Hello, everyone! I have been thinking a lot about my thoughts lately (now that’s a mouthful!), and how they greatly affect my life. I have come to understand that my earthly life will never be perfect and without problems-there will always be some type of trouble to deal with-but I know that there are good things in spite of the bad things. It’s important for me to focus on the good rather than the bad. It’s important for me to focus on the truth of God’s Word rather than my bad circumstances because God never lies and his Word reminds me that all things really do work out for my good (Romans 8:28).

I have been thinking about how true Proverbs 23:7a AMP is: “For as he thinks in his heart so is he.” I realize that I put my own limits on my life when I say to myself that something is impossible or that I can’t do something that I know God himself has said I can do. This was my prayer last week that I wrote in my journal: “Please help me not put any more limits on the good that you can do in my life, and on the good that I can do with your help, in Jesus name.” Then I thought, “Wow, that’s a deep prayer.” It’s heartfelt though–If I am really living by faith and in line with the Word of God then I need to live like I believe Philippians 4:13 and Ephesians 3:20. My thought life needs to revolve around the truth that I can do all things through Christ and that he can do way above and beyond what I can think or imagine by the power that is at work in me.

The reality of it is my thoughts are so important because they guide and direct my life in so many ways. For instance, if I spend my whole day thinking anxious thoughts and focusing on what’s making me feel anxious, it usually leads to feeling more anxious which makes it hard for me “to snap out of it.” However, if I take the anxious thoughts captive when they come and replace them with the truth of God’s Word and pray about my worries, I usually feel and experience true peace and joy. I call it the Phillipians 4:6 effect or the Isaiah 26:3 effect: Peace really does come when I realize that he knows what’s best for me and he will guide me and help me make wise decisions, when I ask him to. I do not want to be the “unstable” person described in James 1:8 AMP who is uncertain about everything and filled with doubt. I wanna be the one who Jesus describes in Mark 11:22-24 AMP when he says  “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will get it.”  There are days when my thoughts and my actions are full of faith and trust, but I will be the first one to admit that there are also days when the opposite is true. One of the desires of my heart is to improve in this area of my life (“my thought life”) and allow God to continue to renew my mind with His truth.

Hi, thanks for coming to my blog today! I want to share some thoughts about comparison. I know this is a huge area that I struggle with, sometimes on a daily basis. I touched on it briefly (without even meaning to) in my last post when I was talking about spiritual gifts. When we compare ourselves with someone else, it is unwise (2 Corinthians 10:12 AMP). The reality of it is, when we compare ourselves with other people, someone always loses. We either end up being prideful because we decide that we are doing better in some area than the other person, or we see the other person has being better than us and we end up feeling bad about ourselves and who we are. Both are unbalanced and unhealthy ways to view ourselves and others. I have learned that both are out of the will of God for us. We do better when we view people and ourselves with the “glasses” of the Word of God, from God’s viewpoint. “For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]. One definition of handiwork is “work done personally” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). We are work done personally by God, and we are all shaped differently (literally and figuratively) on purpose, for a purpose. When I look at the next woman’s body  (or one of the women I see running down the road in the early morning) and I start to covet what she has or doesn’t have, I end up hurting myself and feeling bad about myself. The reality of it is, there are different reasons for each person’s body to be in the current shape it’s in, and God tells us in the Word (in not so many words) that it’s not all about what we look like on the outside-the condition of our hearts and souls are important also. “Charm can fool you. Beauty fades. But a woman who has respect for the Lord should be praised” (Proverbs 31: 30 NIRV).  I know that the habit of comparison is often an automatic response and hard to stop doing, but I also know it’s important for me to feel good about who I am as an individual and as a daughter of God. I need to see myself as he sees me-beautiful and unique inside and out. We all are. We are special, precious creations of the Most High God who are all valuable to him.

Hello everyone! Today, I want to share some thoughts about the spiritual gifts we have as believers in Christ. I love what 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 CEB says “There are different spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; and there are different ministries and the same Lord and there are different activities but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. A demonstration of the  Spirit is given to each person for the common good.” Spiritual gifts are given to believers to bless other believers in the body of Christ. We do not all have the same gifts though, and that can often feel uncomfortable because sometimes we unnecessarily compare ourselves with others. We look at what we can do and compare it with what others can do, and sometimes we minimize the gifts that God has given us because they aren’t like someone else’s. God created us to be different and that includes the manner in which we individually use the gifts God has given us. I have found if I focus on what I am good at and on what God is leading me to do with my own gifts and abilities, I don’t have to feel like I am competing with other believers; I can feel like we are blending well together and doing what God has individually given each of us to do. Romans 12:4-5 NIV  says “Just as each of us has one body with many members and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”  In Romans Paul compares the body of Christ to the human body by talking about how all the parts of the body are important, how they depend on each other, and how they all play an important part. We don’t all need to be the mouth of the body, some of us can be the hands or the feet. We just need to play the parts that we were born to play and embrace them. Also, one important thing I have learned is God can use your gifts in many different areas, including outside of the four walls of a church building. We don’t have to limit our gifts to only being valuable during church services; they are valuable everywhere we go and in everything we do. “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern dilligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully” Romans 12: 6-8 NIV. No matter how we are gifted, my prayer is that we will all use our gifts to the glory and honor of God.

Songs that inspire me: “The Gift” by Donald Lawrence and the Company; “God in Me” by Mary Mary Featuring Kierra Sheard; and “Chosen Ones” by Blanca.

Hello, everyone! Thanks for checking out my blog! I love writing these posts every week! This time I would like to share my thoughts about wisdom. When we are growing up, a lot of us focus on what we’ll be able to do when we turn this age or that age. My 7 year old tells me all the time what she’s gonna do as a grown up!! This desire for independence and for being able to “be our own boss” drives a lot of our thoughts growing up. I love the independence that comes with being a “grown up,” but no matter how much we grow and what age we become, we still need to be dependent on God. We still need to allow him to guide and direct our paths, even when we think we know exactly where we’re going and what we are going to do. God says in the Word that fearing Him is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10 ERV). Knowing that God is God and we do not need to try to be the Lord over our lives are vitally important. As a I continue to live life, I realize more and more how much I need wisdom from God in how I live my life.  “A  wise man’s mind will know both when and what to do. For every purpose and matter has it’s [right] time and judgment” (Ecclesiastes 8:5-6 AMP). This has become my daily prayer: that I will know both the when and what God wants me to do in every area of my life. God knows everything; who better to ask advice from than him? As with life, we often find ourselves facing situations and circumstances we have never faced before or are just unsure about. These are especially the times when we need to seek God’s will and advice. I have to remind myself of what James 1: 5-8 says about asking God for wisdom: that if we ask God for wisdom, he will give it to us, but we must have faith and not doubt that he will. “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives” (Psalm 37:23 NLT).  I so believe this with all of my heart, and I have seen just how detailed oriented God is in my life.  I am grateful for all of the things God has taught me through the Word (one of our greatest sources of wisdom), and I look forward to learning more and more as time goes by.

Songs that Inspire Me: “Help Me Find It” by Sidewalk Prophets and “Your Steps Are Ordered” by Fred Hammond.

Hello, everyone, I want to share some thoughts about anger. Anger has always been an emotion that I have often been uncomfortable with feeling. I know that anger is a normal emotion, and that it is ok to feel it. I have told people for years as a counselor that it’s ok to feel anger: it’s all about how you handle it and what you do with it.  “When you are angry, don’t let your anger make you sin, and don’t stay angry all day. Don’t give the devil a way to defeat you” (Ephesians 4:26-27 ERV). We get to choose to control our anger or to let it control us. Even though I know these things about anger, sometimes I still tell myself I don’t need to feel angry about this or that thing; but I have realized: when I say this to myself, I minimize my feelings and try to push the anger down. The anger is still there; I am just unwilling to acknowledge it. It just stirs inside me as I continue to rehearse why I’m angry which makes me more angry. When I am able to acknowledge it though, I can then give it to God and ask him to help me control it by the help of the Holy Spirit. When I don’t address my anger and deal with it, it has the ability to just stay there and fester and make it more likely that it will come out later in a way that’s not very good. Having the anger is not the bad thing; holding on to it and not letting it go are the things that cause problems in our lives.  “Anger does not help you live the way God wants.” James 1:20 ERV.” Not being willing to forgive someone (which includes deciding to stop being angry at him or her) is the exact opposite of what God does for us every day. “Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tender-hearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” Colossians 3: 12-13 NLT. Oh, how hard this is to do at times; but we are blessed when we are able to do this.

Hello, Everyone! I want to share some things about thankfulness. I just moved over the weekend to the city where I have been working for almost 14 months. Instead of commuting every day for 40 miles on the interstate 5 days a week, I now live 5 minutes from my office and from the closest elementary school. In addition to this, there are so many other things that have come from this move that I am so thankful for.  I love it when my life is going where I want it to go and when things go the way I want them to.  Those are the times it’s easier to praise God and to thank him for all he has done when things are on the upswing. The Bible says we are filled with joy because of the things he has done (Psalm 126:3 NIV). And there are so many things he has done for me; my list is endless at this point, and I’ve only lived 32 years. However, when I look over my life, I see that there were major obstacles that tried to stand in the way of me pursuing my dreams and goals including with this move I just made. The obstacles bring me so much stress and distract me from my goals. On those days when my joy is mixed with pain, when my stress/anxiety are high and my patience is thin, and things are going badly, I still have many reasons to be thankful. I still need to praise in God in the midst of those things because God is still good regardless of the bad things happening; He doesn’t change even when people and situations change for the worse. There is always something to be thankful for regardless of the circumstances and the seasons we find ourselves in. God makes a point to encourage believers to be thankful IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES. In all circumstances, not because of all circumstances, but in all circumstances. “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 NLT). When I stop and think of all he has done for me and all of the things I have to be thankful for, I can’t keep an angry mood for very long, and I can’t have an anxious mood for very long either. Our thoughts have power for good and bad. I know that’s why God says to think on good things (Phillippians 4:8 NLT) because he knows if we do this, we experience more of his peace and joy. There is nothing wrong with praising God, and it can never end badly. When I honor and worship God, I feel closer to him and experience positive emotions. “You are my God, and I will give you thanks; You are my God, and I will exalt you. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever” (Psalm 118:28-29 NIV).

Inspiring Songs: “Thankful” by NLC Worship; “Through All of It” and “You Are” by Colton Dixon; and “Awesome” by Charles Jenkins/Fellowship.

Hello everyone! I am so excited to be able to write this blog every week, and I hope you are encouraged by the things I share. I love blogging; I am hooked!!! Today, I want to share some thoughts about perseverance and patience. In life, there are always times when you are trying to get from point A to point B: from setting a goal to finally reaching it. It is so hard sometimes to not give up on our goals because we often face obstacles and trials while we are trying to reach them. It takes a lot of patience and perseverance to remain steadfast in pursuing our life goals in the face of difficulties and delays. When I graduated from high school, my heart was so full of joy and hope for the future. I was going to “help people,” and I had set my sights on majoring in Psychology or Social Work, thinking that those were the fields that fit me the most. The long story short is it took some time for me to get from setting these goals at 18 to finally getting my first mental health professional job at 28. I went through undergrad and grad schools, doing my best and fighting my way through. I had to sit out a semester here or there for various reasons and there were times when I wondered to myself if I was gonna really ever be a mental health counselor like I felt God had put in my heart. I am so glad I did not give up because I am reaping the benefits now. Going through so much while I was in school and persevering through it all has taught me so much. I love what James 1:2-4 ERV says, “My brothers and sisters, you will have many kinds of trouble. But this gives you a reason to be very happy. You know that when your faith is tested, you learn to be patient in suffering. If you let that patience work in you, the end result will be good. You will be mature and complete. You will be all that God wants you to be.” I know that I am not usually happy and focused on the end results when I am in the midst of the troubles but I can see why God encourages us to do so: because the end result of our struggles is usually growth and that is what I want. I have learned that God will help you reach the goals he has placed in your heart but you also have to fight for them and see them with the eyes of faith, because in the natural, it may look like that dream is never gonna happen. Sometimes what we are waiting on is deliverance or help in some very hard area of life; the same remains true: we need to keep our faith in God, keep praying, and never give up. “I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up out of a horrible pit [a pit of tumult and of destruction], out of miry clay (froth and slime), and set my feet upon a rock, steadying my steps and establishing my goings” Psalm 40:1-2 Amplified Bible. God is our strength, and he is right there with us as we pursue our dreams.

Songs that remind me: “Don’t Give Up” by Shawn McDonald; “Never Give Up” by Yolanda Adams; and “While I’m Waiting” by John Waller.

Hi everyone! Today I want to share some thoughts about forgiveness. The very foundation of my faith in Jesus is the belief that when I accepted Jesus for the first time and repented of all my wrongs; he forgave me, made me new, and helped me start over. That first “repentance session” was done with the understanding that moving forward, I can confess any sin that I do, and I will be forgiven because I am in Christ now. “But if we confess our sins, God will forgive us. We can trust God to do this. He always does what is right. He will make us clean from all the wrong things we have done” (1John 1:9 ERV).  I have believed this truth since day one, but I will admit, that I have had a hard time “feeling” clean from all the wrong things I have done. I think that’s why God constantly reminds me “Don’t live based on your feelings; live based on the Word of God.”  Because if I truly live out his Word, I have to decide to stop being mad at myself for the sins I have committed and repented of, and forgive myself, like God did as soon as I repented. He not only forgives us, he also takes away the sin from us. “And he has taken our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12 ERV).  I love my church home and church family, and one of the things my pastor says that I  really love is that Jesus already paid for our sins and we do not have to pay for them. We don’t have to punish ourselves for them or live in the guilt and shame of them. Sometimes on my drive to work,  I catch the sermon that’s broadcasts on the radio from the Russellville Christian Center, and there is one thing I heard one day that was so powerful for me: all of our sins, past and present, are on the cross of Jesus. He took them on and paid the price for them so that we do not have to carry them around after we have repented and been forgiven for them. God doesn’t want us to carry around and dwell on what he has forgiven and forgotten: “I, I am the one who wipes all your sins. I do this to please myself. I will not remember your sins” Isaiah 43:25 ERV. What a great promise from God! 

Songs that remind me: “Flawless” by Mercy Me; “East to West” by Casting Crowns’ and “Forgiveness” by Matthew West.

Hello and Happy Fourth of July!! I want to share some thoughts about the peace that we have in Christ. To be able to experience peace is something I pray for on a regular basis; but let me clarify: I believe that we already have peace inside of us if we know Jesus as Savior because it is one of the fruit of the Spirit, who lives inside of us. However, sometimes it is hard to experience it when we go through trial after trial in our lives, and especially if we are in a season in which we feel like we are in the valley rather than on the mountaintop. Jesus says in John 14:27 NIRV “I leave my peace with you. I give my peace to you. I do not give it to you as the world does. Do not let your hearts be troubled. And do not be afraid.” Sometimes our focus on our troubles blocks the peace Jesus died to give us and we find ourselves “trapped in fear.” We must instead put our whole focus on who God is and how he is in complete and total control over our lives.  We must remind ourselves of what God says and how true it is even when we don’t feel it. “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you.” Isaiah 26:3 NIV. I have noticed in my own life, when I am completely depending on God and standing on his Word, I experience his peace on the inside, in spite of the storm happening on the outside in my life.  I also know now that one of the best ways to experience God’s peace is to just be obedient to what he says. We will never go wrong following after God and doing what he says; as a matter of fact, so many great things come out of walking in the ways of the Lord. “Doing what is right will bring peace and rest. When my people do that, they will stay calm and trust in the Lord forever. They will live in a peaceful land. Their homes will be secure. They will enjoy peace and quiet.” Isaiah 32:17-18 NIRV. If there is one thing I love, it’s peace and quiet!! I hope you all enjoy this holiday weekend and experience the calm and peace that only Jesus can bring.

Songs that are peaceful and calming to me (all by Kari Jobe): “Here,” “Be Still My Soul (In You I Rest),” “The More I Seek You.”

Hello, everyone! It’s amazing to me that this is my 4th blog post! This is definitely a “God thing” because the more I write these posts, the more I wanna write them. Today, I wanna share a little about our identity in Christ. I have struggled since I was a pre-teen with self esteem issues and insecurity. I was teased a lot during that time, and it seems like I started to believe the negative things that were said to me. I wanted so much for everyone to like me, for them to approve of me and accept me. Even though it has been years since the teasing took place, and I know that the negative things are not true that were spoken over me, sometimes it’s hard to see myself in a positive way. Over the recent years, as I have spent regular time in God’s Word, he has shown me who I really am-my real identity. As a believer in Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit living inside of me, I have all the necessary parts and I am not missing anything as a person. Colossians 2:10 ERV “And because you belong to Christ you are complete, having everything you need. Christ is ruler over every other power and authority.” I have learned that I get to decide if I want to believe what God says about me (the truth) or the negative things said about me that don’t match up with what God says (the lies).  God says “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.” I Corinthians 12:7 NLT.  God created all of us as unique individuals with special gifts and talents. God says in Isaiah 41:9 NIV “You are my servant; I have chosen you and have not rejected you.” I know now that God’s approval and acceptance are all I really need, not people’s. And the more I read what God says about me as his daughter and his servant, I feel better about myself and see myself more clearly. Let’s live our lives for the glory of God and embrace who God created us to be.

Songs that remind me of these truths: “Who I am” by Blanca; “Wanted” by Dara Maclean; and “Furious Love” by Verida.