 Over eight years ago we brought home our little girl from the NICU. She suffered a severe brain injury when she was born prematurely and her journey includes cerebral palsy, epilepsy, vision impairments, and global developmental and mental delays. It’s a lot. From giving her water using a g-tube to keeping an eye out for falling and seizures, I understand what it means to be the caregiver.
My mother passed away from multiple sclerosis over eight years ago. I watched my dad become her caregiver and the wear on his mind and body was real. It's a common experience for anyone that is a caregiver. I want to have a heart-to-heat with you about these issues and I want to give you some hope. I don’t think you are meant to live in a way that is unhealthy to your body, mind, and soul. So, let's dive into some common challenges caregivers face and how we can address those challenges in a healthy way. 1. The first challenge is time. Caregivers are usually on the schedule of whoever they are watching over. If they aren’t sleeping we aren’t sleeping. If they need to go to the hospital or see the doctor, then that is what we are doing too. And here comes the lie of the enemy that keeps you from fighting for you’re own health: You don’t have the time. But, that isn’t true. For most caregivers there are hours of quiet moments and just being there with those people. There is usually time to do something active like get on a stationary bike or walk in place or do some stretches. We can still get up and make sure we drink enough water or eat an apple instead of a cookie. There is time. 2. I have to not be “on duty” to take care of myself. Caregiving is often so focused on taking care of their loved one, that for some odd reason they think they have nothing left for themselves. I think it is another one of those lies that has the Devil’s stink all over it. Yes, we are empty, pouring ourselves out as we take care of others, but, we don’t have to wait to be “Off duty” to stop and breath, or read a devotional, or listen to music that lifts our soul. If we change that mindset we can start looking for ways to take care of ourselves even while we are watching over others. 3. It is all on our shoulders. This is a heavy, heavy weight. More than anything, it is where a lot of the pressure and stress comes from, the idea that this is all on us and we are doing it alone. Stress epically raises cortisol levels which then messes with many physical areas of our life including weight loss and sleep quality. One of the best decisions I made as Micaela’s mom, was saying yes to respite care. I waited too long. She was over two years old before I decided I needed help, but just knowing that I wasn’t doing it alone made a huge difference. Then, letting other people into our lives like grandparents and teachers has lightened the load significantly. Lastly, God is with us. He hasn’t asked us to care for them perfectly or have all the answers. When we rest in Him we really rest. Today, if you are a caregiver, I want you to notice you have believed the three lies I mentioned: You don’t have time, you have to be “off duty” to take care of yourself, and it is all on your shoulders. Challenge those thoughts and ask yourself, how is this not true? What am I refusing to do? Now, before we go today, I want to be honest with you. I struggled with my health physically, mentally, and emotionally for a while. One of the biggest issues was exhaustion. Exhaustion that came from deep in body, mind, and heart. I really did not have the strength to move forward until I broke down those three lies and started to take care of myself even while I was “on duty” and life was chaotic. I invited others into my life and let them shoulder the burdens with me and my husband. So, I want to challenge you to do the little things that bring you peace and rest and honor the precious task God has given you. And then, I want you to pace with courage as you make little changes. Make small and consistent healthy habit changes that you can stick to and then add to over time. You’ll get there. Whew! I’m so glad I did this episode. If you know a caregiver that needs some direction and encouragement today, I want you to share this episode.
0 Comments
 Just a few minutes ago my phone made a very recognizable tone and I knew I needed to check in with my daily reset practice. I stopped, I did my five minutes of journaling, then I got back to work. On the app on my phone I can see a streak of several days that I have followed through with the habit. What is habit tracking? Habit tracking is simply keeping track of how many days, weeks, or months in a row that you have followed through with a specific habit. Why would you want to do that? Installing new habits reminds me of roads I see out in the pastures. I’m a farm girl and these roads cut into the pasture because the farmer or rancher has driven there so many times that the weeds and grass no longer grow in the ruts. That is the way habits work too. If you do the same thing over and over, that will be the easiest road to take and the old roads will get overgrown, making them difficult to go back to. Every Time you do that new habit you're paving the new path and letting old habits fade away. Consistency is key, but it can be very hard to see. No one really notices if you remember to do your breathing exercises once a day or take the dog out for a walk. You might not even really know how well you are following through with that habit unless you have some way to track it. That is what we are talking about today. Today I’ve got 8 helpful hacks to allow you to start keeping track of your habits like a professional.
Whew! I hope 1, 2 or even five of those hacks are something that you can put in place right away and start doing to enjoy progress in your goals. I’m so excited for what you are working on. And, could you do me a favor? If you try out any of these hacks or tips, could you share them on social media and tag me? For both Facebook and Instagram my handle is Armendariz.Lora and it would mean the world to me to see what you are doing with these ideas. Okay, that’s it for now. But, before you move on to the exciting and amazing doings of your life, it would really mean a lot to me if you would write a review. It doesn’t have to be long but it will help others find this podcast and I really believe we can all use more positivity in our lives.  Before we get started today I want to tell you something really special about you: You are continuously growing. Yeah, you. You are growing and changing until the day you move on to Heaven. And, here is something else: God knows all the days of your life and has a plan for you. So, with that in mind, let's start dropping the f-bomb. No, not that one, we are going to talk about failure.
What is a failure? According to the Oxford online dictionary, failure is defined as the lack of success. Okay, I am going to tell you that secret I promised you: Get a little closer. Failure is only your thought. Truly. Failure is when you see your goals as black and white and you leave out all that gray area, which I like to call “the growing”, in between. To truly failure-proof your goal, you will want to change your mindset. Why? Well, studies show that people who aren’t afraid of failure and concentrate on growth tend to be more persevering, motivated, and , yep, successful. So, I’m going to give you three mindset shifts today that will truly failure-proof your goal.
Okay! Do you feel like you just got pep-talk from someone who loves you! I hope you did. Bookmark this episode for that day that you are feeling discouraged or in order to share with a friend when they share their own struggles with you. I once read that God loves to see things grow, that’s why we aren’t perfect now. He loves doing this journey with us. Alright, before we part ways for the day, I want to humbly request that you take a moment and leave me that review. It doesn’t have to be long at all. A single sentence would be fabulous. It is just a way for you to really serve others by helping them find this Christ-centered work for their own precious journey.  Ok, my dear, I’ve got New Year resolutions, too. I go through this very intense, very nerdy process every year where I take a lifescore assessment developed by Michael Hyatt, I go over my life plan (yes, I have one), and then I set about seven goals for the year hitting different areas of my life. This year, one that I’m both excited and nervous about is starting to do daily Bible study time with my daughters. My eldest was baptized last summer and she is so curious and anxious to know more about her Savior. I actually had to get help on this one and reached out to a youth ministry leader to ask for ideas and she suggested a little routine we could do everyday.
I’m excited. I have lots of motivation. This is an area that as a parent I would really like to dig-in and do a little better. What I don’t want to happen is that come June I have a vague memory of the concept and a dusty children's Bible to show for this dream of studying alongside my daughter. Real change is hard. We know that. So, if you really want to stay the course, I suggest that you follow the four steps to holding on to this motivation and reaching that goal that you are hoping for. 1. Write down your why. Your why is so important. The big picture “why” for your goal might be front and center now, but when you really get into the weeds of this journey, you might not remember why you are going through all this trouble, unless you write it down. On episode number 23 of this podcast, “Your Why is Wonderful '' I went into this in more detail. But, for now, I just want you to get a pen and paper and explain why you have set this goal. For me, when it is tiring or my little girls are being difficult, I want to remember that I am teaching them how to study God's word and keep His truths central in their lives. Also, it keeps a doorway of communication open as we go into some of the more difficult years of their life. 2. Share your journey. Yes, ma’am. Share. It. Tell someone. Have someone checking in on you, curious about your progress. You could make it fun and share it on social media or even blog about it. Or, you could just have a trusted friend or spouse keeping you accountable. This is key. Not only does it give you a little push to keep going, it also gives you a place or person to ask for help or advice when things aren’t going well. I am going to stay accountable to the youth ministry leader that I mentioned earlier. Plus, I have the extra bonus of doing this with my girls. I’m not alone. 3. Decide on a Celebration This one is soooooo cool and I see it skimmed over time and again. When you write down your why, I also want you to write down a celebration. This also means you have to have a measurable point that you either get to or don’t. This can get tricky with habits, so I want you to consider using some sort of streak tracking. This means that everyday or time you do it you mark it in an app or calendar. Then you decide what streak you need to feel you have established that new practice. I’m actually going to sit down with my girls and have them help me with this. On the day that I’m recording this episode it is still 2022 and they are with their amazing grandparents so I figure we can figure it out together when they get home. 4. Make a plan for fall-downs I hate to break it to you but neither you nor your life are perfect. What?! You knew that? Well, then, you shouldn’t be surprised, angry, or frustrated when you mess up. What you should have is a plan. Are you going to let your accountability partner know and be willing to discuss what happened? Are you going to go through the KISS method and discuss what about your process you want to keep, improve, start, or stop? You have to have an idea of what you will do whenever you fail or fall down. So many of us just stop and wait until the next year to try again while in the meantime they could learn from what happened and still make all their dreams and goals a reality. Okay, my friend, you’ve got this! Today, yes, today, I want you to take these 4 steps. I want you to write down your why, share your journey, set up a celebration, and make a plan for fall-down. Believe me, you will be on much firmer footing if you do.  Happy New Year! I used to always be on the lookout for a diet plan, book, or weight loss program that would help me reign in my chaotic eating. There are tons to choose from. Sometimes they would help me shed my weight, but within a few months I was looking for the next diet. It was an endless circus. It wasn’t until I found life coaching and did the deep work of permanent weight loss, that I realized why fad diets don’t work. Let me break them down for you and tell you what you can do at home to get different results.
Now, don’t get me wrong, eating in truly healthy ways consistently is doable for anyone, but it usually doesn’t happen on January 1st just because you decided to go Whole 30. Fad diets carry this mentality of either being “in” or “out”, “on” or “off” and they don’t give us that loving space to grow and change in a way that is enduring and life-changing. Want the hack? Change your mindset. Focus on meals that are sustainable for you. Think about the way things taste and how you can still have your meals with your family. For me, I stopped cooking the special food, but I have made tons of changes over time to the dishes I cook. I use mostly whole grains, lean meats, and lots of fruits and veggies. When I make my plate with my family, it is usually at least half fruits or vegetables but I don’t make meals just for me anymore.
Here’s what to do, start noticing your body before, during, and after you eat. Before you eat, ask if you are really physically hungry. While you eat, pay attention to textures and flavors and ask if you are enjoying your food. After you eat, notice changes in energy and digestion issues. All that is great information that will help you keep diet changes sustainable and give more success in your weight loss.
The hack is simple and yet also hard work: you need to deal with your real issues. Are you a recent empty-nester who eats because you don’t know what to do with your extra time? Get a hobby. Meet a friend for coffee. Go to bed! Or, are you a busy mom who is turning to goldfish in the pantry or even a glass of wine to take the edge off at the end of the day? Give yourself breathing room. Take five minutes alone. Call a friend to have a laugh. Do a devotional on your phone. The real problem of your stress level really isn’t getting fixed by a handful of chips. Okay, my dear. As you jump into your 2023 weight loss journey I just want to remind you that I’m here for you. Keep listening to the podcast. Keep doing the work. And, if you realize that this time you really do want better help, sign up for my weight loss program. You get to spend 12 weeks with me and have lifetime access to all the resources and lessons of the program. You can do it.  I never thought I would live like I live today. I just expected to go on some sort of ultra restrictive diet, lose my weight, and be done with the unhealthy food that landed me there. Even with high cholesterol I couldn’t muster the will-power to eat in a healthy way longer than a few months at a time.
Today I love the way I eat. It doesn’t feel hard at all. It feels supportive and loving. To get here I had to do things very differently than I had ever done before. I had to learn to listen to my body, stop giving food moral values, and deal with stress and hardship on a deeper level. Listening to my body was an amazing move forward. Did you know that our bodies give us reliable physical hunger signals? It took me some trial and error, but eventually I was able to identify and trust my body’s requests for food, water, and sleep and differentiate those needs from emotional desires for comfort. My body was no longer an enemy, but a trusted vessel hand-crafted by God. Next, I stopped giving food moral value. Food is an inanimate object, giving no significance to how loved I am by God. Once shame was taken out of the equation, I began to truly notice instead the way food made me feel and how it tasted. I noticed how different quantities had effects on my energy levels and different ingredients affected my digestion. My mind went from the black-and-white judge to the curious scientist, eager to understand how my life interacted with the things I put into my mouth. Lastly, I learned to deal with stress and hardship. Before I was either comforting myself with food (or alcohol), or I wasn’t comforting myself at all. I would knuckle down, determined to be “good” then count down the days or hours until I could take the pressure valve off and allow myself to appease the pain. It was awful. Instead, I learned to take emotional cravings for food as a warning that my heart, soul, and body needed deep care. Slowly, I learned to embrace the unique person God made me into, and trust the different ways that I could nurture my soul without food. That’s it. Those three things, learning to listen to my body, no longer giving food moral values, and dealing with stress and hardship on a deeper level, allowed me to live in freedom and peace around food. I love helping women find this freedom and peace, too. It is life-changing.  I love new year's resolutions. I love pushing forward and changing. I love growing. I believe in the promise that God will continue His good works in us. (Philippians 1:6). “I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” I believe that until the day I die, God will be working on me and the sky's the limit. I am 37 years old and I can look back and see countless and amazing changes He has worked on my body, heart, and soul. This is always in His time and way, but also because I have believed that He could heal, teach, and guide me.
So, are big dreams bad? I have heard women caution each other, saying that we shouldn’t dream too big, pushing ahead of what God has planned for us. I actually think there is some truth in this. We might have ambitions that are not God’s calling or become too impatient to wait on God’s timing, but, when partnering with God, big dreams have the potential to shape our soul and usher us even closer into the shelter of His wings. Today, I’m going to be very open with you on aspects of my own journey as I share three ways that Big Dreams have beautiful potential. Big dreams open our minds to possibilities. I spent a lot of my life living small. If you knew me when I was young, you would have met a shy quiet girl or young woman consumed with worries. I didn’t like to make mistakes and my solution was to never do anything beyond what I knew was completely possible. If it wasn’t something I had done or knew instinctively would be easy, then I didn’t do it. One of my biggest dreams was to visit other countries, but when the opportunities and information came along to participate in foregin exchange opportunities, I found excuses not to chase my dreams. Then I met my husband. He is naturally daring with a robust adventurous spirit. The moment I shared the dream to travel with him, he was full of ideas. It was incredible. The moment I opened up to the possibility, my mind saw opportunities and was ready to figure things out. Six months after we got married, while he was deployed to Iraq, he encouraged me to go ahead and study Spanish in Buenos Aires. He encouraged me, saying the dream was big but possible. I did it, going away for a couple months to a country I’d never been with people I didn’t know. It was a life-changing experience. One that I would never have had if I had refused to dream big. Big dreams bring us into the power of praying. Big dreams bring us into the power of prayer. If you only do what you can do alone, you will never learn to turn to God. Our self-reliance keeps our spiritual health frail and brittle. But, dreaming big and sharing our hopes with God, teaches us to turn to Him for provision and guidance. Micaela had all the cards stacked against her when she was born. Her brain injury was severe, her brain hemorrhaging right after her premature birth. But, I had hope and big dreams that she would learn and develop beyond what was statistically presented by physicians. However, I needed so much from God. I need Him to heal her, to bring good doctors and therapists and teachers into her life. I needed Him to give my husband and I patience and wisdom day after day. That big dream drew me closer to God than simple acceptance of the circumstances. Big dreams teach us endurance. Big dreams require more than a simple hope; they require endurance. There are no quick fixes to big dreams. We have to work hard, pray hard, and trust in God’s timing. That endurance builds amazing spiritual, emotional, and mental muscles. When the pandemic hit, my emotional eating took a turn for the worse. Finally, instead of trying to do the next fad diet or ultra restrictive cycle, I decided to dream big that some day food would have no control over me at all. That dream had me searching for new answers and then had me pushing forward day after day, determined to figure things out. It also required me to learn from failures and get back up. More humble than before and yet wiser because I chose to learn and move forward instead of starting over again and again. Big dreams are incredible. My biggest joy in working with ladies as a life coach is helping them with those big dreams and watching God work in them, creating them into stronger, more creative, and more faith-filled women than ever. It might be their weight loss, parenting, or even routines in their homes. Whatever it is, the dreams are beautiful. Maybe, in this aspect, it really is a good example of “The bigger the Better.” Don’t forget to sign up for the free trainings I’ll be doing over the next couple weeks. The link is very simple, www.loraarmendariz.com/freetrainings and you can also find it in the show notes. In the next episode, I will be sharing with you the specifics of my own journey and how I lost my weight for good. Our testimonies are powerful and I hope mine lends you strength to your journey. Until then, Merry Christmas!  Hold out your hand and let me hand you back control over your eating. I know how that feels, you can be working so hard and really gaining ground and then one evening leaves you feeling completely defeated.
So, I’m going to break this down for you in three simple steps and you can arrive at the next get together feeling much more put together. 1. Work on the Mind One of the most common problems is that our mind has already decided that we can’t eat in a way that will support our bodies. I’m serious. We just shrug our shoulders and think that we can either starve or fall off our healthy wagon. When I work with ladies, I like to teach them the concept of eating with a grade average instead of playing dodgeball. Let me break this down really quickly. When you are in school you can get a 73 on a paper but you know that if you have enough 80s or 90s then you can easily bring that grade average up and feel really good about your semester. However, when you play dodgeball, if you get hit by a ball you are out. Many ladies play dodgeball with their eating choices. Either they are in or they are “out” and when they are “out” they aren’t playing the game anymore, as if what they do doesn’t count until they start a new game the next day. That isn’t the way our health works. Our eating choices and how they affect our bodies are mainly on a grade average system. So, when you go to a gathering and eat off plan, every bit is still counting toward that average. There is no “in” or “out” so you can choose to eat in a way that will help that GPA. 2. Scout out Your Options This is probably the mistake I’ve made too many times to count. I will get in line and start filling my plate without even knowing what the options are. Then, I’ll realize there was something that would have been both tasty and supportive, but, I have no room to eat it. In fact, I am recording this episode just a few days after a church potluck. I had Micaela and Adela in line and was fixated on getting all our plates filled. I like to eat about half of my plate full of fruits and veggies and when I got to the end of the line I found this big bowl full of one of my favorite salads. It was a leafy green salad with that sweet poppy seed dressing. It would have been perfect, but I had no idea it was there. If you aren’t scouting out your options, be aware that they could stem from your mindset. If you believe that you can’t eat in a way to support yourself, you won’t be looking for a way to do it, so, be aware that you have to believe in order to help yourself in this way. Please note, you need to know the foods that support your body and goals. This isn’t the same for everyone. With the ladies I work with, I teach them to become very intentional as they listen to their bodies and figure out what supports their energy and health. 3. Stick to Your Guns When you make your plate, stick to your guns. Don’t be swayed by the fear that if you don’t eat a ton of everything then you will miss out. For more on this listen to the last episode, #62, on FOMO. You are winning! You are eating food that makes you feel good and keeps you moving forward. You will have energy that night and wake up in the morning without the frustration we feel when we can’t take back the poor choices from the night before. Enjoy your food. All of it. Don’t eat like you’re in a race or it is going to disappear. Food is pleasurable and the more you soak in that pleasure, the less likely you’ll still feel unsatisfied and be going back for more. Many blessings this holiday season! 2023 is just a few short weeks away and I pray you are not just loving your time with family friends, but showing up for yourself, honoring the vessel God gave you as you learn and grow forward.  I remember when my oldest child was a two-year-old, FOMO would hit me the hardest whenever I had to bow out early to get her home to nap or to go to bed for the night. She was one of those little ones that truly became a wreck of a tiny human being whenever she was sleep deprived. Trying to stay out with her was certainly not fun for her or for me or for anyone else around us. However, I would look at whatever gathering we were leaving and feel fear. I would worry about all the things we wouldn’t get to participate in and fret over what others might think of my choices. I would nearly be sick to my stomach and wonder if I had made a good choice. It is so funny to look back on that now, because my choice was obviously a good one for me and her and everyone. It wasn’t fun to be out with an exhausted cranky child and there was nothing that we were missing out on that we could really enjoy in that condition. If anyone had looked down on that choice, it was all on them. They weren’t having to wrestle a little body into a car seat and take care of an infant at the same time.
Today we are going to dig into FOMO, the fear of missing out, because it is one of the most toxic influences on our choices. We will talk about how to identify it, how to make a healthy choice, and how to have peace afterwards. How to Identify It First of all, FOMO is fear based. You’ll notice that fear will rear its head because you are in conflict: an opportunity has risen but it goes against a boundary that you have set in place. You know that if you give in, you’ll also be giving up something else you were fighting for. For example, you want to buy a special gift for a friend but it is way beyond the amount you had budgeted. If you give in, you will be putting yourself and/or your family in a financially rough spot. However, the item is on sale and you fear that if you don’t take advantage of the opportunity then your chance will pass you by. Another example, the dessert tray at a party. Just the other day my church had a potluck and I loaded up my plate with a little bit of everything. Then, after finishing it all, I went to the dessert table, knowing I only had room in my tummy for a couple bites in order to still feel comfortable physically, but I put three desserts on my plate. I didn’t finish them, but I crossed a line and was physically uncomfortable for hours later. Remember, FOMO is based on an internal debate. You wouldn’t feel that fear if you felt the decision was obvious and your choices would be good for you. Instead, you don’t know which way to go and fear consequences of any direction you go. How to Make a Healthy Choice In order to get a handle on your fear, it helps to know why you are making healthy choices in the first place. Ask yourself, what will happen if you cross that line? What will happen if you eat that, buy that, or do that? Why does it go against a healthier path that you are fighting for? Now, here is the kicker, ask yourself if you would be comfortable if this behavior that you are tempted to give in to became a habit. Because, it will. We all know how many times the giving up on healthy eating started with a single bite of pie. We all know how suffocating credit card debt started with a single spontaneous purchase. We all remember how healthy priorities in our life began to slip because we chose to flirt with the boundary lines a little. Habits are one of the most important aspects of personal growth. Therefore, whatever you choose, what do you want to become a habit? Honestly, if your boundaries are healthy, then your fear simply comes from our enemy trying to derail us. The devil is very good at making sure just the right thing comes along at the right moment to make sure we lose our foothold and feel our hearts fill with fear. Lastly, Make Peace with Your Choice I find that often the most pain comes after the choice is made. I can mull it over, turn it around in my head for days and live out a thousand “What ifs” but, has that ever helped anyone? I have learned to make choices and then offer up the consequences to God. I ask Him for two things: To protect me and my family if I have made a poor choice and to make sure I learn from the experience. This is important because it commits my life into God’s hands and it also allows me to turn to Him for that guidance instead of leaning on my fretful thoughts to help me decide if I was being “good” or not. At the end of the day, it truly is done. We can learn from it, but we can’t change it. Be determined to look back with curiosity and compassion on your choices, ready to learn but refusing to live in shame or continued fear. Okay, my dear, are you ready to kick FOMO out of your daily experience? Good. Remember, you need only to take three steps: 1. Identify the fear and where the conflict is. 2. Make a healthy choice. And 3. Make peace with your decision. There are hundreds of places you will feel the peace creep back in. Philippians 4:6-7 has been one of my favorite verses for ages. It says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” In this season, I pray that the Prince of Peace guards your heart.  How many of you have seen those little signs or T-shirts or memes on Instagram with the beautiful image of Jesus in the cradle and the words “The Reason for the Season”? For years I would see them and have a little twinge of guilt. I was wracked with stress and worry and my mind and heart was far from “The Reason for the Season”.
A fast isn’t necessarily about food, it can be about activities. It can be about giving. Think about what is stressing you out the most right now. Is it time? Finances? Health? Family? Often, as we live in worry and fear, we forget how to invite God into that space. Fasting is supposed to act as a reminder to bring God back into focus and trust Him with our lives. The question then becomes, what would work best for you? Since I struggled with emotional eating for so long, it still draws me closer to God every time I fast from certain foods, especially sweets. It reminds me to invite Him in to be my comforter and provider. Another fast that I love to do, is a prayer fast. I tend to be very jealous of my time. In the last episode I taught about scarcity vs abundance mentality and how a scarcity mentality around anything is very unhealthy. When I do a prayer fast, I set aside more time to pray and meditate on scripture. As I do that, I rest in God’s provision of time and energy to get everything done that I might need to do. It is so liberating to give those things up to God and let Him be the one in control. I am now going to give you a list to consider. It is a list of things people might do as a fast during advent. Keep in mind two things as we go over this list: What seems to raise your stress level the most during the Holidays and what do you have a scarcity mentality about? Inviting God into that space will also help you truly reconnect with the reason for the season because you will be constantly reminded of how Jesus built the bridge allowing you to have a relationship with God. So, here is your list. For advent you could fast from: Television Video Games Cell Phones use during certain times of day Social Media Secular Music Eating Out Certain Food Items Alcohol Remember, the goal is to draw closer to God and stay focused on the reason we are celebrating this special time of year. You don’t have to let a lot of people know. In fact, keeping it private makes it more about you and God and less about making a statement or what other people think. This is one of my favorite times of year. In a few days, my little family will begin our own advent calendar of activities and I pray it is full of God’s blessings as we draw closer to the Prince of Peace. |
by Lora Armendariz
You Can Do It!Do you want to fall out of love with a destructive habit? The first 42 episodes of this podcast are a resource for anyone who wants encouragement and information as they take a six week break from a habit in order to fall out of love with it. Archives
January 2023
|
RSS Feed