Peace - God's Treasure You Already Possess

Imagine walking into a frozen forest of dense trees. You are cold and lost. You do not know where to go and are dressed inadequately suddenly you realize there is a pile of gold that seems to be glowing beside you. Then you realize in your pocket there already was some of the gold. It produces a heat that warms you when you focus on it. God gives you the revelation that the gold is actually the peace of God. You realize you have a choice, you can focus on the forest where your circumstances are unknown and be truly afraid or you can focus on the fact that no matter your circumstance in life you carry the gold -- the peace of God. Which would you choose?

The above is a vision God just gave to me. Can you choose to focus on that peace with me? What would your life be like if you focused on that gold in your pocket -- allowing the warmth of God to fill you with a sense of peace, of purpose, of life? Life gets hard and we can get easily distracted into the present and try to solve all of the problems, yet, God wants to carry these problems and have us truly feel His peace in all circumstances.

Which do you choose today?

Agree with God - You are Amazing and of Great Worth!

Did you grow up in a home where perfectionism was valued? Do you sometimes boast to others that you are "driven." 
What happens when perfectionism is not met? What happens if you do not do everything right the way you "should." 
You fail.
This is a black and white philosophy or a  Pass/Fail Mindset. 
But, what does God think about all of this? Is he upset with you or angry if you make a mistake?
No! Actually God has never had a bad thought about you.
God want you to love yourself aggressively the way he does. Did you know that he really loves you with an everlasting love? (Jeremiah 31:3)
I was stuck for a long time in the Pass/Fail Mindset. I would get upset with myself every time I failed - which was all the time, because I was rarely able to do everything perfect. All of this negativity weighed me down and kept me from agreeing with who God says I am 
One of my favorite quotes of Ric Lumbard is "Minimum: Agree with what God says about you; Maximum: Feel what He feels about you."
I decided to believe that he had never had a bad thought about me and to agree and feel what he feels about me. 
This type of agreement leads to a powerful stance of understanding who I am in God. I am able to love others powerfully because of agreement with God's powerful love. I become a conduit for his love and I breathe out his love over all I encounter.
Could you step away from perfectionism? Can you relinquish control of your circumstances to God's powerful hands? Can you agree with the fact that you are truly amazing and absolutely precious to God? 
If this is a new concept to you, consider writing some of these ideas on post-its around your house. Or put a reminder on your phone to buzz and tell you something powerful like "God has never had a bad thought about me."
Old mindsets can be changed, but it takes determination, agreement with God, and renewing of the mind.
#changeyourmindsets #loveyourselfpowerfully #agreewithgod

Can You Control the Tightrope? Or Do You Fall into the Abyss?

In life, there is a tightrope we walk. A rope of faith and hope where below us there is an abyss of worry and fear. You might feel wobbly in your faith (unsure of what is coming next - which is doubt). You might feel unsteady and try to step backwards into the past looking only at "what worked before" rather than stepping forward into the unknown in faith. Or you can free fall into the abyss of worry and fear, always falling, but never, ever reaching the steady ground. The choice is yours.

The phrase "Fear not" is mentioned 365 times in the Bible. Think of the beauty of that in God's word. He has given you a "Fear not" for each day of your year. He wants you to remember daily to release fear and trust. "But," you might say to me, "You do not understand what I am going through."
I may not, but God does.

My main question to you is this, "Have you given control of this fear or worry to God?"  I find in my own life, I often hold on tight to the biggest concerns or fears. I kinda pray about them, but mostly I try to solve it on my own (searching the internet for answers and researching; asking multiple people for their opinions; etc). Do you see how in this situation it is I who is trying to control the situation? I'm sure you can all imagine how well this goes when I follow this philosophy. Needless to say, I am not walking in faith when I do this and I worry more and rest less. In addition, my way is NEVER better than when I release it to God.

Let's go back to the tightrope analogy. In life, daily, you have choices. You choose what to think, what to wear, what to eat, what to say. You have a choice about walking in faith or falling into the abyss of fear. You can try to control your stance and balance on that tightrope all on your own will or you release the worry and truly trust God to keep your footing steady and solid. Doesn't He already know everything? Can't you think of a time when He truly protected you? Doesn't He have absolutely your best interests at heart? Doesn't He love you more deeply than the ocean?

Why can we not, together, walk forward and trust? Take your right hand and put it in front of you. Now, put that worry or fear into your hand. Say with me, "God, I trust you. You have never left my side. I give this to you. If I start to think about it or worry, I will hand it back to you. I give up the control and I walk forward in faith powerfully, boldly and with Your great love. AMEN."

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. Isaiah 43:1b-2 

Fear Makes You Dumb

Fear. It is so prevalent in so many people's narratives. Fear of failure. Fear of punishment. Fear of rejection. 
Did you know when you are in a state of fear, you are not able to think creatively or freely?
Many focus their lives in fear of the future - which can be seen in their continuous worries. 
Fear makes us dumb. We can't think clearly. We run around in circles, accomplishing little.
We have talked before about holding thoughts captive. Can you start paying attention to your thoughts? Are they helping you or hurting you? If it is a thought based in fear/worry/condemnation then I encourage you to, literally, throw it away (I teach the kids to symbolically pull the "brain trash" thoughts out of their head and throw them away).
Then, you need to replace your thought with a completely different thought. The opposite of fear is peace, confidence, and faith/trust. Can you move into that line of thinking instead?
Fear really took so much from me. It had such a stronghold over me. I didn't know I could ditch it. It really impacted every area of my life and made me feel sick.
You are worth the effort to get out of the pattern of fear. Can you become aware of your thoughts? Remember “Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you. I do not give it as the world does. Do not be worried and upset; do not be afraid.” John 14:27 
#renewyourmind #letitgo

How to Live in a State of Joy, Peace, and Love

Life, people, circumstances, the words of others, work... so many things can pull us from the natural state God wants us to be in - a state of peace, joy, and love. 

Last night God wanted to remind me of 1 John 4:18, "Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love." (NLT)

I find that I tend to slide into worrying (which is a state of fear). This tendency displays a mindset of wanting to control or "handle" the issues that arise. Perhaps as a child you were taught to solve your own problems, for instance.

But, is that God's view of life and what does all of this have to do with his perfect love? 

Do you understand how deep and wide and full is the love that God has for you?

At one point in my thirties, I read that verse "I have loved you with an everlasting love;Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you and continued My faithfulness to you."(Jeremiah 31:3, AMP). I suddenly understood God really does love me no matter what I have thought, said, or done. 

What does it look like to not only understand this with head knowledge, but to truly embrace it? 

The bottom line is, you matter to God. YOU do! You are not worthy WHEN. You are worthy NOW.

That, in itself, can be a hard concept to grasp and agree with - especially if you have always seen yourself as a driven person. 

Now, let's return to the initial topic. What is running your life right now? What is running your brain? Could it be fear or worry? Could it be to provide the perfect life for your kids or have your house looking the way it "should"?

What would happen if just chose to stop thinking that way. It isn't easy. Your mind is a battlefield, but what you choose to meditate on really does alter your state of peace, joy, and love. When a thought or something comes up, instead of trying to solve the problem yourself, could you take a deep breath and just ask God for the next step? Or if it is an unfounded worry (such as something the could happen in the future, but is not true or real) could you take any Bible verse you know and say it to yourself instead? Replace the yuck with truth. 

Take a step forward with me to choose joy, peace, and love over worry and control. #renewyourmind #changeyourmindsets #youareworthit

What if You Read this Daily?

What if you read the following words to yourself daily? God gave me these words...

I was made for Your glory! 
I have a destiny!
I was made to bring You joy!
I have a purpose!
I was made unique in Your heart!
You will never leave me!
You will never let me down!
Show me where to go and I will run with You!
Your ways are higher than mine.
There is no fear in Your love!

Appropriate Use for Anger

What makes you angry? Do you generally lose your temper when you are mad? Or cry? Or stuff your feelings away?
God can help you use the angry feelings for good.
What is an appropriate way to use anger?
1. Feel the anger. It is normal to feel a feeling. However, if you dwell  in the anger and allow resentment to build, that is when the feeling becomes harmful to yourself and others.
2. Do not feel guilty or bad about feeling angry. Instead, see it as a tool. Did you just have a very dramatic defensive reaction to a small issue? This is a clue to the root causes and by praying about it you can discover what is underneath it all.
3. Pray about what is making you angry. Ask God for the next step. There are many underlying emotions to anger: guilt, fear, pride, insecurity, rejection, loneliness, sadness, fear of failure, anxiety, depression, etc. Anger artificially helps us feel in control when we are actually out of control.

If you are angry because someone has attacked you emotionally, ask yourself, "Does this person's opinion matter more than what/who God says I am?" Does this person have the power to define who you are?

Consider changing the way you view strong emotions. Rather than a burden, see them as a clue to unraveling the path toward freedom in Christ. God wants you to lead a life not based on how you feel, but who you are and where He wants you to go!

Agreement With a Diagnosis

God just revealed to me that I was in agreement with a diagnosis of anxiety from twenty years ago, still. Despite my powerful experience with becoming healed of the migraines, I did not realize there was still this diagnosis and it had become a part of my identity.

What does it look like to be in agreement? To agree with a diagnosis means looking at life through this different lens. What do you say about yourself to others (in reference to the diagnosis)? For instance, for twenty years now I have said, "I am an anxious person." Or "I don't sleep well." The diagnosis had become a part of who I was which now affected sleep and the way I viewed life. By taking on the diagnosis as a part of my identity, it's power grew. I was actually speaking over myself and making it more intensified by saying things like, "I probably will wake up worrying about this." etc.

I didn't realize I was still identifying with this. I no longer took medication for anxiety, but by just having this as a core part of my identity, it has really been affecting my life subtly.

What are you in agreement with? Perhaps a generational issue like "my family has always had trouble with losing their temper"? Or have you been giving a medical diagnosis that has reshaped your entire life? Have you ever found yourself saying something like, "Well, that's just the way I am."

The first step is awareness. Begin to listen to yourself. When you talk (or think) about yourself is there something that you are in agreement with? Jot it down. Pray about it. Ask God what He wants you to know about that.

God wants you to live in ultimate freedom. He can do so much more with you free rather than bound up in sickness and old patterns. He has never had a bad thought about you. It is not His will for you to be sick, but rather in ultimate freedom.

Understand who you are in Christ. Don't know? Check out some verses here. Or just get out your journal and ask God, "What do you want me to know about you? What do you want me to know about me?"

I will write more about strategies to undo old patterns, mindsets, and yuck. I just took the time to do this for myself and feel way different than I did an hour ago. God is awesome! He loves us! Praise the Lord!

What Reality Do You Live From?

What reality do you choose to live from? Are you listening to the world or God? Does the earthly realm and the world of celebrities dictate beauty? Do the talking heads of the internet tell you what to value? Does the reality of your friends' highlight reel on Facebook determine how you are doing in your appearance? Your job? Your parenting abilities or failures?

If we are truly of God, why do we live from the reality of the world? When we became believers the Holy Spirit came to dwell within us. This means you are holy. Your spirit is beautiful and free.

Yet, some of us choose to remain focused on the worldly perspective rather than looking from heaven down. Why? For me, it feels like a lot of is just a habit. But, I also feel the media I listen to or watch, the people I choose to spend time with, and other elements can really lead me back into the worldview.

God wants you to agree with what He says about you. To really be a mover and a changer of worlds you need to step away from the worldview so you can be an influencer of the world not a needy, clingy person who wants the world's approval.

Spend a moment with God. What does He want you to know about Him? What does He want you to know about you. Choose to agree with Him.

Consider doing what I am going to do. Have praise music running continuously in your home. Just on low volume is powerful will change the atmosphere of your home or office. Personally, I find the IHOP KC prayer room live set great http://www.ihopkc.org/prayerroom/, but anything you like will be great. Praise is a weapon. And this, my friends, is a war of the mind. Be on the offensive so that you can be a powerhouse for God rather than weak, seeking man's approval.

Boundaries - Raise the Limit of Your Value by Creating Them

Proverbs 25:28 - Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.

"Boundaries communicate value for what is inside those boundaries.If you have several junk cars out in a field, it is called an eyesore. If you put a fence around your yard, now you have a wrecking yard. If you put a building around those cars, then you have a garage. With each increase of limits, you raise the value of what is inside.You raise the value of what you require before you allow access, you increase the value of what you have. To all who are near, we send a clear message of value about the level of value we have for ourselves by the way we establish boundaries." (Culture of Honor, Danny Silk).
What do the boundaries look like in your life?It is extremely important to draw boundaries around all areas of your life - at work, at home, and in relationships. You have such great value to God.
Several years ago I had a friend who was extremely needy. It drew a lot of energy from me to help her. I was helping her financially and emotionally. I had to draw boundaries with her and move her to an outer circle because I was giving everything I could, but was receiving nothing in return. Likewise, she wanted to discuss her issues, but never took my advice and seemed to want to stay stuck. I had to draw some boundaries and change the level of our friendship.
Is it unbiblical or ungodly to move people out or create boundaries? It is not. We are of great value to God. Do you currently have someone in your life who is toxic? Someone who is always negative or critical of you? What boundaries could you draw to step out of this person's sphere of influence? Can you draw boundaries with this person -- even if he/she is a family member?
What about in other environments? What is currently causing you stress? What can you shift to decrease this stress?
Remember you are so important to God! Your energy, your time, and your love - they are all precious commodities. Use them well.

Test Everything

What if you get a word from God? Perhaps someone and shares something with you? You get a vision or a dream? How do you know it is from God?

You must test everything. Do not take it all at face value. 

If you have a dream: go back with prayer and ask God to show you the true nature of the dream in the name of Jesus. 

If you get a prophetic word spoken over you, note it and then look for patterns. Have others said the same/similar thing? Do the words ring true within your spirit?

Does the vision, dream, prophetic words line up with the word of God? You can be sure that if anything spoken to you or that you see that does not line up with character of God it is to be thrown away.

I was the focus of a prophetic pit. I sat in front of 50 people who did not know me and they prayed and asked God what He wanted them to know about me. After several minutes they shared what they had gotten. There were true themes where multiple people got the same thing about me. This is another way to verify what the Lord says. 

Just take a minute now and ask God, "What do you want me to know about you? What do you want me to know about me?" These types of moments can be powerful, but truly life-changing when you step into what God says and believe.

Don't Let Your Do Define Your Who

What is the lens you see life through? Have you ever had anxiety or felt depressed? Life through this type of lens affects everything. If someone at work says hello, the anxiety lens might overanalyze the body language/tone of voice reading into the action something that was never there. Whereas, when one is chronically depressed if someone makes a positive comment, through the lens of depression one might doubt the sincerity of the compliment or even negate the words by saying something like, "Well, you have never seen me when I wake up in the morning."

This filter also directly affects what you think God thinks about you. Is your relationship with the father are you bound by this lens or are you free to run and able to truly hear/believe what He says about you?

In addition, society tells us success is based in performance -- that your worth is seen by what you do. But, don't let your do define your who.

The truth is what we do doesn’t affect the fact that we are God’s children and that He absolutely loves us with an everlasting love. The father is your biggest fan no matter your works.

So, take a minute and ask God if you are looking at Him through some sort of lens. He sees you-- it's about time you really see Him and understand how deep his love is for you!

Your Best Case Scenario

What is your best case scenario when you think about your life? Success in your career? Perhaps another degree? Your children's accomplishments?
These are what the world values. But, what is God's best case scenario for your life? What is your destiny from God's perspective?
God's plans for us are WAY bigger than anything we could have ever thought was possible when looking at life from an earthly perspective.
How do you discover God's plans for you? There are multiple ways:
1. Prophetic words might have been spoken over you or to you. Remember when someone gives you these types of words you must always test them -- are they edifying and glorifying God? Do they ring true in your heart through the Holy Spirit? Have other words confirmed the same message? Do the words line up with scripture?
2. You can ask God what He wants you to know about you. Do you know how to hear God? Can you be still before Him? Click here if you are not sure how to hear God. Be sure to write down whatever you see or hear - even if it is weird or doesn't make sense.
3. Fill your life and heart by listening to praise music, audio bible, and sermons. Pay attention to when your heart feels full or your eyes fill with tears. Note what is resonating with you. What does God want you to gain at that moment? What does God want you to know?
4. Spend 5 minutes each day just daydreaming and writing. If you could live anywhere where would it be? Have you ever longed to visit a certain country or place? If you could do anything and not have to worry about money or other life details - what would you do? God places desires in our hearts that tie right into His plans for us.
5. Do some life mapping. This is basically a word web. Think of all areas of your life. What is the best case scenario for you physically, emotionally, spiritually? What is the best case scenario for you in your love life? In your family? Professionally? What hobbies could tie into this best case scenario?

Basically, what I am encouraging you to do is go deep with God. God has so many plans for us. We can choose to see right in front ourselves and do the same thing we have always done in life and basically just survive each day. Or we can truly thrive by stepping out of the comfort zone into the great unknown of what God has for us. Can you take some time to reflect on this? Can you set your heart on things above? God wants to give you your best case scenario. TRUST. LISTEN. REST. REALIZE.

How to REALLY Trust God...

I was just praying and felt very convicted. I have been worrying about something. God has told me He's got this.
Why do our hearts get so troubled? God wants us to truly rest and let Him take whatever ails us.
I know this in my head, but how can I really DO this?
1. Let go of ALL fear - you may need to work on holding ANY thought captive that resembles fear or worry. For me, I sometimes get into a pattern of worry. Not okay to worry at all. Drop the fear and trust.
2. Rest - rest in the midst of your trouble. What does this look like? What is your pattern when you are troubled? Do you relentless search the internet for answers? Do you call multiple friends and tell them about your concerns? Do you get very busy or frantically clean (one of my neighbors used to do that when her heart was troubled). What would it look like to rest - really rest? Trust.
3. Stop being stubborn. Has God told you the way to solve the problem and you refuse to take the next step. Are you arguing with God about the next step? What if falling into His arms and truly trusting Him is the answer?
4. Stop trying to solve the problem at all. I often look for solutions and ask for many people's opinions. God has told me to STOP completely. There is no peace when one is running around trying to find the answer.

What about you? Is there a problem in your life that you feel fear or worry about? What does God want you to know about the situation? Can you give it to him, really relinquishing it, and simply trust?

No Record of Wrongs

What does true love look like? True love is unconditionally loving others and not keeping a record of their wrongs. God does this. We pray and ask forgiveness and our sin is tossed to the bottom of the ocean. He lets it go.
How can we mimic this within our friendships and relationships with others?
First, let's identify what we are saying that hinders this type of freedom in love. Have you ever said something to the effect of, "That person is going to have to earn back their trust with me after what just happened?" You have just set a condition to being able to love that individual freely. You have tied your joy to whatever behaviors the person displays. You are now being managed by their behavior/emotions.
This has happened to me. I have a close friend that is not very consistent and has really hurt my feelings several times. I kind of opened myself up to that response because I kept wanting this friend to behave differently. Therefore, every time this person did not show up the way I wanted, I felt hurt. Do you see how my feelings were managed by my friend's behavior? I kept a record of the wrongs and they compounded upon each other all because of the way I chose to view it.
What we are talking about is a complete mindset shift here. A complete overhaul to the way society views other people's actions/words. I need to go from remembering hurt feelings/times I was disappointed by someone's behavior to absolutely and completely letting it go.
This is not just in friendships, this can be in work or personal, and even family relationships.
If you are managed by the behavior or emotions of others you will never truly be free and you will not truly love unconditionally.
Can you start to shift your thinking? Think of one person in your life who makes you frustrated, hurt, or some other strong feeling. Can you let go of what you are expecting them to do? Can you stand next to that person and love him/her well failures and all? #lovewell #otherpeoplesbehaviordoesnotmanagemyfeelings #totalmindsetshift #loveunconditionally #letitgo #changeyourthinking #changeyourreality

Channel for Satan

Did you realize the mirror you look into everyday could be a channel for satan? Think of the condemning statements one often says when looking in the mirror. But what if your mirror became a channel for God instead? Can you ask God to show you what is beautiful about you? When God talks to me about my beauty, it is never about the physical realm. Instead he tells me of my beautiful spirit or the beauty of my heart. 

Many of us understand, as believers, what the Bible says about us and how much God loves us, but are you truly believing what you read? Do you need ideas - check here.

Could you take a dry erase marker and write some key phrases to yourself on your mirror and look at them over and over until you internalize them?

What if you were to truly believe what he said? What if you were to say His words aloud to yourself? As you get dressed, could you put on the beauty of God. 

Could you say to yourself some positive statements like, "I am needed to reflect God's glory" "I am worth fighting for" "I am accepted, loved, and secure in Christ."

Agree and Do Not Doubt!

I used to wonder why my prayers for healing seemed ineffectual. Then I learned it is not just what we pray, but the belief behind what we pray.
I used to pray for the migraines to leave, while thinking in my head two things: 1)Maybe I deserve these migraines because I have failed God; 2) Praying is nice, but it has never worked before to relieve the pain.
Do you see what was underneath the prayers I prayed? I agreed with the migraines because I thought I had disappointed God. (I didn't know, at that time, that God has never had a bad thought about me.
I also doubted my prayers had any power.
What would happen if you changed the way you thought while you prayed? What if when you prayed (or even declare with authority)you knew what you prayed would come to pass? How would your prayer life change?
What about the passing "I'll pray for you" you state to someone who is sick. What if you really prayed knowing that it is never God's will for us to be sick and prayed with authority?
Can you think about what your thoughts are while you pray? Be in agreement and do not doubt.

Stepping into Your Destiny

What has God called you to do in life? Often God's plans for us are way bigger and completely different than the life/job we are currently in.
How do you know what God has in store for you? Do you spend time daily, or perhaps even weekly, being still in silence before Him to listen. [If you feel you cannot hear God ever or very infrequently hear Him, please go here].
As you begin to explore the future and His ideas for you, you might begin to upset your current life -- for instance, the status quo of your family system. Initially, I shared with too many people what God was showing me. This did a couple of things - it provided some naysaying, it dampened my excitement, and it caused me to doubt.
People, in general, are afraid of the unknown. But, when God truly is our leader - He says, "Fear not for I am with you!" Consider sharing your revelations with only a select few.
Take time today. Ask God, "What do you want me to know about you?" and "What do you want me to know about me?" Have paper ready, write what you see or hear. If something does not make sense, just ask God what it means.
Watch your world open up and change as you step into who you were really meant to be!

Fear Feeds Fear

Have you ever noticed if you begin to focus on a fear or a worry, it seems to grow? Satan feeds our fears. We have a choice if we want to believe them or firmly put a stop to them. Where does God weigh in on the subject of fear?

"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." 2 Timothy 1:7

If you are feeling fearful, stop and breathe. Center yourself through prayer. Know that fear is NEVER from God. Rather God has given us power, love, calm, a well-balanced mind, and self-control. 

Spend some time with God and ask Him what you are truly afraid of. Then, ask God to show you what he wants you to know about these fears. [Not sure if you know how to hear God's voice? Click here].

Fear does nothing good and seems to lead me away from God. God is always telling me to trust. If I get stuck thinking about a fear/worry over and over again, God's peace seems further away. But, this is not the way it has to be. I have found what works for me to stop whatever I am doing and spend just a few minutes centering in on God and releasing the worry to Him. I actually visualize myself handing him the problem and just dropping it into His capable hands. 

Then I, literally, hold out my right hand and imagine taking hold of His. "For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you." Isaiah 41:13. It is true, God is here to be our ever-present help, the great counselor, and loving father. I repeat to myself, "Do NOT fear." For I feel, this is a command of peace from God. He encourages me to let Him handle the worry and to rest in His peace. 

If the fear comes back, I hold it captive and repeat the process above. With stubborn fears, you may have to do this several times. Also, I feel worrying is a bad habit. Therefore, with any habit there will be a learning curve as you break through the pattern and then it is finally gone.

Mindsets -- "I HAVE TO exercise today" or "I GET TO exercise today" - which do you embrace?

Many will say, "I HAVE to exercise" or "I SHOULD exercise."
This approach is a guilt-based mindset. It can lead to exercise, but never to the true joy God meant for us to feel when we exercise.

What if one was to shift away from looking at exercise as a MUST (condemning) and see it rather as a GET TO (joyful, free). Therefore, what about shifting into saying, "Today I get to exercise!"

Applying this mindset shift can be for people who: do not exercise; feel they are in a rut and do the same type of exercise frequently -- feeling bored; and those exercise a lot, but do not feel true joy (exercising out of a sense of duty or routine).

Okay, now how do you change your mindset about exercise?

1. Think about what you used to love to play or do when you were about 10 years old. What types of active activities did you love?
2. Now take one (or more) and think of how to apply them into adult exercise opportunities. For instance, I used to love dancing around in my living room when I was 10. I began by doing low impact dancing (Jazzercise), Aqua Zumba (dancing in the water) and worked my way up to a high intensity dance class (BodyJam).
3. Pray about it. Are you fearful? Do you wonder if you can even do 5 minutes of sustained exercise because you do not feel good or have not exercised recently? Why not just do 5 minutes of exercise? When I first started at Jazzercise, I would go for the first song or two and then leave. That was all I could do. There are many places that are very encouraging and will support you wherever you are at. Look at if from God's perspective -- there is no condemnation in Christ. He is certainly not upset with you. Remember He has never had a bad thought about you and you are His most important. Trust Him to lead you in the journey. Perhaps you are fearful of others seeing you when exercising? Pray and ask God for peace. I find gyms quite accepting of all types. I belong to several right now and do not feel any judgment coming from others. However, you may choose to exercise on your own. Maybe you are able to be self-motivated using a walking app or using a DVD at home to guide you to exercise.
4. As you begin some sort of exercise that reflects your childhood interests, ask yourself, "Am I feeling true joy in your heart as I exercise?" If you are, this is where God wants you to be. If you are not in true joy, then try a different area of interest. Keep trying until you find the one that makes your heart happy!
5. Finally, I just want to speak to the idea that some of us are social exercisers. That means, we love to visit and socialize - exercise becomes a fun way to make friends and interact with others. If you are this type of person (I am), but you feel lost about what type of class would be the best to begin with - please email me. I can help you.

Exercise is God's natural high. To relieve stress, to relax you, to help you feel peace - exercise is a great, great strategy. Also, you will feel more powerful in Christ as you get stronger and improve your endurance!! Happy exercising!