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EGI Episode 2: Three Things that Block Gods Favor

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Edge God In Episode 2, hosted by Estella and Lauren, gives the listener three things that block Gods Favor. The lesson begins with Deuteronomy 28, sharing the positive rewards experienced when in Gods favor and continues by taking the listener through the three steps and solutions needed to stay in the favor of God.

Scripture: Deuteronomy 28: And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth….

Step 1. Listening to the voices in the world instead of God’s voice.

Solution: First Things First: Commit to daily mindful living in constant conversation with God. 2. Following idols: popularity; possessions and power.

Step 2. Following idols: popularity; possessions and power.

Solution: Step off the stage, stop casting yourself in the drama and allow God to place you in His will.

Step 3. Avoid tuning into and obeying what God tells you.

Solution: Bookend your day with prayer and scripture meditation and pull the lesson through your day ending the day with reflection around the ways you succeeded in God and those areas you compromised for the sake of worldly approval.

~ LaurenEstella 2017

Faith, how to, Inspiration, prayer

2017 10 Things to Believe


Below are 10 beliefs that I recently heard from one of my spiritual mentors in life, Joyce Meyer and have expanded upon. She has powerful credibility in this area because she was sexually abused by her father until she was 18. She could have believed that she was the abuse and she could have allowed the abuse to define her worth and value; however, she chose to believe 10 things that led to her victory over the mind muck which blocked her joy for many years. Perhaps there is a belief contained in the following information that will help you reclaim your victory over hardship in the New Year.

 

Prune for growth in the area of inner strength and confidence as you step into the New Year remembering that the One who dwells within in is greater than circumstance. This is a practice which led to my own healing and restoration when I went through advanced cancer and divorce at the same time:

 

  1. Believe that God is good, no matter what trial is going on outside of you. I learned through my own trial, through cancer and divorce, that God has the ability to bring about a greater good than had the hardship never even occurred.
  2. Believe that it will ultimately work out. Consider the rose that appears in the midst of the thorns…how is that possible, you may ask, that such beauty appears in the midst of such a pain producing element? Open your eyes in nature and you will see this relationship repeat itself, perhaps as a sign to help us remember when we forget: the rainbow can only appear in or after the storm.
  3. God is greater than your problems and with Him nothing is impossible with God. God believes you can…do you?
  4. Believe that your break through is going to manifest at any moment.
  5. Believe that you hear from God. Don’t ever say, “I wish I could hear from God” say, “I hear from God and I am led by the Holy Spirit.” My first book, Hearing His Whisper, contains my conversations with God before, during and after the trial. They began with the same prayer the young boy Samuel used to unlock his ability to hear the voice of God, “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.”
  6. Believe that God has heard your prayers and expect an answer. Each day I claim the answer I desire, “Thank you God for my healing.” Just as the blind man when asked by Jesus, “What do you want me to do for you?” replied quickly and perhaps with confidence and faith, “Lord, I want to see.”
  7. Believe that God’s healing power is working in your body and you will feel better and stronger every day.
  8. Believe God gives you favor every where you go and that you don’t have to work at being accepted by people. Let God give you favor. Moving into the New Year I have started to proclaim the following statement as I transition from one activity to another: “God’s favor is with me where ever I go.”
  9. Believe that God is working in your life and the lives of your loved ones and you are changing all the time, stepping into the person you are created to be. Believe that God sees you for who you desire to be rather than how your behavior shows up and offer the same generous assumption to those around you. Practice kindness and compassion.
  10. Believe, Believe, Believe! “All things are possible for those who believe.” Mark 9:23. Make love and confidence your way in the New Year!

Happy New Year and God’s Favor to You!

Lauren <><

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Joy to the World -The Lord has come!


Isaiah 9:6 – For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. KJV.

This is my favorite  time of year because it makes life meaningful. If it weren’t for this event in history, we would be lost and not blessed with eternal life.

During the holiday’s we forget the true gift of Christmas, as we get caught up in giving to others and in self. I pray that we take to time to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas, which is spreading the gift of Gods ability to give us eternal life through our savior Jesus Christ.

I pray that we carry and share this gift throughout the year, and turn our attention to all the things that make his vision possible in the work we do and the lives we touch.

Blessing!!

~Estella

how to, Inspiration, personal excellence, Stress relief, wellness

How to Renew Your Mind


“Be Transformed by the renewing of your MIND.” Romans 12:1

 

When Moses asked God, “Who Should I say sent me?” God replied,

“I Am”. ‘I Am’ is a declaration of identity. God is the

great I Am omnipresent creator of life. YOU are created in

his image and have the same ability to create your reality

through your thoughts which create your words which

create your perceived reality. Stay awake at the gate of

your thoughts.

 

Be very careful of your choice of words after ‘I Am’ or

‘My’ statements. What ever you choose to put after those

statements becomes linked to your sense of identity.

 

Instead of:

 

I Am sick

I Am exhausted

I Am overwhelmed

My tremor

My illness

My pain

My lonliness

My negative thoughts

 

 

Try speaking these:

 

I Am a child of God, ALL things are possible for me

I Am healthy

I Am energized

I Am capable of coming up with creative solutions

I Am strong

I Am joyful

I Am loving

I Am grateful

My ability to succeed

My ability to heal

My ability to create positive, healthy relationships

My ability to focus on what is working out for me

 

Stay AWAKE at the GATE of your thoughts knowing they form

your spoken words. Your body follows the commands you speak

which create your perspectives on life which become your

reality.

Dear God I give you permission to override me when I take my focus off of you and put it on me and my situation. Grant me the ability to remember that I am not my circumstance unless I choose to be. That you have already overcome all that I feel has overcome me. I want the ability to pause between what happens outside of me in order to invite YOU into my responses. Remind my mind that with YOU all things are possible!

Because of His Love,

Lauren <><

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 <><

Christian, Faith, personal excellence

Knowing Happens in Stillness


 

“Be Still and Know that I Am God” Psalm 46:10

 

Perhaps the invitation here is to infuse your daily tasks with moments of silence.  Cease to DO & simply BE so that the divine spark that is ignited by intimacy with God can override the antics of your mind which is fueled by unbridled ambitions and the need to analyze, interpret and conclude…wow, just writing those 3 words is an energy leak.

 

How about this week you begin and end your day simply sitting in silence as you express the simple longing of the young boy Samuel: “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.”

 

Sit for 5-10 minutes in stillness morning & evening and expand 1 minute each day.  Then infuse your day with shorter moments of stillness before God: take 2 minute silent breaks from the mind and lean into God. Watch and observe yourself do life after these mind breaks and notice how inner peace, confidence and kindness begin to have its way within your responses to life.

 

Because of His Love,

Lauren <><

Faith

God Shows Up

As I walked through the experience of advanced cancer and divorce I would often read through and proclaim the same scriptures that the pastor reads while the miracle took place in this video. Watch and listen to the power of God’s hand in healing.

Because of His Love,

Lauren <><

#Faith

Christian, Faith, Inspiration, prayer, purpose, Uncategorized

If I Can? Belief Makes it Possible


 

I was reading the scriptures today from Mark 9:14-23. So imagine this scene: a bunch of people crowding around Jesus in awe and wonder. One man in particular makes his way into Jesus attention and speaks up:

“Teacher, my son is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”

So I’m not sure at this point if any of the disciples this man was referencing happened to be overhearing this conversation. I can imagine though if I was in their shoes I would have felt a bit thrown under the failure bus…wouldn’t you? So here we stand in a moment of DOUBT. Can you relate?

There is also another element here worth exploring, that being robbed of the ability to speak, which was the case for the boy possessed by the evil spirit. Have you ever felt robbed of the ability to speak? Perhaps it’s simply around your ability to speak healthy boundaries into your life or speaking the truth in spite of negative reaction? Either way it’s obviously an area that an evil spirit can slither into and perhaps worth some self reflection.

The scriptures continue on with the scenario and Jesus response which I can only imagine the facial expressions that went along with it: “O unbelieving generation…how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”   Quickly the people ran and got the boy who was possessed and Jesus asks how long the boy was in this condition…perhaps to remind us all the healing from God is not confined by time or intensity, as is too often the case in human reasoning: “Well, it’s always been this way so this is the way it will always be.” Jesus is constantly beckoning to us all to step up and out of limited, self-defeating thinking.

The people responded from that below the line limited thinking as they shared with Jesus that the boy had been possessed since childhood and then went on to say, “if you can do anything take pity on us!” …Sound familiar? “Please God, please help me if you can do anything to help me, then help me.” I know those words flew out of my mouth during some dark moments in the midst of advanced cancer and divorce.

Again, can you imagine the facial expressions that go along with Jesus’ response to the above plea from the boy’s father: “If you can?..EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE for those who believe.” After saying these words Jesus’ commands the deaf and dumb spirit to leave the child and he is healed instantly. Compassionately Jesus then instructs the disciples as to the need for specific prayer needed to drive out this kind of evil spirit.

I have often laughed out loud as I imagine how many times Jesus has had the same response to my plea’s for help: “If I can? All things are possible for those who believe.” When you ask for those things in a surrendered state which align with the will of God for you in life: love; joy; peace; patience; self-control; godliness; kindness; goodness; gentleness; strength of character; wisdom; perspective; guidance; a spirit of courage and power to overcome that which you feel overcome by in your circumstances in life, then stand up tall and occupy the space of belief that YOU WILL RECEIVE THAT WHICH YOU ASK FOR.

God believes He CAN do all things in and through you…do you?

Because of His Love,

Lauren <><