Posts

What Is Soul Care & Why You Need It Now

Newscasters are telling us. Social media influencers are telling us. Our doctors are telling us.

SELF-CARE
SELF-CARE
SELF-CARE

 

But these days it seems as if self-care has been reduced to temporary, quick fixes. Perhaps a mani/pedi, massage, glass of wine, night with the crew will invoke happy feelings, but in and of themselves they are short lived. While spa visits and whoosah moments are a sweet reprieve from the constant chatter of the world, in and of themselves they will not satisfy your soul’s need for care. This is why we must extend beyond self-care and embrace SOUL CARE.

 

Your soul is your mind, your will and your emotions. And God has given you a soul as a means of connecting with the natural world. But if you are not careful, you begin to live more out of our soul than out of our spirit. You are 1st a spirit being, don’t forget that.

 

Why do you need to care for your soul? Our life experiences directly influence the health of our souls. And when we are subject to hurts, disappoints, other trauma we end up with soul wounds. But there is good news. God has the balm to soothe and heal our wounded souls. But that requires us to present ourselves to Him. We must surrender completely to Him. So let us look at the three areas that comprise the soul.

 

MIND

 

Day by day, moment by moment we must renew our minds. We are bombarded by so much information that infiltrates our minds and much of it is untrue. Which is why we have to constantly feed ourselves the TRUTH of God’s word.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

 

With all that we are experiencing in our world today: pandemic, civil unrest, unemployment, under-employment, health crises and more, it is easy to succumb under the weight of all that pressure.
It is critical that we employ practices that support our mental health. Turning to the truth of God’s word is an effective strategy for managing our thought life. And I have created this resource to support you in calming the mind when everything around you is raging. In Solace In The Storm, my latest devotional, I unlock the promises of Psalm 46, strengthening your resolve that even in the midst of troubles, God’s peace will prevail. I pray that the mind that was in Christ Jesus is also in you (Philippians 2:5) as you keep your mind stayed on Him.

 

WILL

 

Jesus is our example for living. And He emphatically stated that He lived to DO the will of the Father (JOHN 4:34). Our will and God’s will tend to be diametrically opposed. We are naturally inclined to do what we want, when we want, how we want. But this is not God’s desire for us.

Through reading God’s word, prayer and times of solitude, God’s will, will become apparent to us. The onus is then on us to bring our will into alignment with His. And by the power of the Holy Spirit at work in you, you have divine enablement to do this.  For He works in you both to will and to do according to His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13).

 

EMOTIONS

 

God’s gift of emotions is a beautiful treasure but if mishandled becomes problematic. When we are self-centered and self-focused only we can easily allow our emotions to dictate our behavior. But when we are Christ-centered and Christ-focused, we allow the Holy Spirit at work in us to lead and He empowers us to manage our emotions through the spirit.

 

Your range of emotions is not a bad thing. In fact, emotions are a great tool for letting us know what we are sensing and experiencing at any given moment. Without emotions we would not know joy overflowing and abounding love. The key is to acknowledge the emotion we are feeling, to consider its source or root and to surrender it to the Lord. Your flesh and all its longing are crucified and it is Christ that lives in you (Galatians 2:20), empowering you to manage your emotions.

 

Even the food you eat directly impacts  your emotions. If you eat foods that are processed, full of chemicals and additives it’s going to come out in your attitude! Be sure to choose food & beverages that support your peace and well-being. Adaptogens such as reishi mushroom, rosemary and ashwagandha, support feelings of calm and well-being.

 

Here is a simple, nutritious way to start your day. Instead of a sugary carb loaded breakfast, pair this granola with some fruit to start your day.

NUTTY SEED GRANOLA

 

When you spend time strengthening your inner man, you abide in the spirit, you walk in the spirit, and are led of the spirit. In that manner, your spirit takes precedence and enables you to master your soul.

 

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

 

 

 

/0 Comments/by
,

3 Easy Steps To SPRING Forth

Ok. I’m officially putting out an APB for Spring.

“SPRING, where are you?”

I don’t know how the weather is where you are, but where I am, temperatures are unseasonably low. In fact, most days here are more than 20 degrees below average for this time of year. And for some, the weather can impact how we feel. Cold temps, cloudy days and rain can leave us feeling depleted.

Have your personal wellness goals been S-L-O-W on the take?

SLOW to eat right?

SLOW to exercise?

SLOW to daily prayer, study and meditation?

[bctt tweet=”I’ve come to declare your winter season is over, it’s time to SPRING FORTH!” username=”inspiredfully”]

God says there is a time and season for everything under the heavens and even though spring has been delayed in the natural, in the spirit it is your time to Spring Forth.

Behold, the former things have come to pass,
And new things I declare;
Before they spring forth I tell you of them.

Isaiah 42:9

Without even knowing all the details, I know God has been whispering some things to you. He’s been telling you what He wants you to do because He’s preparing you for the NEW. He just doesn’t sneak up on you. Before He does a thing, He gives you some insight. He says it right in the above scripture. And He also confirms it in the scritpure below telling you again that the new thing is going to happen, you’ll know about it and He’ll make provision for it. Isn’t that reassuring?

Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert.

Isaiah 43:19

But we’ve got to be prepared to receive the NEW. We have to be obedient to the things He’s already told us to do. We’ve got to be diligent and disciplined so that we are equipped to MOVE with that which is SPRINGING FORTH. If we are not equipped, we can miss our opportunity. And I don’t want us to miss out on what God has for us so let’s get ready to MOVE.

Here are 3 Easy Step To SPRING Forth

MIND

TODAY, purpose that you will meditate for 3 mintues. You can do this! Steal away to a quiet place. Grab a scripture. Heck, you can even choose from the 2 I’ve listed above. Still your body. Bring awareness to your body. Starting at the top of your head then moving down each part of your body to your toes, allow yourself to relax. As you move through this, you may notice some areas that are tense. Grant yourself permission to be present in that space, permission to breath and permission to BE. Embrace that moment by being present. Pick up your scripture and say it. Think on it. Repeat it. Then listen for what God has to say to you about it.

BODY

TODAY, you can commit to honor your temple through proper nourishment. If you don’t already have it, grab your HOW TO BUILD A BETTER SALAD free printable and prepare yourself a salad for lunch or for dinner. You can do this! Incorporating one salad a day is an EXCELLENT way to nourish your body. But you want a salad that will improve your wellbeing and not detract from it so be sure to grab that printable so that you are building a salad that honors not defiles as certain dressings and toppings can compromise your efforts.

SPIRIT

Let us worship God in spirit and in truth. He is TRUTH. So take time TODAY to worship. Whether you do that through prayer, meditation, dance or song, connect your spirit with His. Oh even the though makes my heart soar and makes me eager to finish up this post so I can RUNNNNNN into His arms and dance, dance, dance. That is exactly what my spirit is doing right now as I offer myself to God in worship. He scooped me right up and we are dancing in a HUGE ballroom! WHOOOO!!!! However it looks for you, just free yourself to worship uninhibited.

I know you can do this.

Is one of the 3 a struggle for you? Let me know in the comments so I can pray for you.

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

Happy to connect with these friends sharing the Good News Mommy Moments, Purposeful Faith, Chasing Community

/6 Comments/by
,

It’s All In Your Mind

Thoughts running rampant,

Thoughts running free,

Headed for disaster,

Can’t catch me.

 

Thought

 

This is what my ego scream when it tosses toxic thoughts in the air of my mind. The thoughts catch wind and drift, sail, free fall and course freely through my stream of consciousness.

 

But God.

 

He calms the wind. He calms the seas. When our minds are staid on Him, He keeps us in perfect peace.

 

He teaches me to ARREST the thoughts on the spot. He reminds me that those imaginations must bow down to the Truth. He reminds me I have the power to take every thought captive and make it obey Him.

 

Minute by minute I must renew my mind. As the ego seeks to feed and preserve its selfish longings, I must continue to flex my spiritual muscle, strengthening the inner man. This is metanoia.

 

Metanoia μετάνοια, ας, ἡ

To change one’s heart and life by the renewing of the mind.   When used most frequently in the bible, it is translated as the word repentance. But its connotation runs much deeper. Not only does it mean to have sorrow and turn away from, even more so it means a conversion, a changing of the inner man.

 

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Romans 12:1-2

 

Because I am a Believer, the mind that is in me is the mind of Christ (Phil 2:5).

 

Like the leaves that are now changing color here in the Northeast, the pigments of yellow, red, and orange have been there the whole time. But it takes changes in the environment to ignite changes in the leaves. The same can be said for the transformation of the mind. As a Believer who has the mind of Christ, His thoughts, His pure, true, lovely, praiseworthy thoughts are in my mind. But I must call them forward. And I do that by continuing to strengthen my inner man. I do that by reading and hearing the Word. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

 

So when my mind screams:

~You coach countless parents but your own children are acting up

~You’re doing all this working out. And for what? You’ve still got that roll on your back.

~Everyone around you is prospering and growing. What’s wrong with you?

~You can’t speak on that topic with authority because you don’t have the credentials.

~You’ve tried before in business and failed. This time won’t be any different.

~God why are you doing this to me right now? I can’t take another thing!

 

I must effect change like the leaves turning their vibrant hues and reply with:

~My children honor their parents for it is the first commandment with a promise.

~My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and I will glorify God in my body which is His.

~I rejoice with those that rejoice. I do not covet. His promises are Yes and Amen for what He has already reserve with my name on it.

~The Holy Spirit has come upon me and I have received power. Now I can go and be your witness in the sphere of influence You’ve given me.

~When I obey You shall make my way prosperous and I shall be a good success.

~Lord I thank you for equipping me for every good work.  Through it all you’ve never left nor forsaken me.

 

[bctt tweet=”Like Jesus responding to temptation in the wilderness, I must stand on the Word.”]

 

I see myself having been raised with Christ. I set my mind on things above and am not consumed by temporal things that soon fade away. I see the beauty of the kingdom of heaven here at hand. I put to death my selfish ambitions and seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

 

So join me in the sacred space of metanoia where the inner man is transformed by the renewing of the mind. It’s All In Your Mind. There is definitely a war being waged friends, and you know where that battle is taking place: The Battlefield of the Mind. But we are fully equipped in our armor and will stand steadfast on the Solid Rock.

 

I am victorious!

 

You are victorious!

 

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

 

Photo Credit
Happy to connect with these friends sharing the Good News Grace&Truth, #DanceWithJesus

/5 Comments/by

Scriptures For LIVING FULLY Mind, Body & Spirit

Indeed it is God’s desire that you be in health and prosper even as your soul prospers. Jesus came that YOU may have LIFE and have it more abundantly and you experience the abundant life when you properly nourish your mind, your body and your spirit.

 

What are you to do when?

 

~Toxic thoughts run rampant

~You eat one slice of cake and reach for a second

~You forego your exercise

~You stay up late on social media knowing you have to wake up early

~You spend 2 hours watching TV but only 5 minutes on devotions

 

Yup, those days will occur. But we can take a proactive approach. We can arm ourselves so those days are the exception and not the rule. And we arm ourselves with the Word.

 

We STAND ON TRUTH.

 

When your flesh wants to pull you in that direction, meditate on these verses to stay firmly rooted and planted in Him. We hide these words in our hearts so that we don’t sin against Him. So dive in and feast on this nourishing sustenance. Here are some of my favorite scriptures for living fully mind, body & spirit.

 

MIND

 

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Romans 12:1-2

 

Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; Try my mind and my heart.

Psalm 26:2

 

You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.

Isaiah 26:3

 

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.

Mark 12:30

 

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus

Philippians 2:5

 

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:7

 

I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.

Deuteronomy 30:19

 

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5:23

 

 

BODY

 

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

 

“And God said, behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for food.”


Genesis 1:29

 

He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.”

Exodus 15:26

 

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Hebrews 12:11

 

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31

 

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

3 John 1:2

 

Behold, I will bring it health and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth.

Jeremiah 33:6

 

 

SPIRIT

 

But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

John 4:23-24

 

So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then.  But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”

1 Peter 1:14-16

 

Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Matthew 26:41

 

 The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

John 14:17

 

And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

Luke 2:40

 

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Romans 8:5-6

 

 

What are some of your favorite scriptures for living FULLY mind, body and spirit?

 

 

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

 

Happy to connect with these friends sharing the Good News Grace & Truth Dance With Jesus

/8 Comments/by

The Release Of The Spirit

At the grocery store checkout through a pack of gum?!

It’s amazing the ways God chooses to speak to His people. So yes, God did communicated a powerful truth through a pack of gum. And it’s not the 1st time He’s spoken to me in an unusual fashion. He’s spoken to me by vigorously waving tree branches on a still windless day. I’ve even heard His booming voice from heaven audibly call my name. And that happened while I was new in the faith so it was quite unnerving.

 

On my weekly trip to the grocery store, as I stood in the checkout line I glanced over at the gum, My eyes landed right on Mentos Pure Fresh. Mentos Pure Fresh Gum has three layers.   A hard candy outer shell, a chewy, gummy layers then a cool liquid center. And you and I are like the Mentos gum. We are three layered persons. Our hard shell represents our outer most physical body, the gum layer being our mind, will and emotions and the center our spirit. To release the liquid center of the gum, we must get through two tough layers. And the same can be said for releasing our spirit. Let’s journey through the layers.

 

HARD SHELL

Oh how we long to satisfy the desires of the flesh.

 

When angry, we want to holler or play the power move of being passive aggressive.

 

When hurt or sad we may turn to food or other external sources for comfort.

 

That hard outer shell of the gum, the tough, rebellious outer layer of our person, the flesh, MUST crucify its longings to get to the next layer. That outer shell like the outer shell of an M&M can be cracked. Will we embrace being cracked? Do we see the value and benefit of being broken before God?

 

Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. John 12:24

 

CHEWY GUM

When the flesh and its longings have been bought under subjection, we can then reach the next layer of ourselves and that is our mind, will and emotions. And like chewing gum, they are malleable. Just like our teeth and tongue crush, squeeze, fold and turn gum, God takes our mind, will and emotions and turns and squeezes them so that are bought to the obedience of Christ.

 

Therefore do not lose heart, even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16

 

While there are many well meaning, good intentions we may have, unless they are in alignment with the will of the Lord, they are for naught. It is not OUR will but HIS will that must be done.

 

LIQUID CENTER

Now I find there are three camps people fall into when eating layered candies like M&M’s and this gum. Some lick each layer. Some nibble each layer. And the last just bite through the whole thing. Whatever the strategy, each layer is enjoyed yet the center holds the promise, like getting to the center of a Tootsie Pop lollipop.

 

It behooves us to remain aware and sensitive so that we don’t miss Him. Now every time I SEE the Mentos gum, think about the Mentos gum, or even smell minty gum, I am reminded that Jesus is the center and I have to remain centered in Him.

 

In the case of the Mentos, the outer layer seems to hold the most intense flavor. The mint is strong and fills the nostrils. The mint is cool yet fiery. And when eating the gum, one wants that minty outer layer to last forever. And we can be like that, wanting to satisfy our desires forever. But do you not know there is even more intense flavor inside waiting to be released? For the liquid center inside the gum is even more intense, even more pungent. And the same can be said for your spirit. Your spirit man is capable of producing MORE fruit than your flesh ever could.

 

And this is the work of the Lord. Day by day He puts us in situations where we will be challenged to crack the hard outer shell of our bodily desires, where we will have to stretch and squeeze the longings of our will so that our spirit man will be released to flow freely and fly right in line with the Lord.

 

This is His desire for you. This is His desire for me, that we would be broken before Him so that our spirits can commune with Him and with other like-minded spirits to expedite the work of building the Kingdom here on earth. This is truly living. Doing the work that we were purposed and placed here for from the beginning of time.

 

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The Words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” John 6:63

 

Last year I asked the Lord to move my relationship with Him from my head to my heart. My head knows plenty about the Lord; I have memorized His word, I have seen His work, I have heard and continue to hear Him speak. The first two layers of ME know plenty about Him. Oh but I desire more than just head knowledge about Him. I long to know Him intimately. I long to commune with Him. I pine for the opportunity to hang out with Him and learn from Him. So He simply beckoned me to “COME!” And when I walked toward Him, the desires of my first two layers, my body and my will HAD to fall away. To sit with Him and hear from Him required me to respond. And to respond appropriately, obediently required me to deny myself so that my spirit could receive and act accordingly.

 

In his book The Release Of The Spirit, Watchman Nee says, “Our spirit is released according to the degree of our brokenness. The one who has accepted the most discipline is the one who can best serve. The more one is broken, the more sensitive he can be.” He goes on to say it is, “Through the Spirit’s discipline, that the outer man is broken. And, through the Spirit’s revelation, the powers of the outer man are completely divided from the spirit.”

 

Therefore, through disciplining ourselves and by divine revelation of the Holy Spirit, our inner man, our spirit man is released and is FREE.

 

In what ways are you being broken?

Can you see blessing in brokenness?

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!
Happy to connect with these friends spreading the Good News Purposeful Faith

/17 Comments/by
,

Under Attack

The three attacks came. Right on the heels of each another. Within 48 hours, three incidents that completely floored me. I was under attack.

 

I am a person who walks around with rose-colored lenses on. I hope for the best and believe the best about people. So I was completely caught off guard when I was attacked and at church no less.

 

And to make matters worse, I was coming off a week of being totally immersed in the presence of the Holy Spirit. So engulfed was I in His presence that I didn’t see it coming. I open, accessible and vulnerable. After the attacks, I was left feeling hurt, wronged and violated.

 

One physical attack to my body. From face to feet, full body rash. Guess now I know I’m allergic to a particular type of antibiotic. This is exactly why I don’t take medicine. But I trusted the Dr. and I didn’t want my thumb to fall off or create another series of problems so I consented to taking this medication. Well, guess it caused another problem after all. So here I was with this full body rash and was scheduled to speak early the next morning on the topic of “Restoration of the Body”. I was self conscious about what to wear because I had red alligator skin from head to toe. Even my lips were swollen. But God is faithful. My friend helped me select a dress that covered most of the redness and prayer helped calm my nerves.

 

That was immediately followed by vicious attacks from people. My heart is hurting just thinking about it. All my heart wants to do is encourage, support and love people and to have that stepped on and crushed is devastating.

 

The pain from these events caused me to:

 
~Emotionally Eat

I ate a box of Junior Mint and I don’t normally eat candy. But it was comforting to mindlessly eat something sugary. I did resist the urge to get a big cup of coffee. I only wanted the coffee as a means to assuage my hurt feelings.

 

~Want To Give Up

I clearly know the things God has called me to do. And I’ve readily said yes to carry them out. But when faced with personal attacks, I questioned the Lord and wondered why I even bother coaching, supporting, giving, encouraging. My thoughts were, ”Really Lord?! Do I need this drama? I can just be at home, caring for me and mine.” I even told my friend as much. To which she quickly reminded me of the truth. This is a spiritual battle and I must engage accordingly. So when you find yourself engaged in battle, there is no need to panic, flee or overreact. Take a deep breath and engage by using the tools in your arsenal.

 

 

PRAY

Ask God to give you eyes to see and ears to hear the truth in the situation

Pray for all parties, entities involved

 

PROTECT

Put On Your Armor (Ephesians 6:10-20)

Take Cover (Psalm 91)

Know that Jehovah Sabaoth, The Lord of Hosts goes before you

When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.

 

PRAISE

Your praise is your battle cry

Praise Him that you’ve already secured the victory

This is the chorus to a song I love. It reminds me God is on my side, Chris Tomlin’s Whom Shall I Fear

“I know who goes before me

I know who stands behind

The God of angel armies

Is always by my side

The one who reigns forever

He is a friend of mine

The God of angel armies

Is always by my side”

 

Be encouraged friends. When you are purposefully pursuing Christ, fiery darts will come your way to try to deflate you, distract you and discourage you. But God! You are an overcomer. You are a valiant soldier. You are victorious!

 

Let us pray. I lift my eyes to the hills, where my help comes from. Jehovah Sabaoth, Lord of Hosts, who is mighty in battle, thank you for loving me and protecting me. You are a very present help in the time of trouble. If You, Oh God are for me, who can be against me? I am more than a conqueror through You who loves me. Let every tongue that rises against me in judgment be put to shame. Let every plot, trap and scheme of the enemy be cancelled in Jesus’ name. Lord I thank you for the intercessors that are praying on my behalf. May you bless them indeed. Thank you for giving your angels charge over me. Thank you for securing the victory!

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!
Happy to connect with friends @ Fellowship Friday’s

/8 Comments/by
, ,

The Battlefield of The Mind

“Do you really think you’ll EVER be able to do that?”

 

“Do you really think that will be successful?”

 

“You ALWAYS keep messing up!”

 

“You’re not qualified.”

 

“Hmm, maybe you should scale that idea back. It won’t work anyway.”

 

The battlefield of the mind

 

It’s Wellness Wednesday here at Inspired Life and most Wednesdays I share something related to physical wellness, but my friends today it is heavy on my heart to talk about the war we wage in the MIND. Total wellness requires nurturing the spirit, body and the mind. We cannot achieve optimal wellness without embracing mental wellness. To neglect one area is to neglect the others so let’s put on our armor and commence to wage war.

 

The battlefield is indeed in the mind.

 

I tend to think of myself as someone who does what the scripture says:

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. Phil 4:8

 

But somewhere, somehow, the enemy wormed his way into my mind with some of the lies stated above. I realize when feel hard pressed on every side, I’ve prone to believe these lies and accept them as truth. And that fool has been kind of slick with it too, he knows he cannot attack me with ridiculous, outlandish lies so he’s planted these little ones which I’ve come to accept.

 

 

As a young child, week after week I expected my father to rescue me from a home and community filled with drug abuse, violence, and poverty but that didn’t happen. Elementary school and middle school I expected my mother to show up at my graduations but that didn’t happen. These and many other disappointments caused me to “expect nothing”. That was really a defense mechanism to shield myself from further hurt. I came to see that I was projecting that same small thinking on God, “expect little to nothing so you won’t be hurt or disappointed”.

 

But God says:

I am able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that you can ask or think.

My plans are to give you a future and a hope.

You will not be put to shame.

 

When God has wired you to be a cautious person then couple that with uncontrollable life circumstances thrust on you during childhood, one can become overly cautious as a means of self-preservation. And that has continued but the enemy uses it against me and distorts it. And I’ve come to accept his lie that I have to tread cautiously, calculate every move, wear a life vest, diving suit, and scuba gear for a swim on the shore.

 

But God says:

Blessed is the man that trusts in me.

Trust in the name of the Lord.

I will never leave nor forsake you.

Be strong and of good courage for I am with you where ever you go.

Believe in me.

Come to me.

 

Again in my small expectation thinking, I’m afraid to ask for much. And the much I’m talking about is NOT, “God give me a fly ride and new clothes”. I’m talking about basic needs like food and shelter and an opportunity to grow in ministry for His namesake. But that part of me that’s afraid of disappointment, of the potential of it NOT happening is afraid to ask because if what I ask for doesn’t come to pass, then what will I believe about MY GOD?

 

 

But God says:

I am able to make all grace abound toward you so that you have all sufficiency for every good work.

Your expectation is from Me not from people.

If you obey and heed my commands you will prosper and have good success.

Give and it will be given to you pressed down, shaken together, running over.

 

I had accepted these lies, but no more! I do not desire to be double minded for the doubled minded person is unstable. I find stability in Christ. He is the stable, strong rock and fortress around which I erect my thoughts. And I urge you friends to take your thoughts captive to obey Christ. By the power of the Spirit at work in you, take back your mind.

 

It is so critical to manage our thought life because what we think is what we become.

 

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. Proverbs 23:7

 

So how do we nourish a healthy thought life? How do we renew our minds?

 

Helmet

Put on the mind of Christ. Put on the helmet of salvation; deflecting any blows to the confidence we have in Christ.

 

Confession

Confess the truth of what God says about you, your family, or any situation you may encounter. Meditate on the things mentioned in Philippians 4:8

 

Give Thanks

God’s grace abounds towards me and towards you. Every second we are presented with an abundance of gifts from Him. He is constantly showing me how much He loves me and for that I give thanks. From the beauty of the sunrise to the squinty-eyed grin of my two year old, I am presented with gift after gift. The onus is on me to recognize the gift, accept the gift, be grateful for the gift and treasure the gift.

 

Embrace the Now Moment

Continuously redirect your attention to all that is real and truthful in THIS MOMENT. Take your eyes off what could have, should have, might have happened and focus on what is. At present my lungs expand and contract as I breathe in the breath of life, my children are safely nestled in their beds, my belly is full, I have the peace of God, His love fills my heart, I am safe, I am warm.

 

This quote has been attributed to several different people. I’m not sure who truly ought to get the credit, but it’s a good one,

 

“Sow a thought, and you reap an act;

Sow an act, and you reap a habit;

Sow a habit, and you reap a character;

Sow a character, and you reap a destiny.”

 

Your destiny hinges on the every thought you are thinking right now. Surrender your thought life to Him. Give room for His thoughts to become your thoughts. By the power of the spirit at work in you, you are more than a conqueror. You are the victor on the battlefield of the mind.

 

You have the mind of Christ!

 

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

 

Photo Credit

Happy to connect with friends at Purposeful Faith Dance With Jesus Equipping Godly Women Life Giving Linkup

/9 Comments/by
,

Get Your Mind Right

In preparation for moving forward in your destiny, you’ve got to GET YOUR MIND RIGHT. Not just you, me too. I’m on my way to my destiny, my victory; I’m on my way. I will not allow anything to hinder my forward progress, including my own stinking thinking. In order for me to run, not walk the race that’s been set before me, I have to cultivate a thought life that is consistently in alignment with the truth.

 

So before we go setting resolutions, making plans, and strategizing our 2015, let’s purpose in our hearts to weed then cultivate the landscape of our minds because what you think is what will become of your life.

 

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.

Psalm 23:7

 

In order for us to fulfill the call of God on our lives, we must have right thinking. Getting our minds right and focusing on truth brings us into alignment with His perfect will for our lives. Getting our minds right means that we cast down untruths that attempt to usurp the truth of God’s word concerning us.

 

Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:5

 

We will put on the mind of Christ, weed out the lies and speak truth over our families, our communities, and ourselves.

 

How do you get your mind right?

 

You put on the mind of Christ and get your mind right by declaring what God says. The mind is prone to thinking toxic, unhealthy thoughts. We may spend much of our thought life rehashing what happened in the past, who did us wrong, what mistakes we made, who we may or may not have offended and on and on. Or we may spend much of our thought life projecting into the future speculating about what could possibly happen if…We can curb some of that thinking by focusing instead on embracing what we do have which is this present moment. For more on embracing the now moment, click here.

 

We renew the mind by taking our focus off what has happened, could happen or our own beliefs on the matter and instead focus on what God says about the matter.

 

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Romans 12:2

 

We renew the mind by meditating on truth.

 

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. Philippians 4:8

 

There have been times where my thinking has not been in alignment with the truth of God’s word. I’ve had instances when I’ve been driving that I’ve visualized myself getting into a car accident. I can play the whole story out in my head, replete with screams, broken glass, injuries and more. But putting on the mind of Christ, I am training myself to meditate on the truth. So I picture myself reeling in that toxic thought and I then commence to replace it with the truth that says, “He has given His angels charge over me to keep me in all my ways.” With time and practice I’ve been able to completely eradicate some of my old toxic thoughts.

 

Like a garden, the mind is fertile ground. How thoughts are fed and what they are fed directly contributes to their growth or demise.

 

On my daily drives up and down my street, I admire one of my neighbor’s landscaping. His grass is meticulously cut, hedges precisely trimmed and plants and other greenery strategically appointed with not a weed in sight. I watch him as he hauls out several mowers, a wheel barrel, trimmers and more to artfully and carefully sculpt and maintain his well tended landscaping. He is out there often, seems like several days a week seeing to his well-crafted handiwork.

landscaping 1

 

“A man’s mind may be likened to a garden, which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild; but whether cultivated or neglected, it must, and will, bring forth. If no useful seeds are put into it, then an abundance of useless weed seeds will fall therein, and will continue to produce their kind. James Allen, As a Man Thinketh

 

Bonsai tree 1

photo credit

Bonsai tree 2

photo credit

And the same level of care and attention needs to be paid to the thoughts running free in our heads. Get your mind right. Like my neighbor, we need to tend our minds, carefully weeding out, cutting toxic negative thoughts and strategically planting the truth of God’s word so that our minds are precisely arranged with truth. When we do not sow truth, the toxic environment (the weeds) will grow and can eventually try to choke out the truth, robbing truth of essential nutrients. That can then lead to other physical, mental and behavioral issues.   Neuroscientist Dr. Caroline Leaf suggests 75-98% of physical, mental and behavioral illness comes from one’s thought life.

 

So my friend, GET YOUR MIND RIGHT by putting on the helmet of salvation, girding ourselves with truth, lacing up our feet with the gospel of peace and running the race that’s been set before us.

 

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

/9 Comments/by
,

Uncontrolled Emotion Leads to Brain Damage

Click media button. Nothing. Click media button again. Nothing. Ok. Don’t panic. Close the window and reopen it. That should work. Click media button again. Nothing…With each click my emotions swelled. Like the tide coming in, a mighty rush of fear, dread and panic swept over me. “What’s wrong? Why today? How will I fix this?” Then doubt crept in. “Am I really supposed to be doing this?” For half a second, I was ready to quit before even coming all the way out of the gate.

This was my status on Saturday morning as I attempted to do more tinkering on this website that had just launched. After testing, restarting, troubleshooting, nothing seemed to work. In fact, it still doesn’t. This post was sent using my phone. I can’t do anything to my site at present.

The capacity to experience a full range of emotions is good, even necessary for survival. It is when our reactions are overwhelmingly negative that we put our health in danger. Chronic occurrences of fear, stress, anxiety, anger and the like disturb cognitive functions. If left unchecked, allowing emotions to run free can actually damage your brain. When emotional outbursts become our baseline behavior, we wire our brains to default to that. Instead of having survival mode instinct for emergencies, it can become our norm.

Yet we live in a culture that says let your emotions be your master. Go with what you feel. Do what makes you happy. Whatever makes you unhappy, get rid of it.

So what are we to do? How can we control our emotions?

Surely I can give you some advice like breathe deeply, meditate, count to ten before reacting. Those are all great. But…if the negative emotions are chronic, there is a deeper, underlying issue. I pray that the next time a situation arises that causes you to be overwhelmed by negative emotion, you pray for God to expose the root of it. The power of the spirit at work in you is capable of mastering your emotion. “The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such, there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23

We are also better able to control our emotions when we KNOW who we are.

Karen Ward, Founder of Beyond Two, LLC helps people maximize their potential by understand their personalities. Karen says when people understand who they are, they make better decisions. You can find out more about Karen by visiting her on the web at beyondtwollc.com

What can you do today to master your emotions?

/0 Comments/by
, ,

Welcome to Inspired Life!

Guess what?

You get to be in the delivery room with me as I give birth to my newest baby.  Every other year for the last 10 years I have given birth.  I am the mother of five wonderful children ages 10 and under.  Today, I am birthing baby number six; not a live birth but a spiritual birth.  This baby is…

InspiredLifeLogo-HighRes-color-notag

This baby has been in gestation for over three years.  I have nurtured this baby while in utero, talked to this baby, read, sang, prayed for and named this baby.  I’ve had friends come alongside to do the same for this baby.  And today we get to have a massive virtual birthday party for my new baby, Inspired Life.

This inspiredtolivefully website serves of your ONE STOP portal to be empowered and equipped so you can live a fully inspired life.  Through weekly blog posts and monthly videos (vlogs) you will receive nourishment for your spirit, mind and body.

I thank you for visiting.  Want to ensure you don’t miss a post? Enter your email above to the right then click the green button to receive the blog posts directly in your inbox.

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

/1 Comment/by