Posts about growing in spirit health
This past year my son and I tracked our outside time for the #1000HoursOutside challenge, and logged the books we read for 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten. I loved the community we found with other families pursuing these same goals and the accountability tracking our progress gave us, especially on days when the weather wasn’t the […]
Ultimate Bundles are always a great way to get an awesome deal on ebooks, courses, printables, and more, but I’m especially excited about the 2021 Ultimate Christian Living Bundle! It’s been several years since they have offered this one and you don’t want to miss it! 50 resources worth $1,182.78 all for only $29! The
My Top 4 Ultimate Christian Living Bundle Picks Keep Reading »
One of the great gifts of 2020 is that is required us all to simplify and adjust our rhythms. The drawback being that all those changes were made in a season of stress and out of necessity, rather than thoughtfully chosen based on what would serve us best. The New Year is a perfect opportunity
Trends towards holistic health have made body, mind, and spirit buzz words. Doctors are more likely to acknowledge mental impacts on physical health, counselors are more likely to recommend yoga or other physical exercises, and churches are more likely to offer counseling or physical health programs. The problem with the holistic trend is that it
Today’s guest post is from Melissa Tumino of Think About Such Things. I met Melissa through a blogging group and we quickly found we have a lot in common with mutual friends from ministry school. When I read this post on her site I knew I just had to share it with my readers and
Meditating on scripture is a powerful way to renew our minds. Often I will assign my clients scripture studies as homework. Whatever emotion they are struggling with or faulty belief they are trying to displace – they’ll meditate on scriptures that fill them with the truth of what God says about it. I have them
A decade ago I was in a season of life where I spent up to six hours a day in prayer. It was a powerful season, a beautiful season, a season that really grew my relationship with God and my spiritual health. And then life seasons changed. I no longer had all that time available
Ever notice how the language of spiritual warfare typically assume the underdog position? In one breath the same person may tell you the battle is already won, while also lamenting how defeated they feel spiritually and how afraid they are of the enemy. What if we could shift that entire paradigm of thinking and start
Indestructible: Fight Your Spiritual Battles from the Winning Side – Book Review Keep Reading »
We’re all trying to be the healthiest we can body, mind, and spirit, but sorting through all the resources we need to reach our goals can feel overwhelming. There are so many good options and the costs can add up quickly. But there is hope! Ultimate Bundles are an amazing opportunity to get lots of
Hanukkah typically falls close to Christmas, sometimes as early as November, and sometimes lining up with Christmas Day. If you’re wondering if Christians should celebrate Hanukkah or if it’s just a Jewish version of Christmas, you can put aside the dreidels and the gelt as we dive deeper into the meaning behind this Festival of
It’s that time of year! Are you making a list and checking it twice? Maybe you’ve been asked for your wish list and are stumped what to put on it. Fear not! The 2019 crunchy Christian wish list is here! These are all my top picks of the year for the crunchy minded, organic loving,
So I have a confession, while most people are either decorating early for Christmas or complaining about people decorating early for Christmas, I’m happily unpacking my collection of cornucopias thrilled that it’s finally their time of year. A Horn of Plenty What’s a cornucopia?! You may be asking, and understandably so. They’ve mostly fallen out
The end of the year can feel like a big rush from Halloween to Christmas with a blip of Thanksgiving in the middle. Stores are already full of Christmas (and have been since July). Those certain odd friends start blasting Christmas music the second the last trick or treater leaves their door. And while research
The ultra short version of this review would be, “Unpunishable is a life changing book, drop everything and read it right now!” There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:18 We
One week our pastor’s sermon reminded me of a conversation I had with Holy Spirit years ago about working with a heavenly perspective. At the time I was working in a group home for girls that had survived sex trafficking. It was an extremely stressful and dangerous work environment mainly because of how the home
Today’s guest post from Michael C. King takes an interesting look at the book of Job. His interpretation may challenge what you currently believe about this book of the Bible, which is good. It means you’ll have to reexamine the book of Job for yourself and really listen to what Holy Spirit is saying through
Father’s Day and its counterpart, Mother’s Day, are hard to ignore in our culture. Depending on your experience, this day may bring joy, pain, or a mixture of both. Good fathers are protectors, providers, and bestowers of identity. They make us feel safe, secure, and significant. Unfortunately good fathers are not as common as they
Today’s epigenetics guest post comes from Alice Mills of Poema Chronicles. It was originally shared here on her blog. The study of epigenetics and generational memory, at least as far as its relationship to trauma, is fairly new. Without going into a poor scientific explanation of what epigenetics is, I will merely quote Dr. Jackie
Epigenetics, Inherited Trauma, and You: The Ghost of Generational Memory Keep Reading »
Is Lent part of your spiritual practice? Chances are it’s something you’ve heard about, but not engaged with personally, as much of United States Christian tradition has neglected these ancient church practices. However, the spiritual rhythms of Ash Wednesday and Lent leading up to Easter aren’t just Catholic practices as many assume. These traditions have
Finding Meaning in Lent | Bible Study and Devotional Keep Reading »
Trying to find some binge-worthy Netflix? Wanting to watch something that will actually help you live healthy and free? Try one of these from my top 10 holistic health Netflix picks to nourish your body-mind-spirit. (All instant watch of course at time of posting this article, who requests DVDs anymore?) List updated February 2019. Top
Anxiety is such a common struggle in our culture, but just as common is it’s cousin confusion. We often talk of confusion as a cloud or fog. If we could just clear the air the confusion would be gone and we’d be free. But what if just clearing away the clouds isn’t the answer to
January is here! Maybe you were planning for it weeks in advance, or may it crept up on you out of nowhere, but whether you made your resolutions for the year already or not, there’s still plenty of time to choose what you want this year to be about and set you intentions rather than
Identifying lies we believe and the truth that undoes them is important throughout the year. But there seem to be a special brand of lies that come creeping at Christmas time. Maybe it’s a lie that’s unique to the holiday season, or maybe it’s just a more festive version of a lie you struggle with
It’s that time of year! Whether you turned on the Christmas music November 1st and have your list and shopping all done before Black Friday or you prefer to wait for the exhilarating rush of getting it all done on Christmas Eve, you’ve likely got a list of loved ones you’re looking for gifts to
The Psalms speak often of Christian meditation: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” Psalm 19:14 (ESV). “My mouth will speak wisdom, And the meditation of my heart will be understanding.” Psalm 49:3 (NASB) “Let my meditation be pleasing to Him; As for me, I shall be glad in
Different Seasons Ever notice how there are different seasons of life within the earths four seasons? We notice the slight chill in the morning air near the end of summer and know that autumn is on its way. We also notice the shift in store displays and how they signal the holidays to come. Rhythms
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health issue in the United States. 1 in 6 adults take an anti-depressant or anti-anxiety medication. Both inside and outside the church, anxiety is a rampant issue, and people are desperate for relief. Heaven’s Cure for Anxiety It may sound cliché to say that the answer to anxiety
The short version of this post would just say “Good Good Father” for all the Enneagram numbers. When I surveyed each Enneagram’s favorite worship songs, at least one person from each number picked it as their favorite. It seems Pat Barrett and Housefires found the perfect combination of all our core needs and wrapped them
What Your Favorite Worship Song Says About You Keep Reading »
A big part of inner healing work is forgiveness. Frequently I’ll have a client say, “Oh, I’ve already forgiven them,” when forgiving a certain person comes up in session. Sometimes this is a resistance to really forgiving — trying to avoid dealing with their feelings towards that person. But often it comes from a genuine
Holidays like Mother’s Day often come with cultural expectations of joy and celebration, as if everyone’s experience of mothering has been a positive one. Often the day is so painful and the church so insensitive, that many women choose to stay home on Mother’s Day Sunday rather than have salt rubbed in their wounds. But
Today’s guest blog post was written by Meridee Watts. I’ve had the pleasure of calling Meridee friend for over a decade. We attended the Elijah House School of Prayer Ministry together and I have great respect for her wisdom in nurturing gardens of the heart and yard. 4 Lessons We Learn from Seeds about Taking
The theory of quantum entanglement describes how two particles can become entangled in such a way that even when they are separated by a vast distance they are linked, with the actions of one affecting the other and an apparent awareness of one another. This quantum reality may be a scientific glimpse into a spiritual reality
Many Christians have been burned by churches and some have chosen to abandon church altogether. But scripture is clear that Jesus loves The Church, and desires to see believers gathering together in local churches. There are no lone wolf Christians in the New Testament. Even if you never darken the door of another church building,
You ever get in the mood to get rid of ALL the things, but then feel guilty about just throwing stuff out when you really should hold onto it and try to sell it first? Yeah, me too…and that’s how I end up with my spare bedroom being a never ending turn-style of random boxes
Poverty Spirit Detox | Letting Go of the Things that are Owning You Keep Reading »
Today’s guest post is from Lauren, one of our IHS students. The past several years Lauren has been on a journey of discovering her spiritual gifts and learning to walk in a supernatural lifestyle. Things like hearing prophetic words, seeing angels and demons, and having God-given sensitivity to other’s thoughts and feelings. She’s going to
What to Expect When you Get those Spiritual Gifts you Asked for Keep Reading »
On Christmas day there is always one present that I rush to open before anything else. It’s not under the tree or in my stocking, but on the fireplace mantle there’s a little framed card that has become my favorite Christmas gift. This gift isn’t expensive, flashy, or bought in a store, but it’s the
Wondering what to get for the health conscious Christian lady on your list? This crunchy Christian gift guide will give you lots of great ideas of what to give, and maybe even some ideas of what you want to put on your own wishlist. Be sure to check out the freebies at the bottom of
This free 7 day inner healing mini course will teach you the basics of inner healing and start you on your journey of praying through your own hurts. Each day also includes a free devotional download to take what you’ve learned deeper into personal application. Inner healing is a powerful tool for bringing relief to
Today’s guest blog post was written by Meridee Watts. I’ve had the pleasure of calling Meridee friend for over a decade. We attended the Elijah House School of Prayer Ministry together and she now is my teaching assistant at The Inner Healing School. I have great respect for her wisdom in nurturing gardens of the
Preparing for Winter: What Fall Gardening Can Teach the Heart Keep Reading »
Inner Healing Prayer Inner healing prayer is a powerful tool for bringing relief to our deepest hurts. Emotional pain, traumatic memories, tormenting thoughts, and relationship issues are all things that inner healing can help. There are many models of inner healing out there, so sometimes it can be confusing what exactly inner healing is and
Have you ever needed a miracle? Or wondered why some people get healed when you pray for them and other people don’t? We are so blessed to serve the God of Miracles, but we often struggle to believe a miracle is possible for us personally. It’s so easy to get offended when healing doesn’t come,
A spirit of barrenness can affect you even if you’ve never struggled with infertility. If you’ve ever felt shame at the thought of being pregnant it’s likely this spirit may be affecting you. One mother’s day I was processing with God about my own mother wounds and He dropped this revelation into my mind. It’s
Each of us carry the wounds that we have experienced in life. The hurts, the disappointments, the rejections. The pain is real and you have every right to feel hurt and to hold onto your pain, but it won’t do you any good to hold on to your woundedness. We all carry wounds, but how
Imagine you have a pair of darkly tinted glasses. You put them on. What do you see? Is it hard to make out the colors, shapes, and people in front of you? Do you think you have an accurate view of the world when looking through the darkly tinted lenses? Could these lenses be affecting
Healing How We See God with Sozo Father Ladder Keep Reading »
Easter is a time to reflect on Jesus’ death and resurrection, but it’s also a time to reflect on our beliefs about God and our relationships with him. Through experiences with our parents and people in general we often end up believing lies about who God is and his heart towards us. While relationships and
Yes, you read that title right. I’m not memorizing scripture this year and maybe you shouldn’t either. Memorizing scripture is a good and helpful spiritual discipline but for many it isn’t producing the spiritual fruit they had hoped. So before you call me a heretic, let me explain why I’m not memorizing scripture this year,
With all the controversy surrounding The Shack, both book and now movie, I’ve had several people ask me to share my thoughts on it. While I certainly have some thoughts I could share, I find thoughts are often best conveyed by those who have personal experience with an issue rather than just academic knowledge of
What The Shack says about the Healing Journey Keep Reading »
Fasting has multiple benefits for body-mind-spirit health. The Lenten season from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday is often a time when many people decide to fast leading up to Easter. Whether you plan to fast during Lent or any time during the year, the benefits of fasting can affect every part of your being. Fasting
It’s hard to grab hold of new things when we’re clinging tightly to the old. Even good things need to be held loosely at times so that we can upgrade to better things. Hands down, hands up prayer is an exercise in letting go and receiving. As we enter the new year these days between
Hands Down, Hands Up Prayer | A New Year’s Meditation Keep Reading »
This time of year it’s pretty much expected that you put on a smile and be full of Christmas spirit. Anything less and you’re labeled a Scrooge or a Grinch. Never mind if you actually are stealing anyone else’s ability to enjoy Christmas, the very fact that you aren’t getting in line and putting on
When the Most Wonderful Time of the Year isn’t so Wonderful Keep Reading »
The season of Advent has long been a time of reflection upon the birth of Christ and a preparation for the season of Epiphany in Christian tradition. We often forget though, the early church’s celebration of Advent was not a reflection on the birth of Christ, but an expectant gaze towards His return. “The Light
The best thing you can do to for your health body-mind-spirit is to be in constant conversation with God, but many Christians still struggle with how to hear God’s voice. Training your “ears” to hear God’s voice begins with learning to discern the voices you listen to on a daily basis. There are four voices
I’m so excited to announce the release of my new book! Healthy & Whole is a 60 day challenge that will take you on a journey to complete wellness, body-mind-spirit. My heart in writing this book is to help you be as healthy, whole, and close to Jesus as possible. Click here to purchase on Amazon Here
New Book! Healthy and Whole: 60 Days to Complete Wellness Keep Reading »
Though you may have never heard the term “Crunchy Christian” you very well may be one. No, it’s not some new denomination or theological view. Crunchy Christians just take a natural and holistic approach to health, wellness, and lifestyle. The Christian brand of your woo woos and your granola girls, we might do things a
Who remembers making one of these gospel bracelets as a kid in VBS? While the knotted leather and plastic beads were tres chic in the 90s, they aren’t so fashion forward for the modern millennial. The message behind these bracelets is just important now though as it was when we were kids. It’s amazing how
One question I have gotten a lot lately is how to listen to God in prayer. We often think that listening prayer means sitting around quiet and bored and waiting for God to say something. While this sometimes may be the case, listening prayer is more of a conversation, His replies come quicker than we
I’ve written before about how to take discipleship out of the coffee shop and into our everyday lives. While this is helpful and encouraging when you are the one doing the discipling, what do you do when you are the one desperately searching for a mentor and you keep getting told that they don’t have the
Discipleship can be quite the buzzword sometimes. We all want to be discipled, we know that we should be discipling, we see the value of discipleship in building missional communities and yet actually living out the discipleship model often feels elusive. When you think about discipling someone, what environment comes to mind? A coffee shop maybe? Sitting down
I was so sad when one of my most beloved mentors passed away. Though I never had the honor of meeting her in person, Elisabeth Elliot was an amazing woman of faith and a mentor to thousands of women through her wonderful books. Her many books and her life’s testimony have been pivotal in the shaping
How to Have a Quiet Time: A Tribute to Elisabeth Elliot Keep Reading »
Forgiveness can be a touchy subject. We hate being told to forgive, we struggle to forgive those who have wronged us, we ache when others withhold forgiveness from us; ultimately many of us are walking around with many misconceptions about forgiveness and what it means to forgive someone. In counseling and inner healing ministry I
This is a story I fear is far too familiar to far too many people. A story of exile, of community lost, of feeling like you have a scarlet letter banning you from society. Very often when I meet with clients it becomes obvious that one of the greatest needs in their lives is community.
My Journey Back into Community after Getting Kicked out of a Church Keep Reading »