Seasons of Struggle

Eat healthfully. My mood is much more stable when I say “no” to the lie that says I’ll be happy if I eat this treat or indulge in this fatty meal. Eating junk does seem to make me happy for a short period, but it’s not worth the crash that eventually comes after the initial high. Not to mention the shame over my gluttony. Eating with nourishment in mind bears physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits that far surpasses the fleeting pleasure of indulging my sweet tooth........

 Let in natural light. Light is a proven mood-booster, particularly natural light. It also has other positive effects on your health, including keeping your body clock regulated so you sleep more soundly at night. So throw open the curtains and let the sunshine in!

Be flexible. Wait…what? Didn’t I just advise establishing a schedule and a routine? Yes, having a schedule and routine as a general guideline is helpful; but holding on to them too tightly increases stress.  Life isn’t going to happen the way I plan, and acceptance of that truth brings a lot of peace. The desire of a Christ-follower is to pursue faithful stewardship of her time, while staying submissive to the God who gave us each moment of our days in the first place. If He allows an interruption in our plans or a delay in our schedules, it’s for a purpose, and embracing it as a divine appointment frees me to focus my efforts away from my frustrated plans and onto fulfilling His plan for my day.

Read more from Divine Encounter on how to beat the winter blues!

................. I’m thankful that God has equipped our bodies, our minds, and our spirits to fight against feelings that our enemy hopes will consume us and render us ineffective for God’s kingdom.

We are not always in control of what happens to us, but we can always control how we choose to react. In those moments when I choose to stop  to give thanks to God for the good in my life and stop with all the complaints,  the parts that seem bad begin to be less significant. Choose a positive attitude and thankful heart regardless of the blizzard raging outside your door!

2 Corinthians 1:9  “Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.”