December 28, 2023

A Life Update and the Story Jesus is Writing

God has been showing me lots of things over the past few years, so much, actually. So, I figure it’s time to share my story. I am so grateful for the hard truths He’s shown me, and the growth in me that’s been different than any growth I’ve ever experienced. In mid 2018-mid 2022, I went through one of the worst depressions of my life. I later found out that some of it was probably due to a medical condition (I found out I had an autoimmune disease – Grave’s Disease). But, the emotional turmoil of crying every single day for nearly a year, and the overwhelming anxiety (I had never experienced anxiety like that…. Where your mind believes so many lies and fear is crippling, and just daily tasks became so overwhelming that I was unable to function as a normal person, let alone a mom or wife) put me in a place where I knew I’d never come out if I didn’t go to Jesus and rest in Him. During that time the only strength I could muster was spending time with Jesus in His Word, or taking pictures of nature (His glorious creation). Those things calmed me when everything else in my life was stricken with sadness, anxiety, and overwhelm. Then, a dear friend invited me to try Celebrate Recovery. She’d asked me many times before, but I always thought I didn’t have addiction, I didn’t need recovery. But, she told me that it might help with my depression. So, I went with her. She was right! Celebrate Recovery is for EVERY SINGLE HUMAN BEING ON THE PLANET! It’s for normal people, because we all have struggles, habits, or hang-ups. The difference between Celebrate Recovery and a regular church service is that ALL the people at Celebrate Recovery admit their struggles, habits, and hang-ups. They are real, and they love like Jesus does, unconditionally and without judgement. And, when you’re struggling with depression and anxiety, you feel like EVERYONE is judging you and that no one cares or loves you. So, it was exactly what I needed to start recovering. Then, I joined Pampered Chef, which took off like crazy and I was very successful. It gave me something to focus on instead of the overwhelm and anxiety that I was experiencing (which was good in some ways, but in others, because I became so successful so quickly, caused anxiety and overwhelm in business, when I hadn’t yet overcome the overwhelm at the state of my home, or relationships within my family. Because remember, I was not functioning well in any capacity until I functioned well doing Pampered Chef.) The Lord showed me that I needed to start with ONE SMALL AREA, (nothing nearly as big as a business!)…Just one baby step at a time. So, I chose education for my children. During that time, because I’d not been functioning well at all, my girls were not completing near the school they should have been. (I homeschooled them, so that’s a serious problem!) So, it was now fall/winter of 2019 and I knew I didn’t have the capacity to homeschool them because I was still not functioning well, and because homeschooling is really not a baby step, it’s almost as big as a successful business! I thought that maybe the girls could go to the Montessori schoolhouse that is right near our home, so I set up a tour and got the information. But, they only had space for my oldest still at home. So, I enrolled her during the winter break and she would start in January of 2020, and figured that maybe with just one at home, I’d be able to handle my youngest who was just in 1st grade during that time. Then COVID hit just a couple months after she started which was not fun at all because I ended up trying to help her navigate school from home through the school…. Which was worse than trying to homeschool her myself, but we endured and figured it out.

But, again, because I was still depressed and anxiety stricken, I was still feeling full of chaos. However, my business was skyrocketing through the pandemic, so I was taken over by my work schedule (which never seemed to end). And, my husband was taking care of the kids and house while the world was shut down. I’m so thankful for my husband stepping in, though, because otherwise chaos in our home would have continued to destroy me. But, slowly the world started opening up again, and my husband went back to work. And, around that time, I was beginning to heal some more and I realized that my depression and anxiety had negatively affected my children, and they were both not doing well… One was acting out, and the other was depressed and also full of anxiety. So, we started home therapy for them. I slowed my business a ton in order to help them recover. It was through my two daughter’s therapy that I realized that for them to heal, I would need to heal, as well. I needed the Lord to show me how to handle all that was going on. He then led me to put my other daughter in a private school. I never imagined that I would do that, I’d homeschooled all my kids to graduation, but I knew it wasn’t in my capacity to keep doing it at that time. I needed to continue healing and I needed to be able to help my other daughter heal. And, I also knew that structure was one thing that would help the daughter that was acting out, so putting her in school would help with that structure. A huge thing that the Lord helped me learn during that time was that I could not control everything. I was a control freak, and I think that’s one of the reasons I homeschooled, because I could control what my children learned that way. It’s also the reason that I go ALL in on things…. Like my Pampered Chef business, but this was also a way for me to be in control. And, I’m not the one that’s supposed to be in control, the Lord wants my surrender of control so that He can free me from those burdens. Because, even though I didn’t realize it for years, being “in control” of everything really kept me in chaos and made me feel stuck in a place of constant failure. I did well on the outside, I looked great to others, but inside I was a hot mess, and my life, family, and home was falling apart. You see, in my stress and control, I thought it was my way or the highway when it came to my parenting. And, that damaged my relationship with my children. I was critical of my family all the time, because it was easier to blame them than for me to take ownership of my failures. My home was constantly a wreck because I didn’t have the proper habits in place to keep it running smoothly and without chaos. And, all that led to further chaos and shame. I would practically kill myself to clean the house when company would come and then felt like the martyr because no one respected me enough to help. (Why should they respect a screaming, out of control maniac?)

I cried when I dropped my daughter off at school that first day, in the fall of 2020, but the school was so family friendly and they hugged me and reassured me, and then after I left the principal and my daughter’s teacher would send frequent pictures showing me how well she was doing. And, I was then able to continue working my PC business (though much less) and help my other daughter heal. During that school year, I continued studying the Word, and focused on helping my daughters heal. That’s really all I could muster. I was still recovering from the busyness of Pampered Chef, and putting one kiddo in school, and trying to keep the other one at home homeschooling and healing.

After that school year, the Lord showed me that I needed to start taking care of myself, too, with baby steps. So, in the summer of 2021, I hired a health coach to help me get healthy in my body…. Through, eating whole foods and working out. Whole health was also touched on (mind health, emotional health, and Spiritual health), but for me during that time, I was mostly focusing on my body in my baby steps. School was out, thankfully, and I was able to focus fully on my body and getting it healthy. I was hoping that losing weight would continue the healing process, and it did help with confidence, but I was still not fully myself. During the fall/winter of 2021, I had stopped working with the health coach because financially I couldn’t make it happen, and I had all but stopped working Pampered Chef. I also started regaining all the weight I’d lost with the holiday seasons and the lack of accountability. But, in our women’s Bible study at church, we were going through Priscilla Shirer’s Armor of God. I’d done this same study around 2016 (so about 5 years before then). I thought it would be fun to do it again, because it was such a great study, and compare my notes from both studies. So that’s what I did. But, what I discovered in comparing them shocked me! I was still struggling with the EXACT same things I had 5 years earlier! That was the Lord showing me that, though I love to learn and study His Word, I’m lacking in actually doing what it says and applying it to my life. Wow! That was a huge dose of humble pie to swallow! So, once again, the Lord showed me that I needed to take baby steps to become a better version of myself, the version that He had created me to be all along. So, I started with just two habits of cleaning my home ….. One load of laundry every day (I actually set alarms on my phone so that I wouldn’t forget to do it, and another alarm to switch it over to the dryer). Then, the second habit was to unload and reload the dishwasher every day. Then in the Spring of 2022 I met a lovely lady who sold Arbonne. Arbonne is healthy living products (for skin and body). Products for gut health, and non-toxic ingredients. She loved on me, and helped me understand whole health is way more than just the body. It focuses on loving the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Not just the body, but every part of me. We did a Bible study called Revelation Wellness together that opened up my heart to so much truth, and such a different way of thinking. My mind had been stuck in a pattern of wrong habits and wrong thinking. I had strongholds in my life and had never even realized they were strongholds! The Lord has caused the veil to be lifted from my mind, the scales to be removed from my eyes, and I’m becoming a new person, a transformed person because of the power of the Holy Spirit!! I am weak, but His strength in me is powerful! He has revealed to me little bits of my sin over time so that I can tap into His power to change me into who He created me to be. Now, my habits are healthy, and my home is almost always company ready (not perfect, but I’m able to enjoy my company rather than stress about what they think of the state of my home). I’m consistently working out and working on my whole health… Mind renewal, loving the Lord and others, seeking His purposes rather than my own, and taking care of my body in a reasonable way not an ALL IN perfect way.

In the summer of 2022, my oldest and only son, got married! Then, in the spring of 2023, my oldest daughter also got married! And, that same spring, my daughter who had been depressed and anxiety ridden graduated high school 2 years early! She is doing SO MUCH BETTER, praise the Lord! And, she was called by the Lord to go on mission this past summer through Spurgeon College in a program called Fusion! We are so very proud of her!

The Lord has continued to work on me. I have been in a season of unknowns for over a year now. The Lord took me away from teaching 5th & 6th grade Sunday School at our church, and has pulled me from almost all ministry. He has worked on my heart and helped me to understand that self-discipline and consistency are key in whatever I do, whether it be Bible Study, working out, chores and good habits in my home, and even decluttering. You see, my home had been in such a constant state of chaos for so long that we had accumulated an enormous amount of belongings that didn’t ever find a home. Things would just be thrown about in every room, and my room was always the “catch all”, especially when company was coming. So, along with taking care of my heart, soul, mind, and body, I felt the Lord leading me to declutter my home. I knew that I would not be able to get rid of the mind clutter and find clarity in what exactly the Lord wanted me to do next without getting rid of the clutter in my home. So, though I dreaded starting the process because of how overwhelming it was, I started anyway. I started small….in my bathroom. It took me a full week, working a little bit at a time (which was all I could seem to fit in with my schedule), to finish that small area! I thought, “I’m never going to get my whole house done!” But, I kept feeling the Lord nudging me to keep at it. I knew that He had a plan, and in order to find out more of what the plan was, I would have to keep moving forward in all the areas He was calling me to work on. And, man….those areas kept coming. As soon as He’d show me one, He’d show me another. It would overwhelm me with how much He wanted to change in me! But, that overwhelm keeps me humble so that I understand it’s not the work I’m doing that should get the glory, it’s not me…it’s His strength in me that keeps me moving forward and making those changes. He deserves ALL the glory! So, next I decided that we would tackle my youngest daughter’s bedroom (which was so full of stuff, she hadn’t slept in there in years)! She would help me, because I didn’t want to toss anything without her approval. Well, she’s 10, so she LOVES everything! But, she did get rid of 3 bags of clothes, which made me so proud! But, toys, she didn’t want to get rid of much. We worked for a week before she headed off to summer camp, and I hoped we would finish before she left, but we did not get it done. So, while she was at camp, I chose to start on my room, which remember was the “catch all”, meaning it was probably one of the worst rooms in our house! I worked super hard for 3 days and got all but 2 drawers and my closet floor finished. I even rearranged my furniture! It’s so, so much better. And, since then, I have completed my room in it’s entirety, and we worked through my daughter’s room bit by bit. We did finish her room, but I’m finding with kids, it’s a constant work in progress, because they are still growing! Clothes will always have to be decluttered, as well as their taste in their belongings, but it is much easier to do when we stay on top of it by season. The dining room was tough because it had an armoire full of games, arts & crafts, and an organizational system of 12 cubbies with everything from homeschool books and curriculum, to coloring books, and whatever else my youngest had shoved in the drawers! It took a little while, but I did get it done before we started school this fall! I’m so thankful that I don’t have that ALL or NOTHING mentality anymore, or I’d probably never get anything accomplished at all!

Since starting the decluttering process over the summer, my mind got some more clarity. I felt like the next step after decluttering was to bring my youngest daughter back home for homeschooling! My original goal was to have the entire house, including the basement fully decluttered before we started school. That was a pretty impossible task, and I did not get that accomplished, but I will accomplish exactly what He wants in His exact time. More and more get done as time allows. And, the house is still being maintained, even since starting back to homeschooling, and I’ve even gotten into the habit of meal planning and grocery shopping on a regular basis (which is pretty important when you’re trying to continue on your health journey).

I’ve since learned that I will never be fully on top of everything, because He is the One in control and not me. I will just follow His lead each day, and I will accomplish exactly what He has planned for me, and when I do that, I feel good, because I know it’s exactly where I’m supposed to be. I also accomplish so much more when I’m in tune with Him and His plans. He is helping me to become the best version of myself, and I think where He’s leading me next is to help others who have struggled just like I have! It’s really being whole and complete in every area: heart, soul, mind, and body. And, because I really enjoy network marketing, and I believe it is the avenue that the Lord could use my voice to help others like He’s helped me, I am going to follow His lead into Arbonne, to reach others for His glory through sharing more and more of what I’ve learned about whole health, in order to help others feel healthy and whole, too.

So, there you have it! An update on my life….the story that Jesus has been writing in and through me. I am a work in progress, and I’m finally not just learning all He has for me, but I’m doing all He asks! And, that’s what makes all the difference!

With love,

Dena

December 25, 2022

Advent Series Week 4 – LOVE

This post is a guest post written by my husband, Mike Johns.

I was listening to sports talk radio a few years ago and the host said something that piqued my interest. What he said was not new or anything profound but a simple reminder: “Children emulate what they see.” This phrase has stucck with me for years. It is easy to look past how God loved you so much that He calls you, His child. Think about what John wrote about this:

John 1:12, “But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God.”

1 John 3:1, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And, that is what we are!”

It is a wonderful thing to be called a child of God! Think about that – the Creator, Sustainer, Giver & Keeper of life gives you the title of HIS CHILD! You are a child of the King! Now, remember, we are to emulate what we see. May we be found during the week of Christmas seeking to live like Jesus.

I thank the Lord that He has given us leaders to show us how to walk with Him daily. He has placed folks in our lives to speak the Word to us, who help us, who give us an example of daily faith.

Hebrews 13:7, “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the Word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.”

Maybe during this advent focus on love, now would be a good time to express your love for those people who are examples of the faith to you. Send a quick message, a card, or make a phone call – encourage someone today!

Another outcome of this great love that God has for us is to love one another. We have experienced such a great love in Jesus that it should overflow onto everyone we come into contact with.

1 John 4:11, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

Let’s love like Jesus in a world that so desperately needs it.

Have a Blessed Christmas!

Dena

December 25, 2022

Christmas Day!

Guest post by my pastor, Greg Fine.

Luke 2:6-7 (NIV)

“While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”

The day we have been anticipating, waiting for, preparing for has finally arrived! Merry Christmas! No doubt, for many, this day will e a flurry of activity and celebration. There will be presents to open, food to be prepared and enjoyed, perhaps family to visit. For others, the day may be spent alone reflecting on memories of large family gatherings and celebrations. Regardless, let’s make sure we also include time to worship the Savior whose birth we celebrate!

Luke records that Mary placed the baby Jesus in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn. The last phrase of verse 7 has been on my heart with this Advent Season when Luke records, “…there was no room for them in the inn.” We usually picture the scene with a heartless innkeeper turning away the young couple. But Luke does not use the normal word for an inn here. Instead, he uses a more general term referring to a shelter or lodging place. It suggests that Joseph and Mary stopped at a public shelter or place where caravans of travelers could stay for the night. Rather than being greeted by an innkeeper, they are met with an overcrowded shelter. There simply was no more room. The lodging place was already full of travelers because of the census. Joseph was forced to find a suitable location for them to spend the night and ultimately for Mary to give birth—the place where the traveler’s animals were usually kept.

As I reflect upon this verse what strikes me most is not the heartless attitude of an innkeeper but the overcrowding of the shelter for travelers. Overcrowding! I think most of us would say we would ever intentionally deny Jesus room in our lives. But when we allow our lives to become so full of other things then, in essence, we have left no room for Jesus. Our lives can easily become overcrowded with lesser things. Even though we may never intentionally deny Jesus room in our lives, we may unintentionally deny Him room in our lives because we are just too busy. We must be intentional about making room for Jesus in our hearts and lives.

As we celebrate Jesus’ birth today and look forward to a new year ahead let’s be intentional about making room for Jesus. Make time for worship with God’s family consistently. Make time to read God’s Word daily. Make time to spend in prayer, talking with God and growing closer to Him. Make time to serve others and build God’s Kingdom. Don’t let your life become so busy that there is no room for Jesus in your life. Jesus came so He could be the Lord over our lives; to walk with us each day and fill our lives with His joy and peace. Make room for Christmas by making room for Jesus today and throughout the next year! Merry Christmas!

Love,

Dena

December 18, 2022

Advent Series Week 3 – Peace

Guest post by Russell Smithson – Let Peace Rule

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” Colossians 3:15

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Matthew 5:9

We are about 10 days away from one of the days that we as Christians anxiously await to celebrate every year. Undoubtedly, you have prepped, cooked, cleaned, shopped, decorated, mailed cards and gifts, volunteered, etc. There is always so much to do during this time. But, wait! Have we taken time to have a cup of coffee with a friend, go to church with a smile and joy, thanked the many people who make our life the wonderous adventure it is every day, spent time with God without a timer set, accepted the gift of peace from God? Wait, peace during this time of year?

We all let the stresses of this time of the year wear us down and defeat us and then by Christmas day we are more ready for it to be over than to celebrate what this day symbolizes. The birth of our Lord and Savior who came here for you and me. He came on this day knowing what the future held for Him. Yet He decided you were worth it. I was worth it. He came with peace from God that He was doing the right thing for His family. US! His brothers and sisters.

Peace can happen anywhere even in the middle of chaos. Think about that night so many years ago. They had traveled for days in the dust and wind. All they want is to clean up and rest. But there is no place. They end up in a stable. The water around them used for the animals to drink from. The place to rest is the bedding of the animals in the stable. No fire for warmth because the stable would burn up. Yet in this setting, Christ chose to come and all the pictures we see are of peace. We see a mother happy to see her child. A father looking over his family. A child sleeping in this unlikely place of peace on a cold night in December. Where did the peace come from? God.

We cannot produce peace on our own. No matter how hard we try. Nothing is going to be perfect. We all have feelings, and they are fragile. One wrong word from someone or someone else’s actions can cause us to start worrying and stressing over everything. We cannot produce peace on our own. Our hearts and minds will not allow us to ignore everything. Work, family, obligations, illnesses, desires, our own mistakes, etc. all cause us to worry and fear. We cannot produce peace on our own. The heart is the source of our feelings. The Bible does not teach that the very thing that we fear will not take place; rather, what the Bible does teach is that God will keep your heart and your mind in a state of peace whatever happens. As Psalm 4:8 tells us, “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord make me dwell in safety.” We cannot produce peace on our own. Our God is solid. We proclaim Him to be our rock. If we want peace in our lives, we must accept that it is a gift from God. We get peace when we pray to God and seek HIs peace in our lives. Among all the challenges, struggles, striving for perfection we must humble ourselves and acknowledge the only way to have peace in our lives, in our families, in our church, in our community, in our world is to ask God and accept this glorious gift He has for us.

This is a great time of the year to let go of all those feelings we have harbored all year. What someone did or didn’t do, how we were wronged, what awful thing someone said, that someone who sat in our spot at church, the person who didn’t say thank you after we worked so hard, that person that walked by and didn’t say anything after we greeted them, and so many other things that we allow our heart and mind carry around. Let it go and let God’s gift of peace settle in our hearts and minds. Start a new year with a new goal of accepting God’s gift of peace in your life daily and letting go of those things that we were never in control of anyway. Let God’s peace settle over you like the snow on a cold winter’s night. For the coming year I pray that “the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:26

Merry Christmas my family.

What situations in your life do you need to turn over to God? (Pray right now about them)

What are some of the things in your life to be thankful to God for this past year?

What can you do to fix your eyes on God and not your problems?

What scripture speaks to you about God’s gift of peace? Memorize it and keep it in your heart.

Until next time!

Love,

Dena

December 6, 2022

Advent Series Week 2 – JOY

Guest post by my almost 16 year old daughter, Makenna.

What does joy mean to you? Is it just an emotion, or a feeling that you don’t notice most of the time? Well joy is a really good thing, very good for us. Joy is and can be produced in us, even in dark circumstances. God is the creator of joy, so don’t depend on your circumstances to make you feel a certain way. Don’t wait for the circumstances to change, realize that joy can be with you in every season of life. If we want to be joyful, then we have to be in the Word of God. Be in the presence of God. Religion doesn’t bring joy into our life, relationship does. Take a look at Psalm 118:1, “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!” What is more joyful than that? Steadfast love from God. I think a lot of times we don’t realize how good our God is. How often do you seek joy in other places? We need to seek joy through God, not the world. Return steadfast love to God. Find joy in his presence. Now take a look at Hosea 6:6, “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” Seek His steadfast love! That is where our genuine joy will come from. Another question may be, how do you find joy in pain? Well, believe it or not when you’re going through painful trials and hardship, that’s what makes you stronger to get the most joy out of life. God’s Spirit is the one who empowers us to do what we never could. As we’ve seen in the Christmas story, things that seem impossible suddenly become a reality when God shows up. The Bible describes Jesus as the Son of God anointed with the oil of joy. This should give our hearts hope! We have a Savior acquainted with grief but anointed with joy – the same joy he promises to give to us in our grief. God gives statements like, “I am the one God he will never leave or forsake you.” “I am the one with peace and understanding.” No matter what circumstances we face, we can rely on a joyful Christmas season and days beyond knowing that God loves us, and will never leave us. That is a joy that can’t be robbed!

Thanks, Makenna for allowing me to share your devotion! Hope you all enjoyed!

Love,

Dena

December 3, 2022

Week 4 – Rest in His Strength and Sufficiency

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever,”

Psalm 73:26

Being on a health journey has it’s ups and downs. It brings challenges and temptations, especially around the holidays! There have been times that I have feared failure, yet again, and other times I fear success…afraid of what losing pounds may cost me, or even worse, the expectations I may put on myself if I reach my goals…will I become extreme? Will I become prideful, or full of vanity? Will my personality change in a negative way? I think that these fears are what can keep us stuck, or going back to old habits.

Food is a good gift from God. It’s really not the enemy here. But, it becomes the enemy when we make it more than good, and turn it into an idol…something that we go to instead of God. I know I’ve been an emotional eater. It became my comfort when I was sad, stressed or mad, and my celebration during my happy times. God wants to be our comfort and our celebration. And, only He truly satisfies. I’m learning that all that food really does when I’m hurting or celebrating is bring further guilt and shame!

Because of His strength in me, I can overcome the temptations! I think we have underestimated His strength in us! We have to stop going into battles within while looking back at what was. We want to find comfort in what we always have, we longingly desire that one thing that we think will satisfy. Our love is our food, something that can never love us back! We are relying on our own strength in these moments! Romans 8:13 says, “If you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”

We think that if we are strong enough, we can do anything or be anything. But, Jesus warns us in Mark 14:38 that our spirits are willing, but our bodies are weak. I’m learning that it’s in my weaknesses God is giving me opportunities for growth. He is showing me so many areas that I can work on and improve. So many people, including my past self, have lost weight, or gotten healthy. Some have even reached their fitness goals….and most have done it in their own strength, not seeing the relation between body, mind, and spirit. But, the happiness is always short lived. Because when we are led by the flesh, we are working towards weight loss goals for all the wrong reasons. We think if a little is good, then a lot is better. We look in the mirror and cannot see the truth. A focus on the flaws increases the lies. This way steals time and energy from the most important people….God, ourselves, and our families. When we focus on willpower to lose weight, we become consumed by what we want our new identity to be. Then, we transfer our bondage to food to vanity. Satan is there waiting on the other side of good health, ready to show us any and all remaining imperfections. He’s sneaky like that!

There’s nothing wrong with improving ourselves. But, if we are going too far the other way….God has every right to step in and say “That’s enough!” He wants to show us freedom, not lead us into another form of bondage.

Others who are working on getting healthy, but doing it in their own willpower lose the fight, and their strength fails. It’s easier to give up and find comfort in what was familiar. (This has been me, over and over again!) I think it’s just uncomfortable and hard, and easy to just remain where we were than to keep fighting (especially when doing something like this in our own strength)! First Corinthians 1:25b says, “…the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.” What I’m learning through this Wellness Revelation study is that until I connect to the Spirit, the true source of all power, I will continue to fail. True and lifelong self-discipline and obedience to the Lord does not come from ourselves, but from God in us by the power of the Holy Spirit! When I am physically or mentally weak, I must draw on the power of God within me. For so long, I have pushed that power aside, I think I just didn’t believe His power could work in me, or within me for something like weight loss. I felt like I would never succeed, but we must never believe our feelings. Feeling are meant to be felt, not control what we do or don’t do.

I now know that being connected to the Lord in this journey is the key to my success. No more yo-yo dieting! I want more than weight loss, I want to gain my life back! In the process, I’m finding freedom! And, when we have life, we can give that life to others, which is what I hope I’m doing! I am so passionate now about helping others, especially when it comes to the limiting beliefs that play over and over in our heads when we are in bondage! Now, I know that I must renew my mind on a consistent basis through His Word, and through godly mentors, teachers, preachers and podcasts that fill my mind with truth. The truth of who I am in Him. And, trust me…I thought I had been doing this all along in my Spiritual walk, but I was still in bondage when it came to my mind and how I thought. I believed the lies, and couldn’t see the truth, even when it was right in front of me. Living with the right mind-set helps us to remember that every choice we make is important. When we’re living intentionally, we can be His agents of change here on earth.

I’m learning to slow down, way down, and to stop living on auto-pilot in my daily routines. And, when I do this, I am more aware of the choices I’m making, the words I’m saying, and the actions I’m taking. I’m being more present in the moments, more engaged with people around me, and fully present. (I definitely have not perfected any of this….but, it is something the Lord is working on in me.)

I used to try to “balance” everything. I was trying to be a good housekeeper, a good homeschool mom, a good wife, mom, friend, Sunday School teacher, and working on myself by working out, eating right, and being consistent in my own time with the Lord. Now, I know balance is a lie. There is no such thing as perfectly balancing all the areas of my life. I was failing at ALL of it, when I was trying to balance it all. I was relying more on my management skills, and not being present in much of anything, nor was I enjoying life. Now, instead of trying to balance everything, I’m seeking wholehearted living. I wake up and ask the Lord to direct my day and to help me accomplish exactly what He has for me. I can show up as myself in every circumstance that comes up, and give what I can. I allow the Lord to direct me and live with a much greater passion and purpose. I know we all have a uniqueness about us, and I want to give my own voice, heart, mind, and body to whatever He has for me each day. And, I hope that He will use me to create hope, love, and joy in others. And, this takes belief! We can’t give away what we don’t have. We have to believe and act on truth. The truth is that God loves me and accepts me, and because of Jesus I am right with Him. He makes me righteous because He is righteous. He thinks, feels, speaks, and acts right in all circumstances through me. But, I must believe He is, or else my sinful nature takes over once again. I can trust and believe only if I’m seeking His heart throughout my day, every day. I also have to believe He loves me despite my mess, despite my failures. He met me where I was, and began His good work, transforming my mind, heart and body. We have to trust Him to strengthen us when we don’t feel like we are enough, (because those thoughts will still try to creep their way in), and trust him to remove pride in our hearts when we are again tempted to follow ourselves rather than Him. And, when we live wholeheartedly, drawing on the unconditional love and acceptance of God, that leads to true wellness.

He is sufficient for me. Sufficiency means adequate. When we live in sufficiency, our circumstances will have no power to define our worth. When we realize who we are is who God called us to be, we will be set free. Have you been held back by the chains of self-condemnation, doubt, or ridicule? When we trust the Lord is sufficient for us, these things will no longer have the power to control us. He gives us what we need, but not necessarily everything we want. We can be selfish, we sometimes are not satisfied with not having it all! But, I know I need to listen to my God-given body and be satisfied with everything about it, regardless of what I want, whether that be food or the way I look. I don’t need to have it all. I don’t want to be fixated on a number or a body shape. None of us will be enough or have enough apart from God. Only He will truly satisfy.

Many of the health struggles we have today could be avoided if we would just be proactive in eating whole foods, living wholeheartedly because we know we are wholly loved by a holy God, rather than seeking after things we think will give us the comfort or pleasure we desire. Our nation is sick. We get too much of what we want, but not enough of what we truly need (which is hearts that are healed and made whole by unconditional love, and that are set free to help set others free). We must engage our souls and spirits in shedding the access pounds. The flesh will not be strong enough on it’s own to fight a war greater than itself. We must continue looking in the mirror of our souls and spirits so that we can do the work of change. James 1:23-24 says, “Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.” We are missing out on the freedom God has called us to when we go away and forget to do the work He’s calling us to. We are invited to be a part of the solution, not the problem in the world. We can and will win this battle, not by our own strength, but by His. Now is the time to let the Scriptures search us, know us, and change us. And, we must always remember to work on ourselves before pointing out the flaws in others.

“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around-life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him.”

Romans 12:1 (The Message)

With Love in Christ,
Dena

November 30, 2022

Advent Series Week 1 – HOPE

It’s the season of Advent! A time of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas! I will be writing a series of devotions leading up to Christmas. My hope is that in the busyness of the season, we can all take time to slow down and remember Jesus, the true meaning of this season.

Scripture passages: Ezekiel 37:1-14; Nahum 1:7; and Joel 2:25-27

With all the struggles we face, with all the doom and gloom and frustration we often feel, it can seem as if there is no hope. We feel like the world is spinning by, and we don’t have time to really enjoy it. At least, this is how I’ve felt at times, especially when I’m working on bettering myself. I can get caught up in checking off the boxes of working out, doing my Bible study that I’m leading, and working through that one that I’m attending, etc. I get so caught up in doing things — good things, that I don’t live in the freedom that Christ has given!

In Ezekiel 37:1-14, Ezekiel is taken to a valley of dry bones. The Lord asks him if the bones can live. I know when I’m going through the motions of life, I can often not feel fully alive. Nahum 1:7 tells us that the Lord is good, our refuge when we are struggling. He cares and wants us to trust Him. Trust and Hope can go hand in hand. I was trusting in myself and what I was getting done (because it made me feel good….until I couldn’t get it all done). But, I wasn’t seeking the Lord first and asking Him what He wanted me to do each day and then trusting His leading instead of my own. I often would worry that if I did something the Lord led me to do, I would fall even further behind in the tasks I knew I needed to get done. But, that wasn’t trusting God!

What made these bones come back to life? The Spirit led Ezekiel to speak life into them! We desperately need the Word of God to speak life into us, but we also need to look at people around us and speak life into them! Maybe they are stuck in the day to day and not living fully alive and they need someone to breathe encouragement and life into them! We, as believers, first need to get life from God’s Word, then speak that life by connecting with others. That’s when we can live truly abundantly!

I have lost a lot of years trying to “be better” or “do better.” Because I expected so much of myself, I expected a lot from others. And, then I’d beat myself up for my failures, and then beat up others with judgement for theirs. It’s not a pleasant way to live. I was missing out on the abundant life that the Lord really wants us all to live in now! I’m so grateful for the Lord’s patience with me and the work He continues to do in my life. I am finding the freedom He has had for me all along! Joel 2:21-27 brings much comfort to me because I know that the Lord will give back to me the years I’ve lost in “trying” and I will instead live in the freedom and abundance that He has for me every day!

Love,

Dena

November 26, 2022

The GIFT of Gratitude

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! It’s been a blessed time for our family.

I also wanted to let you know I am grateful for you and I hope that sharing my heart through my journey is helpful to you.

I recently have been listening to some amazing podcasts, one that has become a favorite is Limitless with Deanna Herrin. I highly encourage you to go take a listen if becoming a better version of yourself is something you desire. Right now she’s doing a series on Mindset, and it’s just so good! But, since I started listening to her, I decided to go back to the beginning and listen all the way through! And, about this time last year (2021), she had a Gratitude series. It really spoke life into my heart, and I feel like if something is a Godsend, the Lord often confirms it’s from Him when another person says the same types of things within a close proximity of hearing the first message. Well, that’s exactly what happened! I listened to Deanna’s Limitless podcast on Gratitude and speaking life into others by expressing our gratitude for them in our lives, and then my Pastor also preached a sermon on the exact same thing! Their challenges were a tad different, but still the same! Deanna challenged everyone to write a note of gratitude and speak life into people for 30 days….one a day. My pastor challenged us to speak life and gratitude to people either by saying it to them in person or by writing a note, email, text, etc. They both also talked about how it is impossible to think negatively at the same time you are being grateful. Gratefulness negates negativity! And, I know from research that 70%-80% of our thinking (about ourselves or others – including our self-talk which probably takes up the majority of our thoughts) is negative! So, being grateful is such an important practice. Even when difficulties and trials are occurring in our lives we must find even some small things each day to be grateful for. It is so good for overall health! So, my challenge for you, even though Thanksgiving has passed, is to start a gratitude journal and write a minimum of 5 things each day that you are grateful for….it can be as simple as the smell of a fire, or the crunch of fall leaves or as big as the Lord’s goodness, or family connections. And, speaking life and gratitude to others…..it’s just so powerful! Who doesn’t like to hear that they are thought of, loved, or special to someone and why? If you want to get the family involved, make a gratitude jar where everyone places slips of paper with things they are grateful for, then every month or quarter, go through and read them. Make it a new habit that’s not just during the Thanksgiving holiday, but all year through!

Next week I’ll be back to sharing about what I’m learning through the Wellness Revelation. Stay tuned for the Advent season where I’ll be sharing some devotions I’m writing leading up to Christmas where we remember the birth of our Savior, Jesus.

Love,

Dena

November 17, 2022

Week 3 – Live Out His Purpose For You

“Everything is permissible for me” —but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me” —but I will not be mastered by anything.

I Corinthians 6:12

I think I’m going to change the format of my Wellness Revelation Bible Study posts to just me sharing with you what the Lord laid on my heart during the week. It’s more relatable that way, even if you aren’t doing the study with us.

I believe the Lord gives each of us gifts and a purpose to live out, and ultimately it’s always to lead others into a life of joy and freedom in Christ. I had never really considered that was my purpose…. but the more I think about it, the more I realize it’s really His purpose for us all! We all have different gifts that help us to do this, and because we are all unique, He uses us in different ways to accomplish this same purpose. He created you to speak into the world in a way that only you can, and me in a way that only I can.

I’ve gotten caught up in the day to day grind, but I’m seeing that He has purpose even in those things if we will just slow down and allow Jesus to live through all the moments. As we live day to day, in whatever occupations we have or even as homeschool moms or stay-at-home moms, we can provide evidence that Jesus is who He says He is, and that He helps us, encourages us, redeems and sets us free, and saves us from our sin and ourselves. Even in our failures, struggles, and the day to day “To Do” list, He is our strength. He picks us up out of the grave and releases us from bondage. We get the opportunity to put His strength on display through the choices we make, the actions we take, and the voices we use. What we do shows Christ’s love and power inside us to a world that needs to see.

We have the opportunity to be the change. We are called to live for His higher purposes, a higher accountability, and to display self-discipline. If others see us making poor choices, what are we saying about our God of power and love? If we are walking around with stress rather than thankfulness and joy, our countenance shows it. And, that is not going to display His love or power in our lives.

I don’t know about you, but I can have lots of goals for myself, my family, my home, and my work. And, these goals cause me to want to become a better version of myself. But, I can get caught up in trying harder to work out “my” plan. In becoming a better version of me (because He is convicting me in areas I need to improve) I can sometimes get overwhelmed with the “doing” and not just rest in Him. So, for me, a schedule is really good for discipline in my life, but I cannot let the schedule control me. I must rest in Him and His leading. I have to slow down and be present with others. I mean, why “do” the changing, if it doesn’t affect my peace of mind, my facial expressions, and my connection with others? I can’t find the peace of mind, a positive countenance and connection without His leading me at all times, and my constant connection with Him. Thankfully, His Spirit in us already gives us the self-discipline or self-control we need. He gifted that to us when we received Him as Savior and Lord in the form of the Fruits of the Spirit. I’ve often thought these fruits were things I need to work at or on, rather than realizing they are already given to me as gifts just for being His child. I just have to allow Him to live them out in me. We just live out the truth of His love, as dearly loved, valued, and cherished children of God who happen to live in a fallen, sinful world. We obey because we love. The more we love Him, the more natural the obedience will come. When we are obedient, self-discipline naturally follows.

What do we need in order to do His work? Energy!!! His job is to do the work in and through us, our job is to take care of ourselves and make healthy choices that will benefit us for the long haul. If I choose to live a healthy life, I am allowing myself the opportunity to be on mission, living out His purpose…what He created me for—reaching the unreachable in the darkest places. The types of foods we eat definitely affect how we feel, and how we do our work. There is power in our food. What else can get into the smallest cells in our bodies and change them? Only God’s Spirit, and Jesus, the Word, can go that deep. And the quality of life we enjoy is determined by the quality of food we eat. I’ve also recently realized that the foods that I eat and the way that I take care of myself definitely affect the way I think and the mindset that I have. So, it’s not just good food for our bodies, but we also need to be fueling our minds at the same time! I do this through getting still and opening the Word of God, through worship that penetrates my soul, and through awesome podcasts, and good books. And, recently I took on a 30 Day Gratitude challenge where each day I am writing a personal note of gratitude for different people in my life. All these things are awesome ways to fuel the mind.

If you are anything like me, we can easily become overwhelmed and stressed with all the things that need to get done on a daily basis. We are busy! We are busy doing good things like leading a Bible Study, leading a homeschool co-op class, keeping the house clean, cooking healthy meals, running our kids to their practices or to church functions, or to lessons, and working on ourselves by working out, and growing as a person. It’s A LOT. But, I’m learning that it’s in the being still, even for just a few moments each day and surrendering my day and my tasks to the Lord, that I am able to be more joyful, more upbeat, more ready to take on all the things I have to do. And, when I take that time to be still, He multiplies my time. But, when I don’t take the time, not only do I not get as much done, but I also become grouchy with the kids, worn out so much quicker, and my mind starts going to dark places where my self-talk becomes a punching bag within. I want to live a healthy, whole life (mind, body, spirit, soul) so that I am freed up to love myself in a healthy and righteous way (not selfishly) and to love and pour into others.

I loved Alisa Keeton’s story, in Chapter 3 of The Wellness Revelation, about The Very Hungry Caterpillar children’s book, and how that Caterpillar got distracted with all the different types of foods available to him – most of which were unhealthy – and how we are like that caterpillar because we get distracted so easily with all the things going on around us. But, just like the caterpillar had a chance to turn things around by going into a cocoon, we also have that opportunity. I feel like that’s where I’m at right now. I’m in a cocoon where I’m discovering lots of dark places that need changed. And, I’m doing the hard things, just like the caterpillar….and those hard things take time. But, I get to go into this cocoon with the Lord who is with me all the time. We like to rush, we want to see the change NOW. We want to see the beauty of the butterfly emerging and flying into freedom. But, we can’t rush through the struggle and suffering or the beauty doesn’t emerge. We have to go through the hard, the times it may feel easier to give up, but if we stick to the disciplines the Lord is laying on our hearts and keep pressing forward, eventually the change and the beauty, and the freedom will come! And, though I can’t wait for that day, I’m treasuring these moments of growth the Lord is taking me through, the hard things, the life lessons, these times waiting on the Lord and His timing. I am becoming dependent on the voice of Love to lead me and give me strength through the hard, dark cocoon.

And, I know if you’re at all like me, you know that breaking bad habits and starting new ones is another HARD thing. It takes around 3 weeks or 21 days to break a bad habit. But, it takes about 3 months before new habits become established as a part of our daily lives. It’s a compound effect….the more we do the hard thing/the new habit, the better we get at doing it, and the more good habits we can add over time. I think in the past, I’ve tried to add too many good habits at once, and I couldn’t keep up with all the “good” I wanted to do. It’s better to add one small thing at a time until it becomes easy, then add another. Don’t go and try to change everything about yourself in a day or a week or even a month! It’s too much! Slow and steady wins the race! And, most importantly we have to allow the Lord to guide us. He wants us to be free, even more than we do. He wants us to live abundantly, that’s what He designed us for. But, we have to listen to His leading in where He wants us to change, and to trust Him with the ugly moments, the hard times, the struggle in the becoming who He designed us to be.

Here is another passage that has really spoken to me through the cocoon stage:

21 â€œFear not, O land;
    be glad and rejoice,
    for the Lord has done great things!
22 Fear not, you beasts of the field,
    for the pastures of the wilderness are green;
the tree bears its fruit;
    the fig tree and vine give their full yield.

23 â€œBe glad, O children of Zion,
    and rejoice in the Lord your God,
for he has given the early rain for your vindication;
    he has poured down for you abundant rain,
    the early and the latter rain, as before.

24 â€œThe threshing floors shall be full of grain;
    the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.
25 I will restore[a] to you the years
    that the swarming locust has eaten,
the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter,
    my great army, which I sent among you.

26 â€œYou shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
    and praise the name of the Lord your God,
    who has dealt wondrously with you.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.
27 You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,
    and that I am the Lord your God and there is none else.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.

Joel 2:21-27

I feel like this passage is telling me that He is the restorer of all things! Whatever the locusts have eaten, He will restore! All the mistakes I’ve made, all the years I have struggled, all the wrong I’ve done, He is making new and is restoring. Praise His Name!! I also love in verse 23 where it says, “…..he has given the early rain for your vindication; he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the latter rain, as before.” The definition of vindication is: the action of clearing someone of blame or suspicion; proof that someone or something is right, reasonable, or justified. He loves me so much that He doesn’t want me to feel shame anymore, to feel guilt from the wrongs I’ve done. He wants to clear me, but not only clear me but bring abundance into my life! I believe we can live an abundant life in the here and now, we don’t have to wait until heaven for that! He gives it now! We just have to pursue Him, love Him, live in Him and He through us!

Love you all!

Dena

P.S. Please let me know by commenting if you can relate to any of this! I’m hopeful that sharing some of my struggles and growth that others can relate and somehow benefit.

November 8, 2022

Why Do We Talk To Ourselves Like We Do?

This week I want to take a small break from our Wellness Revelation Bible Study just to share some things the Lord has been revealing to me. He has been helping me to dig deep, and I know this digging deeper will bring me complete healing and that He is going to use this to help others with the same struggles. And, that is exciting!

This past weekend I attended a “Speak Life” retreat with 9 other ladies. It was a weekend of pouring into one another. One of the exercises we did that had a HUGE impact on all of us was to write down all the negative thoughts just scrolling through our minds about ourselves. We were only given a coupe of minutes to do this…..yet every single one of us came up with several things that we had written down. Mine were:

  • I feel misunderstood.
  • No one will listen to me.
  • I have to prove myself.
  • I am only loved if I meet expectations.

Other ladies responded with things like: I am not enough. I am a bad mom. I am not pretty, and many more. And, with a group of 10 ladies, I am sure you can imagine all the deep heart struggles we all came up with and the vulnerability shared. And, it was HARD. It is HARD to share these thoughts out loud. Have you ever tried to? I think the enemy likes us to keep these thoughts (given to us by himself….as the father of lies) to ourselves, never speaking them out loud, because once they are spoken aloud, they can be combatted with the TRUTH, and are no longer valid!!! And, that is exactly what we did!! We listened to these painful beliefs, then we immediately shared with one another what we saw that was TRUE about whoever had just shared. And, every single time, it was the OPPOSITE of what the person felt within their mind.

Here are the TRUTHS that the ladies came up with for me:

  • I am loved.
  • I am worthy.
  • I am a survivor.
  • I am seen.
  • I am valuable.
  • My voice matters.

It brings such healing when we SPEAK LIFE into others, and receive that life from others. Why do we not do this more often? Why don’t we use our voice to be an encouraging word to someone that is probably thinking these same thoughts that we all do!? This is something that I was very convicted to do…to use my voice to bring hope and healing to others. We all have struggles and thoughts that aren’t serving us. We need to dig deep, speak them aloud, and allow the Spirit to fill us with truth through the words of others or through His Word.

After we did this exercise, later that evening, we took the list of negative, non-serving thoughts we had, and tossed them into a bonfire, and then we spoke the TRUTH out loud instead. It was powerful and freeing.

Over the remaining time of the weekend, we had the opportunity to write encouraging notes to one another on cards. We each had a box with our name on it and everyone put their handwritten notes in the each person’s box. This way, at the end of the weekend, we could take our boxes home filled with encouraging notes from all of the other ladies. It was so emotional reading them once we got home, and everyone was so encouraged.

My challenge to you this week is to do this same exercise with someone you can trust. Get vulnerable. Share your heart, and let them help you come up with TRUTHS to combat those lies. If you don’t feel like you have anyone to share with, share with the Lord. Speak them out loud! Then, search His Word for truths that combat those lies! Then, speak those aloud, too! Satan wants to keep us stuck in these thoughts that keep us from moving forward in truth. Don’t allow him to win! God has so much more for each one of us! And, speak some life over someone you know this week….maybe hand write some encouraging words to someone, or speak them out loud. We all can use these kinds of affirmations in our lives!

Love you all!

Dena

P.S. Here is one more powerful video we saw this weekend! It just shows how when we get the lack of belief out of our minds (usually with the help of others) we are set FREE to be who we truly are!! You can watch that here!