Tina Yeager's Blog, page 3

Can We Recover After this Crisis?

 

From pandemic health and loss struggles to violence and division, the 2020 year has pummeled us. We face an aftermath of financial struggles, family strain, and despair. Even those who once felt confident may now wonder if we can ever restore our lives. Is there hope for recovery after so much devastation?

Although the current state of the world suggests we’ve suffered from unprecedented calamity, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Human history and Biblical accounts prove we’ve been through times like these. And times worse than these. The world wars afflicted us historic levels of destruction and the unspeakable horrors of the holocaust. Long before the evil Nazis rose to power,  other empires throughout history have oppressed the vulnerable. And other disasters, plagues, and conflicts have stricken humankind throughout the ages.

Perhaps the worst phase of human history existed during Noah’s time. The spirits of men ebbed into profound depravity. Our world had grown so vile that “every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time” (Genesis 6:5). God cleansed the earth of the widespread evil in the Great Flood, an event documented by multiple cultures across the world.  As Noah stepped off of his agonizing cruise to examine the remains of life, perhaps he wondered how the world would recover. Might he have had a fleeting concern about whether mankind would come back stronger or revert to the same crisis again?

God set a rainbow into the skies as His recurring promise to rescue and redeem us without ever again using a worldwide flood. As is His nature, the Lord kept His promise in a way we could never have imagined.

Depravity did not remain absent from the world. Horrific empires rose and oppressed the people of God. During such a time of poverty and political tension, the Lord wrapped Himself in the tender skin of an infant and came to dwell among us. Christ arrived as our Savior during one of the world’s dark seasons. He taught us ultimate truth. He delivered inner and outer healing. He showed lost souls the way to hope and optimization. Then Jesus poured Himself out to cleanse us and draw us into eternal life with Him.

Christ spent most of his three-year ministry among the downtrodden, helpless, and afflicted. He embraced, healed, and fed. In this oppressive moment of history, the Lord offered recovery for all generations of despairing hearts. Including our current world, with all its tremendous suffering.

As He shared with us long ago, the truth rings ever true today–there is ALWAYS hope in Christ.

In times of crisis, He calls some of us to bear His message of hope to others. Therefore, a team of Christian speakers have gathered to share the gifts of Jesus with those who desperately need to recover right now. We will teach, offer health, bring practical tips to optimize life. As servants following Jesus, we will pour ourselves out to lift you toward His highest blessings.

Fifteen acclaimed speakers have volunteered their time, donated giveaways, and created freebies. Just. For. You. Join us for practical tools and inspiration to optimize your health, family, career, and emotional well being at Rebound Your Highest: Come Back Stronger After the Struggle. We’re providing this online event at an incredibly low cost to keep the messages accessible for all who need them. Early bird tickets start at only $13.99. Even the standard ticket price is less than a day trip of gasoline.

We’re available to chat with you before, during, and after the pre-recorded event in our closed Facebook group. Since all the messages will post to the group, only registered attendees will have access. Secure your seat from the comfort of your screen at https://rebound-your-highest-come-back-stronger-after-the.heysummit.com/

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Join us for TWO Virtual Events this Summer!

In need of renewal? Desperate to rejuvenate your life after this season of crisis?

We’re offering a wealth of restorative messages and practical information to help you renew all areas of your life. And we’re providing each of these events for less than a meal out with a friend!

A Little SHE Time: A Women’s Renewal Event brings you a spa-like event packed with inspiration, practical tips, and healing content to renew your mind, body, heart, and soul. Register for access to our closed Facebook group and receive blessings before, during, and after our live-streamed event. A Little SHE Time overflows with bonuses, giveaways, and offers from our eleven speakers over the event’s two days. From Friday June 26th to Saturday June 27th, you can experience a spa-like weekend from the convenience of your home. You can watch replays even after the live event, so the benefits of our girls’ weekend continue. For more details and to get the Early Bird Pricing of 12.99 before it ends, visit the landing page for A Little SHE Time.

If you participate LIVE in A Little SHE Time, you will gain a special price offer — below the early bird offer — for our next event, Rebound Your Highest: Come Back Stronger After the Struggle.

Rebound Your Highest offers the tools, insights, and recharging messages needed to come back from this crisis stronger than ever. Participants will gain specific tips on how to redefine and apply their strengths, seek opportunities, cope with losses, rebuild finances, re-frame life with divine dreams, restore spiritual and interpersonal relationships, renew well-being, and develop growth mindsets. We’ll feature over a dozen speakers from July 24-25 and include great prizes and bonus offers. Rebound your Highest will gather all participants into a closed Facebook group where you can view replays and discussions long after the event ends. Registration will be available soon, so check back for more details and to book your seat at THIS LINK.

I hope to see you soon at our live-streamed summer events in June and July!

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Living Through Cave-Like Trials: Psalm 57 Devotional

 

 

 

As we face the unexpected crisis of isolating in our homes, many of us find ourselves coping with unprecedented stress and troubles. The circumstances oppress us and we struggle to live among those we may find prickly at times. David spent years under the oppression of a spiritually tormented enemy, forced to dwell in caves with difficult men. Though he had been anointed as the next king, he suffered isolation and lack of supplies for longer than he could possibly have imagined.

Many celebrate this Lenten season as a time of preparation for Easter, acknowledging our Savior’s sacrifice by humbling ourselves. Some choose to fast in recognition of Jesus’ forty days of fasting in the wilderness. We can also remain mindful of the three days between Christ’s entombment in the cave and His resurrection which brought us all hope of new life beyond the grave and torment of our mortality. In an interesting parallel, David wrote Psalm 57 from his apparently hopeless situation of cave-dwelling before entering his royal destiny.

Today’s devotional video invites us to pray and worship according to the example in Psalm 57.

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Let the Diets Die: Sustainable Lifestyle Upgrades

Diets garner immense popularity at the start of the new year and make a resurgence in the months prior to swimsuit season. Some fads encourage us to eliminate food groups or restrict calories. Other experts insist we can indulge in a specific type of food while avoiding everything else. The stricter the rules, the more crazy the imbalance, the more attention the diets receive. The masses flock to these wild and seemingly innovative eating guidelines after hearing promises of quick and drastic weight loss.

Americans struggle with health and nutrition, so the desperation to shed unwanted pounds increases each year.

Maybe you rushed in with the masses on January first. Perhaps you opted for one of those diets which promised a miraculous result to those who remained faithful to a set of impossible standards. You might be asking your reflection the cliche question, “How’s that working for you?”

If you’ve seen your health resolutions sag and die before the FAT TUESDAY lady sang, don’t despair! You’re not alone in having failed at your weight loss goals. In fact, the popular crash diets many people attempt to follow could do more harm than good.

Research suggests the elimination of an entire food group could strain the body. Too much of one element without the balance of others might cause dangerous side effects, such as liver toxicity. In addition to these risks, those who try fad diets typically gain more weight at the end of their failed attempt. Scientists point to an average gain of twenty percent more than their original weight within a few months.

Before you groan at the bleak outlook of these weight loss crazes, allow me to reassure you. A much better option exists. You can live a healthy lifestyle and enjoy the benefits of nutrition and exercise without dieting. FIRST, we need to let the diets die.

Unlike a healthy lifestyle, diets promise short-term results through unsustainable patterns of eating and activity. A lifestyle upgrade encourages a series of minor shifts which you can maintain for the rest of your life. Small steps allow us to continue focusing on the priorities of blessing others rather than obsessing upon a rigid diet. When we live to nourish our minds, hearts, and bodies, we gain the wellness, mindset, and energy to live our purpose.

Today’s video emphasizes the following upgrades we can make in baby steps toward cultivating our healthiest lifestyle:

Hydrate
Trade up Toxins for Nutrients
Taste the rainbow
Switch out Empty for Beneficial
Keep it real
Do something fun while waiting to see if you need that next helping
Add exercise in small bites and at low impact
Breathe deeply and stretch while praying AM and PM
Laugh
Eat and walk with others

We covered a wide range of topics during this series, but remember to add new habits in small increments. Do first what you need most and add other lifestyle changes later. It takes at least three weeks to anchor a habit.

What are your favorite tips for living your best? Whether you plan to include today’s tips or something from another post, feel free to share your feedback. And if you have additional suggestions to offer, please type them into the comments below. Others might benefit from your insights. As always, I love to read your suggestions and comments.

For more tips on maintaining a healthy body and weight perspective, check out next Friday’s Flourish-Meant episode on Nourish a Healthy

Body Image with Erin L. Todd.

Be Encouraged,

Tina

 

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Emotions as Allies, not Dictators: Sustainable New You Habits

 

Some face relationship issues while others suffer from loneliness. From disappointments to frustration or even anger, this week’s circumstances could rattle your heart. In fact, any given time of year can present us with a torrent of emotions. We can rise on a wave of happiness with high expectations and soon afterward find ourselves careening through anxiety or crashing onto negative rocks of sorrow or disappointment. The seasickness of  life’s highs and lows can tempt us to hyperfocus on the heart or despise our emotions altogether.

When we center our lives upon stabilizing and appeasing emotion, we put the heart in a place of authority. Most heart-ruled souls remain unaware they’ve elected an incompetent leader. Culture insists we follow our hearts and set happiness as our top goal. The encouragement to seek emotional well being resounds with wisdom, but many misinterpret this advice as a suggestion to set up feelings as dictators.

Well being, emotional and otherwise, requires us to dethrone our hearts.

The heart is deceitful above all things

    and beyond cure.

    Who can understand it?

 “I the Lord search the heart

    and examine the mind,

to reward each person according to their conduct,

    according to what their deeds deserve.” 

–Jeremiah 17:9-10

In the deposing of our hearts from their ill-suited leadership roles, we should take care not to dismiss our feelings altogether. Sometimes anger or excitement can lead us to make mistakes. After recognizing our emotions misled us, we might react by devaluing and ignoring them as foolish. But our hearts provide great insights when we learn to interpret them. Ignoring them entirely can lead us to even greater mistakes.

Emotions make horrible leaders, but can offer immense value as counselors.
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We function best when we follow the design.

Spirit as the leader
Thoughts and actions set in alignment with the Spirit
Emotions to inform or warn us

We cannot steer our emotions directly and our feelings make unreliable steering wheels for our lives. Thoughts and actions can affect the direction and outcome of emotions, however. Even our minds and activities fail to offer the best leadership. The Holy Spirit provides ultimate wisdom and remains the sole, unsurpassed authority over all areas. Leadership by the omnipotent and perfect leader brings us an infinite level of potential benefit. Only the Holy Spirit can best direct our thoughts and actions, which can then steer our emotions toward well being.

God designed us with emotions, not as dictators, but as allies. The heart provides us with feedback, which we must filter to understand and make wise adjustments. Anger, for example, signals a pain point of sorrow or fear which urges us to self-protect. We can examine our irritation to gain insights which can help us move forward. Ask yourself the following questions to harvest benefits from your emotions:

What triggered this emotion?
Is there an underlying feeling beneath this (fear, sorrow, insecurity, loneliness)?
What causes me to feel the core emotion? What thoughts are tied to this feeling?
Are the thoughts tied to this feeling true? Are they exaggerated (always, never, worst, most, forever, e.g.)?
If this feeling comes with exaggerated or false thoughts, where did those thoughts come from? When did they start?
Does this relate to an unresolved issue in my past which needs healing?
Is my emotional reaction in this moment magnified by another person, stressor, or memory?
Could there be unforgiveness toward this person or someone else which I need to release?
Is my irritation or sorrow signalling a need to set healthier boundaries or make a change in my circumstances?
Could a physical issue be contributing to my emotional well being (sleep, nutrition, illness, fitness, mental health)?
Have I prayed through this long enough to stop and listen to the Holy Spirit’s interpretation of my feelings?

If we turn our hearts over to the Lord, he will sift our feelings through his loving truth and healing power. He shows as much patience with all of us as he did with the prophet, Elijah. After a huge victory over paganism among God’s people, physical and emotional exhaustion overtook the prophet. Emotionally distraught, he fled to a cave (1 Kings 19).

And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
–1 Kings 19:9

Of course God knew Elijah’s answer. But the Lord asked him the same question twice. Not for God’s understanding, which needed no clarification. The Lord repeated his question as an invitation for Elijah to pour out his emotion in the context of his relationship with the Lord. God already knew the heart of his prophet. The Lord listened until Elijah felt heard.
After Elijah offered his heart to the Lord in this venting, cave-rant, the prophet remained in God’s presence to listen to the Lord.
The Lord longs to receive the burdens of your heart, too. He will listen with loving patience. Feeling heard by the Lord provides only a portion of the potential benefits of praying  through our emotions, however. We receive the fullness of his blessings when we pray long enough to listen for HIS heart, too.

The Spirit longs to share relationship with us and care for our hearts. He alone can direct us and sustain us. Through prayerfully sorting out the signals of our feelings, we can receive direction and strength bolstered by our designer and best leader.

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
— Psalm 73:26

Will you pray to invite the Spirit to re-order your life’s authority this week?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts and feedback.

Be Encouraged,

Tina

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Relationship Rejuvenation: Sustainable New You Habits

 

Welcome to the month of hopeless romanticism and hapless heartbreak.  The retail world blushes all shades of pink, red, and lavender in an urge to sell us passion in packages. Singles resent the reminders of their isolation. Couples stress over how to avoid disappointing their beloved ones. Moms sigh over the drama surrounding classroom valentines. Children ponder the meaning of cryptic messages sent to them via chalky candies and cartooned cards. The teen years intensify the despair of these melodramatic weeks while momma’s cookies no longer ease the pain. Some kids dream of future bliss, hoping love will grow easier and less painful as they age. Others witness the contention between their parents and never dare to imagine such fairy tale endings exist.

Whether you face this February with the heart of parent, romantic partner, or neither, relationships weave through the fabric of your life. How you connect with others matters more and lasts longer than anything else you might achieve. As a child created in the image of Love Himself, you were sculpted as a living message through whom His heartbeat might be heard by others around you. Spouses, children, and friends represent only a few of the many types of relationship opportunities through which we might convey divine meaningfulness and connection.

All of our relationships serve as a potential field of blessings, into which we sow love and from which the Lord also nourishes us at times. Only the best cultivation practices will allow meaningful and fruitful connections to grow. Our souls need more than pink-laced packages or chocolate chip condolences to thrive. Our culture’s romantic sales pitches have left our hopes to rot with disappointment. Many of us have seen relationships grow stale or bitter due to expectations which withered in silence.

Some of us seek fulfillment of errant dreams and despair when our hopes crumple unfulfilled. At other times, we aspire for true love without availing ourselves of the means we have to nurture it.

Today’s post invites us to explore the ways we can all rejuvenate our relationships. The following points offer the means for cultivating meaningful connections with others in order to fulfill our potential as ambassadors of Love Incarnate:

Love begins as a choice. We remember to love as a verb rather than awaiting its arrival as a noun. Choose to love in thought and action regardless of your emotional state.
Our need for love must be met only by God. The Lord may use other people to serve as conduits of His love, but our needs are always met by Him. Directly or indirectly, the Lord alone meets our needs. Any relationship from which you seek spiritual or emotional needs to be met by another human being will fail. No person can fulfill the expectation of delivering what only God can provide. Be a conduit of God’s love, but remember only Christ can act as Savior of our souls.
Others’ needs can only be met by God. God shares His blessings through us with others. Our obedience to Him in serving others remains important in our relationship with the Lord and with others. Yet we must remember to obey the Lord’s call to love without taking on the Savior’s responsibility to save and fill all emotional needs. We give without need, yet remember not to take on the burden of how the other individual receives God’s gift given through us. Or does not receive them. We might also need to discern when others demand something from us which the Lord has not called us to provide for them.
Learn to maintain healthy boundaries. The above points refer to a starting point for establishing our roles in meeting the needs of others. Healthy boundaries also includes understanding how to discern the responsibilities and reasonable expectations involved in all relationships. Henry Cloud and John Townsend co-authored a series of titles on this subject, if you’d like to read further details.
Maintain an “H” pattern of mutual benefit in friendships and romantic partnerships. An “I I” pattern remains independent and disconnected.  A “Ʌ” pattern involves crippling dependency, so that one person’s unsteadiness brings down the other. The “H” model reflects independent identity and security while remaining connected and giving to one another.
Listen. Listen. Listen. Until the other person feels heard. Reflect what you’ve heard to ensure you understand. God models listening in His loving ways of relating to us. Throughout scripture, the Lord asked questions although He knew all the answers. He invites us to vent and assures us of His concern. Listening may sound like a small, inconsequential practice, but our relationships (family, romantic, and community) will improve exponentially by following God’s example in this respect.
Communicate after the person feels heard. Ask whether they want you to help in some way. Sometimes advice proves unwelcome and unnecessary.
Share your heart a little at a time. But never dump it into someone else’s lap and ask them to be responsible for your happiness.
Convey helpful truth with the sandwich method. Make sure your suggestions are delivered amid esteem and respect. Only share prayerfully guided messages with potential to benefit both persons. Avoid offering criticism just because you see a flaw when change would offer little or no blessing.
Avoid engaging in conflict when angry. Wait until your heartbeat has returned to a resting rate and your brain restores function to the frontal lobe. Otherwise, you will invite your primitive brain lobe to speak into your relationships instead of your reasoning and logic functions. Praying for the Holy Spirit to guide you and take authority before discussing a problem will optimize your response and bless the discussion. A calmed heart and Spirit-led mind offer the opportunity for conflict discussion to actually improve your relationships.
Choose forgiveness and ask the Lord to guide you through the process of following it through. Some relationships might also be restored through the process of reconciliation, but as a distinct and separate procedure. Forgiveness does not involve justification, nor does it require repentance. Forgiveness sets your soul free from bitterness and acknowledges God as the agent responsible for ultimate justice.
Play. Whether with your family, spouse, or friends, connections will strengthen when woven with laughter and smile lines. Relationships build and grow through play. Taking time for recreation, joking, and games isn’t a luxury. It’s absolutely essential.
Pray with and for one another. Pray the will and Word of God over those you love.

If you have other suggestions for rejuvenating relationships, please share them with us. What small steps will you implement this week to improve your heart connections with others? I look forward to your comments!

Be Encouraged,

Tina

 

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Manageable Mindset Shifts: Sustainable Lifestyle Habits

 

January has three weeks bulging under her belt. Many of this month’s early-date fans now resent her as much as their own waistlines. Unlike the fickle masses, statistics maintain a consistent view of January. She reflects human nature’s tendency to launch with the boldest of aspirations only to crash into the frigid craters of failed resolutions. In three weeks or less.

Ah January, you reflect our best and worst days. Your hours of heart-sprung hope soon falter as emotion loses its thrust mid-month. We flail in the impossible atmosphere and arc downward at full tilt. The crash sinks us deep into the tundra, below our New Year’s launch pad. We’re left shivering in the mid-winter season of defeat.

Before accepting our fate and shuffling into Fail-bruary, some of us dare to ask a simple question. Three letters hold the potential to guide us toward a new path which could spare us from another chilling and unsuccessful January in the future.

WHY?

Statistics prove eighty percent of us give up within two months and ninety percent of resolutions will never last the year. These facts reveal a pattern, but the graphed data has no benefit on its own. We must examine the cause if we ever hope to change our course.

Aerospace engineers, world-renowned for mastery of data, never focus on unsuccessful results when trying to improve future outcomes. The success of a mission relies upon the preparation completed long before the rocket launch, after all. Breaking through the atmosphere of our current lifestyles requires the same attention to groundwork.

While most resolutions spring from feelings, the heart cannot sustain enough willpower to break the sound barrier oppressing us. We face spiritual warfare and negative self talk in addition to the simple inertia pulling us to revert back into comfortable ruts.

Emotions serve as important consultants in our lives, but make horrible managers. As we discussed in the previous post, spirituality must center and fuel us. Aligned with divine guidance, our doing and thinking must precede feelings. Most of us set resolutions and goals without laying the inner motivational groundwork.

When launched from a backward chain of motivation, goals fail.
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Setting up the spiritual and mental framework might sound simple, but mindset shifts can prove daunting.

Today’s video discusses the following keys to manageable mindset shifts which lay the groundwork for renewing your life:

Journal your negative self talk. Write down the accusations, shaming statements, and name-calling which create an oppressive sound barrier within you.
Replace each line of your sound barrier with spiritual truth. (For examples, look for lists on sites like Freedom in Christ Ministries or in my book Beautiful Warrior). Carry these verses and inspirations with you. Most studies suggest our minds require a ratio of at least five positives to overcome each negative message.
Identify the mindsets which lead to unwanted behaviors. Visualize these as moths in your mental closet, eating all your favorite dream-outfits. Catch these thoughts as soon as they come to mind and replace them with countering mindsets which lead to successful, life-optimizing habits.

Look for justifications, comparing bad habits with worse habits, minimizing statements, and apathy mindsets.
Examples include, “… just this once,” or “… who cares,” or “at least I’m not …”


Ask yourself if a behavior will lead you where you want to go.
Learn to listen for the Holy Spirit’s guidance in all things.
Beware of distractions! As I’m working on my blog, I’m fully aware of the insidious nature of distraction and procrastination. Believe me, I GET how challenging this can prove for all of us!
Adopt a discipline of gratitude. These two concepts might seem at odds with one another, but we choose our thoughts and actions before feelings shift into alignment. I can remind myself to thank God before I’m successful at what I believe He is shaping me to better demonstrate in my life.

Praise has an antiseptic effect upon negativity.
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Ask for others to pray for you through this process.
Find someone to serve as an accountability partner. It’s easier to fail alone. Center your mutual encouragement on the Lord, inviting His presence and wisdom to strengthen you.

Though one may be overpowered,

    two can defend themselves.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

– Ecclesiastes 4:12

What step will you take this week toward shifting your mindset? Notice I asked about ONE step, not multiple objectives. Choose a single shift this week. After you’ve effectively practiced the first step, add another healthy mindset practice.

Let us know how you’re doing! We can work through these lifestyle habits to optimize our well being together. I’d love to gather a community of encouragement. Feel free to comment here or on my Facebook page. As always, I cherish your feedback and comments.

Next week, we’ll look at another aspect of well being. But please remember to work through these concepts at your own pace. A little at a time will prove more successful in the long term. And we don’t want to crash like another statistic, after all!

 

Be Encouraged,

Tina

 

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Spirituality as a Lifestyle: Sustainable New Year New You Habits

Our last discussion offered the overview of our whole-person makeover series to launch your new year with habits you can sustain forever. We noted the importance of taking small, maintainable steps toward the lifestyle which blesses the rest of your days. The significance of addressing all areas of our well being also took center stage in the last post.

Today’s video begins the practical means toward actualizing your best life. The foundational element of abundant living lies within the one part of our being which outlives the rest. Spirituality pervades all other pieces of our essence and experience. All hope of success in our cognitive, emotional, physical, vocational, and relational aspects of life hinges upon spiritual well being.

Scripture indicates every life builds its well being on some kind of spiritual foundation.

 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like.  They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.  But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.” Luke 6:47-49, NIV

All of us believe something, worship a centrally significant concept. Few of us acknowledge what we’ve actually set as the basis of our hope, priority for our time and resources, or fulcrum of our well being. One choice, one attitude shift, one declaration at a time, we build a life. We decide how and who we become based upon what we deem vitally important. Regardless of the “religion” we claim as our identifying group, our true faith lies underfoot, as we live and walk upon it every day. We can ask ourselves the following questions to discern what we’ve actually built our spiritual lives upon:

Where does your conscious threshold lead? What occupies your first and last thoughts of each day?
To whom or what do you first turn for comfort, reassurance, and security when you’re upset or stressed?
Who or what has the power to determine whether you’re devastated or generally okay? Who or what can shatter your life altogether?
How do you make decisions? Which factors play the biggest role in guiding your choices?
What or whom defines you?
How do you evaluate your success or failure as a human being?
Do you compare yourself to other people?
What factors do you consider when choosing whether to engage in relationships with other people?
How do you decide where you will live, work, or spend time and money?

I could add more questions, but the important litmus test in identifying what we truly worship rests in knowing what we trust to anchor our well being. Many who define themselves by a specific religion or atheism actually practice faith in money, career, health, or marital status, for example. Those who’ve sincerely committed their lives to Christ won’t lose their salvation status while inadvertently acting out of faith in something else. Yet all who build well being upon less stable foundations suffer the consequences of an unsteady, fragile lifestyle. Anything other than Jesus cannot sustain us through the inevitable storms we’ll face.

Today’s video offers the following tips toward centering your spiritual well being with healthy, sustainable habits you can maintain forever:

Read and pray through at least one verse each day.
Pray before you start each day.
Reflect your thoughts, emotions, decisions, and attitudes to God throughout the day.
Refuse to hold anything back from your ultimate Healer.
Always have at least one person (preferably a fellowship of believers) with whom you can pray and grow in spiritual health.
Learn something new about or grow in an area of faith every season of every year. Choose a book or study group.
Share what you learn with someone else, praying for guidance and a grace-filled heart as you do so.
Ask God to help you love Him more every day and love others better every week.
Give something of yourself to the Lord by sharing with someone He puts in front of you.
Pray as you end each day.
Listen during your prayers.
Ask Jesus to join you at meals, whether you’re eating alone or not. He’s already there, but recognizing his presence changes your perspective and draws you closer to him.
Ask the Lord every season how you can grow more into his image. Listen and watch for his response.
Replace any areas in the question list above with centeredness on Christ. One. Thing. At. A. Time.
Praise God whether you feel like it or not. Especially when you don’t feel grateful, in fact. Praise the Lord until you feel thankful, not just after you already feel thankful.
Take time to walk with God in nature once a season at the very least. Listen. Be present with him.

What small steps will you make to anchor your spiritual foundation today? This month? This year? I’d love to hear your feedback and suggestions! Next week, we’ll take another step toward optimizing your life with sustainable habits.

Be Encouraged,

Tina

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Life Upgrades You Can Sustain: New Year New You

I struggled with motivation at the onset of the New Year. My attempts to launch the year by setting goals or resolutions sputtered. No word for the year came to me, despite regular prayer and meditation.

Instead, the questions of “Why?” and “Will my efforts even matter?” needled my thoughts. I recognized these nemesis angles as the wrong questions, yet my mind’s internal committee refused to stop engaging with them.

I couldn’t seem to take the next step in my work. How could I write a New Year’s blog series when I saw little purpose or direction for my own life?

Of course, I wouldn’t speak or write about goals while I searched for motivation. So I decided to set the struggle aside until the Lord provided me what I needed to share.

After abandoning housework and my office to do some errands, I stumbled across divine appointments. And immediately felt better. Clarity about my New Year’s message settled in place of the dark clouds. I could grasp the right questions and answers with all my heart while effectively dismissing the “why” quagmire.

I needed to let go of the striving. Give up on trying to see my purpose. Truth is, nothing I do will actually matter. And that’s as it should be. I can embrace the whole of Solomon’s existential rant with peace rather than angst when I wrap my mindset and heart and motivation around the essence of all significance. Purpose, accomplishments, and meaningfulness center in God alone. God has the purpose. What He does matters, whether it’s through my life, others’ lives, or on His own. He alone knows the goals and objectives of His Kingdom’s purpose, and he knows them well enough that I don’t always have to see the future track.

If I obey Him step by step, I get to walk with Him as He accomplishes His purpose. And remembering that is the key to my motivation. I don’t have to do great things. That’s His job. I just have to show up each day for service. With the motivation and faithfulness of a mustard seed. He has the immense power to take my paltry energy level and use it as part of His plan. I acknowledge my relative weakness and am okay with stepping aside and accepting Him in the role as the omnipotent one.

So my New Year’s message isn’t about goals. I won’t address how to keep your resolutions. This series is for those of us who seek more than a few months of bulleted lists. We won’t shout at one another to reach fitness levels or shame ourselves into following crash diets. Our steps toward well being will include the wholeness of our living and focus on meaningful, sustainable patterns. None of our shared topics will urge us toward drastic alterations, but rather simple and gradual steps in the direction of living our best for the rest of our days. If you are tired of chasing endless goals, let’s take on the challenge of lasting life change.

As a life coach, I’m inviting you to join my holistic New Year, New You journey. Just in case you’ve had other impressions of the term “holistic,” allow me to clarify. My orientation as a coach has nothing to do with new age spiritualism. I’m referring to the Webster definition of the term:

“Definition of holistic




1: of or relating to holism


2: relating to or concerned with wholes or with complete systems rather than with the analysis of, treatment of, or dissection into parts 
holistic medicine attempts to treat both the mind and the body”
(“Holistic.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dicti.... Accessed 4 January 2020.)

In our sustainable journey of life upgrades, we’ll address physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, and relational wellness. One. Step. At. A. Time. Here are a few topics you can look forward to engaging with:


Let the Diets Die!
Mindsets You Can Maintain
Spirituality as a Lifestyle
Emotions as Allies, Not Dictators
Relationship Rejuvenation

Guess what else you can enjoy as a participant! I now have an app!

With the app, you’ll have lists, posts, tools, Flourish-Meant podcast interviews, recipes, exercises, reading lists, and MORE resources to empower your best living ever.

I’m also cooking up more surprises for participants, including prizes. I do love giving things away, you see.

In case you’re wondering how to get the app, I’m reserving the first announcement for those who sign up as TRIBE members. If you join us, you’ll receive great content in my monthly tribune and first access to all insider opportunities. Don’t worry, I ONLY send out the monthly email and I won’t share your information with anyone else.

Look for more details on the app and other exciting new developments in the weeks to come.

I also hope you’ll join us on this journey to live our best while resting in God’s purpose and power.

Be Encouraged,

Tina

The post Life Upgrades You Can Sustain: New Year New You appeared first on Tina Yeager.

Gold: Gifts to Embrace Forever Part 3

 

Christmas arrives in less than a week. In homes where we’ve been intense pain, our childlike hearts look forward to shared joys and enchanting moments we will remember in coming years. We also prepare to exchange gifts with those we love. For some, the sorrows of loss and suffering darken the celebration. Political turmoil has many of us on edge this year. Yet most of us still hope for some semblance of peace or goodwill to cheer us through the end of our year.

The birth of our Savior arrived in a bittersweet season, as well. The bustle of census and related business distracted the locals. Some enjoyed prosperous benefits while others struggled with poverty. The ancient Israelites suffered through far worse government issues than we’ve ever faced. Ruthless King Herod executed two wives, his mother-in-law, and three of his sons. The tyrant would soon order the mass slaughter of all Jewish boys two years old and under.

When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.  Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

 “A voice is heard in Ramah,

    weeping and great mourning,

Rachel weeping for her children

    and refusing to be comforted,

    because they are no more.” 

– Matthew 2:16-18

Yet in the midst of this darkness and distraction, the most wondrous gift arrives to bless mankind with hope. Our only true hope, in fact, arrived in the filthiest and poorest circumstances. The Son of God intentionally arrived in humble wrappings to be laid in a feeding trough to nourish humanity’s soul-starved condition.

Nothing more enchanting could have been imagined than Christ’s birth announcements shining toward us from angelic choirs and impossibly transient star-beams. Despite the mass-distractions within Israel, magi took note of the signs from far away. These wise men took on the treacherous journey from their distant land with one purpose–to worship a king like no other before him.

They presented gifts which acknowledged Jesus as Sacrificial Savior, Great High Priest, and King of Kings.  The magi risked all, willing to lay down their lives in order to worship Christ. They “opened their treasures” to the Lord. As the wisest men and women still do.

When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.  On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. – Matthew 2:10-11

Today’s video discusses the most fulfilling gift exchange of our lives. We have the opportunity to submit our gold to the King of Kings and receive an inheritance of the fullness of the Kingdom of God in return. As children of the Most High, we present gold and receive eternal blessings as heirs of Christ in the following ways:

Submitting our time to serve the Lord
Offering our talents for refining and use in the Kingdom
Adopting a stewardship mindset regarding our possessions, career, relationships, organizations, churches, communities, and earth
Allowing the Lord to use the most precious and tender parts of our past, present, and future for His purpose to benefit others
Loosening our grip on things for which we feel responsible
Remembering the Most High as the only being capable of obtaining true justice
Letting go of entitlement in order to receive grace and thankfulness

What are some other ways you can think of exchanging our so-called “gold” for the inheritance of God’s Kingdom? I look forward to hearing your comments.

I hope you and those you love enjoy peace and hope this Christmas as we all seek to honor the King of Kings as His heirs.

Be Encouraged,

Tina

P.S. Don’t forget to comment on this or any post in the Gifts to Embrace Forever series so you can enter to win a gift of your choice. I’ll choose one random participant this week, who will receive their choice of a copy of Beautiful Warrior: Finding Victory Over the Lies Formed Against You or a Beautiful Warrior themed natural soap. I can hardly wait to offer someone an extra present this year! I will announce the winner in a Facebook live video on my page. Be sure to like and follow so you’ll get the news as soon as the announcement comes through on  https://www.facebook.com/tyeagerwriting/

If you’d like to order a copy of Beautiful Warrior as a gift, hurry now to Amazon. There’s still time to share the message of Christ-centered significance and identity with the beautiful souls you love this Christmas! If you prefer to wait until after the holiday to purchase your copy, stay tuned for additional news about Beautiful Warrior.

The post Gold: Gifts to Embrace Forever Part 3 appeared first on Tina Yeager.