~ A Balanced Wife, Mom & Worker ~

Motherhood…..it is both beautiful and exhausting but it is filled with opportunities for us to grow in Christ. God trusts you to help raise your children into Christ –like human beings, in a flawed world so we must do it with excellence. If we are not plugged into our power source we can pass unhealthy habits, thinking or behaviors onto our children.

I became a mother at a very young age and I was not equipped with understanding all I needed to know to raise the tiny human. I have learned a lot about myself throughout the years of having more children and maturing but if it was not for the grace of the Lord, my children would have suffered greatly.  Just recently I resigned from my position in HR because I did not like who I was becoming working for that organization with those leaders. I was becoming inpatient, unkind, stressed and developing a bad complaining attitude. I started taking it out on my husband and children because I was so unhappy. I had to step back and take inventory of my heart. As a wife/mother, if I do not constantly take inventory of the weeds I let grow in and around my heart, my family suffers.

I have to balance much with being a working mama but I am a wife first. God has an ordained structure to the Christian home, please take time to understand it. God first, your husband, your children and everything else comes after. I am currently fasting and praying deciding whether I want to continue to work out of the home or stay home to care for my home full-time. I am sure the Lord will help guide me to the right decision.

To my tired, weary mama (me included) who feels like she wants to pull her hair out, hang on. The Lord is working behind the scenes on your behalf to offer strength like no other to you.

Encouragement for you:

-Keep going and let your feelings catch up later. Trust God at his promises. Study the word daily. 

-Encourage your husband. Be his cheerleader. Be that safe haven for him and please forgive quickly.   he is trying his best and remember he is God’s son. How you treat him matters greatly.

-Let the situations you face help develop you. They are not in vain and God will show you something about yourself. Pay attention.

-Your home is your first ministry, take the time to nurture it.

-Teach your kids those hard lessons. You must develop a child that can bear the weight of this dark world. Set them up for success in Christ.

-Self –care, it is a must. You cannot help your family on an empty tank. Ask the Holy Spirit for help.

-Grace yourself – you are not superwoman and God doesn’t expect you to do everything. Say no and know your boundaries. Please the Lord.

-Make good use of your time. Use a planner to block out your time and do little things in your home that will add up throughout the week.

-Find a balance and do not forget to laugh and enjoy your portion. God gave you all you have for a reason. 

Some Scriptures to Study:

Proverbs 31 – Every verse in that chapter

Psalm 113:9

1 Peter 4:8

Phil 2:14-15

Jer 17:7-8

Psalm 139:13

Galatians 5:22

Isaiah 66:13

Do your part, friends. The Lord loves you! You will never go without as long as you keep the Lord at the fore front of your life, home, and marriage. Enjoy your babies as they are an extension of you. J

Your family is counting on you to be full of love, joy, peace and of a sound mind.

In Christ,

Monique Smith

Let’s Pray:

Father, God I thank you that you are sovereign. That you know me and all my capabilities. Strengthen me this day, O Lord. Renew my heart, fill my spirit with your everlasting love. Help me to care for my home as my first priority and let me do it with excellence. If I am not putting you first, please forgive me and show me how. My desire is to please, honor and obey you and understand my role in my marriage and family. I do not want to raise children that do not know you. Help me to teach them your ways. Help me to lead by example. I know you are for me and go before me in every matter in my life. I will stand on your promises for my life and will endure for your name sake. I thank you in advance for working in my heart to rid me of anything that is not of you. I love you, Lord. I pray in your precious, Holy name. Amen.

~ A Renewed Mind......IN Christ ~

Life happens. Seasons change. Circumstances arise. How do you adapt to such shifts? How is your attitude during these times? I know that often times I panic, worry, doubt or sit in fear especially if the issue has to do with my children or husband. I am guilty of letting my flesh control me. It is easy to fall for this type of thinking when life feels like it has knocked you down or it has been your go to for years. Daily I learn to trust the Lord and let go of my ways. Will you join me, sis?

What is the condition of our minds in trying situations? What is in our hearts, truly? Have we allowed the Lord to penetrate our hearts so deep with his loving presence that we are filled with trust in him? Or would we much rather control the situation ourselves and be in anxious thoughts? Life is about choices. We must learn to make better ones when it comes to our thinking.

Sisters, we are not built to sustain extreme mental pain, we need our Savior. How do we renew our mind in Christ? Romans 12:12 says that we must not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of our mind. We MUST work to renew our minds every second of the day. We cannot give the enemy a foothold or he will take it and run with it. What does your prayer life look like? Your quiet time? Are you working God into your schedule or is your schedule worked around the Lord?

God made us and we are his children. Jesus left us the power of the Holy Spirit, we are not alone in this world. We cannot continue to be powerless when adversity strikes. God gave us a spirit of power, love and self discipline as 2 Timothy 1:7 states. We can have a mind like Christ and it truly starts with our perspective. What are we watching, listening to or hearing? What we put in our hearts truly makes all the difference. If you know that your marriage has undergone issues with infidelity than should you really be watching TV shows that speak about a cheating partner? If you have an issue with porn should you be watching shows with a lot of sex in it? What do you listen to in the car? You may think these things do not matter but they really do. We cannot walk with authority when we do not know who gives it to us. Our thinking will take us to the next level if we intentionally seek God’s ways and not our own. 

Philippians 4:8 says to think on things that are pure, lovely, excellent and admirable. Sis, God can heal, mend, restore, redeem and free us of anything or anyone. We have to trust and believe that he will not forsake us or leave us like orphans. We belong to him therefore we have his wonder working power.When tests, trials or unfortunate circumstances arise, remain calm, ground yourself in God’s truth and be ready to replace negative thoughts with Godly ones. YOU must guard your heart, mind and spirit at all costs (Ephesians 4:22-23). 

We cannot live this life with a mind like Christ if we continually leave him out of it. The bible is for healing, instruction, teaching with direction but will we pick it up and let it soak into our dry weary spirits? Memorize scripture so that it can help you combat lies with truth. Don’t just read the bible, meditate on it and then walk out of your house and live it out. We can apply the word to our thinking as long as we understand we need the Lord to do it. I am on this journey with you. Together we can seek the Lord. Let’s get going, sis.

In Christ,

Monique Smith

Prayer Starter:

Lord, you are magnificent! You calm the raging seas. You guide, teach and love me like no other. Lord, I am nothing without you. You created me and I am yours. Father, forgive me for all the times that I leave you out of my life. You care about every detail of it and I want to work with you to involve you in my life more. Fill me with your presence, Lord. Start a fire in my soul, Jesus and let it burn for you and only you. When I am tempted to worry help me to renew my mind in you, Holy Spirit. Let me trust in what you are doing in every situation,

 please let me find you. I can think right thoughts and renew my mind in your word daily. Thank you, Lord for going before me and never leaving me. I am learning to trust you, Lord. Thank you for filling me this day. I pray in your precious holy name. Amen

What is the Purpose of Your Marriage?

Are you arguing with our spouse every day trying to prove you are right and he is wrong or vice versa? Are you both missing each other and your communication is totally off? I am going to get real personal and I pray this helps someone because it helped me today.

Marriage is hard work and it will show you a reflection of who you truly are. Your spouse lives with you daily and they share a very intimate space with you that no one else does. They will see the good, bad and ugly. There will be times where they will point out your shortcomings. You will either embrace the honest feedback or you will fight back (I fight back most of the time). When you embrace the honest feedback you can learn some things about yourself. It is a hard pill to swallow to hear negative things about yourself but God has shown me some things about me through my marriage. When I fight to defend myself in my marriage, it is pride and pride does not foster an environment where the Lord can dwell. Pride got Satan kicked out of heaven. : /

 

 

Marriages are to reflect the image of God and YOU must commit to that purpose (Genesis 1:26-27). When either spouse starts to focus on the shortcomings of their spouse, it causes division. That division and disunity is a reflection of Satan, not the Lord.

God started speaking to me about my marriage because I asked him to. I already knew that I would not like what he had to say but because I truly want change in me, I listened hard.

God said: How are you honoring me in your marriage, Monique? Is it always about you? Are you unhappy because you are not happy with who I made you to be? Who are you becoming in this marriage?

After God asked me these questions it was like the Holy Spirit started downloading instances where I would fight to defend myself in my marriage. God showed me I have had the spirit of pride in me and I have not been truly reflecting his image in my marriage.

My husband is not my God. I cannot put so much expectation on him to make me happy. I could be unhappy for a number of reasons. I am to partner with the Holy Spirit to change my emotions, attitude and perspective about my marriage. The Lord is the only one that can help change me. I must confess my sin and surrender my ways of thinking. My perspective is my own. Once I take my eyes off the Lord and put them on myself, it is not good for my relationship with the Lord nor my marriage.  

Friends, I dislike constructive criticism from anyone, especially my husband because I can’t stand to hear what I am doing wrong (pride). My husband challenges me. He calls me out and will point out my weaknesses and I cannot stand it. I now know I have to be able to come to a place where I can recognize and learn from my husband’s honesty. I have to be able to trust he is led by the Lord and knows what is best for me. Criticism is rough for a person like me however if I can swallow my pride and value my husband's  input then I can learn to step in his shoes and see life through my husband’s eyes. Besides there must be a reason he is responding to me negatively. The Lord gave me my husband and it was with purpose. He is my opposite for a reason. I MUST trust the Lord and HIS plans for my marriage.

Marriage can be full of joy and it can be a thorn in your side and it truly is how you view the purpose of it. Marriage is a journey of two becoming one. When I said “I do” that did not instantaneously merge the two of us together. Know the purpose for my marriage from God’s eyes will help my life with my husband make sense. I cannot wait for my husband to act a certain way to change. God gave me discernment, I must get started in changing my behavior and watch God move in my life.

Honor God, trust and honor your husband and that is where true Joy is. That will be my plan and commitment, will you join me?

 

 

In Christ,

Monique Smith

Prayer Starter:

Father, I confess the spirit of pride. I confess that I have been making this marriage about me and not anything that resembles you. I am sorry and I ask for forgiveness for this. I want to honor you and my husband. I am a sinner and I recognize my part in the chaos in my marriage. Please work with me to change my emotions, reactions, thoughts and make me a new wife and woman in this area. You are my God and worthy of all the praise. Thank you for speaking to me and helping me see the error in my ways. I will walk in obedience and righteousness for your name sake. You love me and you love my marriage and I am excited to see where you take us both. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

~ Shift your Perspective! No more Excuses! ~

Each day we wake is a blessing, only if you see it as such. Each new day comes with responsibility and commitment. Each day can be lived with joy and it truly does not have to be seen as a bother. Depending how you were raised can often have an impact with how you handle life.

We are weak. We are frail humans. God wants to trust us to do HIS business down here on earth. The problem is we are all in our feelings stuck in worry, unhappiness, doubt and fear and we keep getting distracted from our heavenly assignment. All this negative activity is truly sucking the joy out of us. Life is truly beautiful if you stop and smell the roses literally. (if you live in Texas, take some Claritin, first) :P

As a believer, you have authority for much (Luke 10:19) on this earth. We were given a spirit of power and courage.  It is hard to see that when we are depressed and think this life is not making us happy. We must fight to get our flesh in check. Our flesh will run us if we are not careful.

Well, Monique that sounds great but um I just cannot see myself out of this situation right now? You really do not get what is happening to me? Sis, the situation you are in is not ideal however, it is for the glory of the Lord. You MUST trust that God knows what he is doing in your life. The situation is not about you all the time. It could very well be someone else’s break through that is in the situation with you. God is needing your obedience to let his plans work. We are always so concerned with the unknown (me included) and we want answers now and do not want to wait. We will pout, sulk, be upset and talk about our problems all day making ourselves so unhappy because WE are the issue.

We have to start to shift and be accountable for what is going on in our heart. We must take our eyes off the problem, situation or whatever it is that is causing stress and worry and focus on ALL things Jesus. It is time for kingdom business.

·         When was the last time you went in your closet to donate clothes?

·         What does your soul care look like? Have you even tried to open your Bible before you started to complain?

·         Do you know of someone that could use a hug, some hope or some encouragement?  

·         Have you found a church home? Are you serving in it?

·         Have you tried casting your care? That means surrendering it to the Lord and trusting he will work it out.

Scriptures to study: Wage war in the spirit

Ø  Luke 10:19

Ø  Matthew 28:18

Ø  1 John 4:4

Ø  2 Corinthians 10:3-5

Ø  Romans 12:1-21

There are so many things we can do right while God is moving behind the scenes moving on our behalf. We do not need to know what God is doing at all times. If we did, why is believing and trusting in God and his timing even needed? No more talking about the issue. No more worrying and fretting. No more praying for your problems to vanish. It is time you move from that valley (no more camping out) and be all that God needs you to be. Pick yourself off the floor, put down the phone, and pause, pray, wait, worship with serve. No more pity parties for you.

The mind is a true a battlefield, sis. You must renew it every second of the day. You are no longer your past. You are a new creation in Christ Jesus. You truly can do all the things God has called you to do. No weapon will form against you nor shall it prosper. You are a child of the MOST high King. You must act, think and appreciate all God has done for you and is doing for you EVEN in trial. There is blessing that will come out of the whole situation but there is something blocking your view. Partner with God to remove it and be better. Don’t feel bad, don’t give up. Keep going and fight for your life! Switch your perspective!! You cannot be happy until you decide you will be. No more blaming others. It is time to shift. Time to grow and be about Jesus. Your family is your first ministry. Start there if you cannot think of anywhere to start. Just do something and God will meet you right where you are.

In Christ,

Monique Smith 

Prayer Starter:

Lord, I am hurting. My heart is filled with so much bitterness and unhappiness. Take this burden from me, Jesus. I give it all to you and surrender my way of thinking and reacting. I want a new me, Lord. Please partner with me to change my life, my heart, and my perspective. I am nothing without you, Father. Cleanse me from my sins. I am tired of worrying and going back in forth with myself. Keep me steady, Father. Give me peace that surpasses all my understanding. I love you and thank you for all that you are doing in my life even when I cannot see it. I pray in Jesus precious name. Amen

~ Encouragement for Your Weary Soul – Trials and Tribulations ~

Trial comes, says the Lord in John 16:33. We did not get a promise from the Lord that this life would be pain free. BUT what the Lord did promise was that he would never leave us nor would he forsake us. He promised a way out. The way out is through Him and Him only. If we remain steadfast in trial we will receive the crown of life (James 1:12). We can do all we need to in this life IF we keep our hearts, minds and words on all things that are of Him.

 Christ rose from the grave to give us a new life in HIM (2 Corinthians 5:15). We will feel uncomfortable, we will be stretched, we will maybe go without, and we will be stripped. But we will always grow, we will also learn, we will also serve and love when we place our trust in the Lord. This Christian walk will not be easy however where there was sin, God’s grace runs deeper. You MUST renew your mind daily.

Personally, much has happened to our family. We have been attacked from all sides. But we stand in awe of our Heavenly Father. Not because we are these Holy and righteous people (blemish free) but ONLY because we want to glorify our Father in these trials. I do not know about you friend but I am tired of going around the same mountains and expecting different results. I am tired of the burden of worry and fear. I am tired of trying to handle these trials with my own bare hands. The Lord says he will fight for me and all I have to do is be silent and trust Him. Something about that brings me great peace and comfort. Let’s let the Lord carry us today. Let’s rejoice in hope and be patient and be constant in prayer (Romans 12:12).

I want to encourage your weary spirits today that the Lord, OUR God in heaven is with you. It feels lonely and FEELS like he is nowhere to be found. Trust Him, friend! He is right alongside you in this situation if you would only look up from the chaos of life. Often times when we are in an extreme amount of sin or chaos we really cannot see much. We panic and go back into habits that we feel bring us safety. Let the Lord be your shelter. Ask Him to give you wisdom, instruction and clarity in the midst of your situation and wait, pause and refuse to worry. Go about your day and bless someone. When you take your hands off of all the chaos and intentionally TRUST in what God says, you will see something different.

Prayer Starter:

Lord, you know our hearts. You see our pain. You are with us, Father. Thank you for the grace and love you give us day in and out. Help me, Lord to look to you and not my circumstances within this world. Renew my mind each day and convict my heart. I pray my heart is sensitive to your promptings and that I follow them on the onset. My heart is weary and I feel lonely this day. Today, I will intentionally seek you in all I see. I surrender my ways and trust yours are higher. Thank you for working all things out my good. I pray in your precious name, Jesus. Amen

~ When a Wife Respects her Husband ~

“Marriage is a tool and a test to allow God’s will to be revealed in our lives” as I read some of the chapters of the book: Love and Respect. First, please go google, download or buy the book immediately. I am sure most have read it but re-read it for you and your marriage’s sake.

We should (respect) do all this as unto God, not as unto the person, but for God because he commanded us to. Whew! Who wants to be nice to someone who is being what we perceive as mean? Raise your hands, quickly…………Anyone? It really goes against our flesh to be nice when someone is being mean BUT for you few who can master that, bless you and come talk to me, please…I know I don’t feel the need to be nice let alone respect my husband when he is being unloving. God says to though (face palm) Please see Ephesians 5:33....and stay there for maybe 10 minutes because I guarantee you God will minster to your spirit.

My friends, I am a sinner. I am rude, critical, I assume, I won’t own up to my issues at times, I nag and I complain. I have a warped view of love sometimes. My flesh wins most of the time. I fall. I fail. I get back up. I think I am righteous when I may be acting evil. My tone is off. My face will show my disappointment almost all the time. BUT God........

My husband affects me. He pisses me off and I can be so stubborn. Most times I don’t get him because I am opposite of him and in my pink mind he makes no sense. BUT my husband does not control me. I will experience much disappointment however it is MY choice to disrespect him. I will be disrespectful when I feel he is unloving to me as the book is on it with that. I will not curse at my husband (totally try hard not to) but my mouth is sharp and the faces I make.....Lord, have all the mercy possible.

I struggle with honoring my husband in disagreements because it feels he is being so unloving and it hurts the pit of my soul. I often wonder when we have disagreements how in the world can he love me and say what he is saying right now? But I rarely see, many times how I have disrespected and dishonored him with my words, tone and actions and he is human so he will react to. I am stubborn and boy is my snap back game tight....If my husband raises his voice at me, I will shut down or defend myself to no end. I will try and make him see what he has done and get so stuck there (he calls it dwelling and I call it being unheard). I want to be heard so badly (trigger from childhood) that I don’t know when to shut up at times. The book makes reference to: the crazy cycle....and we can stay on that for some time. My flesh is so weak and the devil? Goodness!! that snake is loving it with popcorn in hand and all when he sees TWO children of God be at odds. He hates my marriage and what it stands for so he will try hard to tear it down.

In Galatians 5:19-20 it says the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are outbursts of anger disputes. Our flesh is something else and it wants what it wants. In the heat of a moment, we can become someone we would hate to see.

I almost never ask myself: Is what you are about to say or do going to make your husband feel disrespected? I most times do what I want (word vomit or defend myself) and then AFTER realize what I did wrong as the Holy Spirit convicts me. Why can’t I just obey on the onset? Why can’t I see the error of my ways right then and there? Am I grounded enough in Christ? Question after question I ask myself.

My lack of respect is disobedience and is a sin (Eph. 5:33) period point blank......There is no excuse for it and it hurts God’s heart just as it would hurt me if our child makes a bad decision.

So how can I embrace my husband’s differences, stay respectful and think before I act? Whew! To embrace my husband’s differences I must not embrace his wrongs. He will mess up and it may be real bad but I must still respect him as a man when he makes an error. My husband is made in the image of God. My husband is my Father’s son and he is precious in his sight and I have to treat him fragile too!

 I am responsible for me and what I do. I do not have to match my husband’s unloving behavior but I can remember the root of where it is coming from. My husband is a good man and always has good intentions, in fact we all do. We react to something, always.....it’s about trying to step back and identify what that is coupled with being responsible for the actions and or thoughts BEFORE we see red.

Love and respect will always bring hope to the marriage as it is the base of what God commands. The great thing about JESUS is that he knows our hearts and he helps us to try harder each time we mess up. He keeps no records of wrongs. He is who we should model and strive to be like in our marriages. God is love. Don’t give up! Trust God is working. Keep showing your husband respect even though he may not be kind or nice. Look for the slightest improvements. Think on all he is and all he is not.

Marriage is to make you Holy and happiness is the by product. Your reward for all that you do is in heaven. You respect your husband because you do as it is unto the Lord. You will mess up and I just openly told you that I have (so not proud of it) but God provides light. If you partner with the Lord he will guide, teach and mentor you. The Holy Spirit will convict you and when he does you must follow him immediately. Keep striving for more sisters! I am with you doing it as well. 

When I respect my husband it brings glory to God and my husband feels like he is on top of the world. 

Prayer Starter:
Father, I need you. I cannot respect my husband without you. Forgive my disobedience and sin. I open my heart to you. When I am angry at my spouse may I pause and go to you first before reacting. Fill my heart, Jesus with love and reverence for you. Prepare me for conflict as it will happen because you made me and my spouse different on purpose. If I feel unloved by my spouse may I respond in respect and love. I believe you hear me. I am excited for your response. I thank you in advance for helping take different steps in my marriage. Give my husband a new wife and let that woman be me. I pray in Jesus name. Amen

~ Freedom in CHRIST ~

Something has to be said about truly living free. Free of people, opinions, fear, worry, rejection, shame, doubt and truly renouncing that yoke of slavery to it all. Many of us have been set free as we have found Christ but there are many who have not. There are many that do not know Christ yet and still struggle as a Christian with certain areas of pure torment. I came to tell you that you are not alone, friend. You have a Waymaker!

2 Corinthians 3:17 says “NOW that the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom”. When you know the truth of the living gospel and embrace how Jesus came to set us free from it all, you cannot help but dance.

I recently came across some “Freedom Scriptures” http://www.fathershouse.org/sozo-center/ 

from a local church that a friend told me about, I was just so excited and wanted to share them with you. I was excited to see the healing that I knew God was about to do in my life  and with others through these freedom scriptures. 

You see, some of us think we may have been healed in certain areas only to find out we are still blocking the peace and pure joy of being whole in Christ. I thought I was healed from rejection, shame and or unforgiveness in areas that are vulnerable to me, but I now see that there is work left to be done in that area and that is okay. I am thankful for a Father who speaks and flows through me to call it to my attention.

 When you are totally free of something, an event or person, you have peace. You remember that it happened but not so vivid and you can tie forgiveness to it and wish that thing or person well. God called us to freedom (Galatians 5:13) he said to use it as an opportunity to serve one another. He gave us so much. He gave us a spirit of power, love and self-control NOT fear (2 Timothy 1:7). Therefore we can partner with him and work to be free indeed in ALL areas, friend.

 

What do you struggle with? I challenge you to take it to the cross, confess it as sin and stay at the feet of Christ for some time, stay still and follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Wait and see what God wants you to do and be obedient to it. There is freedom there for you in whatever you are battling. Remember the thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10) BUT JESUS came so that you may have life and have it abundantly. You are a child bought with a heavy price and you can now approach your Father, be bold and find freedom in any strongholds you face. Please partner with Christ he is waiting to heal your wounded soul so that you can experience the true freedom he so desires for you to have. I know I will work hard will you join me?

Print the scriptures out from the above link. Put them on your bathroom mirror and speak them out loud daily after you renounce all the emotion, feeling, or lies tied to what is hindering your progress. I guarantee when you ask anything in Jesus name, it will be given to you, IF you believe.

 Prayer Starter:

Father God, I thank you for the finished work on the cross. I thank you that you took my place and gave me freedom. When I am weak, you are strong. I do not have to do life alone for you are with me. Jesus, what is the root to why I have not found true freedom in you? Reveal it to me, Father so that you and I can successfully deal with it and I can live here doing your purposeful work. I no longer want to be a slave to anything that is trying to harm me. I want to give, serve and belong to you and you only. I love you, Lord and I know you will show me specifics steps. I trust your Holy name, in Jesus name I pray. Amen  

~ God Wants us to Take Care of OUR Bodies ~

About 15ish years ago, I weighed 220 pounds and standing at 5 foot 4 that is a lot of weight for me to carry. I did not care too much for anything and needless to say I ate my feelings. Off sheer determination that year I went down to 160 pounds with diet and exercise alone. I was so proud of myself and that was when I met my now husband. I knew the Lord but did not have a relationship with him. Throughout the years, I never went pass 200 pounds until having my daughter 1 year ago. I am not that weight now however if I am not careful I will make it over that mark again. I want to be healthy not just look good in what I wear.

What changed? Hormones, stress, surgeries and taking care of my home. I am a working full-time Wife and mom and life sometimes is crazy. One huge factor is I have been relying on myself, honestly. Can you relate? Have you been relying on yourself for something you know ONLY God can help with?

Today, in doing my studies I came across an article that said “God wants you to take care of your body” and it stood out to me. Mind you I have tried year after year to “change my lifestyle” and nothing. But looking at that sentence, I felt conviction.

The truth is God does want me to care for my body and he wants you to do the same as well. While we are here on earth we are to know God more, walk closer to him daily and look like him. We are his hands and feet on this earth. I cannot be his vessel if I am going to food for comfort instead of my Lord.

Because of the grace of Jesus Christ and the love of the Holy Spirit, we can start over. Today, right now we can decide to stop doing life alone and reject sheer determination and turn to the author and finisher of our life. If you struggle with eating or anything else (pride, lust, lying, cheating, anger, addiction, bitterness etc) remember Jesus loves you and when you partner with him ANYTHING is possible.

I will not go on this “I will change my life, today” or do some fad diet, exercise or take some pills. I will confess my sin and struggles and wait on my Father. I will follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit and obey. I trust him and I know if I seek him he will guide me to a healthier me. I want what God wants and I will surrender and ponder the below.

·         God’s blessing of good health begins with my souls – 3 John 1:2

·         The Lord guides me into healthy living – Isaiah 58:11

·         Our bodies our sacred temples for God’s spirit – 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

·         Honor your body as a temple of the Holy Spirit – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

·         Using food for comfort is not helpful – 1 Corinthians 8:8

·         Bring your anxieties to God (not to food) – Phil 4:6-7

·         Natural foods straight from the earth are healthiest – Psalm 24:1

·         To nourish your body and appearance eat vegetables & drink lots of water – Daniel 1:8

·         Walking can open your eyes to God’s presence – Mark 16:12

·         Discipline is the road to the good life – Proverbs 10:17

·         Moderation is the key – Proverbs 23:20-21

·         You need deep understanding from God – Psalm 139:23-24

·         Confess your struggles to heal and grow – Ephesians 4:15-16

·         Healthy living begins with healthy thinking – Phil 4:8

 

Link to these thoughts and scriptures: http://www.soulshepherding.org/2004/07/bible-verses-on-food-and-fitness/

 

I encourage your spirit as you read this to surrender what is hindering you to Jesus. If you do not know him I pray that you open your heart and mind to his word and truth. I pray that you turn from sin and get to know your Savior. Jesus love you, friend and I promise you that you are not alone…..You have purpose!!!

 

Prayer Starter:

Lord Jesus, thank you that my heart is pure. Thank you for your love and mercy and for your living truth. I thank you that because of your finished work on the cross that I am a new creation. I struggled in many things (confess your struggles) and I have been doing life alone in this area and I am exhausted. I know I was not build for such stress. Take this burden, Lord and free me of the weight of it. I am so sorry for not involving you in EVERY aspect of my life. I want a new me (mind, body and spirit) and Lord you are the only one thing I need. Stay with me, walk with me and convict my spirit when I stray. Search me, Father and purge me of all things that are not of you. You love me and are for me so I will mediate on that truth today and stay confident in your promises, In Jesus mighty name. Amen

~ Learn to WELCOME the Wait ~

What is our disposition when we are to wait? I know when I am waiting on a traffic light, in a line or in the drive thru many times I am so frustrated and at times yell “what in the world is wrong with you”. I know I pout. I have been mad at God. My flesh hates to wait and so does yours.

Wait is defined to stay where one is or delay action until a particular time. What happens when we are uncomfortable waiting for God to move in our lives? How we wait shows a lot about our character. It shows the true disposition of our heart. Let’s face it! As believers we will wait and we will wait for years if not more for some things. God may also want to give us the desires of our hearts in seconds or maybe never.  What we are meant to have is not up to me and you. Once we grasp that life will be much better. Don’t lose hope because you are not alone. I struggle with this every second of the day.

Truly, we must be prepared to wait on God’s timing, not ours…Proverbs 8:34 says “blessed are those who listen to me, watching daily at my doors WAITING at my doorway”. This scripture does not say blessed are those who keep bugging God to act. I always tell my kids if you keep bugging me about a certain thing it will not make me act faster. In fact, it makes me want to teach you a lesson and move slower. Imagine how God feels about this? : /

With my kids, I am not trying to be mean but what I am trying to do is show them that waiting is a fact of life and most important you will always find yourself waiting on the Lord and you have to be okay with that. You cannot lose it emotionally or physically because you have to wait. How we wait and whether or not we welcome the wait and choose to change our attitude in this area means so much.

Not in our own strength, but with the Holy Spirit’s guidance and instruction we must try our best to work in this area. If not, we may be absolutely miserable or bitter. What will happen is that we will start to get so frustrated that our weak flesh will not past tests and will want to waver in our service to the Lord. No one has time for that. We are to be ambassadors for Christ. We are to be kingdom chasers…….. :)

Time to check our motives. Time to renew our mind. Time to grow up. Time to sit with the Lord and be convicted. Time to wait…..We can enjoy our life while we wait if we just choose to think about this in a different light.

Some encouraging scriptures are:

·         Psalms 27:13-14

·         Psalms 37:34

·         Proverbs 3:5-6

·         Isaiah 40:31

·         Lamentations 3:25

·         Micah 7:7

 

 

Dig into the word….research all you can about waiting in the word so that you can encourage yourself and the Lord can really deal with you and grow you in this area.

In Christ,

Monique Smith

Prayer Starter:

Lord, I am so tired of having an ugly attitude when I have to wait. Whether it is big or small, Lord I want a new me in this area. You did not die so that I can live a life of defeat BUT so that I can live a life full of abundance. Convict my heart, Lord when I am having a hard time in this area. Remind me of your word. Hide it in my heart so that when I struggle I am to act different and also be encouraged. You know what is best for me, Father. You have a plan for my life and it is for my good. I love you. I thank you. I worship your holy holy name, Jesus. No one is greater than you are, Father. I pray by the blood of Jesus I can grow in this area and pass these tests of this life. You always fight for me and my delight is found in knowing you wear the VICTOR’s crown. It’s by your grace I am here. Amen

~ Being Tested ~

These past few months I have been through so many tests, with pregnancy scares, health issues from delivering my daughter early, family communication problems, career transitions, disconnection from my children etc. It has been a real test in my faith and walk with the Lord, I will not even pretend it has not been rough. Through the many of circumstances the one thing that is consistent has been lack of some faith on my end. I have chosen in many situations to sit in fear. When I sat in fear I made the devil so happy.

I looked up scriptures on tests and seasons https://www.openbible.info/topics/seasons because I feel they go hand in hand. God says in my study about tests: to count it all joy, do not be surprised, rejoice, trust me, sacrifice, worship me, do not fear, do not be anxious, pray, and be led by the Holy Spirit. I will tell you that many times I would do the exact opposite of what God said. Why? Because it felt better to worry and give myself scenarios of what could happen in my flesh. I did not pay attention to the Jesus in me who wanted to speak to me but I did put him on the back burner when I worried. God cannot work with my worry. He operates in faith, friends.

When I studied seasons God said “I change the seasons”, do not grow weary, be planted, I will provide, rejoice, bear good fruit, preach the word, be ready, rebuke, exhort, be patient and teach. He tells me to have faith and trust him. Is it not amazing how he will speak to us when we just quiet our minds? In my short study time he spoke to every single dry bone. He gave me so much guidance on what to do. Many days I had to fight so hard to be still and go sit with my Father. My flesh wanted me to figure things out on my own and panic. But when I was in study something happened. The Holy Spirit came to my rescue. I was comforted and peace fell upon me. In times of tests or change of seasons, we need to be still and ask the Holy Spirit to control our thoughts.

Today, I encourage you. First, you are not alone. If you are facing some real serious tests right now I want you to stop and breathe and tell yourself that you have a friend who has and is struggling too, in me. If you cannot muster any strength to pray…that is okay just sit and close your eyes and say nothing as the Lord knows our thoughts and understands us. If you message me I will pray with you. 

Most importantly, my friend God is by your side. He has not forgotten about you and your life. God hears our cries and is close to our broken hearts if we truly BELIEVE that with all might. We truly have to stand our grounds and remind the enemy that we are none of his business. Something that works for me is talking to myself out loud in affirmation in my bathroom mirror: “Satan, get behind me! I am none of your business and my Father loves me. You are not welcome in my mind or home. In the name of Jesus, FLEE! I am new, loved and whole by the blood of my Savior”. I promise you saying that to myself in the mirror gave me confidence. It reminded me that I was purchased with a price and that I have authority. Don’t give up, stay your course, keep living daily peacefully and soon you will see victory. God did not bring you this far to let you down now.

In Christ,

Monique Smith

Prayer Starter:

Jesus, my Savior. My King and ever present help in this time of trouble. You reign over all circumstances in my life. I know you go before me because you love me. There is nothing to powerful for you. I praise your HOLY name. Thank you for working things out for my good. Thank you for your protection and mercy. I know that in due time I will reap a harvest if I do not grow weary in doing well. I will stay in peace. I choose joy and courage. Nothing formed against me shall stand. I love you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen