Category Archives: Stress relief

Christian, Faith, how to, Inspiration, Leadership, personal excellence, purpose, Stress relief

Self-Control: The Caboose of the Fruits


Learn => Reflect => Identify & Adjust => Integrate => ACT

The fruits of the Spirit: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and gentleness are all ignited into action through the last fruit of the spirit: self-control. It is the Caboose of the fruits that keep the first 7 on track. Without self-control our ability to respond with love and forgiveness over hatred and judgment is blocked.

Scriptures: Learn:

“For God did not give us a spirit of fear but of POWER, Love & Self-Control.” 1 Timothy 1:7

“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.†Romans 12:1

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.†Philippians 4:8

‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.†Zechariah 4:6

Reflect/Identify & Adjust:

One of my favorite reminders of who I am in this world comes from the above verse in 1 Timothy 1:7.  Let’s dismantle this a little to give it more clarity of focus thus increasing our ability to put it into daily action.

First of all, know what you are and what you are not. This releases inner anxiety instantly:

You are a child of God, possessing the blue print of the creator of the universe flowing through your spirit that is beyond all momentary troubles and tribulations.  Your spirit knows itself to be enough, capable and victorious at all times even in the eye of the storm. Simply put, you are first and foremast a spiritual being having a physical experience, as proclaimed by the Christian mystics throughout history. 

You are not your circumstance; judgments from yourself and others; traumatic situations; rejection; fear; doubt or worry…unless you choose to believe you are in which case the spirit of fear will twist the reality of who you are as created in the image AND likeness of God.

For God did not give us a spirit of fear but of POWER, Love & Self-Control. You have a spirit that moves with self-control: the ability to choose a certain response to life that serves your well-being and the well being of all concerned.  We do not use the spirit of self-control enough in our daily life as we play victim to our circumstances: “If I don’t get this certain outcome I won’t be able to handle it”…”life is a struggle”…”I can’t do that”, “Nothing ever works out for me” “I don’t understand why they did that, said that, didn’t do that…why things work out for other people and not for me.”

In order to experience the POWER and the LOVE contained at the heart of our spirit which fuels our ability to create, self-control needs to be resurrected to the front lines of our responses to people, things and circumstances.

Integrate/ACT:

This week practice self-control…step back from your quick responses to life, often fueled by emotional flare-ups of unbridled ambition and seek the wisdom that flows from the Holy Spirit, known as the Counselor: “Give me the words to speak that are in my best interest and reflect the higher good I am created for, or the silence needed for even greater wisdom and guidance.” Remember, true greatness comes through the archway of temperance, humility and love. The gap, which allows wisdom to drop in between what happens around you and your response to it, grows bigger with each act of self-control.

Dear God, I give you permission to resurrect within me the spirit that is my birth right as your child on earth: A spirit of POWER, LOVE and SELF-CONTROL.  In order for me to experience the power of your love through my thoughts, words and responses to the life in front of my face I need the grace of faith in action manifested through self-control.  Help me to remember who I am this week, why I do what I do and the bigger picture in life. Expand my ability to control my thoughts of self defeat, judgment of self and others that render me incapable of accessing the strength and power of my spirit to overcome and powerfully witness to the successful creative nature that manifests a greater good on earth, which I am willing to consider I will focus on at the sunset of this life.  Help me to live my life backwards…doing, saying, creating those things that at my last breath, as I reflect on how I showed up each day, will cause me to hear the sweet words of ultimate success in life: “well done, my good and faithful servant, you remembered who you are, what you are capable of & why, with the gift of each new dawn your heart continued to beat.”

Questions for Growth:

What specific area of your life would you like to practice more self-control this week in order to bring Glory to God?

What could you do today that would help you think about what is good and admirable?

When is it easy to let the Holy Spirit guide your actions? When is it difficult?

Our Next Virtual Bible Study will be October 28th at 9:30 am EST/7:30 am MT/6:30 am PST 

Because of His Love,

Lauren <><

Faith, Leadership, prayer, Stress relief

How to Release Irritation


Irritation in this life will often flow from your need to be right, seen, acknowledged, recognized, respected and responded to in a specific way…can you imagine giving these antics up and knowing you have already made it in this life? God delights in you, no need for outside reinforcements. I would imagine we would have a lot of mind space freed up to create more love and beauty in this world…is not that the purpose for which we are graced with another heart beat?

Dear God, may I remember as I open my eyes to another gift of life today that you delight in me and see me for all that I desire to be in this world.  

Thank you for giving me the grace today to release my need for certain outcomes in order to feel secure, joyful and successful.  

Thank you that I have the ability to scale the perceived walls in my life along with the capability to create more beauty and love.

May I remember throughout the day that it is not so much WHAT I am doing but the LOVE that I put behind what I do that makes all of the difference in the outcomes I experience on earth.  Have your way with me in spite of myself.

“You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.  With your help I can advance against a troop, with my God I Can Scale a Wall.” Psalm 18: 28-29

Because of His Love,

Lauren <><

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

Self-Awareness in Authentic Leadership


Edge God In Bible Study: April 18th: Leadership: Self-Awareness EQ

Self-Awareness => Self-Management

Social Awareness => Relationship Management

Focus for the study is on the first essential component of emotional intelligence: self-awareness. We cannot give out effectively what we have not given attention to within ourselves. Our ability to effectively manage our relationships with those around us is in direct proportion to our ability to manage our own perceptions and emotions. What does God say?

3 Questions to reflect upon when considering self-awareness:

  • Who Am I?
  • Why am I here?
  • What will it matter?

Who Am I? Scripture:

  • John 1:12: “To those who believe in His name are given the right to become the children of God.
  • Romans 8:15-16: I have received a Spirit of sonship…Abba Father, this spirit testifies that I am a child of the living God.
  • 1 Peter 2:9: I am part of a royal priesthood, a Holy Nation, a people belonging to God.

Why am I here? Scripture:

  • 2 Corinthians 5:20-21: To make God recognizable in this world. I am Christ’s ambassador as if God were making His appeal through me. For our sake He made Him to be sin who did not sin that I might become the righteousness (the excellence) of God.
  • 1 Peter 2:9: As a part of God’s child and a Holy Nation I am here to declare the praises of Him who called me our of darkness into light.
  • Galatians 2:20: I have been put to death with Christ on the cross so it’s no longer I who live but Christ who lives within me this life I live by faith alone in Him who died for me. I am here to live by faith and allow Jesus to live within and through me.

What will it matter? …when I prayed on this one I got: “why will it matter? It will matter in all of eternity for the sake of salvation of souls, your choice to live for me will end in life.â€

What will it matter – What will it Matter?

It will matter because in order to truly have self-awareness and self-management you need to understand and ask yourself “How do I recognize my own emotions and how are they affecting my thoughts and behavior? “

You can know this by understanding your Strengths, Weaknesses and Self Confidence.

1) The scripture tells us how to recognize our emotions and know if they are affecting our thoughts and behaviors.

John 8:31-32 AMP, Jesus says: “ If you abide in My word … you are truly My disciples. And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you freeâ€

Prov. 3:5-6 NKJV “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your way acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your pathsâ€

2) We must know and understand our Strengths, Weaknesses, and have self-confidence to know what and why it matters to God.

  • Strengths come from God: Philippians 4:13 King James Version (KJV) I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
  • Weakness are taken care of by God: 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (ESV) 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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
  • Self Confidence is given to us through the scriptures:
    • Philippians 4:13: ESV: I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
    • 2 Timothy 1:7: ESV: For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
    • Hebrews 10:35-36 ESV: Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.

3) We must remember the saying “What would Jesus do?†to manage our emotions, thoughts and behaviors.
Because of His Love <><

Lauren & Estella

Faith, Holy Week, prayer, purpose, Stress relief

How to Lean Into Holy Week


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

The world screams and God whispers. “Speak Lord, your servant is listening” said young Samuel to God.

A simple attentiveness along with a willingness to listen unleashes a conversation between God and man. Take time this week to still the demands of the world around you. Pause and reflect before you respond this week on the words, intonation and body language you want to show up with that will make God recognizable in this world.

Slow down and linger in the small ways that God reaches out to you every day. Be still and know that God so loves you that He gave His one and only Son to win you over into full communion with Him. Be still and know that there is nothing that can separate you from the love God has for you. Your past regrets are swallowed up in a single glance from the author and perfecter of your faith.  Be still and know that the love God has instilled within your heart through faith in Christ unleashes the knowing of your soul that ALL things are possible for you when they are aligned with His perfect will for your life. This love within you believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things…this love within you is greater than your circumstance or struggle. You are not your struggle.

Shake off your grave clothes and go forth into your day knowing that the One who calls you is faithful and He will give you the grace you need to conquer with the Spirit of power, love and self-discipline which He has woven within you through your baptism and choice to follow His son.  Slow down and linger in the knowing that it is for FREEDOM that Christ has set you free, stand firm in that knowing and do not allow your circumstance to burden your mind and emotions. Throw off everything that hinders you and the sin that so easily entangles you and RUN the RACE of endurance considering the ONE who endured such opposition from sinful man so that you will not grow weary in your struggle against sin. The insults of those who insult you have fallen on the One who died to win over you affection and attention.

As this Holy Week unfolds, pause, reflect and lean into the One who calls you by name. The One who promises to make all things new and remove your grave clothes from past pain; rejection; false beliefs and condemnation. See He is doing a new thing in your life, take time this week to explore what that looks like for you, feels like for you and sounds like for you. “Behold I make ALL THINGS NEW.”

Have a Blessed Holy Week, take time to lean into the One who leaned into death in order to win you LIFE,

Lauren <><

#HolyWeek

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

God or Man? Flip Your Authority

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lI5i-7cCHl4

“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4

 

Too often we give more authority to circumstance than we do to

our God given ability to overcome, learn from and move 

through perceived challenges in life. This week remember

that GREATER IS THE ONE who lives in YOU than 

the one or thing in the world.

 

Your experience of rising and 

falling depending upon how the world judges you is in 

direct proportion to the power YOU give to the outside

circumstance to define your worth, value and capability. 

If God is for you…who or what can be against you? Flip

your authority today: Give more authority to the strength of God

within you than you give to the opinions of people around you and

or specific outcomes. Failure is just a label we place on an

undesirable outcome.  Think about this for a moment, if

you truly believe that God has plans to prosper you and not to

harm you, to give you hope and a future then whatever pops

up before you can be flipped into positive forward momentum.

What if you take a moment this week before any potential threat

to your sense of safety and ability to overcome and you remember

this simple thought: God has overcome all that I feel has overcome

(or potentially overcome) me in my life…He sees all and is more

than capable of doing more than I can ever ask or imagine for

my ultimate good in this world, I am safe and connected to the

One that is greater than circumstance.

 

Because of His Love,

Lauren <><

Bible Study, Christian, Faith, how to, Inspiration, personal excellence, Stress relief

True Freedom in Christ


 

“It is for FREEDOM that Christ has set you free, stand firm then and do not allow yourself to be burdened by the yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1

Dear God,

Thank you that my greatest source and fuel for happiness in this life occurs behind closed doors, when no one is watching…the prayers, dances, songs and free expressions of who I am before you alone.

I am willing to consider the freedom that Jesus Christ of Nazareth had when he walked the earth.  Known as the Prince of Peace, he was not concerned about status or the opinions of other people.

This week I will explore letting go of my need to be seen, acknowledged and recognized in order to feel successful, loved and enough.

Fill me with an expansive Spirit of joy and laughter so that a levity around all things begins to emerge in all that I do and say.

I am grateful for another day to practice letting go of the non-essentials and nurture what I value most in this life.

Have your way with me in spite of myself…your way has never left me empty handed in this life.

“Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you are not concerned with anyone’s opinion. You do not regard a person’s status but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.” 
Mark 12:14

“A man is enslaved to whatever has mastered him.” 2 Peter 1:19

As you reflect on your own relationship with the world, what has mastered you in your life? Is it your environment? Opinions and reactions of other people? The need to be seen, acknowledged, and recognized?

Is it your behavior? My clients, who are seeking freedom from compulsive behavior, will often say, “I just can’t help myself.” This reveals a type of personal enslavement due to allowing some food, substance, situation, or person to master them over time, which in some cases results in a biological addiction.

The stress hormone is linked directly to your emotional state of mind and heart. Extended emotional stress often leads to personal enslavement, which usually walks hand in hand with unhealthy outlets. The key to freedom in situations like this lies in your ability to accept where you are at, accompanied with a desire for positive personal transformation and a choice to take a step in that direction.

Dear God, I choose this week to align my thoughts, words and deeds with my highest good and the good of all concerned. Through the power of the Holy Spirit I ignite my ability to choose my responses to life remembering that I hold the key to victimization and empowerment AND what I chose to think about sets in motion my reality. 

All things are possible for me, shrinking back and allowing myself to be burdened by the yoke of slavery to unhealthy masters is not how you created me to show up in this life. I choose you and all things good, right, true, beautiful and praise worthy. #faithwalk #freedominChrist #biblestudy 

Because of His Love,

Lauren <><

Faith, how to, Inspiration, personal excellence, purpose, Stress relief, tips for purpose driven life, Uncategorized, wellness

Pursue What Leads to Life Satisfaction


One of the first verses I memorized at 17 was John 10:10: I have come that YOU may have LIFE and have it to the FULL.” Jesus desires for us to experience life satisfaction, to have a joy within us that does not rise and fall depending upon how the world judges us at a single moment in time.

The next verse I memorized was Galatians 5:1: “It is for FREEDOM that Christ has set you FREE stand firm then and do not allow yourself to be burdened by the yoke of slavery.” Slavery to what? To the shiny objects, selfish ambitions and the ‘Fame Game’ which distracts me from the fullness of life Jesus died to give me? The world screams and God whispers. In order for our ability to tune into those things that truly bring about the experience of Jesus proclamation: I have COME that you may have LIFE to the FULL, it is essential that we stand firm and not allow ourselves to be burdened by those things that perish within the human heart as quickly as they enter.

What do you spend your time pursuing in life? This will reveal the position of your heart. It is not so much what you do throughout the day of life you have been blessed with but the person behind what you do that reveals the presence of God through our words, thoughts, deeds and actions. Examine the motives behind those things you choose to pursue. Why are you spending your efforts in this direction? Will this produce fruit that will last or fruit that will give you a momentary hit of satisfaction? Why do you do what you do and does it align with the person you are committed to being in this world?

I woke up with this verse on my mind and in my heart: “He who pursues Righteousness & Love finds LIFE, PROSPERITY & HONOR” Proverbs 21:21
Righteousness: to be aligned with high moral standards. Life satisfaction flows easily when we are aligned with our highest good and the good of all concerned. “When I show up in life with nothing to hide because I practice humility; integrity; love and authenticity, my sleep is sound and content. I am willing to admit when I am wrong and I am conscious of good and bad behavior along with a willingness to learn, adjust and understand.â€
Love: the ability to authentically seek the highest good of another person, often times associated with intense feelings of care, concern and affection. “When I love first and then step out and lead I put to the front lines of my response to another human being the following attributes: patience; kindness; gentleness; forgiveness; humility; trust; confidence; perseverance.â€

Because of His Love,

Lauren <><

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

How to Hear the Voice of God


 

God Spoke & He Continues to Speak.

This verse comes from the Old Testament; it is Samuel’s response to hearing God speak his name. It took three times before Samuel actually responded to God as he thought that Eli, who was the priest taking care of him, was calling him in the middle of the night.

How many times has God spoken to us and we look for other options as to where the guidance is coming from? I have found that God speaks in sound bites, small impactful statements of guidance that rock our world. “Dear God may there be less lag time today than yesterday in my ability to hear and respond to your voice of guidance which says, ‘this is the way, walk in it.”

My first book, Hearing His Whisper, came from several years of Samuel’s prayer: “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.” I would put a question before God and listen. Then I would guess what I thought God may say which ultimately opened up my ability to grab the sound bites coming in. At first I questioned them as Samuel did: Why would God speak to me? Is this really His voice or mine? As I increased my confidence in the simple truth that the ONE who calls me into fellowship with Himself if faithful and He will do it. “Less of me more of You, Dear God” because the desire of my heart.

I invite you into the daily practice of Samuel’s prayer: Speak Lord, your servant is listening. Ask, seek, knock and listen for God’s sound bites in life. The quicker you respond the quicker you will find your ability to hear becomes.

“Dear God, where would you have me go today? What do you want me to think and say. I am on your time, not mine, for your purposes, not mine. Fill me up with all that you are so that all that I am this week makes you recognizable on earth.”

Because of His Love,

Lauren

 

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

What’s Your Energy Source in Life? Unplug and Recharge

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

John 15:4-5

Jesus calls us to come closer each day. He created us with a single source for restoration and strength when we attempt to plug into that which is not HIM we experience energy leaks that produce fears, doubts and worries. Come to me, Jesus says, all of you who are burdened by the demands and distractions in the world and I will give you the true peace, sense of purpose and the internal rest & confidence that you seek. Watch the above video prayerfully and plug into John 15 this week.

Because of His Love,

Lauren <><

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

How to Keep A Purpose Driven Focus


Before a healing took place Jesus would often inquire about the time and intensity of their condition. Perhaps to remind us all that healing is not restricted by the longevity or intensity of the condition…when God says, “It is finished”.

As I paused for a moment under this magnificent tree this morning I asked, “So who told you when to bloom and when to remain dormant?” God’s divine intelligence woven throughout all of nature speak to this truth:

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” Romans 1:20

There are no challenges in life only situations that invite us to remember our God given ability to come up with creative solutions…and move mountains.

Take it from the bulb in the dark throughout the winter months. If it ever forgot its natural state of being, to bloom in this world, it would have ceased to emerge out of the darkness into the light.

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is ETERNAL.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Because of His Love,

Lauren <><