Monthly Archives: January 2015

Bible Study, Christian, Faith, how to, Inspiration, personal excellence, purpose, Stress relief, tips for purpose driven life, wellness

Tips to Help You Enter into God’s Presence


 

“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

The presence of God is like a fish swimming in the ocean, as Mother Teresa suggested, no matter where the fish swims, it is surrounded by the water.  We are consistently surrounded by the presence of God and our ability to access this truth lies in our ability to slow down, be still and lean into God over the demands of the world. Jesus was masterful at this as he consistently found himself surrounded by questions, doubt, fear and anxiety.  He knew that the Father was in Him, around Him living through Him, in this space He lacked nothing and ALL things were possible.

How much of your day do you spend leaning into your to-do list? How many moments do you pause and remember you are like a fish in God’s endless ocean of possibilities and purpose?  Are you feeling overwhelmed by circumstances in your life? Unsure about your future? Remember that God’s omnipresence surrounds you, like a fish in water, no matter where you go, you are engulfed in God’s loving guidance.

One definition of omnipresence is to be present everywhere simultaneously. God is omnipresent. He meets you in the present moment; wherever your present moment happens to be. Your great­est peace always comes when you remain present to the moment of life in front of your face.

The power of God’s presence in nature calms the soul/body instantly when you are present to it. Choosing an inspirational verse or saying and repeating it throughout your day creates enough of a mental distraction to keep you present; safe from the fog of the future or regrets from your past.

Want to know peace? Know God. Want to know God? Practice stillness within your day. You will find strength in quietness and trust. Do animals ever fret over whether or not they will have enough grass to eat tomorrow? No, they simply enjoy the grass that is available to them today without any thought of lack in the future.

Bible Study, Christian, Faith, how to, Inspiration, purpose, Stress relief

How to Let Go & Let God


 

“Faithful is He who calls you and He will bring it to pass.” 1 Thess. 5:24

When I was diagnosed with advanced cancer one week prior to my final divorce court date this verse kept popping into my head. I began to memorize the scripture when I first fell in love with Jesus and His teachings when I was a teenager. 1 Thess 5:24 was one of the first scriptures I memorized, not realizing at the time that it would come back to me in the midst of the dark night of the soul to strengthen me from the inside out. I remember giving more authority to what God said in this verse than to my circumstance when I felt my emotional ship sinking.

God promises to give us the necessary resources to walk through deep waters and climb the high mountains of life. I remember one particular moment when I was bald and breastless looking at image  in the mirror and saying to myself, “I don’t even recognize my physical appearance.” In the weight of that moment I heard another verse that I had memorized as a youth, “For God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outer appearance but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

It continually amazes me how many times the Word of God pops into my mind sometimes years after I stored it in my heart to remind me of what my soul always knows: God is omnipresent and will never leave me nor forsake me; I can do ALL things through Christ who gives me strength.

This week take time to read God’s word, I first started with the Gospel of John when I first picked up the Bible as a teenager. Write down a scripture that supports the person you desire to be in this world and memorize it.  Give God’s Word more authority in your life than fear, doubt or worry.

Because of His Love,

Lauren <><

Bible Study, Christian, Faith, how to, Inspiration, purpose, Stress relief

How To Edge God In to Worry


“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things will be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33-34

What are all these “things” that are added to use when we Edge God In over all of the shiny objects and demands of the world that flare up worry? Simply put, it’s one main thing: the ability to do life without worrying.  Worry is to simply give into the challenges in life as we give them more authority to define what we are capable of than to the presence of God within us which flares up internal anxiety.

Jesus speaks of this prioritizing in response to his observation that we tend to worry a lot, about many different needs in our life: What do I wear? What should I eat? Where should I live? What will other people think? What if I fail? What if I’m not good enough? What if I don’t get the promotion? What if something happens to me or someone I love? What if I don’t have enough money to pay the bills? What if don’t say the right thing?  Jesus references the word worry six times in 9 sentences.

The next time you feel spun into the worry war of the mind explore using this prayer:

Dear God I give you more authority to comfort my heart and mind in the midst of this perceived challenge than I do to worry and this internal anxiety that is fueled by the thought: I won’t be able to handle this situation successfully. Grant me the grace to remember that whatever you call me to that you promise to provide the resources to make it all happen. You call me out of worry into the ability to Edge You In to all of it. You are the Prince of Peace.  Grant me the grace to step out of worry into You. Help me to tune into the solution with a peace that passes ALL human understanding. More of you, less of me.  Help me to remember that you have already overcome all that I feel has overcome me.

Because of His Love,

Lauren <><

Faith, Inspiration, tips for purpose driven life, Uncategorized

The Peace of the Lord


 

Philippians 4:7 -And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

How powerful is this scripture!  To know that God will give Peace to all we think, do, and say and Calm our hearts is so awesome!

We must all remember that no matter how difficult the challenge only Jesus can provide the peace we need in our hearts and minds.

But know that this can’t be realize  alone…  Stay in meditation, prayer, and fellowship so to Edge God in.

True believers, abiding in Christ, realize this promise and make peace happen even when faced with life challenges.

My prayer for each of you is to cultivate and maintain a personal relationship with Christ, so that his promise of peace is comprehended.

God Bless!

~Estella

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The Greatest Multi-level Marketer in the World


God is the greatest  Multi-level marketer (MLM) in the world. Jesus put forth the spark that set His initial downline on fire when He spoke forth the Great Commission in the Gospel of Matthew 28:18-20:

“And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Isn’t it wonderful to know you are a part of the initial great commission on earth? I remember when I was 17 and I saw something in a group of people who loved and followed Jesus Way in this world and I wanted that for myself.  This is why encountering the love of Jesus Christ of Nazareth is so contagious, there is nothing like it in this world and it keeps getting better with time as we allow His love and forgiveness to override the shiny objects in this world that often evoke the serpents of fear; doubt and worry.

The only difference in language that perhaps more accurately fits God’s MLM would be this:  instead of referring to the people who live in the freedom of knowing the One who died to save them as a “downline” it’s an UPline on all levels! As we surrender UP our needs, plans and purpose to His sovereign will for our lives we get to participate in the freedom that Christ has set us free for, that ultimately leads to the fullness of life.

Enjoy your gift of life and making God recognizable today in your words, thoughts, deeds and actions.

Because of His Love,

Lauren <><

Inspiration, personal excellence, tips for purpose driven life, Uncategorized

What We Ought to Be


 

January 19, 2015 – What We Ought to Be

As I reflect on what I ought to be, I can’t help be thankful for individuals who have blessed the world in which we live. Today, we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr., not just for his contribution to civil rights, but also for his walk with God.

 Martin Luther wrote, “I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be, and you can never be what you ought to be, until I’m what I ought to beâ€.   I have heard this said in different ways many times before and mainly by God serving men and women.

 God says in Romans 15:1, “We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselvesâ€. This obligation encompasses the mental, physical, and spiritual help we can give to one another.  God gave us the ultimate sacrifice his son, and others like Martin gave their lives.  Let us all reflect on what we can give this year to help others be “What They Ought To Beâ€.

~Estella

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Your Attitude is Your Closest Friend OR Worst Enemy…


 

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” Phil 2:5

Your attitude is your closest friend or worst enemy and you get to choose it. It is essential to understand the support we have woven within us when it comes to seeing the presence of God throughout the circumstances of our daily life.  As you read through the gospel of John focus in on the attitude that Jesus had, especially in the midst of conflict.  He was a solution seeker no matter what surrounded Him.

Jesus also avoided getting emotionally spun because of the opinions of people around Him, He lived outside the “Drug of Approval” and maintained a consistent space of wisdom and love…now, He had the “Son of God” thing going for Him which many have said makes showing up with a positive attitude a lot easier, however, we are also told in scipture that we have the same Spirit that rose Jesus Christ from the dead dwelling within us (Romans 8:11) AND we are told we have the very MIND of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16), two powerful resources to pull from to help fuel a positive, life giving attitude in life.

“God, I want the very mind of Christ as I go through another gift of life today.

May I see, as he did, You in every face I encounter.

Give me Jesus’ thoughts that were not imprisoned by the yoke of slavery to unbridled ambition for status or the unquenchable desire for approval.

I want to choose love & compassion as Jesus did, over fear & judgment.

I want to think and respond as Jesus did: to love for the sake of love alone, untainted by hidden agendas or crevices of lack & scarcity.

Break my heart over the things that broke yours as you walked the earth.

I want to seek to understand over being understood, free from attachment to certain responses.

To be able to respond to criticism with even more love to make up for the lack of it in those moments.

Jesus existed above compliments & complaints, grounded in the purpose for which his heart beat: to be a missionary of love no matter what…I want that same energy and laser focus today so that my God given ability to create beauty in this world flows without restriction & reflects a focused sense of purpose.

God, I believe this is my natural state of being so as you answer this prayer of mine my joy will be complete & my peace will be profound.”

Because of His Love,

Lauren <><

Uncategorized

Fill Up Mind-Space Gaps with God


 

Do not worry about anything but pray about everything…this verse from Phil. 4:6 holds some HUGE promise. If we flip it perhaps it would sounds like this: Pray about everything and you won’t worry about anything.

Easier said than done; however I have been doing my own little internal practice with this using a small prayer to fill in the gaps between focused task mind-space (the mind space that occurs between tasks that require focused attention). A christian brother of mine share a simple prayer that I have made my own.  It is a prayer that has been used by many Christian warriors to help take captive each thought and make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5) through out history:

“I love you Jesus; I pray for the salvation of souls and I turn my will over to you.”

It is in the gaps between tasks when our mind is prone to wander into those thoughts that come from the serpents of fear; doubt and worry.  We are told that the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  We are also told in 1 Peter chapter 5 that when we resist him, standing firm in our faith that he will flee. Our greatest battle occurs between our two ears, this is also the place of our greatest small victories in life that fuel bigger ones.

This week let’s focus on Edging God In to our thought life by choosing a simple small prayer that keeps our mind-focus & thoughts fixed on Jesus, who is the author and perfecter of our faith.

Edge God In to your thoughts, words, deeds and actions today,

Because of His Love,

Lauren <><

 

 

 

Bible Study, Christian, how to, purpose, tips for purpose driven life

Purging Your Tree


 

John the brother of James and son of Zebedee wrote about Jesus God being the only savior of the world. He provides more extensive information of Jesus reason for coming to earth and gives special emphasis to Jesus’ patient treatment of the disciples. Really good reading!

John in 15:2 wrote “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruitâ€.

As we move into this year, and edge God in to our thought, words, and deeds, think about our branches. Do you bear good fruit? What fruit do you need to purge or keep?

Really interested in hearing how you are going to Edge God In this year and how you’ll be working on your branches….

Blessings

~Estella

Uncategorized

Edge God In: 2015


“But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.” 1 Timothy 6:11

This month we are talking about pruning for growth. Removing those things in our life (reactions; thoughts; perceptions) that result in Edging God Out verses Edging God In.  The world screams and God whispers. How the heck do we hear the voice of God behind us saying, “this is the way walk in it”, when we are captivated by all of the shiny objects screaming for our attention?

We have become imprisoned by the very things that we feel we need in order to experience freedom.  We each have our own shiny object trigger that renders us helpless, at least at the time of the animal planet moment when biologically we become less intelligent.  It is worth our attention to explore those specific things in our day to day life that flip us out of our good intentions to respond to people and life experiences as Jesus did when he walked the earth.

The other day I had a rock star Edge God In quiet time with the Lord only to face plant into reactive negative behavior 3 hours later.  See our weak nature for what it is…a spoiled child that always wants more of those things that are not good, right, true, beautiful, excellent and praise worthy.

The next time you recognize a reaction or thought that is void of Jesus character explore this simple prayer:

Stop! Dear God I choose in this moment to give more authority to your presence in and through me than I do to this thought, situation or reactive behavior that is fueling this EGO moment.  I choose to EDGE YOU INTO every aspect of this situation. Grant me the grace to flee from everything that is void of you.  I love you Jesus, I pray for the salvation of souls and turn my will over to you. 

Give God More Authority than Fear, Doubt & Worry. 

Because of His Love,

Lauren <><