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

Confidence

Day 4

Good morning!! Confidence can at times be something that blocks us from being positive. Insecurities and doubt can breed much negativity. Many of us have a hard time seeing how our insecurities affect those around us but some of us already know it does. An example may be how you respond in offense to something that is said due to your own insecurities with a certain matter. 

As we reflected yesterday on wanting what others have, we can also lose confidence in ourselves through comparisons to others. Maybe you have someone in your life who you feel is smarter, more attractive, more well off and in turn it causes you to feel that you are not as significant. This can hold you back from your calling or cause you to not walk confidently in your purpose. This may also cause you to be overly critical of yourself and not truly love who you are. We have to have confidence in who we are created to be and even further in our Creator. The bible says you are “I will praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made….” (Psalm 139:14). It encourages you to praise God for the way that He created you. With NO MISTAKES. How much more positive could we be if we praised God for who he made us to be? When those struggles arise, which is common, we have to be able to trust in our confidant who we can lay all these insecurities to. Are you confident in your confidant? (Read Jeremiah 17:7) 

         You're a blessing 

Let’s begin to thank God for who we are and the positive changes we are making. I know that each and every one of you is special and am eager to hear you Confidently being more positive by loving who you are! Have a wonderful 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

Ready, Set, Reset.

DAY 1

On your marks, get set and reset:

Good morning! Today we begin our journey of 21 days of positive thoughts, words and actions. I know some of you desire this reset but doubt that you can become more positive but let's eliminate even that thought out of our minds. You may consistently deal with doubt and that itself is negative. How do we face doubt? Faith. Even the smallest bit of faith can move mountains (Matt 17:20). I know that your willingness to try this is an action with faith and know that God can change these habits. Let’s remove focus on the things we have done last week, yesterday or even 5 minutes ago. Every conscious effort you make towards being more positive is more important than the past. This is a reset. Let us renew our minds and allow the transformation to begin.
“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:2 - Monica

21 days of positivity

Hello loves! Just in case you're wondering, yes - I'm still over here celebrating #Summer16, and yes in September because summer isn't officially over until September 22nd!

This summer has been wonderful thus far ( I am eager to share my #Summer16 recap with you next month). Although summer has been amazing, it seems as though September has snuck up on me and bit me on the ankles! Aggghhh, autumn is literally around the corner, and with that revelation, I've been thinking about goals and the last quarter of the year. In mulling these things over mentally, it's easy to get a little discouraged because we haven't accomplished everything on our infamous "to do" lists, and if you're like me that reality can began to take a toll on you mentally, feelings of defeat, despair, and discouragement, if not checked will grow into ugly monsters. Well, don't fret! I've got just the thing to help us get back on track for this last quarter of the year.

Meet Monica, she is the host of the annual mobile 21 Day Positivity Fast. This year, we will participate in the fast on the blog for the next 21 days, I hope you will take part as well! 21 days of positivity to assist us with finishing 2016 strong. Please share with a friend! Be blessed!

21 Days of Positivity

Hello, I'm Monica! If you were to ever meet me in person, you'd likely find a smile on my face - I am a 29 year old Christian (bible believing, Jesus loving, transparent, people loving, down to earth, giving and caring type Christian). 

In 2010, I was forced to do some introspection; after going through a rough summer, and being around so much negativity. I knew that I could not live like this anymore, and needed a change. I am known by many for my infectious smile and my positive attitude, however my reality during that time was that my thoughts, actions and words weren't so positive, and my smile wasn't very infectious. As I prayed about everything that was happening, God placed it on my heart to fast from all of the negativity and focus on the positive things in my life (Philippians  4:8). 

I asked a few friends to join me on my fast and thus the beginning of the 21 Days of being intentional about positive thoughts, words and actions began. 

Some may ask "Why 21 days?", because it generally takes 21 days to start or break a habit. This 21 day fast allows myself and those who participate a chance to purposefully think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of a good report. Choosing to think positive is not an easy task, especially in today's day and age, however through Christ it is possible (Philippians 4:13 I [we] can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me [us].)

Now in our 6th year, we have had over 100 people participate in the 21 Day Positivity Fast. This fast is so meaningful to me because every year I experience significant change in my life and thoughts. I am committed to this journey, and want everyone who participates to experience the same growth and victory that I have experienced. During the fast I wake up each morning and seek the Lord, each message is written on the morning that it is sent, and is a culmination of what God places on my heart.

I am also blessed daily with fresh perspective, and I love hearing how the daily message was significant in speaking to different people in many ways. My desire is to spread positive outlooks to all, so that we can share a more positive, enriching life experience in this world. I pray that the fast is a blessing to you this year! 

Each one, reach one (or two or 3),

Monica

Fearless

 

Are your fears causing you to miss out on the abundant life God has for you? This is a profound question that all of us should take time to ponder. Has God spoken to you about a concern that's been on your heart? Has He given you a directive to follow, but you're still sitting or twiddling your thumbs because you're afraid to take a leap of faith? Are you afraid or fearful about how things will turn out? Think about why you’re afraid, confront those fears.

2 Timothy 1:7

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.

             What has He told you to do? 

Has He told you to end an unhealthy relationship, quit a job, go back to school, to begin praying daily with purpose, to read and study your bible, to help someone, to give something away, or start a ministry or a community project? Or is it something seemingly more difficult, like apologizing to someone, or possibly forgiving someone who has hurt or wronged you. 

The longer it takes for us to obey what God has directed us to do, the longer it will take for the desires of our hearts according to Gods word to be manifested. God has equipped us with everything you need to walk in the power he has given you. In Christ we have the power to live a balanced life - We have the power to live a disciplined and self-controlled life.

              Walk in His power and strength! 

I admonish you today to step out of fear into faith, and be obedient to what God has called you to do. Your best life is ahead! xo.

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.

A man I've never met

Thursday, August 1st, 2013

Today I spoke at the funeral of a man I've never met. He was a husband, father, brother uncle and friend to many. As I sat at the funeral home, unable to relate to the family in regards to losing someone that I knew and would miss, I could relate however to losing a loved one (I lost my grandfather last month).

 I felt a bit out of sorts, because I had no emotion for this man... No sadness, memories or stories... I felt numb almost... I felt like an intruder... But I was asked to read a special poem by a dear friend who is close to my heart, and so I obliged. 

[First and foremost I'd like to say that if you're reading this and you don't have life insurance... PLEASE GET SOME! Even if the policy is 5-10k. Each day that God allows us to grace this earth with our presence is a gift; the next day or the rest of the current day that we're in for that matter aren't promised to us. Don't leave your family and friends to be stressed financially to bury you. We see it all too often, a loved one dies suddenly, and families are forced to come up with thousands of dollars to meet an extensive budget to pay for a funeral.]

Funerals have a weird way of putting things into perspective. For the past week, I've been a bit out of it... There has been a lot going on in my life, and I haven't been managing my time properly which = being stressed out. When we don't manage our time properly, we are ineffective in our day to day dealings. We're unable to meet goals, accomplish simple tasks  and we're not focused or fulfilled. This can lead us to feel unaccomplished, and if we wallow in that feeling long enough it can push us into a rut. 

With that being said, many times we worry about things that really don't matter. We overwhelm ourselves with things that won't matter at the end of our lives. Just think about the things that you stress yourself with for a moment... Now think, if today was your last day on earth would those things matter? No, they wouldn't. Take time today to simplify. Take some time to refocus and reorganize your thoughts before you take on any external projects, write out your new goals, tasks, and breathe! Life is so precious. 

Enjoy the rest of your day! 

Real Love.

Happy Valentine's Day Journey Mates! ❤

I read something beautiful today. I pray that it blesses you.

 To fully experience love, you must receive it, say yes to the amazing gift that God wants to pour out on you. Bask in it, and let it overflow to those around you.

❤ God is Love.

Can you say epic?!

What an exciting day today is! Our 44th President of the United States is publicly being sworn in and it's the federal holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.!!!

I am grateful for this day! It is momentous, a day that I will indeed relish in and share with my children and grandchildren!

Because of his audacious tenacity we are here overcoming. Aspire to continue his legacy.

 Thank you Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

#Unity #Gratefulness #Hope #Peace #Love #TrustGod #America #Determination #GodsGrace

 

(Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial In Washington, D.C.)

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!