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Conversations on how I process life. |
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** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** "Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise" Philippians 4:8b (NLT). To do so, is a journey in and of itself. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** We have the power to change the course of our life with our thoughts, pretty amazing, right? Dr. Daniel Amen has coined a phrase "where the brain goes, the body follows." This is key to becoming healthy spirit, soul, and body. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** I hope we can be traveling companions in our journey toward joy and fulfillment, and certainly pals that will laugh, cry, and do whatever it takes to reach our goals in support of one another. Here's to your health and wholeness  ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
| Who’s In Charge? Are you letting your imagination take the lead, or is your faith at the helm? Serenity is a gift that must be pursued. “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” Isaiah 26:3 (NKJV). I must not and should not allow my imagination to take the place of God. When I feel myself start to fret, I will look to God. I will pray, rest, and get into His Word, and or be silent and listen. Fretting means that I have taken upon myself, that which belongs to God. Therefore, I need to “Take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” II Corinthians 10:5 (NIV). This means I need to press in, place my focus on the One who loves me most, and who has the answers to that which threatens my peace. Father, I ask that you help me to be and to remain aware of my thoughts. To be vigilant to seek You, especially when I realize I have begun to fret. Thank you for making fret and worry very distinct signs that I am attempting to do only what You can. Amen. From my heart to yours, Jacquie ♥ |
We all need to protect the sacred spaces in our life. This thought went through my mind as I sat to consider the direction my life is taking. As I considered the work I am called to, it was clear that I have a heart for women. As a coach and mentor, my passion is to see women made whole in all aspects of life, with a focus on:  Single Moms Widows Divorcees Senior Concerns Marriage Time CommitmentsSo where does the need to protect our sacred spaces come in? Sacred spaces for me, are times of reflection and contemplation. Time set aside to consider activities and "open doors" which represent where my time is directed. This may seem like an obvious thing to do, but think about how subtle some changes are; especially when transition aligns with the desire of your heart. In my most recent sacred space, I realized the joy I have when mentoring younger women; this has resulted in me recognizing the increased appointments to do just that. My encouragement: take time to sit and be still, time to think. It is sometimes surprising what's been going on right in front of us, but we were too busy or too distracted to notice. Here's to your health! From my heart to yours, Jacquie ♥ |
Health & Renewal Today as I think about what makes me smile, I am reliving those times when my focus is clear and I am pursuing that which contributes to a whole and healthy life, spiritually, physically and emotionally. This is good because I have been going through that cycle of not doing what I know to do, and doing that which isn't best for me. It's that battle of I know what to do, so why don't I just do that and not deviate? Instead of going after the imponderable here, I am choosing to let it go and begin to do what I know to do. This approach is more beneficial and gets me back on track much quicker. So as I think about what makes me smile, I become instantly filled with lightness and gratitude; and gratitude has always motivated me. It's like taking a deep and cleansing breath, as I allow myself to feel healthier and to open myself to new ideas and opportunities. My hope is that as you read my short list of things that make me smile, you will think of your own "smile makers." Here's to your health and wholeness ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only **   Smile Makers Prompt: List ten things that make you smile. (Here are the ten things that occurred first): 1) Seeing my husband each day, he walks in so much joy. 2) Knowing my grandson is coming for a visit. 3) Witnessing restoration in relationships. 4) Getting to new plateaus in health and bringing others along for the ride. 5) Encouraging others 5) When my husband asks me for a date 6) Chocolate 7) The flowers of spring and summer 8) Thinking about what makes me smile  9) Babies 10) Kittens and puppies |
| Funny Things Kids Say Prompt: What's the funniest thing you've ever heard a child say? (Blog City) I have to say two things came to mind immediately when I read today's prompt: One day on the ride back home with my grandson, we were talking about birthdays and Jordan remarked, "Nana, your birthday is the same as Jesus'. And I replied, "Well it's three days after, but I'm not as old as Jesus." And he replied, "Yes you are" Secondly, I remember when Jordan was around three and he couldn't say movie, so he would say "boobie." We would laugh, and I still remember my daughter's face  . |
I ascribe to the "let's look at this from a positive point of view." This doesn't mean that I automatically see joy in everything. Now is one of those times. I have been struggling as of late to keep up with my healing journey. It's really hard when I realize how easily I can delve into unhealthy eating habits. I am fortunate to have a daughter who is on her healing journey and doing quite well. I just spoke with her after I began writing on my blog, to find out that she had a good doctor visit today. Her doc is encouraged by the progress she's made, and I am so happy and proud of her. The other saving grace for this day is that we will be getting together with our neighbors tonight to focus on the Daniel Plan. I have been derailed by family health issues as of late, and have felt more than unusually tired. I am trusting I will be refreshed by our time tonight as we refocus our attention on being healthy. I just flipped open "The Daniel Plan" book and saw this quote which helped: "God is always more interested in why we do something than in what we do. Attitudes count more than achievements" - Pastor Rick Warren (p. 220). Here's to your health and wholeness References Warren, R., Amen, D., Hyman, M. (2013). The Daniel Plan: 40 Days to a Healthier Life. Grand Rapids, MI. Zondervan. |
| Because I am in the midst of reclaiming my health, you will only 'see' me here and there. As I am able, I will be sharing my journey here. Today in my Daniel Plan reading, I read something that I just have to share because this truth impacts each and everyone of us. Neuroscience teaches us that every time you have a thought, your brain releases chemicals that make you feel good or bad. Thoughts exert a powerful influence over your life and body. [Which is why I am a firm believer in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, (CBT)]. Whenever you have a happy, hopeful, or optimistic thought, your brain releases chemicals that raise your spirits and encourage you to feel good. Positive thoughts exert a physical response and have the power to immediately relax and soothe your body. They tend to warm your hands, relax your muscles, calm and soothe your breathing, and help your heart beat in a healthier rhythm -The Daniel Plan. I love the power of this! I practice this myself, as well as recommend it to others. When we understand the value of our thoughts, and realize that our thoughts can make or break us, we miraculously find a way to censor our thoughts. I do a 'check-in' with myself throughout the day, by stopping to think about how I am feeling. When life's cares attempt to crowd my thought life, I can feel it. I usually begin to feel a little down, and notice my energy drop. I make that my "red flag" symptom. Then I look at the situation and forgive, bless, release, or whatever I have to do to be at peace again. I also think about people and situations that bring me joy, or something that I am looking forward to. I begin thanking God for my blessings, and there you are; the smile comes and energy is rebounding once more. Let's be mindful today and everyday of our thoughts, and let's purpose to see the good in as much as possible. After all, we stand to gain our health if we choose. Here's to your health and wholeness. References Warren, R., Amen, D., Hyman, M. (2013). The Daniel Plan: 40 Days to a Healthier Life. Grand Rapids, MI. Zondervan. |
| I am a firm believer in what goes around, comes around, or what is otherwise known as reaping and sowing. I know that if I don't have proper nutrition, exercise, and a more positive outlook on life, I will suffer spirit, soul, and body. I also believe in a holistic approach to coaching, counseling, and overseeing my health. Revelation: Knowing is not doing. Hmmm. Yes I know this is obvious, but have you noticed that sometimes that which is obvious can elude us? Anyway, I have had a "wake-up" call of sorts and my conclusion: "I want to live!" However true, I can still say this a little "tongue-in-cheek," after all, laughter is a medicine. So what am I doing? I have just begun The Daniel Plan written by Rick Warren, Daniel Amen, M.D., and Mark Hyman, M.D.. The approach is holistic, which I love: Faith, Fitness, Food, Focus, Friends. I am fortunate that my wonderful husband decided to join in and we started this lifestyle with another couple who live in our neighborhood. Because of all of this, and my interest in what helps the spirit, soul, body function best, I have changed the name of my blog to Health & Renewal, which is a truer reflection of my focus. I hope that my journey will benefit you in some way, and trust me, my goal is to be the healthiest I can be and I would love for you to come along! Here's to your health & renewal  |
| “Whew! So glad that’s over!” Have you noticed how being able to unburden yourself with a trusted friend or loved one, brings a sense of relief? The path to that point of confession can be fraught with anxiety, tension, and stress, until we finally realize that friend or loved one was just waiting for us to come and speak out whatever was burdening us. It’s always the same, “why did I wait and worry so long? Now that I talked about this, I feel so much better!” There are myriad studies that show that holding on to hurts, resentments, or even things we wish we didn’t feel, have the power to harm us physically and emotionally. I remember growing up in the Catholic Church and going to confession every Friday. I can tell you from a child’s perspective, that Fridays meant fish (which at that point was not a favorite) my mom insisted that we eat actual fish; not fish sticks or even tuna casserole (would have killed for tuna casserole). And secondly, Friday meant confession. I did my fair share of things I shouldn’t have, but by the time I got to Friday, nothing came to mind. After all, I never killed anybody. So Fridays were about me conjuring up stuff I could have done, keeping in mind that I didn’t want to go overboard and have to say like 50 Hail Mary’s or something. As an adult however, I know when I’m off the mark, and it helps me greatly to be able to go to my husband or a trusted friend and just say, “I know that feeling this way is wrong, and hurtful, but I can’t seem to get past it.” What I can tell you is that generally talking a situation through, brings great clarity which provides the much needed perspective adjustment. So why am I saying all this? Well, I am a firm believer that common sense can be pushed to the wayside when our emotions are engaged. And because of this, we can forget to do the things we know that will make us and the situation better. My experience is that “practice makes permanent,” this is true; so I hope this reminder takes you another step closer to remembering to practice confession. Here’s to your health and renewal.  |
| As I think about the journey that I am on, I can't help but think about the people involved. Even though I enjoy times of solitude, and time to be alone with my thoughts, I am deeply grateful for the people in my life. I have a friend who is the director of a senior living community and she once told me that people are like libraries, and when they die, they take all those stories with them. My hope and goal is to share as much of my 'library' with those who desire to hear and or experience. We have truly lost the art of the story in our culture. More often than not I encounter families that have no sense of family history. I would love to see children grow up with a sense of who they are, instead of being so well versed in what mythical creature can slay the other in their virtual lives on ipad. I think our children deserve so much better. My prayer is that more and more of us will think about legacies that we can pass along to our children, and help them to know how loved they are, because of how valuable they are just for being who they are. Here's to your health and renewal |
Happy Valentines Day!!! "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud" I Corinthians 13:4 (NIV) Love is something everyone wants and needs. Love is more than a romantic feeling, it is universal in its reach and requirement of human life. Whether you have a "valentine" today or not, you are loved and that is the most important thing. I think a day that reminds us that love is important is necessary, and yet it is far more valuable to remember how vital love is Everyday. So have a Happy Valentines Day Everyday  ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
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