Beauty in your life- change your thoughts for a positive outlook
If humans had taglines, what would yours be?
My tagline would be “silent strength, loud impact.” Im a quiet leader who lets my results do the talking.
People assume strength is loud, but in reality strength is silent. It is resilience, the will to never surrender your dignity.
Every difficult time has the potential for growth, strength, and ultimately blessing. Trials and struggles can serve as a refining process that leads to understanding and a closer relationship with God.
There is power through perseverance and resilience that may be rewarded. Just as good is refined through fire. When we endure difficult times we emerge stronger, become more resilient, and have a greater appreciation for the blessings we receive.
James 1:12 tells us,
“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”
Battles and trials tend to force us to rely on our faith and inner strength. Facing challenges head on can deepen our understanding of our character. The process of overcoming trails and struggles can help us become stronger, and have a more resilient spirit.
Our battles and struggles can be a catalyst for possible change in our lives. Trials can reveal our hidden strengths, foster empathy toward others and can even open doors for opportunities.
Even though it can be difficult to see the blessings in the middle of a trial. We can reflect on how our trials might be shaping us. I focus on what God is trying to teach me through every trial I have. Asking myself “What strength am I discovering in myself right now?”
Blessings in the middle of a trial don’t always mean grand outcomes. Look for small, daily gifts -like a kind word from another, or a moment of peace, or even the ability to keep going.
We often emerge from trials with greater clarity about our values or purpose in life.
Trials can be overwhelming and not every moment feels blessed until we are on the other side of it.
What are the most important things needed to live a good life?
There are a few things we need to have our basic needs met like food, water, shelter and good health. Safety and security, purpose, and freedom are next. Then mental and emotional well-being. The most important thing we need is love.
1 Corinthians 13:3 in the Bible says. “If I give away all my food away to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but don’t have love, it profits me nothing.” I believe the most important need in human life is love.
Who do you spend the most time with?
I spend most days with Jesus because my husband works and I’m not one for other people’s “drama.” It seems like it getting worse over the years.
I cultivate a personal relationship with Jesus through prayer, worship, and Bible study. Prioritizing a spiritual connection with Him I am at peace and happy.
“The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever” -1 John 2:17
This scripture is very blunt and simple, but it carries tremendous weight. Every day in our lives, there are things that we give attention to that will pass away and other things that will not. The scripture speaks clearly into this reality.: choose wisely.
One of my greatest challenges as a mother, wife, and friend is warning to consistently live with an eternal perspective. It’s so easy to slip into the temporary. Money, wealth and status can often feel critical. People chase promotions and chase material things, but they lose reverence over decades or in death. Wealth doesn’t equal happiness.
Matthew 6:19-21 speaks about earthly possessions,
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and neither moth nor rust destroys, where thrives do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Our lives are made up of many numbers of hours on earth. There is no escaping that. Our clock is always ticking whether we like it or not. What we choose to do with our time matters.
It is so easy to let inconsequential things begin to crowd out the things that matter most. Sometimes the things that will not matter even a year from now are the very things that consume our minds and emotions most.
Living with a true eternal perspective:
Perhaps it starts with the voice of affirmative matters, the motion life. At some point, we have to decide whether we are interested in obedience to the world of God or care more about the affirmation of other people. they are not always in conflict, but they certainly will on occasion, and we have to choose. Being an honest pursuit of immediate to God is a place to begin.
I have begun asking myself a few questions in life to decree what really matters. Temporary gratification and eternal happiness.
If I look back on this season of life 10 years from now, what do I imagine I am most likely to wish I had spent more time doing?
There will always be a time when we must choose priorities or making hard decisions, made the question I asked myself can be a good use to you. Whatever the process, we must be intentional with our time and priorities.
In the end, the opinion of other people is not what I live for. I live be obedient to the will of God. There are so many places that I can spend my time and energy. Yet, intentional and discerning choices are a must.
Every day we choose between temporary things and internal things. Lots of voices are calling for our attention. Choose wisely.
“…Burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life” -2 Corinthians 1:8
Many people think suffering is unbiblical. We tend to think that spiritual maturity somehow makes us immune from pain and suffering. The more spiritually mature we are, the less emotional pain we experience when we suffer.
I can picture the Apostle Paul having us sit down to talk with us. Few people were considered more spiritually mature than Paul. Paul did not glide through suffering on some spiritual cloud of invulnerability or invincibility. In the Bible, we read of Paul’s candid descriptions of his personal experiences tell of his suffering.
Paul felt his suffering was far beyond his ability to endure. He responded to his suffering by despairing life itself. His external suffering was so traumatic that he felt he received a sentence of death. He repeatedly pleaded with God to take away his suffering.
In case Paul is not enough of an example of the emotional turmoil in the midst of suffering, Jesus endured soul suffering in Gethsemane. Matthew 26:37 and John 13:37 tells us He was sorrowful and troubled, overwhelmed to the point of death. So much so that He sweat drops of blood.
Jesus told us pain and suffering would be part of our lives. But He doesn’t simply say we will have trials and sorrow and then leave us to figure it out. He promises peace and reminds us that our tough times aren’t without purpose.
While it’s true sometimes our youth times are caused by our own bad choices. God can still work all things together for those who believe in Him.
Paul was a man who underwent beatings, shipwrecks, and multiple imprisonments, but he recognized something that is essential for us to remember as believers -our pain is not meaningless but has a purpose. Not in some situations but in all things.
Our suffering never concludes without God’s power working through it supernaturally.
Nothing can prepare us for the disappointment in life, especially when we feel God has let us down. Through every season of suffering God is there to help us through the pain and helps us grow through every trial to mature us and become stronger with Him.
Bring your pain to God don’t run from Him. When we run from Him, all we are left with is our limited ability to cope with what we are walking through. God invites us to draw near to Him so we can experience His peace, healing, and closeness.
God never instructs us to suppress our pain but shows us where to direct it. When we bring our pain to God we are able to recognize that there is a purpose and time for everything. The One who loves us unconditionally will reveal His divine purpose through it.
When we fill our lives with God and surround ourselves with people who speak hope and encouragement into our lives our experiences become healthier.
But, when we fill our minds with wrong thoughts “God is maf at me, God is not good, worse things are going to happen.” we will continue to struggle to experience the peace of God that He promises.
Something powerful happens when we actively choose to worship through our suffering. We are not denying reality, we are simply redirecting our focus from worrying to to worship.
Worship changes our perspective to where our confidence and hope reside. Worship redirects our thinking, and puts the results in God’s hands.
I believe this is why Paul and Silas could praise God when they were chained in prison. God used their imprisonment for the spread of the gospel which ultimately resulted in the New Testament church on the continent of Europe.
Our biggest sorrows cam result in our greatest joy.
When I think about Jesus’s greatest sorrow -suffering the shame, punishment, and death for our sins, the result becomes a great joy. The redemption of humanity and the opportunity for a relationship with the living God.
Jesus willingly suffered the greatest pain because He knew it would end in the greatest joy. He said in Matthew 28:20 “Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age, Amen.”
“I am leaving you with a gift -peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give” -John 14:27
This week we are studying the book of Jeremiah in my Bible study. He was known as the weeping prophet. He was a major prophet in the Old Testament called by God to deliver messages to Judah during a time of spiritual decline, political turmoil, and impending judgment. His story spans roughly 40 years from about 627 BC to the fall of Jerusalem.
Jeremiah was born in a priestly town near Jerusalem likely from the tribe of Levi. God’s call on Jeremiah is described as a direct divine encounter revelation. But, he responded with reluctance telling God he was to you g and didn’t know how to speak. He felt inadequate which made him unqualified. God counters those words by saying “Do not say, “I am too young,” You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you.” (Jeremiah 1:7-8).
God touches Jeremiah’s mouth saying, “I have put My words in your mouth. It’s a symbolic act that Jeremiah will speak God’s Words, not his own, God tells him to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and plant. It’s a dual role of pronouncing judgement and offering hope. Jeremiah has to get ready to speak boldly. He knows of the opposition from kings, officers, priests and people. But, he has the assurance of divine strength again the persecution he would face,
Throughout the Bible God highlights sovereignty in choosing and equipping His servants despite their weaknesses.
Jeremiah was known as the “weeping prophet due to his deep emotional anguish over the spiritual state of Judah and its impending judgement that he was called to prophecy to. His sorrow is evident through the book of Jeremiah and Lamentations. Jeremiah passionately loved his people and grieved because of their idolatry, injustice, and refusal to repent despite his warnings. He was their unfaithfulness as a betrayal of God’s covenant. And his pleas for repentance were ignored, causing him personal pain.
God tasked Jeremiah will delivering messages of Jerusalem’s destruction and the Babylonian exile. Knowing the suffering that awaited his people -famine, captivity, and the temple’s destruction, filled him with sorrow.
Jeremiah’s personality was naturally compassionate, which made him deeply affected by his role. Jeremiah could not deliver messages of judgement without detachment. He internalized Judahs fate weeping for both their sin and the consequences of it,
Jeremiah 3:9-10 show us Jeremiah’s tears were not just personal, they reflected God’s heart, who grieved over Judah’s rebellion while longing for their repentance.
His weeping underscores hid role as a mediator between God and the people,embodying both divine judgment and mercy.
Jeremiah’s emotional authenticity made him a powerful figure in God’s promise of a new covenant with God’s new covenant with His people.
“Never let yourself become separated from God, the stakes are too high and the battle too fierce.”
This is a powerful reminder of the importance of spiritual connection for many people. Especially in challenging times. Staying grounded in faith can provide us with strength and guidance when facing lives battles.
When we can anchor ourselves in the strong foundation of faith it can be like a rock in a storm -unshakable and steady. Jesus is the cornerstone of faith He is the beginning of the construction and provides a reference for all the other pieces.
The cornerstone of our faith is often seen as trust in God’s presence and promises and gives us a foundation for resilience and hope.
I have found that the reflection and gratitude in following Jesus have become the anchors that keep my faith vibrant and personal. Reflection allows me to pause the process, and recognize God’s presence in my life., while gratitude shifts my focus to His blessings, fostering my heart being rooted in trust and love.
An example of reflecting on a time in my day, when I feel guidance, peace, or even challenge can reveal God’s hand at work.
A practice of meditation of scripture can deepen this, and let me hear God’s voice. Scriptures like John 15:4,
“Abide in Me, and I in you. As a branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”
I try to ask myself “Where did I see God today?” or “What is He teaching me?” This helps me keep a strong connection with God.
Gratitude is as vital as reflection. It’s not just about listing blessings but cultivating a mindset that sees God’s goodness even when we struggle. I write 3 things each night that I am grateful for, something I can go back to, when I’m having a difficult time remembering God‘s blessings. And transform my perspective.
Philippians 4:6 encourages this,
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”
Gratitude keeps our hearts soft and open and counters the battles that life can cause.
Reflection and gratitude build a rhythm that guards against separation from God. They can remind us of His constancy, especially when the stakes feel high and the battle is fierce.
If you had to change your name, what would your new name be?
I believe names are associated with destinies. While there is no evidence to confirm this. It is based on cultural beliefs, history context and does have psychological impact on a persons life.
If I had no choice and had to change my name I would flip my names and go with my middle name Elizabeth. This is my nagymama’s (grandma’s) name. She is someone who made a lasting impression on me. Her name in Hebrew means “God is my oath.”
Describe your dream chocolate bar.
If I were to describe my dream chocolate bar I would start with a chocolatey base made of milk chocolate, studded with chewy, fluffy marshmallow and walnuts.
Each bite of the different textures would be an indulgent surprise in your mouth.
Courage is our inner strength to face fear, uncertainty, or adversity head-on. It’s not the absence of fear but the choice to act despite it. It’s driven by conviction, purpose, or necessity.
To me, courage is a virtue, balancing recklessness and cowardice. Psychologically, it ties to resilience and self-efficacy – believing we can handle what comes.
A professor in college taught me that courage activates the prefrontal cortex of the brain that overrides the fear response.
Courage either manifests itself every day in small acts like speaking up, taking risks, or enduring hardship. It can manifest in extraordinary moments, like heroism in crisis.
Courage is deeply personal to each individual. It’s what takes courage for one might be routine for another. It’s all about why it matters to you and what’s at stake.
Courage can grow when we align actions with values, even when we are uncomfortable.
Joshua 1:9 Jesus tells us,
“Haven’t I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Courage isn’t about how many times you fall, its about how many times to get back up.
From Pity to Praise