Rainbows, Potholes & Nuggets of Gold
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Rainbows, Potholes & Nuggets of Gold
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![]() 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….
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
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![]() I own a television but since I have neither cable, streaming services, nor an antenna, I watch a lot of movies. YouTube offers many older films free or free with ads and I've rewatched some real gems. Heaven is for Real is one of them. This 2014 motion picture is based on a true story (my favorite kind!) of Colton Burpo who visited heaven during an emergency surgery to remove and clean up his appendix which had burst. What inspires me the most about this story is the absolute certanity and innocence of this child in recounting his memories of this visit and how that convinced his father, who is a pastor, and changed the lives and impacted the faith of many in their community. An inspiring movie all around so if you haven't seen Heaven is for Real, look it up. If you have, watch it again and let your own faith be renewed. Until next time....take care and remember what the bible says about a little child leading us. PamT ![]() To Thine Own Self be True From birth we are groomed for marriage and babies. Sometimes a career or dream will take precedence, but for most of us it’s domesticity. Even if we pursue those other aspects, marriage and babies always seem to be a huge part of our life plan. How often though do we teach our daughter and/or granddaughter to seek, listen to and honor her soul? I’m not talking about the words of the world or voices of their piers. I’m talking about the still, small voice inside, the wisdom and direction we can only gain by going within. Going to God. From the time I could articulate, my desire was to be a wife and mother; a stay-home mom who would create a wonderful life and beautiful memories for my family. Not a bad dream, but not once did I sit quietly and check with my soul before jumping into the relationships that resulted from that ambition. Is it any wonder the “stay home” part never materialized? Though not disastrous, the results of my choices were less stellar than they could have been had I simply asked…. Is this the path I’m supposed to be on? Do I have another purpose? Is this the person to help fulfill my destiny? No, I just did as my heart urged, dealt with what life handed me thereafter, and devoted my whole being to the tasks, wrapping my entire identity into being So and So’s mother or Such and Such’s wife. My initial impatience to fulfill my “life purpose” ended in divorce. The second attempt was the exact opposite. The love we experienced rivaled that of the best romance novel. Life was a carousel of laughter and tears, adventure, and fun. In twenty years, we had less than a handful of minor disagreements and even fewer major ones. My hero wasn’t perfect. Far from it. However he had my heart and I, his and I knew I’d found my happy-ever-after. Until he died and everything fell apart. I had no idea who I was or what I was supposed to be doing. My reason behind nearly everything I did–the very breath I took–was gone. My purpose ripped out from under me. Over the years of grief and growth, search, and discovery, I’ve learned to be still and to ask, then to listen for and honor the answers that come from the wisdom within my own soul. I can’t say I’ve perfected the process. Self-care, growth, and discovery are lifelong developments. I still get confused by the voices of those who love me and those whom I love, the society we live in and the world at large. I don’t always make the right choice or decision. Sometimes I’m afraid to rock the boat or veer too far from the conventional wisdom with which I was raised or taught. But I try. Which is more than a lot of women can say. I believe along with traditional education–religious and secular–we should teach our children, especially daughters, the art of meditative prayer, to listen to and honor their soul and to be true to their deepest self. Not in a selfish or rebellious manner, but with honesty and truth, kindness, and grace. But until we as a collective whole see the absolute necessity of this, it’s never too early or late to cultivate this practice in our and our children’s lives. Nor does it take long. Studies have proven it takes between 16-18 seconds to change a thought and sustained for that minute amount of time, the brain has the power to attract similar reflections, thereby propelling the trajectory of your day–and therefore, your life–in the direction of your attentions. Start with five minutes, 2 or 3 times a day. Set a timer if you have to. Pick a thought or emotion you’d like to exemplify in your daily life: Love, peace, joy or if your desire is more spiritual in nature, Jesus, God, Angels. Inhale (deep breaths) on the thought then listen to the silence as you exhale. If your mind starts to wander, gently bring it back to your point of concentration. Before long, you’ll reap the benefits of regular, focused prayer/meditation and you’ll find yourself making time for longer interludes. As you develop your practice, keep a journal or notebook handy and jot down imaginations or ideas that come to you, solutions to problems and even answers to prayer or petition. Most of all seek answers to the most important questions in your life and take time to connect to the deepest part of you. Your soul. Your self. Something to think about... PamT ![]() If you've ever read my article, Wealth is a Mindset, then you'll understand why I am featuring this book. I own several books on the concept of wealth and mindset and love them all. I'm sure I will be featuring each one at some point on this blog. Anyway, I heard about this book through Kathleen Cameron's YouTube channel and just had to have it. Boy am I ever glad I followed my impulse to purchase and read it right away. This book is filled with nuggets of gold and scriptural truths that opened me up to how prosperous I really am. One nugget I took away is a prayer which I have written on an index card and read every day.... The cattle on a thousand hills are mine. The world is mine. The universe is mine for I am a CHILD of GOD, free from all bondage. I am free. I am rich. I am powerful. I am One with ALL GOOD and everything is mine to use. I claim my higest good now and nothing or no one can keep it from me.... As Catherine Ponder says, "no one except me" of course by not believing, trusting and agreeing with God's word that says, "Beloved I wish above all things that thou prosper and be in health even as your soul prospers." (3rd John 1:2) Whenever I remember this I hear Dr. Jesse Duplantis say, "What things? How many things?" ALL THINGS. As I continue growing and evolving into the truth of Who I AM in God, I am learning more and more how many thought patterns of lack and unbelief and half-truths that have been pounded into us our entire lives. I, for one, am determined to be set free from those and live the "exceedingly, abundant" life promised to me. Won't you join me? I hope so! Until next time, take care and be blessed and infinitely prosperous. PamT ![]() ICF defines coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. Coaches honor the client as the expert in his or her life and work, and believe every client is creative, resourceful, and whole. (International Coaching Federation, 2014). For me, Life Coaching is sharing the Rainbows (Knowledge), Potholes (from Experience) and Nuggets of Gold (Wisdom) I have gleaned along my journey with family, friends, loved ones or anyone who will listen. For example, last week a friend, who is a chef, called me because she’d found a restaurant had “copied” her signature dish and it was selling like crazy. Since she too, is in the self/personal/spiritual development work, she wanted to share with me how she’d handled the situation…. By allowing the emotions of shock, anger, betrayal, etc. flow through until they processed out of her mind/body, and she was at peace. Well, almost. She admitted this might take a few more attempts at “letting go,” but we were both very proud of her response. Being somewhat familiar with copyright laws, I informed her that, although I knew nothing about copyrighting recipes, I did know you could not copyright titles or ideas. I then went on to ask a few questions. Which is what a Life Coach does…. Where is this place? Are they in direct competition with you? Is it possible they could have 1 ingredient different than your dish? ETC. As we continued talking, words and ideas flowed out of me, surprising me with the wisdom! I asked her to think about whether or not she could consider this a collaboration instead of an infringement. Since the two establishments are 50 miles apart I asked, “What about if you respond to the post congratulating them and mention you have a similar signature dish at your restaurant?” This way she is turning the negative emotions attached to the situation into positive ones and directing people who are closer to her to her own wonderful menu. Of course, I suggested she pray and meditate to be sure this was something that resonated with her spirit. *Don't ever take what someone tells you as absolute!* Further discussion and ideas emerged and both of us hung up laughing and happy at what poured forth. This may not be “typical” Life Coaching, but as, “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ is my tagline, it represented the kind of coaching I love to do. If you’d like a free consultation to see if you would benefit from working with me, use the form on my contact page, message me on Facebook, or email me at: [email protected] Until next time, take care, God Bless and remember.... Only YOU can change your life by changing your thoughts, words, emotions and actions. Something to think about. PamT |
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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! AuthorPamela S Thibodeaux is a native of SWLA. She is an award-winning author, life coach, and spiritual mentor. Follow Me
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