The Sovereignty and Sweetness of God {Think On These Things}

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Years ago, I was doing one of Beth Moore's Bible studies, and she touched on the idea of our need to be fully convinced of the sweetness and sovereignty of God. In order to be at peace in our lives, we must truly believe that He is in control when our lives seem out of control. However, to trust in a God who has complete control over our lives is scary if that god is in any way not out for our good. So we must also stand firm on the idea that there is a "sweetness" to God. He is good. He is out for our good no matter what the circumstances look like. Over the years as I have struggled with anxiety, I have learned to put more of my trust in the God who is totally sovereign and yet sweet towards me.

This month we will be focusing on verses that speak to the sweetness (loving-kindess) and power of God. On some days, the verses will focus more on His sovereignty; on others they will shed light on His goodness toward us. Each day will be a scavenger hunt of sorts. As you write out and meditate on these verses can you find the sweetness and sovereignty of God embedded in them? I would love for you to join me this month!

You can download the file HERE.

If you would like all the Think on These Things verses or want to know more about it, click here.

Instagram

During the month I try to post my thoughts on the verses on Instagram. If you would like to follow me you can find me here. Also, if you are posting your own thoughts there please use the hashtag #thinkonthesethings. I would love to read how God speaks to you!!

Supplies

There are many ways you can use these verses. You can read and meditate on them. You can write them out as you meditate on them. You can read them and then write about them in a journal or journaling Bible. You could do verse mapping with them (See this post). Here are some of the items I use...

A single column journaling Bible...

ESV Single Column Journaling Bible (TruTone, Chestnut, Leaves Design)
ESV Single Column Journaling Bible (Black)
ESV Single Column Journaling Bible (Brown, Flap with Strap)

Some highlighters {These are my absolute favorites!}...

Eco Highlighter Pencils - Set of 5 Colors

Black pens...

Black Ink Pen Set

I love these journals that lay flat...easier to write in! They are great for Scripture writing!
Studio Oh! Deconstructed Journals

Let's Think On These Things!

What Gratitude Can Do for Your Heart...

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Ever feel grumpy? Discontent? Struggling with depression and anxiety? Click on over to His Mercy is New today as I share about how gratitude can change our hearts! I talk about my seven year journey of keeping a gratitude list and how it has changed my perspective! Also, check out the resources below if you would like to start a habit of keeping a gratitude journal.

What to do with Your One Broken Heart

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For several years now, I have been lost. Left with the pieces of a broken heart, I have fumbled through life as I try to heal. There are days I feel whole and there are the other days...the ones in which I grieve for what was once my life. So when I heard about Ann Voskamp's new book, I knew I had to read it. A book on brokenness? Yes. Exactly what I need.

I don't know how to proceed. You see, my brokenness with a family member and with a church I spent about two decades with has changed me. I am not who I was. I used to be the one eager to make connections with others. I used to want to serve. I used to want to have "community" around me. These days I am content to be on my own. I have struggled with what to do with those feelings. I simply don't know. I am more cautious in relationships. I want fewer connections. I am more focused on my family instead of the outside world. I am more dependent on a God that won't turn His back on me, manipulate me, or condemn me. Are these things wrong? Not necessarily. However, I have felt  I am living life small, in a closed circle. Letting others in is hard these days, because all I want to do is avoid the agonizing pain all over again. That's why reading Ann's new book, The Broken Way, has been good for me. Ann's one goal is to ask the question, "How do you live with your one broken heart?" It's the question I have been asking myself for three years now...

Can I tell you? Do I dare be honest? I didn't like Ann's answer. "You live with your one broken heart by giving it away." Precisely what I have not wanted to do. I have wanted to close in on myself. Stay safe in my own little world. Frankly, people are scary, and because of my life story, I find Christian women to be incredibly frightening. I don't mean to offend if you fall into that category (The irony isn't lost on me...I am a Christian woman...yep, I am scary, too.). It has just been my experience. So when Ann suggested that in order to live with your brokenness you must allow God to use it by giving yourself away I freaked out. Yet, I know she is exactly right. "Giving away the heart- heals the heart", she writes. It is exactly what I need to do no matter the fear that rises in me.

If you are living with brokenness...oh, how my heart aches for you. I understand the depth of the pain. Some days it can be insurmountable. Healing takes time, effort, and a willingness to face the events that broken your heart. It isn't easy. May I humbly suggest Ann's book? It comes out October 25th. (See TheBrokenWay.com for more details.) It is such a good read for anyone who is struggling. While you wait for the book to come out, check out Ann's post with a calendar on how to be the GIFT and give your heart away. In it, she gives you a daily challenge you can do to bless someone else in your life, because the only way to live with your one broken heart is to give it away.

Also, if you have been doing Think On These Things (my monthly Scripture writing challenge) with me this year, follow along in November as our theme will be "Mended". We will explore verses about brokenness and becoming whole. The downloadable file will be available October 24.

I wrote pages and pages of quotes from the book down in my faith journal so that I can go back to them later; however, I will leave you with a few of them now...

Let's rise to the challenge...because in giving our hearts away we may not only heal our brokenness, but also the heart of another...

I received an advanced copy of the book as I am a part of Ann's launch team for The Broken Way. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Prayer {Think On These Things}

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I used to think that prayer is what changes our circumstances, but I have learned over the years that prayer is changing me. For years, I have battled anxiety and depression. Unfortunately, because of my genetic make-up, personality, and past, I will continue the fight against fear for the rest of my life. Prayer has become my battle ax against the menacing thoughts that consume me on a regular basis. I have trained myself to pray before blowing things out of proportion thinking the world will end soon. Recently, in two totally different circumstances, I prayed, "Lord, please deal with this issue." And while He may not have dealt with it in the way I would have, His solutions turned out to be exactly what I needed. Then there are times when prayer isn't about asking for solutions, things, or a change in circumstances. Sometimes prayer is praise or quiet moments with Him listening to what He has to say. So why not join me in the month of October as we look at prayer. What is it? How do we go about it? How can it change us? Get out a pen and a journal as we write out the following verses and "Think on These Things"...

You can download the file here.

If you would like all the Think on These Things verses or want to know more about it, click here.

Instagram

During the month I try to post my thoughts on the verses on Instagram. If you would like to follow me you can find me here. Also, if you are posting your own thoughts there please use the hashtag #thinkonthesethings. I would love to read how God speaks to you!!

There are many ways you can use these verses. You can read and meditate on them. You can write them out as you meditate on them. You can read them and then write about them in a journal or journaling Bible. Here are some of the items I use...

A single column journaling Bible...

ESV Single Column Journaling Bible (TruTone, Chestnut, Leaves Design)
ESV Single Column Journaling Bible (Black)
ESV Single Column Journaling Bible (Brown, Flap with Strap)

Some highlighters {These are my absolute favorites!}...

Eco Highlighter Pencils - Set of 5 Colors

Black pens...

Black Ink Pen Set

I love these journals that lay flat...easier to write in!
Studio Oh! Deconstructed Journals

Going Deeper With God

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Over the years, it has has been a comfort in sorrow, a guide to daily living, and the words to my prayers. I can honestly say that in my darkest hours it was the one thing that pulled me through...the words I repeated over and over in my head when the depression loomed large or the anxiety screamed at me.  I have come back to it again and again. Morning after morning. You would think after thirty-eight years of looking at it I would tire of the mere sight of it. That hasn't been the case. His Word has endured in my life for almost four decades. I am not about to give it up!

Sure, there have been seasons when I spent less time in it...the crazy college years...the sleepless infant-filled nights. But for the most part it has always been by my side. I have left it to collect dust at times while there have been other seasons I have woken up and it was the first thing I reached for (yes, even before the coffee!). There are smudges...wrinkles from dropping it in the snow...creases in the places in it I have visited time and again. It is well-used and well-loved.

So how do you maintain a love for His word over the years? How do you keep going when you have heard the stories one too many times of the giant and the stones in the sling or the crossing of a sea on dry ground? How do you get started when His Word may be new to you? Join me in September and October as I explore how to delve into God's Word. Maybe you need ideas on how to get started. Or maybe like me you need fresh ideas on how to do deeper with God and His Word. It is my hope and prayer that you will find some helpful methods over the next two months you can use in your time with Scripture. Here's a look at what I will be writing about...

{Please note: This links won't work until the posts go live.}

Write the Word

Verse Mapping

SOAP 

Pray the Word

Journaling the Word

Art and the Word

Read through the Word

So will you join me as we look at these ideas? Stop by for the next seven Mondays, and we will take a look at how to go deep with God's Word.

Living Loved {Uninvited by Lysa TerKeurst}

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"Rejection. It's a pattern in your life. You will have to fight it to overcome it", popped on my iPhone screen. I knew her text and her analysis of me was right. She wasn't condemning me. She wasn't saying I would be stuck there forever. She was stating the facts. It would mean I would have to fight. Fight to heal. Fight to be whole again. Fight to not be afraid of the one thing I was afraid of the most: People. Oh, how she was right!

There are days I go to the mailbox and can scarcely open its tiny, creaky door. I don't want to look inside, because I have found rejection and hurt hide in its metal walls. And then there are other days where electronic mail is hard to open even though it means just touching my finger to the screen. I simply can't do it. I cringe as if half expecting a monster to jump out at me. You see most of my rejection came in the form of written words delivered to my inbox and and to the little white tube with the squeaking door in my front yard.

I wasn't good enough. I didn't know how to make the right decisions. I was mean. I was not a good (fill in the blank). I was unforgiving. I had a bad "aura". I was unworthy to be around others....All these words written and more. No wonder I have a hate relationship with any device where mail is deposited. It's too much. Those boxes don't hold mail for me. They hold my shattered heart.

I have fought it long and hard. Can I say most days are good? I have a husband who loves me. A great relationship with each of my sons. Deep friendships. Family that has been with me through thick and thin. I am loved. Then there are the days I can't fight the obvious...there are places in my past where love couldn't be found. And though I searched for it and longed for it, the fact is it will not show up in my mailbox. This is where acceptance of myself is hard...when you know you are not worthy of love in someone's eyes.

Three years ago I decided I didn't need a mailbox to show me love, and my inbox was a pathetic way to feel secure. I needed to be looking for other letters. Ones written long ago, by Someone who truly knew me with all my flaws and said, "I will always love you." I bought myself a journaling Bible and began the search for the love that would not fail me. Who needs affirmation and adoration from mere mortals when you can have the Creator of the universe always there by your side? I would stick with the love letter He wrote me. My goal was to live loved regardless of how I had actually lived!

One day on Facebook, the title popped up. The words made my heart stop: uninvited, less than, lonely, left out...LIVING LOVED. I had to order this book! So last weekend, I went out to my sworn enemy, the mailbox, and found what I had been waiting for... Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely by Lysa Terkeurst. I spent this week reading in tears hiding them from those around me. Her book undid me.

I am sure you all are like me. In fact, I got a glimmer of it last week as I scanned Facebook, Instagram, and other social media. You have lived rejection. Women all over were popping up saying they so wanted to read it. They didn't have to say why. I knew. They had lived rejected, but desperately wanted to live loved. I could almost feel the ache through the screen.

You know it's bad when you begin reading and can't finish a sentence, because you are having to highlight it. Then you need to write some of them out to ward off the forgetfulness in your brain. These nuggets of truth are too valuable to lose. Lysa's book looks at all angles of the dreaded "R" word. Rejection is a spider's web entwined with the shame of who you are, the need for forgiveness for the one who rejected, the fear of history repeating itself, and the hope of measuring up...one day. Lysa deals with each facet with the heart of one rejected. Turns out she one of us.

I don't even know where to start to organize my thoughts on the PRACTICAL advice she gives to battle that left out feeling. There are questions to ask yourself, verses to help you change your perspective on what was done to you, and even the suggestion of praying Psalm 91 back to God as you heal from rejection. One of the mind-reforming thoughts is to realize that rejection has another level to it. It all depends on how you view what happened.  We may feel that we have been set aside by others when in reality we have be set apart by God to walk a different road from those who rejected us. Other times, rejection is actually a form of protection from something even more grievous.

If you are struggling with the fact that you don't fit in or have been kick out, Lysa's book will help you work towards healing those bleeding parts of your heart. Also, because it has been such a theme in my life you will find below several posts on the subject. If you are reading this, I am praying for you. I know the pain and ache for you. Read the posts below. Order the book...you know, sometimes good things arrive in mailboxes...

Surviving Rejection: What Grandma Taught Me
Dealing with Rejection
Seven Verses for Dealing with Rejection
Journaling to Remember His Love

Resources and Ideas to Help Your Prayer Life

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In the past few years I have tried to become more intentional in how I pray for others. For example, I have set up a system for praying for certain people throughout the month.You can read more about it here. Basically, I have created a calendar for myself in which each day of the month I pray for one or two people. For more example, on the first of the month I pray for my husband. This isn't to say I don't pray for him or others on other days, it just a means for helping stay the course and pray for all those who are a part of my life.

I started praying for others in earnest a few years back because I was going through a season of healing in which I needed to forgive some significant people in my life. It was a real struggle as their actions totally changed the course of my journey. I didn't know how to get past the pain and what they had done to me. I was stuck. Then I was reminded of the verse in which Christ asks us to pray for our "enemies" (Matthew 5:44). It was like God was calling me to be intentional and pray for those that inflicted the hurt. It was one of the hardest things I ever set out to do. At first, I could hardly even get the words out. These days, however, I pray for my "enemies" freely and without hesitation...prayers of blessings for them. It took a long time to get to that point, but I do believe that prayer was the answer to me eventually forgiving them.

If you would like to learn more about this concept of praying for those that you need to forgive, check out my post over at His Mercy is New about how to bless your enemies through prayer.

Another place I have really focused on in my prayer life is praying for my sons. Here are several resources for praying for your kids. I am going to include one for students also as I am a teacher and do spend time praying for my students.

Praying for Your Teen and Adult Children
The ABC's of Praying for Students
Praying for Your Kids Head to Toe

Another great idea is to create a "War Binder". What in the world is it and what does it have to do with prayer? A war binder is a notebook or journal in which you can put a prayer journal, prayer requests, sermon notes, gratitude lists, Scripture writing and so much more! The concept is based on the movie War Room. Basically, the binder allows you to keep everything in one place. If you are interesting in learning more here are some links:

A Flip-Through of a War Binder
A Prayer Journal 
How to Make a Prayer Journal
Facebook War Binder Group {A wonderful group of ladies!}

And finally here are some great books on prayer:

Fervent: A Woman's Battle Plan to Serious, Specific and Strategic Prayer
Too Busy Not to Pray
Upside-Down Prayer for Parents
Wait Only Upon God: 40 Days of Praying the Scriptures in the Waiting
Praying God's Word

The Psalms in Color

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For a woman riddled with anxiety, coloring has become a life saver for me. It allows me to detach from the worries of the day and release my creative side. I have reviewed and listed several coloring books here on the blog, but today I would like to introduce you to my new favorite, The Psalms in Color.

Last year, the day after Christmas, I started a challenge for myself...to write out the entire book of Psalms! So when I found this coloring book that incorporated beautiful pictures to color with verses from the Psalms I decided to try it out. 

Here is what I love about this coloring book:

• The paper is HIGH quality that can stand up to gel pens and probably markers {although I haven't tried markers on it yet}.
• The pages are perforated if you want to pull them out.
• The binding is strong and made in such a way that you can really open the book and color to the inside edge in case you don't want to pull the pages out {which is what I like to do}.
• There are simple pictures to color and more complex ones. A nice mix.
• There are 56 pictures to color!

So if you are looking for a great coloring book that has the added benefit of helping you focus on God's Word The Psalms in Color would be a great option.

And finally, here is a look at the supplies that I love to use for coloring...

Tools for coloring:

Here is what I use...

Prismacolor Premier Soft Core Colored Pencils-These soft core pencils are great for laying down color in large areas.

Prismacolor Verithin Colored Pencils-These are what I use for detail work.

Sanford Prismacolor Colored Pencil Accessory Set, 7-Piece-Love this! The blender pencil is such a fun item to use to blend color. It also includes erasers, a sharpener, and a pencil lengthener.

LolliZ Gel Pens -When I don't want to go the pencil route I use these. Bolder colors.

Sakura Gelly Roll Metallic Gel Ink Pen Set-These are fun as the metallic shine really comes through!

Four Ways to Throw an Awesome Pity Party

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A normal Sunday with no REAL drama left me filled with angst. My schedule wasn't working out the way I had hoped. People wanted things from me I couldn't provide at that moment. Past hurts sprang up unexpectedly. I was feeling lonely, left out, and unloved. So I took a walk thinking some exercise would quell the waves thrashing about in my soul. However, if you know me, it only takes a short walk around the block of negative thinking for me to dive head first into an ocean of depression. I am susceptible to it. I have to be totally careful in my thought life to not spiral downward. By the time, I was done with my walk I  realized I had been the creator and hostess of my own pity party.  So, in case you too ever want to throw yourself an awesome gathering of  negativity here's how to get started:

Focus on your less-than-perfect circumstances. Look for how things have gone poorly. Life isn't perfect. If you could, you would change your circumstances. You can't, however. Hence, let the party planning commence.

Focus on what you don't have. One of the quickest ways to feel sorry for yourself? List what you don't have in life. The position you wanted. The admiration you didn't get. The love that passed you by. The money that slipped through your fingers. Make a list...not a guest list of people you hope will show, but a list of what DIDN'T show up in your life.

Be impatient. Patience is a virtue we rarely enjoy displaying. We want EVERYTHING fixed now. We want perfection. Never mind that if we would just wait things out many of them would fall into place. Impatience breeds pity and negativity so be sure that it is a part of the festivities.

Watch others' lives. All you have to do is look to all that others have and are. Be sure to focus on the benefits they have that your DON'T. They lived charmed lives without the pain you have to go through, right? They are better looking, richer, nicer, and more successful. Check out their Facebook wall...proof that they have it better than you do! Whatever you do, make sure you invite them to your party! You'll be glad they came!

As I finished my walk, I realized how shallow and self-focused I had been. The heartache I was feeling came from my negative thought patterns not from the reality of a bad life. I had taken my eyes off all the good in my life in order to feel sorry for myself. It was time to go back home, open up my gratitude journal, write down all those blessings, and put a damper on my pity party with thankfulness.

How about you? Each day we have a choice...throw a party or walk away from it...

I think I am going to take a walk...this time to focus on all the good in my life.