Where Are You Living?
Have you ever wondered what it means to abide in Christ in our daily life? Is there a risk of getting it "wrong" and thereby restricting God or limiting [...]
Cultivating God-Confidence
Would you like more confidence, especially in the area of hearing God’s voice? The key lies in becoming familiar with His voice. It is about cultivating [...]
The ABCs to Comfort Someone Who is Grieving
Do you have a friend or family member dealing with loss right now? Holidays can be extra tough. It's normal to feel anxious about what to say [...]
Bridging the Gap Between Head and Heart
Would you like an easy way to connect “head” and "heart" knowledge? What can we learn from the early Christians? The consensus among scholars is that the [...]
Why Didn’t I Learn This Sooner?
I didn't learn because I thought I already knew what I needed to know. Without even realizing it, I had assumed I had sufficient understanding of a [...]
A Better Way
Have you ever wanted to hear from God … but your emotions clouded your connection. That happened to me At the end of the last post, I [...]
How Does Grace Come Alive?
Mobile users please keep scrolling for more ... and leave a comment or ask a question Do you ever feel depleted? This week, I've been experiencing [...]
Repetition – Competition
Mobile users scroll down for the full article and find out why: "What We Repeat, Competes: What Will We Choose?" What's on your mind right now? [...]
Ignoring to Embracing Emotions
Do you have a "pick and choose" relationship with your emotions? Like, "Hey, joy and excitement, you can stay, but anger and sadness, could you take a vacation somewhere [...]
The Experiment
Do you ever get stuck in a rut? Does structure help or hinder? What about your spiritual friendships? Consider recent conversations you've had with someone who [...]
What’s with the “Fear” in Fear of the Lord?
What does the “fear of the Lord” mean to you? Why does the Bible use the word fear? I've been reflecting on what the Bible says about the [...]
What’s Your “Sorting” Style
Do you have a spot in your home where you store items that you intend to organize "later"? Perhaps it’s your kitchen counter. Perhaps it’s an office space. Or [...]
Does This Happen to You?
Do you like to figure things out? Do you look for solutions until you come up with something? Our brains are built to evaluate and problem-solve. They are solution-seeking [...]
Do This First
How many of you have said to yourself, “Okay this is the year I will read through the Bible and not skim the boring parts…” or “Starting now, I [...]
What Lifeguards Know
Do you know someone that has a difficult time during the holiday season? Would you like to know how to help them ... or how not to make it [...]
The Checklist
Does your mind skip ahead of you? Do you ever start a checklist in your mind before you have all the information? Many of us constantly [...]
I Should be …
Have you ever thought … I should be further along in my maturity by now! Why am I strong in some areas and not in other areas? Why do [...]
The Change that Changed Everything
Something happened that changed everything. I don’t fully comprehend this change ... but I want to. 1 Cor 6:19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the [...]
Something or Someone Pulling?
Moms are tired, I should help out with their kids… My boss would really like that extra project done… I haven’t done anything for myself lately… My friend seemed [...]
Consternation
Do you find it frustrating when you are trying to go to sleep and your mind is racing with many thoughts? Do you find your brain goes into a [...]
Don’t Get Beat Up
A friend of mine was asked by one of her kids what she wanted for Mother’s day. She took a deep breath and let out a long sigh and [...]
Do you have a bully?
It’s been an interesting week ... to say the least. I decided to gently observe my responses to circumstances and ask questions instead of being a bully to myself. [...]
From our heads to our hearts Part 2
What does it mean to “experience” God? Do we experience God in our emotions? Do we experience God in our thoughts? In the previous post we discussed how to get [...]
How can I go from my head to my heart?
“I know that in my head but not in my heart” Have you ever said or thought that? Many of us have. Some of us carry the thought on [...]
Invitation from God Part 2
Confidence is a wonderful feeling. Would you like more? In a previous post, we looked at Philippians 3 verse 3. Paul says that those in Christ Jesus, put “no [...]
Feel the Feeling, Check the Focus
What helps you connect with God when you feel overwhelmed? That is the question so many of us are asking. Here is a story of what I experienced with [...]
Invitation from God
“Good job.” “Your effort really paid off.” “Keep trying” These phrases sound so encouraging. I mean, don’t we all want someone cheering us on? Yes, hearing these [...]
A Picture, Bible verse and a Quote
Have you ever felt your mind was overloaded with thoughts? There is just too much going on in your head! You try to be still with God, either to [...]
Hearing God’s Voice – 5th Key for His Written Word
Are you facing stress and pressure in your life right now? Would you like your joy to increase as well? Having our joy increase makes all the difference. I [...]
The Bible and Mental Health – What Do You Hear?
Is there any benefit to sorrow? Or is it just something we have to endure? Last time I left you with those questions to talk to God about. What [...]
The Bible and Mental Health
Have you ever been confused about what the Bible tells us to do with our emotions? Paul tells the church of Phillipi to rejoice always, in everything give thanks. Then in [...]
Ponder Together?
What happens when you “ponder” with another person? In other words, what are your conversations like? Do we find some conversations life-giving and some conversations draining? Have we avoided [...]
Power of the Ponder
What are our expectations for this Christmas season? Do we want it to be extra special for our children and grandchildren even if that means overextending our time and [...]
Hearing God’s Voice – 4th Key for His Written Word
God is the ultimate gift giver! In the last few posts, we looked at the gift of His Word and His Holy Spirit. These gifts build our confidence to [...]
Hearing God’s Voice – 3rd Key for His Written Word
Is there something we can do to help us hear God’s voice more clearly? Yes, God’s written word will help us recognize His voice in our hearts. But how [...]
Hearing God’s Voice – 2nd Key for His Written Word
Have you ever been to an unfamiliar place? It could be a new building, or a new city, just a place that was unfamiliar. Take a moment to imagine [...]
Hearing God’s Voice – 1st Key for His Written Word
The more we get to know God through His written word, the more confident we become in recognizing His voice in our thoughts. We want to discern [...]
Hearing God’s Voice
Would you like to know if you are hearing God’s voice or your own voice? Would you like more confidence and direction in these confusing times? Many of us [...]
Joy Tank: Spinning Your Wheels Drains Your Tank
Have you ever felt like a car that is stuck in a mud slick? You keep pressing on the gas pedal, but you are only spinning your wheels. You [...]
Joy Tank – Under Warranty
Hello, how are your trips to the joy filling station going? Has it been helpful to fill up more -- instead of trying to avoid all stress, and difficult [...]
Joy Tank – Receiving
Last time I left you with a question: “What does “filling up your joy tank” mean to you?” I loved the response I got from Connie Short in the [...]
Moving Forward – Car Maintenance
Much of the time, we live our lives trying to avoid stress. Sometimes that works. But let me ask you a question... How did that work for you during [...]
Moving Forward – Re-labeling Event
So what happens when you are exploring, and an unpleasant memory comes up? Last time we talked about some of the reasons we stay stuck. We want to move [...]
Moving Forward – Excavating and Labeling
I was talking to a friend about some of the reasons we stay stuck. We want to move forward, but feel like we are standing still, or going around [...]
Moving Forward – Ease
Is it possible we are making time with God more complicated than it needs to be? When we think of spending time with friends, we don't think of it [...]
Moving Forward – One Step
Does seeing only one step at a time make you nervous? Well, it makes me nervous. I would like to see a lot further down the path, so I [...]
Moving Forward – By Pulling Back
Sometimes taking a nap is the most spiritual thing you could do. Does that sound a little crazy to you? I mean, wouldn’t it be more spiritual to [...]
Is There Something Only We Can Do?
Do you know there are people you can reach -- that Joyce Meyer can’t? That was quite a thought that popped into my head in the middle of [...]
Moving Forward – Getting the Message
Argh… why do I grab for comfort food every time stress hits? Why do I shut down when something feels too hard for me? Why can’t I just stop [...]
Moving Forward – What do I do with Negative Emotions?
I can fellowship with my frustration or I can bring it to God and fellowship with Him. My choice. Attention Have you ever had a small child trying to [...]
Where Did I Get That Idea?
“I just wish my daughter didn’t speak so harshly to herself. I don’t know where she got that from? Her dad and I don’t talk to her that way. [...]
Moving Forward – Tipping the Scales
What if repeating something over and over could tip the scale and it became easier? What if practicing trust could be that way? What if it is as simple [...]
Moving Forward – Outcome
“I just need more faith!” Have you heard someone say that? Have you said it yourself? I think we get the words faith and trust mixed up. Faith is [...]
Moving Forward – Temptation Traps
A few weeks ago I left us with a thought, Don’t limit yourself in a limitless God You can read the full post here. God continues to put a [...]
Moving Forward and Returning
Moving forward and returning? That sounds like a strange combination... Aren’t we supposed to forget that which is behind and press on? Phil 3:13 one thing I do: forgetting [...]
Have you ever wanted a vacation…
Press the arrow on the image to play the 2-minute video. Have you ever wanted a vacation, from yourself? Sounds good at first. But as I talked [...]
From “Please” to “Thank You.”
Have thoughts, ideas and even messages from God come to you when you are not expecting them? Perhaps they come when you are painting, knitting, or even in the [...]
Freedom from Self-Fulfillment
Last week’s post was so helpful for me! What am I filling up with?” Food has been on my mind these days. Maybe some of you can relate as [...]
Filling up or Fed up?
We try our best... We set up boundaries with people. We try to balance our lives between work and rest, etc. But no matter how hard we try, there [...]
Hear Your Spirit Speak
Did you know we can shift our mood by speaking out loud? We can even affect our unconscious thoughts by speaking God’s truth out loud. Researchers can film our [...]
Exploratory Thoughts
Here is another thought, about thoughts. This thought started to percolate as I was writing material on skills for healthy relationships. I find people have good relationships when they [...]
Intentional Thoughts
We’ve looked at wild thoughts and how to tame them. We’ve looked at inspired thoughts and how to welcome them. Now we’re going to look at intentional thoughts. Intentional [...]
Inspired Thoughts
Last week we talked about “wild” thoughts. I think of these as unruly, reckless thoughts. These types of thoughts need regulation. In his second letter to the Corinthians Apostle [...]
Wild Thoughts
You are going about your day. You are taking care of responsibilities and getting your “tasks” done. Then, out of the blue, you have a wild thought. “Oh, I [...]
More as Promised
Thank you, everyone, for your prayers and care through my dental surgery. Week one of recovery is over. I am so thankful for every prayer, every thought, every show [...]
Moving Forward – Story
I promised last week to expand on the statement, “God helps us with our thinking.” That is such an exciting topic I can’t wait to share with you. However, [...]
Moving Forward – Choice
I love sharing what I sense God is showing me. And I love sharing with you! The reason I get excited is that I envision it helping you enjoy [...]
Come with Me
I had a wonderful rest over the holidays and feel like a new person. Every time I have these periods of rest, I think… “Why don’t I incorporate more [...]
Moving Forward: Pressure Lifter
Does the Christmas season feel like a mix of joy and stress? It's much like the little bowls of treats my mom would set out during holidays. Peanuts, pretzels, [...]
Moving Forward – The Gift of a Toothache
I am so thankful we are on this journey together. We are learning to walk with God on His path of joy. We have been discussing the benefit of [...]
Moving Forward – Conversations
SUBSCRIBE Last week we discussed the fact that this journey is not just hard, but impossible. Thankfully, we ended with a great reminder and tip [...]
Moving Forward – WITH
Perhaps you are noticing a theme as we share tips for our journey? Everything is WITH God’s help. We all know this intellectually and would say we are relying [...]
Moving Forward – Delight
Is your inbox full of reminders this week to give thanks? We are thankful for a holiday set aside to give thanks! It is a wonderful practice, and we [...]
Moving Forward – Speed Bumps
What have I done? In my excitement of starting a blog, I reached out to all my friends. I asked for prayer, which is always smart, but I [...]
Moving Forward – Better Questions
We are currently in a season of uncertainty. Geez, that’s the understatement of the year! Uncertainty can affect our moving forward. Are We Stuck? The tips so far have [...]
Moving Forward – Awareness
Our first discussions have been about preparation for moving forward. We discussed how every journey has a starting place and that God is here to help us understand our [...]
Moving Forward – Direction
In the last post, we discussed the benefit of knowing your starting place. There are many more helpful tips and tools to come for moving forward onto your path [...]
Moving Forward – Starting Place
Many of us say we want to move forward in our lives, but do we have a plan? Do we have the necessary tools and tips to help us [...]
Free Zoom Workshops
Thank You all for your gracious responses to my video last week as I smiled on camera with missing teeth. I’m glad that it helped some of you to face some [...]
Smiling
I'm coming on camera to smile. Yes, I have even fewer teeth than before Covid. My trips to Tijuana to try to save my teeth were interrupted through the [...]
Emotional Intelligence
We hear allot about emotional intelligence these days. Chinese President Xi, told a graduating class that "Emotional Intelligence is more important than IQ, and a competence that should be [...]