Freedom Friday 10/14/16

What would we be doing if we weren't afraid of doing it? We let fear paralyze us and give it more power than it should have. There is a difference between true danger and fear and once we learn to differentiate the two, we'll realize that we can control fear.

Being fearful of an experience, a new career, a move, etc. is an emotion created in our minds, ultimately putting an area of your life in prison. Moving past the fear and pushing through the doubts will give us the freedom and rewards that we deserve and deeply desire.

We let fear ask questions that we don't really want or have answers to...

What if we fail?  (but What if we succeed?)

What if nobody likes it? (but What if they love it?)
What if it takes forever? (but What if it was worth the wait?)

 

Reclaim your power and your freedom!

Change Your Mind, Change Your Life

Water

How essential is water? Sounds like a crazy question, right? There's a song by Anthony Brown & Group Therapy entitled "Water;" here's how it begins:

Into the Holy of Holies I go, Just to commune with You, When we gather, Nothing else matters, If I can just get through, Everything that I need is in You, You’re all I need to know, And even though my soul is thirsty, You are the God of the overflow

Chorus: Your presence is water, Come fill me, Then fill me again

That chorus, has been replaying in my mind all morning! We know it's impossible to live without water, but some of us go days, weeks, months and even years without getting into the presence of God. How can we live if we don't have the living water?

I know people who don't "like" water, but when the thirst is real, they will grab a bottle of water. We must thirst after Christ. When we feel like something is missing or that our souls are empty, that's our spirit being thirsty. We can get in His presence by reading His Word, praying/meditating, listening to music, etc. Try to make a habit of keeping your spirit hydrated and spending time with God.

Change Your Mind, Change Your Life

Pause

Remember when you hated hearing the words, "nap time?" Now, as an adult, I adore naps! It's so important to rest, even if it's for a short period of time.

 

Taking breaks gives us the mental and physical energy required to get back in the game and be our best! I've heard some say, "I'll sleep when I die," but if you don't sleep or at least slow down for a few moments, that eternal sleep may come sooner than you expected.

 

I understand lying down may not always fit in our schedules; it may be time to rearrange some plans and time lines to include space for breaks.

 

 

Change Your Mind, Change Your Life 

Freedom Friday - 10/7/16

Don't let anyone tell you that you shouldn't or aren't supposed to feel or acknowledge pain. It's important to feel the pain so you'll have a reminder to not go back to what caused the pain.

Feel it. Acknowledge it. Release it.

Change Your Mind, Change Your Life 

Broken and Blessed

Many of us had a favorite toy growing up. Mine was Teddy Ruxpin (I'm sure I'm dating myself, now). My older sister and I had bunk beds and my beloved toy was hanging between the wall and top bunk. In all of her awesomeness (did you hear the sarcasm?), my sister yanked Teddy Ruxpin down to her bed, causing him to break. My God...life was temporarily over. We threw him away and that was that.

How many times have you felt like someone has thrown you away because you were broken? Maybe you've given up on yourself when you considered yourself to be of no use. I saw this picture and quote on pinterest a few days ago and I thought, "Wow, what a wonderful way at looking at things!"

One of my kids' favorite things to play with are actually glow sticks. They tear open the packs and can't wait to crack them and see the "glow" inside. Their imaginations run wild with ideas and games to play when they see the light from a "broken" thing.

How amazing would it be if in all of our brokenness we found new ways to live; new ways to be and new ways to look at our circumstances?! Shine through the cracks of your brokenness!!

Change Your Mind, Change Your Life!

Freedom Friday - 9/30

When we carry burdens we have two options: 1. Deal with it and let it go or 2. Hold onto it and carry it forever.

Sometimes we get so used to pain and problems, we forget what life was like before we had the issue(s). For example, when we catch a cold we feel all of the symptoms and if we don't do anything about it quick enough, we become somewhat adjusted to them. The runny nose, then stuffy nose; body aches then chills, etc. Then one day, we realize our coughs and congestion have cleared up. We forgot how good it felt to be able to simply breath through our noses.

That's what it's like when we find our freedom! When we let go of those things that weigh us down, we have the opportunity to enjoy our freedom, again. Let's get free.

Change Your Mind, Change Your Life

Accept What God Allows

A few weeks ago, I felt like I was preparing for a trial at court. I gathered all of my evidence, supporting documents and...emotions, and shoved them into my parenthetical briefcase. I looked at my life and just a week or two before that moment, everything was fine. My children were doing well, my job was okay, church was cool, relationships afloat; life was pretty decent.

Then came the storm.

As I arrived at my trial, I unloaded everything I packed and laid it out before the Lord. He watched me pour out every complaint, every piece of data and every feeling that I had. I began to give my opening statement and His witness, the Holy Spirit, took over. Before I knew it, my statement went from a well-prepared complaint and argument, to Philippians 4:11-13

"...I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength."

What do you have? Are you satisfied and comfortable with it? How grateful are you right now? In everything give thanks! God gives us strength through it all! Things can always be worse, just like they can always be better. Our attitude towards the trials and storms can determine how long we stay there, so we might as well accept them and praise our way through. We're going to change how we feel and how we look at things by keeping a mindset of, it is well with my soul.

Change Your Mind, Change Your Life

 

Passing Time

Have you ever decided not to do something because it would take to long? School, a project, a goal...? Most of us have probably felt that way at some point in our lives. Our minds, our fears and our doubts may have been the reasons we overlook one very important thing: time will pass whether we take advantage of it or not.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 even confirms that there is  "...a time to every purpose..." What else are we going to use our time for if not for the things it was purposed for? We can't be so hard on ourselves when things take longer to happen than we'd like. Losing weight, for example, takes time. We (I) didn't gain the extra 20 pounds in 3 weeks; why should it come off in 3 weeks?

Of course there are ways to speed up some processes, but we want to make sure that our short cuts and quick steps aren't going to alter the finished project or cause setbacks and delays. Again, what else would we be doing with the time that we could be, rather should be, been spending on bettering ourselves?

Personally, I have stopped and thought, "man, I could have been finished if I just kept going..." or "wow, where has all the time gone?" I can honestly admit that I have been a big spender blowing time like it's replaceable; it's not. Once it's gone, you can't get it back. However, we can take advantage of the time we have remaining.

So the next time we find ourselves just passing time, let's try to find something more productive and goal-oriented to use that time for.

Change Your Mind, Change Your Life

Ready...or Not

I don't know about any of you, but when I want something, I want it immediately.

Recently, I was waiting for a package to come in the mail. I didn't have a tracking number as it was just coming from a friend, so I made my own estimate of when I should be receiving it. After a few days, I checked the mail; no package. Day two: no package. I began to feel anxious and wondering if it had been lost or stolen. I decided to stop worrying about it and just let it arrive whenever it's supposed to. On the fourth day, I received it and when I did, it almost felt like a surprise.

Inside the package was a beautiful book. And even though I wanted it, I had to realize I wasn't ready for it. Why? Because I don't have time to read it, yet.

Some of us get so caught up on instant gratification and the excitement of receiving things that we forget to check ourselves out to see if we're ready to receive them. We want a house, new job, husband/wife, children, promotion, success...but are we truly ready for what having those things entails? What do we need to do to prepare ourselves for what we want out of life? What do we need to change in order to make room for our blessings? How can we adjust our way of thinking and being to allow these changes to take place?

Let's be sure that we're being honest with ourselves when we aren't ready and take the necessary steps to get there.

Change Your Mind, Change Your Life

Freedom Friday

Who hurt you? Was that too loaded for a Friday? Well think about it, then take time to forgive them if you haven't already. Maybe we've told someone that we've accepted their apologies, but deep inside, we haven't completed the action by choosing forgiveness.

 

It's not a sign of weakness, nor is it letting them get away with whatever was done; it's more about finding your own freedom from any and all emotional damage, stress and negative energy that was a result of their actions.

 

It's Freedom Friday!!! Let it go and enjoy your weekend!!

Change Your Mind, Change Your Life

Watch Your Mouth

"He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction."
Proverbs 13:3 NKJV

At some point in our lives we've all been told to watch out mouths. As a parent, I find myself saying it to my children more often than not. No, they aren't cursing, however I'm trying to teach them that the power of life and death is in their tongues. One of the lessons we're working on is silence can be more powerful than all the words in the world.

My cousin, who happens to be a life coach, said to me the other day: "Your subconscious does not have a sense of humor. It takes everything that you say literally." So when you say I'm stupid, that's what your subconscious begins to believe; and when you say things like I can do this, I am powerful, I am strong, it takes that literally as well.

We should focus more on inward speaking and less on talking just to hear ourselves or for the entertainment for others. "Some people without brains do an awful lot of talking...don't they?" Scarecrow - Wizard of Oz  

For the remainder of this week, let's try reading more inspirational sayings/quotes and speaking more positively to ourselves. Let's speak life if we must speak at all.

Change Your Mind, Change Your Life

Joy Comes in the Mourning

Yesterday at work I did something I'd never done before. I got up and walked out of a "mandatory" meeting. Feeling the urge to walk out is nothing  new, but it's for reasons far different from my reason yesterday.

I was working, minding my business, when I found out there had been a(nother) innocent person killed by the police. My freshly repaired heart had been shattered again. My stomach began flipping and my mind began racing. "Lord, am I hearing an old story?" I wondered if new information was being released about a news story that had already been covered. That was not the case.

Moments later, I heard my colleagues yelling, "Meeting...meeting. Everybody in the conference room." "Wait, I can't go in there; I'm in mourning..." I thought to myself. I reluctantly went and couldn't focus. So instead of breaking into tears and wailing for brother-stranger, I left. Without going into too many details, my supervisors were not happy.

I went outside and began to walk and pray. I heard, Weeping may endure for a night BUT JOY...

Joy came through my mourning (yes, I know it's "joy comes in the morning").

No, I'm not happy, but I do remember that the joy of the Lord is my strength. I said all of that to encourage you to keep joy. Joy doesn't necessarily mean we're happy; it means we're triumphant and that we're still winning. We still have strength even in our weakness, mourning, pain and darkness.
I needed that moment to change my thoughts into those that would bring me back to a place of strength. I love you all and please pray with me for (all) the victim's families.

 Change Your Mind, Change Your Life 

The MINDfield

Most of our personal battles begin in our mind. Just as in maneuvering through an actual minefield, we must use extreme caution when navigating through our thoughts. If we're not careful, one seemingly simple thought can blow up right in our faces.
 

How many times have we created issues by letting our imaginations run wild?
 

There's a difference in giving our creativity free reign and entertaining potentially hazardous thoughts. We start, have and win arguments with people who don't even know we're upset with them, all in our minds. We over think problems that are out of our control and super-size thoughts that are intended to cause more action and less processing.

It's been said that, an idle mind is the devil's workshop or playground. It's a lot easier to get ourselves in "trouble" when we don't control our thoughts.  Although it is important to keep our minds occupied  (even through prayer and meditation), we must be careful to not let our thoughts control us.

Psalm 13:2 says, "How long must I wrestle with my thoughts...?" I believe if we spend more time in prayer and preparation, the battle in the mind-field won't seem so daunting. We'll be more aware of what kind of thoughts we're having and become better equipped to deal with them.

Change Your Mind, Change Your Life

God is Faithful

Over the past few months, I've really been wanting to blog again. I kept thinking, "Man, I really miss doing my blog, but have I waited too long to continue where I left off?" I had a fear that people would see the gap in time from my last post and wonder what I've been doing. This has been going on for weeks - the constant "mind-field" battle. It wasn't until today that I literally had to laugh at myself. I sat at my computer, with an empty page and a blinking cursor. I exhaled and let my eyes wander to the title of my blog, "Change Your Mind, Change Your Life." Wow! And there you have it, Lisa. All you have to do is change your mind and get back in the game.

With that being said, welcome back, faithful followers and nice to meet you, new readers! I pray that we are all encouraged, blessed and uplifted.

All thanks, praise and glory to God for this gift - He is faithful. Let's go!!!

Change Your Mind, Change Your Life