ARISE: Living the Simply Joyful Life with Amanda K Stout

Relationships suffering?

It’s possible the reason is that you don’t know how to apologize. A real apology is basically repenting to someone for how you offended or hurt them. There are five key factors that every genuine apology must include.

If you prefer to WATCH rather than listen, click here to watch on Youtube!

Do you want to know how to BEAT MOM GUILT? Did you know that it’s possible to send it packing FOR GOOD?!?

“MOM GUILT” is real.

Can I get an amen?

What if I told you there’s a way to kick mom guilt in it’s sorry butt and send it packing for good?

You’re interested?

I thought so.

There is. It’s a simple life coaching strategy I like to call thought work. You follow three simple steps:

1 -  Identify what it is you are telling yourself (thinking) that is triggering the feeling of guilt.

2️ - Ask yourself: “is this 100% true?”. (Hint: the answer is mostly likely no.) then think of three examples that prove it to be NOT 100% true.

3️ - Flip it. Find a new thought that empowers you and that you can still hold as true. Whenever the ugly thought comes back, fight it with the new thought.

This process is SO helpful in keeping mom guilt away.  BUT if you want even deeper, faster, and longer lasting results, walk through this process with a life coach - we have even more tools, strategies, and training to help you dig deeper than you can on your own to find the true root of where the guilt is coming from.

Cause (truth bomb!) what you think the problem is, is almost never the real problem.

I’d love to work with you and help you to find the root of your MOM GUILT  so you can kick it out for good. Email me at [email protected] to set up your FREE consultation.

If you prefer to WATCH rather than listen, click here to watch on Youtube. 

Do you ever wonder how to see God working? Do you want to develop a kingdom perspective but aren’t sure how? Here is one of my number one tips for developing spiritual perspective.

Genesis 21:17-19

“But God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, ‘Hagar, what’s wrong? Don’t be afraid! God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Go to him and comfort him, for I will make a great nation from his descendants.’ Then God opened Hagar’s eyes, and she saw a well full of water. She quickly filled her water container and gave the boy a drink.”

Hagar and Ishmael had just been rejected and sent away by Abraham, Ishmael’s father. They were traveling and unsure of what the future would bring - what they saw looked pretty bleak. But God saw and heard and provided.

This is a lesson for us. Even when it doesn’t feel like it, even when we cannot see a way out of our difficult circumstances, God sees and hears us. As we cry out to Him, He will answer. Sometimes that answer is right in front of us, the way the well was in front of Hagar. We just can’t see it because we are so focused on our fear, which keeps us from seeing things from God’s perspective.

Fear closes our eyes and blinds us to how God is working. Choosing faith allows God to open our eyes to how He sees.

Application:

Ask the Lord to open your eyes to what He sees and how He is working. How does this change your perspective?

If you prefer to WATCH rather than listen, click here to watch the video on Youtube. 

Have you ever felt yourself wondering how to see the world through spiritual eyes? Or have you wondered why you need a kingdom perspective?

Genesis 50:19-21:

“But Joseph replied, ‘Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children.’ So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them.”

Joseph’s brothers were worried that since their father had died, Joseph would take revenge on them for their past sin of selling him into slavery. This passage is his response to them communicating that worry.

Joseph’s brothers had abused him and stolen from him. He had every reason to hold on to anger and choose to punish them. But Joseph chose to instead use the circumstances he experienced as opportunities to get closer to the Lord. As he developed a closer relationship with God, Joseph was blessed with spiritual vision. Joseph was able to see how God used the sin of his brothers to work everything out for the good of not only Joseph and his family, but for nations of people. He was also able to see from their responses to him the first two times they came to Egypt, before they knew who he was, that they had repented of their sin towards him.

Because of their repentance and Joseph’s kingdom perspective, true reconciliation was able to take place.

Sometimes the bleakest circumstances we go through are the set up for the Lord to work through us, expand our sphere of influence, and bless more people than we can possibly imagine.

BUT we can miss these opportunities if we stay stuck in bitterness, resentment, or even discontentment. We need to be consistently seeking the Lord and asking Him for spiritual eyes to see our circumstances from His perspective.

What circumstances are you facing right now where you are tempted to sink into anger, bitterness, resentment, discontentment, or another negative attitude? I challenge you to take it to God and ask Him for spiritual eyes to see it from His perspective. How does looking at it from God’s perspective alter your attitude towards it? Journal what God shows you, and make an intentional effort daily to adjust your vision.

If you prefer to WATCH rather than listen, click here to watch the video on Youtube. 

Are you a young mom wondering how young is too young for chores? Do you want to give your child responsibility but find yourself questioning, can toddlers do chores?

How young is too young for Chores? The answer may surprise you!

Toddlers CAN do chores!

You can let your toddler help you with chores.

They aren’t too young! They require supervision, but they can start learning to be responsible and tidy now!

An 18 month old can:

You can also incorporate them in making meals (even if their job is “supervisor”). This will make picky kids more likely to eat the meals!

Make sure to shower them and how they help with praise - the more positive reinforcement they receive, the more eager they will be to help as they get older!

If you prefer to WATCH rather than listen, click here to watch the video on Youtube!

Genesis 15:1

( “Some time later, the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.” NLT)

If you prefer to WATCH rather than listen, click here to watch the video on Youtube. 

Have you ever wondered what is the difference between GOOD FEAR and BAD FEAR? Did you know that there actually is a good kind of fear: The FEAR of the LORD?

Exodus 20:20

“Don’t be afraid” Moses answered them, “for God has come down in this way to test you and so that your fear of Him will keep you from sinning.”

Context:

The Lord had just come down and given Moses the Ten Commandments. He came down like thunder and lightning; the Israelites freaked out and told Moses that only he should speak to God - they were too afraid.

Lesson:

This verse is super interesting because it shows that there are two types of fear - and that one of them is good.

Type one:

“Don’t be afraid” - in this statement Moses is referring to earthly fear for one's life and well being. This is the fear that we are to battle with faith. It is rooted in a lack of understanding of the full character of God, and in trusting oneself or earthly things rather than God.

Type two:

The fear of the Lord. This type of fear is spoken much of in scripture. For example, Proverbs 9:10 says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom or knowledge. This type of fear is healthy.

We need to understand that God is beyond us and all powerful. He has the ability to smite us where we are, though he doesn’t. Just as coming before a world leader would strike nervousness and awe into most people, so should the presence of almighty God evoke reverence, awe, and a burning desire to walk in a holy manner.

It’s crucial to understand the type of fear that is being talked about when we are told to fear the Lord because the wrong type of fear will pull us away from him rather than draw us closer.

The fear of the Lord is based in who he is and should inspire reverence, but also a desire for deep connection and relationship. One who fears the Lord obeys him not because they fear punishment but because they see his holiness and want to please him. Obedience from fear of punishment indicates a lack of relationship and full understanding of God.

Application:

Ask the Lord to give you discernment to see the difference between holy and unholy fear in your life.

If you prefer to WATCH instead in listen, click here to watch the video on Youtube. 

Do you ever wonder if you can have FAITH and still experience FEAR? Do you want to know how to WALK IN FAITH?

Exodus 14:13-14

Context: The Israelites have been miraculously saved from slavery and are traveling to the promised land. As they approach the Red Sea they discover the Pharaoh is pursuing them and they freak out. These two verses are Moses’ response to them.

Lesson:

When we experience fear, a common tendency is to freak out like the Israelites did when they saw Pharaoh coming after them. We can get so caught up and focused on looking at circumstances from an earthly perspective that we stress, worry, and freak out. Thing is, when we do this, we are putting up a barrier between us and the Lord, hindering His ability to intervene.

Faith and Fear are opposites of the same substance. Fear is faith in the “bad” thing happening. In order to combat this and step into faith, we need to do what Moses tells the Israelites to do in Exodus 14:13-14: stand still and watch the Lord.

We need to quiet our minds, remember who God is and ALL the ways He’s come through in the past, and consciously choose to focus on that truth.

As we stand in faith, focusing on God's goodness, faithfulness, and promises, He will give us peace and show up in incredible ways that we could never imagine.

Think about it. Could anyone have imagined beforehand all the things God did to protect and provide for the Israelites? No.

Think about your own life. Have there ever been times when God showed up unexpectedly? This is the God we serve: the God who shows up and shows out. We only slip into fear when we lose sight of and forget that. So let’s stay focused on Him.

Application:

Make a list of the unexpected ways God has shown up in your life. If you’re having a hard time thinking of any, list times He showed up for others in the Bible and among people you know. God is no respecter of persons, and He is the same yesterday’s, today, and forever. SO you can look at the testimony of others as well as your own to see God working and hold onto the faith of who God is. Whenever you are tempted to fear, pull out the list and remind yourself of all the times God has shown up in the past. Ask God to give you His perspective to see when He is showing up. Sometimes we get so caught up in how we WANT Him to show up that we miss Him when He DOES.

If you prefer to WATCH rather than listen, click here to watch the video on Youtube.

Genesis 3:10

If you prefer to WATCH instead of listen, click here to watch the video on Youtube.

Think about a new believer, they usually are “on fire”, right? They are usually so full of joy and passion, they can’t help but share the gospel everywhere they go. Often, their lives will take a dramatic 180 as they reject their previous sinful lifestyle and seek to honor the Lord. The fruit of the Spirit starts showing in their lives. THIS is what the Christian should look like all the time. This is not a phase, a camp high, etc. This is living in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Fast forward a few months to a year though. Once someone is saved they plug into the church. Most of the time, the more they attend church, the more the fire and passion of their love for the Lord dies. Some even slip back into old patterns, others end up walking away from “organized religion”.  Most settle into the status quo complacent Christianity of their chosen church. What happened?

While some of those people (such as the ones who walk away) may have not genuinely been saved, in the majority of those cases, the Holy Spirit got silenced and suppressed. So instead of living the joyful, passionate, “radical”, changed life they first experienced when they were saved, they live a life of religion, ritual, and comfort.

Here’s the deal. Once someone becomes a Christian, they receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God’s Spirit, and He dwells in each believer, speaking to, teaching, and sanctifying them. The Holy Spirit is the seal, the confirmation that we have been saved, and therefore you cannot “lose” Him or “kick Him out”. HOWEVER you CAN silence or suppress Him.

1 Thessalonians 5:19 says

“Do not quench, stifle, extinguish, turn away from, restrain, put out the fire of the Holy Spirit”

If the Bible says NOT to, logically it’s safe to assume that we are capable of doing that thing.

This leads to the natural question, of HOW would one suppress the Holy Spirit so that we can avoid falling into that trap. There are three key things we can do. We can grieve him, resist him, or ignore him.

One or all of these things, practiced consistently will lead to the Holy Spirit’s voice being silenced in your life. Doesn’t mean He’s not speaking, it just means you can’t hear Him as well or at all anymore

Hope: Silencing the Holy Spirit is reversible.

Thought/Heart Attitude to hold: NOTHING is as fun, feels as good, tastes as good, is better than (etc, whatever is relevant to the issue at hand) hearing from and sensing the Lord’s promptings. Intimacy with God is better than ANY earthly pleasure.

If you prefer to WATCH rather than listen, click here to watch on Youtube.