Your greatness is ready to be unleashed to the world. Greater is your portion, but it’s only by your faith shall you receive it! What do you believe?
What Do You Believe? —
I listened to some teaching the other day regarding reframing our thoughts. No doubt, the mind is a battlefield and we often experience ‘fiery darts’ bombarding our thoughts, and for those who don’t then what a blessed rest you must have to not have to contend with unhelpful thoughts.
In times of trauma or adversity, it may be very difficult to ‘reframe’ our thoughts because of being caught up in the middle of highly stressful circumstances and being in survival mode.
Yet at other times, we are often influenced by messages we have taken in throughout our lives, from the noise of the world around us, and from a variety of other sources. Sometimes the thoughts can tend to worry, negativity, depression, fear, anxiety or just be seeming ‘pictures’ or images from past experiences, and these may be things we’d rather forget.
This can cloud or feelings, our mood and perspective of our day, and it can take time and effort to overcome. We need a healthy dose of Truth to be able to ‘gird up the loins of our mind’ and to ‘take every thought captive’. Sometimes we have to purposefully look for the good in our day, or create something good in our day to help with unhelpful thought patterns.
If you have believed a lie that keeps recurring in your mind, such as something someone said about you or told you that belittles your worth or ability as a person, then you will need to hold Truth in your mind to counter that and to be ready to change those patterns and it might take work over time. Thoughts such as you are valuable, beautiful as a human being, worthy, intelligent, kind, capable, etc, and sometimes we need a ‘bridge’ to get there, i.e. doing some ground work to cross over from those lies we were made to believe about ourselves perhaps as children, to being able to gradually accept and even embrace the truth of who we really are.
In similar fashion, we can reframe the outlook of our day. The teaching I was listening to showed a giant canvas painting or photograph of a sky, where on one side there was a brilliant orange and the sun’s light in the clouds, bright and beautiful, and at the other edge of the picture were some dark, grey and almost black ominous looking clouds. Overall the picture was beautiful and in balance, but the speaker took a little frame and held it up to different parts of the picture to contrast how our outlook sometimes focuses in on either the negative or the positive and this can change the outcome of our day.
How do we look at things? How do we choose to look at things? Most of us have experienced negative thoughts that may have stemmed from lies we’ve been told about ourselves, and we also face the fears and worries of the world we live in. We don’t need to ignore the reality but we can reframe our thinking and we can look for the good in our day.
Sometimes this can be as simple as accepting those difficult thoughts and emotions, letting them pass and then grasping onto Truth to replace them with and perhaps we may have to do this over and over again until we create new more helpful and true patterns of thinking. It might be taking a moment to be thankful intentionally for the good things we have enjoyed that day such as shelter, food, clothing, conversation, and it could be taking a few minutes to reach out to someone else, to be creative to give thanks and pray or do something that adds love and joy to the world and our lives even if it is not seen by others. We can be thankful, we can praise, we can take a moment to still our busy minds and focus on the good. Sometimes this is a challenging process, and for some people it isn’t an issue, they are so positive and carefree by nature, but for those of us who do think and feel deeply and sometimes experience these challenging thoughts and emotions especially if we’re feeling impacted by what’s happening in the world, then we can do certain things to shift our focus, to change our gaze. If we can’t help one thousand, we can help one.
So take a moment today and pay attention to what may be a stronghold in your mind, find Truth to replace those negative thoughts with and also look for the good in your day, perhaps turn your hand to something creative, something uplifting, something lovely and good and see how, even if for a few moments, your thoughts and mood shift. The day will pass either way, so look for the good in your day, and be thankful. ❤ x
There’s been a lot going on in the world. At the start of 2020 many people, myself included, expected brand new beginnings, 2020 vision and adventures ahead. Perhaps we got some of those in our own lives, but the world as a whole got the coronavirus pandemic and a shock to the system.
This along with various political events continued throughout 2021, and as we embarked upon 2022 some were hopeful of a gradual return to ‘normality’, while now the world is facing a crisis of war, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and thousands of people’s lives have been turned upside down.
It is hard to know what to do with all the thoughts and emotions that come along with these events, how to help or for those going through them, how to survive.
I am thankful that I have a relationship with Jesus Christ, that in the spiritual battle that is going on all around us that many are not even aware of, He has the Victory through His death and resurrection, and because He Is LORD. For those of you who know Him, cling fast to Him, pray and fast and intercede, and stay close, His Spirit is within you. He really Is our only hope in this world. I am so thankful for the reality of His Peace and need to remind myself to keep turning to Him.
Sometimes we need to take a break, to take time to refresh our minds and take our thoughts captive so that we can take that next step, whether in faith, in work, in prayer, in helping someone or in simply keeping going.
There are so many loving people out there, reaching out beyond themselves to help those in need. Perhaps writing blog posts is a small encouragement but if it can helps one person in their thoughts and wellbeing or even to realise that there Is in Jesus Someone Who knows and cares for you, then that is something.
Oh friends, what days we are living in! Keep looking up, keep hoping, be aware of your thoughts, and try to do the next thing that will keep you going. I pray God’s hand of blessing and protection and salvation over you all. Stay safe, take care, look at the beauty you can find in your day, and never give up. ❤ x
Anxiety is not uncommon, especially, at the time of writing, in a global pandemic.
Sometimes our anxious thoughts and imaginings can render us immobile and ‘incapable’ of doing something useful or productive. We might even slump into a depressive state where we want to hide and retreat.
If you are struggling with your anxious thoughts and feelings, as well as the practical steps that I have highlighted in other blog posts (simply do a ‘search’ for ‘anxiety’ on my blog and you’ll find lots of helpful articles), you might feel the need to have an outlet for your thoughts.
Talk to Someone who cares about you:
A helpful thing to do to rationalise and untangle some of our difficult thoughts could be to talk to someone who knows you and cares about you and who will listen. If you feel like you don’t have such a person in your life…
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by Apostle Gabriel Cross As I began to worship, I heard the tears of many people crying. Tears of people desiring to give up, tears of not understanding, tears of wondering why, tears of frustration, tears of God what are you doing, tears of wanting to know more details, tears of, “okay Father, okay I’m […]
Pour Out Your Heart In Worship — Pure Glory
Today is all we have to work with, while memories of the past or worries of the future, or concern about the situations around us might distress us, today is the day where we can look up and do that one small thing that will make a difference, and if we are gifted with a tomorrow, we can do what we can again. 
Life as it happens to be 