Important Lessons Learned

It is a brand new year (2025) and I have had my fair share of life lessons over the past few years.  It seems like the last few years have been non-stop with one thing after another.  I feel like I keep trying to catch my breath for air and I am not able to recover.  The hits just keep on coming and they have not stopped.  In the last few years, I have encountered the following:

- Losing Pets

- Losing My Father

- My Mom Battled For Her Life In The Hospital (by the grace of God she came through)

- Losing Both Of My Spiritual Mentors (Spiritual Mom & Spiritual Dad)

- Losing My Dream Job On My Son's Birthday (with no warning due to budget cuts)

- Having My Marriage Spiritually Attacked

- Slipping Into The Deepest Depression I have ever experienced

- Walking Super Close To God, to Stumbling so hard that I fell away from him.

It has been so overwhelming and it takes every bit of me to keep putting one foot in front of the other at times. This is life and I understand that there is a season for every activity under Heaven. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-11) I do not have the solution or the perfect answer, but the point of this post is to shed some light on how I have been navigating through some of the things I have mentioned above.  

       Important Life Lessons I Have Learned:

1) Daily Check-in with God- This means there is constant communication with prayer and sitting in silence. This means setting certain time aside daily and talking to your Heavenly Father.  He already knows what you are going through and wants his son/daughter to seek him out first and foremost.  Setting specific time aside for reading the Word.  (Even if it is only a few scriptures).  

2) Work On Yourself From Within- With all of these hits, I have struggled with self-confidence and my worth.  It is important to have those difficult conversations with yourself and spend time reflecting on your thoughts (why do I think this way, what can I change about the way I think, how can I change the way I feel, etc).  Many times it is easy to distract yourself and not have those difficult conversations with yourself.  When you are at your darkest moment you have no strength to pull yourself up, but that is where God comes in. (Romans 5:8).  It is easy to make excuses and blame others for actions but true growth comes when you spend the time examining yourself and see the areas in your life that need God most. 

3) Work On Progress, Not Perfection- I am an All or Nothing person.  There is no in-between with me. This can be an obstacle since I am never going to do everything according to plan.  Here I learned to give myself grace and not be so hard on myself.  God sees my heart and my intention and he knows I mean well.  It is important to not be hard on yourself and watch the words that you speak to yourself.  Words matter! (Proverbs 18:21).  When it talks about a daily walk with God that means one step at a time. We are to walk hand in hand and not go ahead of him.  I am not perfect, but you know who is? Jesus!  Thank God I am not measured on my efforts or work.  I had to remind myself to be kind to myself and to take it one day at a time and actually teach myself to not get discouraged if something didn't go according to plan.  It is important to run the race and not sprint.  

4) Light Casts Out All Darkness (John 1:5) - The enemy can make you feel defeated when you are getting hit daily with fiery darts.  He can trick you into thinking that you are all alone and that there is no hope.  He can even make you think that God doesn't hear you/see you/ or love you.  In the middle of my pain, I found myself being so overwhelmed that I didn't have the strength to pray, read, or meditate on things that are pure, lovely, or true.  I have read the Bible and I know what the Bible says, but during this darkness, I almost felt as if none of it applied to me, and that it was for someone else.  I reminded myself that He will never leave me or forsake me (Hebrews 13:5-6).  He sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24), I know that Jesus can identify with everything I am walking through (Hebrews 4:15).  This is where it is important to surround yourself with Prayer Warriors and have people stand on their watchtower and pray/intercede on your behalf.  It matters who you have in your inner circle, and you should choose your friends wisely.  I honestly believe that because of their prayers, I was able to have the strength to keep going.  

5) This Too Shall Pass (2 Corinthians 4:17-18) - This life is so short and at times we can think we have all of the time in the world to get right or fix something.  We can get distracted and think that this is the only life we get to experience.  This life is temporary and we are not guaranteed the next moment.  We do not know when our time will end on earth.  In Romans 8:18 it says "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us."  We do not know what the next day holds, the next month holds, or the next year holds.  We can only focus on the things we CAN control.  God knows the beginning, middle, and end.  We need to learn to fully trust him and let him lead us.  You need to lift your head up keep your eyes focused on the eternal things and keep your eyes on Jesus.  We come into this world with nothing and we will literally leave this world with nothing.  

Through everything I have learned that we experience trials because it is part of a refining process. (Malachi 3:2-3).  I am continually examining myself and have asked God to take away anything that is NOT of you.  Sometimes I have my sin get in the way and that can be a hindrance to my prayers and block God's blessing.  When I now go through a difficult season I remind myself that there is a lesson in this pain, and I can choose to ignore it or I can learn from it and grow stronger. If you notice we need to be on the offense during this process and not on the defense.  We cannot react when we feel something (because our emotions are always going to be changing, and they are not reliable).  This is where the training comes into play.  What kind of training you ask?  I am talking about Biblical training!  This is where you take authority of every thought (2 Corinthians 10:5). We are instructed to get dressed spiritually daily (Ephesians 6:10-18)  We need to be proactive in EVERY area of our life.  We need to be alert when it comes to ourselves, our relationship with God, our marriage, raising our children, etc.  We cannot afford to be caught off guard or deceived.  Since time is so precious we don't know when our last moment on earth will be.  

                    Habits I Started Implementing:

Check-in with God every morning!  Start my day off in prayer, scripture, and praying for my family and making sure they are spiritually protected.

- Have grace towards myself and not be so hard on myself.  If I mess up on something, to repent and try not to do it again.

- A hunger to be in the word more, have several resources to help break down the Bible for me and do independent studies so I can make sure I am strong in my faith walk. 

- Learn to love and not waste time on my emotions.  Putting God's Word above the way I feel. 

In closing, this life is so hard and incredibly painful.  We are going to have amazing times and difficult times while on earth.  We need to remind ourselves that God is with us and sees the entire picture and we need to trust him no matter what!  We cannot question his love for us, and we have a Savior who can identify with every single thing we will ever experience.  Our goal is to get through this life and try to do it God's way and at the end of our life we will spend eternity with him and everything will have been worth it.  I pray this post encourages you!  I pray you were able to see my heart in why I shared this post and what I have been enduring the last couple of years.  This year has started off horrible and it is only January.  I am choosing to fix my mind on HIM and get my thoughts right.  It will not continue downhill, and God has a plan and I trust that his timing is perfect!

Be blessed,

KatyRose

             

2024......

It has been MORE than a minute since I have written a blog post :)  The last 3 years I have had quite the season of obstacles.  I have endured struggles (emotionally, financially, and spiritually) and lost several people who were near and dear to my heart.  These last few years I felt as though I have been walking down a dark path with a single candle in a wind storm and I can't seem to keep it lit.  I walk my path knowing that I may feel the effects of the world and everything coming my way but spiritually I know that I never walk my path alone.  God sees me exactly where I am at and he is always directing and guiding my footsteps.  The life of a Christian is not for the weak that is for sure, and you are constantly in the battle. This life is temporal and what we endure is temporary, but the moment we step into eternity it will be ALL worth it.  

I know this will sound cliche but I am believing in God for BIG things this year.  I know at times when we are walking through these difficult seasons it would be amazing for God to show up and flip our situation or circumstance to what we want or hope for, but I believe that as believers and followers that we are responsible for continuing walking out our faith in obedience even when we don't see or feel a change.  I know that faith pleases God, and I want to please him.  I am planning an ENTIRE lifestyle change in EVERY area of my life for 2024.  I have spent time praying about it and meditating about it, and I feel that I am ready for this and that God has been preparing me for this.  I am not going to outline the details here, but I just wanted to check in since it has been quite some time since I have posted anything.  I would love to do a 6-month check-in from this post and give an update on my progress for 2024.

I want to leave you with this....... If you are walking through a season like I have described above, my advice is:  

"Keep trying to re-light your candle, even if something keeps blowing it out, keep re-lighting it. Keep walking the path even if you find yourself stumbling and falling repeatedly, DO NOT STOP and DO NOT GIVE UP!"

  

Pick up your Bible, and get HIS word in your heart, and start speaking it out loud.  Learn it so much that you take HIS Word over your own!  I have felt a certain way and after I read his word my thoughts were changed because he reminded me of how he created me to be.  So stay the course, and keep refining yourself through the fire.  Let the things that are not of God burn away, and stay on the path!  Know that you are not alone and that God sees you exactly where you are, and there is a harvest that is in due season!!   Have the most blessed New Year!! 

 

Dreams DO Come True..... Keeping That "Dream Seed" Alive (Learning to block out the negative voices & Pursue at ALL Cost)

 I wanted to write this blog post to let you know that, Dreams DO Come True!!  When you block out the negative voices and pursue at ALL Cost!! 

Recently in my life I have had an amazing opportunity come across my path, and I am pinching myself.  I have always known my value and my worth and in what I bring to the table, but never felt valued or appreciated.  I know that God made me different and that there is nobody else in the world like me.  I have had close people in my life speak death over me and told me I would never amount to anything.  Words like that hurt, especially if it comes from people you love.  Words like that can leave scars and cripple you from moving forward in life.  I never let those words truly sink deep in my ears, I was always able to block them out.  In my heart I knew what I deserved, and I always kept that dream seed alive.  I would feed that little seed with the word of God and motivation that I would speak to myself.  I am blessed that I have a supporting family that believes in me and encourages me when I am feeling down.  I would see people around me living "their" dream and I knew it just wasn't my time yet, but it still inspired me.  

The purpose behind this post is to keep your dream alive.  Do NOT have any back up plans!!  Whatever you are believing God for, write it down and put it in a place where you can look it in the face everyday!  Watch how you speak to yourself!  Be careful with the people you surround yourselves with!  My dream has kept me awake at night because I have been expecting God to show up.  I knew it had to be on HIS timing, and that I needed to be patient.  

When I look back on the people that were toxic and spoke "death" over me, I realize that they were a stepping stone for my motivation.  Each time they put me down, it ignited that spark inside of me, and it grew into a blazing fire.  I am actually thankful and appreciative for their words since I came out stronger!  

I am so thankful and humbled for this opportunity, and God knows how much this means to me.  This is an answered prayer, and I will forever treasure it.  It is important to celebrate the wins in life, and document those moments because God is alive and well!!  He does answer prayer, and he does hear the desires of your heart.  I hope this post encourages you to keep your Dream Seed Alive!! Let it thrive, do not starve it!!  Learn to block out the negative voices and Pursue at ALL Cost!! 

Enjoy Life Today, Yesterday Is Gone & Tomorrow May Never Come.

 

Enjoy Life Today, Yesterday Is Gone & Tomorrow May Never Come.

I have this quote in a place where I can see it everyday and I am reminded to live by it.  Many times as humans we love to "plan" and keep ourselves busy.  When we do this we are living our lives saying that "we are the masters of our domain and we hold tomorrow in our hands."  The world teaches us the mentality of "serve me."  If we are not careful we can become self serving and forget the true meaning of life and why we were put on this earth.  Yes, God wants us to enjoy our life and wants us to do well, but there is a greater purpose and calling on our lives.  We will not wake up and automatically start living this way, we need to "set" our minds ahead of time.  We need to have gentle reminders set around the house.  We need to read the word of God and pray daily.  

I was reminded of this recently because I have several people in my life that are going through some real intense battles right now.  It is a shame that difficult situations always seem to put things into perspective.  Just waking up another day and being able to breathe is a gift.  Do we wake up and say to God "Thank you for the breathe in my lungs and my beating heart?"  We can take things like this for granted.  This is a reminder though that we have NO control over our lives.  We can play games and think that we do, but sooner or later you will come to the realization that we can do NOTHING without HIM.  I have been reflecting lately and I have found myself continually cutting certain things out of my life, and adding in other things.  I am making sure I do not stay the same and get stagnant. It can be VERY easy to get stuck in the day to day routine.  We have to remind ourselves that we are ALIVE and that we need to maximize our time here and live each day like it is our last.  I refuse to make excuses and believe that "this is all there is to life."  I believe there are so many other things I have not uncovered yet.  The world teaches us that we need to grind it out to have the "best" life.  What is the "best" life according to the world........ More Money, Fancy Clothes, Big House, Dream Car, Into Looks, If something doesn't work, move onto the next best thing, always someone else's fault/ no accountability, do whatever your heart tells you to, live according to how you "feel"/ etc.

I am IN this world not OF this world!  I refuse to conform to society and what the world says I should be doing.  I feel like at times I am swimming up current and it can feel lonely.  At times it can be discouraging because you see "others" getting things that you think you deserved, or things that you have prayed for.  I would like to get personalize and break the above quote down and put it in my words and how I interpret it.

" Enjoy Life Today"

I look at one day at a time.  I only look at that day alone and make sure I keep my blinders on. I am not looking to the next day ahead.  I am working on to truly value the gift that is presented to me and not grumble and complain.  There are many others that did not wake up today, or may be missing someone that did not wake up today.  I am thankful for the gift of that day and I want to tell the Lord "Thank you!"  I want to maximize that day.  By maximizing I mean have all the key elements: Mind/Body/Spirit.  I want to exercise my body for that day, I want to explore my mental side (journal), and I want to feed my spirit with the Word of God.  I am yearning for balance.  If I had a great day, then that is awesome.  If I had a bad day then I am happy I survived it and I am looking to learn the lesson from it.

"Yesterday Is Gone"

Once I wake up to another day, I remind myself that yesterday is in the past and that chapter is closed.  There is no need to revisit it or dwell on what happened.  There is literally nothing I can do with yesterday.  The only control I have is to see what I learned from it.  Maybe there was a big important lesson that God needed me to learn.  Many times when people are on their deathbed they look back over their life and revisit the: would have/ should have/ could have reel.  They like to open up the entire book and revisit the regrets.  This is honestly a #1 fear of mine.  The thought shakes me to my core and I have made sure to live my life with no regrets!! How can I do this, you ask?  Let me go into further detail.  I do not hold grudges with ANYONE.  I forgive ALL who hurt me.  I say sorry even if it was not MY FAULT.  I say I LOVE YOU.  I choose to spend quality time with my loved ones and put my phone down and turn the tv off.  I see that relationships are the most important thing.  We are not guaranteed another day, so spend time living in the NOW with your loved ones. It is easy to become bitter and have that turn into hate with friends and family.  Don't drink the poison!!  This is what happens to those who lay alone on their death bed.  This is something I will never have and it is a choice.  You can start living this way every single day!!

"And Tomorrow May Never Come."

There is no guarantee that I will wake up tomorrow.  I can have all of the plans mapped out in advance, it still doesn't guarantee me another day.  Everything is on God's time and he decides!  So what does this mean for me? This means that I need to maximize today as much as possible.  Spend time with my loved ones, have no regrets, spend time with God, forgive others, and love others!!  In life it is pretty rare to get second chances, so we need to give it our all.  There is no time to waste.  If you died today can you honestly say that you have a relationship with Jesus and you would go to heaven?  If you died today what is the last thing you said to your family?  If you died today are their relationships you wish you could repair?  Be proactive and do things right now!! Start moving in that direction!!

I hope this blog post encouraged you and helped you take a moment to see what you maybe need to cut out or maybe develop some new habits. I encourage you to take this quote and put it in a place that reminds you daily of how to live!!  I wanted to close up and put some examples below of a few things I have added in and cut out:

- Spend time in silence journaling, and collecting your thoughts.  This is the layout for how I journal.  I made it up but it works for me. 

- Mon-Fri I make sure to workout and do physical activity (Sat and Sun I am off). After working all day at a computer I can honestly say I look forward to going outside and doing a garage workout and sweating.  I physically and mentally feel better afterwards.

- Eating Healthy- I document in my mobile calendar everything I consume.  It helps hold me accountable and it is nice to be able to look back and see how I am doing.

- Read The Bible With My Family- Every night we get together and go through our Bible Reading Plan and then discuss what the verse meant to us.  We also go around and pray together

Some things I cut out:

- My phone is 100% down and I am 100% engaged with my family and self

- Limited TV time

- Alcohol

- Stress and Anxiety

________________________________________________________________________________

Self Discovery

This post will be different from all the other posts I have written in the past.  This year (2021) has led me on a journey, and I am only just beginning!!  I have started to do things that I have NEVER done before.  I feel like I am on the path to "self discovery."  I am truly learning the importance of taking care of myself on ALL levels.  In the past, I have done small adjustments but never fully committed to going ALL IN.  In this post I will explain what I am learning as I walk down this path of Self Discovery.

I had a health scare earlier this year and it honestly caused me to wake up.  It heightened my senses to see all of the things I did on a daily/weekly/monthly basis that had a negative impact on my body.  Yes, I make look ok on the outside, but what about the inside?  How is my immune system, how are my organs, how are my muscles and bones?  These are things we do not think about, until we have a health scare.  I talked to health professionals to see what changes I needed to make, and educated myself.  Anything I mention below you can do research for yourself.

Toxic Products- Once I started reading the labels of things that I was putting on myself daily, it honestly scared me.  The chemicals in products seep into your skin and go into your bloodstream.  Educating myself on this topic made me do research to look for all natural products.  I no longer wear nail polish at all, I changed up my toothpaste, my hair products, my skin care products, deodorant, etc.  This is a small change, but to me it was important.  Once you educate yourself, you are called to do action.  I was not going to sit back and continue to lather my body with chemicals. ( I do not wear makeup during the day, I let my skin breathe and I love being natural). I will only put on mascara, eyeshadow and lip gloss if I have a special occasion.  90% of the time I am all natural. :)

No Alcohol- I took the time and studied the liver, and the process of what happens to the liver when you drink alcohol.  I learned about (NAFLD) and (ARLD).  I learned about how alcohol affects other organs in the body.  After understanding what I was doing to myself after every time I have a drink, I realized I was only doing harm to my body.  I realized that I needed to cut ALL Alcohol out of my life.  I need to build my organs up, not tear them down.

Healthy Foods- I realized what processed foods/ high sodium, and sugar do to the body.  I realized that I felt like I never had energy and felt always tired.  I exercised but still didn't feel good internally.  I made the decision to cut out sugar from my diet.  I focus eating on healthy whole foods.  I now make sure to eat more vegetables, healthy whole grains, make my own smoothies, drink plenty of water, cut out soda, no more deli meat, and healthy carbs.  I do not call it a diet since this is a lifestyle change and this is something that I will continue to do.  *** Yes, I had sugar withdraw headaches/ migraines that lasted for 2 weeks***

No Caffeine- I drink my coffee every single morning, but realized I did not need all of that caffeine.  I have switched to decaf coffee and I love it.  I can now enjoy my coffee every morning without all of the caffeine.  

Fasting- I have done fasting in the past, but only for a certain period of time.  I now fast Mon-Fri from 7pm-1pm.  On weekends I take two days off so that way it changes it up for my body.  I look at it as a body reset, it resets all levels and improves organ functions.  It also regenerates new blood cells.  While fasting I drink decaf coffee, water, and tea.

Walking- I was never a walker.  I am a runner, I do HIIT, Boxing, Strength Training, etc.  I now make sure I walk a certain amount of steps every day.  It forces me to get outside and walk more.  I now enjoy taking walks.  I find that during this time I am able to think and get away.  It honestly is good for my mind.

Oils- I have studied Essential Oils and what they can do for your body, and how they are natural remedies that can be used for health issues.  I use Essential Oils DAILY and NIGHTLY.  I use them while I am working, when I have a headache, before bed, and mix them together for other benefits.

Yoga/Stretching- I have listened to my body as I have gotten older, and my body is craving TLC.  My body always feels tight and at times in pain.  I now dedicate 20-30min a night doing stretches.  I put on music, have my oils going and I spend time loving my body and giving it what it needs.  I look forward to this every evening, and my body feels better afterwards.  I struggle with Sciatica, and I now have a flow that I do every night that helps me properly stretch that area.

Reading The Bible- I have been on a Bible Reading Plan since January, and I make sure to take time (Usually after stretching) to sit down in my massage chair and read the Word of God.  This is important time with God, and it is important to do it DAILY.  We also have a separate Bible Reading plan that we do as a family, and talk about what we read, and then pray.  

Vitamins- I spoke with a Doctor and found out which Vitamins I should be taking for my age/body etc, and I now take them daily.  It is helpful to know where you need to increase certain levels, and vitamins can help do that.

Journaling- I now make time for Journaling.  I did this when I was younger, and I have fell in love with it again.  I spend time writing down what I am currently feeling/going through/prayers/ etc.  It helps to get it down on paper.  I feel better afterwards, and I am able to see the different stages of when God answered my prayers, and what he has done in my life. 

These are the main changes I have made, and I hope it brings encouragement to you.  Maybe one or several of these areas have spoken to you.  If so, I recommend doing research for yourself, talk to a doctor, and pray about it.  God will reveal to you what you need to cut out of your life.  I am thankful that I have a loving family that supports me.  These things above are important to me and I have made time prioritizing them so I do them daily.  

-

God NEVER Stops Amazing Me.......

 I am just once again blown away by God's faithfulness.  He always exceeds my expectations.  When you humble submit yourself to him, you will see him move in a BIG way.  I have started my mornings off in the Word, covering my family in prayer, and spending alone time with God.  I find myself confessing the Word of God OVER my circumstance, and not by what I am seeing.  I know where I stand in God's eyes, I know where I am held.  It is in the palm of his hand and he holds me up in his Righteous Right Hand where the enemy cannot come near me.  I was going through a health situation and I asked God to use the Dr to speak specifically to me as if he was speaking himself.  The Dr addressed me and exactly pin pointed what I needed to hear and it was customized.  That is God!!!!  God is faithful! God shows up! He is moving even now in 2021, in the middle of a pandemic!  Do not put limits on God.  I recently removed social media from my phone and I can tell you it has eliminated an extra distraction.  I want to spend more time on what really matters. I want to focus on my relationship with God.  I want to focus on my family and my health.  Life is too short to be buried in a phone, and scrolling through it.  I also want to encourage you to Journal Daily/Weekly.  It is a beautiful reminder of God's faithfulness.  I find myself falling more and more in love with God in 2021 and this year has just begun.

Through it all, through it all, my eyes are on you.  Through it all, Through it all, it is well. 

AND THAT IS A WRAP.....2020!

 What a year this has been!!!  I don't even have the words to describe what kind of year this has been.  I believe this has been a year of pain.  This year has taught us to deal with fear of the unknown, and how to endure.  This year has been fear for 365 days straight.  Fear on the virus, Fear on the news, Fear on statistics, etc.  We have been hearing it from ALL sides!  We put up our Christmas tree before Thanksgiving.  I feel like this is the year that we needed to get Christmas going early.  We needed some cheer.  This world needs some cheer.  Thank God For Jesus!!!  That CAN be celebrated in the middle of a pandemic.  

We have 4 days until 2021!!  I believe this is a great year to start Resolutions.  I know that some may laugh at this and roll their eyes, but once again after 2020, we need something GOOD to focus on and look forward to.  I can't go into another year and still feel the effect from the year prior.  I NEED a fresh start, I need NEW vision, I NEED hope that WILL REMAIN!!  I wanted to share how I am starting off the New Year, and what I am choosing to focus on.  

Spiritual/Mental:  First and foremost, I researched a Bible Reading Plan.  There are several plans out there, I will include a link at the end of this paragraph.  I wanted to pick the right reading plan for me.  I have chosen "The Bible In Chronological Order of Events."  This will take my the entire year and take me in order of the events.  I have also chosen a Bible Reading Plan to do with my children.  I will also include that link at the end of this paragraph.  We need to get in a routine for the new year in starting the day with God first.  The way to start that is to read his word and get it in our hearts and minds before we start the day.  We do not know what each day will bring us, so we need to make sure we are prepared in advance.  We can FULLY rely, lean and trust God at his word.  This is a Must for 2021!!

Bible Reading Plans: Bible Reading Plan Link

Bible Reading Plans For Kids: Bible Reading Plan for Kids Link

Physical/Mental:  This will be short and sweet.  Yes I know everyone starts off the New Year with fitness goals and this is a cliche.  However, this is going to be different.  My goal is to "MOVE."  This means to be active EVERY SINGLE DAY.  It could be simple as going for a walk.  Our bodies are a gift and we need to be kind to ourselves.  So for 2021 I am going to make sure that I MOVE for the entire 365 days of the year.  This is a way I show myself love and also show love to the Holy Spirit.  So I want to challenge you to MOVE for everyday in 2021!!

Nutrition:  I want to be FULLY transparent in this category.  This will probably be one of the hardest for me.  I do not have a specific plan I wish to follow.  I do not want to follow a certain diet.  I want to be a smart human being and use the brain that God gave me.  For instance, whatever I am choosing to eat, does it....... Fuel my body?  Bring nutrition to my body?  

Those are the two questions I will be asking myself.  If it doesn't check those 2 boxes I DO NOT NEED IT.  It is as simple as that.  The majority of the time I want to be able to ask myself those 2 questions.  I believe 2020 taught us that we need to keep our body healthy and our immune systems up.  As we get older we need to make sure this is a MUST.  We cannot afford to have our health decline due to things that we CAN control.  We CAN control what we put in our mouths.  We CAN control that!!  This will honestly take discipline but I feel that if I keep it simple, it is attainable.  I don't have a long list of "rules."

1) Does This Fuel My Body?

2) Does This Bring Nutrition To My Body?

Those are my Top 3 New Years Resolutions For 2021!! I told you they would be simple.  I want to leave off this post with some truth and encouragement.  

Do you know that we serve a God that knows the Beginning, Middle, and End?  Do you know that NOTHING takes God by surprise?  This pandemic did not take God by surprise.  He knows everything that is happening and that is to come.  I don't find my rest in the news stations or in the newspaper.  I find my rest in knowing that I serve a God that knows the beginning, middle, and end.  I find my peace in his word.  I know that when we remain faithful to him, he is faithful to us.  I know that we are under his covering and he will protect us.  So I want to encourage you to remain faithful.  Finish the race that is set out before you.  Endure until the very end.  Finish the race and receive your reward.  We were created for such a time as this.  You have something that this word needs during this time.  God has you alive in this specific season for this specific time!! It is an honor to be an ambassador for Jesus.  We are warriors.  We are to suit up each morning, do battle, and lead others to Jesus!!!  Sign me up!!!

Be blessed in the New Year.  Know that you are blessed and highly favored.  It is a pleasure doing this life together with other Brothers and Sisters in Christ!!

Adapting....

As Human Beings, we are creatures of habit.  We like routine, it gives us a sense of purpose and control.  We need to feel that sense of accomplishment, so when our head hits the pillow at night, we can smile with a sense of purpose.  Change is scary.  Adapting to a new environment is scary.  Trying to adapt to a changing environment is another beast in itself.   We can feel like we are treading water trying to stay a float and have the feeling of drowning at the exact same time.  

I do not have all of the answers, nor do I have it figured out on my end.  What I do have is the perception that something needs to be done!  There needs to be a concrete action in place that helps keep you accountable.  I will be going into detail below on what I am talking about. 

 Organization is Key.  You have to work with your current "schedule" and literally map it out to a science.  You need to be organized with what is expected each day, and even break it down to time blocks.  When things change, you need to start the process over from square one.  This is something that will help you stay on target and also help give that sense of control and purpose.

- Work on one day at a time (Mon-Fri)

- Have it broken down in time blocks (8-830, 830-9, 930-10) etc

- Do color coordinated tasks (you can prioritize colors etc)

- Create "free time" where you do not have to think or do anything

- Have a Rest Day.  * If God created the Universe in 6 days and took an entire day to rest, then you should too! *

Prioritize is the next step!  There are things that are more important that need to be handled first.  For an example, your health!  You need to make time to make sure your health is a priority.  If you are running on empty, then you are not giving your best to yourself, and you are giving your family members the last of yourself.  Start each day with a time block to your health.  This could be breathing exercises, mediation, yoga, going for a walk, reading the word, running, journaling etc.  Whatever helps your mind and body needs to be handled first thing in the morning.   

Being Realistic.....  This will vary from person to person on what is realistic.  If you are not a morning person, be realistic about it.  Don't come up with a plan that you know will be difficult for you.  If you struggle in the morning, then do things the night before so that way you have that extra time in the morning.  You know yourself the best, so customize a schedule that works best for you.

Forgive Yourself.  There are going to be times you may not stick to your schedule, or fail.  Learn to forgive yourself and not be so hard on yourself.  The beautiful thing is that we have another day to start fresh and get it right!! Thank God for his grace, favor, and mercy.  His mercies are new every morning!! 

I find myself currently going through a season where I find myself constantly trying to find my footing.  I feel like I can't find my ground at the moment.  I have a schedule and a routine and all of a sudden the rug is pulled out beneath me.  I find myself having to keep coming up with new routines and adapting.  This can be stressful and cause anxiety.  We just want that security blanket.  We want to know everything will be alright, and we want peace.  With the few things I mentioned above is what I find has worked for me.  I continue to work on this daily, and allow myself room for error.  If I mess up, I laugh at myself and try again the next day.  Thank God we don't need to be perfect.  I don't think I could handle that pressure. LOL

Uplifting/Encouragement Friday....

 I wanted to do this post a little different.  I wanted to share some of my favorite quotes/messages and break down my outlook on each one of them!!! 

My Outlook from the quote above:  It takes absolutely No thought/rhyme/or reason to start complaining.  This comes across like breathing.  It is natural to complain and be justified in doing so.  Some situations come to our front door because we invited it there.  Other times we did not ask for it, and it comes breaking the door down, trashing the place, and setting everything on fire.  When we complain we submit to the "victim" role.  We want to pull the "red" card and scream the words "Unfair!"  We want to surround ourselves with the right audience that views and agrees with our thought/voice. In this state of mind we only see it from our perspective.  Saying it out-loud doesn't make it right or give us justice. In this quote above it says we have 2 choices.  1) Leave the situation 

2) accept it.  It is that simple!! It is cut and dry.  To keep talking about it out-loud will only stir up anger and bitterness.  It will also rob you of peace, and that is exactly where the enemy wants you!! He wants you to sit in that rocking chair, rocking back and forth complaining about what happened, and staying in the exact same place!!  I find it easy to "leave the situation" I struggle more with the "accept it" stage.  Sometimes it is hard to fully accept something and make that part of the bed.  Sometimes you don't want to accept what that person said, or what they stand by.  Sometimes it comes with pain and hurt that you didn't ask for.  

My outlook from the quote above:  I like to have closure.  I associate "Peace and Closure" in the same chapter.  I feel those two go hand in hand.  So if I do not have closure, then I find I lose my peace. This quote above opened my eyes to seeing that they both can be separate and not go side by side.   We cannot force reconciliation.  We cannot change someones mindset that is not set on being changed.  We are responsible for our part and our part only.  We can have enlightenment in our minds but it is ALL that we have control over.  I have to come to grasp that with peace,  I may never have closure with some people, and that it needs to be ok.  The most important concept I need to grasp is that IF and WHEN that person chooses to reach out, that I need to extend my hand and accept it with no questions ask.  This goes similar to how we are with Jesus.  We may be bitter and angry and do something wrong, but when we have the clarity we go to Jesus and ask for his mercy/grace and he extends it to us with no questions ask.  Some people may in-fact actually want to stay broken, and may never want to be fixed.  We are to fight that battle in the prayer room.

My outlook from the quote above: Boundaries are one of the healthiest things you can do for yourself.  You do not have to let any and everything close to you.  You are allowed to keep people outside of your circle.  When you forgive someone, you are releasing them to God and walking away.  It is a process of freeing yourself from bondage and anger. If you allow toxic people around you, they will continue to hurt you over and over.  Some people are ok with having the enemy take up a place in their heart and be used by him.  Sometimes you may need to keep extending forgiveness to those that hurt you from a distance.  

My outlook from the quote above: In this world we tend to care about what others think about us.  We live in a society where people feel just because God gave them a voice, that they can speak and shout whatever comes to mind.  In the Bible it says we are to be "Quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger."  We are to not speak every opinion that comes to mind.  If you are lucky you should have at least 2 people in your lift that you can always go to.  These should be people that are going to tell you the truth in love, and not always agree with you.  It should be people that live their life by the Word of God, and lift you up in prayer and encourage you.  If someone says something about you, ask yourself this:  "Would I go to that person if I needed advice?"  If the answer is no, then you do not have to accept what they have said.  You do not have to attach their words to your spirit.  You can set up those boundaries and forgive their words from a distance and move on. 

My outlook from the quote above:  You have a choice each and every day.  We can wake up and make the decision that we WILL BE IN A GOOD MOOD.  We can make the choice that NOTHING is going to dictate us, and steal our peace and joy.  We are to not be led by our feelings.  Feelings are not stable and they will vary from different circumstances.  Our feelings can change in a moment, that is why we cannot give into them.  We need to make up our mind in advance!!! When we feel that shift starting to happen, we need to shake those thoughts off, and once again say "I WILL BE IN A GOOD MOOD!"  This is something you could find yourself repeating throughout the day.  The important thing to grasp is that WE are in control of how we think.  We do not have to let ANYTHING or ANYONE steal our joy and peace.  We can hold onto it not matter what storm comes our way!!

Stumbling Blocks.....

In this walk of life I have come to notice that there are many things that tend to trip us up from time to time.  It seems it is never a smooth path.  Things can be going fine, and before you know it, you trip on something that you didn't see coming.  This could come from a bad decision made, or just out of the blue for no reason.  As a believer I have come to learn a few things...... 

Perspective:  It depends on how you view the situation.  Do you spend time focusing on the Why/ How/ What/ How you feel/ Facts/ The Scene/ Etc.   There are many factors that can come into play. I can rest knowing that God sees the entire picture and is not caught off guard.  He knows the beginning, the middle, and the end.  I can rest in knowing that God is the author of the story, and that he has a plan.  Even if I don't understand it, I am to trust him because he already knows. 

Focal Point:  I believe having the correct focal point is key.  We are to not let things distract us from what really matters, or what is really important.  We are to remain fixed on Jesus and not take our eyes off of him.  Do we Magnify the stumbling block or what our Savior can do?  We have a choice!!  We can be like Peter and keep our eyes on him in the middle of the storm and have faith, or we can look at the stumbling blocks and be overtaken by fear. 

This post speaks to me in particular at my current stage in life.  I have stumbling blocks that are currently trying to trip me up and distract me.  I find myself praying and asking God to help me keep my eyes on him and not what is happening.  I don't want to waste a day or a moment being distracted from the greatness of God.  I feel the enemy will use things/situations/ and even people to distract us from certain blessings from God or even vision from the Holy Spirit.  He sees what is coming and wants to trip you up and distract you from the very moment you have been blessed with.  A particular story in the Bible comes into my head.

The Parable Of The Sower (Matthew 13:1-18)

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake.  Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore.  Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.  Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil.  It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.  But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.  Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.  Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop- a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.  Whoever has ears, let them hear."  The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?"  He replied, "Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.  Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.  This is why I speak to them in parables:  "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.  In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: "You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.  For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.  Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.   But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.  For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.  "Listen then to what the parable of the sower means:  When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart.  This is the seed sown along the path.  The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.  But since they have no root, they last only a short time.  When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.  The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.  But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it.  This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."


I find myself asking God to help get the Word rooted deep inside me so when seeds come my way they are planted and rooted in good soil.  I want the Word of God hidden deep in my heart so the enemy cannot take was was given to me.  I want to have the fullness of God.  In certain situations I find myself getting distracted on the worries of the word and I can see myself magnifying those areas by focusing on them.  I believe self awareness is key.  It is important to not waste too much time focusing on the wrong things.  I see these things as temporary earthly struggles and I see them as stumbling road blocks.  These are not "dead end" kind of stops.  They are temporary road blocks.  I need to figure out a way to get around them and drive over them.  The Word of God can help me do this, and this is the ONLY way I can overcome these stumbling block. 

In closing I am speaking to myself and anyone going through these stumbling blocks at the moment. 

Have perspective in what you are looking at.  

Look at who/what you are focusing on

Make sure you have the right kind of soil where the seeds can grow.

If you are a follower of Jesus then you want to make sure you are operating in the full capacity of who he created and designed for you to be.  We cannot afford to waste a minute/moment/second/day/week/or year.  We need to understand we have a specific purpose and goal and it is our job to not let things or circumstances distract us. 

Trials & Tribulations....

Romans 8:18 says: "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy (to be compared) with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

Each day we face the unknown.  We do our best to stick to our routines and schedules but to be 100% honest, we are walking around blind.  We put our hope and focus in "things" and most of the time these are temporary and not eternal.  It is important to grasp the fact that we were never made for this world, we are simply a visitor passing through.  We have been given a task, and it is our job to fulfill it by walking in the ways of Jesus Christ.  The Bible is our spiritual guide that we need to refer to.  The most beautiful thing to grasp is that we have a Savior that can identify with us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year.  He has literally taken on human flesh, walked with us, taught us important life lesson, and showed us that he could do it with no mistakes.  I believe the word Humble is something that we tend to forget as believers.

Humble: Having or showing a modest or low estimate of one's own importance.
Humility: The state of being humble.  The origin in the Latin word humilis, means "low."  When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

It is an important lesson to understand that since we were not made for this world, we are going to experience things from this world and they are going to be dark.  They are going to be not natural.  Is it scary?  Yes.  Is it hard? Yes.  But let me leave you with this question........ Should you be consumed with fear?  We have been told in the Bible that "fear" is a spirit.  That is exactly how Jesus defines it.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and of a sound mind.

So when we experience things that are not natural, what is our first response?  Do you give into everything we see and experience? Do we submit ourselves to it?  Do we let it consume and take over us?  I don't know about you, but I don't want any spirit taking over me or attaching to me.  I know that I was created in the image of God and for good things.  I know that Light drives out darkness.   The fact is "Darkness" cannot exist in the presence of light, and sin cannot exist in the presence of God.

John 1:5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

As believers we are taught that we are over-comers because we receive what Jesus did for us on Calvary's cross.  Once we understand what Jesus purchased for us with his perfect blood, we can start to walk out who God created us to be.  Do you know that you have a new name in Heaven?  Do you know that God has you engraved on the palms of his hands?

Isaiah 49:16 See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.

This should give us confidence!  But this is not confidence that we can find in ourselves.  This comes from the grace that God freely gives us as a gift.  We cannot earn it, we cannot be "good" enough, and it cannot be bought or come from things.

So we are instructed to come BOLDLY into his throne room of grace and make our requests known.  What I envision in my head is a child who walks up to their parents and freely asks over and over and over again.  Children have that confidence because they are pure and simple.  We are to come to Jesus like children.  We are to ask and believe.

When things come our way and we find ourselves stumbling in the darkness we are to do it one step at a time.  His word is a lamp to our feet.  His word will guide our steps in the darkness.  We are never alone, and we are to never be consumed with the spirit of fear.  Nothing takes God by surprise or catches him off guard.  We have to trust that God is STILL in control, and that God has this covered.  What we are to do is to keep our eyes on Jesus.  There was a painting I painted and in the very small center if you focus on the painting you see a tiny cross.  This painting was to remind me to not be distracted by everything going on.  I am to remain still and calm and focus on that tiny cross.  I have included a picture of my painting below.

Zoomed in below you can see the tiny cross in the center.

So I want to leave you with this verse to cling to:

Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus.  Where does your help come from? Jesus!  Who is the glory and lifter of your head? Jesus!  Who died for you? Jesus!  Who has your name engraved on his hand? Jesus! Who saves every single one of your tears? Jesus!  You are precious, loved, and valued!

Watch this video below to remind yourself to turn your eyes on him.

                                

Anxiety.........

I saw something that really caught my attention and it inspired me to write a blog post.

I think we can all agree that at this current moment with what is happening in our world that we all have felt anxious recently.  Having constant fear poured out to us about the unknown and the "what if's" are really coming at us full speed.  It isn't hard to become overwhelmed and anxious.  All it takes is focusing on the issue/issues and letting them overtake you.  Anxiety is an emotion/feeling, we choose to give it more power.  I think fear in the unknown is one of the greatest tools that create panic and anxiety.  I think a close second would be "fear of the unexpected." When we get that surprise news that we weren't expecting.  When we are truly caught off guard and don't even know how to respond.  I want to back up what the word of God says about these two very issues.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:6-7

   For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. -2 Timothy 1:7


   But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles;         they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. - Isaiah 40:31

   
    So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you      and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. - Isaiah 41:10


    I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. -Psalm 34:4


    Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways      submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. -Proverbs 3:5-6

          Now I would like to go into detail about the first issue of anxiety that I addressed.
                                                       Fear Of The Unknown:

It is scary to not know the outcome.  We want to know the end of the story before we even begin.  We want to know that everything is going to be ok.  By having this mindset we are putting our OWN will before God's.  We are leading with this attitude saying "I know what is best."  "I will take control since nobody else is doing anything."  Our mentality is "wow this looks really bad, so it must be really bad."  It is easy to look at the effects from the storm and gather with the small knowledge we have in our brains and try to formulate a plan based off of that.  We see the thick dark clouds, see the wind moving the trees, and we understand that things are getting bad.  This is what is currently happening right now.  If you turn on the TV we are hearing numbers, hearing about panic, disease, misinformation, people speaking lies, nobody speaking truth, etc.  It seems it is ALWAYS bad news and something bad happening. We have the control on what we put in front of our eyes and what we listen to.  We can be informed of what is going on, without having it consume us with fear of the unknown.  We get to have the final say : "No More!"  We can put on praise and worship and focus on what God says in his word and take comfort from what he says, and what he already did!!  The way to sum it up is this: God knows EVERYTHING that has happened, that will happen, and that is to come.  NOTHING takes him by surprise!   We have to have FULL trust on him no matter how bad the storm looks.

                                                        Fear Of The Unexpected:

This happens when we are caught off guard and taken by surprise.  Each morning we wake up, we have no way of knowing what the details are for that day.  We can all have our little plans and checklist but we must remind ourselves that we are NOT the ones in control for that day.  We are alive that morning, because of HIM.  He allows our hearts to beat for another day, he gives us breathe in our lungs for that day.  He has a purpose for us for that day, and we can choose to do our own thing, or follow his will.  Wouldn't it be a smart thing to wake up already being prepared for that day and be dressed properly?  The bible talks about this:

We are to wake up and dress ourselves "Spiritually" for the day.  We do not know what attacks might come our way for that day and we need to make sure we have guarded. ourselves properly.  We have to have the mindset that we are preparing for battle for that day.  It is not just another Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.  It is easy to stay busy and distracted with all of our plans and errands.  There is nothing wrong with having goals, but what can happen is when other things consume you and take your time and place for where God should be.  Is your job on the throne of God? Is your body and self image on the throne of God? Is Money your God? 

So I would like to finish off this blog post with some Good News!!!  We serve a God that knows what is going to happen.  He ALWAYS has a plan and is never caught off guard.  We have the Holy Spirit to be our official guide.  When we feel the spirit of anxiety coming on, we have the FULL Authority to rebuke it.  We do not focus our attention on all the bad, we focus on what God says.  We have to be dressed properly for each day and it all starts in our mind.  We need to make sure our minds are fixed on God and that we stay steady on his plan for our lives.  In his word he has told us that things will happen and take place, but we are to not be consumed by the fire. We have to trust him the way Peter did when he walked on water to Jesus in the middle of the storm.  He saw the storm, wind, waves, he even began to sink.  BUT then he fixed his gaze on Jesus and trusted FULLY in him and then he began to walk on water.