♥️Gift of Encouragement for you today:

When we walk AUTHENTICALLY it means we share what we know and who we are, believing we have a gift someone else can (and wants) to receive because we know our life is not just about us!! We are created for community. We were created to love. 

Being authentic means we Gift seeds to be planted and leave the planting up to them. 

I came from a place of insecurity...I know this is hard for some of you because it used to be REALLY difficult for me too. 

I lived in the Blonde Joke Era and found it easier to just have a low bar to be sure to always hit it but on the inside, perfectionism was the drug of choice. It was suffocating me. 

I woke up every single day thinking I didn’t have value to give. I woke up thinking I wasn’t enough of a Gift. I never felt empowered with value until I realized and accepted WHO’S I was!🥰😇🙌🏻 

I KNOW it is scary to just be yourself...but know you were created with value a d purpose, with seeds only YOU have to give!!! 

🔥Challenge: Share with YOUR circle who you are and what you know!! People need THE GIFT OF YOU‼️♥️🥰

Imagine a world of Gift Givers...we’ve got the best Example🙌🏻🙋🏼‍♀️🔥

#giftgiver #lighthouse #wherefaithis

Stop Living Numb : Tips for Overcoming Overwhelm as a Christian

Life can feel hard! Yesterday was hard...today will be hard, and most likely so will many tomorrows. To be fair, God did tell us it would be. Isn't it good to know we have hope for a greater tomorrow and a peace that can be ours today? 

Ever feel like a mere robot? As if you are functioning through your days on a program?

I have.

Day by day doing just enough to get by, following the unspoken rules, trying to meet other's expectations, getting done what must, skipping meals (or eating all the cookies) then do it all again day after day. 

No real passion, no hope for change, no real connection. 

My soul was numb for years.

Did it mean I had lost love for my God, others, coffee or chocolate? No. I just felt numb, and sometimes, invisible.

Am I the only one? You neither love your life or hate it, you neither feel loved or loving. You are pretty sure you were meant for something more, but what? How can you keep it all together even though everything is falling apart inside you?! 

Who grows up as a little girl thinking one day I hope my life feels monotonous, robotic and numb?! I missed a mind that dreamed, innocent, trusting faith when steps were quicker, paths straighter, clinched jaws and fists relaxed, betrayal was quickly forgiven, the anxious mind was calmed, a place where all anticipation conquered all exhaustion. 

Where was my hope? Where was my anticipation for glory...

It's amazing how numb we become when we don't feel valued or seen. I believe God created us to live a life of Anticipating Love. 

When our heart becomes numb, we cannot rejoice, for we have no hope for healing or restoration. How do we start to feel again? 

If you find yourself feeling numb, here are some ideas to help you ignite your heart again and live in a space of grace…

• Take a break every day to do something for you. You spend all day serving others, don't forget to serve YOU! It can be as simple as going for a walk.
• Bless someone without it being part of your ministry/responsibility. 
• Read The Word daily with anticipation to fall in love with Him deeper. 
• Worship, with trust and surrender, listening and receiving.
• Speak against the lies of the enemy by speaking truth.
• Get back in touch with your hobbies and interests. You may not be able to actually reengage with it because of life, but find ways you can escape to it to some degree.
• Focus on body-mind-spirit. Strengthen your weaknesses in these areas. He is showing you these numb places so He can breathe life back into them. 
• Get accountability and practice receiving again.

Friend, It's time to ANTICIPATE UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. 

Understand better Who's you are. Live in gratitude. Worship. When you realize how loved you truly are, how seen and heard you are, how cherished and purposed you are...His breath will become yours and you will no longer feel numb. It won’t be overnight but it starts today if you choose it.

Grab a trusted Sister Friend and start today moving fresh anticipation into your heart! 

"And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

 

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Colossians 3:14-17

Allergic to Change? You have Two Choice.

I am not allergic to beaches!

Do you have allergies? Maybe to certain foods, products, or pets...what about allergies to change? Anyone else struggle with seasons of change? Whether the change was a good one or bad, initiated or forced upon us, we will each experience a type of reaction to the seasonal changes. 

I hadn't really thought about it until I was sharing words of encouragement to a friend of mine and we got to talking about this topic of changes and circumstances we struggle with. It's more than simply praying about the change. And no, just because you don't like change, doesn't mean you are less of a Christian. Let's go ahead and say that truth! Read Ecclesiastes 3...there's a season for everything, for everyone. None of us are exempt.

While we cannot prevent the seasons of change in our lives, the days when things don't go our way, however, we do have control over our response to them. We have 2 choices: Attitude or Adjustment. Yes, you can get angry, pout, fear and shout oooooorrrrrr you can make the necessary adjustments and adapt to move along. 

Does either response change the circumstance? No. 

Does it make you any less frustrated or hurt? No. But we have to choose how to move forward in the reality of the season of change because the change is here and now we must respond.

When it comes to managing our allergies to change, it's important to find what calms the allergen otherwise we stay itching. I am not a health guru, so we will discuss how to soothe our soul reaction. Our souls flourish in the light of hope, peace, love. 

A calm soul calms the whole body, mind and spirit. It affects our energy and this energy will impact the environment, hopefully with the goal of making it better, not worse. There are a bazillion blogs, videos and books about managing stress in life. I highly recommend learning some basics to address the healing. I do pray this blog is a resource of encouragement to you. I will share a few of my basics helps in a minute.

What about when we can't "Keep Calm!? What about when it lays us our flat and we feel like we were run over and we find ourselves angry, overwhelmed, consumed, drowning? Has anyone ever felt that way?

When we give way to our flesh and respond negatively in anger and fear, we exasperate our whole being and shift the energy in our environment. It's a humbling thought to think the very thing we are upset about, we contributed to in our response to change. Our hearts deplete, our minds circle, our bodies explode then drain. However, when we allow our souls to be filled by positive and hopeful anticipation, we respond with a surrendered will, eager heart and mind set on faith. 

We have the ability to change our world with the very change that has happened inner deepest place. We have been changed by grace, taken from ashes to life, from lost to saved and blind, to seeing. When we realize His Way is not our way, we receive the change with anticipation and grace. Yes, we need to be healthy in our body too, because an unhealthy body will not allow the rest of our body to level up. In the season of change, we also must accept the truth it's not always about us. Acceptance helps us submit to the fact it is bigger than us! In possibility and faith, we will powerfully and prayerfully respond in trust to what we believe in our core is true about our belief system. 

Do we believe God has our best interest at heart? 

Do we believe He is for us? 

Do we believe He will never forsake us? 

Do we believe we are sealed and never to be snatched away by the enemy?

We have to get passed the mindset that things are happening TO us and believe things are happening FOR us and THROUGH us. It may be about you and your "health," but at the same time, it may be that you are simply an instrument of grace for someone else.

It is in times of trials our souls face the testing of our belief. In an odd way, we should be thankful for the careful and gentle guiding through trials, the testing of our faith. The Scriptures are full of such instructions. And yet the enemy whispers, "You must not be worthy of...You must not have enough faith...You don't pray good enough...You must not be good enough...You don't deserve that...Can you believe this is happening to you...You should fight back...You mine as well give up...You're not important...No one cares about your...You're in the way and easily replaced..."

In a world of chaos, skepticism, evil, negativity, pride and selfishness, the only way to stay in the spirit of hope is to stand firm in our faith on the Cornerstone of Christ Jesus. How do we remain firm standing up against the allergens attacking our faith? Trust, Pray, Ask, Seek, Knock, Repent, Surrender, Hope, Believe, Trust and Obey, Worship, Love, Serve.

• Trust He is a Keeper of Promises and is the Same Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.
• Pray and know He is near, hearing every word, seeing every tear.
• Ask for His help to believe and follow.
• Seek His will, way and strength to endure.
• Knock on The Door that leads you on the Way that leads to Peace.
• Repent from the old ways and turn to the path that leads your heart and soul to peace and joy.
• Surrender to the One who knows all, sees all, made all.
• Accept the change as necessary and for divine purpose.
• Obey the calling divinely purposed for such a time as this.
• Worship the One True God Who knitted you in your Mother's womb and has poured His Greatest Love over you.
• Count your blessings and seek first His Kingdom daily.
• Do not forsake fellowship with your local church for refreshment and accountability. Plus, there is great blessing to serve others. #itsnotalwaysaboutyou
• Keep a healthy attention in body-mind-soul...good nutrition, healthy living, exercise, watch your thoughts, meditate on what is worthy of praise, serve and love others.

If you find yourself dealing with the allergies of change, remember you are not alone in the change of season, you also have two response choices...attitude or adjustment. I pray the next time the seasons change and you begin to feel that itch, your mind responds in acceptance and adjustment. If you have an attitude, may it only be one of gratitude. As we walk season to season on this Earth, may our hearts be found in adjustments of grace.

Philippians 4:

Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.
2 I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.
5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;
6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me--practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity.
11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.
12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.
13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
14 Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble.