More on Chapter 9

Hi Everyone,
Well I'm not sure if you are busy or waiting for me to post more. I am still having a hard time trying to decide what to post on this chapter. So I am going to start typing and see where it leads. :)

Father God help us discern you word, give us wisdom as we read and share your word.
In Jesus name Amen.

Well I'll start by telling you the funny that my Husband and I have when we know the other has drifted away while we are talking to each other. Years ago I came across a cartoon that had two frames. The 1st was a man scolding a dog and the caption stated "This is what we say to dogs: Ginger you were a very bad girl today and you need to go to your dog house right now Ginger, do you hear me?" The next frame stated "This is what dogs hear: Ginger Blah Blah, Ginger Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah. So the funny with my husband is when we fess up or when we catch the other we say "I didn't catch that - You know, Ginger blah blah." :) It's our little way of nicely showing we drifted without accusing the other of not caring or hurting the others feeling for not paying attention.

I believe wondering and wandering is something that we all have to deal with in one way or another. I also think the wondering can often be the prerequisite to wandering if left unchecked. As you wonder about something your mind (and body) will wander over there. Staying focused and dedicated to the task at hand takes determination and hard work. Daydreaming can be innocent enough and yet not. We have been learning through this study that where the mind goes the man follows. Where we allow our mind to drift to, is where our flesh will eventually follow.

Take for example someone that is trying to diet or quit a bad habit. The more you let you mind think and wonder about what ever you are trying to quit, the more your flesh cries out for it. Your flesh has a louder voice than you may know. Controlling what we think about and where we allow our minds to drift to, is a big part of our success.

I heard someone else teach on this one time and they said that the wanted to break themselves of wondering and do what God wanted them to do. They started with one thing at a time. One of the things they did was to go to the closet and instead of saying "I wonder what I should wear today?" They went to the closet and said "God tell me what to wear today."

We know that wondering and wandering can be bad for us, lets see how many ideas we can come up with on helping each other to stay focused and on task.

I will be leaving early Thursday morning for Dallas Fort Worth TX and then St Louis Mo for the Joyce Meyer Women's Conference. I will try to post the first part of Chapter 10 before I go.

Be Blessed,
Lynn

Study with Me - Chapter 9 "Kinda"

Hello Ladies,

Well normally on our family vacation Hubby goes golfing and I have time to read relax & shop. Well this year Hubby isn't golfing as much so we are vacationing together. Which is wonderful for me, not so good for the posting of the study. I have started to post Chapter 9 a couple of times and there are so many directions I want to go in, for the Wondering and Wandering, that I'm wondering what to post. :). If you have already read the chapter go ahead and post some thoughts and I will add more later.

Here are some really quick things to think about.

Where can wondering lead you? Good and Bad?
What types of wandering have you experienced and was it good or bad?

And did anyone relate to having a conversation with someone and then realizing you were somewhere else and didn't hear what they said? We have a funny little story about that in our house. I'll share later.

Miss you all and will catch up with you more later.

Be Blessed - We're having a great time.
Lynn

Study With Me - Part 2 - Intro and Chapter 8

Hello Everyone,

I hope everyone is doing well. I have some general news to catch you up on and then I will post the study. First of all I will be on vacation starting Tuesday (I did a post on my other Blog please check it out) But I will have my computer and free time to check blogs and post new lessons. Possibly more time to do so than now. Secondly I will come home from that vacation and go to Joyce Meyers Women's Conference in St. Louis MO. Now here are some big things and growths for me. The old me would not have ventured out on her own to go 1/2 across the USA to do this. I have never been this far East before. The only other thing that I have done like this is when my daughter was 9 I flew to CA and took her to Disney Land, met up with friends of ours for two days and then one day on our own. Now I will be meeting up with a friend, but when I started this journey it was on my own, I didn't know my friend would want to come. Third- if any of you reading this will be there, I would love to meet you. Okay enough about that lets say a prayer and do some highlights from Part 2 Intro and Chapter 8.

Father God, I praise you and thank you for all you are teaching us. I thank you for the growth that we are getting by the renewing of our minds. Help us to be strong and determined as we face the strongholds that have held us back. Lead us, guide us, direct us and correct us.
In Jesus Precious Name, Amen.

Conditions of the Mind and When is my Mind Normal?

I've often heard that everything is relative to what it is compared to. So if that is the case, when we ask the question "When is my mind Normal?" It would depend on what you are comparing it to. If you are often worried, anxious, depressed, or angry, then you could say that is "normal" for you to be like that. But if you are comparing your mind and thoughts to Gods word and wanting to renew your mind, it would not be normal for you to have those thoughts.

God wants us to be happy and free. He has a job for us here on earth and we will have a very difficult time doing it if we can't get over ourselves. (Oh I say that so big after having a pity party the other day-opps did I just tell on myself, oh well) But it's true. I have heard Pastors say so many times when asked "How do you do all this, and travel and raise a family?" And they answer, "I just don't focus on it." I've been having some real challenges lately with some dead lines and right before vacation too. So I have been really trying to lean on God and not focus on the mountain, just take one step at a time. I have actually said to myself, don't focus on that. :)

When I have a lot on my plate and things I need to get done, I will make "mental notes" which I have now started referring to as a "Post-it note for the brain". But the Lord was showing me as I went over this chapter. That my over flowing lists of things to do, (that are always way too long) doesn't always give him a place to be heard. The quiet calm mind, can receive incoming messages, new revelations.

In this fast paced world, with so many things to do, places to go and people to see, it is easy to keep our minds very stimulated. And if we aren't keeping it busy, the Devil does his best to fill it with lies and confusion.

As we have learned in our other chapters, we need to watch what we think about, break down strong holds and mind binding spirits and progress will come little by little.

In the next few days, purposely work at spending a few moments or minutes each day or several times a day, clearing your mind to hear from God.

I will post again shortly - God's going on vacation with me. :)

Be Blessed my Friends,

Lynn

Study with Me - Chapter 7

Hello Everyone-
To anyone that has just come here - Welcome! I am hosting a study using the book, "Battlefield of the Mind" by Joyce Meyers. Please join in any time. If you want to see my previous posts and comments click the "Study with Me" button on my side bar.

Hope you had a nice week. Mine was very busy but good. I leaned on God a lot and that was nice. Well what did you all think of Chapter 7 "Think about what you are Thinking About"
This is one of many very important areas of our lives, because we can literally guide our life with our thoughts. As we continue through this study it will become more and more clear how this can happen.

Father God thank you again for leading us and guiding us. Thank you for being in our midst as we dig into your word. Please give us Revelation on how we need to apply this to our lives. In Jesus name, Amen

Have you ever had a fight in your head before? Did you think, well when they say this I’m going to say that! Then I’m going to tell them blah blah blah. Then as soon as you come in contact with that person, they only have to say “Hi” and you blurt out everything you just rehearsed in your mind. If you don’t, it may have been a struggle not to let them have it with both barrels. Because along with all of the things you had rehearsed to say to them, you convinced yourself you had a right to do so. God shared with me “Lynn whether you like it or not, Thinking and Meditating is a rehearsal for your actions.” That’s why God tells us so many times to make our meditations pure.
Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.

Joyce looked up meditate in the dictionary, but I looked up a couple more here (Merriam-Webster online) and want to share what it had to say:

Rehearsal:
1: something recounted or told again .
2 a: a private performance or practice session preparatory to a public appearance b: a practice exercise

Plan:
1: a drawing or diagram drawn on a plane: as a: a top or horizontal view of an object b: a large-scale map of a small area
2 a: a method for achieving an end b: an often customary method of doing something : a detailed formulation of a program of action d: Goal or Aim
3: an orderly arrangement of parts of an overall design or objective4: a detailed program (as for payment or the provision of some service)

Meditate:
1 : a discourse intended to express its author's reflections or to guide others in contemplation
2 : the act or process of meditating.
Meditating:
1 : to engage in contemplation or reflection
2 : to engage in mental exercise (as concentration on one's breathing or repetition of a mantra) for the purpose of reaching a heightened level of spiritual awareness transitive
Verb: 1 : to focus one's thoughts on : reflect on or ponder over 2 : to plan or project in the mind : (Intend or Purpose)

So if thinking and meditating is a rehearsal for our actions, what we allow ourselves to think about can be a blueprint to our future. If we want success with anything in life we need to put the time into it. This will work in the natural as well as the supernatural. Tiger Woods (The worlds best Golfer) may have natural talent, however he did not become the best by thinking about swimming all the time. No along with practicing, he meditates on golf day and night.
Look at Joshua 1:8
Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

You know I hadn't really Pondered and Meditated on that scripture, but it really says it all. :)

Now not everything will come over night. It took us how many years to get where we are, it may take us a day or two to get out of this mess. One of our readers did a post about "Practice makes Perfect, and Joyce has that in the book. Keep practicing on bridling those thoughts, and those words. Keep practicing by reading and studying the word. Day by day you will see little changes. One day you may be driving along and someone cuts you off and you say "Oh Oh that was dangerous, God watch over that person and help them to slow down, in Jesus Name". where as your former self may have said something quite the contrary. :)

So what do you want to be good at? What do you want your life to be like? Set that vision in motion with your thoughts.

Be Blessed
Lynn

Study with Me - Chapter 6

Hi Ladies and Happy Labors Day. I hope you have the day off and are relaxing, however I will be working. Oh well I have lots of benefits at my job so I'm not complaining. Sounds like you are enjoying this book as much as I do and I'm glad. You know how it is when something really touches and you're excited and want to share, that is this book. Chapter 6 is not as long, but still has a very important message. So lets get started

Father we are gathering together again to study your word. Give us wisdom and fresh revelations on renewing our minds. In Jesus name Amen.

Chapter 6 - Mind Binding Spirits

Those little bu t devastating attacks. That voice in your head, "You're not worthy", "You're not smart", "That wasn't God - that was you", "Who do you think you are?" "God's not going to give you a word of knowledge, there are thousands of people out there that know the word way more than you do". "You have screwed up way too much for God to talk to you."

Sound familiar anyone?

It's a bunch of garbage, lies from the pit of Hades. God has a whole book of promises called the Bible. Those promises are for "Who so ever believes" - then BELIEVE! We are working to renew our minds and flush out the garbage. I've heard the best way to get weeds out of our lawn is to over seed, grow more grass and the grass chokes out the weeds. Well we need to choke out the mined Binding weeds in our brains and the best way to do that is by over seeding our brains with the word of God.

Joyce gave a lot of good scriptures in the book and I would like to add a few for us to meditate on.

John 14:1"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God trust also in me."

Psalm 31:24 Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the LORD

Philippians 1:6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

Hebrews 10:35-36 35 Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:

Psalm 119:165 165 Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble.

Isaiah 50:7 7 “ For the Lord GOD will help Me; Therefore I will not be disgraced; Therefore I have set My face like a flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed.

Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Romans 8:38-39 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Now here are a couple of scriptures that I want us to confess over ourselves as much as we can but a least once a day. They have been modified to personalize them.

John 14:27 Peace Jesus left with ME, not the worlds peace He gave ME, Let MY heart not be troubled neither will I be afraid.

Galatians 1:9 I will not grow weary in well doing, for in due season I will reap if I do not lose heart.

Listen, God knows the most about each and every one of us. Even if we don't talk to Him about some areas of our life He knows them, and He chose us anyway. Don't let the voices of Mind Binding Spirits have a place in your life.

Be Blessed,

Lynn