In life, there are always problems to solve. We’re constantly working through something, trying to figure something out, or desiring some type of change. Though we are not in complete control of life, we do play a huge role in the lives that we live. I remember a few years back when God showed me that I was operating from a victim mentality. You know, the mindset where you feel that this is just it and there’s nothing I can do about it. Well, I’m here to share with you today, that when you are seeking change in your life: Do something about it. As Christians, the things that we…
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The Pursuit of Perfection
As long as I can remember, I’ve desired perfection. There was a time that me and a best friend of mine considered getting perfection tattooed on us. On our necks to be exact! Can you believe that? I’m not certain if this desire for perfection is due to growing up in so much dysfunction, or it’s just how I’m wired. Either way, I am growing to realize that I am always on the pursuit of perfection. In some ways, this is good, as it leads to progress. In other ways, it’s not so good, as it leads to stress. For the Christian, the pursuit of perfection is the reality that…
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Trust the Process
Life is merely a continuous collection of processes. Think about even a day. There is a process of rising, getting started, and working on our duties for the day. On a larger scale, life is seasonal, and there are processes that must take place in every area of living. Not understanding why things are happening, or how they will connect to the next season, often cause us frustration. Today, I want to encourage you to trust the process. One thing that I continue to learn is that: I am not in control. You know how sometimes we say things, as though we believe them, but our actions are contradictory? For…
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Consistency Matters
In life, we tend to overlook the importance of consistency. One off’s in the right direction are great, but they will rarely bring us the results that we’re after. Growth and progress in life are often a result of consistency. We have to keep on doing the right things. This is true in our spiritual walk, our relationships, our health, our money, and so on. We must understand that consistency matters and we must keep doing the right thing over and over- despite our results. Recently, in Sunday School, we discussed the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. This is the familiar story of them being thrown into the fiery…
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How To Encourage Yourself: 5 Tips
Life is full of disappointments. Things not going our way, people letting us down, plans falling completely apart. How do you handle these let downs? It’s natural to feel disappointment or anger when things don’t go our way, but we cannot stop there. We must learn how to pick up where we are and keep moving forward. We cannot allow disappointments to keep us disappointed. Read for 5 tips on how to encourage yourself and recover from disappointments. How To Encourage Yourself: 5 Tips 1. Be Honest The first step in encouraging yourself is that you must be honest about your current feelings. Honesty can be vulnerable, which is why…
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When No Means Yes
This week, I was told no. I admit, it didn’t and doesn’t feel good, yet, I know it is necessary. Hearing no communicates to us “You are not good enough.” This, however, is not the truth. We must reprogram how our minds process no, hence, the title of this post: When no means yes. There are times when hearing no is actually giving us a yes in other areas. Hearing no is not all bad. There’s good in it, too. Hearing no to one thing, is actually saying yes to another. For instance, if you were not selected for a promotion, you are actually receiving a yes to other things:…
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Live Forward Focused: 4 Tips
It’s been a few months since my last post, but today, I want to share with you the importance of being forward focused. We hear a lot about focus in life, and though I believe in being focused, how I view focus has changed over the years. I do not support being laser-focused in life, as I believe it causes us to neglect other areas of our life, and I am focused on living a well-balanced life. I do, however, strongly believe in the importance of being forward focused. In order to live well, move forward, and grow in God, we must be forward focused. Living forward focused keeps us…
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Handling Frustration the Right Way: 5 Tips
One thing I have learned about myself is that I am prone to anger. I thank God for the awareness and growth He has blessed me with in this area, yet, I still have progress to make. This post is for you, if you need help managing anger and frustration. I pray that it provides you with insight into your triggers, as well as provides you practical tips that will assist you in handling frustration the right way. Handling Frustration the Right Way: 5 Tips 1. Don’t lash out. The first tip to handling frustration the right way, is to not lash out. Lashing out is so easy to do,…
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What is your thorn?
We all face challenges in life. Sometimes, it seems that we face the same mountain over and over again. Do you feel like that? Is there something challenging you, making you feel like you can’t get over it? I believe we can all relate to that. The apostle Paul had his particular challenge, as well. He referred to it as a ‘thorn’ in II Corinthians 12:7. As you reflect on that, what is your thorn? A thorn is something that challenges us or humbles us. It is something that we can’t change or get around. God will often allow those thorns in our life to humble us and show us…
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Back to the Basics
It’s Feb. 19th, and if you’re like me, you may feel a little disconnected from your 2024 goals. So much has been going on that I’ve been finding myself just going and going, focusing on the next thing. This constant action has a way of making us feel disoriented or even a little discouraged. It is imperative that we are intentional to slow our pace so we can see where we’re really at. These are perfect opportunities for us to get back to the basics. Getting back to the basics is about focusing on what truly matters. Life has a way of distracting us. We can get so caught up…
