David, Goliath and Our Problems

5 Ways To Rise Above Negative Thoughts

Lets be honest for a minute. We have all felt unimportant, insignificant and just all around different. In my case these false feelings and thoughts seem to come at the most inconvenient and random times! 

Picture this, you're standing on the beach enjoying the view. The sun is shining,  birds flying over head, children are laughing …Then the whole scene changes. Massive waves crash down on you out of no where. And if you don't know how to escape then you will get caught in yet a another set of waves.

This is how I think these feelings come some times. I know you can feel like your are on top of the world then BAM! The kicker here for me is that I know when I feel this way it's a lie. But that’s the thing with lies…they a lot of times "seem" to hold truth.  How do we get past these feelings and thoughts? How can we rise to the top victorious? Here are 5 ways to rise above negative thoughts:

1. Acknowledge that what you are thinking and feeling  is indeed a lie. Here is the deal, you are so important, very significant and well you are different and that's OK. Realize that the enemy is up to no good and fight back! You don't have to take it.

2. Talk with someone you trust. We can't walk this life alone and we need people in our lives that build us up and encourage us in who we really are. This may be your parents, your best friend or pastor. Whoever it may be tell them what your feeling. They will jump into action to help you smash the lies.

3. Speak the truth over yourself. One you have identified that what you are feeling is a lie speak the opposite to yourself. Look in the mirror and shower yourself with words of encouragement. No really! Stand there and watch as your face stars to change. Good words bring life!

4. Spend time with God. Although people are good and all God is the best one to go to when this stuff happens. God will never run out of good things to say about you. The bible says that his thoughts for us out number the grains of sand. Wow! Mind blowing right? God loves you and because of that there is no way that you are unimportant, insignificant or that you don't fit in. The one who knows the stars by name just so happens to love you more than you can think or imagine.

5. Enjoy life.  When you know that you are so loved by God you can't help but enjoy life! When those false feelings and thoughts try to come you can laugh in their faces. What's really fun is that when those attacks come that means something good is about to happen. The enemy wants to get us off our game. Don't give in to their bag of tricks.

So what are you waiting for? Are you believing lies about yourself or others? Don't live in that mess because "Ain't nobody got time for that!"!

Whatsoever Think...

Do you need prayer for anything? Please comment below and I will pray with you! 

 Photo: media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/e6/a1/9e/e6a19e25c7dc1f80ca7435f70fb8af2e.jpg

Life and Death

I just thought this picture was neat! It is so important to speak life over our lives! The Bible says that life and death are in the tongue. 

So speak life over every area of your life! If you don’t like what you see right now in your life then it’s time to change the way you talk! You have the power to change your life! 

Why not start today? Why wait?

Whatsoever Think...

Just Be...

I actually like being busy. My whole life I have been busy with this or that. I love always having something to do. So many times I think when it comes to God we want to be busy with Him too. 

What do you want me to sing for You? What do You want me to do for You today? Give me something to do? 

We want something to fill the space. To feel like we are accomplishing something. 

I was feeling this way today, wanting to do something for Him. I tried writing another blog post, finish the song I was writing, play the guitar. But nothing seemed to work for me.

I didn't have a good idea for the blog, I couldn't remember how the song went, and every time I played the guitar the sound wasn't pleasing to me. Finally I just gave up! I quickly went to my worship play list, needing some kind of help! I played the first song, one of my favorites that I hadn't heard in a while called "A Little Longer". In the song the writer is asking God what did He want to hear today? What song would please His heart? Gods reply was simple. 

Just be with me. You don't have to do a thing. I'm in love with you...

That can really offend the brain of a busy person! But God I have to do something! He's like no. Just let all of that stuff go. The songs are great, but what I really want is you. 

A busy person can have a problem with stopping, and just be. To drop everything, and just sit with Him is a hard thing. 

I think we don't realize how much we need that. That deep love from a God who loves us so much that He just wants to sit with you. It really is a wonderful thought, is it not? We can have it if we just learn to be quite and rest. It's not hard to be with Him. We just have to stop and do it.

So make a point this week to just stop and just be with Him. Go to your secret place with Him, see what happens. I promise that you will like what happens.

Did you know you had a secret place with Him? That it's so real and fun? Do you want one? Leave me a comment and I will help you get to it.

Photo Credit: http://www.kirstysleep.com

Never Ending Fire

Camping in the mountains was something Roxanne had always wanted to do and now her dream was coming true. Life had seemed to be going great, but little by little, it began to fall apart. She started distancing herself from her family, going off on her own. Now Roxanne was aimlessly walking through a thick wood. The sounds of the night began and an uneasy feeling crept over her. Hearing the sounds move closer made her heart race. Walking a little faster, but unsure of where to go, the sounds became more intense. It was close...too close. Running, Roxanne searched for a way out of the woods. Coming to a halt she noticed the sound had stopped, she listened. Nothing. Just the sound of her heavy breathing. Maybe it was gone. She turned, straining her eyes and then she saw it, a mountain lion. Fear gripped her heart. This was it. She was going to die.

Feeling panic rise in her, the lion lowered ready to strike. She heard a cracking sound. The lion heard it too. Their attention was drawn to the right. She stood only a few feet away from a clearing and past that was someone’s camp site! She had to make a move if she was going to live. Roxanne ran with everything she had. The lion jerked its head back, seeing her take off and followed. Screaming for help, Roxanne saw a man by a fire.

~~~

Caden grabbed a long log out of the fire and ran toward the girl. Where did she come from? The lion closed in, ready to take its prey. It clawed at the runner, teasing her, but hitting its mark. The girl cried out in pain, but kept running.  Caden was just a few feet from them. The lion clawed again, this time sending her to the ground. Yelling at the lion, Caden waved the fire in the big cat’s direction. The animal had been so focused it didn’t see the man and stopped sensing danger. Caden stepped in-between the girl and the mountain lion still waving the flame. The lion looked at the girl on the ground then back at the fire. Knowing loss, it retreated back into the dark wood.

~~~

Life can be a weird thing. We can feel on top of the world one day and then underneath it the next. I find this exceptionally frustrating whenever it happens in my spiritual life. Imagine you have just gotten back from camp, missions trip, or conference and you are on top of the world! You tell everyone around you that you are “on fire”. This “on fire” thing can last a few days or a few weeks but in the end it seems like we “lost our fire” or “the fire went out”. Then we wait for the next camp, mission trip, or conference to get back “on fire”. 

I have said this before…many times really. In our culture, it’s almost expected! This happened to me this last week. I had really been “on fire” for a good 3 weeks. It was awesome! But then life knocked and I answered. And then little by little my fire was going out. Or so I thought…

But what does the above story have to do with anything?

I was talking with God the other day “I was so on fire, seeing people get healed and everything! What happened?! It seems my fire has gone out! Did I need to put more “wood” on it?”

And you know what? He gave me the answer! We walk around taking credit for the fire when really, God is the fire. The bible says He is an all consuming fire. His eyes burn like fire. God said that He was the fire. Then he showed me some things through pictures, almost like a movie:

I’m sitting at a camp fire with Jesus, He was wearing jeans, there is a guitar leaning against the log bench and all the fixings for s’mores were on a table behind him. I looked around and saw we were in a beautiful clearing and I see the woods far off, looking dark and mysterious…

God is the fire, He never goes out. When we feel that feeling of “my fire feels like it’s going out” what has happened is that we have taken a step away from the fire. When you are camping, at night you want to be near the fire. It provides warmth, light and protection. But if we step away the warmth, light, and the protection, we feel less of what we did when we were standing right in front of it. But so many times we let things distracted us and we step away just a little bit. And if we wonder far enough, we will end up in the woods, alone where predators have the upper hand.

How silly of us to think that the fire of God could go out? He is unchanging, He isn't fickle like man. He is always burning! It is up to us to stay by the fire, stay close to God. In Him is everything we could ever need, want and desire. But we have to choose to stay in His warmth…His presence. Every day we have to choose. Roxanne (a Christian) was with her family (the body of Christ), but decided to wander in the woods (the world) which lead her to a dangerous place. But in the end when she called out to the man (Jesus) for help he was there to save her and bring her back to safety...near the fire (His presence). To maintain a powerful Christian life we have to stay in His presence. Cause if we don’t we will lose the warmth, not because it has gone out but because we walked away.

Photo credit: crossfitfire.com