April 30: FEAR ONLY HAS THE POWER WE GIVE IT. HOPE WORKS THE SAME WAY.

Affirmation: Peace and happiness are inside me.

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Ponder, Personalize: These 3 verses, 1Thessalonians 5:16-18, are actually one full sentence. Let’s ponder and personalize it one verse at a time. Today verse 18:  “give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus.”  Ponder this final phrase and think about how giving thanks continually will impact you each day. Today, join me in giving thanks continually and take note of how it impacts you.

16 ”Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.“                ‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬https://bible.com/bible/111/1th.5.16-18.NIV

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Wholehearted Guidepost from Brené Brown 

Cultivate Laughter, Song and Dance.

Playlist

*Lift Up Songs

Happy -Pharrell Williams 

https://youtu.be/ZbZSe6N_BXs

Brighter Days -by Blessing Offor https://youtu.be/I6lp1Oxb9L4

*Dance Songs

Remember-Earth Wind and Fire

https://youtu.be/Gs069dndIYk

Shut Up and Dance With Me

https://youtu.be/_glQsoPesQo

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Mastering the 7 Decisions from Andy Andrews 

The Persistent Decision 

7. I WILL PERSIST WITHOUT EXCEPTION.

I possess the greatest power ever bestowed upon mankind. I hold fast to my dreams. I stay the course. I do not quit.

I acknowledge that most people quit when exhaustion sets in, but I am not “most people.”

I am stronger than most people. Average people compare themselves with other people, and that is why they remain average.

I compare myself to my potential. I am not average. I see exhaustion as a precursor to victory. By persisting without exception, my outcome—my success—is assured.

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Reading for Today

Walk in Grace. Live in Love. by Bob Goff

April 30

FEAR ONLY HAS THE POWER WE GIVE 

IT. HOPE WORKS THE SAME WAY. 

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by 

name; you are mine. 

ISAIAH 43:1 

I love the movie Monsters, Inc. Ever seen it? In the story there's a world full of the monsters who scare kids at night. They go into kids' closets through spe­cial doors, scare the bejeezus out of them, and those screams are harnessed as the natural resource that powers the monsters' lives. Think electricity, but the outlet is a screaming five-year-old. Scaring and screaming seem normal to the monsters until one of them encounters a precocious little girl who doesn't seem afraid at all. She thinks the monster is a pet, and she just laughs. It's a great movie-you should see it. When I watch that movie, here's what it shows me: monsters only have the power we give them. 

Fear works the same way. We lose sleep dreading scenarios, we toss and turn thinking of all the horrible outcomes, and then we wake up to another new morning. We could've skipped over the sleepless nights if we had only given in to hope instead of fear. We might not be able to laugh like the little girl in the movie, but perhaps we could muster a grin knowing the outcomes are God's to decide, not ours. Fear is usually a story we tell ourselves. We tell ourselves people wouldn't love us if they really knew us. We tell ourselves trying means failure and failure means worthlessness. 

We don't need to be stuck looking up at the ceiling worrying. We can choose to tell ourselves a story of hope instead. One that says we'll be even more loved when we're seen as we are. That the monsters really aren't that scary and probably aren't even real. Hope reminds us there's always grace when we fail. Hope reminds us we just might succeed too. 

 

Take all the power you're giving to fear and hand it over to hope instead. 

 

What power are you giving to fear today? What will you do to give God that fear? 

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by 

name; you are mine. 

ISAIAH 43:1