Here are my top 5 things I starting doing to help me get through
this time in my life. I plan to continue doing them long after I have healed
from my breakup, because I want to remain
strong for the next situation I encounter (because they will come). They are
pretty basic, but if you really take
the time to implement them, you WILL
see the positive changes in your life that God has for you and that you so
desire!
1. READ DAILY
I like to start my mornings off
by spending time with God, reading the Bible, and writing out scripture verses
on index cards that relate to what God and I are working on. This is so important if we want to build a
strong, healthy relationship with Him and to live in the world today. The more I
study His Word, the more I desire to do His Will. I also spend time reading other
Christian books, depending on my need that day (I have about five other books I’m
reading right now).
Find a time that works with your schedule, but make it a priority to
spend time daily doing this. Set aside the amount of time you have available
each day (don’t compare what you are doing to what someone else is doing). Some
days you may find you have more time than other days. (For example: Is there a TV
program you really don’t need to
watch and instead, could devote that time to deepening your relationship with
God?)
Here are links to some of the books I’ve read or am reading that I
think many would find helpful and really impact your life!:
Psalm 5:3 (NIV), “In
the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait expectantly.”
Romans
10:17 (ESV), “So faith comes from hearing, and
hearing through the word of Christ.”
2. DAILY POSITIVE SELF-TALK (POSITIVE
AFFIRMATIONS)
What we put into our minds goes into our
hearts, and comes out of our mouths. You’ve heard the saying, “You are what you
eat”, I also believe, "You are what you say you are"…What do you believe and say about
yourself? Do you listen to negative words from others and believe them? I did
for years! The more I am learning about the value God sees in me and how He
created me, I choose speak His truths
into my life and my whole attitude is changing! There is power in the words we speak, power to affect our lives in a
positive way or in a negative way. It’s
our choice.
Most of my life I’ve been a “people pleaser”. I would constantly
worry about what others thought of me. I would re-evaluate conversations I’d
had with others over and over again in my head, questioning myself and what I
did or didn’t say. This is a battle I am still working on, but it is getting
better with time as I continue to pour positive words into my life. I have a
couple of different “self-talk” lists I read from, but you can create your own.
I’ve even done Google searches on “Christian Positive Self Talk” and come up
with quite a few ideas.
One of the lists I use is from a program I recently finished called
“Life Skills”. I would recommend this program for most, if not all people. There
is something you will be able to apply to improving your life and there are groups meeting all over. Here is the
website address if you are interested in finding out more about it: (http://www.lifeskillsintl.org/About_Us.html)
Luke 6:45 (NIV), “The good man brings
good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings
evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of
his heart his mouth speaks.”
1 Thessalonians 2:4 (NLT), “For we
speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our
purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our
hearts.”
3. EXERCISE
Even if I can only fit 20-30 minutes in a day, I feel so much better after. Exercise is a
natural way to boost your mood! It also has many health benefits. Our body is the
temple for the Holy Spirit and we should treat it as such. We need to have
balance in every area of our lives and this includes taking care of the body
God has blessed us with.
For years I worked out for the wrong reasons. I was
trying to “look good” and be “skinny”, while trying to look like the
unrealistic photos of women on TV, in magazines, and on billboards (because this was what I had come to believe
all men wanted). This not only made me miserable, but caused me to binge
and stress eat, hating my body all the more (I will talk more about
binge/stress eating in another blog). Unfortunately, society’s view of beauty
is becoming more and more unrealistic and more women are becoming unhappy and
depressed about the way they look.
I no longer view my outer body as the world does, but as God does.
He wants us to be strong and healthy so we can be effective in our lives and in
other’s lives. My body was blessed to carry my wonderful children! When you are
strong, you are able to go into battle. When you are weak, the enemy will find
your weakness and strike! If you remember, Lucifer was the most beautiful of
all of the Angels! So it only makes sense that when he was cast out of Heaven he
would use outer beauty the way he has, twisting it into something sinful and destructive.
Lately, what I’ve decided to do is multitask by using my time to
work out and do my positive self-talk at the same time. It is really important
that you also speak these words out loud. You can even record yourself saying them and
play it back.
1 Corinthians 6:19 (NIV), “Do you not
know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you
have received from God? You are not your own…”
1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV), “But the LORD said
to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have
rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at
the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
4. EAT RIGHT AND TAKE MY VITAMINS
This goes along with exercise. What we put into our bodies will
affect how we feel. If you eat a lot of high fat, high sugar foods, you will
feel sluggish, irritable, and gain weight. God created all food for consumption,
but we have taken it to a level beyond what it was created for. This does not
mean you can’t enjoy food, but enjoy it in moderation and make sure to eat a
balanced diet. I’m finding the more I “fill up” on the Word of God, the less I “fill
up” on food.
Matthew 4:4 (NIV), “Jesus answered,
"It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that
comes from the mouth of God.'"
1 Corinthians 10:26 (NIV), “for,
"The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it."
5. JOURNAL
Besides starting this blog, I like to journal every night before I
go to bed. I write down anything I am thinking and feeling at that moment,
also, things that happened during my day that I want to make note of. Start a second journal and write down answered prayers. This will help build your trust in God by reminding yourself of
His faithfulness in your life.
This is your time to “Let it all out!” This
journal is between you and God, no one else. This is your “journey”.
***Remember, it is really important to find a healthy
balance in your life and in order to be effective, you have to put in the time and effort to implement these new habits. When one thing gets out of order, it will affect the other areas of your life, it’s only a matter of
time. I know, I’ve been there!***
Ephesians 6:10-13 (NIV), "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can
take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against
the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and
against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that
when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you
have done everything, to stand.
Cher-LIFE and live WELL
\o/Cheryll