by | Faith Lived Out, Life Application
Searching for joy in your life? Feel controlled by your thoughts? Here’s the good news: Finding joy is possible and you DON’T have to be under the constant riducule of your negative thoughts.
Tommy Newberry, author of The 4:8 Principle, says “Your potential for joy is limited only by your level of commitment to think joyful thoughts most of the time.” He gently reminds us that “we are what we think we are.”
With that said, let me ask you a question. Are you ready to change your thought life?
Allow me to introduce The 4:8 Principle Bible Study. My sweet friend, Jennifer White, and myself have both experienced the freedom of changing our thought lives and taking the advantage of the gift of joy God has so graciously given us. Now we want to share with you.
Join us Monday, June 6, as we kick off this life-changing Facebook study.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Join the Facebook group here
- Purchase your copy of The 4:8 Principle book here (I’ve attached the link to Amazon)
- Add the Bible Study button to your blog or website and share with others.
We’re looking forward to sharing God’s joy with you!
by | Life Application
I was recently slapped between the eyes by a powerful statement from Jon Acuff, author of the new book, Quitter: Closing the Gap Between Your Day Job and Your Dream Job, and member of the Dave Ramsey team.
“Never compare your beginning to someone else’s middle.”
Wow! I was instantly asking myself, do I compare? What? I do!
I’m not in denial to the fact that I’m still some punk kid learning the ropes of writing, speaking, blogging, etc. But I am learning that it can be hard not to compare myself to others before me doing the same things.
God has put some great women in my life from all different stages of life. I have mentors raging in ages of 40 to 60. Being around each of them teaches me so much. I was recently watching one my mentors speaking to a large group. The crowd was laughing. Her words flowed flawlessly. She barely looked at her notes. Her makeup and hair were perfect. People were eating her message up.
I found myself asking, how does she do that so well? How did she work that transition so perfectly? Will I be able to do that? I am learning that it’s okay to ask myself these questions in regards to improving the way I do things, but when I turn it into comparison, it becomes about me and not about the message Jesus is preparing me to share. Over lunch one day she reminded me that she too was in my place. “That was thirty years ago.”
Oh yes! Experience Sundi Jo. Experience. Experience. Practice. Failure. Mistakes. Experience. Okay, I think I’m getting it. My beginning can’t be compared to her middle. We’re both different. We all have to start somewhere, and that start is at the beginning.
What are your struggles in comparing to others?
by | Life Application
Branson, Missouri is known as the live entertainment capital of the world. There are theaters lining the strip of the famous Hwy. 76. You can find every type of restaurant you can think of. There’s even a chicken house with the world’s largest chicken. You see lights for miles and the life-size King Kong atop of the Hollywood Wax Museum.
What about when the lights go down at night and the entertainers go home, the restaurants close down, and the vacationers tuck themselves tightly into bed at their hotel room?
Allow me to introduce you to Jesus Was Homeless, a non-profit organization specializing in delivering and providing sack lunch “Happy Meals” to the weekly stay motels and the homeless folks that live and work in the Branson area. This is an amazing ministry changing lives one sack lunch at a time.
Jesus Was Homeless has now started a new program, called the Yellow Bike Project and they need your help. With the rising gas prices, bike project is helping hundreds of individuals to continue to get to work and back. The demand is very high and there are not enough bikes to go around.
That’s where Pepsi Refresh and you come in. The Yellow Bike Project is now part of Pepsi’s grant program. Your votes could help this amazing organization provide $25,000 worth of bikes to the Branson community. You can vote three times a day.
Also, love to drink Pepsi products? Keep your cap and enter the code. It counts for 100 votes!
Will you help spread the word and vote? Branson is a great place to be. Let’s help make it even better. Go here to vote.
Do you have a bike you would like to donate? Contact Brian & Amy Stallings for details.
by | Life Application
Are you determined to eat well? If so, the grocery store might not be the best place to be. Why you say? Great question.
According to Pollan, the supermarket is designed to get you to buy as much as possible. Doesn’t it make sense that you need to pass the Doritos to get to the milk?
Watch for yourself.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snP40-unO0A]
by | Life Application
So, I know that yesterday was Mother’s Day, but I wanted to do a little something special today. I wanted to take the time to introduce you to my mama, if you don’t already know her.
Meet my mom Christi (AKA Mom).
Let me tell you why I’m lucky to have her as my mom.
She loves me no matter what I do. (Kind of like Jesus). She has a heart of gold. She would give the shirt off her back if someone needed it. She made the words “I Love You” mean something in our family. Her actions speak love to me. She is a great caretaker when I’m sick. She is a great encourager when I’m down. She sticks up for her family. She fights for what she believes in. Did I mention she has a great heart?
I could keep going with the list of ways to describe the awesomeness of my mother, but I’ll jut give you a teaser. I hope you too can look at your mom and write this list. If not, I’ll be happy to share her with you.
Happy Mother’s Day Mom! I am blessed that God chose YOU to be my mama.
by | Life Application
Guess what? Mother’s Day is right around the corner. Have you gotten your mom that special gift yet? Me neither.
Instead of the traditional flowers and decorated “I love you” poem on a Hallmark card, what about something else? (Not that there is anything wrong with the above mentioned items. Hallmark rocks!)
Here are some ideas:
Mother’s Day-inspired e-cards and social media campaigns
-Visit
facebook.com/Macys and join the “Thank-a-Mom Movement” by sending free, personalized Facebook messages. Macy’s will then donate $5 in your sweet mother’s honor, to one of five charities.
Dark Chocolate
-There are many health benefits of dark chocolate. It has antioxidant qualities as well as “other positive influences on vascular health”, according to
The Cleveland Clinic. Look for chocolates with few added ingredients for the more natural flavor.
Stress Relieving Massage
-Let’s face it. Most of those gray hairs that our mothers have, or will have, are from her children. Help her relieve some of that stress we so willingly provide with a massage. If you’re in the Branson, Missouri area I recommend
Renee’s Therapeutic Massage.
Technology
-Of course you need to get her updated on the latest and greatest. What about an Iphone? Ipad? Ipod? Flipcam? Be prepared to teach her how to use it. Okay, that was meant more for my own mother. 🙂
Personalized Items
–One of my favorite websites is
personalizationmall.com. They have every item you can think of, from personalized bath robes, coffee mugs, t-shirts, rugs, you name it. Get it made the way she would want it. There’s still time to order – they have express shipping.
There are just a few ideas that came to mind for this Mother’s Day. Happy Mother’s Day to all those sweet mama’s.
What Mother’s Day Gift Ideas Do You Recommend?
Searching for joy in your life? Feel controlled by your thoughts? Here’s the good news: Finding joy is possible and you DON’T have to be under the constant riducule of your negative thoughts.
