There is Love

Circumstances are lesson plans for your journey. I heard a church teaching; it explained how, ‘things happen for you, not to you.” Let this teaching phrase soak in our minds.

Things happen for you. So, even if we don’t like a certain circumstance, we can rest in confidence that the experience is (in the end) for our benefit. This is comforting news. Don’t take things personal, because life is just molding you piece by piece to make you better; of course the better part of you develops if you choose to handle your circumstances with a good attitude and openness for growth. There is love in your cross.

If you honestly reflect over your life, then you know the exact issues God is working you through. Maybe HE is working you past fear, or un-forgiveness. Maybe God wants you to let go of certain behaviors or attitudes that are holding you back. As difficult as your issues are, there is love in your issues.

Can you see your issues?

Don’t mistake your circumstances as your problems. We can wish for everything around us to change and improve before we will be happy, but this is misleading. If you want to see change and improvement, then you must make the change in yourself. If you make an internal shift, then you will see an external shift in your life. There is love in your circumstances.

God is good and he wants to see you advance, so allow God to bring you up higher through these life lesson experiences.  

If you were always in a state of “winning” and everything was smooth and glossy like an air-brushed magazine ad, how would you ever grow???…how would you ever know what you were made of???…how would character ever be developed??? There is love in your trial.

Be thankful for your challenging times, your rough patches, because that is what makes you strong. Your rainy day helps develop your rainbow; and there is always a pot of gold at the end of rainbows. In other words, your reward will be there if you follow through your storm…because, “things happen for you, not to you.”

There is an issue, there is a circumstance, a cross, trial, and a storm or two, but rest in knowing there is a God, and when there is God…there is love.

It’s Coming!

God is with you

Trust that God is directing your steps

Pray to God all desires of your heart

And watch

Something good is coming…..

…believe it…

…trust it…

…long for it…

…declare it…

Something beautiful is around the corner

Quote

"He who cannot change the very fabric of his thought will never be able to change reality."

~ Anwar al-Sadat

Quote

"It is never safe to look into the future with eyes of fear."

~ Edward Henry Harriman

Feel Your Pain

Can you feel your toes wanting to curl up and run? Do you feel like pulling up the covers over your head and hiding from the day? Is there a situation you don’t want to face? Is there pain that you don’t want to deal with?

Life can sometimes feel like a pressure cooker. Yes, there are situations in life that would validate your wanting to stay in bed all day behavior. There are even unhealthy behaviors that we develop believing it helps us cope with unruly situations.

The best advice I can offer is to feel. Feel your pain. Do what is right even when you don’t want to face the day, problem, or situation. Validate what you are feeling...don’t mask them or cover them up. Once you allow yourself to feel, then allow yourself to move on. Feel your pain and move on.

You can’t always wait until your problem is a-okay to peak from your shell. No, God has made you to be a champion, and he has promised not to give you more than you can handle. Look at your life and remind yourself that God is giving you all the graces for you to be in your situation.

Don’t mask your feelings and don’t run from your feelings: Feel. Don’t swim in your pity and don’t live in despair: Move on.

If you stay focused on God and all his promises, then you can feel your way through the pain and move on to the other side. What’s the other side, you ask? Promotion! Remember, God works ALL things together for our good and his glory.

Are you saying, “Elle, it’s so hard to face my feelings!” I know…I feel your pain.

Thank you!

I want to use this post to say thank you to all of my visitors and readers. Recently my lovely friend gave me the nicest thank you. Something as simple as saying thank you can be all the validation you need to hear.  My friend is a very special person and I think she has such a beautiful heart. She is the one who encouraged me to start Renewed Corner. So I thank her for being a great friend and reminding me how good it is to hear…thank you!

So I want to thank all of you who visit and read Renewed Corner. I am thankful and deeply touched that there are people out there that have found comfort in my blog. If I have helped, inspired, brought hope, created a smile, developed insight, to anyone even once through this blog and with my words, then it has all been worth creating a blog.

I’ve read all the comments that I have received, and I have even replied once or twice…but this is my reply to ALL of you:

Thank you for being a part of this journey with me. Thank you for reading my words. Thank you for the comments. God has helped me with subjects to address and words to fill the posts, and I want to thank HIM for using me in a way that is hopefully helping you.

I’m with all of you in my heart. If you visit my blog, then know that I think about you and want the best for you.

I wish you all a wonderful weekend. As you go about your weekend, try to pass along a thank you every now and then.

Thank You Readers!

~Elle

Friend? Or Foe?

Friendships are important…but to what degree? I’ve noticed how everyone seems to have a cell phone, and everyone is on their cell phone. Have you ever wondered who everyone was talking to? I’m hardly on the phone, so maybe I have the time to notice everyone’s conversations. Some people seem to be talking to boyfriends or girlfriends, their friends, and even the occasional co-worker or boss. We are surrounded by people and engaging in conversation with others, but how do you know if the people on the other end is a real friend or a body with a lending ear.

I heard that everyone you meet is by divine assignment. Everyone you meet is there to help teach you something. I like the concept of that, because life is always there to make you grow and mature, if you open your eyes for the opportunities. Is that person a real friend or is that person in your life to teach you something; A teacher in friends clothing. Either way, lessons are to be learned in both friends and foes.

Friends should make you feel good about yourself. A real friend is there for you in all areas of your life. A foe friend is the one in your corner when your corner happens to be of winning success. A foe friend likes to gossip to you (and probably about you) and never considers your feelings. There are countless examples of friends or foes; you can probably list a few personal experiences.

I’ve learned that God is the best at picking my friends for me. God knows everything, and he knows who has the right heart to be called a friend of mine, and he has that for you too.

I’ve learned that it’s okay to have few friends, as long as they are true. True friends come and go, but the one friendship that I can always count on is God. God can give us favor with people and can soften people’s heart towards us. It’s great to have earthly friends, but if I only had God and my heavenly family as friends, then I know I have a great support team on my side.

Think about what real friends should be like, look like, act like and sound like. Not only should you think about the quality of friends you have in your life, but think about the quality of friendship you bring to your friends.

God is our friend, he’s always in our corner, and he’s always there to talk to…no cell phone plan required.

Quote

"Hope is not a dream, but a way of making dreams become reality."

~ Cardinal Leon Joseph Suenens

Quote

"Anyone who is not on your same evolutionary and spiritual frequency will distance himself from you, while all those who are on the same evolutionary and spiritual frequency as you will come closer to you; you will see how amazing it is to discover that everyone who needs to be by your side will ultimately appear in your life in the most spontaneous and divine manner.  That's how powerful the mind is!"

 ~ Ricky Martin

Picture It

God created you. You are unique and divine. God made you and is always with you. God understands every depth of you; your thoughts, your emotions, your hopes and dreams, your disappointments. God is all knowing and loving.

Picture something that you think is breathtaking; Your picture maybe an ocean, forest, a mountain, a stream or a beautiful flower.

When you think of this image realize that the same God that made that breathtaking ocean or starlit sky or multi-colored sunset is the very same God that created YOU. You are just as beautiful as your picture.

You are loved. Hold God’s hand and walk the path he has designed just for you.

Thinking

The last couple of posts have been based on saying positive things over your life. This post is going to direct you towards thinking positive thoughts into your daily life. Speaking and thinking go hand in hand. IF you think positive, then you will speak positive. Renew your mind with thoughts that are going to benefit you, not worry you or defeat you. The Bible simply says:

“For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].”

- Philippians 4:8

If God is instructing us to be positive in our thinking, then we know it’s for our best interest. He is nurturing us with this instruction.

Think of it like this: You have two choices in every situation. You have a positive outlook and you have a negative outlook. What’s the best choice? Which is more helpful and productive? (I hope you’ve answered…positive outlook).

You can probably recall someone in your life that at some point was negative and down. Have you ever walked into a room and sense someone is upset or angry or negative? Negative energy has a life of its own. If negativity breeds then why wouldn’t positivity? Positivity is what you want to breed. Let the positive energy be your calling card. The next time you walk into a room, let people sense your Philippians 4:8.

Happy Thinking…

~Elle

You Are…

It is important to have positive words spoken over you. It is also important to say positive things about yourself. Always be focusing on what you want. Always be telling yourself things that God would say about you. I will take this time to speak blessings over you, but I want you to say these things out loud with confidence…

Dear Friend,

I declare that you are blessed beyond measure. This is your time and God is on your side. You are a beautiful child of God- made with a divine purpose. Blessing from heaven are chasing you down, and God gives you favor everywhere you go. Good news is coming today. You have a bright future and God is working out all things to come together for your good. You are blessed. You are loved. You are accepted. You are a winner. You are a champion. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Repeat:

v  I’m blessed

v  God loves me

v  I have favor

v  Angels follow me everywhere I go

v  This is my time

v  This is my year

v  Blessings are chasing me

v  I enjoy my life

v  I just have to be my self

v  I am loved

Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Numbers 6:24-25

“The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make his face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor to you); the Lord lift up his approving countenance upon and give you peace…”

Have a beautiful day…

~Elle

Quote

"Be a first rate version of yourself, not a second rate version of someone else."

– Judy Garland

1...2...3

 Homework Assignment

Step #1

Think on something that you want; No, it cannot be a material item.

Maybe you want more peace. Maybe you want to be calmer throughout your day.

Maybe you want to forgive someone. Maybe you want joy or a cheerful attitude.

Maybe you need to let go of control. Maybe you want more patience.

Really think about something meaningful that you what to see change in your life. I gave you a few examples to get you thinking in the right direction. Let this “want” you need come from a true place within you.

Got your “want”? Good.

 Step # 2

Turn your “want” into an affirmation. An affirmation is best used in the form as if you already have what you want.

Example: If my “want” is to have more peace in my life, then I will turn that into an affirmation.

Peace affirmation: “I’m at peace. I’m at peace in every situation. I’m peace.” (see, like I already have it)

Take your specific “want” and turn it into an affirmation. Got your affirmation? Good.

Step #3

Say your affirmation every chance you get. At first you may forget. You have to keep reminding yourself of your affirmation. Spend the first and last ten minutes of your day speaking positivity over your life…say your affirmation(s). Put your affirmation on a post it and place it on the bathroom mirror. Leave yourself a voice mail of your affirmation. Get creative and find ways to remind yourself of your affirmation. Remind yourself throughout the day to repeat your affirmation(s). Make a goal that you’ll say your affirmations at least 20x per day.

Affirmations work, in my opinion. It’s also my opinion that in order to see your affirmation work in your life (as it has worked in mine) you must make an effort to do your affirmations everyday. And affirmations will take time. You may see a shift in a couple of weeks, a couple of months, a year, two years….etc. The important thing is…you are making an effort to better yourself. IF you give affirmations a serious chance, I think you will see yourself shift into your desires...

It’s as easy as 1…2…3

Quote

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

– Albert Einstein

Ignore

I don’t know why so many people dislike their birthdays. Birthdays are to be a celebration of birth to one’s life. Yet, a lot of people want to ignore their birthday, ignore their age, and ignore any celebration. I heard someone on television talk about how much God sustains us during a year. I thought that was amazing and something (again) we often ignore.

If you look at your life right now, I’m sure you could list a couple of things to be grateful for. If you spent a few more minutes thinking of things to be grateful for, you could probably have a nice little list of gratitude. I would encourage you to write a list of gratitude, but first let’s continue reading.

Think about your birthday. That is the day God wanted you to enter the world. God knew that was your day, and he knew this was the day he wanted you to start contributing to the world. However old you are right now, think about how much God has given you.

If you are reading this, then that tells me a few things about you. If you are reading this, then you are able to read. If you are reading this, then you have a computer. If you are reading this, then you have eyes to see. If you are reading this, then you have electricity to power your computer. If you can read this, then you have access to the internet. Don’t ignore the little things, for they are things to be thankful for too.

Think about the daily things that God does for us to keep us going. He provides so much inspiration, creativity, wisdom, love, and protection. He keeps are hearts beating. He keeps are ears hearing. He keeps are nose smelling. God has breathed life into you. You are on God’s mind all the time. Remember his goodness. Remember the daily things you get to do because of how well he is sustaining you.

For example, have you ever hurt your index finger? You probably never give thought to your index finger. You know your index fingers are there and it’s no big deal; However, the moment you hurt your index finger and it’s not functioning like normal, you start to realize how much you use your index finger. Your index finger helps you with almost everything, and now you have to be resourceful, figuring out ways to do things that your index finger did on autopilot.

Did you see my point in the example? You never know how important something is until it’s not working or is no longer there, or is no longer serving us the way we want. We take things for granted. Worse…we take people for granted. Worst…when we take God for granted.

God is taking care of you. God is watching over you. God is sustaining you. Don’t ignore the little things. Don’t slink back into another year thinking it’s no big deal. Let this year, this birth year be a mark on how well you’re doing…how far you’ve come…how well you're made. With that in mind, I’m going to go slice a piece of birthday cake for myself and celebrate. Why? Has it been my birthday recently? Why yes, it’s something I just can’t ignore.

Watch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYUYVGTpjL8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYsEnISr7KU

Please watch these two videos. Amazing beyond words. The goodness of God. The power of hope. The breakthrough that can happen at any time. The prayers that can be answered at any moment for all of us at any time….when we keep our faith in the Lord!

January

I heard a question, “What’s the best part about January?”

Truth be told, people who answered did not give good responses. Some people think there is nothing good about January, because the holidays are over and there is nothing exciting to do this month. But isn’t this is the month that we reflect, set goals and resolutions? How can growth and improvement be nothing? Poor January, maybe one is the loneliest number.

January is a month of…hope.

Don’t you feel inspired and lightweight at the beginning of this new month to a new year. This month sparks hope and wonder of great things to come. People are wishing you many blessings for the upcoming year (I’ll take all the blessed wishes I can get).

 January is a month of…new beginnings.

Who doesn’t like the thought of having a new beginning? It can be adventurous and exciting. No matter how last year looked, January washes it clean with an attitude of expectancy.

Hope and new beginnings is spread so thick in the air, you could cut it with a knife. If only this optimism stayed in our hearts all year long; it will if we personally allow it. These feelings should be stirred up every day, because every day is a gift, every day is a new beginning.

"I think in terms of the day's resolutions, not the year's." – Henry Moore

January is not nothing…it’s epic. What does January say to you? I think it’s early enough in the month for the question to have a do-over.

The best part about January, is the unknown beginning to a new chapter in my life. That doesn’t sound like nothing to me.

♥♥♥

Miss Elle needs to be shown some love

Hungry?

With the holidays just finishing up, many of us can confess that we ate too much. As I type this with a way too full holiday stuffed tummy…I start to reflect on hunger.

We may stuff our faces with a holiday buffet, but have you ever stopped to think what you are really hungry for? Now, this is not a recipe question. This is not a, let me browse the menu to my favorite restaurant question. This isn’t even a question related to food.

What are you hungry for? What are you hungry for in your life? What do you crave? What are you thirsty for? What is it that will feed you, so you feel satisfied?

Reflect on this for a moment?  How would you feel if you were full? How would your life look?

Sometimes we chase things, titles, experiences, thinking that will fill us up, but the reality of it is…they do not.

What do I know?  God did not leave us earthly peace, but his peace.

Everything you are searching for can be found in the comfort of knowing God and following him.

John 14: 27 “Peace I leave you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Rest in God. Rest your loneliness in him. Rest your sadness in him. Rest your worries in him. Let God fill your heart. Let God love you into wholeness. Feed yourself on God’s promises.

Reflect, as I go grab a tums!

Quote

"To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom."

~ Bertrand Russell

Look for the Small

I think we get lost in BIG experiences. We want BIG breakthroughs, BIG miracles, BIG rewards. We’ll stretch our ear like a chia pet to hear someone’s BIG testimony, hoping it will ignite our faith.

God can do BIG things…absolutely! Don’t just live for the BIGGIES in life. There are so many wonderfully small insights and blessings that God wants you to pay attention to and enjoy. God is so in control, that sadly we forget his magnitude. He has your best interest at heart. God wants the best for you. God really does have the best plan for your life. God has designed you with purpose and a divine plan.

I have had two small experiences recently that God used to remind me how good he is…even in the little things. In both experiences, I had to wait. The two experiences had nothing to do with one another, but they produced the same outcome: God is good.

I was educating myself in both situations, so I could make good decisions….that took time.

I was meeting with people…that took time.

I was waiting for people to come back from vacation…that took up time.

I was put on hold because of the holidays…that took time.

All of a sudden, I was shown the beauty in the waiting. My waiting seemed out of my control, but that’s only because God is the one in control. God arranged all that waiting time so that I could get the best outcome. The first situation turned out better that I could imagine. If I had gone through with the deal in the second situation, just two weeks earlier…I would have missed an even better deal.

It’s a reminder that God does care about every detail of your life. You don’t always have to wait for the BIGGIES in life to start enjoying it. Look for the little ways God is helping you out, and arranging things in your favor.

God is good. When is God good? All the time. You’ll see his hand helping you…just wait.