Why You Should Let the Peace of God Reign in Your Heart

by with No Comment BibleCultureGodLife styleSelf Care

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John 14:27 (NIV)

A lot is going on all around us today. Unfortunately, most of it is very disturbing. Switch on TV or sign in to your social media accounts and you will see or hear sad and scary real-life stories happening every single day.

Not just that our own lives are full of trials and temptations.

Jobs on the line, family disputes, health problems, business failure, are some of the things we go through.

So, what do we do?

As Christians, we need to live the way Jesus lived on earth. He said we would have trials and tribulations. So that means all the things that steal peace from our hearts will always be there one way or another, but we have to know how to handle them.

Despite the challenges, Jesus faced, one of the things that made Him standout was the peace he had. For example, He was peaceful when people insulted Him, when they wanted to push him off a cliff he slipped away peacefully, Jesus slept in the middle of a storm, and when they tried to stone him, he peaceful walked away in their midst.

Jesus had the peace that surpasses all understanding.

The good thing is you can choose to have that same peace of Jesus in your heart.

Worrying never takes your problems away. It only steals your joy and peace. Life has its ups and downs. You can never wait until everything gets better to live peacefully.

The world has come up with different systems and ways in which people can find peace. But most of the methods are temporary solutions. You need something substantial, and that is the peace of Jesus.

What are you going through right now? Are you letting the peace of God reign in your heart or are you busy looking for temporary solutions?

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

Ephesians 6:11 (NIV)

Here are things you should do to have the Peace of God.

  • Study scripture and Pray

Recognize that God is the true source of peace. Get verses about peace and study them. Meditate on these scriptures until they become alive in your heart. Then ask God to help you in whatever season you are in.

  • Stand firm

Stand firm in the word of God and believe that he has heard you and has filled your heart with peace. God will never fail you. You have to believe that everything will work out for your good in the end.

Defend your peace because the devil will try his best to steal it from you.

  • Focus

There more you focus on what is happening the more distracted you become and it leads to anxiety and depression. Shift your focus from the things that are happening in the world and fix your eyes on Jesus.

You have to let the peace of God to reign in your heart. God will not force it on you. When things seem to be working against you, choose to rest in the finished work of Jesus and let God’s peace rule your heart, let God make everything beautiful at the right time.

Mindfulness

by with No Comment Self Care

What’s that?

Mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations.

Why might I practice being mindful?

Mindfulness practices can help us to increase our ability to regulate emotions, decrease stress, anxiety and depression. It can also help us to focus our attention, as well as to observe our thoughts and feelings without judgment.

How can I be mindful?

1. Practice mindfulness during routine activities. 

2. Let your mind wander.

3. Practice mindfulness while you wait.

7 Bible Verses About Mental Health

by with No Comment BibleMental HealthSelf Care
Brown Book Page
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6-7 
“casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”
I Peter 5:7
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”
John 4:27
“For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.”
II Timothy 1:7
“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Romans 12:1-2
“Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”
Proverbs 16:24
“and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,”
Ephesians 4:23

You’re Not Enough

by with No Comment GodMental HealthSelf CareUncategorized

A big struggle many of us face when it comes to our mental health and self-esteem is self worth. Our minds tell us that we’re not smart enough or not pretty enough, and that overall, we don’t fill the glass all the way. The truth about this is… we’re not. We’re not smart enough, which is why we ask God to give us wisdom. And though we may not be the World’s standard of pretty, God thinks we’re all beautiful. Genesis 1:26 tells us that God made us in his image, and Psalm 139:14 says we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.”

This crazy idea that there is anything we can so, do, or think to reconcile our souls is a fallacy. God atones for our sins. He wipes away our blemishes. He says we’re beautiful and loved. Romans 3:23 says that we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. You’re not enough. You’re not perfect, and God knows that. When Jesus Christ came to die on the cross for our sins, he fixed everything. He fixed the perfect mess that we all are.

So, the next time you’re thinking that you’re not enough, remember that you’re not, but that’s why you’re under Jesus Christ’s love and grace. 

Links to all the verses in their entirety

Cool Books to Cuddle Up with this Holiday Season

by with No Comment Life styleSelf Care

Reading can be relaxing for some people, a way to escape the pressures, stresses, and anxiety of the real world in exchange for another, more simpler one. Books are a great way to do that, so here are some (all of different genres) that make for fun reads!

 

1. The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

The History of Love is about an old man who finds a long lost book which connects the old man searching for his son and a girl seeking a cure for her widowed mother’s loneliness.

2. The Prophet by Khalil Gibran

“The Prophet is a book of 26 poetic essays written in English in 1923 by the Lebanese-American artist, philosopher and writer Khalil Gibran. In the book, the prophet Almustafa who has lived in the foreign city of Orphalese for 12 years is about to board a ship which will carry him home. He is stopped by a group of people, with whom he discusses many issues of life and the human condition. The book is divided into chapters dealing with love, marriage, children, giving, eating and drinking, work, joy and sorrow, houses, clothes, buying and selling, crime and punishment, laws, freedom, reason and passion, pain, self-knowledge, teaching, friendship, talking, time, good and evil, prayer, pleasure, beauty, religion, and death.”

3. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is the haunting tale of a man named Victor Frankenstein, who in a passionate scientific frenzy, creates a vengeful monster who is never named.

4. The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank

The Diary of Anne Frank is a coming of age story intertwined in the diary of this young girl, who, in the midst of being terrorized by the Nazis, chronicled her time before and during the war, especially her life in the “secret annex.” Frank, though she died a few months before the war was over, had planned to publish her diary. Her wish was fulfilled by her father, Otto Frank, years later.

5. The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

If you’re looking for an easy read with a great message, this is the book for you! Inside these pages holds over thirty vignettes that display the lives of the occupants of a Chicano community, centering around a girl named Esperanza. Themes of hope, hopelessness, escape, and more are wrapped in to create a complex but universal message that can inspire all of us!

 

These are just a few of many books that you can use to relax this upcoming holiday break. Don’t let yourself get stressed out and remember to breathe.

Burnout: What is it? Do I have it? How do I recover?

by with No Comment Self CareUncategorized

What’s Burnout?

Burnout is exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration. Examples of this are feelings of lack of control, work overload, values conflicting, impending stress, etc.; however, a combination of these is also common.  

Am I burned out?

Some signs of burnout are anxiety, anger, depression, increased illness, loss of appetite, insomnia, and chronic fatigue. The three overarching feelings burnout can give you are physical and emotional exhaustion, cynicism and detachment, and feelings of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment.  

How do I recover?

The main things you need to do to recover are free your mind, relax, and regain your sense of control.

Activities that can get Depression to lighten up.

by with No Comment Self Care

Major Depressive Disorders hits about 6.7% of the adult population in the US per year. Seeing as how pervasive it is, it’s important for us to have skills and techniques top combat it. I’m going to give you 3!

 

Don’t sleep too often. Staying in bed or taking frequent naps during the day only worsens depression and your ability to cope with it. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time. It’s hard when you start, but routine helps!

Eat well. How one eats affects physical and mental health. Eating a good, consistent 3 meals a day (around the same time each day) will help your brain to create more positive thought patterns.

 

Be kind to yourself.  Try to dispel those negative thoughts and treat yourself!

 

So, enjoy the holidays by creating better habits and setting yourself up for success!

5 Yummy Things to Brighten Your Day or Calm Your Night

by with No Comment Life styleSelf Care

1. Put together a Bento Box!

A Bento is a single-portion take-out or home-packed meal. Throw all your creative energy into making one of these!

2. Brew a calming cup of tea (or hot coco)!

All you need is a mug and some water! Tea and other warm drinks help to calm anxiety and relive stress.

Free stock photo of food, cold, person, people

3. Bake some cookies!

Here are a few recipes!

Chocolate Chip | Peanut Butter | Sugar Cookies | Snickerdoodles

Baked Cookies on Brown Rack

4. Savor some ice cream!

Chow down on some of your favs.

Ice Cream on Green Plastic Container

5. Have a Sandwich!

Sometimes, simplicity is best.

Wheat Bread Sandwich

5 Destressing Activities

by with No Comment Self Care

Imagine stress is water, and you’re a bucket. As you get more and more stressed, your bucket will fill up. Eventually, your bucket will start to get heavier and hevaier, weighing you down. In order to avoid this, we destress, putting in spouts to let the water out before it gets too full! Here are 10 ways to destress after a particularly stressful time!

1. Listen to Music 

Studies show that music has a unique link to our emotions that will help us to manage stress and relax. Check out our playlist here.

2. Take a Bath or Shower

Warmth stops pain sensors in the nerves and makes muscles relax. You’ll be less tense and get clean. You can even add bath bombs or salts to make it more fun.

3. Spend time with animals

Research shows that playing with animals releases feel good hormones (such as oxytocin) in humans.

4. Write down what you’re worrying about

This can be extremely soothing because it helps you to get off your chest your worries and get organized.

5. Create!

Just pick something you enjoy and start creating. It’ll help you get your mind off things!

Need more ideas? Look here!

67 Fun Activities To Relax and De-Stress by Outofstress.com

How to Deal With Stress: 5 Fun Activities to Help You Unwind by Huffington Post

40 Simple And Brilliant Ways To Relax and De-stress by Lifehack.org

52 Super Easy (& Totally Inexpensive) Ways to De-Stress by Sheknows.com

5 Self-Care Tips for the Body & Soul

by with No Comment Self Care

1. Don’t Over-Think

You don’t need to have the answers to all of life’s riddles. Life is an unfolding, a discovering, an adventure. Sometimes over-thinking it all can get you into trouble. You miss out on the journey you’re actually on when you’re always stuck in your head. Take it all in with grace and grace will lead you in the right direction.

2. Don’t Compare Yourself to Others

Comparing yourself to others with envy robs you of appreciation for the sacred place your life is in at any given moment. Everyone has had their own long journey and you don’t know what that journey has been like for them ~ how they’ve struggled, what mistakes they’ve made. Use any jealousy you feel as your guide, it’s just showing you what you want in life. Let it lead you to take actions that advance your goals.

3. Eat Green!

Greens, greens and more greens. The more you eat them, the more your tastebuds change and you realize just how delicious food from the earth truly is. The lighter you feel, the better your skin looks, the more energy you have. It’s so easy to slack on healthy eating whenever we’re feeling down or overwhelmed, which only makes us feel worse. Stop and remind yourself to nourish your body, no matter what, and you’ll be able to take empowered steps forward.

4. Don’t Live on Social Media

It’s of course fun to be social. But reading through peoples statuses too often can lead to so many negative feelings, including depression. It’s like watching an advertising campaign for everyone’s life. It’s all shiny and sparkly and well-crafted to present the best, making you feel as though you’re the only one struggling in life. It’s okay to use, but limit it.

5. Watch Less TV

Such a hard habit to break, it’s so tempting to get lost in a Netflix binge. But too much TV robs you of time, creativity and sleep. Goals fly out the window. Motivation gets lost. So does conversation. TV is addictive and it lures you in, try to keep it in moderation.

BONUS: Just Be You

You are perfect. You are invaluable. You are enough.

“We cannot think of being acceptable to others until we have first proven acceptable to ourselves.” 
― Malcolm X

[Courtesy of Strong Sensitive Souls https://strongsensitivesouls.com/25-self-care-tips-for-the-body-soul/]