Tag: Christianity

Categories
Blog Spiritual

What Is Mindfulness & What Are Its Benefits?

woman with dog practicing mindfulness
Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

We are always multitasking, especially women. Women can be folding the laundry while watching a television show but still making sure the kids are okay or cooking dinner while listening to a podcast. We are regularly doing more than one thing at the same time. I believe women are the masters of multitasking. But mindfulness is the exact opposite of multitasking.

Mindful.org defines mindfulness as the ability to be fully present in the moment, being aware of where we are and what we are doing, but not overwhelmed by what is happening around us.

At any time during the day, one can practice mindfulness, which can have many benefits.

The Benefits

Professor Jon Kabat-Zinn brought mindfulness into mainstream medicine. According to Helpguide.org, he was the founder and former director of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. He showed that practicing mindfulness brings improvement in both physical and psychological symptoms. It also provides a positive change in attitudes, behavior, and health.

Scientifically, experts view mindfulness as a critical element in reducing stress and enhancing overall happiness.

Mindfulness improves mental health.

Psychotherapists have used mindfulness meditation as a treatment for many problems like substance abuse, depression, eating disorders, anxiety disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, to name a few.

Mindfulness improves well-being

Because mindfulness focuses on the present, using this practice can help people not be so worried about the future or think about past regrets. Mindfulness makes it easier to be fully present in current activities and make them more pleasurable or enjoyable. Also, it helps with a positive attitude that contributes to the satisfaction of life.

Mindfulness improves physical health.

It can help reduce stress, lower blood pressure, improve sleep, treat heart disease, and reduce chronic pain.

How can you practice mindfulness?

There are many ways to practice mindfulness; the primary goal of any mindfulness technique is to focus on the present, be alert, and focus on relaxation. Being present, there in the moment, not worrying about anything else but being present in the moment.

Meditation is the most common way to practice.

  • Start with sitting straight back on a chair or with your legs crossed on the floor.
  • Focus on your breathing.
  • Once you have concentrated on your breathing, become aware of sounds and your ideas.
  • Embrace your thoughts without judging good or bad, and if your mind starts to race, go back and concentrate on your breathing.

Can mindfulness have a Christian approach?

Absolutely! FocusOnTheFamily.com mentions how Christians and faith-based counselors use mindfulness as a therapy tool, Christ-integrated, by making mindfulness rooted in scripture and focus on connecting with God during the technique.

Psalm 104:34, “May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the Lord.” (NIV)

Prayer is a practical way that Christians apply mindfulness to their daily lives because when people pray or worship, they are concentrating on God; their focus is connecting with God and drawing God’s presence near.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 “pray continually.” (NIV)

Some can be fearful because they find that mindfulness is self-centered or self-focus, but as a Christian, making it God-centered or God-focused shouldn’t be a problem. It is setting time apart to just be present in the moment, in that precious moment with God. It’s very comforting and brings so much peace.

In conclusion

Mindfulness has many benefits to our overall health. It is a technique that should be practiced because it can improve our focus. When done correctly, it can help bring us closer to God.

Set some time apart during the day, maybe in the morning before you start your day, or at night before bed to whine down and practice mindfulness for about five minutes, few times a week and see if you can notice a difference.

Let me know what difference it makes!

With Love, Heidy

Is a personal development newsletter an interest of yours? With a little bit of poetry? A little of opinion pieces? And some faith-based encouragement? Sign up for my Substack newsletter, “Into My Thoughts.”

One-Time
Monthly
Yearly

Make a one-time donation

Make a monthly donation

Make a yearly donation

Choose an amount

$5.00
$15.00
$100.00
$5.00
$15.00
$100.00
$5.00
$15.00
$100.00

Or enter a custom amount

$

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearly
Categories
Spiritual

Glory Conference Recap

Glory conference with Jackie Hill Perry, there is a stage of the church, speaker on stage, with glory word in the background.
Picture taken by Heidy De La Cruz

Glory Conference

At the beginning of this month, I had the privilege of going to Lifeway’s Glory Conference hosted by Jackie Hill Perry. I first heard about Jackie at the Lifeway Women’s Live Conference in 2019 and I instantly was drawn by how she spoke and preached. Since then I’ve followed her on Instagram, I’ve read both of her books, and she’s a poet just like me, so I definitely identified with her in that aspect. 

When I saw that she had her own conference I was interested and searched to see if the conference would be hosted near where I live. There was one in Jacksonville, Florida but I thought to myself, “I don’t know anyone there and I’ve never been.” However, I saw that Glory was going to be hosted in my hometown, Grand Rapids, Michigan – so I set the plan to attend. 

The conference was on Friday night and Saturday morning. I arrived in Grand Rapids on Thursday afternoon and I got to spend time with my best friend. And on Friday morning, I got ready, wrote two articles, and spent more time with my best friend. We went to the outlet mall, I got a new purse, we ate good Mexican food (if you’re ever in Grand Rapids, you need to eat Mexican food), and we got pedicures! 

Friday Night

Then it was time to go to the conference. Before arriving I realized that I was going to this conference alone for the first day, my friend from Florida was arriving the following day, but it was a big deal for me because I struggle with doing activities alone. 

Friday night was great, the conference started with worship being led by Jordan Welch. And we heard a virtual message from Yana (I don’t think I wrote the name down correctly), and she told us how Jesus loves women and He cares for women. She asked, how can he not when he was born of a woman? She also said, “P.S. the future is not female. It’s male and female walking side by side working together for the glory of God.” I liked that message because as always with any movement there are extremists and we need both males and females to move things forward. 

The overall theme of the conference was Jesus and Women and Jackie preached from Genesis 16  – the story of Hagar. The overall message was that Sarai got herself into a mess because she was impatient, took matters into her own hands, and didn’t wait for God. Jackie said that misplaced hope gets you into messes. Don’t get yourself into a mess, wait for the Lord. 

Saturday Morning

Saturday there was worship again to start and then Q&A with Jackie and Dr. Sarita T. Lyons. Jackie asked Dr. Lyons questions about her ministry, and her background, and one of the things that stood out to me from one of her answers was, she said, “You cannot depend on people valuing you when your value comes from the Lord.” 

How many times do we wait for people to see our worth and wait for people’s recognition when we should only be caring about the value that God places on us? Too many times. They also opened up the floor for the audience to ask questions and the majority of them were about parenting. The biggest takeaway was that we cannot parent out of fear! 

After this, we heard another virtual message from Sarah (again, didn’t write down the last name) and her message was three distinctions for women. 

  1. The creation of women. 
  • We were created to bring strength. 
  1. The biological make-up of women. 
  • We can bring life into this world. Although, not every woman is called to motherhood. 
  1. Her position in society. 
  • As a woman, we need to study Jesus. Women were created to sit at the feet of Jesus. 
  • Sarah told us to use everything that makes you a woman for your ministry. 

Jackie’s Message at Glory

On Saturday Jackie preached from John 4 – when Jesus talks to the Samaritan Woman at the well. She gave us six observations of Jesus at the well to use in our ministries. 

  1. Lead with your humanity. 
  • Jesus said He was thirsty, that showed his humanity. Jackie told us that in our ministries we need to understand we are not God. We have limits and needs. And our insecurities remind us that we are human. Do not act like your life is perfect, Jesus helps you overcome. 
  1. Be curious about cultural context. 
  • The Samaritan women’s culture shaped how she saw Jesus. 
  • Jackie reminded us to always ask questions. 
  1. Address their spiritual condition. 
  • Everyone has a theological context. 
  • Sin produces ignorance and idolatry. 
  • Romans 1
  • People are thirsty for identity and authority but help people see that the thirst they have is for the water that Jesus provides. 
  1. Use what’s revealed to reveal God. 
  • Jesus told the woman to go call her husband and the woman responded that she had no husband, Jesus said, you are right, you’ve had five. He was revealing who He was. 
  • Most of your work in ministry will revolve around details of sin and exposure. However, show how God helped you overcome. 
  1. Practice true worship. 
  • God is seeking worshipers. 
  • If your practice if Jesus isn’t Lord, it isn’t true worship. 
  • Worship is daily. 
  • Believe in Jesus! 
  1. Keep it simple. 
  • Use the simple things that glorify God. 
  • Pray! 
  • You don’t need a huge platform or following because you need to be okay giving God glory when you are invisible. 
  • Point every woman to Jesus! 

A conference about God, not you! 

Wrapping Up

At the end of this conference, I felt so refreshed and ready to seek God deeper. I want to know God more and I didn’t even think this was possible. However, I’ve come to the realization that learning about God, seeking God, and knowing Him deeper is a lifelong journey. 

Prayer: Lord, I pray for everyone reading this recap of the conference that they will seek You God and they will get to know You. Our ministry isn’t about us, it’s about You, it’s about bringing you glory. It’s about Jesus! Thank you, God, for your ultimate sacrifice, for your Son, for your love, and for your mercy. I live for you and only you, to glorify your name always. Thank you for everything! And in your name, I pray always, Amen! 

With Love, Heidy 

Romans 3:23 NIV – for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 

Is a personal development newsletter an interest of yours? With a little bit of poetry? A little of opinion pieces? And some faith-based encouragement? Sign up for my Substack newsletter, “Into My Thoughts.”

One-Time
Monthly
Yearly

Make a one-time donation

Make a monthly donation

Make a yearly donation

Choose an amount

$5.00
$15.00
$100.00
$5.00
$15.00
$100.00
$5.00
$15.00
$100.00

Or enter a custom amount

$

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearly
Categories
Blog Spiritual

God Sends Messages at the Right Time

Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I have my hands on a few projects. One of those projects is my immigration podcast. Immigration is close to my heart since I’m a child of immigrants, and it’s been in my heart to help and get involved with immigration. I want to be able to help in any way that I can, whether it’s being an advocate, educating, or volunteering.

In 2019 I was determined to go to law school to become an immigration attorney because I felt that was the best way I could help. I took the LSAT (the test to apply to law school), but my score was average, and I was disappointed. At the time, I was finishing my master’s, so I had a lot on my plate and couldn’t dedicate enough time to study for the LSAT. Because of my score, I got discouraged.

After starting my podcast, I came upon the opportunity to help a non-profit organization that helps new migrant families find resources for things they need. I help with translating documents and in online meetings.

While doing this, I realized there was a need, and I reached out to an immigration attorney to get their advice on if I would be able to help with the demand that is there, but she told me to be careful – it would be best if the families hire an immigration attorney for that particular need.

So once again, I got the urge to go to law school. I felt like I wasn’t doing enough in the area of immigration and that I could do more. I talked to my husband and a close friend about it, and they both said the same thing, I am doing enough. They both told me that the podcast is doing something; it brings awareness to immigration. My close friend said she would pray with me (I had reached out to her for a prayer request) about the situation and see if God leads me toward law school.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Well, this feeling of me not doing enough or questioning if what I’m doing is “worth it” comes to me occasionally. Like, right when I think, “what’s the point” and I feel like giving up, God ALWAYS reminds me that I’m right on track. And this time wasn’t any different.

Literally, the next day, I received a message from a person I’ve known since I was a child but hadn’t talked to in years, and she said, “I see you making a difference out there! Keep up the good work.” She then told me she had subscribed to my podcast. And to me, that was all the recurrence I needed to know that I was doing enough.

This reminds me of two bible verses – the first one is Jeremiah 29:11, which says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future, (NIV). And Proverbs 16:9 says, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps,” (NIV).

God knows the plans for our lives, all we need to do is seek Him, and it will come to us. And His plans are much better than what we have planned for our lives.

I pray that you surrender any plans you may have to God and have Him establish the steps you need to take. And remember, God loves you, and He cares for you. All His plans for you are for your good.

Thank you, God, for always reminding me that I am doing your good work. Thank you for always being there for me and guiding me. Amen.

With Love, Heidy

Has God sent you any messages recently?

Categories
Blog Book Review

Book Review: A Just Mission – Laying Down Power & Embracing Mutuality

Picture taken by me

A Just Mission is about how churches in The West go out into the world on short-term mission trips but rarely do they have people from the countries they are going to leading these trips. Mekdes Haddis uses her experience as an immigrant; she’s from Ethiopia and came to the US for college and culture to provide solutions to better mission trips. For example, she gives suggested solutions from training and development, mutual benefits instead of one-sided, and inclusivity of indigenous leaders on the missions’ team.

There were a few things that stood out to me in the book. First, in chapter three, she said, “We are not made to objectify one another; we are made for holy community, to equally reflect God’s beauty to one another.” This comes from having her hair touched without permission only because of curiosity. This is something I’ve heard people of color experience all the time. But as Mekdes mentioned, she’s never had the urge to touch straight hair, and hair has a lot of representation in many cultures.

Chapter five is about decolonizing short-term mission trips, and there were a few things in this chapter that stood out to me. First, she and her husband are very intentional about which organizations their money is going to. She writes, “For my husband and me, choosing to support mission organization has been a difficult journey because we know too well how culturally and spiritually unprepared people mischaracterize or demean our people. For the most part, we have shifted our financial support from Western institutions that promised to end poverty to those that invested in indigenous leadership.”

On pages 112 and 113, she includes a few steps to ensure good practices of short-term mission trips, and number six is something I’ve felt was always weird. Mekdes tells us to leave our cameras at home or hire a professional photographer from the community and support a small business. I have always felt strange when teams go on mission trips, take pictures and videos, and post them all over their social media. I understand wanting to show others their work in order to motivate others to get involved as well, but have you stopped to think that maybe they don’t want to be photographed?

I went with my church once to feed the homeless at a local park, and there was a person taking pictures and videos of us praying over people and handing out sandwiches. One of the persons receiving the food told them no pictures, which made me feel a little awkward. What are the intentions behind our actions? Are we doing this from the good of our hearts, or are we doing this to show off our good deed for the day to get an appraisal from others?

Matthew 6:3 (NIV) says, “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your hand is doing.”

I hold this verse close to my heart, and I don’t post or boast of it when volunteering for certain things or making donations to charities, but that’s me. Everyone is different.

In chapter eight, she touches on the issue of immigration because a report from Religion News Service shows that 75% of white evangelical Protestant Republicans believe immigrants are invading American society. Mekdes writes, “This is an area where we need to have a clear stance, because it would be hypocritical to send the very same people who don’t want immigrants among them to the homeland of those they despise with the ‘gospel.’” Of course, this stance is close to my heart because of the work I’m doing with providing a platform for immigrants to share their immigration journey in order to change the narrative of immigration to a more compassionate and empathetic way.

Overall, this book has a lot of information and resources to improve how American churches approach mission trips. And I believe anyone who has thought about going on a mission trip, has gone on a mission trip, or attend a church that goes on mission trips should read it.

With Love, Heidy

What are your thoughts on the way American churches approach mission trips? Do you think any improvements need to be made? Why or why not?

Let’s Connect!

Twitter Instagram Facebook Pinterest

Like this post? Subscribe with your email to receive my free 5 minute journal prompts and weekly newsletters on my upcoming posts! 🙂

Check out my new Etsy shop! https://www.etsy.com/shop/WithLoveHeidy

Journals for sale!

You can get one or all of my journals on Amazon! Links are below! 🙂
My Prayer Journal  Into My Thoughts Journal Gratitude Journal

My poetry book – Words from the Heart available now!

Categories
Blog Spiritual

The Storm Didn’t Come to Destroy You (Guest Post)

Hello Friends! It’s been a few months since I’ve brought you guys a guest post, so here is one! This message is from sister in Christ, Dennisha Blake, the founder of Led By The Spirit Academy. And she provides this encouragement to remind us that the storms we go through are not meant to destroy us but, in fact, provide growth in our lives. Check it out.

Have you noticed that every time you start to step out on faith, you step right into the middle of a storm? Feeling lost and confused, frustrated, and overwhelmed, Like God didn’t give you enough information to go on.

Many times, I’ve found myself in the middle of a storm, and these storms are not easy. I’m sure you can relate! You step out on faith regarding something you have been praying for. But then everything starts to go wrong: things don’t seem to progress as fast as you hoped; then confusion starts to settle in, and you’re wondering, did I really hear God? At this point, fear, doubt, anxiety, and frustration creep in—these are just a few of the emotions we may feel in the middle of a storm. Not to mention feeling alone because we start wondering where God is. And here’s the dangerous part: when we start feeling all these emotions and dwell on them, we put ourselves at risk of making the wrong decisions—causing us to lose our ability to remain obedient to the Lord in that season.

But here’s the thing: The storm doesn’t come to destroy you. It comes to qualify you to carry the weight of your destiny and prepare you for the promises of God.

So, what do we do? How do we navigate the storm well to receive the promise in the end? That’s what I’m going to talk about today—how we can team up with God so that when His promises finally come true, we’re ready to receive them—and all they entail. So be encouraged there is light at the end of the tunnel and a strategy to navigate the storms.

Photo by Johannes Plenio on Pexels.com

Is Your Life on Repeat?

Not knowing God’s purpose for the storms will put our lives on repeat—and that’s not what God wants for us! Do you feel like your life has been on repeat? Do you keep going around the same mountain, not making any real progress? Do you keep making the same resolutions year after year? Do you keep praying the same prayers repeatedly without any manifestations of it? The reason why this keeps happening is that we allow our emotions to dictate our actions.

The disciples made the same mistake in Luke 8:22-25, Jesus fell asleep on the boat, and a storm broke out. The disciples became so afraid, losing faith, not realizing that the savior was literally on the ship with them. When they woke Jesus up, the first thing, He said to them was, “where is your faith.” That’s what God asks us about every storm we go through: “where is our faith.” Because every time He tries to get us over on the other side to receive the promise, we lose faith in the journey. In verse 22, Jesus literally says, “let us go over to the other side.” But if we lose faith, we repeatedly go through the same kind of storms.

There is a Strategy to Navigate the Storm!

Where do you go from here? Learn to become like the sons of Issachar (1 Chr 12:32), who were very knowledgeable of the times and understood what to do in each season. When it comes to the storms of our lives, we must recognize that it’s just a test. The Lord tests you to see if you are prepared to receive the promise. (Let me be clear not every storm is a test from the Lord. Some storms are self-inflicted by disobedience. But that is a blog post for another day.) As you go through the harvest, God is now testing you to see if you are worthy of the promise. This is biblical; God tested the children of Israel in the wilderness before they entered the promised land. We see this in Deuteronomy 8:2. God says I took you through the wilderness, and I tested you to prove your character.

God will test you to prove your character, but the enemy will tempt you to sin, so know the difference. God’s test determines if you are ready to receive the promise.

I’ll give you a sneak peek into one of the lessons I teach in my Led by The Spirit Academy: Execution of Faith course.

There are four stages to a season:

  • The identification stage
  • The cultivation stage
  • The harvest stage
  • The reaping/receiving stage

Everybody loves the reaping and receiving stage! We don’t care too much about the first three stages, but for us to reach the reaping stage, we must be able to get through the first three stages successfully.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Identification:  You must identify what God wants to cultivate in you in every season (maybe it’s patience).

Cultivation: Once identified, cultivate it by studying the Word of God concerning that specific thing. Cultivation is successful when you start to produce fruit concerning it.

Harvest: Once we begin to produce fruit, it is now time for the harvest. This harvest stage is the storm/test. Do not despise difficult seasons because they are cultivating something in you. If you navigate it well, those seasons will grow you. God’s goal is always to develop you into the image of Christ and prepare you for his glory. The harvest stage has four additional components, but if you can get through each stage of the harvest: Picking, crushing, pressing, and settling without jeopardizing it, you will reap the promise.

Reaping/Receiving: If you don’t give into the enemy during the harvest stage, you will receive the promise (Taking matters into your own hands, pleasing the flesh, easy fix). God Reaps the glory, and we receive the promise.

We often want the promise, but we don’t want to be processed for the promise. The process gives us the ability to maintain and sustain the promise.

  • Never focus on what God is not doing; instead, ask God what he is doing.
  • Cultivate it
  • Pray about it
  • Study the word in regard to it
  • Be obedient to God’s instructions

Be encouraged because the storm does not come to destroy you; it comes to qualify you to carry the weight of your destiny and to prepare you for the promise. Everything you have been and are going through prepares you for what you’ve asked God for. If you’re in the middle of a storm right now, stay the course, be strong, walk-in righteousness, walk in obedience, and pass the test regardless of what it looks like around you. God is still faithful, you are still His child, and He still wants to bring you into your promised land, but you’ve got to get through the wilderness. You’ve got to get through it without being disobedient and without murmuring. The children of Israel wandered around in the wilderness for 40 years when it should have taken them a fraction of that time to get into the promised land. Don’t let this be you; pass your test and receive the promise!

Perspective is a powerful thing! And once you have God’s perspective, you will be able to smile at the storm and even welcome it.

Can you identify how your current or past storms can prepare for the next season and promise?

Thank you, Dennisha, for this message and reminder that God wants us to grow, and we grow within these storms in our lives. We have to go through the storms to get to the other side.

Connect with Dennisha at:

Instagram: www.instagram.com/faithinthejourneyllc/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/FaithintheJourneyLLC/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPAhtng-T9FapalsMPD53g

website: http://www.Ledbythespirit.academy

Dennisha’s bio:

Founder of Led By The Spirit Academy and CEO of Faith In The Journey LLC, a Bible-based company that provides Kingdom strategy and perspective to believers to not only hear the voice of God but Execute his instructions with confidence walking into their GOD-given purpose while advancing the Kingdom of Heaven. Dennisha is a life coach & mentor who is also ordained in the office of a prophet at her local church. She has a passion for seeing believers in Christ walk in obedience to the biblical instructions of the Lord enabling them to receive the promises of GOD and embodying Kingdom Authority.

And if you are interested in guest writing for my blog please contact me! I would LOVE to work with you.

With Love, Heidy

Let’s connect!

Twitter Instagram Facebook Pinterest

Like this post? Subscribe with your email to receive my free 5 minute journal prompts and weekly newsletters on my upcoming posts! 🙂

Check out my new Etsy shop! https://www.etsy.com/shop/WithLoveHeidy

Journals for sale!

You can get one or all of my journals on Amazon! Links are below! 🙂
My Prayer Journal  Into My Thoughts Journal Gratitude Journal

My poetry book – Words from the Heart available now!

Categories
Blog Spiritual

Tradition and History of Easter

My first memory of Easter was when I lived with my mom. I heard a knock at the door, and she told me to see who it was, which was weird, I thought because I’m a little kid and we aren’t supposed to open the door, but I went. I found an easter basket with eggs to paint and candy. I spent the afternoon painting the eggs.

Growing up, we didn’t have Easter traditions, although I remember going to church on Easter Sunday after my dad married my stepmom. We attended Catholic mass, and it was always packed, but on Easter Sunday, it was out the door packed. We would dress up more formally than our usual Sunday Church wear, and then afterward, we would get together with the family. Well, I guess in a sense, that was our Easter tradition.

One year, my grandma hosted an Easter egg hunt, but it was with real eggs. LOL, that got messy. However, it was only for that one year. I low-key wished we would have done it again because I had fun.

I never believed in the Easter bunny, nor did I ever care for Easter baskets because that’s not what Easter was about for us. Easter is about celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

To write this blog post, I wanted to learn about the history of “Easter,” like where the name came from, etc., so I googled and found an article on History.com. They wrote, “Easter is a Christian holiday that celebrates the belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” I already knew, but I also wanted to find out why the Passover was no longer celebrated, but Easter is, and here is what they said. It states that Easter is associated with the Jewish holiday of Passover, and the links are seen in the Last Supper. The last supper happened the night before Jesus was arrested, and it was essentially a Passover feast. But during the last supper, Jesus broke bread with his 12 apostles and said the bread represented His body, and the wine they drank was His blood.

“While they were eating Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” “I tell you; I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

Matthew 26:26-29 (NIV)

With this being done, this became a basis for the Christian ritual of Holy Communion and gave a new significance by Jesus. All of this occurred during the Passover celebration, even Jesus’s execution.

Now, where does the name Easter come from? The article states, “St. Bede the Venerable, the 6-century author of Ecclesiastical History of the English People,” informed that the word Easter comes from Eostre or the Anglo-Saxon goodness of spring and fertility. And many of the non-Christian traditions of Easter, like the bunny and Easter eggs, can be traced from pagan celebrations. Eggs supposedly represent fertility and birth. The bunny may also associate birth and renewal (like Jesus’ resurrection or re-birth).

We usually take my daughter to the Easter celebration our church hosts every year for Easter. We attend church on Easter Sunday and then go out for lunch or get together with the family to celebrate.  

My daughter at our church Easter celebration 2019

It was fun learning about Easter and its association with the Passover. It’s crazy how you can read the Bible many times, and many things can go over one’s head before someone else points it out, and you have a revelation. Sometimes it’s God himself.

Do you celebrate Easter? Do you have any Easter traditions? Do you celebrate Passover? Let me know!

With Love, Heidy

Let’s connect!

Twitter Instagram Facebook Pinterest

Like this post? Subscribe with your email to receive my free 5 minute journal prompts and weekly newsletters on my upcoming posts! 🙂

Check out my new Etsy shop! https://www.etsy.com/shop/WithLoveHeidy

Journals for sale!

You can get one or both of my journals on Amazon! Links are below! 🙂
My Prayer Journal 
Into My Thoughts Journal

Categories
Blog Spiritual

Grief – Finding Encouragement in God’s Word.

It’s never easy to deal with the death of a loved one. Whether it’s a sudden death or an illness, it’s not easy. I’ve written about grief before, and I’ll write about grief again because once we lose a loved one to death, we never stop grieving.

I don’t like to say that it gets easier with time because it doesn’t. What happens is that life goes on, and once we feel strong again, we learn to cope with the pain. We learn to live with the void inside us, but the grief is always with us.

If you’ve lost a parent, spouse, grandparent, friend, child, or even a pet, you know grief. Because grief is grief, I would never take away from someone’s pain by saying that losing a parent is more painful than losing a spouse. No! I will empathize with them and try to provide comfort in any way. However, the only way to honestly know how someone feels when it comes to grief is if you’ve been there yourself.

Today I want to bring you Bible verses that have helped me in my time of grieving. In a way to bring you hope during this difficult time. God didn’t promise us a painless life, but He did promise to be with us in every situation, even when we grieve.

  • Joshua 1:9 NIV – Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
  • Psalm 147:3 NIV – He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
  • Psalm 34:18 NIV – The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

This verse reminds me of a blog post I read that mentioned how beautiful grief is because that means you really loved that person, and up until that point, I had not thought about grief as being beautiful. And this verse says that we who mourn are blessed.

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

Romans 8:18 NIV

This verse is a reminder from the Apostle Paul that all our sufferings on Earth will be rewarded.

It’s hard to be encouraged or have hope that things will be okay again when we are dealing with grief, but we must remind ourselves to go through the emotions that come with grief to come out on the other side.

On the other side of grief, we have remembrance of our loved ones. We have beautiful memories and moments with them. Stories to share with others, pictures, and videos to keep their memory alive. Their legacy lives on in you.

I want to end this by reminding you that you are not alone in this journey. God is with you, and He loves you. There are others around you who can be there for support. I am here, and you can connect with me if you need someone to listen. You are not alone.

With Love, Heidy

Let’s Connect!

Twitter Instagram Facebook Pinterest

Like this post? Subscribe with your email to receive my free 5 minute journal prompts and weekly newsletters on my upcoming posts! 🙂

Check out my new Etsy shop! https://www.etsy.com/shop/WithLoveHeidy

Journals for sale!

You can get one or both of my journals on Amazon! Links are below! 🙂
My Prayer Journal 
Into My Thoughts Journal

Categories
Blog Spiritual

Jesus Loves You!

We are all sinners, every single one of us. Some people may forget that they sin too when they judge others for their sins; nevertheless, we are all sinners. Many haven’t pursued a relationship with Jesus because they think they have to be sinless, which is impossible, my friend. Maybe the reason is that they believe they have to be perfect or have their life together before seeking Jesus. Thinking, after I complete this in my life, then maybe Jesus will accept me.

Well, I’m here to tell you that Jesus wants you to seek him and come to him right now! Just like you are. He doesn’t want you to change anything before you seek Him. He loves you just the way you are!

Jesus himself says in Matthew chapter 11 verse 28 (NIV), “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” And He also says, in Matthew chapter 7 verse 7 (NIV), “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened.

Now, after you start gaining a relationship with Him, getting to know Him and His word, you’ll change. You’ll want to change. Things that you used to do; you might not want to do anymore. Things you used to pursue or thought you needed; you realize you don’t really care for that anymore. The first is starts with repentance. Jesus tells us, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32 NIV). Repentance is being remorseful and asking forgiveness for our past sins. If you genuinely ask for forgiveness, Jesus will forgive you.

Then, you’ll accept Jesus as your Lord and savior. Romans 10:9-10, (NIV), “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” That’s it!!! There is no complicated formula, no hurdles, or obstacles you need to go through to be saved.

Next, you have to renew your mind. “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2 NIV). As a follower of Christ, you are called to be different, not follow the norms of this world, because you are in this world, but you are not of this world. You are a child of God!

And lastly, you should continue a relationship with Him. This is done by continually reading The Bible, praying, and worshiping. You’ll be amazed at the transformation He does in your life. How much peace you’ll have in your heart and joy in your soul.

Jesus loves you, no matter what! That’s how great his love is for you. And I wanted to remind you that you don’t have to have everything together before seeking Him. Even if you accepted Him as your savior years ago and you got off track, come back to Him today. He will accept you because He loves you! And I love you also, friend!

With Love,

Heidy

Let’s Connect!

Twitter.com/HeidyReynoso13

Instagram.com/Heidyspoems

Instagram.com/Heidy.Delacruz13

Facebook.com/Heidyreynoso13

Like this post? Subscribe with your email to receive my posts straight to your inbox! 🙂

Service providers always get asked, "Who is your ideal client?" And although I wish I could help EVERYONE launch a podcast, not everyone learns the same way. Gea opens up about what her family went through right before they decided to flee Cuba. 🇨🇺 🎉HAPPY 10TH BIRTHDAY LIA 🎉

Categories
Blog Spiritual

“You Are Not Your Failures” (Guest Post)

Hello Friends! I am bringing you another amazing guest post and this time from my friend Odile Arisel Perez. She is is a wife, teacher, editor, translator, entrepreneur, and published author, who loves sharing her love for Jesus with others. Odile has a Master’s Degree from the London School of Economics in Global Politics and an undergrad from Rollins College in International Business and Spanish. She co-leads a women’s ministry called Intentional W with her cousin, Dr. Ingrid Atiles. Odile is passionate about empowering women in business, building God-centered communities, teaching children, and serving God. In her free time, Odile loves swimming, writing, and worshipping. Her favorite scripture is Jeremiah 29:11. 

I met Odile at the church I attend and we also were part of the same growth group a few years back and has been a good friend of mine since then. It was such an honor when she said yes to guest write on my blog! And I hope her devotional speaks to you as much as it spoke to me the first time I read it. Well here is her devotional…..ENJOY!!

How often do we replay in our minds our failed relationships, our rejections, our unsuccessful adventures, and everything in our lives that hasn’t work out? We spend an endless amount of time toiling with the useless “what ifs.”  Inevitably, those replays lead us down a road of self-doubt, insecurity, emptiness, and into a paralyzing fear that prevents us from trying or even believing again. 

This is where I found myself a couple of years ago. A lot of things in my life were crumbling. Doors kept shutting, my business was caving like a collapsing roof after a storm, and I felt stagnant.  

I must admit that I got stuck believing the biggest lie ever, that I was a failure! Even though I was walking with God and faithfully seeking Him, I was still afraid to try again. Paralyzed in my comfort zone, I buried my dreams. Recovering from the damage caused by believing in those lies of defeat took me several years.

Yet, the more I surrendered my plans to God, prayed fervently, and counseled with my spiritual mentors, the stronger my faith and courage became (Joshua 1:9). With time, God taught me that our failures, which I now like to call “teaching moments,” are simply experiences that shape us, build our character, and redirect us toward God. He reminded me that we are not our failures and that our failures don’t define us nor determine our worth. Failures are simply opportunities to learn how to walk humbly with our God and seek His guidance when facing life’s adversities (Micah 6:8).

But how can we wholeheartedly believe that our failures do not define us? In this season, I learned that we can change what we believe about failure by intentionally seeking the Lord and by DREAMing again.



D– Draw upon the lessons. Draw upon the lessons gained from those “failures.” Take some time to reflect on these questions: What did God teach me through this experience? What could I do differently next time? How can I maintain a greater dependence on God? The purpose of reflection is not to dwell on the old wounds but rather to identify the lessons that God is trying to teach us and give thanks to our Father for transforming us by renewing our minds (Romans 12:2, Philippians 4:8).



R– Reconnect with God. Anchoring ourselves in who our Creator God says we are, is critically important (Psalm 139:4). His view of us is everlasting. His view of us is the truth. Connecting with Him in intimacy awakens our dreams and gives us peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7). When we reconnect with God and say, “Father, I need you” and “I cannot do this without you,” He exalts Himself through us, and our breakthroughs begin (2 Corinthians 12:9-11).

 

E– Envision. God deposits ideas, dreams, and visions within us. After a defeat or failure, we tend to ignore our God-given dreams and vision. Rather than ignoring them, we have to envision them, write them out and make them visible (Habakkuk 2:2). Envisioning our dreams reminds us to pursue our calling and live out our God-given purpose.

A- Act. Take action, one step at a time, and every time you act, put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6). Taking action, fully protected by God, increases our faith, courage, and trust in God’s plans. Ultimately, we realize that with God, we have all that we need to overcome (John 14:8, 1 John 4:4, Philippians 4:13, 4:19).

M- Meditate. As you take action, meditate on the Word of God. The Word gives us peace and wisdom. The Word guards our hearts and keeps us focused on heavenly things (Hebrews 4:12). Spending time in the Word changes our discouragement into encouragement and provides all the light that we need to see the path ahead clearly (Psalm 119:105).

While failing is part of life, the truth is that you are not a failure. You are a conqueror, and even if you fall, you will once again soar on wings like an eagle (Isaiah 40:31). Reigniting the warrior in you may take some time, but with God, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). As you move forward, strip failures’ power over you and choose to see failure as a teacher, not a definer. Faithfully continue to DREAM: Draw upon His lessons; Reconnect with Him; Envision; Act; Meditate.  

Remember, you are not your failures; you are indeed an overcomer in Jesus Christ! As His precious children, let’s share with the world our “overcoming” testimony (James 1:12).

WOW!! What a word! Thank you, once again, Odile for this amazing message.

You can connect with Odile at:

www.facebook.com/oapnetwork

www.instagram.com/oapnetwork

www.instagram.com/ntentionalw/

And if you are interested in guest writing for my blog please contact me! I would LOVE to work with you.

With Love,

Heidy

Let’s connect!

Twitter.com/HeidyReynoso13

Instagram.com/Heidyspoems

Instagram.com/Heidy.Delacruz13

Facebook.com/Heidyreynoso13

Like this post? Subscribe with your email to receive my posts straight to your inbox! 🙂

Service providers always get asked, "Who is your ideal client?" And although I wish I could help EVERYONE launch a podcast, not everyone learns the same way. Gea opens up about what her family went through right before they decided to flee Cuba. 🇨🇺 🎉HAPPY 10TH BIRTHDAY LIA 🎉
Categories
Blog Spiritual

5 Ways to Be Intentional In Our Walk With Christ (Guest Post)

Happy Friday Friends! I am bringing you another wonderful guest post, this time I am hosting Tona!! She heads an online Christian boutique (calledtoedify.com) and sells inspirational gifts and apparel; while sending portions of the stores proceeds to The Voice of the Martyrs ministry to help place a Bible in the hands of every Christian believer worldwide. Tona holds a bachelor’s degree (Biology) and master’s degree (Education) from Mount Mary University.

You can read her full bio at the end of this post. Today she is sharing 5 ways to be intentional in our walk with Christ and this post is dear to me because earlier this year, I wrote about my word for the year, which is intentional, you can read my post here. I wrote about how I was going to be intentional with my time with Jesus and this post extends from that and can help you also get intentional with Jesus.

She writes….

Knowing how to slow down and “be intentional” is a process that happens over time. For many individuals, slowing down involves practical habits that take a little determination to initiate and maintain. However, being intentional about these five tasks can help you feel closer to the Lord in a more meaningful way and enrich your walk with him. The five ways we can be intentional in our walk with Christ is through prayer, reading the bible, worship, serving others, and fellowship with other believes.

1. Prayer

Prayer is the first thing you need to be intentional about in your walk with Christ. In today’s culture, people think that being spiritual means not needing God. This is a lie from Satan. One way to be intentional about your relationship with the Lord is by practicing prayer daily. It does not have to be elaborate, just a simple conversation with Him. When we pray, we can pray about our family, friends, family, repentant prayers, our nation, and ourselves. It is also important when we pray to make sure that we are writing down all the answers to our prayers.

Ephesians 6:18 NIV And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Photo by Monstera on Pexels.com

2. Reading the Bible

Reading the Bible is the second way to be intentional about your walk with Christ. This involves creating a sacred space and time to have deep fellowship with the Lord. As believers, our relationship with the Lord is vital to our lives and needs to be cultivated over time. As we immerse ourselves in the word, we will then start to be transformed into his likeness. Writing down the things that the Lord is revealing through his word is a great way to remember and practice what we read.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

3. Worship

Worship is the third way to be intentional when you are growing in your walk with the Lord. Having time dedicated to praise and worship not only in community but also when you are at home, in the car driving, exercising, cooking and any other place you may find yourself. Worship is truly a part of everything we do. We not only worship the Lord through songs, hymns, and psalms, but we do it with our lives daily. Everything we do is for His glory.

Colossians  3:14-17 NIV And over all these virtues put on love, which binds then all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you each and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

4. Serving Others

Serving others is the fourth way to be intentional in growing in your walk with Christ. It is important to really see, hear, and meet the needs of others that you consistently encounter. Jesus always meets our needs, and because we are to be imitators of him, we should seek to serve others in the same way. It can be through prayer, spending our time, meeting a specific need they may have, or simply being a listening ear.

Matthew 25:35-40 NIV For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

5. Fellowship with Others

Fellowship with others is one of the last ways to be more intentional in your walk with Christ. Fellowship is so vital to the Christian life, and it can be done through virtual or in-person church services, group bible studies, meeting for coffee dates, or retreats. There are many ways to fellowship with fellow sisters in Christ, and it is imperative for our overall growth as a Christian.

Hebrews 10:25 NIV not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

I pray this list of five ways to be intentional in your walk with Christ gave you something to meditate and reflect on today. Are there any other ways that you can be intentional in your walk with the Lord that was not mentioned here? If you have any other ways, please leave them in the comments.

Thank you Tona for this list of ways to be intentional with Christ!

Here is her bull bio

Co-Founder/Director, Digital Marketing and Social Media

Tona is responsible for providing support and education to HAYWOOD SBS (www.haywoodsbs.com) contractors and employees. She is also charged with managing the innovation of the HAYWOOD SBS business model as a whole. Overall, Tona works to ensure HAYWOOD SBS clients are provided with the proper digital marketing tools, tactics, coaching and support they need to remain top amongst their competitors. Tona also recently started a Facebook group called Digital Marketing Strategies, Solutions, and Support For Busy Solopreneurs.

Prior to joining HAYWOOD SBS on a full-time basis, Tona was a High School science teacher for 16 years. She was known for her successful integration of technology in the classroom that not only helped her students become more engaged, but enabled them to begin to take more control over their own learning.

You can connect with Tona at her IG which is https://www.instagram.com/calledtoedifyboutique/

And if you are interested in guest writing for my blog please contact me! I would LOVE to work with you.

With Love,

Heidy

Let’s connect!

Twitter.com/HeidyReynoso13

Instagram.com/Heidyspoems

Instagram.com/Heidy.Delacruz13

Facebook.com/Heidyreynoso13

Like this post? Subscribe with your email to receive my posts straight to your inbox! 🙂

Service providers always get asked, "Who is your ideal client?" And although I wish I could help EVERYONE launch a podcast, not everyone learns the same way. Gea opens up about what her family went through right before they decided to flee Cuba. 🇨🇺 🎉HAPPY 10TH BIRTHDAY LIA 🎉