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Strategies for Conquering 3 D’s of the devil

” The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.” John 10:10

The thief of our joy. The thief of our love. The thief of our peace. The enemy of our souls seek to rob us, to kill us and to destroy us. And if we are not careful, we can find ourselves making the job easy for him. Like leaving a purse or iPad visibly in a vehicle, we can make ourselves targets for his thievery.

And a few times already this week he was nearly successful in ensnaring me. Boy, did he try it. At every turn, it was seeming like I couldn’t catch a break. He was relentless is his pursuit to devour me. I am standing right on the precipice of my kingdom NEXT. I can feel it stirring deep within. Do you know that feeling? The feeling so strong you can literally feel it on your physical person? God is up to something MAJOR! And the enemy is agitated. So he’s stirring strife with my children, planting false evidence, and even literally blindsiding me with objects. BUT GOD! I am determined all the more to KEEP PRESSING!

Here are three ways I’ve seen and experienced the enemy’s tactics. He’s being put on blast so you won’t be caught unaware. Then the next time he comes with some of this tomfoolery, you’ll see it a mile away and you’ll be able to defeat him as he is already a defeated foe. That work was completed on the cross so let’s walk it out. But this is what he tries to do.

DISCOURAGEMENT

Have you lost your enthusiasm, belief, and fervor in something you used to be passionate about? Have you tried at something and tried again with no success so you resigned that you were no good at it and you threw in the towel? Have you made a big mistake and felt like a failure? That was me yesterday. I made a big mistake and a costly one at that. And for a good part of the day I was so discouraged. I began to talk craziness to myself saying, “Why even bother? See you can’t even get this one small detail right. Just forget it! Everything you’ve worked for, just let it go.” One mistake and I was nearly ready to give up everything. That’s how discouraged I was. Then my kind teenage son said to me, “Mommy you got this!”, to which I nearly came undone because in that moment I didn’t feel I had “that” situation or anything else for that matter.

And this is exactly his MO, to get you to look confidence; to lose confidence in yourself and confidence in the God you serve. He wants you to become so disheartened that you lose hope. My friends, be reminded, God is THE GOD of HOPE! The God of hope will FILL you with all joy and peace as you trust Him (Romans 15:13) and He will renew your strength (Isaiah 40:31).

So how do you keep from being discouraged?

  • Speak the Word of Truth over your situation
  • Thank the Lord for all that He has taught you, shown you, and for the never-ending loved He has lavished on you
  • Celebrate your wins! Yes you may have had a stumble, but you can get back up again to keep pressing toward the mark

DISSUASION

He starts whispering lies and half truths in your ear in an attempt to persuade you that God isn’t who He says He is and won’t do what He says He will do. Just like he did in the garden with Eve, deception slides off his tongue. He will try his best to scare you off, to convince you otherwise, to advise against and to get you to question what’s actually true.

How do you keep from being dissuaded?

  • Encourage yourself in the Lord
  • Have prayer partners and accountability partners who remind you of the truth and promises God has already declared over you
  • When the deception comes slithering in, be armed by meditating on the word of God. Take the lies captive and replace them with truth. Continually abide in God by communing with Him all day, every day

DISTRACTION

God desires to be the focal point of our attention and affections. He urges us to seek the kingdom first. Let us keep our eyes, our hearts and our minds focused on Him. “Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.” Proverbs 4:25

But it is oh so easy to get distracted. Every second of the day things are clamoring for our attention. I told you that the enemy was trying me this week right? Just the other day I was heading to shoot the final photo for my upcoming book, 30 Days 30 Ways to Salad Heaven. (For some salad inspo while you wait for the new book, check this post HERE) If you’ve been around for any length of time, you know honoring the temple is near and dear to my heart. So I stayed up late prepping some of the food and rose extra early to head out. And on the way out the door, an item caught my eye that literally changed the trajectory of my entire morning. That one, insignificant item caused a whole ripple of friction with the children. I had to call my husband who was on his way to work. The whole scenario was just a MESS! By the time I headed out the door to go to the shoot, I was completely out of sorts. I was emotionally distraught, agitated and outright distracted. “Holy Spirit intervene! Help me God”, was my cry.

To be distracted is to have become DIS-TRACKED, off track and off the course God intends you to be on. Check out this video HERE as Minister Kevin Winters dives deep into the concept of being dis-tracked. This teaching was a real eye opener.

How do you keep from being distracted?

  • STAY FOCUSED – be tethered to God’s word, not looking to the left or the right but eyes focused on the Father, observing to do all He has commanded (Joshua 1:8)
  • Guard your ear and eye gates. Be very mindful of the type of information, words, and images you allow to enter your person
  • Recognize the little things for what they are and don’t sweat the small stuff. Ask yourself will this matter in a day, in a month, in a year? If it’s insignificant, just chill as my 15 year old would tell me

The devil uses these D’s, discouragement, dissuasion and distraction to get our focus off the kingdom. He tries doubt, depression, deception and a whole host of other D words to try to break us. But my God knows a thing or two about D’s also. He is the God of deliverance, decisiveness, dexterity, diligence, defense, detail, distinction, and dunamis (power). With His Spirit empowering you, the Father loving you and Jesus’ blood covering you, you are duly equipped to conquer the D’s of the devil.

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

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Emancipate Yourselves From Mental Slavery

Jesus said He came to set the captives free but what if the jailer is me.

In solitary of my own devising,

Deadbolt locked not fully realizing this 4 x 4 x 4 was built by my own mind.

With the way of escape not easy to find.

For each thought draws me deeper still.

Sitting.

Wondering.

Trying to figure out how I ended up in this place. Thoughts so base.

Fell for the trick. Believed the lie.

You’re too fat.

You’re too thin.

Your teeth are jacked up.

Your lips are too big.

You don’t know enough.

You don’t have enough.

You’ll never be enough.

Says the voice of the enemy.

But inside I hear the whisper.

Emancipate Yourselves From Mental Slavery

Deeper still in the recesses of my mind, deeper still I peer into the dark and find…

LIGHT!

“Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery,” Marley sings.

Be transformed by the renewing of the mind and walk in the freedom Christ brings.

Old things have passed away all things have become new.

In the image of my Maker FREE to be:

Beautiful and flawed

Right and wrong

Stellar today and so/so tomorrow.

Jesus came to set the captives free. He came to liberate you and me.

Allow the light of truth to flood your heart. You are created by the GREAT I AM and as such you ARE AMAZING!

Just the way you are.

No ties that bind the mind.

Come on out.

BE

FREE

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound”Isaiah 61:1

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

Happy to connect with these friends sharing the Good News Chasing Community, Grace & Truth

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20 Things About God That You Can Bank On

In the face of what seemed like a mountain range of insurmountable issues and tasks, I desperately held on. I held on to the Word hidden in my heart. I held on to the promises God has declared for me and for my family. And though I felt I was hanging on by a thread, that thread was like ultra strong spider silk. Fiercely clinging, hands getting raw and blisters forming, the silk was a life LINE that fed right to the VINE.

 

So friends I want to encourage you. When facing the issues of life, here are 20 things about God that you can bank on:

 

Day and night Dwell On God’s unending love for you for He says nothing can separate you from His love.

 

Know that you are never alone. God always Looks In On you (Psalm 139:2-4).

 

Hold On to God’s unchanging hand (Deut 20:30) becasue He won’t let you go.

 

God is listening and watching. He has His Eye On you (Psalm 34:15).

 

Feast On God’s word and you will be transformed (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

 

A diet rich in the Word is surefire thing to Grow On (1 Peter 2:2).

 

You will Power On when the Holy Spirit has come upon you so operate in your power (Acts 1:8)!

 

His Word is your bread and His Spirit your water to Live On.

 

When He tells you Get A Move On He’s expecting you to obey and will bless your obedience (Genesis 12,13).

 

God’s promises are YES and AMEN and that’s a promise you can Bank On (2 Corinthians 1:20).

 

God places us in community so that we love, bless, encourage and Cheer On one another.

 

Got worries? God wants you to Cast On Him anything that concerns you (1 peter 5:7).

 

Safely on God’s wings you will Carry On (Deuteronomy 32:11).

 

You can keep your mind right when you Think On things that are lovely and true (Philippians 4:8).

 

When you remain steadfast and Hang On you will receive your blessing (James 1:12).

 

Stand On the solid rock of Christ and you won’t waver (pslam 62:6-9).

 

Abiding in Him is the only way to Get A Handle On your emotions. He wants you to bear good fruit.

 

He wants you to Get The Goods On what’s to come. He said before He does a new thing, He will tell you of it (Isaiah 42:9).

 

How good is to know you have His Sign On in the Lamb’s Book of Life?

 

Not only will God bless you but His favor will surround you as with a shield and that’s the Icing On the cake.

 

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

 

I’m happy to partner with these friends sharing the Good News Mommy Moments, Purposeful Faith, Chasing Community, Salt & Light, Grace & Truth, Faith N Friends

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Mirror, Mirror

Mirror, Mirror,

What do I see?

I see a fat girl

Looking at me.

 

“You are fat!”

“Oh my gawd, you are so fat!”

“Do you see those rolls? They are just SO fat!”

 

So went my dialogue with myself.

 

EV-ER-Y SINGLE TIME I walked pass a mirror, these were my thoughts.

 

A torrent of hot lava flowing over my spirit leaving the ash of a charred self image in its wake.

 

Remember her?

 

IMG_0130

 

Gone was my athletic body, replaced now with my post-pregnancy body replete with bumps, lumps and rolls.

 

IMG_0369

 

Pre-pregnancy I was in the best physical shape in my life. I was working out 5-6 days a week. After having been pregnant or nursing for the last 13 years, this was the longest stretch I had gone between pregnancies and I felt like I finally had my body back. I fought kicking and screaming to surrender to my pregnant body. Mid-way through my pregnancy I came to love and accept my pregnant body. But post-baby was another story.

 

“Oohhh girl, you are SO fat!”

 

There I went again. But this time the Holy Spirit stopped me dead in my tracks. As I looked at myself, held in position at the mirror a moment longer, the Holy Spirit said, “Toxic thoughts. You speak life and encouragement to everyone else and you are speak death to yourself.”

 

Grateful that he got my attention, I knew I had to o something about it. I had to excavate the skills I’d acquired from

The 21 Day Brain Detox. I had to take those toxic thoughts captive and replace them with the TRUTH.

 

I was speaking with a friend the other day and she says she asks herself “Is it true?”

 

For truth says:

 

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

PSALM 139:13-15

 

You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you.

Song of Solomon 4:7

 

I am created in His image. You are created in His image. You are His workmanship. [bctt tweet=”You are a work of art, skillfully wrought at the hands of a Master artisan.” username=”inspiredfully”] You are beautiful, capable, and more than enough just the way you are.

 

THIS IS THE TRUTH.

 

And what was this preoccupation with body image anyway? I thought this was something I had resolved and put to rest. Having been heavier before, I learned to listen to the Holy Spirit as to how to honor my temple. And even though I know this is baby weight and it will most likely all disappear, I’m still nervous. And even though I have gone back down to my former size after every baby (five times I’ve bounced back), there is still this looming doubt, “What if I don’t lose the weight this time?” I just can’t bear the thought of walking around indefinitely feeling like The Stay Puft Marshmallow (ok so maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration but if you’ve ever been concerned about weight you get what I’m saying). Of course it doesn’t help when all my old clothes are still hanging in my closet but I can’t fit any of them. And there are but a handful of pieces I can fit so it can be overwhelming just to get dressed. Then don’t let me stumble upon old pics in my phone because that can hurl me smack dab into a pit of self-loathing.

 

What lies are trying to tap dance their way across you’re your mind?

 

Shatter the darkness and ditch the lies. Allow the light of truth to permeate every crack, corner and recess of your mind. Allow His light and love to course through your veins. Meditate on that which is true, lovely and praiseworthy.

 

The other day, I saw a glimpse of myself, smiled and thought, “Yes girl, you are working it!”

 

No pride. No vanity. Just a girl, loved by an awesome Father.

 

Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

Proverbs 31:30

 

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

 

Happy to partner with these friends sharing the Good News Purposeful Faith, Mommy Moments, Grace & Truth

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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

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