Can it be? Does God want you to have fun?

 

I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;

I refused my heart no pleasure.

my heart took delight in all my labor,

and this was the reward for all my toil.

Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done

and what I had toiled to achieve,

everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;

nothing was gained under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 2:10-11

 

My heart’s cry is to not meaninglessly toil, in an effort to serve the Lord and obey Him, yet do so with joy. I do carry out my work cheerfully as unto God. Still, in my working, living, moving and doing I am a vibrant BEING who should have fun BE-ing. It’s not as if I’m trying to imbibe in the pleasures of the world such as riotous living, I’m merely talking about granting myself permission to do things that are pleasurable. This has been a constant struggle for me. You can read more about that here. But God is helping me by continuing to reveal His truth. And He is showing me that fun; joy and delight are all close to His heart. He is showing me that my family would be blessed if I allowed myself to have more fun.

 

Jesus said in John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

 

Life more abundantly sounds fun and lively to me, not stiff and always so business like. Let me just stick a pin here and say, I do have lots of fun with my children. They think I’m silly and funny. I like to make jokes with them, do silly dances and I always threaten to embarrass them at school with my funny antics; it’s allowing myself to have fun, be joyous and experience pleasure in things that are just for Tyra that presents a problem for me.

 

Does God want us to have fun?

 

Delight yourself also in the Lord,

And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:4

 

Again, seems to me like God wants holy, righteous, delight, and joy and for us to have fun that is rooted in Him.

 

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 16:11

 

God Has Fun

 

I can only imagine God creating man and creating the heavens and the earth. Sure, it was serious business, but to play in the dirt and create man ….Mmm that must have been at least a little fun. Children love having fun playing in the dirt ’til this day. God himself delights in you. He also works in us to will and to do for His good pleasure.

 

God Created Us With Pleasure Sensors

God gave us our senses to relate to the beautiful, wonderful world He created. The pleasure sensors allow us to actively engage with Him and with others.

 

God Encourages Us To Have Fun

While the Word cautions us against riotous living, we also see many examples in the Word of people engaging in pleasurable activities. From David dancing undignified to feasts and celebrations, folks were having a good time. When the prodigal son came home they killed the fatted calf and proceed to have a PAR-TAY!!! God encourages fellowship among believers. So should I feel bad if I want to enjoy an evening out with a girlfriend sharing laughs and having fun?

 

God has granted me permission for pleasure. And step-by-step I’m giving myself permission to accept it. Last year I went on a week vacation with my husband, our 1st time away, just the 2 of us in 12 years. We hadn’t been away since before we had our 1st born. Before going I really wrestled with the decision to go. Even up to the week before I had guilt about leaving my children to do something fun. I had crazy, twisted thoughts like, “A good mother doesn’t abandon her children”. What?! But I know these thoughts stem from my childhood. But I thank God for walking me through the process to free me. And indeed that vacation with the Hubs was one of the best experiences in my life.

 

So I’ve declared that this is the summer of fun! I am granting myself permission for pleasure. I will go out to dinner with a friend just for the sake of laughs and fun and not feel guilty about it. I will go to a concert and dance and sing.

 

And right after I made this declaration to myself, my 6 year old daughter asked me randomly out of the blue, “Mommy what do you like to do for fun?’ I was so taken aback since I’d just gone through this whole dialogue with the Lord about this. Then I had to think on it for a while. I’ve denied myself fun pleasurable activities so much, I couldn’t quickly think of what I DO like to do for fun.

 

And wouldn’t you know, after making this declaration, I received a phone call. A friend has invited me to an all-day Jazz Fest. Oh what fun! But my 1st thought, “Oh, I can’t go.” But no, It’s a new day. I’m going AND I’ve given myself permission to be excited about it and to have fun. Thank you Lord for permission to LIVE FULLY!

 

A merry heart does good, like medicine

But a broken spirit dries the bones.

Proverbs 17:22

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

Happy to connect with friends at Life Giving Linkup Purposeful Faith Women  With Intention Dance With Jesus Grace and Truth

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How To Get Rest

Intel’s fastest PC processing chip does about 3.5 GHz. Perhaps my brain was clocking 8 GHz. Thoughts about managing people, projects, homework, housework, spiritual warfare, tenants, ministry events, oh not to mention my own health, appointments, helping others and the list goes on and on.

 

Then He gently whispered, “I will lead you beside still waters.”

 

This is something I’ve heard Him say before. In fact, He leads me beside still waters almost daily but then one of those sweet little people of mine find some way to encroach on my STILLNESS.

 

Then He whispered again, “I will lead you beside still waters.”

 

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So the day commences with a flurry of activity, make breakfast for 7 people, pack lunches for 5, drop one off extra early in the a.m. for music, drop 2 others, go somewhere else drop off one more. From there I’d normally rush back to get in some exercise but I told myself, “Break from the routine. Go to the park.” The park it is. There I exercised and had fun with my littlest guy. We were about to rush back to begin the next series of errands but God drew my attention to the pond. Just a stone’s throw to my left, the still waters.

 

“Come, sit with me a while,” he beckoned.

 

And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14

 

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So disregarding the voice in my head that wanted to rush out of the park to “Get things done” I heeded the voice of the Lord.

 

I squarely placed myself in the middle of the bench. My little guy climbed up beside me and rested his head on my lap. As I gaze out at the water, love, joy and peace overcame me.

 

geese

Truly my soul finds rest in God;

my salvation comes from him.

Truly he is my rock and my salvation;

he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

Psalm 62:1-2

 

Newton’s 1st law of motion says:

 

An object that is in motion will stay in motion with the same speed and direction unless an external force acts upon it. An object that is at rest will stay at rest unless an external force acts upon it. The unbalanced force changes the state of motion. This law of generally called the law of inertia.

 

From this we can deduce that we will keep doing what we usually do unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. Glory be to God that it is HE who wants to tilt me in His direction. He provides the imbalance so that I can recalibrate and find my balance in Him and in Him alone. When I REST in Him, I am refreshed and renewed. My peace is like a river and my joy is full. He said in His presence there is fullness of joy.

 

When He beckons you to be still, to come sit a while, don’t disregard His prompting. Heed the voice of God. In Him is how to get rest.

pond2

Caring for the temple requires proper nourishment, exercise and REST. Be intentional about getting rest today. Perhaps you could:

 

~Have quiet time

~Take a nap

~Get adequate sleep

~Embrace the now moment

 

What will you do today to purposefully get rest?

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It is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

  1. Happy to connect with friends at Fellowship Friday’s & Dance With Jesus 
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