Lovestruck

Blessed to be part of the launch team for this new book by Sharon Jaynes. Y'all, it is amazing! 

If you pre-order your copy of Lovestruck by August 5th, you will receive a downloadable study guide and Scripture cards PLUS you can start reading 3 chapters of the book now- before the book even releases!

So head on over to https://www.thomasnelson.com/p/lovestruck/ and order yours today!

#lovestruckbook #sharonjaynes #preorder #marriageGodsway #romance #committment #intimacy #SongofSolomon #restoration

Refocus, Refresh, Restart

Can you believe it? Half the year is gone and we are stepping into the final half of 2019. For some it's just another day. Me personally? It is a time of reflection on what has or has not been accomplished in the areas I hoped to see change. A time to regroup, realign, reassess and row, row, row your boat LOL

There is much I hoped to accomplish, much I still want to do but my sights right now are on seeking God and asking him what the three most important things/areas are for me to shift my focus to. You see, ultimately I want to finish the year well. And while I could fill a sheet of paper with 15-20 things I'd like to do, it's inevitable that I will barely touch on each one and only do them half-way. I firmly believe that God would rather we do a few things well that will benefit ourselves and His kingdom, rather than throw our hands into too many things and have nothing substantial to show for it when the year ends.

My prayer to God did not return void but laid out exactly where I need to direct my attention. And while they are all separate things, in reality one builds upon the other and in the end will add three strong bricks to my foundation.

Focus #1: My personal walk with God and the calling He has placed on my life. At first I thought this might be two separate tasks but in the bigger scheme of things, they actually go hand in hand. Bottom line, I cannot lead well and minister to women effectively if I myself am not connected to and walking in relationship with God in the way He desires. This will require making some significant changes, but when you measure what I am laying down alongside what I have to gain? There is no comparison. Titus 1:8-9 

Focus #2: Living a healthy lifestyle. If you know me, you know this is something I have struggled with for some time. I'm not just talking about my physical being, but also my emotional and spiritual well being. I'm blessed to have stumbled upon an amazing accountability group that uses the Made to Crave 60 Day Devotional written by Lysa TerKeurst as its basis. Great news is, it's a recurring group that goes through this study several times per year. What I have realized is that this journey is not just about me getting right in the physical. Complete health is achieved when all three areas align, which means... Focus #1 helps develop Focus #2 and gets it moving in the right direction which leads into the final directive.

Focus #3: Be intentional. What exactly does that mean? Author and coach Chrysta Bairre wrote: 

"It means you are purposeful in word and action. It means you live a life that is meaningful and fulfilling to you. It means you make thoughtful choices in your life. Being intentional means you actively interact and engage with your life. You wake up every day and ask yourself, “how am I going to make this day great?” You respond instead of react. You love instead of fear. You embrace instead of expect. You accept instead of resist."

A great definition but, as a Jesus Girl, I believe it is  bigger than that. So for me it would include to live a life that is meaningful to God and to actively interact and engage with others. And my big daily question, "Lord, what would You have me do today that will make a lasting impact?"  

Now that I have actually typed these thoughts out, I clearly see that intentionality is the key to it all. 

--->> Want a deeper relationship with God? Be intentional about getting in the Word, praying, joining a bible study group. 

--->> Want to effectively lead others? Be intentional about building relationships and encouraging others.

--->> Want to get healthy?  Be intentional about moving your body and filling it with nutrients not junk. 

The list goes on, but I think you get where I'm going with this. So as we begin our journey into the next six months, take some time to refocus, refresh and restart. Ask God "what is the most important thing/area I need to work on in this season of my life?" I promise you that if you truly seek Him with a heart that is willing to follow where He leads, you will not be disappointed. Best of all, it will set you on course to finish the year well.

Love and Blessings,
Brandy

Hitting Pause

Now that we are halfway through January, I'm feeling the need to hit pause. The last few days have been busy, the couple days before that were part lazy so I am definitely not where I had hoped to be with my writing or my reading and several other things. As I look at my schedule for the weeks ahead, I see that my workload gradually increases each week which is a good thing as it means the company is finally coming out of the slow season. But I stop and think to myself, if I don't pause now... then where will I be a few weeks from now? You guessed it, even more behind than I am today.

It may be a New Year but I still continue to struggle with being and remaining focused, walking away from time wasters, putting aside quiet time and being more committed in my walk with God. Cause friends in all honesty, change is hard. Breaking habits -->> my worst being procrastination -->> is even harder. But try I must! Though I admit there are more days than I can count when I "try" to accomplish change in my own strength. HA! If it only that were possible. Yeah, it might work for a short while but true change, REAL change can only happen when we turn all our days, ourselves and our messes over to Jesus and let him lead. 

Most days I rise at 0605 so I can set my day in motion. At 0630 I hug my husband, send him out the door for work then turn on the coffee pot and start cooking breakfast. Some mornings I pray for my him; that he has a safe drive to work - cause folks, seriously, we live in Jacksonville NC on the outskirts of town and my hubs has to deal with some C*R*A*Z*Y drivers along with the traffic of folks trying to get on the 2 other bases before his exit for Camp Lejeune - I pray for his safety at work as he has to climb a lot of ladders and spend time on roofs, that he would lead well and his heart and mind would be set on God so that he can be a light to those he comes in contact with. Most mornings pass though without a single prayer being lifted. 

In the words of my girl Cheryl: Prayerlessness creates a vacancy within us. And if we are not filling the gaps within us with Jesus... that means we are leaving space; creating holes. If ya didn't know, holes create space for the enemy to slide in. And that should be the last thing we want.

So today I decided that hitting pause was necessary. When my alarm went off today, I opened my YouTube app and allowed my Holy Spirit playlist to seep into me and fill the places that I've allowed to become dry the last several days. Not saying that I didn't create space for Jesus in those days, but not as much as my heart truly desires to. I did get out of bed to see my hubby off, then let the worship play as I went about my morning, getting my focus where it needed to be. It truly is amazing how different a day can go when we make space for God. 

I've also neglected time in the Word for several days but fully intend to spend my afternoon catching up on my daily reading. This pause was greatly needed because as of late, I do not organize my days well and my time management leaves much to be desired. I have more freedom than most in my schedule which creates a lot of space, unfortunately I don't always use it constructively. So, as you can see this can be a good thing but can also create a recipe for disaster and if I don't ask God to help me get a grip on it and show me how to do better in these areas, days and weeks will pass and I will look back and see that very little was accomplished. 

My greatest desire is to grow in the Lord and while there has been growth over the years, I know full well in my heart that it could have been so much more had I just made Him my priority daily. He has SO much for me (and for you!) if only we would get out of our own way and let Him lead! Choose today whom you will serve. 

Chit Chat Corner

How's your year going? Did you start off strong but now find yourself struggling to maintain the momentum? Maybe hitting pause is something to consider. Take a look at the last 15 days. Are you still walking in those old ways or are your new habits still shining through? Feel free to share in the comments section.

Wherever you're at, I encourage you to take some time, pray and seek the Lord. Make sure that what you're doing lines up with His plans for you. 

Work the Word

Jeremiah 29:11-14a (AMP) For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call on Me and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear [your voice] and I will listen to you. 13 Then [with a deep longing] you will seek Me and require Me [as a vital necessity] and [you will] find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,’ says the Lord. 

Blessings in Christ,

~Brandy

Hello 2019!

A New Year has begun... how exciting is that?

Personally, I am riding on high! This morning I woke to a blank canvas waiting to be filled with fresh, new and exciting things. I think we all (well us women at least) have an eager anticipation of what's to come.

Opening a fresh new planner. Starting a reading plan. A journal full of blank pages just waiting to be scripted. Goals to get you closer to financial freedom. Nurturing of comfortable relationships. Making room for new relationships. Creating an environment for a healthier lifestyle. All this and more awaits us!

We are focused, motivated, determined, more aware. 

Ready to learn from the year that has passed and resolve to grow in new ways.

There is much that I would personally like to accomplish this year. Most important to me is walking closer with God and developing a deeper relationship with Him so that I can move forward in the calling He has placed on my life. 

A couple months ago, after much debate, I purchased a 2019 planner. There were several that caught my eye... until I saw the price EEK! Thankfully I stumbled upon a really nice one at Christian Book that ended up being right up my alley and also made my wallet much happier. There's plenty of space to plan my day and it includes a daily Bible reading plan along with a daily verse. What I love best is that it zips up so any loose items I add to it won't fall out! 

For Christmas, I received a beautiful journal from my mom which unbeknownst to her, happens to compliment my planner perfectly. This also has a verse at the top of each page and enough pages to allow writing for every day of the year YAY! My hope this year is to grow as a writer (as this is one of my passions) and be more active than I have in past years.

So here's to my first post of many in the year ahead!  

Work the Word:

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” (Is. 43:19)

We have all either buried things in the wilderness or left some by the side of the road. What are your passions friend? Is there something you have ditched along the way that you would like to dig up and restore? Or is God calling you to dive in and explore something new in 2019? I'd love to hear from you, feel free to join the conversation in the comments.

Blessing in Christ,

Brandy