Smile

Day 18

Smiling in spite of

Good morning!! I hope that you have been remembering your random and intentional acts of kindness. Spread the positivity even if you are struggling yourself, it will make you feel better. One way we can spread positivity is to smile. Though it may seem small we do not know how it may impact someone's day or even encourage them to smile. Even when you are not having the best of days there is so much power in your ability to smile. It is the “in spite of” choice. In spite of my day I will choose to smile, I will choose to be positive. In spite of my circumstance I will choose to be intentional about how I treat others. 

Smile

There is an anonymous quote that says "your smile is a gift to the world". You may not be able to gift the world with materialistic things but you have the impact and ability to smile as a gift. Some people accept the fact that they "look mean" to others even if they are nice and just expect people to go out their way and approach them (which may happen sometimes) but it's not okay. 

Start being intentional about smiling just because with people you know and people you encounter, as well as saying good morning, etc. Don't get comfortable in not radiating your positivity to others. Fun research fact they've found smiling helps with certain health benefits including lowering blood pressure, improves mood, relieves stress, strengthens your immune system, lessens pain and simply smiling is contagious. 

I encourage you today to begin practicing improving the frequency of your smile! Have a fantastic day smile filled day!!! - Monica

PEACE

Day 12

Letting Go Fear and Anxiety

Good morning!! Many times one of the things that can sneak up and cripple you from being positive is the fear and anxiety of things to come or things going on in your life. In the bible it tells us, “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10). Why be so worried and anxious about what is to come when you have assurance that as you pray and thank God, He will hear it and answer in HIS way. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Phil 4:6).” If someone told you that you would have one million dollars if only you let go of all fear and anxiety. I’m sure we would have a lot of millionaires. So in reality I am telling you that you can gain so much more if you let go of fear and anxiety. There is such treasure in living a life of peace and joy that no amount of money can overcome. So today I challenge you to "Let it Go"🎶! (Just like frozen lol). 

Make the choice today to step in a new level of trust and to let go and let God. Stop trying your way and worrying about the outcome or fearing the places God is taking you. Choose courage (Joshua 1:9), peace (Phil 4:7), hope and joy (Romans 15:13). So those of you who choose to let go of the fear and anxiety today and give it to God, simply send a message back saying “Letting it go” and I will pray for you throughout the day. Have an awesome day!! - Monica

Choose Joy

Day 11

Good morning!! Sometimes being positive is that more difficult because you are in a storm and you are just striving to be happy. Happiness, just as the storm, is temporary. If we are seeking to be happy for these 21 days, then on day 23 we may just fall right back off the positivity wagon. 

Happiness is an emotional state that so much focus is put on but can easily be taken away once a trial occurs or your day is set off. 

Joy is being able to rejoice in knowing that there is not a storm that the Lord cannot calm or remove. I know even in this time some of you are going through some things that make it feel so impossible to be positive. However CHOOSE JOY! Don’t fake it but Faith it. Have faith that you will be able to do all things through Christ who strengthens you (Phil 4:13) and remember there is not a battle that has defeated you because you are still alive to push for another day. I challenge you to start choosing joy daily even in the midst of what you are going through instead of defeat, complaining, or temporary emotions. 

“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” (1 Thess 5:16-18). 

Have a blessed positive day!! - Monica

Sensing your senses

Day 9

Good morning!! As important as it is to watch what you say it is also good that you are aware of how you are using your other senses. Two of them in particular we want to focus on today are your eyes and your ears. 

What you see and hear can easily become something that either causes you to sin, create a negative mindset or simply becoming numb to it where you have no emotion. An example might be that you watch so many fighting videos that as you are watching someone get beat up you have no emotion to stop it. And with that same scenario another outcome could be that you yourself begin to feel that the answer is fighting, and that there is nothing wrong with fighting.

If you hear someone say something enough times there is a high chance that you will replay it in your mind and that could cause you to believe the negative things they say or to become negative yourself. Matt 5:28 says “anyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery” which is an example of how powerful your eyes can connect to your thoughts and actions.  

 Sense Your Senses

What are you watching or listening to that causes you to slip back negatively? Maybe it's the people you’re around, things you watch, music you listen to, whatever it may be that prompts negativity. Spend today reflecting on these things and become more intentional about what you take in. Remember it's your gift. Praying for you all! Have a blessed, positive day!! -Monica

Forgiveness is for YOU

Day 7

Good morning! Yesterday we reflected on why we need to forgive. Forgiveness is an action. It is consistent and becomes a lifestyle just as positivity is. There are countless reasons you should forgive but many don't know how. How can you forgive the person who may have caused you so much pain or just offended you? How can you forgive the parent, ex, violator, etc., who brought negative things your way? Faith and Love. We have faith that God will work things out for our good and His glory so we have faith that at the end of the situation we will be good and there is a reason to grow from. There is ALWAYS a positive. We learned about loving those who are difficult to love and this is an ideal opportunity to love when someone has hurt you. Does it mean they are right? No. It simply means that you will allow God to be the one to convict them in His time. So I challenge you this today, write a list of people that you harbor unforgiveness with whether it be recent or for years. Write near their names how long you have held onto this hurt. Then I want you to pray for them and allow God to lead you to genuinely forgive them in the most appropriate way. If you take time to do this, simply send a message via the comment section stating “Done”. I will start by saying “Done”. I wish you a blessed day!! --Monica

Loved to Love.

Good morning!!! This has been heavy on my heart to share this morning. Our positivity truly expands with understanding that we are loved. Not temporarily, not superficially, but unconditionally loved. Many people know the Bible verse John 3:16, “For God so loved the world…” however do you live by that knowledge that you are loved?

LOVED
DAY 5

When we truly grasp this concept that we are loved by God we do not hold mere humans to such a high standard to love us. This knowledge should push you to love others even more than you are worried about how they love you. I know this sounds complex to some and I want you to read 1 John 4:16-21 in depth. In verse 19, it tells us that “we love each other because He (God) loved us first.” What it does not say is only love your friends, family or select few, it tells us love each other. This may be hard as we know people do things at times that honestly make them EXTREMELY hard to love. Let’s remember that we don’t choose not love them, we just choose to not like their behaviors. You can love someone or show love to someone without approving their behaviors, choices or attitudes. Think about it, God still shows us love despite our sinful nature and although he does not approve of our behaviors, He still loves us. A parent loves their child even if they do not approve of their disobedience, but they still manage to love them. This proves we have the ability to love those even if we do not like their behaviors. So let’s begin to think about how we are or are not showing love to those around us and how we can show love more on purpose. Today let’s choose love! I know this can be tough, BUT GOD. If anyone needs additional prayer or encouragement on this please feel free to reach out via the email icon at the bottom of this post. Sending much love your way!!! God bless. - Monica

Designing a life you love.

 Hello loves! It's been a while since I've written a blog post. Life has been happening, and keeping me quite busy... All great things! I'm finally done with my academic studies (insert excessive cheering), I'm also working on a few HUGE projects (more details to come - I can't wait to share!). Overall I have to say that life is good.

Life is Good

I'm excited about this summer season, it's one of my favorite seasons (because I adore the beach), and I love warm weather. I'd say that this #Summer16 has had it's share of challenges, but it's also proven to be a season of fruit bearing; meaning seeds that I've sown in past years have began to come to fruition. One vital thing I've been embracing is to be p-a-t-i-e-n-t. Things don't grow (happen) over night, but they will grow in a healthy way with planning, discipline and proper pruning. I encourage you in this summer season to do the same, be patient and make sure you are disciplining yourself and only take on the things that are in line with your life purpose.

If you fail to plan, 

you plan to fail.

In addition to being patient, I'm also learning to appreciate the gift of "No". Purposefully making a conscious effort to not invest my time in things that are consistent with goals and plans during this season of my life. This gift of "No", will be the best thing that you've ever treated yourself to... Trust me! Everything may be a great idea, but if they're not God ideas... Meaning if they have no purpose in your life, you'll be wasting your time and ultimately be consumed with regret and feeling unaccomplished. Do yourself and others a favor, and only engage in projects, events etc. that you know are adding to the purpose of your life. There is a time to assist others in proper balance, however when we are busybodies, we can miss out on God's plan for our lives and cause others to miss their opportunities as well. We all have been blessed with gifts from God to use for ourselves and to help others - stay in your lane!(1 Corinthians 12-27)

Purpose

This weekend I had the privilege of tuning in to an insightful FREE webinar which was hosted by Chrystal Hurst entitled "Living A Life You Love". This event was AWESOME, no seriously, it was reallllly awesome. I took notes and wanted to share some of the nuggets with you, as the webinar has been taken down and you won't be able to view it (sad face). I pray that you're blessed by these practical points which almost anyone can implement, and that you decide today to design a life you love! XO.

Living a life you love 

• Purposefully surround yourself with people that are embracing and encouraging you to be the best you - Those who love and inspire you.
• It's okay to have desires, but don't allow desires to rule you. Be honest about what you want out of life and your means to achieve those desires.
• Give yourself margin to say no - and margin for you time
• Intentionally think about what your end goal is and what you need to do to accomplish it and make adjustments.
• Protect your time & prioritize your commitments 
• Just because you can do it, doesn't mean  you should - (In any area of life, financially, activities etc.) 
• Don't base your actions on your feelings - feelings change like the wind. Your actions should be based on your desired outcome,
• Figure out how to merge the life you want with the life you have. 
• Don't wait for the next day, month or season to do things you love - do them today! 
• SPEAK LIFE: write positive affirmation on sticky notes, write in a journal, mediate on God's word, choose to be optimistic. Don't just think it, speak it! Philippians 4:8
• Choose one thing a day that makes you happy, and do it! 

                              Remember the joy of the Lord is your strength

 Make time to be in His presence daily

Psalm  91

FYI - Chrystal is hosting another webinar "Living a Life you Love - Online Class" in a few weeks!

 Sign up by clicking here!!! 

Sweet Lips.

What we continually speak will eventually manifest itself into our lives. This happens because the things we speak whether good or bad, right or wrong, negative or positive we will begin to believe and receive. These words are like seeds that will settle within our hearts and eventually grow into large trees (be it healthy or unhealthy). 

It's extremely important for us to be conscious of the things we give voice to.  Have you ever heard the old adage "If  you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all"? That concept was right on point. Don't allow your words to create a prison for you by saying things like, "I'll never lose weight", "I'll never get a better job", "Nothing good ever happens to me", I'll never get pregnant (married couples)", "I'll never get married", "No one ever supports me", "I always get the short end of the stick", "I'm not smart enough", "I'm not pretty", "Everyone says I'm not good enough", "They said I'd never do anything with my life...", "I'll always be broke", "I'll never get out of debt", "I can't keep friends", "I'm always struggling"... and on and on and on... You get the picture. NEGATIVE WORDS are seeds of weeds. When we speak them they choke the life out of us, and if we continue to speak negative things over our lives, we will begin to own them, even if we don't want to. 

Practice sweet lips, speaking sweet positive things only, things that will edify your spirit. It will be difficult to get yourself out of the habit of complaining and putting yourself down; but it's not impossible. If you want to change the quality of your life you must begin with changing your words. Take the challenge! For the next week speak positive affirmations about yourself, write them down and post them where you can see them daily. When you're tempted to say something negative, replace it with a positive affirmation. Colossians 4:6 says, "Let your speech be seasoned with grace...", do just that. Season your speech with grace.

Here is a quote I read a few days ago:

"Your words have creative power. With your words, you can either bless your future or curse your future. If you want to know what your life is going to be like five years from now, just listen to what you’re saying about yourself today." - Joel Osteen

Think about it. 

Speak life, sweet lips.

Delay is not Denial.

If God has made you a promise, believe it, it WILL come to pass! Delay does not mean denial! A prayer not answered yet, is not a denied prayer. God's promises are always fulfilled on time. Continue to have faith and trust in His word.

Be Encouraged :)

Sound Mind - Full week 1/7/2013

Hello Journey Mates!

This is the first full week of January 2013! No interruptions, holiday, half days or anything of the sort! Take this time to finish strong with what you've started thus far. Continue to work on your goals, visions and plans.

Today I want to share something that I read during my personal devotional time. It really blessed my heart and soul and I pray that it blesses you too!

"God has given us a sound mind, which means we can think about things properly without being controlled by emotion."

 Today take the opportunity that you've been given to not be emotionally led and live today on purpose. 

Praying for your continued success in life! Besos!! XO

Happy New Year!

 

Happy New Year! I'm super excited about the things that will transpire this year; those known and unknown! ;) As many do during this time, I've taken introspection and made the decision to change a few things in my life, to ensure that I am living every moment this year to the fullest!

If you haven't done this I encourage you to do so. Take time to focus on what you could have done better, or maybe what you could have accomplished if not for procrastination. Then set goals and take the steps, and get "it" done this year! SIMPLE.

I pray that you will have a successful year filled with your dreams and passions manifesting right before your eyes. Be encouraged and stay focused. The BEST IS YET TO COME!!

Helpful tips

1. Think about your life and what about it you would like to be different. Be specific about what you want to change.

2. Write down exactly what you want to achieve. List short term goals and long term goals. (Again be very specific)

3. Record  your goals in positive terms. Instead of  saying " I want to stop sleeping in" try "My goal is to get up at 6am each morning."

4. Set realistic and achievable goals. Setting unrealistic goals will only discourage you and make you feel disappointed in yourself.

Be real with yourself. Consider your life, the time you have available, your financial situation and any other obligations or commitments that you have. Balance is key.  Don't compare yourself to others! Ex. If you have children, your goals and what you can accomplish will be different than that of your friend without children. 

The more realistic your goals are the more control you will have in achieving them!

We are women of a different status.

I stumbled across this video today. It's pretty awesome!!! Check it out!

Change. Grow. Inspire.

Happy Hump Day - Make it count!

Hello Journey Mates!

I have been busy beyond your wildest dreams! But in a productive way. I have so many exciting things to share with you very soon! :)

In any event here's some encouragement for you. Love the life you live, and live the life you love. Take the time to discipline yourself, so that you can accomplish and finish all of the things that you set out to do. If you've fallen short in any area, pick yourself up and start fresh. Every minute we a blessed with is an opportunity to start over, use those set backs and experiences as steps to move your higher. We are will in the first quarter of the year, you can still finish strong.
Focus and discipline are your friends.

MAKE IT COUNT!

Change is possible

Good Morning Journey Mates!

Today I am posting part two of a video teaching series by Joyce Meyer, entitled "Discipline and Self Control". Make a plan, set aside time to view the video, take notes, pray and start to make the necessary changes. Change is not easy, by far, however, it's attainable. You have to make a conscious decision to change and stick with it.

small changes = BIG RESULTS

Love the life you live, live the life you love!


CLICK BELOW TO VIEW JOYCE MEYER VIDEO









P.S. - I'd love to hear what you thought about the video! Don't forget to leave a comment!

Change begins with...

Hello Journey Mates!

Change begins with discipline & self control! Below I have posted a link to part one of a video teaching series by Joyce Meyer, entitled "Discipline and Self Control". It has really blessed me and I know it will bless you also. Set aside time to view the video, take notes, pray and start to make the necessary changes.

small changes = BIG RESULTS

Love the life you live, live the life you love!


CLICK BELOW TO VIEW THE JOYCE MEYER VIDEO!








P.S. - I'd love to hear what you thought about the video! Leave a comment!