Celebrate Freedom!

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Happy Monday and God Bless America!

 In 1776, this great nation gained its independence.  On Wednesday we celebrate that event.  It’s not about a day off from work or a get together for burgers and hot dogs and barbecue.  It’s about FREEDOM.  Freedom to get an education, freedom to vote, freedom of speech and freedom to worship as we choose.

Sometimes, we get so tangled up in the small things that we forget just how blessed we are.   Think about that the next time you go to church, to school or even the grocery store.  If it still doesn’t sink in, read the newspaper or watch the world news on television.  There is no other nation that compares to ours.  And yet, there are many who want to end our freedom.  When you meet someone in the military, take a minute and thank them, better yet, buy their lunch.  It is through them that we gained our freedom and stay free.  Pray for them.  They need all the prayers they can get.

After all of that, maybe assess your own life.  Are you free?  Are you free from the bondage of sin and death?  Jesus Christ died to give us that freedom.  No matter where you live, without THAT freedom, you are lost.

Go ahead and grill those burgers and hot dogs and enjoy your day off.  But please, never forget what got us here and what is required to keep us there.

Pray Unceasingly!!

In His light,

Lois

 

Celebrate Freedom!

I Corinthians 15:3-4
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures . . .

July fourth is Independence Day, and all across U.S.A. people will celebrate the tremendous freedom we enjoy. Truly we are blessed! We who know Jesus Christ as our Savior have another kind of freedom to celebrate. We are free from the bondage of our sin and death.

I Corinthians 15:1-4 gives a concise picture of the freedoms we have in Christ. First, “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures.” He died for one reason: to pay the penalty necessary for our sins. He took our place. Because of His death, we are made free from the death penalty of sin and stand righteous before God. This is our justification.

Second, “that He was buried.” Romans 6 tells us that through faith we died with Him and were buried with Him and are now dead to the power of sin over us. Sin no longer has dominion over us, so we can choose to live righteous, holy lives. We are free from sin’s control over us! This is our sanctification.

Third, “that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures.” His death alone could not save us; it was the resurrection that showed God’s acceptance of Christ’s sacrifice, and that gives power unto salvation. In Colossians 3:1 we read that we are risen with Christ. His resurrection guarantees a future in Heaven for us where we will be free from the presence of sin. This is our glorification.

From that past moment when I truly believed, I am free from the penalty of sin . . . Free from the present power of sin over me . . . And guaranteed to one day be free from the presence of sin. Now that’s cause for celebration—every day!

Lord Jesus, let me never forget the great gift of freedom that You give to me as Your follower.

By Ann Shorb

Simple Tips to Maintain Your Motivation

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Happy Monday!

This verse has been continually coming to mind since yesterday.  Maybe someone needs to hear it today.

John 16:33 New International Version

33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

The article this week is long.  I regret that in some aspects, but since we are on summer break for meetings and so many are gone for the summer months, a good dose of motivation might be perfect timing!

Have you fallen into bad habits?  Has your motivation gone on summer vacation too?  Unfortunately, the gains you have made, can go away pretty quickly.

So, here is a healthy dose of motivation!  It’s a reminder of what we do and why we do it.  May God bless each of you and motivate you to be a little better today than yesterday.

Pray Unceasingly!!

In His light,

Lois

Simple Tips to Maintain Your Motivation

The Daniel Plan

Let’s face it, choosing between a donut and a diet is a matter of motivation. Want to live healthy, feel better and enjoy life, or satisfy a short-term desire to chomp on foods that are a waste and end up on your waist. To make lasting progress, you must know what’s motivating you to adjust your lifestyle into a healthy one.

Here are some tips to keep your motivation running high:

Be Purpose Driven

Stay on track with your goals by writing down a purpose statement. When you see success in your mind, it is more likely to become a reality. Use the five Essentials—Faith, Food, Fitness, Focus, and Friends as a guideline to write what you want for yourself.

Grab your journal or a piece of paper and list each of the five Essentials:

FAITH
FOOD
FITNESS
FOCUS
FRIENDS

Next to each heading write what you believe God wants for you and what you want for yourself.  Be positive and use the first person.  Write your purpose with confidence and the expectation that with God’s power it can happen. If you need to, work on it over the next several days.  After you finish with the initial draft, place this list where you can see it every day.

Whenever you do a behavior over and over, such as reading your purpose driven exercise daily, it actually develops and strengthens specific pathways in the brain.

Set Smart Goals

Smart goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Goals that follow these standards will help you keep your focus on what is most important.

Specific goals are clear and distinct. This is where you understand exactly what is expected and why it is important. A specific goal usually answers the five “W” questions: What?  Why? Who? Where?  Which (of the five Essentials)?

Measurable emphasizes the need for tangible benchmarks. If a goal is not measurable, how will you

know whether you are making progress? Measuring your progress helps you stay on track and keeps you excited. A measurable goal answers questions such as “How much?” and “By when?”

Attainable means the goals need to be realistic, even though it’s okay to have big dreams. Extreme goals

usually invite failure and frustration. When you identify the goals that are most important to you, you will figure out ways to make them happen.

Relevant means goals that matter. A relevant goal answers “yes” to these questions: Is it worthwhile? Is this the right time? Does it match your other efforts and needs?

Time-bound stresses the importance of attaining the goal within a certain time frame. When you use time-bound criteria, you’ll be able to measure your goals and focus your efforts on a specific deadline.

Here are some examples SMART Goals:

Lose thirty pounds in six months.

Walk like I am late four times a week for forty-five minutes with my walking partner.

Do a complete kitchen cleanse (clean out my kitchen of all unhealthful food) once a week.

Spend one night a week with friends reading and discussing the Daniel Plan material. Call in between meetings for encouragement and accountability.

Spend five to ten minutes a day journaling my progress.

Spend ten or more minutes a day in prayer or reading my Bible.

Eat Daniel Plan-approved foods at least 90 percent of the time.

Work toward SMART goals that give your brain and mind clear direction and focus on what is important.

Know Your Motivation

In order to get and stay healthy, it is critical for you to know why it is important. What drives your desire to be healthy? Write it down and put it where you can see it every day. Be positive and approach it from two angles—to attain benefits, and to avoid negative consequences. Motivators might include:

“I want to live long.”

“I want to have great energy.”

“I want to look great.”

“I want to feel better.”

“I want to have better relationships.”

“I want to be happier and smarter for the long run.”

For Dr. Daniel Amen, time with his family is his motivating factor:
“For me, I have an amazing wife, four wonderful children, and a grandson, Elias. My grandfather was one ofthe mostimportant people in my whole life. I was named after him and he was my bestfriend growing up. Iknow how importantgrandparents canbe.

“The day Elias was born I thought about my grandfather all day long. I WANT to be healthy to be able to love Elias like my grandfather loved me. When I really think about what’s important to me, no amount of cheeseburgers, sodas, or double fudge chocolate chip    brownies is worth the price of damaging my health and stealing the time I have with my family.” – Dr. Daniel Amen

Put your failures to good use. Changing old bad habits into a new healthy lifestyle occurs in steps. Sometimes it’s two steps forward and one step back. Take advantage of your failures and learn from them. The mistakes we make can educate us on how to do something better the next time if we are paying attention. You become a success by learning what doesn’t work and not doing it anymore.

Use the power of vision. Visualizing your goals is a good way to remind yourself of why you want to be healthy. Pictures can help you stay motivated! Put images on your computer desktop, around your home, on your smart phone, or in the visor of your car that remind you of why you want to be healthy. These pictures can be of family members, or of a time in your life when you felt good about yourself, or of a time that represents you living out your purpose.

To stay motivated you must stay focused and intentional with how you approach the goals you have set.

True Nourishment

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Happy Monday Everyone!

I have been thinking a lot about my healthy lifestyle journey lately.   I am celebrating almost 4 ½ years since starting The Daniel Plan!  When I stop and think of where I was and where I am now, I am amazed.

My body composition has changed.  Maybe not the way I originally thought it would, but it has changed.  So much more than that though is how my mentality has changed.  I have gone from, basically, all about weight, to how much better I can feel if I tweak things here and there.   My doctor is thrilled with all of my bloodwork and just tells me to continue what I am doing.  Just a few years ago, he wanted to put me on prescriptions.

In this journey, I have found out that my body reacts to certain foods in a very negative way.  I tend to have high inflammation and I’m just beginning to understand why.  Not only understand it, but resolve it!  Inflammation wreaks havoc with your body and I don’t need any more havoc!

My biggest victory throughout this journey though is the realization that I am not in this alone.  The Daniel Plan is based on faith, focus, food, friends and fitness.  It is the intertwining of these five essentials that brings about the change. I try to be very specific in keeping Jesus Christ in my journey every single day.  He is my strength and my hope.  I also have some very close friends that walk this journey with me.  I will be grateful for the rest of my life.

And then there is this group as individuals and as a whole.  Your love and support have carried me through so many tough times.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I posted the following quote just a month or two after beginning.  It holds true today, just as it did then.

(Casting Crowns)
“God’s dream for you is not based on what you can do, what you have done, what you haven’t done, or where you have been. It is all based on Him.
There is a higher story going on. God is bringing the world to Himself through His Son and He is allowing you to be a part of that. Everything else in life is about that, and if you will allow Him to bring your dreams toward Him, you will see some big things in your life.”
-Mark Hall

 Pray Unceasingly!!

 In His light,

Lois

 True Nourishment

The Daniel Plan

Why do you spend your money on junk food, your hard-earned cash on cotton candy? Listen to me, listen well: Eat only the best, fill yourself with only the finest. Pay attention, come close now, listen carefully to my life-giving, life-nourishing words. —Isaiah 55:2-3 MSG

We know the health benefits of eating real food grown on a plant rather than manufactured in a plant. Real food is medicine; junk food is toxic. God says the same is true in the spiritual realm: his Word is real food for our souls. It renews our minds and replenishes our spirits. We need it in our daily diet. Consider making a plan to read a portion of one of the Gospels, one of Paul’s letters, or a psalm each morning or before you go to bed.

God invites us back to spiritual food that will make our souls flourish. “God’s Word is better than a diamond, better than a diamond set between emeralds. You’ll like it better than strawberries in spring, better than red, ripe strawberries” (Psalm 19:10 MSG).

How can you feed your soul and body today?

Food for Thought: God’s words are truly life-giving and life-nourishing, real food for the hungry soul

10 Habits of Emotionally Resilient People

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Happy Monday!

As wonderful as it is to get away and be with family, it is wonderful to get home too!  The jungle is now mown, the dog’s people withdrawal symptoms are lessening and life is back to some semblance of normal.

I absolutely assure you this is the last post on Resilience.  Well, at least for now!  Have you gotten the idea yet just how important it is that we attain that “rubber band “quality so we can bounce back when life is thrown at you?  And life WILL be thrown at you, over and over and over again.  (Read #1 carefully, maybe twice!)

The last word on # 9 is a deal breaker.  How many times could conflict have been avoided if it weren’t for that little 5 letter word.  A little 5 letter word that can grow into a monster very quickly!

Ah… and then there is #10.  We have an escalating number of suicides today.  We have read about a couple of celebrity ones just this week.  Think of all the ones you don’t read about though.  It’s not just adults, it is teenagers and even CHILDREN!  There are so many things playing into this.  We need to recognize true mental illness with its symptoms and outcomes.  We need to quit talking so much and truly listen.  Listen for loneliness and heartache, listen for the silent pleas for help.  Watch for withdrawal in those that were not previously withdrawn.  So many just need to feel needed or worthy of real love, with nothing in return required.  Watch for signs of abuse.  Not just in adults, but the smallest, defenseless ones.

Above all, pray.  Pray for wisdom and discernment for you and them.  Pray for healing and protection for others.  Healing of the body, mind and spirit.  Protection in physical and spiritual situations.  As always…

Pray Unceasingly!!

In His light,

Lois

10 Habits of Emotionally Resilient People

Amita Patel -Source: MindBodyGreen

Ever notice how some people are stressed during transitions while others can just roll with the punches? It all comes down to emotional resilience. While some of it may be biological, there are ten traits that you can start cultivating today to start living life with less resistance and more ease:
Here are ten things that emotionally resilient people do when faced with a difficult situation:

1. Wait for what’s right instead of acting on what you want right now.
Yup, just like the classic Stanford marshmallow experiment, this is about impulse control — the ability to stop and consider whether you want to act on a desire. For example, when a family member makes you angry, your immediate response might be to lash out. However, impulse control allows you to pause and assess whether that’s really the best course of action in the long run. Delaying gratification and controlling our urges allows us to choose actions that align with our best intentions.

2. Sit with discomfort.
Similar to the above tip, those who are emotionally resilient are able to tolerate discomfort. Remember that thing you said out of anger? Or out of hunger? How would that response have been different if you had tolerated your discomfort for an hour? While tip one was about choosing the best action, this is about sitting with an emotion without taking any action.

3. Get some perspective.
If you’ve ever said to yourself, “Hindsight is 20/20” then you recognize the possibility that it may be true for your current situation. Often, when we’re in the trenches, it’s hard to see the bigger picture. Sometimes things happen for you, not TO you. What seems painful now might actually be the gift you couldn’t give yourself.

4. Practice acceptance.
Acceptance is not the same as complacence. It’s not about giving up and letting the stress take over — it’s about experiencing your emotions and trusting that you’ll bounce back.

5. Remember the power of time.
The emotionally resilient remember that time heals all wounds. People who have a tendency to feel depressed often fear spiraling back into it, but feeling an emotion is not the same as getting caught in it. Think back to the last time you felt like this. You may have thought it was the end of the world, but you recovered. The same is true now.

6. Let go of having all the answers right now.
Often, when we try hard to find answers to challenging questions, we unknowingly put our blinders on. We are so consumed with having answers on our schedule that we forget that we only receive when we are ready. The emotionally resilient remember that it’s okay to not have it all figured out.

7. Engage in self-care.
Emotionally resilient people know that self-care is a non-negotiable. It’s a daily practice and commitment to self that strengthens their inner resolve. Ranging from exercise, to meditation, to a cup of tea, the resilient have go-to stress busters that don’t involve hitting the bottle.

8. Laugh it off.
Sometimes things just suck, and you simply need to laugh it off. Humor goes a long way.

9. Choose to be happy above being right.
Emotionally resilient people know that being right is not what will make them happy. Sure, it’s nice to be right, but it’s better to be happy. Ask yourself if picking a fight is really worth it. Are you fighting to resolve the situation, or fighting to win it? In any moment you can choose what’s more important to you: the relationship or your pride.

10. Instead of focusing on what’s wrong, the resilient focus on what’s right.
Remember, where attention goes, energy flows. So why not cultivate more of what you want instead of what you don’t. There’s always something to be thankful for.
Ultimately, emotional resilience is all about attitude. By practicing these ten responses to stress, you’ll be able to spend more time living with ease and grace, spending more time in the light with fleeting moments of darkness!

Why Resilience Is the Key to Lasting Happiness & How to Cultivate it

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Happy Monday!

This week’s article is a follow-up to last week’s Resilience.  You might want to read it twice.  I needed to.

Could we be making ourselves unhappy by trying too hard to be happy?  I have never thought about that.  Take a look around you.  There are so many people looking for something.  Many looking for happiness in all the wrong places.  Until you accept yourself for the child of God that you are, created uniquely and perfectly by Him!  When we accept ourselves and have the confidence of our creator, we worry less about what others think of us and more of whether we are pleasing to Jesus.

I Googled resilience:  the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.  How can you recover quickly, if you are unsatisfied with yourself in the first place.  It is during those times of difficulty that you are most vulnerable to illness.  I am talking about, not only physical, but mental and emotional too.  It is during those times of difficulty that we either turn to Jesus for sustenance, or we turn away.

For me, when things get tough, the best thing I can do is try to help someone else.  Sometimes, just a hug can mean a lot to others.  I have bought food and given to the homeless.  Sometimes, just a smile or God loves you.  A kind, encouraging word can be priceless.  I have found when you make the world a little brighter for others, it becomes much brighter for you.

The capacity to recover quickly from difficulties…  when you think more of others and less of self, you may just find that capacity increases tremendously and the side effect is you DO feel happier!  How resilient are you?

Pray Unceasingly!!

In His light,

Lois

 

Why Resilience Is the Key to Lasting Happiness & How to Cultivate it

Zelana Montminy – Source:  MindBodyGreen

Although we all try to do what we think it takes to be happy, so many of us are still unhappier than ever before. The code to unlocking bliss and success isn’t the quest for it, after all. Groundbreaking research shows that happiness is in fact much easier to attain if we stop focusing on it so much. Although this might sound counterintuitive, happiness shouldn’t be the end goal if you really want to be happy.

Research has actually exposed several negative side effects of happiness, particularly that too much of the wrong type of happiness, experienced at an improper time, pursued in the wrong way, can be damaging. The antidote: undertake resilience instead.

Our frantic search for happiness is leading us astray primarily because we’re fixated on the wrong things. We desperately try to capture good feelings for ourselves, which alienates us from others. As contagious as happiness can be if we express it, the process we’ve been taught of how to attain it can be a very lonesome pursuit that further decreases happiness.

We also overestimate how thrilled certain achievements are going to make us. When we don’t feel the emotions we expected, we keep striving for more and more, which also doesn’t produce those feelings, continuing a vicious cycle.

In this way, a focus on happiness mostly serves to highlight our shortcomings. Lasting happiness requires building upon your strengths, persevering, and being gracious with yourself and others—it’s really not about personal achievements or experiencing fleeting, positive thoughts and feelings.

The words happiness and resilience get thrown around often. Because of this, we’ve tuned out. They have lost their powerful meaning. Overuse doesn’t make these concepts any less important though. In fact, they’re more important than ever before in our fast-paced world. I’ve noticed that people expect others to solve their problems and often blame society for their issues.

In this age of instant gratification and quick results, people often get uncomfortable when they have to work hard and solve problems. They reject negative feelings—but that’s not going to make them any happier. However, it’s healthy—almost necessary—to sometimes be unhappy in order to find lifelong well-being.

While negative feelings clearly don’t feel good, they are important tools for growth and learning.  I see also that there are plenty of studies referenced without being linked. And while our environment affects our lives, it is entirely up to us to have the strength to overcome whatever’s thrown at us. That vital trait—our ability to overcome and learn from our challenges, aka resilience—is often neglected. We need to become more resilient to ultimately be happy.

We’re still learning more about the complex characteristic of resilience every day. Recent research has begun to identify its environmental, neurological, and possibly even genetic sources. Although there’s much that we still don’t know about it, we do know that it’s not entirely genetic. While some people have an easier time turning trauma into triumphs, resilience is a skill we can all develop. It is not a fixed state of being.

We can build it and continue to work on it just like we can train our brain to be more positive and optimistic. In fact, positive emotions play a large role in resilience. Research has shown that they help us rebound better from trauma and find opportunities for growth from stressful experiences.

Being resilient does not mean that you won’t encounter problems or have difficulties overcoming a challenge in your life. The difference is that resilient people don’t let their adversity define them. At its core, resilience is about being capable and strong enough to persevere in adverse or stressful conditions—and to take away positive meaning from that experience.

Living with resilience is more than just “bouncing back”; it is about shifting our perceptions, changing our responses, and experiencing real growth. The only thing we have control over is that we have the ability to definitively and consciously change how we respond to what life throws at us at any given moment. We all endure challenges, big and small, which are meaningful opportunities for learning and building strength.

Highly resilient people seem to not only bounce back from hard times, but also grow and become stronger as a result—they experience posttraumatic growth. They found a way for their struggle to redefine their life and fill it with new meaning. This type of growth is the cornerstone of resilience.

Belief is incredibly powerful. When we believe in something, for right or wrong, it becomes our truth. Positive, goal-oriented beliefs—that you can achieve success, that you can be happy, that you can do what you set out to do, that you can bounce back from adversity—set the foundation for your life.

Remaining positive with whatever comes your way plays a large role in well-being. However, remaining positive is not a direct path to happiness. The problem today is that people are inundated with being told to “think positive,” so they’ve become afraid of the negative. They mistake happiness for only feeling happy thoughts and feelings, and they confuse resilience for never truly experiencing pain.

That’s not what any of this is about. We can’t escape the daily grind. But we can use stress to our advantage; it can actually be motivating and adaptive if we react to it effectively. Our most trying moments are valuable teachers—as resilient people, we must expect to learn from them.

While this foreknowledge won’t take away the pain of those moments or experiences, knowing in advance that we will come out of it stronger reduces some of the sting. We all have the power to be the strongest, most resilient version of ourselves.

Resilience

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Happy Monday!

Do you remember the u turns that we have talked about in the past?  Well, nothing has changed.  Whether it’s food or just life in general, you have a couple of options.  You can beat yourself up, maybe even lay the blame on someone or something else and give up OR you can take a deep breath, ask for forgiveness if needed, make a u turn and try to do better.

On any given day, you can look around and see people who have chosen one way or the other.  Since not a single one of us are perfect, even though you might want to think so now and then, that includes pretty well everyone you know!  Those who have taken the first option may have become skeptical, bitter, depressed and negative and turn to food, alcohol, drugs or other crutches to get by.  None of which work.

On the other hand, those who are resilient, have made that u turn and put the set back behind them.  They are now free to move forward, rather than being bound by guilt or the feeling of being a failure.

It’s a fresh start and a new attitude.  When you make a mistake, you make a u turn.  When you make the same mistake over and over, you’ve made a choice.  What will you do?

Pray Unceasingly!!

In His light,

Lois

 

Resilience

The Daniel Plan

“I am God, your God, who teaches you how to live right and well.” —Isaiah 48:17 MSG

Resilience means that no matter what our circumstances are, we are able to begin afresh and try again.

If we haven’t eaten well for breakfast, we begin anew at lunch.

If we’ve made a choice we regret, we reframe our thinking and start with a new choice the next day.

To be resilient like this, we need to cultivate acceptance, letting go of control over the past. It happened; now we move on.

No matter what happens to us at home, in the workplace, or in a relationship, we can learn to use challenges as opportunities to grow, to increase our awareness, to discover new methods to move ahead.

Setbacks are inevitable, disappointments and failures happen, but what defines us is how we respond to setbacks. Henry Ford said, “Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.”

Resilience relies on cultivating a flexible, open heart to God, seeing the many choices we have for moving forward. When a mistake happens, resilience jumps to, “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16 NIV).

Food for Thought: When a setback happens, a resilient heart asks God for a fresh take on what’s going on, a fresh measure of grace, of love, and of power to take the next step.

Power in Weakness

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Happy Monday!

I hope this new day finds all of you happy and healthy!  I know there are many on the road, traveling for vacations or summer trips.  Be safe and may God be with you every mile and every day.

I know I have written about grace before, I have also written about weakness.   Maybe because it is a common place to be, weak and in need of the wonderful grace of our Lord.  I find myself there too often.  The scripture at the beginning of the following article says it all though.  As you read it, let it soak in and fill your heart.

Every day, we go through changes and meet challenges.  When that happens, remember you are not on your own.  We are empowered by the Holy Spirit and through that can meet every change and challenge.  They may not be easy, but you are not alone.

Pray Unceasingly!!

In His light,

Lois

 

Power in Weakness

The Daniel Plan

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.  “Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

2 Corinthians 12:9

Any process of change exposes our weaknesses. We want to make changes, but when we bump up against our weaknesses, we can get discouraged and think change is impossible. And it may be impossible—if we were on our own.

But we’re not on our own. God has given us his free gift of the Holy Spirit who lives in us and empowers us. We only need to ask, “Holy Spirit, please help me to accomplish this,” and he is there with us in power.

Don’t expect him to make the process effortless or smooth, because he wants your weaknesses to show off the fact that his power is accomplishing everything. So, don’t demand perfection of yourself; aim for progress in little steps, and celebrate your weaknesses. When you are weak, God is strong. His grace truly is sufficient.

Food for Thought: You can boast of your weaknesses when God is providing the power to overcome.

 Pure Delight

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Happy Monday!

Hopefully, you have all had a great week.   And here we are in another brand new one!  Once again, the opportunity to start over, setting aside past mistakes and bringing forth an attitude adjustment that reminds you that you are a child of the King!  A chosen one!  The question is, how are you going to handle that.

Today, I choose to count my blessings, to meditate on the word of God and to try a little harder every day to take care of all He has blessed me with.  That is really easy to say, but a little harder to carry out.  We are all bombarded with distractions, both good and bad, throughout every day.  But if we choose to try harder, then each day will be a little easier.  The distractions won’t amount to as much as they did.

Do you meditate on the law of the Lord day and night?  I hope to get better and better at that.  Choose that one scripture that really has an effect on you.  When you are going three directions at one time, ponder on that scripture until you feel peace.  Only then can you feel the pure delight of being His child.

Pray Unceasingly!!

In His light,

Lois

 Pure Delight

The Daniel Plan

They delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. —Psalm 1:2 NLT

The psalmist speaks of the person who is blessed, fortunate, and happy. He meditates on God’s Word day and night. To meditate is to think deeply about something, to go over and over it so that it sinks into the heart and influences the way we think, feel, and act.

Repetition helps us create habits and can transform us. Just as repeatedly eating the right foods or consistently exercising changes our bodies over time, so repeating a passage of Scripture and consistently thinking about it will gradually change the way we think. And changing the way we think will change the way we live.

Choose a verse that ministers to your soul, perhaps a promise you want to trust in. Turn it over and over in your mind. What are the implications if it is? Let it sink into your heart.

Food for Thought: If you can make space to meditate daily on a short portion of God’s Word, you will change your mindset and your heart over time.

 

Like the Feet of a Deer

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Happy Monday!

I like to think that I am a strong person.  Well, part of the time… sort of…  But do you know when I’m not?  It’s when I lean on my own strength instead of leaning on the only TRUE source of that strength!  It took me so long to learn that lesson.  “I can do all things through CHRIST who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13, but basically, I can do diddly squat on my own.  And if I do, I probably shouldn’t have.

At one time, I thought that was weakness.  After all, I am supposed to be a strong, independent woman, right?  Maybe that depends on your definition, but I prefer to think I am a strong, DEPENDANT woman!  I am strong because of God’s strength.  I am happy to say that I am dependant, also because of God’s strength.  On my own, I am nothing.  Through God and to God, I am everything.

Life is a journey.  There are many stages we go through.  In my case, there is an ongoing journey with my health, trying to overcome some things genetics has handed me and a whole lot of bad habits I created all on my own.  With the help of God, I am coming out ahead!

Likewise, my journeys of faith, courage, obedience, dedication, endurance and discipline have hit many peaks and valleys.  But those valleys have made me stronger because I finally learned where my strength lies.  I WILL be Daniel Strong!

Are you struggling in a valley?  Do you feel lost and don’t know where to turn?  There is help wherever you are.  Right now.  Just call out His name and ask with a repentant heart.

Pray Unceasingly!!

In His light,

Lois

Like the Feet of a Deer

The Daniel Plan

The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights. —Habakkuk 3:19

The prophet Daniel possessed strength beyond the size of his muscles—he had strength of faith, courage, obedience, devotion, dedication, endurance, and discipline. Because of him we speak about being Daniel Strong, which is a pursuit of excellence in body, mind, and spirit for God’s glory.

We could just as well speak of being Habakkuk Strong, because this prophet too found his strength in God. Habakkuk lived in a time of economic and political instability, so he needed stability from God to carry him through the challenges of an uncertain future.

Whatever challenges you face, God wants to give you solid footing so your faith stays strong. He wants to be your daily source of strength beyond the size of your muscles. He can empower you. As the Bible says, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me” (Psalm 28:7).

Food for Thought: Being Daniel Strong is all about strength in body, mind, and spirit.

More than Sparrows

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Happy Monday!

Can you believe that one third of the year is gone??  The older I get, the faster I get old!  Getting older doesn’t really bother me much, though how I feel during that process is another story!

Today’s article really struck a chord with me.  It seems like every day we read about someone being bullied or somebody that just feels like there is nothing or no one that values them.  We read about elementary children who are considering or even accomplishing suicide.  It is heartbreaking.  Their hearts are empty.  It’s an emptiness that needs the grace of God to fill it.

There was a period in my life that I felt that emptiness.  My self-esteem was pretty well nonexistent.  I blamed myself, I blamed others and sometimes, I blamed God.  I had allowed my heart to become empty, actually thinking that I could avoid being hurt that way.  Instead, all I felt was pain.

There is good news though!  God forgave me for blaming Him and he took away my emptiness and filled that hole with grace and peace and love.  I have to remind myself never to forget that and try to never take that for granted.

God didn’t create us broken.  He created us in His image, we may have altered that image along the way, but He can still restore us!  Isn’t that amazing?  He not only can, but He WANTS to!  We are children of the King.  What a heritage that is!

The next time you feel like your life has no value or worth, consider that He knows every hair on your head, every beat of your heart and every thought in your mind.  And He still loves you so much.  Concentrate on all the positives and put aside the negatives.  Most of all, focus your eyes on Jesus and you will not sink!

Pray Unceasingly!!

In His light,

Lois

 More than Sparrows

The Daniel Plan

Let your way of thinking be completely changed. Then you will be able to test what God wants for you. —Romans 12:2 NIV

How do you talk to yourself? Do you say harsh things that you would never say to a friend? Some of us say cruel lies we’ve heard other people say to us, perhaps when we were children. The negative things people say often burrow deep and distort our thinking.

If you believe you’re a “failure,” you may think you’re going to fail in your health goals.  So success will be that much harder. It’s important to replace false thoughts with true ones from God’s Word.

Jesus says you are enormously valuable to God:

“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows” – Luke 12:6-7.

See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands” – Isaiah 49:16.

When the discouraging thoughts come, replace them with the truth of God.

Food for Thought: God has numbered the hairs of your head and engraved you on the palms of his hands