The Lies We Believe

In my few posts in the last couple months we have been talking about some of the things in our lives that will hinder us from becoming healthy, whole and free.  Free to be who God created us to be, to fulfill the purposes He has for us and live out the potential that is with in us.  We talked about codependency, destructive family patterns and discontentment. 

I had an opportunity to speak at a Ladies Retreat at Faith Outreach Center.  This is a very special church and group of ladies to me.  This is the church I grew up in spiritually and learned so much of what God has called me to do. 

As I prayed about what God would have me share with the ladies I truly felt it was the four areas I have found to keep us from moving forward in our lives.  These are areas that I work on often with my clients and when they really work on them and do the spiritual and practical work that needs to be done, there is change.

Two of the areas I have already talked about in this blog. 

1. Destructive Family Patterns  
2. Unforgiveness

The other two are:

     3. Any kind of sexual brokenness(past abuse, trauma or misuse)

And the one I'm going to talk about for the next couple posts:

    4. The LIES we believe

The lies we believe about ourselves and God.   Most of these lies come from other 3 above experiences:

Next post we will begin to look at the lies that we have embraced about ourselves based on our experiences, circumstances and our culture.

Being Content in Every Season of Life

There probably isn't anyone reading my blog anymore after a month of no posts but I am back and will try to be more consistent.  It has been a whirlwind of a month but it's all been good things so I can't complain....just couldn't keep up with a blog on top of everything else.

During the last month that I went missing.....I was on vacation....North Carolina for 2 weeks.  We usually go with our daughter and her family but they couldn't go this year so it was more quiet then past times and they were all greatly missed but it was a great time to catch up with my reading and spending some quality time with God and of course some quality time with my hubby.  :) 

When I returned home a couple weeks ago,  I was playing catch up for the next two weeks.  Lots of client appointments, a small group that I was leading, and a Ladies Retreat that I was speaking at. 

The small group I lead is a group of sweet young moms and wives, we meet once a month and this month I spoke to them about contentment in their season of life.  They are in a difficult season with small children, lots of financial pressure, still working through the challenges of marriage but in reality every season has it's challenges and one of the greatest skills we can learn to enjoy every season is "Contentment."

Contentment is a learned skill: To be chosen, adopted, mastered and applied.  It doesn’t mean there aren’t disappointments in life, it doesn’t mean we are in denial, It just means that we can resolve to be content and it will change our view of everything in life.

Philippians 4:11-13 (NLT)

¹¹ Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. ¹² I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. ¹³ For I can do everything through Christ,^[a] who gives me strength

The Greek word for contentment in this verse means "inner sufficiency"  satisfaction found through the depth of ones own life with God independent of surroundings

A woman who is content is a woman who has chosen to be satisfied with what she has, who she is, and with where she lives.  Women of substance, satisfaction who has chosen contentment over displeasure.

How do you do this?  Easier said then done right?  Yes, like most things in this life contentment is a learned, practiced behavior - the more you choose to be content and enjoy where you are for the moment the more you will find it just becoming part of who you are.  In 2 Corinthians 9:8 (NLT) it says,

And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.

When you can get the mindset that what you have on hand is enough that it is adequate and deemed by God as sufficient then you are ready to fully participate in the tasks set before you at this season of life.

So today: Ask yourself..."Am I embracing the season of life I am in?