Paths to emotional and physical wellbeing

Sometimes last year December, I spoke to a group about well being. Today, some of the things I shared in that meeting are even more relevant given all that is going on in our world. I invite you to thrive, live, believe, give, forgive, and dive into a life of wellbeing!

 Thrive through meditation – spend quality time studying and finding clues about why you are created and what is expected of you. How do you meditate? Dwell on the Word – “Scriptural meditation simply means thinking about and reflecting on the Word of God. It means pondering a particular scripture and mentally applying it to your own circumstances again and again until that scripture permanently marks your consciousness. Don’t just read a verse. No, stop and camp there for a while. Dissect it. Let the Holy Spirit give you revelation about that verse. Let it convict you, sharpen you, refine you and encourage you. Don’t just read it and walk away. Let it change you. That kind of meditation can affect your life in a way that almost nothing else can. It can, quite literally, alter your mind and renew it to the truth of God’s Word. Read Romans 12:2. “ – Kenneth Copeland

Live a life of gratitude – many prayers are overladen with requests. I learned as a very young believer to make most of my time of fellowship with God about adoration, adulation, and worship. Keep a gratitude journal. Focus on the blessings you have instead of what you don’t have. Do the same for the people around your life - thank God for them and ask him to help you see the good in them.

Believe what God says you are – There will be seasons (like the times we are currently experiencing) when your confidence will be tested. It is your knowledge of who you are in Christ that will help you to develop spiritually, maritally, vocationally, financially, and other aspects of life.What does the word of God say about you? One of the things the Lord told me about the season we are experiencing due to CoVID-19 and subsequent times of disruptions is to call upon his name as the Lord promised in Joel 2:32 (NIV)
"And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved;
for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
there will be deliverance,
as the Lord has said,
even among the survivors
whom the Lord calls"

Give - Give to God and to humanity where you are now with what you have. It’s our nature to want others to give to us all the time but it is actually more blessed to give and it doesn’t have to be in the traditional ways. For example – I woke up earlier than usual the other day and I started praying for all the leaders in my unit at work. You can choose a day of the week where all your prayers is for others’ needs. You can volunteer in the community – i.e tutoring, reading programs. Give compliments! See the good in others and commend them. Your emotional wellbeing is directly tied to your understanding of what you are created to give to where you are currently planted. Aso, give to those who can never repay you.

Forgive – You will need to practice forgiveness as often as it is required. Unforgiveness is one of the biggest roadblocks to our wellbeing. You need to constantly forgive yourself and people around you. The dearest people to you will offend you and it is important that we find ways to maintain peace. Think of forgiveness as letting go of toxins that could be detrimental to your wellbeing. Find scriptures that speak to forgiveness and reflect on them in addition to these ones, Luke 17:3-4, Colossians 3:13, Ephesians 4:31-32. Ask God to help you forgive everyone that has hurt you intentionally and unintentionally.

Move (Be active!)
Move in the spirit – John 14:16-17(AMP) “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive [and take to its heart] because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He (the Holy Spirit) remains with you continually and will be in you." The Holy Spirit is very under engaged by the average believer and that is why a lot of us are underperforming in many areas of life.  Move your body – physical exercise is very important. Find time for daily exercise. Walking is simple to do and costs nothing. There are also several videos on you tube that are quite useful. Physical exercise releases endorphins that maximize our physical and mental capacity. It also helps with blood circulation which is critical at times like this when we can be less active.

 

Dive deeper – Ecclesiates 9:10 says to do with all our might whatever our hands finds to do while we have breath. This is not the time to sit around and play games or watch Netflix from dawn to dusk. Instead, it is a time to reflect and ask questions from God about what He will like you to be in Him. This is also a time to revisit abandoned projects, especially the ones that are tied to your destiny. Make every effort to spend more time with your family - creating an environment that is nurturing and conducive for wellbeing.

Isaiah 26:3-4 anchors the entire message and I am citing two different translations of the scripture so you can spend some time on it and understand what matters in this season.

Isaiah 26: 3-4 (AMP) “You will keep in perfect and constant peace the one whose mind is steadfast [that is, committed and focused on You—in both inclination and character], Because he trusts and takes refuge in You [with hope and confident expectation]. Trust [confidently] in the Lord forever [He is your fortress, your shield, your banner], For the Lord God is an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages].”

Isaiah 26: 3-4 (NLT) "You will keep in perfect peace 

all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
  Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock."

Prayer - Lord help me to fix my eyes on you in the midst of everything going on around me, trusting confidently in your ability to keep me, protect me, comfort me, encourage me, provide for me, and meet me at the point of every need. Let me focus on you so I can be useful to you. Lord use me as a vessel for your glory in this season. Thank you for being my peace and anchor. Amen

If you are reading this and you have not accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and savior, I invite you to "come and taste of Him". Google Romans 10:9-10 and pray the scripture and ask Him to be the Lord of your life today. He gave his life so you can live a life of peace. You can also ask for prayers anonymously in the comment section. Be well!

©SongReach Inc: Copyright lawa apply. Do not use or reproduce without permission. 2020

Rest

when I toss and turn
restless with a churn
I will return
to the comfort of your grip
your gentle hand
ripped and torn
to bear my grief
and withhold my fear
will be my anchor

when the journey seems long
and my mind unstrung
I'll lean on you
and lift my hands hung
high for you
I'll seek your embrace
Seeking your face
longingly and earnestly
hung high, for you

when the noise becomes loud
and the doubts grow bold
I will listen in,
and let your voice rule
above the rage
You will silence the struggle
and turn to me a new page
Above it I will sing
A new song to my king

A melody of promise
I'll rest in you, Your light will shine
Filling every premise
Illuminating every inch
permeating and sinking through
every fiber in glorious touch
My hands spread wide!
saying,
Take it all, in you I rest


--> © written for songreach by songreach. do not use or publish without permission

False Alarms

 I spent six of my formative years at a boarding school. With mean seniors (upperclassmen) and strict Reverend sisters to boot. There were all manner of survival tricks to keep sanity in that kind of environment hence all manner of escapades among students were endlesss. One of them is what we called false alarms. Back then, false alarms usually happened at dusk, when there's a large group of people together. It usually entailed someone spotting a "ghost" or "something" and raising an alarm that included yelling and running for dear life in all manner of directions. Can you imagine a large group of scared girls screaming on top of their lungs and running away from a "ghost"? At the end of the day, school staff assigned to comb out for the "ghost" or "alien" would find nothing.  Then we'll all breathe a sign of relief and head back to our dorms sheepishly. 

The other day, I was reflecting when the word false alarms came back to me. Have you ever been in a season where you feel like everyone and everything is going wrong and there seems to be an alarming pressure that everything is going to fall apart? Most often, these are the enemy's tactics to get us discouraged and loose focus. When we start running unnecessarily the enemy keeps chasing and having a field day. False alarms have a way of raising tension, blood pressure, and emanating all manners of negative energy that sets us off and everyone else around us. It definitely keeps our mind reeling with negative thoughts and feelings of defeat.

How then do we check false alarms? In the context of everyday life, false alarms are usually raised in our minds due to a caricature - "something" that sets us off and makes us think that everything is going wrong. It could be as trivial as a heated argument with the significant or as significant as an health issue. Whatever it is, there is One who sees the whole picture and can pull apart for us what is important and unimportant. What to do;

1. Stand still:  this could mean a series of things hence you have to identify ways you might be running and throwing your hands up or jumping to unnecessary conclusions.
2. Invite the Holy Spirit to help you through the situation
3. Investigate or reflect on the situation - pray, write, talk to a godly mature counsel
4. Speak the Word of God to counter all negative thoughts, emotions, and or actions.
5.  Take charge of your God given environment and territories.

What have you done to confront false alarms in your life?

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Reclaiming the Act and Art of Writing

As I approach my 10th year blogversary, albeit sporadic postings over the past three years or more, I am renewing my commitment to writing, creativity, and reflection. I enjoy the space of writing and I as I become more and more weary of facebook I am hoping that I can enjoy my true form of expression here. I started this blog when in the middle of grad school in 2005 and now that I'm back in school it should be a win-win situation; stimulation from academic readings and writings and the necessity to write, write, write, and write for spiritual and scholarly purposes.

The letters from my Father.

Daddy loved to write and read letters -  it was a value he cherished. On this Fathers' day, I celebrate him as I reflect on the legacies and values that have guided me......below is a letter Daddy wrote me on June 3rd, 1997. Daddy expressed a freedom in writing that was not necessarily evident in his everyday language or communication usage. I hope you are encouraged by it as you navigate the journey called life. Happy Fathers' Day!



Dear Oluwaseun,

I greet you heartily in His name - A name that rises over all other names here on earth and in heaven. How are you doing? Thank you very much for your heartgreasing letter through Mrs Adebayo. It is thought provoking. I appreciate all you have said. Your homecoming last December was indeed a blessing to many of us. I am amazed at your vision and I thank God for your life. May God, whom you love and He, who loves you in return continue to give you wisdom and knowledge that will see you through life successfully. I am proud of you for you are a child of God. Please, remain so till the end of your life. May the Lord strengthen you.

By the special grace of God, Iya's (my maternal grandma) funeral ceremonies were fantastic and came out hitchless. People rallied round us more than we expected in all fronts. It is God's doing and it is marvelous in our eyes. It is very wise of you to have dropped those classes where you thought that it may not be easy for you to make. It is a sound reasoning. Seun, while it is good to set a target for yourself, allow God to decide the time for your graduation. God's time is the best for His own children. Don't hustle at all about the graduation time but instead, pray and work hard. Leave the finality to your creator. Don't overwork yourself and do not be lazy. Let God take care of the rest.

Mummy (British term for Mommy) related to me about your new job. The Bible has to be fulfilled in your life that a child of God will never be in want of good things of life. May the Lord give you adequate strength to discharge your responsibilities faithfully.

My baby, scarcely can a day pass without praying for you and your senior ones. Intensify your nearness to God and He will definitely fulfill all His promises in your life.............(LAST PAGE LEFT OUT)

Praises and thanks be unto our Lord. Pray without relaxation but work and relax.

Yr Daddy.

Stretch out your hand - NO LIMITS!!

Matthew 12: 13 (NIV); "Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other."

Often in life we find out that we are limited (withered) in one area or the other. That is why a lot of us arrive the new year with resolutions and goals, because there is an area of life where we want to improve or grow. And more often that not, we have already been equipped to grow in that area and we also see those potentials hence we would not aspire to change the situation. In the passage above, Jesus did not help the man stretch out his hand -  instead, Jesus saw a dormant potential and commanded it to be stretched.  What does it mean to stretch?  - be made or be capable of being made longer or wider without tearing or breaking (Thesaurus Dictionary)

Other definitions (in italics);

• cause to do this
• at times we have to be commanded or command ourselves and command the elements around us through determination and full resolve to see a difference in our lives. Jesus told the man what to do with his hand. A lot of times we (either directly or indirectly) tell people and elements around us what we want from them. If you work your muscles, you get a toned body
• pull something tightly from one point to another or across a space
• we have to act in order to see things change around us
  
• last or cause to last longer than expected
• there is more to us than we think, we never really know what we can achieve until we try
  
• make great demands on the capacity or resources of
• I see this as asking more of ourselves, background, experiences, gender, race, society, resources, and opportunities around us. The man of Matt 12:13 has been with a withered hand all his life (that is his history and identity) but Jesus told him - S-T-R-E-T-C-H pal! Life deals us hard at times but we can make great demands of it and expect positive results. Numbers 27
  
• cause someone to make maximum use of their talents or abilities
•  I heard from my Pastor that research has shown that only 5% of us think! Meaning, even though we have the capability to think, we don't engage that function. Its one thing to be a good writer, but its something else to be a better writer by fully engaging and developing one's abilities.
  
• adapt or extend the scope of something in a way that exceeds reasonable or acceptable limit
• The word "Acceptable & Reasonable" jumps out at me here. I can not even begin to think about the number of people that those words has set back again and again. We hear from parents, teachers, mentors, pastors, friends, families, you name it about what others can do or cannot do. So this means at times you have to be a trendsetter and be willing to be an outcast to do what God has for you. If God is telling you to leave your country and people like Abraham, you have to do it. If He's telling you to build an ark for a flood when there has never been a rain, you have to do it. God once told me to take a lesser paying job (no it wasn't reasonable!) but I stretched my faith and obeyed God. In return, I got promoted twice within a year and half!
  
• straighten or extend one's body or a part of one's body to its full length, typically so as to tighten one's muscles in other to reach something
• God is interested in His children's growth  - spiritually, physically, emotionally, mentally, financially, academically and so on. When God created you and I, He blessed us and commanded us to increase and multiply hence we must increase and multiply.
  
• extend or spread over an area or period of time
• We are created to have influence, and people who influence are often people who go beyond the ordinary mark. If we study the Faith hall of fame of Hebrews 11, we read about women and men whose influence is still alive to this day even though their conquests are thousands of years old. When we stretch ourselves we become more useful to God and others.

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No part of this article is to be used without a formal request from the author.

Mark 7:15; "Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them" = What happens to you doesn't make you a victim, but your response or reaction!