Author Archives: Ash’Leigh Harris

About Ash’Leigh Harris

Believer•Wife•Stay at Home Mom•Joyful•Strong

Gossiping With Our Daughters Does More Harm then Good

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With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors, but through knowledge the righteous escape. Proverbs 11:9

Hey Momma! I wanted to shine some light on an area I believe as Mom’s we tend to over look because we think we are woman and by nature we like to gossip or defend with gossip especially pertaining to our daughters.

It is something we learned a long time ago in our childhood. We got upset. Some girl hurt our feelings so who do we trust? Who do we go and run to in a state of crisis (especially the younger aged girls trying to figure out life in 4th grade on up) Our Momma!! By God’s design as a woman and mother we are the spiritual guiders and the protectors of our children. After all, they are the fruit of our wombs, our treasures, our babies, and NO ONE better inflict pain or grief on what is ours! When we are not spiritually discerning and concentrating on TRUTH, we can over look our position as the soft landing, the hug, the reassurance, the security that they are so desperately needing in that moment of such horrific attack. So what we do is at an early age we create a very bad habit of teaching them to cope with their feelings by slinging mud back. We teach them that it is okay to lower someone else’s character/personality/actions by counter attacking with harsh and mean words to make us feel better in that moment.

It commonly can look like this…

“Mom! I am so upset! Kaitlyn today started to make fun of my jeans at lunch. She was telling everyone that I can’t be friends with her or whoever likes her because I am a mean person. Ugh she makes me so mad, she is the one that is stupid and says mean things to those girls she thinks are her friends behind their back. It really hurt my feelings when she started making fun of my jeans. I know I have different style but in front of every one in the cafeteria. Everyone was staring at me and laughing and I just wanted to hide under the table.”

Angry Momma Bear response;

“Kaitlyn huh? You mean Kaitlyn the girl who always has a dirty sweater on and her hair is never brushed? I can’t believe that girl had the nerve after all the things she wears. I mean I can’t even believe her mom lets her leave this house like that? Do they even own a washing machine? Don’t worry about her honey, you are way prettier, way smarter, why stylish then her. She is just jealous. Next time talk about her dirty hair at the lunch table. That should make her stop.”

And wow it just gets really ugly and out of control fast.

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21

When we gossip we are two people speaking words of power (blessings and curses) and coming into agreement with them together. The mud we are slinging back onto the girls are not from heaven. They are from the pits of hell. We know Satan is the Accuser of the brethren. Can you see all the curses that are flying when we team up with our daughter and fight back with unkindness?

 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. James 3:9-10

Instead what we can do is lure the enemy into our camp, and then STRIKE HIM DOWN.

So what he meant for evil and such attack on dear daughter’s identity now becomes an opportunity for you to tare down his strongholds over her mind, and release freedom over her to stop believing the lies he wanted her to identify as truth in the first place, using the attacker friend as a messenger to manifest untruth in her current reality about herself.

Let me explain. You can not protect baby girl from all the evil and mean girls in the world! You will never be able to no matter what her age is, but if you are a wise momma you can give her tools to rise above the gossip and the mean word curses by giving her a super natural weapons called discernment, truth, and love.

One day the Holy Spirit gave me discernment on just how to have this moment with my daughter. I spoke the words out of my mouth he was giving me, and even though she did not enjoy it, she was finally able to calm down and understand that out of love I was trying to guide her into walking in truth and love and not hate. (It was also a wonderful illustration that she would be able to remember and hold on to.) I am thankful that the father aided me in this situation. The Bible says all we have to do is ask for wisdom and he will give it to us. It is so important as a Mom to reach out to PaPa God and seek his guidance in all areas of raising babies in our motherhood! So just a side note-ask him for help when you don’t know what to say!

I quickly explained to her that we live in a Seed–Plant–Harvest Ecosystem.

I then further explained that because of this Ecosystem we reap what we sow.

Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips. Psalms 141:3

I told her to imagine that she has this Fruit Garden that she toils. For each kind word she speaks over her friends at school, or enemies..she plants a seed that will grow the most beautiful apple trees. I explained that these were not just any kind of apples, but the Best tasting juiciest apples she has ever flopped her lips to. I then told her to imagine what a mean and ugly word would produce? Every thing spoken out of your mouth is ready to be set into motion, wether good or bad, for us or against us. Our words have POWER. God’s words have so much power he Spoke everything into being! Can you imagine what kind of fruit is going to grow from a ugly tree? She sat there and you could tell it was trying to sync in. But this stuff is hard to let become truth because the FLESH feeds off offense, jealousy and anger! It gets a power surge when it feels like after it has been offended it let out the harder blow. Placing it on top, feeling like a winner. How foolish though because in reality the only thing that we feed to make feel good was the flesh, and now that tree we just planted has some stinky nasty fruit about to grow. When you get a nasty stinky garden, people around you can see and smell the rotten fruit, and guess what? You are not appealing to someone they want to be a friend to!

I then told her to remember the girl that flung the mood is planting as well at the same moment. She has a garden too. If her actions and words are ugly and harsh to those around her, she will eventually start losing friends because of the not so attractive garden she is cultivating. She did strike first. She did initiate the war so to speak on words, but you don’t have to fall for the enemies trick to cause you to spoilup your beautiful garden. That ugly is all on them. Let her keep it, not share it and cause your Garden to be contaminated.

I know this is hard. We are not so great a mastering our tongues, but there is Grace for the times we mess up. Grace to realize our feelings got us out of control, repent- forgive and try again to make a better choice in the future. You have to be very disciplined to keep a watch over your mouth.We can also along with our daughters stretch and grow in this mouth area! I know it is hard but I do believe that if we teach them this at a super EARLY age, and we continue to model to them what is the best use of our words and time as we communicate with others, and them about their problems, we are building their endurance up to exercise those spiritual truths and spiritual disciplines.

Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good….Titus 2:3

Ways to Grow Together not Gossip Together

  • Watch your own actions and words. She is watching you interact with your friends wether you notice her doing this or not. She is listening to how you react to harsh words spoken to you and what your responses are.
  • Be attentive and intentional– Listen to her side of the story. Let her know you care about her feelings being upset.
  • Be truth and Wisdom-Discern how the enemy has used this to attack her using her friend as the messenger. Then reveal truth in that discernment. Teaching our girls to look at the situation from a fresh perspective will help them to realize our emotions have a huge impact on what is actually fact or fiction.
  • Be the light in the Darkness– Pull out the GOLD and strengths inside of your daughter; pin point the insecurity and then build her up! Take the focus off the attacker and onto the deep seated root of her pain. Remind her that we have one enemy and he uses people to attack us.
  • Pray– Break that word curse off of her, ask the Holy Spirit to give her a chance to bless this person, and then pray for freedom to walk away. Teach her how to pray for those who hurt her. Ask that the father would open their eyes and remove the veil of darkness that is keeping them from seeing truth themselves. Also, pray for strength to remove herself from the situation and bite her tongue. Pray for discernment for your daughter so that when these word attacks come, she can see the enemy and his schemes or plan of attack. Pray spiritual armor over your daughter each day together. Teach her how to do this for herself as well.
  • Affirm to her the love you have for her, how special she is, and how much God loves her and desires her to walk each day out no matter what her age may be in freedom in him, and LOVE!

Father help us to steward motherhood rooted in your love and truth. I ask that you would give us spiritual discerning eyes to see the enemy and his attacks towards our children and their God given identity. Let us speak the words of love and truth over them and to them, and God please give them a heart to receive truth. Give our daughter spiritual antennas to realize that they wrestle not with girls at school, but with spiritual powers and principalities and darkness of this world, but greater is HE who lives in her than he who is ruler of this world. Give us strength to learn the lessons again that we have missed from our childhood. Let us be women who speak truth over our friends and enemies when people are looking and listening and not looking or listening. Help us to understand that our words have power to bless and to curse and help us to be disciplined in this area to have soft words like honey to put out the fires of the darts flown into our own camps! Thank you for your wisdom and revelation on this topic. I pray that the woman reading this would be blessed, strengthened, and encouraged in her role as Momma! In Jesus Name! Amen

Ash’Leigh Harris

How To Successfully Transition Into Becoming A Stay At Home Mom

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Hey Girl Hey! So you made it here because you are experiencing some mega life changes am I right? And you feel kinda overwhelmed, apprehensive, curious if you made the right choice, or possibly even angry and upset that life circumstances made you change your plan for you.(we can chat about that later) I totally get what you are experiencing and I am here to tell you hang tight friend because I promise you once the beginning of the transition period is over, you will find the peace your desperately searching for. I happen to be a NEWBIE too! I left the work world in June of 2021 and here I am…slaying this Stay at Mom thing.

First of all CONGRATULATIONS on becoming a Stay at Home Mom! You just got a secret invite to one of the greatest experiences/job/opportunities/ministries known to Womanhood! So let’s celebrate that you have been blessed with the privilege and the honor to serve in that capacity.

I am a curious by nature girl so let me save you the time on trying to weed out which blog post was specifically designed for you for transitioning to a stay at home mom. If you are reading this I am about to launch you into FREEDOM of the Chaos of the Unknown and the insecurities and pressures that you might be facing. Are you ready to be free? Great!

So here it is, are you ready? There is only ONE Requirement to qualify you to become the World’s Greatest Stay At Home mom! ONE!

LOVE for Your People!

Love will be the Master Key to unlock success.

Let me explain! There are tons of blog post out there, How To’s to transition, but if I am being honest you were not designed to fit into a cookie cutter “How to Mold”! You have a family that is so beautiful, and so unique that only you can really Captain your Home Ship so to speak effectively. You are the heart beat of the home. You are the care taker, the joy, the giver of hugs and kisses, the peace, the helper, there server, the guide, and the teacher. Your role as Stay at home Mom is vital to the happiness of your home. You are the atmosphere shifter and the prayer intercessor. You got a lot on your plate Momma, so be patient with yourself.

For the sake of the Visual bullet seekers, I will make some bullet point tips, but there is a one rule! You have to keep your plan of action as unique and special as you and your family are. Only You know the real NEEDS of each family member, and your home.

  • Study Your people
  • Set Priorities
  • Become a Creative Home Maker
  • Set a Routine- Planners are our Friends
  • Be patient with yourself and the time of the transitioning
  • Devote time to spend with Jesus
  • Find a Support Community or a circle of Friends You visit with consistently
  • Enjoy this Season! They are only in your care for a short amount of time!

Study your People

I first asked my husband what are some things he expects of the house. Some people are more comfortable in a dust free home. sigh.. we are not immaculate people..we live in our home, but keep It clean! I took a few seconds to ask each one of my children and Husband which room they enjoyed spending the most time in. My children replied their bedrooms, and my husband replied his garage. Perfect, now I know which areas they need a soft landing to unwind and relax when they get home from School and Work. I use this as an opportunity to bless them in these rooms. I have a set day of the week where I go into their rooms, wash their bedding, tidy their room, and my favorite thing to do is Decorate for Holiday’s and Special Occasions! I will explain further more in another blog post!

Set Priorities

Determine which areas need the most attention Daily. Establish a daily run through chore list: make beds, tidy entry way, feed dog, feed cats, scoop the litter box, prep dinner, run the dishwasher, complete a load of Laundry.

Become a Creative Home Maker

Check out Youtube videos on what a creative home maker is. You can get creative and intertwine those creative parts of you into your home life. I love to craft so this is where making banners for my kids to hang in their room with their basketball jersey, etc comes into play.

Set a Routine

This will be special and not a cookie cutter plan because only you know how to best run your house hold cleaning, grocery shopping, meal prepping, errand running, appt setting, etc..etc..I personally have the daily chores I complete just to make the day run smooth, and then I have set days I perform different cleaning duties. Example: Master bedroom/bedroom -Monday, Toilets-Tuesday, Kitchen-Wednesday, HBH-Thursday…etc, and so on! You also need to make sure you are including devotion time with the Lord, and wellness. Momma needs to take good care of herself so she can take care of her treasures! Don’t forget lunch dates/play dates with friends! Oh, and don’t leave out husband…date night!

Be Patient with Yourself

Take a deep breath…… the only one putting pressure on you, is you. Take your time with establishing what works best for you and your family. You may realize two months in, you need to make some adjustments, and of course life will happen that will bring in the chaos to irritate your mission. Stay the course… you are going to do amazing!

Like I said above, I am new to all of this too, and then to add because I had to be a stay at home mom due to a chronic illness diagnosis equals a hazy/hard transition. I am still technically transitioning, so we can transition together.

Comment below if you enjoyed this post and let me know what your experiencing through the stay at home mom transition. 🙂

xoxo -Ash

You Got to Let Go to Receive

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In order to receive something from someone else, ones hands must be empty. So many times our patient Lord has steadfastly waited for me to come to the end of myself in any given situation to receive what he had for me in that Season to thrive. So many times we are seeking and asking the Lord for his help but we are too busy asking with our hands full of the tools we think we need to fix the problem, not realizing only his tools were designed to fix our specific repairs. In order for him to “demolish” my anxiety, I have to let my anxiety go to receive his Peace. In order for him to heal my wounded heart, I have to let go of the sorrow and take it to him in the love exchange to mend what is broken. In order for him to give me joy and patience, I have to drop the anger and bitterness. There is always this GREAT LOVE EXCHANGE with our Lord, why? Because he is a gentle man, he will not get involved until he is asked. He allows us free will to make our own choices in life. We are created to fellowship with him, but also to be made more and more into the image of his Son Jesus from glory to glory. The most dangerous thing we can do is have a prideful spirit and believe apart from him we can handle our own lives, our own problems. Not only that, God is the essence of Brilliance. His ways are wiser than ours.

So let me ask you a question! What is it that you have been holding onto. That one thing you haven’t taken to him. Maybe out of anger towards him, or fear that it’s too big for him to fix? Maybe you haven’t been in a position for that exchange out of shame? He is merciful and he is just to forgive you if you confess and repent of maybe something you even caused to yourself out of rebellion or disobedience. Nothing can separate you from his love. He is always, always, always ready and waiting to save the day! After all he is our SAVIOR, our REDEEMER. It’s what he does best! 😉 His love overcomes what you hide in the dark. His Love overshadows mistakes, wounds, fear, brokenness, despair, and regret. Nothing means Nothing! 😉

If this is you and you are just not sure how to initiate the conversation with God let me help get your started! Repeat after me:

Lord, I thank you for your love and your mercy. I rejoice that there is no other God like you because you are enough for me! I just can’t bare the load of _____________________. I have come to the end of myself. I repent for trying to fix this situation all by myself. I know that you are the God of the impossible and I know this situation seems impossible but I lay my ________________________ down at your feet, and I receive by faith your mercy, your love, your forgiveness, your grace, your power, your_____________. I rejoice in what you are working out for my good behind the scenes. Even if I don’t see it, I know you are working it out, and I praise you for that. I don’t want to be left in my own despair! Rescue me, help me, change me, set me free. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen

Faith Comes From What is Heard

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Romans 10:17 Faith, then, is birthed in a heart that responds to God’s anointed utterance of the Anointed One.

The Scriptures teach us that faith comes from hearing. It is a belief that is birthed into our hearts and then is reproduced by our response/actions we carry out in this belief system. But just as there is faith there is also fear. Fear like faith comes from hearing. It is contagious. Such as Hope is contagious. Faith is complete trust and confidence in someone or something. Fear is an unpleasant emotion of a belief caused by something believed to be dangerous, a threat, or cause pain. Both are all birthed through what we hear. What we hear, what we accept, this is what we truly believe. That is why there is power in your Testimony, and why it is so important to SHARE with others what God has saved you from. Your words have power! Power to Bless, and Power to Curse. What are you listening to? Better yet, who are you listening to? I have said this before but I truly believe birds of the same feather always flock together. The direction you take depends on the movement of the wind your sailing on. Jesus will always carry you onward and upward. He says I have a good plan for your life. A plan to prosper you and to not harm you, to give you HOPE FOR YOUR FUTURE!

So when the doctor says you will be in a wheelchair in 5 years, you smile politely and say under your breath,”The is not where Jesus has planned to take me devil! I will not attach my faith to this fear!”

Jesus is the word.

Jesus saves.

Jesus transforms.

Jesus redeems.

Jesus set’s free.

Jesus heals the sick.

Jesus cast out devils.

Jesus came for the lost.

Jesus comforts those who mourn.

Jesus can raise the dead to life.

Jesus is alive.

Jesus is interceding on your behalf right now.

Jesus loves you.

Nothing is too impossible for him. His word is laced with treasure upon treasure upon treasure of his promises to you. Let me encourage you to grab hold to one of these promises. Believe in the promise. Wrestle with the promise to no get discouraged when you don’t see the tangible evidence manifested yet. Read a scripture promise out loud ever day until the words become your truth. Until your faith is stirred into a response which will then deliver action!

Are You Walking In The Wilderness?

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Isaiah 43:

18  l“Remember not the former things,

nor consider the things of old.

19  mBehold, I am doing a new thing;

now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

nI will make a way in the wilderness

oand rivers in the desert.

I asked the Lord for a promise I could share on my blog for this upcoming week, and I heard very softly and assertively, ” I will make a way in the wilderness.” When we hear wilderness we think of a (Wild) place. For me I think of a scary dark place no one goes to. It is actually an uninhabited land, a desert place; lonely. Maybe you are experiencing PEOPLE problems, poor health, job changes, damaged or broken relationships, new diagnosis’s, loss of a loved one/friend, divorce, the abrupt ending of a once lively and habituated place now gone and out of sight. Now all you can see is the Desert in front of you, and you are scared. Suffocated by the loneliness of the new. You have never been here before so in your circumstance you can’t even fathom how “Behold, I am doing a new thing” could even be a possibility. But Jesus promises that he will never leave you nor forsake you. Even in the Wilderness when you feel alone: alone in your thoughts, alone with no friends, alone in your insecurities, your fears, your doubts. He is making a way. He is bringing rivers in the desert. He always, always has a rescue mission plan specially designed for you, because……..The enemy Will Always Lose no mater how much he tries to steal! I want to encourage you to change your perspective, look around. What does this wilderness look like? How can you bring life to it? How can you inhabit the land? Turn your focus off of fear and begin to expect. Expect the Lord to work this wilderness out for your good. Expect New to appear. Expect something new that will allow you to find life. It is always easier to minister and relate to each other when we have walked in their shoes, or in this case been in their wilderness. We can testify to how God made a NEW Way, how he sent help, how he flooded the desert land when we were almost completely out of hope, and brought rivers of his living life to quench our desolated soul.

Friend, I am not sure where you are in this story today: If you have just walked into a wilderness, trailing somewhere in the middle, or coming out, but I do want to encourage you that you are not alone. You have never been alone. God has been there all along providing even if you haven’t been able to see his work. Ask him today to show you the New in this Wilderness. Ask him how you can partner with him to start bringing life to this deserted place. Co-labor with him to bring out the New and then watch the beautiful new life that will spring forth. Once there is life…..there is no more wilderness!

One revelation I caught is this-God promised he would make a way (in) the Wilderness. He never said (through it). I would love to hear your thoughts.

Be encouraged and Happy Monday!

Jesus’s Luxurious Love

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The older I get the more I understand and can appreciate the word Luxurious.

When we are younger we don’t pay much attention to the details. Whatever makes us happy or feels good, out of ignorance and youth we indulge, and we are just fine. As we age we gladly exchange comfort for the extra cash. Honestly 20 year old me would have been ecstatic to book a hotel that had a swimming pool. Mid 30’s me is all about that Jucuzzi bath tub and KING SIZE bed. Oh, and you better believe I am reading the reviews to see if this place is COMFORTABLE and CLEAN!

Luxurious to us is heated and cooled seats, extra fur in those house slippers, a silk robe, a big comfy couch we can melt into, or maybe even upgrading to the next package weather it be a spa day, bedroom suit, car, etc. In a nut shell when I hear luxurious I know it is the top of the line, maxed out, all bells and whistles, and I will benefit the comfort and enjoyment it brings to me.

I was reading Psalms 23 today out of the Passion Translation and what really caught my eye was the word luxurious attached to the Lord’s love. The scripture actually reads:

2 He offers a resting place for me in his luxurious love. His tracks take me to an oasis of peace, the quit brook of bliss. 3 That’s where he restores and revives my life.

I stopped and closed my eyes for a moment. I imagined being in a true place of rest. A true surrender to my savior who offers me and welcomes me in to his luxurious love. I imagined the whole room was softly light, the smells were only the finest aromas of luscious flowers, the room had a huge couch that was covered in red silk. Honestly my mind can’t really perceive just how amazing this place was. Classy, fine, sophisticated, and a safe place created just for me. A room with all the upgrades; the bells, the whistle, and Jesus himself giving me his full attention as I just rested beside him.

That is our Jesus. He is so loving, so kind, and so luxurious. I imagine he has BIG swagger, and all the mansions he is building for us up in heaven makes the worlds most expensive luxurious mansion look like a Polly pocket home in comparison. I imagine there are technologies, fabrics, and “comforts” we have never seen, heard, or felt.

His love is so rich the closest word we can get to in our human dictionary is luxurious. His love is so soft, so enjoyable, so comfortable, so peaceful, so valuable, so powerful.

So, the next time your sister or your friend says you need to go rest, remember what opportunity is being presented to yourself. Really rest in his goodness. Rest in his love for you!

He is waiting to restore your soul in his luxurious love!

What are you waiting for?

Don’t Worry

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I know what your thinking. Eye roll 🙄 this girl is over here telling me not to worry, but hello I feel like my life is crumbling right before my eyes. I know, I get it.

To say I don’t ever worry would be a lie, but the Lord is working on my heart with that. I have learned that when I am more open to trust him the worry fades.

Jesus says seek first the kingdom and it’s righteousness and all these things will be added on to you. I use to think material things but now I believe he is speaking of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Where there is peace and joy and patience there is no place for fear, doubt, or worry!

I want to encourage you to lay your worry at his feet because he cares. He loves you, he doesn’t want you upset. You were created for the impossible and that is living a life of freedom even if your bound in the flesh to a disease. We don’t have to live a worried defeated life because of what the enemy has thrown at us to kill, steal, and destroy.

Rise up beautiful one and find your strength in Jesus. He won’t let you down! 🙌🏻🙌🏻💜

Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

It’s Your Choice, Life or Death

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It amazes me that no matter what our circumstances are in our lives we actually get to choose how we are going to navigate through them. Like seriously, that seems almost imposible to comprehend to me. With so many decisions that have to be made on the daily, we are in control of our actions. Notice I said our actions!

Depression is a black misty fog monster. It swallows you up in the depths of it’s belly and it wants to keep you there hidden from the outside world. Depression doesn’t care if it’s your loved one’s Birthday, or vacation time. He usually comes with out warning, and over stays the uninvited welcome.

I know Depression, and because of my autoimmune disease and childhood trauma, I am extra sensitive to being snatched up by it.

If you are not familiar with it yourself, it can make you feel lifeless like a zombie, uninterested with life, emotionless, sad, afraid, hopeless, empty, angry, the list goes one, and it can manifest itself differently each time.

For me I have noticed a Cycle. It will start with extreme anxiety and panic attacks which make me feel helpless and out of control and them BAM…the Black Mist, and my emotions are high jacked, I can’t process words to describe what is going on in the inside, and then….. hope defered.

Last night I had hit that bottom of the rope. I was getting aggravated with myself. “Ash, you have already been healed of so much trauma in your life, why are you taking us into the deep end? We wont be able to keep our chins above water, and I don’t see any life savors floating out here.” I kept trying to remember how did I get to be mentally sound minded like I was just 12 months ago before this ms diagnosis?

And wouldn’t you know it, it all started with a surrender heart and a yielded spirit to the Lord. Joyce Meyer’s Battle Field of the Mind was the second book I read, Beauty from Ashes was the first.

Then it hit me. If I want to get well, if I want to be healed, if I want to be back to joyful me I WOULD HAVE TO MAKE A CHOICE.

Dueteronomy 30:19

19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against youthat I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Seeking the Lord for his grace and strength is part of choosing LIFE. Jesus is LIFE. His Word is Life. His Spirit is Life. Apart from him we are spiritually dead. Did you know you have a Spirit, Soul, and a Body? Did you know you are to align your Spirit to lead your Soul (mind, will, emotions)?

When we make the choice to be lead by our emotions, we are actually out of alignment and we are being lead by the flesh; our souls.

Depression is a Lying Spirit. Depression thrives on our emotions, our will. That is why it feels so real, because it was a weapon designed to smite us at our weakest part -the soul.

When you are saved, you get a new heart and your spirit is reborn with Christ. But, unfortunately you don’t get a new soul. However God didn’t leave us without help, and he tells us to renew the spirit of our minds. This is where discipline and self control come into play. Also where receiving salvation in Christ through grace and working it out through fear and trembling becomes priority. The Bible tells us that we are being transformed from Glory to Glory in Christ. So being human, and having this human experience has it’s cost. Sure we can bow down to the flesh and give it what it wants, but its a choice, and apart from God it is clear it leads to death.

What I realized was this was my formula I used in the past. 👇🏻

My surrendered heart, my faith and trust in God + God’s love and mercy over me, God’s sufficient Strength = Freedom to Heal

You make a choice then you let go of the fear and trust God to walk with you every day with this choice you have made. This choice means every day you get to walk with a Savior who is relational- a person- not just a statue on a shelf. Every day you get to walk in the Spirit, be lead by the Holy Spirit, and fellowship with the Holy Spirit through prayer and worship.

To not choose to Trust God to be your Sufficient Grace for the Hard things in life means you are Choosing yourself, trusting yourself, and your own strengths. I don’t know about you but I am glad I am not a God because I would be letting myself down all the time. Don’t even get me started on trusting my own flesh to make the right choices for all of us! No way Jose!

What negative circumstances have you been dealing with in your current season of life?

Father I pray that the person reading this would have faith the size of a mustard seed because that is all you require to trust you with their life and release their burdens to you. Renew their minds and strengthen them. Release them from the temptations to navigate life on their own! In Jesus name I pray, amen.

What is too powerful for God?

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He holds the whole world in his hands. The Bible tells us he spoke the World into existence! That’s right, spoke! His breath oh man, it’s mighty and powerful! His breath filled the lungs of the created first man, Adam!

We wrestle with so much opposition in this world, but wow to think of the profoundness that it is He, God, who holds the whole world in his hands!

Your world…. In his hands!

Be encouraged today there is nothing God can’t do! He can fix that mess going on over there if you let him!

Struggling with Identity after MS Diagnosis

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⁉️🤨Have you been struggling with finding your new identity after your MS diagnosis?

🙋🏼‍♀️ I will go first! (Yeah, I have)
A lot has changed in my life in the past 12 months. I went from this emotionally stable, and joyful human being who knew her identity in Christ but was also a wife, mom, friend, and co worker for the school district.

After my relapse and diagnosis I started to experience extreme anxiety and depression that I hid from everyone but my husband. I also left my job at the end of my contracted school year. But….

There is beauty in new beginnings! (Even the ones that are not glamorous or desired).

The truth of the matter is eventually we have to pick the pieces back up and create a new masterpiece.

My True Identity, my inner Spirit man is a fighter, a survivor, victorious, and more then a conquer in Christ Jesus. Although my soul (mind, will, emotions) took a nose dive with life’s circumstances I’m able to pick myself up and remember who that Jesus girl is inside me. She won’t back down and she will not allow negative forms of identity to latch onto who she really is in her spirit.

We are tridimensional beings, we have a Spirit (eternal), a Soul (fickle as the wind blows), and a Body (temporary). We must tend to each part of us. When my body and my soul start feeling down, my Spirit has to rise up and remind Me… I got this! It can only do this is if I’m rooted and grounded in God’s love.

There is a bigger picture and a Bigger Plan! So I encourage you to do some some soul searching and ask yourself if it’s agreeing with your spirit? If Not… go to work!