"Soul" Food Mondays || Encouragement

For those who believe in Scripture, here are verses to encourage you ...


1. If a friend, family member, or significant other has betrayed, abandoned, or rejected you. Recognize what "real" love is ...

1 Corinthians 13
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.


2. If you question your self worth, self image, self value ...

Genesis 1
27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”


3. If you've lost a job, are in a financial bind, lost a home, cannot pay your bills ...

Matthew 6
25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; ... 31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ... 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.


4. If you're going through trials, tests, ordeals ...

James 1
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.


5. If you're dwelling on your past transgressions. If you cannot forgive yourself for the past ...

Romans 8
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

"Soul" Food Mondays || Perseverance in Setbacks

Perseverance in Setbacks ...

1. The setback. The stylist cut more than you wanted. The salonist severely overprocessed your hair. The five pounds of fat are back. Your career of four years is gone.

2. Breathe. Though we all hate hearing this in hard times, the reality is 'it is not the end of the world'. Breathe and take a stab at a new healthy hair regimen, losing the regained weight, submitting resumes for a new job. It may not be easy, but it is not the end of life either.

3. Regroup. Look for what to learn from the setback. Where did you falter (if you did)? What could you have done differently (if anything)? What can you do now (no ifs here)? Rearrange your plans. Draft new paths. Your goal can be met but may just require a new or adjusted route.

3. Persevere and learn. The other reality is that life is not easy. (I can argue that this is a good thing, otherwise there would be nothing for which to be grateful. However, that's another topic for another blog.) There will be hard days (including setbacks) and sometimes one just has to persevere to the end. Remain strong. Endure the challenge. Be patient. Continue to strive. Do not give up.

4. The reward. Your hair grows to even longer lengths. Your tresses are healthy again. You achieve the fit body you always wanted. You are hired for a more lucrative job position. To whom much is given, much is required.

MORE READS:
BOUNCING BACK #1
BOUNCING BACK #2

"Soul" Food Mondays || Living in Joy

Living in Joy.

If we become heavily dependent on our surroundings for joy, then we allow room for disappointment. Change your perspective in order to live joyfully.

We cannot always change our surroundings. Circumstances may appear that are out of our control. Events may occur that we cannot influence. That is life. However, we can control our perspective.

Reposition your perspective. Since we cannot always reposition our surroundings, joy must begin with our outlook. Two people can look at the same situation and see two entirely different perspectives. One individual can see an ordeal or doom while the other individual can see an opportunity or new beginning. Which perspective do you choose to have?

Focus your perspective on the reality of the situation. What is the reality? Well for one, the past is the past. Rather than spending endless hours dwelling on it, consider how to grow from it and then let it go. What else? The circumstances or events weighing you down today are only temporary. Your heart will heal; it will not stay broken forever. And another reality? Material things are just that - material. The latest shoes or hottest clutch should not define your inner joy.

Permanent joy exists beyond the temporary, beyond the material, and beyond our immediate environment. Joy comes from grasping the true significance and essence of life.

"Soul" Food Mondays || Faith in Achieving

Faith in Achieving ...

1. Have faith. When it comes to achieving goals, it helps to go in with faith. Do you believe you will reach healthy, waistlength hair? Do you believe you will lose those 5 extra pounds? The answer has to be "yes" or reaching your goal will be that much harder. Start with faith. A genuine, strong faith that you will achieve your dream. That is half the battle. It will help you during the difficult times.

2. Feed your faith. The milestones to accomplishing your goal can feed your faith in ultimately reaching your goal. Here's what I mean: A couple years ago, I started my hair care journey with the ultimate goal of reaching a healthy, waist length. In early 2008, I big chopped to neck length. Six months later, I reached shoulder length. In early 2009, I reached armpit length. In late 2009, I grazed below-shoulder-blade length. Each milestone fed my faith that I would one day achieve waist length. Each milestone made my goal that much more in grasp ... that much more attainable. Feed your faith with milestones.

3. Keep the faith. If you do experience a setback during the journey to your goal, do not lose faith. This is when faith counts the most. Will an awful trim by the stylist make you quit your journey to waistlength? Will three missed workout sessions make you stop your journey to weight loss? Keep the faith. Get back up. Dust yourself off. Keep on going. Your faith will make you even more determined and focused during times of setback.

"Soul" Food Sunday || That Breath ...