Tag: health

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Identity Crisis

I was sitting in church worshiping and a thought hit me…why do we, as born-again Christians, have such a hard time laying things down and living a life full of joy when we serve such a faithful and present God?  I have seen so many people stay in their struggle to overcome things in the past for years and years – going to the alter crying, being prophesied over, reading the Bible, and all the other things that seem the right thing to do when we are walking with God.  And yet, they still have this baggage tagging along.

Could it be that when we have struggled so long with something that it becomes a part of us?  And when it becomes a part of us, we are afraid that, if we allow God to heal that part of us we no longer are who we have become to know as ourselves?  Therefore, we find so much of our identity in the struggle – healing, even if subconsciously, is just too scary to accept?

If this is correct – then laying this issue fully down and giving it ALL over to God is a completely scary thing full of doubt and anxiety.  As we face the fact that healing will bring so much change that we decide not to fully give God the authority to do what He needs to do.  And then we remain sitting in our mess because that is easier than the change of healing – even though God is more than willing to give us what we need if we fully trust him.

Our identity was never for us to be hurt, broken or misused.  We never were meant to remain sick, hurt, abused, or stuck.  That is not who God is.  We have seen, over and over, how God has redeemed those in the Old and New Testament – Jacob, Judah, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, David, Bathsheba, Solomon, Peter, Paul – to name only a few who have seen the redemptive work of the Lord in their lives when they surrender all to Him.

So – what is it for you?  What issue do you face that you need to lay down?  Trauma, chronic sickness, your abusive past, shame from what you did in your past, drugs, alcohol, relationships that are not good for you…what is it that you are afraid to lay down?  What struggle has become your identity?

Whatever it is, remember these things:

  • We are a new creature in Christ Jesus
    • So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:16-17
  • We are called out of darkness and into light
    • But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9
  • Christ lives inside of us
    • My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20
  • We are friends of Jesus
    • I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. John 15:15
  • We are God’s masterpiece
    • For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10
  • We belong to God
    • But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you.
      O Israel, the one who formed you says,
      “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
      I have called you by name; you are mine. Isaiah 43:1
  • God’s thoughts about us are precious
    • How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.
      They cannot be numbered!
      I can’t even count them;
      they outnumber the grains of sand! Psalm 139:17-18
  • We were knit together in our mother’s wombs
    • You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
      and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
      Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
      Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
      You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
      as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
      You saw me before I was born.
      Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
      Every moment was laid out
      before a single day had passed. Psalm 139:13-16

It’s time to start seeing our identity in Christ and not in the things that of this world.  No matter what someone has said to you or how someone made you feel, how long you have been sick or what secret shame you hide – God loves you and wants to make you whole.

Go to Him and give over those things that you are holding onto.  Let Him make you who He sees you to be!!

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32 Things I’ve Learned in 32 Years

I’m not in any way an expert on life, but being around for a few decades does give you some insight.  If nothing else, this was a fun writing exercise I wanted to share with everyone.  Here are 32 things I’ve learned in 32 years:

  1. I have learned a lot in 3 decades of life and yet there is still so much to learn. Life is complicated, messy and chaotic and it takes a life time to figure it out.
  2. Forgive quickly – I used to be offended by every little thing that someone would do that hurt me, even a tiny bit, and then I realized that I was pretty a miserable person. Forgiveness and grace is a beautiful thing and it not only releases the one who offended it also releases you.  Give it over to God and let Him deal with it.
  3. Find at least 1 person (it is better if there is more) who is older and have endured things you haven’t – who can share their wisdom with you. Some call them spiritual parents, others call them mentors and then others just call them friends.  Regardless of what you call them – make sure you do this – no matter what age, unless your 100 – then you’re good.
  4. When God gives you a promise, believe him. He is faithful.
  5. Let God fight your battles. His ways are better than our ways.  It may take time, but your victory is imminent.
  6. Worship and read the Bible daily. Spend time with God and let Him pour into you every day without exception – even if it is a simple scripture that you meditate on.
  7. Find time for you – it’s important to take care of and pour into you. People need you and if you (the person who looks back when you look in the mirror) do not allow yourself to be refilled – you won’t be able to be there for those who rely on you.  Make YOU a priority!
  8. No one will be able to do everything right 24/7 – give yourself some grace and allow yourself to make a few mistakes here and there. Learning from our mistakes makes us better.
  9. Make sure you let people know you love them and cherish them. Life is but a vapor and it can be over in an instant.
  10. Live in the moment – laugh often – make room for simple joys.
  11. Find some way to give back to people who cannot give back to you. That is one of the most fulfilling things in this life.
  12. Never give up on people. You may need to take a step back and create space, but don’t count a person out.  God has a plan for each and every person.
  13. Your weight isn’t everything. Focus on being healthy and making better choices because everyone isn’t going to be a size 0.
  14. Love with a fierceness and watch the people around you change for the good.
  15. Speak the truth in love. Don’t water the truth down, but don’t slap a person with it either.
  16. Life is crazy – learn to find humor in the rough areas.
  17. No matter how old you are – find someone to pour your wisdom into.
  18. Stop striving for perfection – that is an impossible task.
  19. Be genuinely you with at least 3 people in your life so they can hold you accountable. And then make sure you hold them accountable in return.
  20. Celebrate the small victories in life.
  21. Dream big with God – don’t let anyone tell you that a God-dream cannot happen.
  22. Asking for help isn’t weak, but shows great character when you say “I can’t do this alone”
  23. Try to be humble even when it is hard. The world will tell you to push people out of the way, but the Kingdom of God runs on others serving others.  Be a servant.
  24. If you know you’ve done wrong – apologize. It won’t be that hard to do.
  25. Appreciate those in your life who help you – at work, church, home, grocery store, mechanic – strangers, friends and family – know that they don’t have to do anything for you.
  26. Put your words into actions – do what you say you are going to do & follow your own advice. (I’m smiling right now because I’m writing this long list that I now need to follow – ha!)
  27. Don’t do something in the dark you wouldn’t want to be seen in the light. Live a life of integrity – it means you spend less time covering things up!
  28. Don’t minimize yourself to please others. Be the person who God made you to be even if others don’t understand you.  God will sustain you and take care of the critics.
  29. Fly under the radar – surprising people is fun!
  30. Enjoy the journey and the people that are on it with you.
  31. Read more and watch TV less
  32. Never, ever give up – no matter what. Every day brings new mercies…

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Pressing Reset

Being a Christian does not automatically cause you to stop sinning. Nope…I am a sinner in need of a Savior every day.  Being a Christian also doesn’t keep you from experiencing tough times.  Nope…we go through them like every other human on the Earth.  The difference, though, resides in who we turn to when in those trials.

Here is a major battle I fight often: I feel so inadequate and unworthy at times. I feel very much like I am worthless…like the promises God has placed on my life are not real.  Oh, but those are just lies.  They are lies from the enemy who wants me to cower and not fulfill my life’s purpose; to keep me believing that I am weak and no different than I’ve ever been.

What about you? What are the lies the enemy tells you?  What self-talk do you struggle with?

The greatest way to counter those lies is the word of God. The truth in the Bible is everlasting.  It will not die!

Here are a few truths I consistently remind myself of:

God loves you and me: But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

You and I are made new: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

He knew us before He formed us: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5

Through Christ, we are made strong: “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)

Believers have been given eternal life: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

We have been bought with a high price: “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” (1 Peter 1:18-19)

Replacing the lies of the enemy – whatever those lies may be – with the word of God will keep your mind on track. Keeping your thoughts on track will help you stay your course and finish the race set before us.  Don’t ever give up!

There are times, though, where I find myself in a place that I am unsure what are lies and what aren’t. It get confusing because life gets busy, I don’t spend time with God like I should, or I’m just stuck in a mindset that is unhealthy…I will have to pray this simple prayer from Psalm 139:23-24:

“Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”

I encourage you to start spending time with God every day. Pray the prayer from Psalm 139,  Feed your mind with the word of God so when the enemy lies, you can remind yourself what God says about you.

Be blessed, readers.

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Take A Coffee Break

It’s good to be a go-getter; a doer.  Someone who gets things done.  You are an asset to any team.  You are needed in the kingdom of God.

Always doing, going, accomplishing can be hard on the body, the mind, and the soul.  No one can go, do, be constantly.  You need rest.

Make sure you take time to rest, rejuvenate, and repair.  It isn’t healthy to keep going and going like the Energizer Bunny.  God didn’t mean for you to not get rest.  In fact, He rested:

“On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭2:2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat. So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭6:30-32‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Be intentional with your rest.  To rest is to get yourself back to where you are 100% you.  So you can give more of yourself to those who need you.  As a Child of God, rest should become a priority in your life.  Because God needs His warriors to be strong.

“The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭23:1-2‬ ‭NLT‬‬


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Seasons

Right now, in Dallas, we are having a rainy, cold day.  It is winter and February is usually our coldest month.  It is just the way it usually goes.  During this month, our greatest time of purging occurs.  This cold weather doesn’t do well to the plants that like hot weather – which we have most of the year – so their foliage turns brown and things look dead.  When you think about it, this purging season actually acts like a pruning season, giving the land/plants time to rest before they need to bloom and pollinate again.

We all go through a purging/pruning season from time to time.  Friends leave, jobs end, and situations go sour.  We often pin this on the enemy, but in fact, it could be God closing a door so we can go through another.  It seems like, when we are sitting in that season, it is rough and it stings.  But, after you start to see the light again, you find rest.

Take this scripture from Leviticus 25:3-4:

“Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its crop, but during the seventh year the land shall have a sabbath rest, a sabbath to the LORD; you shall not sow your field nor prune your vineyard.”

It is for our health that we go through this season as it was for the good of the vineyards.  The soil would have grown too toxic and not been fertile if the Israelites did not prune.  Sometimes situations, friends, jobs become too toxic for us and could contaminate the good work God is doing in us so He needs to give us a season of pruning.

I want to encourage you and ask you to keep the faith in your journey if you are in such a season.  God is getting ready for something great.  Just hold on and cling to Jesus.  You’ll make it and thrive!

Be blessed.

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