Tag: Guest Post

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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!

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Blog

7 Tips for Mental Health (Guest Post)

Hey everyone, I’m not sure if you’re aware, but May is Mental Health Awareness Month! So, I am bringing you a guest post from counselor Cherese Allen in honor of that. And she brings you 7 tips for mental health. Enjoy!

Physical health has always been discussed as a vital tool to incorporate in one’s life, while mental health has taken a back seat. Yet, over the last few years, mental health awareness has increased in the nation, which is such a positive notion. Personally, I am an advocate for mental health, taking a priority in an individual’s life just as much as physical health. However, one question that is posed is, “What are some tools that I can use to have better mental health?” I got you COVERED (lol). Below you will find a few tips and strategies that you can incorporate into your daily routine, to have improved mental health!

Photo by Craig Adderley on Pexels.com
  1. Understand yourself – One important thing is to identify your needs, fears, desires, triggers, joys, and every other intricate detail of what makes you, YOU! By knowing this information, you can create systems that help you protect your peace and mental health. For example, suppose you identify that a particular show causes you to feel a distressing emotion such as anger or anxiety. In that case, you can then implement a routine to alleviate those emotions (such as decreasing the time you watch the show or completely no longer watching the show).
  2. Self-care – Most have a busy schedule during the week, whether it is working, family, school, organizations, or all of the above. At times, one can become so busy pouring out into others that you forget to fill your cup back up. Remember, you cannot pour from an empty cup. Look at your life as a battery; once the battery runs low, you have to hook up to the charger to fill up. Now, self-care is your charging station. Engage in activities that you enjoy (spa, walking, warm bath, exercise, listening to music, etc.) and ensure that you take care of yourself so you can relax, recharge, and gain momentum to take on future tasks.
  3. Change your focus – It can be so easy to focus on all the things that are going wrong in your life that you could neglect to notice all of the things that are going right. Focus on the positives daily. You can jot down at least three things in your journal/notes that went well in your day to help build gratitude and shift your focus. Another idea is creating a gratitude jar; this could also be a fun family activity. A gratitude jar is where you write something positive on a slip of paper and place it in a mason jar. You can open it up at the end of the week or the end of the year (or whenever you choose) to reflect on all of the great things that occurred.
  4. Strengths- Have you ever noticed times when you are being extremely self-critical? (I am definitely guilty of that) We can literally be our worst critics. Try writing down all of your strengths that you carry and ponder on those attributes when you find yourself being overly critical. Speak to yourself nicely!
  5. Balance- Balance looks different for everyone, but the key here is to list out your priorities from greatest to least. Once you have done that, create a pie chart and separate the priorities into their respective percentages totaling 100%. For example: Work 50%, Family 30%, Organization 15%, Exercise 5%. If your workload happens to increase, and the other percentages do not decrease, then that is where an overload and unbalance occurs (you tipped the scale over 100%). Every percentage has to shift to remain at 100%. Therefore, if work increases, then time in another area will have to decrease to maintain balance. Remember balancing may look different per day, week, month, or year. It all depends on what your load looks like, so be willing to be flexible and adjust as necessary. Most importantly, remember some days, it just won’t all get done. That is perfectly okay!
  6. Boundaries – Boundaries are essential for your mental health. Ensure that you create healthy boundaries with your friends and family to maintain dynamics that benefit your mental health. So that may look like saying “No”! Ouch. Yes, it may hurt, but you may not be able to go to every event, talk on the phone, or do everything for everyone else. Analyze your relationships and identify areas that may need boundaries, and try to implement them as time progresses.
  7. Therapist – Many people believe in the myth “You are crazy if you visit a therapist .”I want to encourage you to go against that statement and remind you that you are not crazy for seeking therapy. The stigma has been that you have to have something “majorly” wrong in order to go to a counselor. However, you can visit a therapist just to speak to an individual that has a neutral perspective regarding any situation you are facing. It is always good to have someone to talk to, and sometimes your friends and family are not fully equipped. Find a therapist in your area by searching on Google or using Psychologytoday.com to gain the insight and wisdom you may need.

These are just a few tips to aid you in your journey towards good mental health. Our inner thoughts always reflect through our actions and speech, so be sure to take care of your innermost self in order to produce healthy outcomes. Cheers to taking charge of your mental health!

Remember, we are in this journey together!

-C.Allen

I hope these tips will help you with your mental health. I know I’m going to apply them – there is always room for improvement in our lives. Thank you so much Ms. Allen for these tips!

You can connect with Cherese Allen at:

IG: @callenxcallen

Twitter: @callenxcallen

WordPress: https://callenxcallen.wordpress.

Cherese’s Bio:

Cherese Allen is a graduate from Houston Baptist University and holds a Master’s in Counseling. Upon graduating she completed and passed the board exam, NCE. She is now a licensed professional counselor associate in the state of Texas, supervised by LaQuondra Patterson, LPC-S. Currently, working at a private practice, she specializes in depression, anxiety, life changes, couples therapy, self-esteem and more, for teens and adults.

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!

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

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Journals for sale!

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

Peace for Today’s Mothers (Guest Post)

Hello friends! Today I’m bringing you a guest post. It’s a devotional written by Detria Moore J.D., and it is powerful! When she sent this devotional to me, I didn’t know how much I needed to read this! Motherhood is challenging, rewarding, yet hard, and this is a beautiful reminder that there is a reason why we were called to this.

I pray that this devotional fills you the way it filled me and touches all the mothers who need encouragement right now. Amen.

Enjoy!

Peace for Today’s Mothers

What’s a mom to do in 2022? Somedays, managing a household resembles running a corporation. I sometimes feel like I need project management experience to hold it together and keep it running smoothly. I need spreadsheets to figure out the logistics of getting everyone to and from all their activities and an assistance to take my calls. As a mother, you often make decisions that impact your entire family. Do you homeschool or send them to school outside the home? Do you work outside the home or work full-time as a stay-at-home mom? What is the magic number of extracurricular activities to have per child? How many play dates are optimal? When do you step in and intervene in the roller coaster ride of your teenager’s life, and when do you let them figure it out? And the never-ending question…what ARE you cooking for dinner tonight?

For a season, I thought I could have it all. I thought I could be the most devoted hands-on mom, work outside the home to help support my family, volunteer at all the things in the community, be a Sunday school teacher, workout at the gym four times a week, keep my kids in fun-filled activities, have the most dedicated, intentional family time, cook nothing but health-conscious food, read the Bible in a year, and still go on Girlfriend Getaways every year. Can I just say this led to utter disappointment? But I mused, “Aren’t I the modern-day Proverbs 31 woman? Doesn’t Philippians 4:13 say I can do all things through Him who strengthens me?”  So, I prayed to God for more strength. But that was not the answer.

What I needed was peace. His peace.

The kind that surpasses all understanding, I needed peace that what He’s called me to do was enough and that I would be okay without everything else. 

Who said that we had to have it all? And what does that even look like? The truth is we make choices. And choosing one thing, whatever that thing is, by default means we’re NOT doing something else. This can lead us to question our decisions. When I homeschooled my children, I thought I was missing out and utilizing my full potential. When I worked outside the home, I thought I was sacrificing family time. I wasn’t at peace. At some point, we all question whether we’re doing the right things for our families and for ourselves. We may even question if we’re being a good mother.   But as you balance motherhood and all that comes along with it, I pray the following for you: 

  1. I pray that you are at peace. Be at peace for whatever He’s calling you to do in this season. Your job as a mother to your children won’t look like anyone else’s. What God has called you to is unique to you and His purpose for you and your family. Look at these prominent women in the Bible. They each had a unique calling. Deborah was a judge; she was not a queen like Esther. Anna was a prophet; she was not a teacher like Priscilla. My prayer is that in motherhood, you will find YOUR calling, whatever that uniquely looks like for you. Don’t look to the left or right at how it looks for others. The God who holds the world together has placed unique gifts, talents, and desires inside of you. YOU HAVE A PURPOSE!
  2. I pray that you experience joy in mothering. Sometimes mothering can be difficult. Two mothers, sleepy yet awake at 1 am—one nursing her newborn, the other waiting for a teenager who’s missed curfew. Nether seem joyous at the moment. But when you realize God has specifically entrusted YOU with raising and imparting to your children, I pray you’ll find the joy of the Lord to be your strength. Don’t let motherhood so burden you that you miss the joy of raising your precious children.    
  3. I pray that you constantly cover your family in prayer. As mothers, we help set the tone of our homes. Life and death are in our tongues. Speak and pray over your family. And don’t forget YOU! Pray for yourself, your time, your emotions. Pray that God will manifest each and every gift He’s placed in you. Pray constantly that your family will walk in Godliness. Speak life into them. 

Motherhood isn’t for the faint of heart. But if God has called you, He’ll most certainly equip you. Walk in peace today, knowing that God is with you and has never forsaken you. 

Wasn’t this devotional so fulfilling? I absolutely loved having Detria as a guest blogger and I hope to collaborate again in the future. Thank you again Detria for this amazing devotional.

You can connect with Detria at:

Website Instagram Facebook

Detria’s Bio:

Detria Moore is a believer, wife to one, mother of two, college professor, intercessor, community servant, writer, speaker, and volunteer of all things.  Above all else, she is enamored with her Savior.   Her main goal is to serve the Lord, walk in a manner worthy of her calling, and bring glory to her Savior.  If, along the way, she can pray with and encourage other women to grow in their own faith, or keep them encouraged to walk with Christ, then mission accomplished! Detria writes and podcasts at detriamoore.com and she enjoys reading and teaching the Bible, praying for others, walking the Lynchburg trails. 

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!

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

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Blog

3 Things You Probably Shouldn’t Do When Juggling Life (Guest Post)

Hey! Today I am bringing you another guest post. It’s been a while since I’ve had a guest writer on my blog, so it was overdue. Today I am bringing you my blogger friend Michelle, all the way from South Africa!

While she wears many hats like mom, blogger, YouTuber, career woman and wife – she is just a millennial mom trying figure out this thing called life, as she likes to say.

As she guest wrote for my blog – I also wrote for her blog and you can check out my post here.

Enjoy her post!

3 Things You Probably Shouldn’t Do When Juggling Life

Hi there! Michelle from Growing With Spawn here. If you know me, you probably know me as Shelly – the blogger, YouTuber, corporate woman, wife, and mother who has her life together. However, today, I’m Michelle – the overwhelmed, messy girl who fed her daughter yogurt and bread for dinner. I’ve shared my tips on juggling it all before, but what I never shared was what happens on days like these—the days when I can’t be bothered to take off my pajamas or wash my face. And yes, those days happen frequently. So instead of presenting a perfect picture, I thought I’d share some things you shouldn’t do if you’re trying to juggle … well, life!

Don’t Take Rest Lightly

We all have those moments when we feel like we can conquer the world. For me, that’s usually two hours after my bedtime, after scrolling mindlessly on social media. I’m not sure what is so enticing about the darkroom and tiny screen, but it’s a habit I can’t seem to kick for the life of me. So, every single night without fail, I find myself covered in my duvet, nose poking out and phone in hand.

If you can relate to this, I’m sure you know what’s coming the next-the morning after, the ‘hangover’ feeling!

We sometimes just scrape through the day on caffeine, energy drinks, and way too much sugar. And while this may be okay every now and then, it surely isn’t sustainable. Especially if you are consistently juggling many responsibilities, so as hard as it is, rest is something that we really need to treat with respect – almost like a full-time job.

Hmmm, I see you lowering your coffee mug! 

Don’t Allow Yourself to Get Burnt Out

So here’s the thing, I don’t quite have a set routine for anything, which means I always barely get things done. You will find me writing blog posts at 2 am or taking my morning shower at noon. Heck, if I were allowed to, I would probably work on weekends and use my weekdays for – well, nothing really!

But the thing about juggling life is that you need to be strategic about what you do. If you know you have bursts of energy in the morning, get the most work done then. If you know, you have a full-time job but still want to write blog posts, set aside the time for it. And if you have other responsibilities, make sure you allocate the time accordingly.

As the huge hypocrite that I am today (i.e., Michelle, not Shelly), I feel extremely qualified to give this piece of advice. Failure to actually plan things then rushing them last minute can leave you feeling overwhelmed and burnt out. Yes, working well under pressure is really a thing, but it can’t be the thing you do every time. 

So please don’t be like me!

You Probably Shouldn’t Skip Your Self Care

People who say that self-care is very easy have no real clue what self-care really is. Yes, I said it – you’re doing it all wrong! Self-care is not just painting your nails or taking a long bath. It’s much more than that, really.

Let me break it down for you.

If you aren’t journaling or finding some way to address your emotions as they come along, then you’re not caring for yourself. If you aren’t feeling great emotionally but would rather have drinks with your friends than see a therapist, you’re not taking care of yourself. And if you are spending way too much time in denial, running through the motions of life, then you are not taking care of yourself!

So, what does this have to do with juggling life?

Simple – if you plan on conquering the world, you definitely need to make sure that the ball between your shoulders and hair is actually doing okay. Take it from me; the gym isn’t just about abs, and sleep isn’t only for babies.

Photo by KoolShooters on Pexels.com

Conclusion

What I love about writing brutally honest blog posts is that I feel like I have to come up with some action plan that will be realistic to both you and me. I could easily advise you to set aside 3 hours a day to focus on the things you love, and I’m sure you would find a way to do it. But what most people often forget to tell you is that it’s okay not to be perfect. It’s absolutely okay to feel overwhelmed every now and then, so always keep this important rule written on the back of your eyelids:

Don’t be too hard on yourself – juggling life isn’t meant to be easy!

Thank you so much Michelle for being so raw and honest with us. We all have our days when we are struggling with life. I know I do.

You can connect with Michelle at

Twitter

YouTube

Growing With Spawn

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 free 5 minute journal prompts and weekly newsletters on my upcoming posts! 🙂

Journals for sale!

You can get one or both of my journals on Amazon! Links are below! 🙂
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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

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I love asking my guest what was their first culture shock when they moved to the United States 🇺🇸 Why do I love being a podcaster? What Is the Best Way to Grow Your Podcast?
Categories
Blog Spiritual

Faith Over Fear (Guest Post)

Hello lovely readers! I am so excited to bring you another guest post by another amazing writer. Her name is Nicole Gyimah also known as Cole and Coco. She is a soccer mom, adoring peppermint everything, fruit smoothies, connecting, and creating. She has worked in Publishing for 24 years, and also taught at Seton Hall University College of Communication and the Arts. She loves living passionately with purpose in Maryland with her husband and children. Please enjoy this post by Nicole.

Sitting at our six-month pulmonologist appointment, I said to myself, “we’ve come a long way.” Isaiah is truly thriving. He loves reading Dog Man and Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, adores mini-golf, romping with others, and does well in school. He is athletic, playing the wing position for his soccer team. Thanks to his big sister, Dylan, he enjoys watching anime. As his 10th birthday, May 28th, approaches, he enthusiastically lives as an animated videogame player. He talks to himself, yet is a friend making gift from God. Observing him interact with the doctor, doing his breathing tests, answering questions, explaining what he physically feels is a dream come true. For earlier in his life-at 16 months old to be exact, we were afraid we would lose him.

Nine Years Ago:

Sunday, September 16, 2012, he spent the bright, beautiful afternoon playing vigorously in the backyard with his sisters. That evening we ate dinner, did bath and bedtime, and then it happened. I heard him coughing, crying, and as I checked on him, I knew something wasn’t right. I screamed to my husband that we needed to get him to the emergency room. Once there, they immediately transferred him to the pediatric ICU.

A sincere, kind, intelligent doctor-the head of PICU-advised he was suffering from a severe asthma attack and that if we hadn’t gotten him there when we did, he might not have made it. He had to be intubated. We were not expecting this or the 10-day hospital admission accompanying it. I crumbled. We were devastated. To me, we had failed him. There were no warning signs or instructions for how to be in that moment, and there were none in our circle who had experienced a chronic condition on this scale with their children—lacking understanding. No direction. Terrified. Why us, why our baby? Why Asthma?

The Jolt:

Isn’t this how life’s challenges impact us? We ask difficult questions. Why me, why my family? Does God care? Does the Lord understand how I feel? The Bible teaches yes, He cares (1Peter 5:6-7) and recognizes how we feel more than anyone (Hebrews 4:15); however, my query continued. I wondered now what do we do? And then one day in the hospital trying to make sense of it all, thinking and praying on next steps, the Holy Spirit asked me a question, Why not us? Would I choose another child or family to endure the pain? No way! As Christians, we are empowered to choose a better perspective, response and outlook so we can experience grace through the suffering. “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf” (1 Peter 4:16, KJV). At that second, I knew I wanted to help anyone undergoing the lonely, frightening frustration of a story like ours. It was time to look for the good that will come out of the bad (Romans 8:28).

Hope, Intent, Action:

I knew each incident had not been in vain. The pain had intention. Being vulnerable, uncertainty, not knowing how it will work out is difficult. It’s also a part of the faith walk.  Instead of focusing on the trouble, I wanted to go after the purpose.

“The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Psalm 118:6)

After this initial incident and by Isaiah’s fourth or fifth asthma-related hospital stay, I had the revelation that we (his family) had asthma; asthma didn’t have us. It was time to go to work, not just for our benefit but for humanity. God led us to families like us who were managing asthma. Initially, I was creating flyers for Children’s National Hospital, Washington D.C., and for their community events focused on raising consciousness for Asthma awareness month (which happens to be May). And during an emergency room visit, we discovered IMPACT DC Asthma Clinic, “an award-winning pediatric asthma program in Washington, D.C., directed by Dr. Steven Teach.” Through IMPACT DC, we were taught best practices for managing asthma, and they helped us recognize Isaiah’s triggers. We were able to collaborate on asthma advocacy efforts, share our story, championing for ourselves and others. In addition to partnering with Children’s Hospital/IMPACT DC, other volunteer opportunities opened. Since then, I’ve worked with the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America and currently partner with the BUILD HEALTH Challenge as the Parent Team Lead for the Healthy Together Medical-Legal Partnership for improving asthma in D.C. and to improve health in D.C. by enhancing community resilience.

Present-day:

Asthma remains a part of our story. Choosing faith over fear does too. What do your faith over fear moments look like? Psalm 27:1 asks, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?” This is an absolute comfort! God has promised to protect, never leave nor forsake us. How can I not choose faith over fear? I’m so thankful for our journey. Although it’s been challenging, the adversity has presented growth, development, and opportunity. I’ve reconciled it’s ok to not be ok. But we can’t stay there. Don’t hold back. Face the circumstances. Be Bold. Afraid? Good. You’re headed in the right direction.

Wow! What a moving story! Thank you so much Nicole for sharing with us your faith over fear story. We all are dealing with something that sometimes makes us fearful but we need to remember that our God is bigger than anything and everything. I hope you would like to collaborate again in the future.

If you would like to connect with Nicole I will include her social media handles and if you would like to guest post on my blog you can reach out to me by email or my “contact” page. Let’s work together!

Follow @ nicolegyimah@gmail.com

IG @nicolegyimah

FB @Nicole (Evans) Gyimah

Twitter @negyimah

With Love,

Heidy

Let’s connect!

Twitter.com/HeidyReynoso13

Instagram.com/Heidyspoems

Instagram.com/Heidy.Delacruz13

Facebook.com/Heidyreynoso13

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Blog Spiritual

God’s Perfect Timing (Guest Post)

Hello friends! I am so excited about today’s blog because it is my first time hosting a guest writer on my blog!!! I am beyond excited to host such a fantastic writer/author Alexis A. Goring; she “is a passionate writer with a degree in Print Journalism and an MFA in Creative Writing. She loves the art of storytelling and hopes that her stories will connect readers with the enduring, forever love of Jesus Christ”. 

Please enjoy this devotional by Alexis A. Goring!

There’s this beautiful song by Juanita Bynum in which she declares that she doesn’t mind waiting on the Lord! She says that it is an honor to wait on Him. She tells the listener that sometimes in life, you will face situations where you don’t know what to do or who to turn to and you see that no human can help you. But that’s when she reminds us about God’s promise to all those who wait on Him. 

You can read about that promise in Isaiah 40:31 and be encouraged that no matter what you may face in this life, you always can turn to God and He will help you. God has all the answers! Not only does He know your every need; He is perfectly capable of meeting each one (Philippians 4:19)! And He always does meet your needs and grant the desires of your heart that are according to His will … in His perfect time.

My maternal grandmother used to say, “God may not come when you want Him to but He’s always on time!” The older I get and the more seasoned by life situations I become, the more I remember her words that she spoke when she was alive, and the more I realize she was right!

But sometimes when I listen to this song “I Don’t Mind Waiting,” my inner dialogue with God admits, “But Lord, sometimes I do mind waiting!” My conversations about waiting with God hit on core issues that most young adults in America and around the world face. 

Conversations that touch on topics like landing a job that you trained for (or in some cases, especially during this pandemic, any job that pays the bills and keeps you afloat financially). If you’re single and believe in marriage then you’re wondering when you’ll get married. If you’re married but struggling to have children or have suffered miscarriages then you’re wondering when you and your spouse will have a baby. If you’re widowed then you may be wondering if you’re ever going to find true love again. If you’re elderly and the people who you loved through life have all died then you’re wondering if you’re next. If you’re still growing up then you’re wondering when you’ll be able old enough to do all the things you’ve seen adults do (though you’re probably not dreaming about having to pay bills, support yourself financially, manage a home, and hold down a steady job). Point is: We’re all waiting on someone or something. The good news is, when you wait on the Lord you will not be disappointed because He always comes through on time. The Bible says the He will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). The God of the Universe is also the Maker of your heart and He loves you with all of His Heart.

Now when someone loves you with all of their heart, and they have a proven track record of taking care of you then you don’t have to worry, right? Well, if that person is a mere mortal then yes, you do need to worry because only God cannot fail (Matthew 19:26). We as humans try our best to be there for people who we love and a lot (not all) of us try our best to keep our promises. However, we’re only human. Only God is completely capable of being there for us 24/7/365. Only God will never lie to us (Numbers 23:19). Only God keeps all of His promises that you can read about in His Word (The Holy Bible). Therefore, we can conclude that God is trustworthy.

As life teaches you more lessons and you grow up in your walk with the Lord, you will see that you can wait on Him and you can trust Him. You will learn to be content with what you have and be at peace wherever He’s put you. Patience will grow within you like a small seed planted deep in soil and over time, that seed will sprout into a deeply rooted tree that is tall, strong and unmoved by the winds and strife of life. Why? Because you were deeply rooted in God’s Word. You rely on His promises so you know you have nothing to fear. And as you wait on the Lord and He “shows up and shows out” for you, then you will see firsthand that His timing is perfect!

Please be encouraged to know God loves you, He’ll never leave you, and rest assured that He will always come through for you in every way. It may not be on your timetable (who are we to tell the King of the Universe to adhere to our manmade schedules?) but it will be in in His perfect time. 

In closing, I’d like for you to read this insightful article about why God’s timing is perfect. 

And remember this quote:

“Be patient because God has perfect timing. Too often we forget just how big God really is…the same God that makes the stars shine and keeps the planets in motion loves you and knows exactly where and when you’ll be happiest. He’s always working for your good and only wants what’s best for you. God was, is and always will be … just trust Him and rest in His grace.” ~Author Unknown

Thank you so much Alexis for being a guest writer on my blog, I hope you will share more beautiful devotionals in the future. If you’d like to connect with Alexis I’ll share her social media handles. And if you’d like to be a guest contributor on my blog just send me an email, I’d love to collaborate with you!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAlexisAGoring/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PennedbyAlex

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/capturing_the_idea/

Website: https://alexisagoring.jimdofree.com

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/capturingidea/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7260528.Alexis_A_Goring

“God is Love” (blog): https://capturingtheidea.blogspot.com

“On My Heart” (blog): https://coveringitall.blogspot.com

With Love,

Heidy

Let’s Connect!

Twitter.com/HeidyReynoso13

Instagram.com/Heidyspoems

Instagram.com/Heidy.Delacruz13

Facebook.com/Heidyreynoso13

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I love asking my guest what was their first culture shock when they moved to the United States 🇺🇸 Why do I love being a podcaster? What Is the Best Way to Grow Your Podcast?

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Blog Spiritual

My Guest Posts!!!

The end of June and July was certainly exciting because I had my first guest posts published! I reached out to a few blogs and asked if I could guest post on their website. I had a few responses that they don’t do guest posts, but I did receive three, yes!!

The first guest post was published on The Godly Chic Diaries – you can read my post by clicking here. June has a fantastic faith-based blog right here on WP, and her posts are encouraging and uplifting about God and His marvelous work. I was so honored that this was my very FIRST guest post, and her followers were just as uplifting and encouraging!

My post was about how God removed my fear of loneliness. I decided to share my story because that fear stemmed from a young age, and I know many shares that fear too, but God is so powerful and amazing that He can help them as well.

My second guest post was published on YMI.today, and you can read the post by clicking here. YMI.today is a Christian Blog for young adults. They have articles on various topics like faith, relationships, and everyday living, but all with a Christian worldview.

I wrote about how the Growth Group at my church helped me grow in my faith, grow closer to God, and lead me to become an adult leader for the youth ministry.

The last guest post was published on Candidly Christian, and this blog is for Christian Woman. They have topics about faith, prayers, marriage, and parenting. You can read my post by clicking here.

This post was about overcoming bitterness after being betrayed. I got personal with sharing this story, but I know I’m not the only one who has been betrayed. Usually, afterward, the person becomes bitter because they are hurt and feel broken, but God helped me get through it, and He can help anyone else who has been in the same situation or similar.

I am humbled to had been featured in three different blogs, and I am looking forward to seeing where else God would like for me to share His messages.

If you read any of them let me know your thoughts. I love feedback.

With Love, Heidy

 

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Let’s connect!

Twitter.com/HeidyReynoso13

Instagram.com/Heidyspoems

Facebook.com/Heidyreynoso13

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