Dealing with multiple family issues in varying depths of negative physical & emotional drama, I keep hearing the message…. “When you starve your spirit, the body compensates.”

Or in most instances, over compensates.

Illness, weight issues, depression, addictions; many times these are all physical and emotional symptoms of a starving spirit.

The Bible teaches us that “a merry heart does good like medicine” (Prov. 17:22).

Proverbs 15:13 tells us, “A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.”

Bible believing Christian or not, there are medical studies that substantiate this idea. But forget medical proof for a moment and think about the people in your life who are ill.

What does their countenance (face, attitude, actions) reveal to you?

Are they upbeat and positive or “down in the mouth”?

Are they the picture of health (acceptable weight, tolerable or manageable level of physical ailments, sensible/rational attitudes, realistic/practical actions) or just the opposite?

Now I’m not going to try and convince you that every person who has been a victim of physical or mental abuse or who has contracted an illness of some sort is merely suffering because they neglect nurturing their spiritual life. I know many devout spiritual beings who suffer diseases.

Nor am I making light of either.

I merely want to point out that feeding and nurturing your spirit is one way to get your physical and emotional well-being on the mend. When the spirit is healthy, many times the body follows.

So how do we get from starving to nurturing our spirit?

Often a simple shift in perception from “woes me” to gratitude can start you on your way to spiritual health. Forgiveness also plays a huge part in this.

“I’ve forgiven but I can’t forget” is a cop out.

I know that sounds harsh but Scripture tells us to speak the truth in love and sometimes love has to be gentle but firm and sometimes the truth hurts; hence the term ‘tough love’.

The Bible tells us that God remembers not our sins, yet we tend to wallow in those perpetrated against us and/or cling to guilt and self-condemnation for those we committed against others.

If God, who is holy and just forgets our sins, who are we, to hold onto those memories and rehash our pain and anger, or disappointment and self pity?

Here’s the rub: As long as you feel and act the victim, you can not live a victorious life!

To put it another way: You can’t have a positive, healthy life (spiritual or otherwise) if you have a negative outlook.

Oh and if you think you are “only being realistic,” think again.

You are hurting no one but YOURSELF when you drag the past into the present and project it into your future.

“But it hurts so much…the pain is so deep….”

Then STOP focusing on it! Focus on today and the good present in your life right now.

Now that I’ve given you something to ponder, here are some ideas and resources….

• Prayer, fasting, and meditation are all proven methods to regain and optimize health and are as important to your overall well-being as diet and exercise.

• Read your Bible! Highlight Scriptures on health and wellness, depression and forgiveness, etc. Or better yet, pick up a copy of God’s Promises, The Tongue a Creative Force by Charles Capps or You’ll Get Through This by Max Lucado.

• Start and maintain an attitude of gratitude.  The Magic by Rhonda Byrne breaks this concept down to expressing gratitude for the simplest things! She also offers a “gratitude journal.” Success coach and author, Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup for the Soul books) also has a gratitude journal as do numerous authors!

• Read some of the books listed in my post What You Don’t Control, Controls YOU!

• Read and do the exercises in Marianne Williamson’s A Course in Weight Loss. This wonderful resource gets to the heart of the matter with practical yet very personal ways to connect with and nurture your spirit.
• Implement energy work such as EFT/Tapping
• Work with a Life Coach or Therapist

​These are just a few examples but I promise, as you get started feeding your spirit, you’ll see and feel a difference in your overall condition and discover more ways to enforce the new, happier, healthier you.

Something to think about...
*Image by Gizelle from Pixabay*

*Originally published as Pamela's Ponderings ©Oct. 2013

I have no idea how Ms. Madsen knew I LOVE these types of books or what made her reach out to me but I am so glad she did!

I was offered a pdf in return for an honest review and since I've never read anything by this author I jumped at the opportunity.

Nugget: When you can be present with the emotions you feel at any given moment, you have true freedom to choose how to respond.

Affirmations, Meditation, Visualization, Breathwork, EFT, this book has it ALL. Ms. Madsen goes into great detail on how to uncover hidden limiting beliefs, energy thieves/blocks, self-love and compassion, and so much more!

Nugget: Personal accountability actually strengthens self-compassion.

Whether you're new on the Self-Help/Personal Development journey or a voracious connoisseur of this type of information (like me), How to do the Inner Work is a wonderful tool to have in your go-to collection of books to read over and over again.

Nugget: Doing the Inner Work begins with Self Awareness; paying attention and listening to yourself. 

Completing the exercises at the end of each section in every chapter will ensure growth and change for your highest good.

Nugget: Self-inquiry and curiosity about our reactions and emotional triggers is an important part of the inner work.

 I highly recommend How to do the Inner Work to anyone on a Personal Develolpment/Self-Help journey.

I hope you'll check it out.

Until next time, keep on keeping on.
PamT

I have a confession to make...

I am a Science Nerd.

I never thought of myself as one but there you go. I did love Science in high school. In fact, I participated in the Science Fair at McNeese State University my freshman year. But, what I didn't like was Biology, specifically diasecting insects and amphibians. UGH.

However, in recent years my love of the Scientific proof of techniques such as EFT/Tapping and Meditation on the body and brain have rekindled my fascination with the physical/mental/emotional/spiritual part of us humans.

Bliss Brain is one such book. Don't worry, I'll discuss others here, after all, that's what this blog is all about.

Anyway, I listened to an interview with Dawson Church during this year's Tapping Solution World Summit mentioned in a previous post and, hearing his story of surviving the 2017 wildfires of CA, I had to have this book!

The founder of EFT University, Dr. Church explains how years of practicing meditation combined with EFT aided him and his wife in dealing with the tragedy. The book contains many stories of others who've been helped by his EcoMeditation -- which only takes 15 minutes a day--and includes many Scientific studies. He describes the components of the brain and how they work with the body and within our reality.

What I love most about books such as Bliss Brain is that they contain practical applications of the processes explained within. Dr. Churche's Deepening Practices and Extended Play Resources at the end of each chapter (which include a link to a free Ecomeditation), if followed, makes for a richer experience than reading alone.

If you like having proof before trying techniques such as EFT and Meditation, or you're a Science Nerd like me, read Bliss Brain for yourself!

Until next time, take care and be blessed.
PamT

I said in my last post I would share information here about things that encourage, inspire or help me on my spiritual journey. Between then and now, I went camping for nearly a week at Toledo Bend Lake.

There isn't much in life more inspiring than nature so my encouragement to you is to make time every day, or at least every week to get outdoors. Listen to the birds and other critters. Sit under a tree and listen to what the leaves whisper or the wind has to say. Soak up some sunshine.

I PROMISE you'll benefit physically, mentally and spiritually from doing this on a regular basis.

Now on to the second reason for this post....

My next Life Coaching class has been scheduled at Edgemont Healing Center in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

DetailsHere. Sign up HERE.

Since the class is on EFT/Tapping, I thought I drop a note here to let you know The Tapping Solution's 16th Annual World Tapping Summit is going on right now and it's FREE.

In this event you can listen and tap along with experts in numerous fields from Life Coaching to Psychology to Finances and everything in between.

Today's videos will be up for 24 hours (until Tuesday evening @ 8pm ET - 7 CST).

Check it out and if you want an in-person or Zoom tapping lesson/practice, contact me via email or using the contact form on my Get In Touch page.

For more information on EFT/Tapping and how I discovered this healing modality, check out my article, Tap into your Life.

Until next time, take care, God Bless and Happy Tapping!
PamT