Rainbows, Potholes & Nuggets of Gold
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Rainbows, Potholes & Nuggets of Gold
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![]() Good Morning and Welcome to 2025! I pray your holidays were blessed and happy. I received this beautiful book on Biblical Meditation from the publisher and let me tell you I am SO glad I did! The author goes into great detail on the practice and benefits of Biblical meditation - slowing down, quieting the mind, hearing with the heart, deepening your spiritual practice and much, much more. Focusing on the things we should "fix our thoughts on" from Philippians 4:8-9, Ms. Tucker gives us 3 or 4 scriptures in each category of thoughts we should cultivate (whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and worthy of praise) with a six-part framework for your meditation practice that guides you into silence, prayer, reading, meditating on and embodying God's word into your daily life. Complete with an opening prayer and surrendering prayer and room to write what God is revealing to you through your time with Him, this lovely compilation will deepen your understanding of the Word and "grow your meditative muscles". I highly recommend Present in Prayer to anyone who wants the blessings of Psalm 1, verse 3 to be evidnt in their life. Until next time, happy meditating! PamT
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![]() As another Christmas has come and gone with all the gifts received, large and small, and the New Year is in full swing, I thought this would be an appropriate topic. I’m not talking about the size of presents you received from family, friends or even Santa. I’m talking about the gift you received from our Heavenly Father. Now we all know Jesus was born in a stable and laid in a manger – a trough or box that normally held feed for the animals – but I’m not even talking about that box! I’m talking about the different boxes we put God into… Y’know the Sunday Morning / Wednesday Evening box or the I can handle this box or the God has too much to worry about that box. Oh and what about the Judgment box by which we point fingers, cast blame, or otherwise shun and ostracize our brothers and sisters in Christ? We even use the bible, His holy word, to confine God in neat little categories. Something to think about…. God created the universe and upholds it in His left hand while He upholds every living creature in His right ~ Therefore, NO box can contain Him. So stop trying! There is no-thing too big or too small for God to handle and He loves you beyond measure, so stop boxing Him in with your limited understanding and inadequate imagination. Ephesians 3:19-21 tells us…Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us… So, break down your boxes, enlarge your borders, magnify your vision, and expand your imagination to cooperate with God to be the best version of You possible! Pamela S Thibodeaux Inspirational with an Edge! ™ *©2013 Previously published as Pamela's Ponderings January 2013 I don’t know when the self-esteem issues kicked in. Sometimes I wonder if we’re born with them. Though I really doubt that’s true, I do believe words spoken over a newborn spirit or a young child can impact that person’s life forever. I don’t remember any specific incidents where I was made to feel inadequate, but instead of feeling like the proverbial princess or overprotected only little girl in a house of three boys, I somehow developed the opposite persona–that of being ‘not quite good enough.’ Add to this the normal childhood woes of not measuring up to my peers (too short, too fat, not as pretty or smart, etc.) and the words ‘self-esteem’ and ‘self-value’ had no meaning in my life. Then along came the teenage years when I grew from an insecure girl to a young woman with the dream of marriage and children. Factor into that dream low-to-no self-confidence much less self-worth, and the combination does not bode well for attracting a husband. Attract one I did. Though I wouldn’t call him my Prince Charming. Nine years and two babies later I found myself divorced and any trace of self-esteem in the dung heap. At that time, I developed a motto: What you see is what you get. You like it? Good! You don’t hit the road, it’s your loss! I must say this was out of self-preservation, not self-love. But it was a start. Two years later friendship turned to love with the man who would become my next husband, this man and marriage almost the complete opposite from my first. Loving, kind, and lavish with praise and compliments, I felt beautiful in his eyes and my self-confidence grew. With his support and encouragement, I excelled at work, wrote romance novels, started a writers group in my area, did speaking engagements and book signings and virtually put myself out there in ways I would never have even dreamed possible before. Alas, regardless of what one might think, self-confidence and self-esteem do not equal self-value, self-worth or self-love. I was still very self-conscious about many things, especially my looks. Constantly on a diet or exercise routine, I wore clothes to camouflage my round hips and curvaceous thighs and tried numerous hair styles and beauty products to add volume and shine to my less than perfect hair. Actions meant to shore up my confidence did indeed help, but that nagging sense of ‘not quite good enough’ lingered deep in my heart, soul and subconscious. And although I felt better, I hadn’t reached the part of truly loving, appreciating and valuing myself. Then one summer evening my support system was gone. Removed from my life forever in the span of a heartbeat and I was thrust into the world as a single woman. Widowed and alone when, despite everything I’d accomplished, all I ever wanted was to be a wife and mother. They say out of our biggest tragedies come some of our greatest blessings but the prospect of getting out there and dating terrified me and the moment I stepped out into the single scene all of the old insecurities returned. My legs are too short, hips too big and breasts too small. My hair’s too thin and flat and now it’s turning gray. I can’t compete with the young, perky, firm, beautiful women out there! The bible teaches us that as a man thinks therefore he is (Prov. 23:7), so I dug out my old motto and started using it..... What you see is what you get. Like it? Good! Don’t? Hit the road, it’s your loss. Only this time I took things a step further. As a Christian I’d studied and practiced speaking God’s word over my life and knew the power of writing things down, so I started focusing on and appreciating what I liked about myself and what I was good at. I am smart. I am talented. I am gifted. I am blessed. Then I began writing and saying affirmations about what I wanted to believe about myself. I am thin, healthy, energetic, and attractive. I look good. I feel good. As time moved on I got bolder... I am beautiful. I am desirable. I am sexy. I am healed, whole, and complete. I am worthy. I am valuable. Comments from friends and acquaintances about how good I looked every time they saw me helped me to believe the inner growth I’d been cultivating was actually working and worth the effort to continue. Then one day I woke up and I felt these things. I felt healthy, energetic and attractive. ![]() I had an image in my mind of a particular red dress that clung in all the right places (something I never would have even considered before!). So, I went shopping. I found that dress, tried it on and the mirror reflected back to me everything I’d been affirming for years... A beautiful, sexy, desirable woman. But.... Some of those same old thought patterns crept up and I put the dress back. The next day my friend and I returned to the store, and I tried it on for her opinion and again was astounded at how I not only felt but looked in that dress. This time I bought it. ![]() That was ten+ years ago. I still practice positive thinking, affirmations, and self-talk and have since purchased several clingy dresses and outfits and I am constantly amazed at how differently I look at and feel about myself. I’ve also come to understand that how the world sees me is a reflection of how I see and feel about myself. When those old taunts try to rise up and steal my joy, I immediately shake my head and remind myself that as I think, therefore I am. Then I go into a litany of affirmations knowing that as I project feelings of love, appreciation, value and self-approval, others will reflect that back to me. After all, what you see (and say) is what you get! Something to think about. Inspirational with an Edge! ™ Coaching in PJs ™ *©2015 Previously published as Pamela's Ponderings April 2015
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As you know I am a firm believer in the body to heal itself. I love energy medicine, spiritual work, meditation, etc. On top of that, I am a science nerd. I love learning how the brain works, how consciousness works, what the different parts of the brain are and how they function.
You've seen my posts on Bliss Brain and Whole Brain Living and on Dr. Joe Dispensa's documentary, SOURCE It is Within You. Today let me tell you about HEAL. Kelly Noonan Gores directed this beautiful documentary on the mind/body/spirit/energetic connection and how healing can occur. Our body is a self-sustaining, self-correcting, magnificent creation especially when we get out of its way. How do we do this? By healing/changing our thoughts and emotions from lack and limitation, illness and disease to empowerment, knowledge, positivity, peace and the truth of who we really are and the power that lies within each of us. I'm not going to naively sit here and tell you it's easy. But neither is it impossible. Even Jesus said, "all things are possible to them that believe." I Believe, Lord. I Believe. I hope you enjoyed today's post and that you'll check out HEAL. Watch the trailer HERE. Also, you can get 20% off Dr. Joe Dispenza's documentary, Source It is Within You documentary through December 31st using the code: Source_Giving. Until next time, take care and God Bless. PamT ![]()
Many enter into the Christmas season expecting peace on earth and goodwill toward men. This is how it should be, or used to be, but ‘Christmas’ has become so commercialized that few of the original sentiments exist. For many, stress, painful memories, loneliness or grief over loved ones who are no longer present, steal the joy right out of the holidays.
It doesn’t have to be this way. The Bible is filled with scriptures that talk about joy….. “They that sow in tears will reap in joy, (Ps 126:5)” …. “Sorrow may last for a night, but joy will be found in the morning (Ps 30:5).” One thing I’ve discovered is Joy, Happiness, and Bliss are all options we can choose. I know, some of you are frowning right now but think about it. When you get out of bed in the morning, you can choose how you want to go about your day. In those first few moments of waking, you are most susceptible to creating your day by the thoughts you think and feelings you allow to permeate your entire being. So why not make them pleasant ones? Here are a few ideas on how to increase the joy in your life…. Start each day with “I choose to be happy today” as your motto. Write this down and place it where you’ll see it upon waking and then carry it with you throughout your day. Gratitude is one of the best ways to increase your joy. Think about and thank God for all the good in your life. Keeping a gratitude journal by your bed is an easy and effective way to do this. In fact, meditating on your blessings before you go to bed induces better sleep. If you’re not one to write things down, simply begin by saying “Thank You” as you open your eyes and be conscious of your blessings throughout your morning routine and daily activities and then again as you drift off to sleep. Music is another way to feel and experience joy early in the mornings. If your alarm clock blares some hard country, loud rock or heavy metal, chances are you’re not going to wake up very joyful. Find a soft rock, classical or Christian music station and awake to songs of gladness. If your cell phone is your alarm, set the tone to something spiffy and joyful. Share joy in every instance you can. Close your eyes and pray that divine joy go before you into every activity and conversation. Send joy and blessings to everyone you come in contact with or pass on the street. Wave, smile, nod, and speak joy every chance you get. These are just a few ideas but as you begin, I’m sure you’ll come up with more ways to increase the joy in your life and by doing so, increase joy in others’ lives also. Does this guarantee you’ll never have a moment of sadness or a gloomy day? Of course not! We are all human and sadness, depression, etc. are normal, human emotions. However, making a determined effort to be more joyful will lessen the severity and length of those less-than-joyful times. Philippians 4:4 encourages us to “Rejoice in the Lord always; and again, I say, "Rejoice!" May you find reasons to rejoice each day and may joy abound in your life. Something to think about... PamT “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ "Coaching in PJs" ™ Other Scriptures on Joy: Esther 9:22; Job 41:22; Jeremiah 31:13; John 16:20 & 21
*©2012 Previously published as Pamela's Ponderings Dec. 2012
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AuthorPamela S Thibodeaux is a native of SWLA. She is an award-winning author, life coach, and spiritual mentor. About this Blog
I've been on a spiritual quest most of my adult life. In the last 40+ years I've listened to podcasts & interviews, and read books by some of the worlds most popular Religious, Spiritual and New Thought leaders. I've shared the information in different formats such as Pamela's Ponderings in TWJ Magazine which is no longer a viable website. Therefore, some content you may recognize, other will be new. Either way I hope to encourage and inspire you with every post! This film will change your life!
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