Battle Ready: How to Renew Your Mind in Truth

Honestly, when I lose a battle in my personal or spiritual life, it’s almost always because negative thoughts and internal chatter lied to me.

But in her new book, Battle Ready, Kelly Balarie showed me how to retrain and reset my mind so I’m declared the victor over the battles I often face.

I’m excited to share her guest post about this awesome book. I had the privilege to serve on the launch team. Welcome, Kelly.

Don’t doubt the power of your mind. This football-sized mass has the power to create and recreate everything in your life.

Renewing Our Mind

This is why Jesus tells us not to conform to the pattern of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of our mind.

If we renew our mind, it is like getting a re-do on life. Rather than continuing with old patterns, ways of doing things or habits, we get an upgrade.

You know, when my boy was a baby: he spent nearly every waking hour of every night screaming crying.

My mind now, occasionally hears that baby voice of his crying late at night. He’s 6.

This traumatic time was emblazoned in my mind. The trauma is still there. The memory is still there. The fear is still there.

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Join the Prayers of My Heart Movement

I’m excited to introduce you to our guest writer, Debbie Taylor Williams. Her new journal, Prayers of My Heart, is awesome.

The way I note monthly prayer prompts and daily/weekly journaling of prayer requests reminds me of what to pray. And Debbie’s words in this post are a powerful reminder about prayers and what they accomplish.

Welcome, Debbie.

Are you stressed over the state of our nation? If so, you’re not alone. Last fall, the American Psychological Association found that almost two-thirds of Americans listed ‘the state of the nation’ as their primary source of stress. They ranked it above both money and work.”^[1]

As Christians, we’re to be Christ’s light in the world. But often, we’re among the stressed and anxious.

How can we rise above our worries and stress?

Jesus answers that question. He tells us to ask our Heavenly Father for our needs. (Matthew 6:33-34, 7:7) Jesus told the disciples to pray at all times and not lose heart. (Luke 18:1)

Is it because we mindlessly pray the same prayers? Is it because God answers our prayers but we don’t think about His answers and thank Him for them?

What if picking up a pen and spending a few minutes jotting down your prayers and thankfulness to God each day could decrease your stress and increase your optimism?  Would you do it?

7 Benefits to Journaling the Prayers of Your Heart

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Videos of Keeping Dreams Alive in Our Marriage

Always keep dreams alive.

Always keep adventure alive.

In your heart.

In life.

With Christ.

And in marriage.

So…

Surprise!

I thought my adventure series with my husband was only for 2 weeks.

But I decided to share this special post and videos with you to extend it.

Let’s recap before the videos:

Post 1 featured me “Joining My Husband’s Adventurous Spirit” on a day trip to the mountains.

Part 2 highlighted camping trip “A No Boundaries Adventure With My Husband.”

Dreams Supported

Coinciding with my posts, my husband started a sermon series at Believers Church, “Helping Your Relationships Make Sense & Work Better.” The first Sunday, Mike uncovered the truth about women, speaking to the husbands. One of the best ways a husband loves his wife well is by supporting her dreams. Here’s a YouTube video he put together and showed. It’s of our trip for me to speak at a women’s retreat.

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A No Boundaries Adventure With My Husband

No Boundaries. 

As promised, here’s part 2 of joining my husband’s adventurous spirit. I highlight our camping trip with “No Boundaries.”

And I share the spiritual lessons I learned on this adventure.

No Boundaries Camping 

But first, let me explain. Because I almost hear the sighs and see the eye-rolls. My family knows I’m never without boundaries.

“No Boundaries” (NOBO) is the name of our new travel camper. An RV by Forest River.

Years ago we had a pop-up camper and camped often. Our kids were young. And camping is a memory-building activity for both children and adults.

Recently, I looked through old pictures of all the state parks and campgrounds we visited as a family of four. Each time, for a few days to a week, we made it our home away from home.

So, when Mike desired to get back into camping, I decided to go all-in. He researched for what fit our needs—accommodating two people with a few essentials. A place for the both of us to sleep, air conditioning (a must for my husband), awning for shade, water/electrical hookups, and a pull-out section with a lock box, small refrigerator/freezer and stove top.

Mike drove to Ohio to purchase the camper, stopping in Kentucky on his way back to Tennessee to try it out overnight. Next, it was my turn to go. Yay! I looked forward to this getaway with my husband.

No Boundaries Trip 

Choosing David Crockett State Park for a couple of days on our first camping adventure made sense. It’s not far from our home and the campground provides a lot of features and history.

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Joining My Husband’s Adventurous Spirit

Adventurous. 

The word described me in my younger days. Even though I’ve never really enjoyed roller coasters or spur of the moment adventures. Because friends often stirred up my adventurous side by coaxing me into trying new things or spontaneous things.

And my past history proves the word fit me at least for a time. Like the way I spent every summer in college on a mission project with CRU, Campus Crusade for Christ. Travels including Virginia Beach, Virginia; Zimbabwe, Africa; and Redlands, California.

Also, when my husband and I were dating and first married, adventure still lived in my heart.

I was on an adventure with Mike in life and glad of it.

Adventurous Heart for Jesus

Back then, I considered mission work as adventures with Jesus and for Him.

And the adventurous ministry life continues. Mike is a lead pastor and I write and speak. So God’s calling to share the gospel of Jesus Christ is an adventure.

We’ve lived in eight cities and three states. Mike’s also ministered overseas to Hungary and Germany.

Since adventurous portrays Mike’s spirit, I want it to characterize who I am, too. Especially during this season of life as never before. Mike’s favorite adventures are trips to the mountains and camping. So I’m doing a two-week blog series about joining his adventurous spirit.

Even if you are single, I hope you join the adventure. We could all use a little more adventurous spirit not only in marriage, but also in life and with Jesus.

Adventurous Souls as a Couple

This week I highlight a day trip we took to a place called Beauty Spot. Beauty Spot lies on top of Unaka mountain and includes part of the Appalachian Trail.

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7 Ways God’s the Most Faithful Father 

Always. Forever. Faithful. 

These words pop in my mind when I think of fathers.

And if you know anything about my story or have followed me for a while. Then you know my earthly father abandoned me for part of my childhood.

When he reappeared in my life, he was a self-proclaimed atheist. My dad held no belief in God, much less the idea of a heavenly Father who loves us and never leaves His children.

Yet, after sixteen years of me praying for him, my dad finally believed in God and accepted Christ as Savior.

He passed away in 2010. So, I’m always a little tear-filled, a tad heart-broken, and a bit soul-grieved this time of year. Because I miss so many things about him.

I miss my dad’s presence in my life. Never able to talk to him in person or on the phone. I miss making him a lemon pie every birthday, every Thanksgiving, and every Father’s Day.

Still, I celebrate three fathers every year. My biological dad in heaven, Gene. And my first stepdad, Wendell. They will both always have a special place in my heart.

Wait. Who’s the third father?

As we honor fathers this week, I decided to concentrate on my heavenly Father in my blog post. He’s the third mentioned, but first in my life.

A Faithful Father

7 ways God’s always and forever the most faithful Father. 

(1) He loves big.

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No Matter What: 5 Promises for Life in Christ

No matter what. 

I admit the phrase used to bother me. Because it stirred questions in my soul.

Such as, “no matter what” means what exactly? Maybe to never back down. Or, never give up or give in. Perhaps, to keep going in the face of opposition or dire circumstances.

And I assumed the subject and context both played into the meaning.

Still, if you are anything like me, the phrase conjures up a lot of unknowns. And even a few knowns we’d rather not deal with.

So I put together a list of God’s truths and promises in five areas.

I searched for the exact phrase in Scripture and found it in The Living Bible Translation. Some of my favorite Scriptures translated with such powerful words. Because…

 No Matter What 

(1.) No matter what today brings. Trust in God’s strength and love.

“Patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady. Then, when that happens, we are able to hold our heads high no matter what happens and know that all is well, for we know how dearly God loves us, and we feel this warm love everywhere within us because God has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love” Romans 5:4-5.

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23 Wow or Fun Christian Quotes and Blog Award

Some quotes make us say wow or laugh out loud.

I love quotable lines from others bringing a smile to my face or causing a belly laugh. Or, words stirring a deep sense of awe.

Last week, I attended the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference in Black Mountain, NC. It was my fourth time to attend.

And it didn’t disappoint. The directors, Edie Melson and DiAnn Mills, put together an amazing agenda.

Five days viewing God’s beautiful landscape, networking with other writers, and worshiping Jesus together. Also, making new friends while seeing old friends (like Denise, a friend since childhood, pictured left).

I spent time discussing my current book project with my agent who also attended and met with other industry professionals.

Yet, one of the conference highlights always includes wonderful keynotes, workshops, and classes. A notebook filled with pages of content confirms the Lord used the time to speak to my heart. Still, not just messages about writing, but points applicable to other areas in life.

So, I wanted to share my favorite quotes with you. I organized them by faculty member/speaker. For their complete bios, I provide a link at the end of this post.

Quotes that make us smile, laugh, or say wow.

Wow or Fun Quotes from James Watkins 

(1) “There’s a lot of nuts in the Lord’s fruitcake.”

(2) “Sometimes a giant wins the battle but never the war.”

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Am I Lovable? Storyline Video Reveals My Answer

Ever wondered if you are lovable? Or, maybe like me, you’ve questioned what it takes for others to consider you lovable.

Because we use the term love for everything from possessions and food to our favorite sports teams and celebrities.

We love ice-cream, brands, songs, books, and our favorite movies.

How to Define Love

Honestly, I use it to describe my affections for cinnamon rolls, pasta, Chai tea lattes, boots, the Hallmark Channel, and sunsets. And that’s only a few of my loves.

Still, we struggle to define love—a feeling, an emotion? In hard moments, we lose the loving feeling.

And abandonment extinguishes the emotion. Like when my dad vanished from my life for a few years.

Yet, culture woos us with a love that fades when hearts break. My heart broke after friendships dissolved and family members died including a baby in utero. I lost hope in love.

Shiny Things and People

So, for a portion of my life, I wondered, Am I lovable?

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The Basics of Christianity: 26 Truths A-Z

Sometimes we lose sight of the basics to our faith. Those elements of Christianity setting us apart from the world and other religions.

And the basics helping us live out our Christianity.

So, here’s the ABC’s of the Christian Life.

A-F Basics of Our Faith

Abide in Christ. “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” John 15:5, ESV.

Believe God. What He says and who He is. When the journey turns bumpy, our Christian beliefs carry us over life’s potholes. “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness” Romans 4:3b, NIV.

Confess. Confession of sin and when we go in the wrong direction. Because sometimes we fall into sin or we fail to walk in the direction God instructed (Proverbs 28:13 and James 4:17).

Declare God’s ways. We declare it to others and ourselves. In other words, preach it. Then preach it to the choir. “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!” Psalm 96:3, ESV.

Encourage other believers. “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up” 1 Thessalonians 5:11, NIV.

Forget what’s behind. Looking back on our life helps us move forward. But Jesus never intends for the past to paralyze us (Philippians 3:13-14).

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