(Jesus speaking) The Scripture says "I want kindness more than I want animal sacrifices." You don't really understand what those words mean. If you understood them, you would not judge those who have done nothing wrong. Matthew 12:7
(Jesus speaking) "Why do you notice the little piece of dust in your friend's eye, but you don't notice the big piece of wood in your own eye? How can you say to your friend, 'Friend, let me take that little piece of dust out of your eye' when you cannot see that big piece of wood in your own eye! You hypocrite! Frist, take the wood out of your own eye. Then you will see clearly to take the dust out of your friend's eye." Luke 6:41-42
These verses bring up an interesting concept-Personal Responsibility. This is something that we, as a society, seem to be displaying less and less of as time goes on. We're often looking for someone or something to blame for our circumstances-whether it be relationship difficulties, job stress, financial problems or bigger challenges. We could blame our parents, our spouse, our kids, the pastor, our boss, our coworkers, our siblings, our neighbors.....anyone, really. We can also blame our circumstances "I was born poor" or "my family was so dsyfunctional" or "my spouse is such a jerk" or "the company I work for is so bad" etc etc.
The problem with blaming others is that blame keeps us stuck. If I blame my problems on someone else then I will feel powerless to change things and I will feel trapped. Feeling trapped will then lead to feelings of depression and/or anxiety. It's a vicious cycle...something happens, I look for someone to blame, I feel justified in my anger toward the person or situation I blame, and over time, resentment sets in and I begin to feel trapped and like a helpless victim. That cycle repeats until anxiety, depression and eventually despair take over. Does this sound like victorious Christian living to you?!? Surely, this is not how God intended for us to live.
The truth is that we all make choices in life. Sure, sometimes things happen that truly are not our fault-someone else makes a bad decision and we have to deal with the consequences. However, from my years of experience, I have learned that many times, the feelings of being trapped/stuck are of our own making. We make a choice to give up our power to someone else and we stay stuck.
So if we all make choices and we all have personal responsibility for our own lives what are we to do? The bottom line is that if your life is not the way that you want it, you MUST stop blaming others and consider what you are doing to contribute to the problem, especially the feeling of being trapped and powerless. I understand that bad things happen to people. However, because we cannot travel back in time to undo the bad thing that have happened-all we can do is work with the here and now. The present. This is where personal responsibility for our own lives comes into play. We cannot change what has happened to us, but we can change/decide/choose what we will do today.
Maybe it is time to formulate a plan and TAKE ACTION. If you don't take action, how will things ever change?
Some ideas for taking action:
* Call a trusted friend * Talk to your pastor * Call a Christian Counselor * Join a small group Bible study * Go to a 12 step meeting * Ask for prayer and be specific * Talk to your spouse
Take responsibility for your life-this is not a dress rehearsal.
What follows is taken from the book Captivating. If you have not read it, I highly recommend it, and Wild at Heart. Captivating is about women and Wild at Heart is about men. People generally have strong reactions to these books-they either love them or hate them. I'd like to hear from you-about your reactions to one or both books, and to these thoughts that follow. Send me a comment (click on the link at the very bottom of this article, or you may email me at Lena at LenaWright dot com if you prefer.
Enjoy!
"Ladies, you are the Bride of Christ…and the Bride of Christ is a warring bride.
Now, often the hardest person for us to fight on behalf of is ourself. But you must do it. Your heart is needed. You must be present and engaged in order to love well and fight on behalf of others. Without you, much will be lost. It is time to take a stand and to stand firm. We are at war. You are needed.
Yes, men are created in the image of the Warrior King. Men are warriors. But women need to fight, too. It is a powerful good when a man battles for a woman’s heart and stands between her and her enemies. But oftentimes, there is not a man present in a woman’s life to fight on her behalf. And even when there is, God desires the woman’s spirit to rise up in his strength as well. One day we will be queens – we will rule with Jesus (Rev. 21). We need to grow in our understanding and practice of spiritual warfare not only because we are getting beaten up by it but because it is one of the primary ways that we grow in Christ. He uses it in our lives to strengthen our faith, to draw us closer to Him, to train us for the role we are meant to play, to encourage us to play that role and to prepare us for our future at his side.
Much of what he allows in your life is not just for you to accept, but to get you to rise up! God wants you to know how to wield the weapons of warfare, how to take a stand and how to fight.
“One day you will be a Queen and you must open your eyes.” (William Wallace to the Princess in Braveheart)
Women are not meant to be helpless creatures. God has given us a fierceness that is holy and is to be used on behalf of others".
My mom lost her battle with breast cancer in 2005.
This Sunday is the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Northwest Ohio
In Memory of my mom, Judy Pong Sun -I am part of a team my sister organized and raising money for the cause.....I will be sleepin in on race day-not able to travel to be there in person this time, but my sister and friends will be there. I joined the team and am supporting the cause. I am almost to my fundraising goal, can you help?
$5 or $10 or $20 will get me there.....
I also support this cause in honor of my friend, Marilyn who is a breast cancer survivor.
Book Review by Lena Wright www.ConnectionsWellnessCenter.com September 22, 2008
I recently read The Adoption Decision by Laura Christianson. This is a book that I highly recommend for people considering adoption, those already in the process of adopting and even those who have already adopted.
The subtitle of the book is 15 Things You Want To Know Before Adopting, and Laura does a great job of using humor and real life stories to convey serious issues that need to be considered by prospective adoptive parents. I appreciated the author’s use of scripture and her decidedly Christian world view. It helped me to focus in on what is important to God. Most of the books about adoption I have discovered so far do not address the issues from a Christian perspective.
I found The Adoption Decision to be clear and concise, which makes for easy reading. Mrs. Christianson challenges many myths and offers multiple points of view. This book helped to stimulate discussion between my husband and I on many topics related to adoption. I liked that that author not only pointed out things I hadn’t thought of, but she also offered some solutions and ideas for how to handle different situations. She didn’t offer ‘pat’ answers or easy solutions, but she did get us thinking about situations we may encounter with our adopted children. This will allow us to devise our own strategies for dealing with the challenges that we encounter as an adoptive family.
The Adoption Decision also included discussion/reflection questions and a good list of resources. I found this book to be highly useful, user friendly and thoughtfully written. I believe it will be a valued resource as we continue on this Adoption Adventure! I highly recommend The Adoption Decision.
First, our boys (we are adopting 2 brothers from Haiti) are safe and they have food and shelter and caretakers/nannies providing good care.......
but........
This is a heartfelt and somewhat desperate plea from us, as waiting adoptive parents thousands of miles away from our children who still live in Haiti......
We're feeling pretty worried and concerned.......At this time, our boys are safe from the storms, but it's the after effects we are praying about and feel we must DO SOMETHING.
Watch this heartbreaking video called http://www.miamiherald.com/multimedia/slideshows/090808_haiti_floods/
Please pray for Haiti. our kids are safe, but the impact from these storms is only just beginning. It is such a poverty stricken place. The storms have wiped out what little crops there were. the supply and demand for food and clean/safe drinking water causes increases in prices, shortages, and sometimes, riots and violence. There were riots and a coup in April of this year...over the increasing prices. These storms are only making bad things worse.
I got an email from the Orphanage today, and they are seeking to stock up on food (rice & beans, mostly) to help them get thru the coming months. The volunteer/administrator is worried and shared her specific concerns and needs of the orphanage with us as adoptive parents.
Please consider making a donation to the orphanage where our kids (Steeve and Jean Baptiste) are at. They live in Port au Prince at Three Angels Children's Relief.
Or you can sponsor a student at Three Angels Christian Academy for only $27/month by going to the student sponsorship page
School was supposed to start this week-Sept. 8th. But with the storms, the Haitian gov't moved the start of school to the first week in October. The entire country is impacted by the devastation of these storms.
Or
mail your tax deductible donation to: Three Angels Children's Relief 82 Rivertrail Drive Palm Coast, FL 32137
Please pray for Haiti. the boys are safe, but the impact from these storms is only just beginning. It is such a poverty stricken place. The storms have wiped out what little crops there were. the supply and demand for food and clean/safe drinking water causes increases in prices, shortages, and sometimes, riots and violence.
I got an email from the Orphanage today, and they are seeking to stock up on food (rice & beans, mostly) to help them get thru the coming months. There is much uncertainty in Haiti.
I have been to the orphanage and met some of the people involved/in charge. You can trust that this is a nonprofit in Haiti is actually helping the children...they take good care of the kids, and they do ALOT with very little resources. your gift will make a difference!
For another simple way to help, check out my fellow adoptive mom, Cara's post called Rice and Beans Night
This is a GREAT and SIMPLE idea we are going to implement right away. Check it out. Talk to your kids about poverty and living conditions. Teach them all that we all have to be thankful for. Teach them about helping those less fortunate than we are......
Thanks for your time and consideration, prayers and ACTION.
Perhaps your church or school or workplace could collect some loose change.....it really can make a huge difference.....I'm putting a milk jug at my office......or maybe hold a raffle or sell some unused stuff around your house....100% of what is donated goes directly to the children-the administration takes no pay-they are all volunteers.
Please pass this along/forward to anyone you think may help.
We are not asking you to do anything we aren't willing to do. If you normally buy us birthday or Christmas gifts, DON'T! Do this instead. Seriously. Nothing would make us happier....and isn't that what gifts are supposed to be about, anyway? Making the recipient happy?
Recently, I was reading Exodus 15: 22-27. From the New International Version:
The Waters of Marah and Elim
22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah. [fn5] ) 24 So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” 25 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the Lord made a decree and a law for them, and there he tested them. 26 He said, “If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.” 27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water.
When things look impossible, when we are on our last leg, at the end of our rope-with no strength left, this is when we (finally) cry out to God. And then miracles can happen.
Here's what stood out to me as I read this passage:
1) Israelites cried out (griped/complained)to Moses 2) Moses (their leader) cried out to God 3) God showed Moses a specific piece of wood, the NLT says branch. 4) Moses threw the specified piece of wood into the water 5) The water became sweet/drinkable
There is an order to this story. God CAN and DOES do supernatural miracles. And often, this is our preference-as if God were a genie in a bottle. We cry out in a way that says 'save me'. Often, from a mess we have created. Sometimes, from a mess others have dumped on us.
However, it seems to me that, more often than changing things in an instant, God waits for us to ask (ie, surrender) and then obey (ie, do) something. It's a partnership of sorts. I am not implying that God needs us, or that we are equal with God. That is simply not true. God is fully sovereign. God is God and we are not. And yet, He invites us to participate in His work. Will you accept His invitation?
We get to choose to cooperate with God or not. God honors our choices. What if Moses had doubted or questioned God? I can almost hear myself asking these questions:
"What am I supposed to do Lord?" "A branch?!? Seriously?" "Are you kidding me?"
What if Moses had wrung his hands in worry? Or kept praying, after God showed him the branch? "Nice branch, Lord, but we need water."
If Moses was not fully surrendered to God's will AND obedient, the story may have gone differently.
The challenge for us-for all of humanity, since the Fall is how to balance prayer with action. Everything we do ought to be bathed in prayer. It is first and foremost-vitally important. It is our lifeline to God the Father. Sometimes, we get busy, we forget, we make excuses. Or we try to do things on our own power and strength. I call this 'running ahead of God'. Then I have to stop and wait-and ask the Lord to clean up my mess. And He does. Because He is full of grace and love and mercy.
At some point, we have to take action, obey, do something, play our part. Sometimes it's move ahead. Sometimes it's go back. Sometimes it's let go. Sometimes it's pray and continue to wait.
Let's focus on the balance; tuning in to God's still small voice; so that we may know God is Great!
Today is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Since it is back to school time, I thought I would share a bit about Haiti and the Three Angels Christian Academy and a way that you can get involved and help make a difference!
******************************************************************************* Haiti is a Caribbean country occupying the western third of Hispaniola, sharing the island with the Dominican Republic. It is about the size of the state of Maryland, 50 miles from Cuba, and 600 miles from Florida. It is only an hour and a half flight from Florida yet is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.
Haiti has historically been poverty stricken due to a variety of reasons including historical factors such as war and war debt, occupations and dictatorships, isolation and racism that are still impacting Haiti today along with current economic and environmental factors such as international aid sanctions, internal political conflict, deforestation that leads to soil erosion and flooding, hurricanes, etc.
The average Haitian earns less than $1 a day, and there have been estimates that 1 percent of the country's 8.1 million people controls nearly half its wealth (Mozingo). More than half of Haitians eight million people lack access to clean water or sanitation. Fifty percent of the population is undernourished, with one in five children underweight or under-height for their age. Twelve percent of Haitian children die before their first birthday, and one third do not make it to their 5th birthday (globalsecurity.org).
According to a 2004 U.N. report, Haiti ranks with Afghanistan and Somalia as one of three countries of the world with the worst daily caloric deficit per person with 2.4 million Haitians unable to afford the minimum 2,240 daily calories recommended by the World Health Organization. In addition, only 1 in every 10,000 Haitians has access to a physician (globalsecurity.org). A 2005 report declares Haiti the second worst place in the world to live (Moyes). Haiti is the fifth most corrupt nation in the world for 2005, according to Transparency International, a global watchdog group who publish an annual list of corruption levels in 159 nations. Haiti was tied for the most corrupt country in 2004.
The Bible tells us: "These were his instructions to them: "The harvest is so great, but the workers are so few. Pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest, and ask him to send out more workers for his fields. " (Luke 10:2)
I'm writing to let you know about a SIMPLE way that you can help. Maybe you can't adopt a child. Maybe you can't travel to Haiti to work on construction projects. But there is something you CAN do...read on for more info..... Visit here to help today! Please consider sponsoring a student. http://www.threeangelshaiti.org/sponsorship.htm Three Angels Children's Relief opened Three Angels Christian Academy (TACA) aka Institution Mixte Chretienne de Petion-Ville in 2005. TACA serves nearly 400 students in a 2 room building on the Three Angels Campus. There is a huge need for inexpensive, quality schools in Haiti. Well over half of the adult population is illiterate. Most of the children currently attending would not have the opportunity to attend a school without TACA opening and granting scholarships. Without an education there is no way out of the cycle of poverty.
Children in Haiti are starving. The students that attend TACA are hungry too-and you can help! Many of them do not get regular meals at home. At this time, TACA provides 1 meal of bread and peanut butter. For many, this is the only meal they get in a day. The goal is to get sponsorships for all the students, so that a full meal of beans, rice and milk can be provided. The only way that this goal can be reached is via the student sponsorship program. For less than $1.00 per day, you can change the life of a child, and change the world. What better way to change things that to feed and educate a student. For $27 a month you can help end the cycle of poverty. To learn more about this program (it's very simple to do) visit http://www.threeangelshaiti.org/sponsorship.htm $27.00 a month
Imagine the difference that $1.00 can make in the life of these students! It would not be hard to figure out a way to give up something that costs less than a dollar a day to help.
Matthew 6:19-21 says:
“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 rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
God's calling-the harvest is great and the workers are few. Will you answer?
This is an email I got from Marge at NWSE-she's with the agency that placed Lee (our high school age foreign exchange student from S. Korea) in our house for this school year. I thought I would post here to pass the word.
Note that she said if anyone I refer does become a host family, NWSE would make a donation to my favorite charity-which of course would be Three Angels.....so, you can help a high school student, and orphans at the same time!If you have any questions about the process-I'm happy to tell you what I know.
Otherwise, contact Marge directly. Just be sure to let her know you heard about the program from me-so that I can get the donation directed to Three Angels (www.ThreeAngelsHaiti.org)Thanks for reading/considering it. Feel free to share with anyone else you can think of that would make a good host family.
************************************************************************************ Just a short note to all of you - NWSE is in the final 3 weeks of placing our remaining students. If you know of a family or individual that would enjoy sharing their home and life with an exchange student - even as a welcome family (4 to 6 weeks) - anywhere in the US, please let me know.
We have about 25 students left - Girls from Mexico, Japan, Russia, Germany, South Korea, Brazil, Thailand and Kyrgyzstan Boys from Germany, Ukraine, Thailand, Columbia, Brazil, China, & Poland.
NWSE will make a donation to your favorite charity for referals you offer that do result in a student being placed.
The remaining students can be viewed on our website at www.nwse.com/profiles sign in nwsehost password hosting
Thank you for helping spread the word of cultural exchange
Marge Ryan, Regional Manager NWSE Phone 262 245 5717 Fax 775 305 0329 or 800 613 5105 Skype Marge.Ryan www.nwse.com NWSE is a Department of State-designated nonprofit organization listed with CSIET ***************************************************************************************
Recently, I was reflecting on my recent trip to Haiti during some quiet time. Actually, I was laying in bed trying to fall asleep and not succeeding because too much was going on in my head.
I remember being so overwhelmed at first. The sites, the sounds, the smells, there was just so much to take in. People have asked me if it was as bad as I expected. I'm unsure how to answer that question because this was my first mission trip I didn't really know what to expect. The reality of Haiti was worse, so much worse than I expected. And, at the same time, it was also so much better than I expected. The poverty, the despair, the pain, the suffering, the need...everywhere I looked I saw someone who was in need. Real people. Real need-not just for comfort but for survivial. And at the same time, I saw people praising and worshipping God with their whole hearts. I saw people praying and reading their Bibles. I saw laughter and joy in their eyes. I saw beauty. I saw love. I saw hope.
During the first day or two, I remember having a conversation with God about my feelings of being overwhelmed and thinking about what I am doing here-feeling doubtful and inadequate. How could I, in one week make any sort of impact on the huge need in this poverty stricken place? Where people don't have enough to eat, don't have clean water to drink and where most are barely surviving. People are sick, children are dying. The need is so great-it is truly overwhelming and hard to comprehend, let alone explain. Words are inadequate.
I felt overwhelmed and like I was kidding myself into thinking that I could make a difference on this trip or change/save the world. I'd like to tell you that I had some awesome insight or that God spoke to me clearly and explained everything. But that is not what happened. As is more often the case, for me, anyway, God revealed Himself to me bit by bit. And somewhat after the fact. Maybe I'm just a slow learner.
Looking back, I recall some of the American's we met. There was the group that stayed at the guest house with us. They were working on a project to get solar (free energy) cookstoves to the women of Haiti. There is a lot of cancer in Haiti, in part because they cook over open flames and spend hours each day tending a fire. There's also concern about what the cutting down of so many trees for fuel to burn is doing to the environment and concern about food poisoning from improper cooking/handling techniques.
Then there was the lady we met at church and at the airport, who was there to work with pregnant and nursing women and newborns to teach them about breastfeeding. Apparently there is some stigma and superstition associated with breastfeeding among Haitian women. I learned that the rich women in Haiti use formula, and the poor women use flour and water, because it looks like formula, and their babies get sick and die. Ugh.
We met a family at church that were taking their adopted children home from another orphanage. We had one adoptive mom, and an adoptive big sister as part of our group-each adopting two children from Three Angels. Do you know that almost all of the 30+ children currently living at Three Angels have forever families? They are just waiting to go home, while their adoptive families wade through the paperwork and process.
There were the pastors at the church we attended. There were the young Haitian teens who came to the orphanage and led a church service, complete with praise & worship music for the children on Saturday. There was also another large group at the airport when we arrived-all wearing blue tee shirts that said something about God being the God of justice and had images of the island printed on them. There was another group of short term missionaries from the east coast that overlapped with our visit to Mother Theresa's hospital. They visited with the children there, and were on their way to another city to help with the problem of sanitizing the drinking water. There were brochures and information on child sponsorship from a couple of different organizations at the guest house.
Then there's Kaitlyn, a college aged woman who is spending her summer living at Three Angels and ministering to the children, playing with them, holding them, caring for them. She's not there because she has to be, but because she wants to be. And Sandy, the orphanage/house manager who also lives at Three Angels and keeps things moving-working with the nannies, and all the staff, organizing the supplies, entertaining the children, teaching the children and so much more.
And there are all of the Three Angels board members and volunteers in the United States doing so much for the children through the Orphanage, Three Angels Christian Academy and the Halos Medical Mission.
There were the 23 of us. A painter, a nurse, college students, high school students, postal workers, hair stylists, salesmen, business owners, a counselor and so much more. People with very different careers. People from all walks of life. People from different churches. People from different states. Very different people all united by Jesus Christ. Brought together by God to do His work. To play a part in His plan.
As I was reflecting on the trip and all of these people, God revealed several things to me. First, IT'S NOT ABOUT ME. Clearly, I am inadequate for the task at hand, but God is more than enough, more than capable. (2 Corinthians 12:9; Matthew 19:26; Mark 10:27; Phillipians 4:13) And He cares-He cares deeply for all who are lost and all who suffer. (Matthew 25:40; Matthew 25:45) I have a part to play in God's adventure and I must do what I can. Jesus said if you love me, obey me.
Second, the Bible tells us that we are the body, Christ is the head (Romans 12:5; 1 Cor. 12:13; Ephesians 4:4; Colasians 2:19). We all have a part to play-and that was clearly demonstrated in the variety of missionaries I met and the variety of projects that are being worked on to improve life in Haiti. What a cool thing, to be able to see the Bible in action-a real life demonstration through a diverse group of people united by their desire to serve Christ by helping and loving others.
And lastly, God brought to mind that story about 2 friends walking along the beach that was just covered in starfish. Every so often, one friend would stop to pick up a starfish and throw it back into the ocean. The other friend was incredulous and asked why are you bothering with that, there are so many, you'll never make a difference. And the friend who was throwing the starfish said simply "It makes a difference to this one" as he tossed another one back.
So during the trip, I took action. I changed one diaper at a time. I held one (sometimes two or three) child(ren) at a time. I gave one a drink of water or one snack. I picked up one crying child at a time. I rocked one child to sleep. One at a time, one need at a time. One bit of obedience at a time. All for God's glory. Did I change the world? Probably not. But maybe, just maybe, I changed the life of a child. Maybe some day that child will change the life of another person and therefore change the world.
I want the children to know that Jesus loves them. No matter what happens that is one thing that is True and cannot be changed. (Matthew 19:14; Mark 10:14; Luke 18:16). I'm grateful to have had this opportunity. And I'm grateful that someone else obeyed and served, and shared this Good News, this Truth with me. And so now, I do my part and serve willingly, joyfully, gladly. (2 Timothy 1:8)
God willing, (Proverbs 27:1) I will return to Haiti soon to play my part. In the meantime, I will find ways to serve and play my part at home.
The heat is on! As the calendar turns to summer, it is easy to fall into the trap of complaining about the heat, especially here in Arizona. I wonder what would happen if we all took up a challenge to give thanks for the heat? The fact is that there is no perfect place to live and I know that I wouldn’t trade summers here for winters back east. I can still remember the bone-chilling cold and having to scrape ice off the windshields and sidewalks. I don’t miss any of that. This year, let’s make an effort to focus on the blessings of living in this place rather than focusing on the scorching heat. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 tells us:
For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. (emphasis added).
This is a great reminder of the CHOICE we face every day, every moment. The Truth is that our troubles (and the summer heat) won’t last forever. No matter what our circumstances or situation, it will not last forever. We get to CHOOSE what we focus on. The fact is, there will be trouble and suffering in our lives. Jesus told us this. At times, the trouble and suffering are enormous. However, the fact is also that there are a great many blessings and gifts in life to be thankful for as well. Because God gave us a brain and the ability to think, we are free to CHOOSE what we focus on. Paul wrote “So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. “ What we look at and focus on is a choice!
I have learned that if I look for things to criticize, gripe and complain (i.e., whine) about, I will find them. Alternatively, if I look for blessings and gifts to be grateful for and enjoy, I will find those as well. It is a daily, conscious choice to focus on being thankful for the blessings in my life. To me, it is like changing the channel. If something I do not like comes on the television, I have the ability to change the channel or shut the TV off. It is the same with my thoughts. I must begin by paying attention to my thoughts. Often, I am guilty of rushing through life, running from one activity or task to the next, so busy, that I don’t even notice my thoughts. By focusing my attention, I can notice if there are thoughts that need to be changed. When I pay attention to my thoughts, I can then make a CHOICE to do something differently if necessary.
With summer vacation upon us, school getting out, and Bible studies taking a break, our tendency can be to let connection and fellowship take a back seat. This summer, why not make a choice to do something different to stay connected. Perhaps you can schedule a coffee date or a play date. Or maybe invite a friend to lunch or choose a book to read and discuss. Become aware of what you focus on. Talk about spiritual things-ask your friends what God is doing in their lives and how you can pray for them. Stretch out of your comfort zone and do something different. It is only when we stretch and challenge ourselves that growth can take place. The Bible says:
By helping each other with your troubles, you truly obey the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2
Remember, God gave us the ability to make choices. So make a good one today. Start by being thankful for what you do have. If you woke up this morning, you have something to be grateful for!
Lena Wright is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Board Certified Professional Christian Counselor and a Certified Professional Coach. Her passion is helping women be all that God created them to be. She can be reached through her website at www.LenaWright.com where you can obtain a free subscription to her Healthy Communication e-Bulletin.
Got a question for the coach? Email Lena@LenaWright.com
My church is planning a short term mission trip to Haiti this July. I am planning to be part of the team serving at a children's organization called Three Angels.
Please watch the video and keep the team, the children, the finances and the planning in your prayers. If you want to make a tax deductible donation for supplies for the orphanage and/or travel expenses, please contact me for more info.
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; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. 1 Cor. 6:19-20 (NIV)
The Apostle Paul wrote these words to a young church where conflict, strife, division and sexual misconduct were going on. I love how God does not ‘mince words’. Re-read the verses above and you’ll see that it is pretty direct and straightforward. The Truth is that God sacrificed His only Son to save us. Those of us that have heard and accepted this gift have received the Holy Spirit and are born anew. This means that our bodies do not belong to us. We need to evaluate how we are doing at being good stewards in regard to our physical being. Are we taking care of our bodies? Are we honoring God with our bodies?
Here are some tips on how to do just that:
1) Get moving. Take a walk. You can do this at the mall, the YMCA or a local gym or right in your own neighborhood. Take a Tai Chi or Pilate’s class. Gentle, slow moving stretching is good for your muscles and your mood. Park further out from the store when you’re running errands or shopping and walk the extra steps. Our bodies were created to move and often we don’t move them enough. It’s about movement more than it is about exercise. Physical activity is a great stress reliever, plus it helps us to sleep better and improves our mood. So, get moving!
2) Rest. While movement, activity and exercise are great ways to burn off stress, it is also important to get enough rest. Our bodies refresh and rejuvenate while we sleep and when we short change ourselves in this department we make life harder than it needs to be, emotionally, physically and mentally. Some studies have shown that people who don’t get enough sleep tend to be heavier and sicker than those who do get their zzz’s. Besides, if God rested on the seventh day, I think that us humans might need to rest too.
3) Eat right. This can be a particularly challenging task. I’m not suggesting that you deprive yourself but rather that you are mindful of what you are putting in to your body. Be aware of how caffeine, alcohol and sugar affect you and your mood. I encourage you to do a three day experiment where you write down everything you eat and pay attention to how you feel, both physically and emotionally. You may be surprised to learn that what you put into your body not only affects your physical health but also your mental and emotional well being.
This is taken from Dr. Daniel Amen's "Brain in the News" , a weekly commentary on how brain science relates to the news. The brain is involved in everything we do. Wherever there are human stories the brain is involved. From the impact of war and natural disasters on the brain to drug abuse scandals to courtroom dramas to politics the brain is in the news, and you can read about it here.
London’s from story Here’s point. this underscoring is England study new function. brain affects it how and nutrition on place I importance know you’ll time, length any for Clinics amen at done we’ve research work my followed you’ve> Prison Study to Investigate Link between Junk Food and Violence
Some of Britain’s most challenging young prisoners are to be given food supplements in a study aimed at curbing violent behavior. Scientists from Oxford University say the effect of nutrition on behavior has been underestimated. They say increases in consumption of “junk” food over the past 50 years have contributed to a rise in violence. The university will lead the study in which 1,000 males aged 16 to 21 from three young offenders’ institutions in England and Scotland will be randomly allocated either the vitamin-and-mineral supplements or a placebo, and followed over 12 months.
In a pilot study of 231 prisoners by the same researchers, published in 2002, violent incidents while in custody were cut by a more than a third among those given the supplements. Overall, offenses recorded by the prison authorities fell by a quarter. John Stein, professor of physiology at Oxford University, said: “If you could extrapolate from those results you would see a reduction of a quarter to a third in violent offenses in prison. You could reduce violent offences in the community by a third. That would have a huge economic benefit.”
“Our initial findings indicated that improving what people eat could lead them to behave more sociably as well as improving their health. This is not an area currently considered in standards of dietary adequacy. We are not saying nutrition is the only influence on behavior but we seem to have seriously underestimated its importance.” Mark Walport, head of the Wellcome Trust, which is funding the three-year study, said: “If this study shows that nutritional supplementation affects behavior it could have profound significance for nutritional guidelines, not only within the criminal justice system but in the wider community - in schools, for example.
We are all used to nutritional guidelines for our physical health but this study could lead to revisions taking account of our mental health.”The theory behind the trial is that when the brain is starved of essential nutrients, especially omega-3 fatty acids, which are a central building block of brain neurons, it loses “flexibility”. This shortens attention spans and undermines self-control. Even though prison food is nutritious, prisoners tend to make unhealthy choices and need supplements, the researchers say.
Bernard Gesch, a senior scientist in the department of physiology and head of Natural Justice, a charity that investigates the causes of offending, said prisoners would be given the supplement with 100 per cent of the recommended daily amount of more than 30 vitamins and minerals plus three fish-oil capsules on top of their normal diet.“We are trying to rehabilitate the brain to criminal justice. The law assumes crime is a matter of free will. But you can’t exercise free will without involving your brain and the brain can’t function properly without an adequate nutrient supply. It may have an important influence on behavior. This is a positive approach to preventing the problems of antisocial and criminal behavior. It is simple, it seems to be highly effective and the only “risk” from a better diet is better health. It is a rare win-win situation in criminal justice” said Gesch.
Of course, you should consult with your health care provider before embarking on a diet or exercise program and using supplements. Everyone's needs are different and it's important to seek assistance when making decisions about supplements.
High quality supplements and nutritional cleansing information is available through Isagenix International-including a high quality Omega 3-6-9 supplement. Learn more at www.lenawright.isagenix.com
Lena Wright is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Professional Coach and Board Certified Professional Christian Counselor. She is the founder & President of ConnectionsWellnessCenter.com and specializes in nutrition coaching to address a variety of mental health issues including depression and anxiety.
I hope that you had a great holiday season and are settling back into your routine. Did you make any resolutions? I don't make resolutions any longer, because I feel that they are too big and too broad and they tend to set us up for failure. I do however like to review the year and set some small goals. What are your goals? What are you working on this year? What are you looking forward to?
What better time than the start of a new year to set some goals-and perhaps to consider getting some counseling or coaching services to help you reach your goals and to hold you accountable for the changes you want to make. If you are ready to take action toward your goals, contact me today. www.ConnectionsWellnessCenter.com
Here's a little something that made me smile. I hope it makes you smile too. Enjoy!
Lena
Awestruck.....
In 1990 a woman entered a Haagen-Dazs in the Kansas City Plaza for an ice-cream cone. While she was ordering, another customer entered the store. She placed her order, turned and found herself face to face with Paul Newman. He was in town filming a movie. His blue eyes made her knees buckle. She finished paying and quickly walked out of the store, her heart still pounding.Gaining her composure she suddenly realized she didn't have her cone; she turned to go back in.At the door she again came face-to-face with Paul Newman who was coming out. He said to her, "Are you looking for your ice-cream cone?" Unable to utter a word she nodded yes."You put it in your purse with your change."
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