Romans 10:9-13

You can be saved! Confess the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart!

Philippians 4:4-9 Think on these things! Don't be anxious.

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I have an eBook for sale called "Bettering Me" on my website www.takingawalkwithjesus.com  or you can purchase it on Kindle at https://www.amazon.com/Bettering-Me-Mercedes-Stephens-ebook/dp/B0BT9G6KNC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=20I1VIE0Q77K5&keywords=bettering+me+ebook&qid=1677210101&sprefix=bettering+me+ebook%2Caps%2C142&sr=8-1

II Kings 8:1-6.  A message God gave me while I was listening to the past weeks Sunday School Lesson.  God will restore!  Be encouraged in knowing God will restore all that is yours and he will go back and give you all you should have received.

Catch me on my website www.takingawalkwithjesus.com, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for updated post. Be blessed and let's take a walk with Jesus!

I know I have been away for a while.  In the meantime you can catch me on my website www.takingawalkwithjesus.com, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for updated post. Be blessed and let's take a walk with Jesus!

Bettering my Patience

Do you ever feel like your patience is being tested? Like everything you are trying to get done is taking its precious time.  You just want to scream hurry up! Move faster!  Why is this taking so long?  You feel like you have done all that you were supposed to do and everyone else is moving slowly. Everyone has rushed you and pushed you to quickly finish, but when you do, they take their time doing their part.  Lately, that is how I feel.  I feel like the year so far has been just that.  I rush and do my part then everyone else drags their feet to finish. I need to be patient.

I thought I was a patient person.  Maybe I was just kidding myself.  I feel like God is trying to teach me to be patient.  To take a deep breath, sit back, relax and allow him to work.

“I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.   Ecclesiastes 9:11”

You see, being in a hurry can cause you to error. You can make mistakes. It can cause you to force others to hurry. It can cause you to try to rush God. You won’t learn from anything if you always get it now. You won’t appreciate it. “Easy come, easy go”  So……………… I need to work on myself. Work on the patients that I thought I had.  I start to feel anxious if it is not happening now.  And you know what? The Bible tells us in NKJV:

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;” Philippians 4:6

So how do I overcome my lack of patience? What steps am I going to take to better myself? First off, I am going to take a deep breath. Then I will talk to God about it.  Then I will thank Him for his provision.  And I will do this every time I feel anxious.  I am going to have to remind myself of Phillippians 4:6 as well as Ecclesiastes 9:11. I am going to remind myself that God got it. He got it all in control.  Things won’t happen with a snap of a finger, if it did would I appreciate it? If I had everything I wanted now, would I even enjoy it?  How would I even treat people, if I always got what I  wanted when I wanted it?  I would just be a spoiled child with no patience, throwing tantrums.  So I challenge you today to do the same. Let’s work on our patience together.  Let’s take a walk with Jesus. Be blessed!  I love you!

Merchandise

http://teespring.com/stores/tawwj  or tawwj on Amazon.com

Website http://www.takingawalkwithjesus.com

How do you deal with your mental health?  Do you bottle up your trauma?  Do you give it to Jesus? Do you regress into a child-like attitude and pout?

I was listening to the podcast “Look on the Bright Side” by Jenell B. Stewart and she had a guest Denise Francis, Founder of the Self-Love Foundation.  On this podcast they talked about dealing and healing from traumatic experiences. It made me think of my mental health and the mental health of the people around me. It made me think of how I can stay balanced in an unbalanced world.  I think of all the ways I would deal with depression when I was younger.  I would cry and pull the covers over my head.  I would stop eating or I would eat too much.  One point in my life I would journal in my diary. Later I learned to turn to Jesus when I received him in my life.  Even after receiving him, the devil tried harder to pull me back in. He would try to talk to my mind, mess with my confidence, and make the circumstances around me work against me.

What I learned is that even-though the situation does not change, the Lord gives us ways to deal, heal, and cope.  The devil will try to take your mind if you are not watchful.  He will constantly throw fiery darts at you. He will try through your mind, he will try you physically, he will try through your friends and family. He will even try through your surrounding circumstances.  We have to learn to trust in Jesus in all our circumstances.

But how is this bettering my mental health?....... I am glad you asked. When we turn to our Savior he can give us solutions.  Solutions are not always what we expect. Maybe the solution is journaling or talking to a pastor, counselor, or therapist. Maybe the solution is to let whatever we are holding on to, go.  Maybe our solution is just a good ole cry and then pick ourselves up again; and say “get behind me satan”.  Whatever the solution is, we know we need to start with the solution holder, Jesus. Ephesians 6:17-18a “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,”

Philippians 4:6

KJV “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

AMP “Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God.”

So to Better your mental health let’s first start with Jesus (the author and finisher of our faith).  Let Him point you in the right direction.  Let’s take a walk with Jesus! I love you!

Merchandise

http://teespring.com/stores/tawwj  or tawwj on Amazon.com

Website http://www.takingawalkwithjesus.com

This is just a short episode talking about bettering my health.

Merchandise

http://teespring.com/stores/tawwj  or tawwj on Amazon.com

Website http://www.takingawalkwithjesus.com

This year personal theme is Bettering!   Come along with me as I work on bettering myself in all aspects of my life.  How can you better yourself?  This year we need to level up.

Bettering My Prayer Life

There are many posts on the internet and books to read on prayer.  They teach you how to pray, when to pray…… and what are the best things to say while praying.  Just as I was researching prayer on the internet I came across many things, like 5 steps to praying and 7 steps to get results from praying. These guides and steps can be useful.  But what is praying?  How can we be better at praying?  What are the benefits? Why should we even do it?

The definition of prayer is 1 : to make a request in a humble manner. 2 : to address God or a god with adoration, confession, supplication, or thanksgiving.

I simply think of prayer as talking to God.  Tell my best friend what is going on with me and ask him for advice. I also make requests and ask for forgiveness.

This year I want to do better. I want to pray without ceasing.  I want to really depend on the Lord.  I want him to know he is my ultimate best friend and that there is none like him.  So, what do I get out of it?  I am glad you asked.  I get peace of mind, complete trust and increased faith in Him. I will get answered prayers.  Even if the answer is no, not yet, or I have better.  I get better mental health and stress relief, for the Bible says to “cast all your cares upon him for he careth for you.” I get a closer walk and relationship with my heavenly father. I will have a deeper relationship with him.

Although there is no direct recipe for praying, Jesus gives us the LORD’S prayer and we can use that as a guide.    Our father, which art in heaven (Address him), hallowed be thy name (adoration and praise), Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. (yielding to his will)  Give us this day our daily bread (Petitions and requests). And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors (requesting forgiveness and forgiving others). And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (asking for guidance): For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (Acknowledging and praising God for who is)

So, to better our prayer life we need to come to God with a humble heart seeking the will of our father.

Merchandise

http://teespring.com/stores/tawwj  or tawwj on Amazon.com

Website http://www.takingawalkwithjesus.com