STRONG SOUL
Finding the Motivation to Begin Again Few things are as discouraging as having to repeat what you’ve already worked so hard to accomplish. Starting over is hard. Sometimes it feels unbearable. As one who has had to start over multiple times, I can tell you that in spite of the initial discouragement, it is often…
How to Finish Well I started without really knowing if I had what it takes to finish, a real-life test of the power of perseverance. Training hard for several months and continually pushing myself beyond what I thought I was capable of increased my confidence considerably. However, a nagging voice of doubt whispered to me…
Running Your Race Well God uses running and racing analogies often in Scripture to give us significant insight into how we ought to approach life. Considering one’s life as a race that God has marked out in advance, highlights many useful life principles. If you want to run your race well and finish strong, you…
Do you even want to win? As the middle-aged man lay on his rug, the sun’s heat warmed his shriveled legs. “Useless legs,” he scolded himself bitterly. For as long as he could remember, he had never been able to walk on them. Pin this to share or save for later! Feeling betrayed by his…
Surrender is not Defeat It is a little known truth that in order to win at life, you first have to surrender. Surrender is usually associated with defeat, not victory, but it’s who you choose to surrender to that makes all the difference. If we want to strengthen our own will, we must first learn…
This is part 3 of yesterday’s post The Joys and Trials of Surrender. I’m going to skip a recap and jump right into finishing my story. If you haven’t already, go back and read part 1 here and part 2 here. Now I will tell you how my surrender and the ensuing storm left me…
Produce Peace by Pursuing Positive Thoughts One of the most impactful mindset changes I made in my life to experience freedom from depression and anxiety was getting my thought life under control. If my mind is a garden, it was infiltrated and taken over by hostile weeds. Learning how to prune my thoughts and burn…
How to Overcome Perfectionism I am a recovering perfectionist. I really really really want to be Supermom. I am so bummed and utterly devastated every time I realize I’m not. To me, it feels like striving for perfection is positive quality to possess. Aiming for excellence is a good thing. However, I have learned that…
Capturing Unruly Thoughts I cannot even count the number of times I have been distressed and upset with tears falling and heart pounding only to remember that the situation I’m reacting to is all in my head. I made it up. It didn’t even happen. I had some small random thought; maybe it started as…
How to Clean Out and Fill Up Your Brain If you knocked over your drink right now, what would spill out? Coffee? Water? Soda? Chocolate milk? I have no idea what your beverage of choice is today, but I can tell you exactly what will spill out of your glass, mug, can, or bottle. What…
Dealing with Disappointment with God We expect a lot from God. And we should because he is . . . well, God. He all-powerful, purely good, and infinitely loving. It is right to expect great things from God. But, let’s be honest, sometimes God just doesn’t come through the way or at the time we…
3 Simple Steps to a Positive Mindset The most insidious aspect of poisonous thinking is that we are often unaware that the thoughts we are consuming have been tainted with lies. But whether we know it or not, acknowledge it or not, negative thinking will continue to poison our mind until we dig down to…
Defeat Despair and Discouragement by Holding on to H.O.P.E.S. I am no stranger to depression and I’m no expert either. But I have learned a few things in my own struggle out of the darkness that might help you or someone you love who is hurting. Depression is more common than we realize because many…
An Ordinary Day I sat at my desk, intently focused on the work I was trying to finish. My 3-year old son climbed into my lap and snuggled against me holding an airplane made of Legos. I love early morning snuggles with my treasures. He turned his face toward mine and looked into my eyes. …
What’s so great about having a big family? When people first learn that we have eight children, their minds usually go straight to the disadvantages—cost, time, food, laundry, sanity. Most people don’t comment on all the wonderful things about having a big family because often they don’t know and can’t imagine the blessings. It’s…
I used to struggle with the more violent prayers in the Psalms, mostly of David calling down various curses upon his enemies. This didn’t sound like the prayer of a man after God’s own heart to me! Break the Teeth of the Wicked? The fancy label for prayers invoking God’s judgment andwrath upon his enemies…
We have an enemy. People entrapped in the devil’s deceptions are like POWs (prisoners of war) captured by the enemy. We fight, not against them but for them, because we have all fallen prey to those pretty lies at one time or another. God calls us to resist the devil—not each other. The people in…
Sometimes, self-care feels selfish, especially if we’re used to neglecting ourselves. But taking care of ourselves is not selfish. It’s being a good steward of the body, brain, and time God has entrusted to us. Self-care is non-negotiable. If you want to serve God fully. Just as we must love ourselves emotionally to be able…