An outward activity can create the circumstance but it can’t prepare your heart. If you spend all day doing things with a person but you’re not genuinely there with them at any moment you won’t truly bond. This post has several ideas for bonding between a parent and a child but many of the truths can be applied to other relationships too. I’ve compiled a list of ideas and activities that you can do with your child at the end of the post. But before you start doing those activities, you really should understand the right mindset to have for true bonding to happen. Top Relationships start with the act of loving. Love is a decision. It’s much more than a feeling. It’s a decision to do what is best for the other person. Sometimes you may even get angry at your loved ones. But when you truly love them, you put your feelings aside and don’t act selfishly. When you love someone you think about them and their needs. If you do that with your children consistently, they will start to understand that they can trust you because you always show that you care about them. If your thought process is to always do what is best for your kids, it’s only natural for them to love you back. Focusing on them is where it all begins. Concentrate on drawing close to your child or else other things will deter you. If your heart is not determined to make that “connection” it simply won’t happen. Something else may grab your attention or you might get preoccupied with things on your “To Do List”. Having that internal resolution to connect is an important step to bonding and will help you keep working at it. Being in the right mindset will allow you to live in the moment and be there whole heartedly. Little things make a huge difference in bonding. Bonding is something that can occur daily in the little things. There’s a quote that goes like this: “Little and often makes much.” When building relationships, this saying fits like a glove. Small things go a long way if they are done with the right motivation (which is true love). Here are a few bonding ideas that you can incorporate into your daily life: • Genuinely praise who your child is as a person and also their accomplishments. • Be affectionate by hugging them, holding their hand. • Look into their eyes. Smile. Tell them that you love them. • Ask them questions about how they feel and what they like or about what they are doing. Have a true interest in what interests them. (Make sure that your body language is matching with your words.) • Ask for their opinions on what you are working on. Listen to what they have to say and give them feedback on their opinions. • Be conscious of how they are emotionally and try to help them if they are “feeling down.” This is also very important so that you don’t require more of them than they are able to give at that moment. Nothing is better than alone time with your child. While there are many things that you can do as a family unit and in your daily life, I have personally found that the strongest connections occur when you are alone with your child. Having other people around (even if they are loved ones) inhibits the conversation from going into deep topics. Also, the presence of others many times might distract you from being aware of how your child is feeling. Once you discover how rewarding alone time is, you’ll always want to carve out the time in your schedule to have this with your kids. Don’t be afraid to open your heart. There’s a verse that says: “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.”1 John 4:18 You see when there is fear you truly can’t experience love. Fear will hold you back. Fear is a wall. Fear is a barrier. If you want to experience the deepest kind of love that there is, you have to put fear aside and give yourself entirely. Allow your loved ones to know you in a way that others can’t even understand. Show your inner most feelings and thoughts and the love will grow. Putting yourself in this position will make you vulnerable. But it’s so worth it to take that leap because this is the true meaning of life: To love and to be loved. Conversation is one of the best ways to establish a bond. Communicating is sharing who you are. When you talk about very profound things, an invisible tie forms. So when you are alone with your child let them get to know you deeply as a person. What is the best way to go about choosing conversation topics? During your alone time there are many things that you can talk about that will help your kids in various aspects of their lives. Of course you want to consider their age level and maturity before delving into certain topics . One of the things that I do with my kids is I see what they are going through at school or emotionally and make those things the center of our conversations. Asking questions in a non probing way will help them start to talk about what is going on in their lives. By listening to what they say, you can determine which topics are the most important to cover. Share the lessons that you have learned from your own personal experiences so that they can benefit from them. I can honestly tell you that hanging out and talking about deep things things with my sons is the most fulfilling experience ever. What about you? Do you ever take the time to connect like this? Do you ever tell your loved ones where you are emotionally? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below. And if you haven’t done so already, sign up with your email for the Embracing Home newsletter and get inspirational resources for your home and family. Here is the list of ideas for family bonding activities: Click here to go back to the top • Play board and card games. • Turn on exciting music and dance. • Cook special cookies or decorate a gingerbread house. • Create things for your family identity such as: a family cookbook, a family flag, a family poem or song, etc. • Create a family album together (scrapbook). • Get out your camera and take fun pictures of each other. • Help your kids with their homework. • Read a fun story to them. • Teach them a skill that they will need in life ( computers, a language, etc.) • Do home chores together while listening to great songs. • Make a list of things that you need to buy and go shopping with them. • Have a special tea or ice cream party. • Go hiking or some other fun sport. • Buy a book of jokes and read it to them. • Watch a family movie while eating pizza together. • Make a gift basket together for someone special. • Volunteer to do charity work together.

Post from: Christian Homemaking and Family Resources, Encouragement and Help at Embracing Home

Family bonding activities – insights to help connect deeply

Mini Table of Contents

1 – What To Do With the Calendars

Back to the Top

Sometimes people have calendars but they have no clue as to what to use them for. You can use the calendars for your own individual planning but also to organize a group. Whether you are organizing your family members, coworkers or employees, calendars are a way to keep the communication very clear. The further you plan ahead, the less stress you will have.

The following is a list of ideas for information that you can fill into the calendars:

Choosing and Printing

Lots of talented graphic artists have created beautiful calendars for you to download. I suggest choosing the calendars that inspire you the most and bring you that feeling of joy. Ask yourself which of the calendars make you feel happy and then simply save it to your computer and print it out. Also don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comment section at the end of the post.

I have small screenshots as a preview of each one so they are easy for you to find. Clicking on the image will open up a new window and take you directly to the calendar page.

Many of the following calendars are in PDF format and require the free Acrobat Reader. If you don’t have the reader, it can be downloaded free from this link (which is the Adobe Acrobat Reader).

So without further ado, here they are :

2 – Artistic Calendars

Back to the Top

Graphic Garden Helena Normark from Graphic Garden created some beautiful country graphics calendars. There are 3 different calendars for you to choose from for each month of the year. You can go to the calendar page by clicking here or on the penguin calendar image to the right →	Alice Cantrell Alice Cantrell created some gorgeous watercolor calendars. Each printable page has 2 calendars. You can go to the calendar page by clicking here or on the image to the right →
Love Obsess Inspire Lexi from Love Obsess Inspire has a collection of watercolor calendars also. 2 calendars per page. This is a good choice for calendars that you will be needing to see up close as the numbers are a bit smaller.You can go to the calendar page by clicking here or on the image to the right →	Jan Brett Children’s Book Author and Illustrator Jan Brett has a beautiful collection of calendars. You can go to the calendar page by clicking here or on the pink rose to the right →
English and Spanish Calendar Barefooted Blessings had 2 sets of calendars. Check out the beautiful calendar by clicking here or on the calendar images below:	Pocket Calendar Creatures Comforts has a great pocket calendar. Each month is printed out on 2 pages and you can put papers in each pocket that will be used for that month. Examples of papers-can be birthday cards, reminders, etc. You can go to the calendar page by clicking here or on the image to the right →

3 – Photo Calendars

Back to the Top

4 – Year at a Glance Calendars

Back to the Top

5 – DeskTop Calendars

Back to the Top

6 – Free Calendars that Will Be Mailed To You

Back to the Top

You can order these calendars that will come to your home. They don’t send all over the world though. You need to get subscribed to their newsletter in order to receive the calendar.

Post from: Christian Homemaking and Family Resources, Encouragement and Help at Embracing Home

Top 20 Beautiful Free Printable Calendars for 2010

   Sometimes sadness overwhelms us and even though we may be positive people, no idea seems to be able to get us out of that “sad space” at that moment. I have felt like this. When this happens, we can’t even think straight. And even though there are plenty of things that we love to do in our lives, at that moment nothing seems to be
                        appealing. Absolutely nothing.


   And it’s at moments like those where we have to say it’s ok now to just cry. It’s ok to let this emotion out. To feel this sadness. It’s ok. Because you’re human. Even Jesus cried. He let those feelings come and overflow with tears and he was God. Sometimes we think we need to be “perfect” and not cry. Or that crying is some sort of sign of negativity or weakness. Even sadder is the thought that crying is for girls. Crying is not a sign of weakness it’s a sign that you have a heart. That you’re human. That you care.

    Sometimes there’s no other way to let out your emotions and that’s ok. Laughter is a way to release emotions too. But crying sometimes is the only way that we are able to manifest certain emotions of ours.

   It’s important to understand the power of crying. There is a healing power in it. The power of being able to release that feeling. When you release it and take the time to come to terms with it, you’re able to move on. But if you keep it bottled up, two things might happen: you may end up internalizing or externalizing it in a not so good way. Internalizing it can cause you a lot of stress which will in turn bring up certain illnesses like ulcers, headaches, and many others. Bottling up emotions can be so strong it might overflow out of you in some other way like anger or even violence.

   So my word for you today is to let yourself cry.
Let your heart express that feeling. You will be happier when you do. You will be happier because you are releasing it. And releasing something so strong will give you room to have other feelings that are happy come into your heart, your mind and soul. If you decide to hang onto it you will not have room in your heart to feel better things. It’s just like forgiveness. It frees our own hearts more than the person that we forgive.

   After you cry and let that emotion come out then think of what you need to do to feel better. Sleep? Watch a movie? Look at pretty pictures? Write in your diary or blog?
Whatever it is that you can do, know that this emotion will pass and you will be able to move forward. After the storm there always come the rainbow. After the sadness there will always be joy.

   Have you ever thought of crying as a positive thing? Do you allow yourself to cry? Do you think you should allow yourself to cry more? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Post from: Christian Homemaking and Family Resources, Encouragement and Help at Embracing Home

Discover the Power of Allowing Yourself to Cry

When making this recipe, it’s easier to organize the   ingredients into the two different parts to it:   The main part and the sauce. The Main Part Ingredients:    • 4 firm pears    • 1 piece of cinnamon stick (about 3 inches)    • 2 cups of water    • ¾ cup of sugar    • 2 tablespoons of lemon juice The Sauce Ingredients:    • 1 oz unsweetened chocolate    • ½ cup of sugar    • 2 tablespoons butter    • 1 teaspoon of almond extract    • ¼ cup of cream (half and half) Instructions for the main part:   ♥ Pour the 2 cups of water and the 2 tablespoons of lemon   juice into a casserole dish.   (Make sure that the dish is microwave safe and the ideal size   would be a two quarts.)   Now add ¾ cup of sugar and 1 piece of cinnamon stick. Put   it in the microwave for 4 minutes on high.   ♥ While that is in the microwave you can peel the pears and   cut off the bottoms of each pear so that they will stand up.   Leave the stems on. Place the pears in the casserole dish   with syrup that had just been done and microwave   for 5 minutes.   Then turn the pears over and microwave for 5 more minutes.   Chill for at least 2 hours or overnight. Instructions for the Sauce:   ♥ Combine ¼ cup of half an half cream and ½ a cup of sugar   in a medium sized bowl. Microwave for 1 minute then give   it a quick stir. Then add the 1 oz unsweetened chocolate and   microwave for another 30 seconds. Then stir until the   chocolate has completely melted. Then add the 1 teaspoon   of the almond extract and 2 tablespoons butter and heat it   all for another 30 seconds. After that, stir until melted. Putting It All Together:   On each dessert plate put 2 tablespoons of chocolate sauce.   Top with a pear and pour another tablespoon of the   sauce on top.   Serve your guests. They will love it ♥   Did you like this recipe? I would love to hear your thoughts   in the comment section below .

Post from: Christian Homemaking and Family Resources, Encouragement and Help at Embracing Home

Yummy pear dessert recipe with chocolate

1. The Power of Incorporating Music Into Your Daily Life




2. Making Sure That the Objects that Surround You Daily Bring You a Sense of Peace

1- The Power of Incorporating Music Into Your Daily Life Music is Key One of the things that I discovered when wanting to become more calm and productive in my work is the power of soothing music. Music can literally transform you. Unfortunately many people don’t understand how to incorporate music into their habits and end up missing out on the opportunity to have more peace and joy in their daily lives. Listen to your soul. If you can listen to that “internal dialogue” that goes on inside of you, you’ll discover when you need to calm yourself down and when you need a bit more excitement. Sometimes our minds are racing so much that we need the calmness of very slow music just to be able to think straight. When there are too many thoughts in our minds, the ability to make a decision as to which task would be the best one gets hindered. Other times we are in that state of being kind of stagnant and a faster song would help motivate us to “snap out of it” and start moving forward. Calmer songs If your goal is to feel more at peace then slower songs are the best. It would be better that they not even have lyrics so that they don’t distract you. But this really depends on each person individually. If slow songs with lyrics don’t distract you then by all means definitely listen to them. You can just have it on in the background to keep your emotional state where it needs to be. Instrumental Celtic music with little to no beat is the ideal for this. You don’t even need to vary the songs that you listen to. You can listen to the same song over and over again. Keep them handy I personally have cds handy 24 hours a day. You can also unite all the best soothing songs into one CD so that you don’t have to stop and waste time changing the CDs. Listen to uplifting calm radio online The other thing you can do is open up Paul Collier’s YouTube Channel. I have his music bookmarked and listen to it a large portion of my day. He is a fantastic independent artist and I recommend his work. He has composed beautiful healing songs. I can honestly say that his songs help us get calmer and calmer. You can find out more about him at his website. I want to thank Paul Collier for this beautiful song. The following is one of my favorite songs that I listen to as background music while I work: 2- Making Sure That the Objects that Surround You Daily Bring You a Sense of Peace Back to the Top Create an Environment Start to create an environment for yourself that will help calm your spirit down. If you work at home you should also communicate certain rules so that your family can respect your need to concentrate and actually get work done. Surround your working space with things that bring tranquility and peace. That way you’ll be able to get inspired and feel the peace of actually getting a lot done without getting stressed out. Ask yourself questions. Here’s a few questions to ask yourself when you’re creating this space for yourself: How does this object make me feel? What objects would bring me the feeling of peace and joy? What objects could I get rid of because they’re not useful or inspiring? How can I make my surroundings more useful for me? If the object brings you peace and calm and less stress when you look at it then you definitely want to have it near you. By paying attention to what you feel when you look at something you can be sure to only keep the things that will help you. Asking yourself this kind of question from time to time will help you make better use of your space. I’ve decided to show you some of the objects that I surround myself with. Hopefully some of these pictures will spark creativity in you for your own environment. I hope you don’t mind but I had to use my web cam to take these pictures. My other camera broke and even though the photos aren’t high quality they can still give you ideas. One thing that you can do is put the objects that bring you joy where you spend most of the day so that you can see it. Since I spend most of my days next to the computer I put my blue Christmas tree behind my desk and these transparent ornaments right next to it. Blue Christmas tree and ornaments. Candle Calmness Here are pictures of candles that I keep close. (Make sure you always blow out the candles if you leave the room that it’s in.) Other Inspiring Objects Here are my colorful flowers and my pink wind chimes. Other objects that you can get that are decorative are coffee mugs, picture holders, calendars, etc. What about you? What objects and habits calm you down? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below.

Post from: Christian Homemaking and Family Resources, Encouragement and Help at Embracing Home

How to stay calm while being more productive

          One flower in this vast universe

          So tiny…

          So small…

          Could this flower mean anything,

          When compared to the vast immensity of the collective?

          Could this flower be worth something?

          Fragile…

          Yet so beautiful

          To just look at

          To smell…

          To feel…

          This tiny flower

          Means so much

          Because there is one

          Who can look upon it

          And love

          By Eren Mckay


  Has someone’s love ever made you feel worthy? I would love to
  hear your thoughts or experiences in the comment section below.

Post from: Christian Homemaking and Family Resources, Encouragement and Help at Embracing Home

One Flower – Can a Tiny Flower Be Special?

My Oxygen     It’s so cold     And dark     Can anyone hear me cry?     In the abyss of this ocean?     I thought I was alone     And that there was no more hope     When I thought I was drowning     You reached down and grabbed my hand     And from the deep waters that I was in     I felt your hand reaching down to help me     I latched onto your hand     And the strength of your arms pulled me up     You brought me to the surface     And I breathed     Am I alive?     Am I really alive?     I’m alive!     I can feel…     I can see…     I can smell…     I can hear…     I can breathe…     I’m alive.     You saved me.     You brought me back     To the realization of life     And I thank God for you     I thank Him for giving me the gift     of you in my life.     The world doesn’t look so dire     Life doesn’t seem so impossible     Knowing the love that lives     in my heart     You unlocked     The door of love within me     And gave me courage     I am not afraid anymore     I can take on the world     Because I know true love exists     Just knowing it is real     Is enough     It’s the oxygen I needed     Thinking of your smile     Your eyes…     Your depth…     We are one.     I could just lay in your arms     forever…     And touch your cheek     And call you     My honey     My love     My peace…     You are my oxygen     By Eren Mckay

What about you? Have you experienced this kind of deep love? Please share in the comment section below.

Post from: Christian Homemaking and Family Resources, Encouragement and Help at Embracing Home

Sweet Romantic Letter to the Love of My Life

The Heavenly Bond – My Sister and I The human mind has not come up with words That are able to describe The connection that I have to my sister She doesn’t have to say… She doesn’t have to show… But I know what she is feeling I know what she is thinking And this bond Can not be described By anything in this world No it truly can not We are so alike We are like twins We are connected deeply….. I feel what she feels I think as she does We look at the world Through the same eyes We see the same colors We see the same events With the same perspective We are so alike We feel the same things We interpret the same way We love the same way We give the same way It truly is amazing And the love I feel for my sister It’s so huge it… Just makes me want to cry Thinking of her And how much I love her… Written by Eren Mckay

I’m always open to build deep relationships such as the one I have with my sister. Some people close their hearts after they have been hurt by a few but this only stops them from experiencing the true meaning of life. We must love. We must forgive. We must be open to real friendships and to discover the beauty in others. It’s the only way to live.

What about you?
Are you deeply connected to someone like this? Do you have friends that can go beyond the shallow talk? Do you have relationships in which just being around them is peaceful and fulfilling?
Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Post from: Christian Homemaking and Family Resources, Encouragement and Help at Embracing Home

How to develop friendships – poetry on friendship like a sister

Combine 2 quarts of milk, 1 cup of sugar, 4 eggs, and vanilla to taste (1-2 teaspoons) in a blender. Blend. Pour in glasses and top with real whipped cream (Redi-whip works) and sprinkle with nutmeg. (I generally serve with a straw, to avoid the whipped cream mustache.) This recipe makes about 4 servings.

Disclaimer: The USDA recommends against eating raw eggs…but I’m not giving up cookie dough…I’m just sayin’…

This post was written by Kim Smith who is the owner of Dramatic Design, a Michigan web design company near Grand Rapids specializes in custom WordPress theme development for small business owners. Dramatic Design is a full-service website development and marketing company for the small business owner.
You can also follow her on Twitter @KimSmith.

Post from: Christian Homemaking and Family Resources, Encouragement and Help at Embracing Home

How to Make Homemade Eggnog Recipe

If you go through this blog you’ll find artwork everywhere. I love creating the feeling of joy through the images that exist. Art is an expression of inner beauty and depth.
Do you ever have that desire to get into the flow of being inspired? Being inspired is a wonderful thing. It helps us find an inner joy that isn’t found through outward achievements. Whatever the goals that God has for your life- you need to have that inner inspiration to keep going, to keep moving, to grow and to reach new heights in your life. Take time off to find that inside your soul. God wants to inspire you. Let Him do so.
What inspires you?
All forms of art are inspirational. Surround yourself with all kinds of art. Whether it be music, literature, graphic arts. Even cooking is an art.
Immerse your self in the beauty of art and you will discover feelings and thoughts new and old that will bring out joy and peace. I try to listen to God’s voice when I look at art or even what He has created. This makes this moment of meditation even deeper and calming because I’m listening to my Maker tell me what He wants out of my life. What He wants me to do and how to go about doing it.
Do you ever meditate on heaven and what it will be like?
When my grandma was in the hospital I would read to her from the book of revelation. She told me she loved it when I read the description of heaven to her that we find in Revelation 21 and 22. She is now in heaven and thinking of how much joy she is in heaven makes me feel a certain peace and happiness.
So what about you? What kind of art inspires you?
Please share in the comment section section below.
Here’s an inspirational song by Paul Collier:

Post from: Christian Homemaking and Family Resources, Encouragement and Help at Embracing Home

Words of inspiration and encouragement

This video is so pretty. I’m very grateful for God’s amazing grace and for sending us His son. What are you thankful for his Christmas season? Please share in the comment section below .

Post from: Christian Homemaking and Family Resources, Encouragement and Help at Embracing Home

Christmas lights display video

Separate the following ingredients before making the soup: The vegetables and spices: 2 sweet potatoes (medium sized) 8 carrots (large ones) 1 onion 6 cups of fresh vegetable stock Fresh chopped cilantro (or coriander) (obs.: a handful is enough) Other ingredients: 2 tablespoons of dry wine (the cooking kind) Pinch of salt and pepper 1 tablespoon of olive oil 4 tablespoons crème fraiche ( which is a special kind of sour cream) obs.: If you can’t find crème fraiche then you can substitute it with low fat yogurt. After you have all of these ingredients out on the counter you can follow these simple steps: 1st: Slice the onion. Mash the 2 sweet potatoes and cut the carrots roughly. 2nd: Place the sliced onion in a large pan together with the olive oil and heat it for about 5 minutes. After this time it should already have a brown or golden coloring. 3rd: Keep stirring while adding the carrots and the potatoes that you mashed. Stir while heating for about another 5 minutes. 4th: Add the vegetable stock and by now the soup will have come to a boil. When this happens, reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 25 to 30 minutes. By this time the carrots will be tender and the amount of liquid will be less in the pan. Turn off the heat and let it cool for a little. 5th: Now it’s time to blend the soup. You can also use a food processor if you have one. Blend the soup for about 2 minutes. If you want it to be smoother you can blend it for more time. If you want it to be chunkier you can blend it for only 1 minute. 6th: Put the soup back into the pan and heat it again. Now it’s time to season with salt and pepper. To spice up the presentation add a little fresh cilantro and a spoonful of crème fraiche in each soup bowl.

Have you ever done anything to make your carrot soup yummy?
Does your family like soup? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below .

Post from: Christian Homemaking and Family Resources, Encouragement and Help at Embracing Home

Delicious carrot soup recipe

Table of Contents (Top) 1- Introduction to the Alphabetical Order 2- Learning and Identifying the Letter Names 2A- Let’s Play a Game 2B- Test Your Knowledge of the Letter Names 3- Upper and Lower Case Identification 4- Memorizing the Alphabetical Order 4A- Beginner Alphabetical Order Online Activities 4B- More Advanced Activities to Master the Alphabetical Order 5- Learning Letter Sounds (and Reviewing Letter Names) 5A- Introducing All of the Alphabet Letter Sounds 5B- Teaching Each Individual Letter Sound (and Reviewing Letter Names) 5C- Learning Activities Separated by Each Letter Sound and the Vocabulary for Each Letter 6- Short Vowel CVC Words (consonant-vowel-consonant)

4B- More Advanced Activities to
Master the Alphabetical Order

Post from: Christian Homemaking and Family Resources, Encouragement and Help at Embracing Home

Free Online Alphabetical Order Games Abc Internet Activities

For Kids (and Adults ) to Play Online Online Thanksgiving Stories Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Cartoon Thanksgiving Video – What Are you Thankful For? Online Thanksgiving Games Kids Thanksgiving Songs Play Online Thanksgiving Puzzles How To Draw a Turkey Send Thanksgiving E-Cards Print Out these Awesome Resources Various Thanksgiving Printables Thanksgiving Printable Coloring Pages Printable Thanksgiving and Fall Stationary Yummy Thanksgiving Recipes Thanksgiving Research Study

Online Thanksgiving Stories Back to Table of Contents Top Snoopy and Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Cartoon Back to Table of Contents Top Thanksgiving Video – What are You Thankful For? Back to Table of Contents Top What are you thankful for? Watch these little kids answer that question: Online Thanksgiving Games Back to Table of Contents Top Kids Thanksgiving Songs Back to Table of Contents Top Funny Thanksgiving Turkey Song Cute Preschool Thank You Song…. Play Online Thanksgiving Puzzles Back to Table of Contents Top How to Draw a Turkey Back to Table of Contents Top Make your e-card Back to Table of Contents Top Various Thanksgiving Printables Back to Table of Contents Top Thanksgiving Printable Coloring Pages Back to Table of Contents Top Printable Thanksgiving and Fall Stationary Back to Table of Contents Top Yummy Thanksgiving Recipes Back to Table of Contents Top Butternut Squash Chowder Pumpkin Pie Recipe Thanksgiving Research Study Back to Table of Contents Top

Post from: Christian Homemaking and Family Resources, Encouragement and Help at Embracing Home

Thanksgiving crafts to make and online kids activities

We all have problems. One day might be a wonderful one filled with fun and gratifying things. The next day might be filled with really bad things happening. This shouldn’t surprise us as Jesus said: In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. John 16:33b What do we do when bad things happen? Even if you are a firm believer in the Lord Jesus, you might find your thought life derailed if too many rocks fall on you at once. The best advice I can give you is to always spend time with Jesus. Keeping a prayer journal is a wonderful way to have devotionals. It helps to keep you focused and also opens up your heart to hear God’s word. A prayer journal can be much like a diary but instead of writing to yourself you’re pouring out your ideas to the Lord. On this page you will find various aspects of journaling being covered: Free Prayer Journaling Printables Why should you make room for Jesus in your life daily? What does it mean to be a Christian? Preparing our hearts for His Word Free Prayer Journaling Printables I have created some printables that will help you with directing your Christian journal. Remember that these are just helps. They are in no way a rule. You need to discover what fits your own personal way of keeping a prayer journal. I hope these printables will help spark some ideas and motivate you in your prayer time: Prayer Journal Printable Prayer Request Tracker Why should you make room for Jesus in your life daily? If something is taking up that time you seriously need to stop and analyze what can be eliminated from your life so that it doesn’t take away from time with Him. Nothing should get in the way of your relationship with your heavenly Father. Sometimes people trust their previous “Biblical knowledge” to keep them strong. Studying the Word is essential but it does not replace daily time with Jesus. Even if you’ve memorized the entire Bible, if you don’t spend time in His presence, when problems come around you might find yourself completely out of God’s will. Remember when Jesus told the “Parable of the Sower”? Pay attention to the following verses: And others are the ones sown among thorns; they are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world, and the delight in riches, and the desire for other things, enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. Mark 4:18-19 The seeds are the Word of God. We want the seed to grow and produce fruit. Notice that the thorns that Jesus is referring to are the cares of this world. We need to remove those thorns before they take out the word of God in our hearts. It’s a decision that has to be made. Make room for the Word of God to fill your heart day by day. Even if you have a lot of biblical information in your brain, if you don’t consciously make the decision to spend time in His Presence daily, the cares of this world will choke the Word out of your heart. What does it mean to be a Christian? You see, being a Christian is not about thinking that you are more spiritual than others. It’s not about being “churchy”. It’s not about being religious. What is it about then? It’s about having a relationship with Jesus Christ. It’s a daily thing to follow Christ. Even Jesus himself spent time praying to the Father and He is God! Having a prayer journal will help your spiritual life a lot. If you journal your thoughts you can keep track of what’s in your heart. Preparing our hearts for His Word Personally I have 2 moments to my prayer journal. There’s the moment where I simply write to the Lord what I am feeling. I pour out my heart to Him. It’s kind of like writing a letter. Sometimes my thoughts may not be in complete alignment to His Word, but once I get those thoughts out, I can read them and figure out what is true and what is not. Then there is the second part of my journaling. I read and figure out what is not in alignment to the Word. I also identify my personal prayer requests in these moments. So I let Him minister to my heart when I do my prayer journal. Some people restrict themselves way too much during their prayer time. This won’t help them grow spiritually. It’s important to be free when journaling. Speak to your Father about what you are going through and what you need to get better at. Speak to him through your writing. God’s word is here for a reason and that reason is to guide us and to take us to the right place. So journal away to get closer to God and His joy and happiness. Please feel free to share your own thoughts or ask for help if you need it in the comment section below. Blessings to you, Eren Mckay And if you haven’t signed up for the free Embracing Home Newsletter, you may do so in the form below: Don’t Miss Out on Our Free Inspirational Newsletter   Sign Up for Valuable Tips and Resources for Your Home and Classroom   Just Enter Your ♥ Name and Email ♥  Name: Email: (We respect your privacy and will never share your email address with anyone.)

Post from: Christian Homemaking and Family Resources, Encouragement and Help at Embracing Home

How to make a prayer journal

Post from: Christian Homemaking and Family Resources, Encouragement and Help at Embracing Home

Inspirational Poem Prayer – Short Prayers to God

Post from: Christian Homemaking and Family Resources, Encouragement and Help at Embracing Home

How to cure and heal severe anxiety

But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
Psalm 22:3

If you want to experience His presence in your life, come to Him with all sincerity and you will find Him. As the Lord Jesus said:

The hour is coming, and now is, when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those that worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.
John 4:23-24

I really wanted to share the following video which is a documentary of a church in Alaska that experienced the Presence of God when they were praising Him. May the Lord speak to you through this video:

What about you? What helps you remain in His peace? Have you ever experienced the Presence of the Lord through worship? Please share your own experiences by scrolling down and writing in the comment section below.


By the way, here are some fantastic praise and worship songs that you can listen to. You can also click each individual song to listen to the one that you feel like .

May the Lord bless you through these songs:

Post from: Christian Homemaking and Family Resources, Encouragement and Help at Embracing Home

How to Bring and Experience God’s Presence in Worship

1-Why should we love God?
Because He first loved us:

We love Him, because He first loved us.
I John 4:19

2 – Because He will never abandon or fail us:

I will never leave you nor forsake you. Hebrews 13:5b

3 - Because even when we don’t deserve His love, He shows us eternal mercy:

But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved
Ephesians 2:4-5.

4 -Because with all of the power to do anything that He wanted, He decided to be humble and come to this Earth for us. He let go of all of all of the glory of the heavens and suffered so much for us that He was disfigured. Jesus did all of this out of His own free will to save us from condemnation.

Just as there were many who were appalled at Him – His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and His form marred beyond human likeness…
Isaiah 52:14

5 -Because we’ve offended the Lord over and over and He still forgives us if we confess and repent:

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

6 -He blots our sins out which means He erases what we have done wrong. He forgets it all if we truly repent. So that means once I confess and repent I don’t have to live in a “guilt trip”.

I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins. Put Me in remembrance; let us contend together; state your case, that you may be acquitted.
Isaiah 43:25-26

Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. Acts 3:19

7 -Because He is perfect in character. No one else is like Him.

He is the Rock, His work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He.
Deuteronomy 32:4

8 -Because He is Spirit and that means I can talk to Him at any moment and He will listen to me:

God is Spirit… John 4:24a

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
1 John 5:14

9 -Because I can know what the Truth is through Him. I don’t have to guess or hypothesize what the Truth is. He guides me to it:

Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, [that] shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come.
John 16:13

10 -Because He has so much in store for us that our minds can’t even grasp it all.

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.
I Corinthians 2:9

11 -Because He has prepared an awesome place for us in heaven in which there will be no more suffering. I’m so grateful to be able to look forward to that:

Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms.
If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
John 14:1-3

12 -Because He is sooo faithful to us even though we have not been to Him.

Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.
Psalm 36:5

13 – Because He guides every single moment of our lives.

For this God is our God for ever and ever: He will be our guide even unto death.
Psalms 48:14

14 – Because He is the provider of all of our needs.

But their trust should be in the living God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.
1 Tim. 6:17b

And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 2 Corinthians 9:8

15 – Because He has created and planned each part of who we are.

This is what the LORD says—
He who made you, who formed you in the womb,
and who will help you.
Isaiah 44:2

For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
Romans 8:29

16 – Because He is the source of fulfillment and joy.

You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
—Psalm 16:11

17 – Because He is near and is my source of strength:

But you, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me.
Psalm 22:19

18 – Because even when the going gets tough in my life I know He has a purpose in all of it. He always has the best for us in mind:

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28

19 – Because He is the reason we all even exist:

For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him.
And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
Colossians 1:16-17

20 – Because He is very patient and merciful:

… But You are God, ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abundant in kindness …
Nehemiah 9:17

But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.
Psalm 86:15

21 – Because when things seem impossible in my life I know that I have God on my side:

For with God nothing will be impossible.
Luke 1:37

But He said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.
Luke 18:27

22 – God is good and wants all to be saved. (Not all will be saved because man chooses evil but it is His desire that all repent and believe in Christ to be saved:)

This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
1 Timothy 2:3-4

23 – Because He prays for us :

My little children, these things write I unto you, that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
1 John 2:1

24 – Because He already has a purpose and a plan for you:

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.
Jeremiah 29:11

25 – Because Jesus is the Creator and His greatness is amazing.

For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him:
Colossians 1:16

I see the greatness of God when I see the following video:
(it’s the second largest aquarium in the world)




26 – Because He is the one Who heals us when we are broken or wounded.

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds … Great is our Lord, and mighty in power .
Psalm 147:3

27 – Because listening to Jesus my heart gets on fire just as the disciples hearts were burning when listening to Him speak:

And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
Luke 24:32

28 – Because His promises are truth and they will give us the strength to live and to obey if we simply meditate upon them:

Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
2 Peter 1:4

29 – Because He is capable of solving every single problem and need that we ever will have in our lives.

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19

30 – Because He gave us all of the talents and gifts that we need to fulfill His will:

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
James 1:17

31 – Because He gives abundance and meaning to our lives.

I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
John 10:10

32 – Because He said that we should not worry about tomorrow. Even though worrisome thoughts try to creep into our minds, His words destroy those thoughts:

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:34

33 – Because He sends angels to care for us, how cool is that?

The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.
Psalm 34:7

34 – He is just plain awesome and no one else is like Him:

There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.
1 Samuel 2:2

35 – Because He has His arms wide open to care for me.

Because without Him where in the world would we be?

What about you? Why do you love Jesus and what are some of His attributes that you absolutely love?
Please share in the comment section below. And if you haven’t signed up for the free Embracing Home Newsletter, you may do so in the form below:


Here are some more inspirational articles that will help get you motivated for your life goals:


Overcoming obstacles and failures by instilling a positive mindset


Letting go of the past


Believing in God in times of crisis and trusting Him

Post from: Christian Homemaking and Family Resources, Encouragement and Help at Embracing Home

Get closer to God by meditating on Who He is (Top 35 reasons to love Jesus)

Here are some flowers:



Sending you lots of kisses:





A tasty cupcake:





A Heart filled with music:



and a whole Tea Party for you:

You are a wonderful mom, wife and friend.
And even though you’re all the way in Australia and I’m here in Brazil, (12 hours of time zone difference), you’re so very close to my heart. (By the way, it’s still your birthday here in Brazil so technically I’m not late )
I wish you on this special day that the angels of God surround you and your beautiful family. And that the Lord may shower you with all of the blessings imaginable.
It’s a privilege to be your friend.
Here’s a Happy Birthday song for you .

l♥ve always,
Eren Mckay

Post from: Christian Homemaking and Family Resources, Encouragement and Help at Embracing Home

Elise Berenger Happy Birthday my wonderful friend

(<< Whitney Houston performing On ABC's Good Morning America in NYC)

Watching Whitney Houston being interviewed by Oprah Winfrey was so inspiring to me and completely different from that infamous interview with Diane Sawyer.

Honestly when I watched Whitney being interviewed by Diane Sawyer several years ago, my vision of Whitney shattered and I was completely disappointed.


She had been such an inspiration to me in my childhood. I absolutely loooved listening to her.
Her music brought me such joy and motivation.
Her interpretation of the songs were unlike any other singer and it all felt so true. When she sang you could feel that she was bearing her soul to everyone. I have to say I have not found another singer that quite knows how to interpret the songs in such a way to be so moving.

Diane Sawyer interview = dumbfounded

So when I listened to her “Diane Sawyer interview” I was completely dumbfounded.
Was this the Whitney that I loved?
Was this the woman that I looked up to?
And all of a sudden I wondered if all of that inspiration that I had felt was real or was it just a “fabricated” Hollywood thing?

You might think, how could an interview affect you so much, Eren? Well it affected me because her music inspired me. The lyrics moved me to stand up for things. And if she wasn’t living what she was singing, it kind of made the songs lose meaning to me. This may sound crazy but it’s exactly how I felt.

The other thing is that she had already shared with the world that she had a relationship with Jesus and so did I. So that made me feel even more “connected” to her.

So when she came around and said certain things like “crack is whack” and “cocaine is better than crack” on air, I literally just sat there with my jaw dropped to the floor.

Couldn’t she see that her actions were affecting her health and her family? Was she not understanding that she was throwing away the body, the opportunities and talents that God had given her?
I kept asking myself: doesn’t she know Jesus?
Doesn’t she know the truth?
What is she doing!?!? And I just wanted to shake her into waking up and just snapping out of it.

I wasn’t “judging her”. Not at all. I was rooting for her because I really liked her. I frankly was appalled because she was my favorite singer of all times. On so many occasions I had said there was no one like Whitney. No singer could get me quite as moved as she could.
And after that “Diane Sawyer interview” I began to pray for Whitney.
In all of these years I’ve really missed and frankly mourned the loss of her breath-taking performances.

The Real Whitney is back

Well tonight I watched her being interviewed by Oprah Winfrey and I cried like a baby.
In fact I’m crying again. And I understood that the Whitney that was interviewed years ago by Diane Sawyer was not the real Whitney but someone who had lost her way. Someone who was being influenced to believing deceptive lies. And all of these lies derailed her from her true self. So the things that she had said were completely influenced by wrong thinking. Her mind had gone astray. The real Whitney is a child of God who was created with a purpose. She is strong in Him.

( Whitney and her daughter Bobbi Kristina on stage >>>)

Tonight when I saw her being interviewed by Oprah I saw a transformed Whitney. The one who we all love and cherish. She was being so open and honest about her life, her feelings, her marriage and her drug addiction. You could tell how much love she has for her daughter Bobbi Kristina. All I could do was cry.

Whitney suffered a lot of emotional pain. And while sitting there I understood that my perception of her years ago was about a certain moment in her life in which she was lost. My perception of her was not of the real person of who Whitney really is and who God wants her to be.
Whitney Houston is a wonderful person. She truly is. God has a purpose and a plan for Whitney and she got derailed from her true calling for a while.

But you know what? Everyone who prayed for her to get on track again should know that those prayers worked. And tonight she was back on track and able to show why we feel so completely moved and touched when she sings. It’s because of who she is inside and Who’s she is.

While being interviewed she continually said that God gave her the strength to move on. That it is her faith that keeps her moving. The words that she used and her spirit- I really could feel that she truly believes
in Jesus Christ. And while she is human and has made her fair share of mistakes I believe her faith is genuine. She has strayed away so many times from God’s path yet she has come back. The Lord used her mom to get her back on track. Thank you Jesus- praise be to God.

Never lose hope

Her story has touched me in a very deep level. It shows us that no matter how far we may seem to be and even in a seemingly hopeless situation – God can still bring us back. Her story reminded me of the parable of the prodigal son and how we should never lose faith. We should take it as a wake up call to not waver and that goal setting is so important to keep us on track.

The true children of God will not be lost in the end no matter how lost they may seem.
At the end of the Oprah special she sang and it was so incredibly fantastic!
Her song was emotional and open. It was so moving. Oprah and most of the audience were all crying (and so was I- LOL ). It was just beautiful.

Here’s my favorite song of hers

Whitney Houston is not a quitter. She is a child of God and I really pray that she may continue on the right path for the rest of her days here on Earth.
We love you Whitney!


You keep going girl ♥ x ♥ x♥
So what about you? Has Whitney’s life and music inspired you in some way? Please do share in the comment section below, I’d love to hear your thoughts

Post from: Christian Homemaking and Family Resources, Encouragement and Help at Embracing Home

Whitney Houston interviewed by Oprah Winfrey my perspective on it all

1- The Funny Elf “that looks like a Watermelon” Pumpkin	2- Samurai Pumpkin
3- Candy Wrapper Pumpkin (when you don’t have materials, try using candy wrappers.)	4- Pinky Pumpkin (don’t ya wanna kiss me?)
5- Stuck with Hearts Pumpkin	6- Boogy Eyes Pumpkin
7- Big Mouth Sandwich Pumpkin (some people really need this one)	8- Thanksgiving Dinner Pumpkin
9- Toilet Paper Fun Pumpkin	10- Ugly Nosed Frog Pumpkin
11- Pirate Pumpkin	12- “Must Have Been a 4 year Old to Draw This” Pumpkin
13- Pirate Carving Pumpkin	14- Jack in the Box Pumpkin
15- Humpty Pumpkin	16- Pumpkin Cat
17- Grandpa Friends Pumpkins	18- Just Plain Ugly Pumpkin
19- Pumpkin Family	20- Pumpkin Woman
21-The Dog Who Needs a “Fashion Sense” Pumpkin	22- Just Plain Crazy Pumpkin
23- Big Mommy Pumpkin	24- Indian Pumpkin
25- Nasty Looking Pumpkin	26- Stereo Pumpkin
27- One Eyed Monster Pumpkin	28- The Gaudy Pumpkin
29- Gargamel’s Cousin Pumpkin	30- Girlie Blue Alien Pumpkin
31- Cute Guy Pumpkin	32- Girly Pumpkin
33- Aladdin’s Genie Pumpkin	34- Dancing With the Stars Pumpkins
35- The “I’m so cool” Pumpkin	36- The “Needs a Q-tip” Elephant Pumpkin
37- The Wannabe Tomato Pumpkin	38- The Fluorescent Hillbilly Pumpkin
39- The Hairylegs Ladybugs Pumpkin	40- Spider Pumpkin
41- The Chef Ramsey Pumpkin	42- Very Weird Pink Pumpkin
43- Wise Owl Pumpkin	44- The Pumpkin Doll

Post from: Christian Homemaking and Family Resources, Encouragement and Help at Embracing Home

Painting creative pumpkin faces & pumpkin decorating ideas

Post from: Christian Homemaking and Family Resources, Encouragement and Help at Embracing Home

Hot wheels birthday party ideas – hotwheels theme cake pictures

I Peter 4:12-13
Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

You shouldn’t be surprised when they do come your way because it’s just how this fallen world is. It’s just a reality of this earthly life.
Jesus clearly told us this as we see in

John 16:33:
In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Notice that the Lord not only said that we will have tribulation but he gave us the command to be of good cheer. This is the important part of the verse: Be of good cheer. This is the part that we really need to focus on and make happen in our lives.

We need to understand that we must be positive.

We see this principle in

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.

So you see, scripture is telling us to think about good and positive things. I see many “gurus” talking about this principle like it’s some kind of “news” but God was already telling us this through His Word thousands of years ago.
Being positive doesn’t mean that we are not in touch with reality – not one bit. This means that even though we know the dire state of this world we have made a decision to be positive in the midst of it.

Some people are really positive and can handle quite a lot of “curve balls” in life and remain positive.

For example I’ve always thought of myself as a positive person. But when I went through lots of people in my family dying in a short period of time it really affected me deeply. I couldn’t quite get a handle on getting positive again. I just wasn’t prepared spiritually for that amount of death happening at once. But going through the valley has really taught me how to not let my mind go the wrong way.

The point is that even if you are a very positive person, it’s important to understand how to remain in that positive state. Being certain that you are able to stay strong will get you through the trials and tribulations that come your way. And yes they are certain to come your way. We want to be like the house that Jesus spoke in

Matthew 7:25
The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.

Steps to maintain a positive mindset:

Now how do you accomplish being positive when the going gets rough?
How do you remain cheerful in the midst of hard circumstances?
In order to answer to these questions, the first thing that you need to do is evaluate your response. By doing this you can have a starting point from which to transform your mindset.

1st Step: Evaluate Your Internal Dialogue

Stop and think about what happens in your mind when you face problems. Many times we don’t stop and think about the fact that there is always an internal dialogue going on in our minds. We may never speak the thoughts but they are happening anyways. It’s a spiritual reality.

Our thoughts may lead us down the wrong road if we don’t perceive that they are spiraling into a negative thinking pattern. So the first thing we need to do is be aware of our thoughts and the response that we have when facing problems. Awareness of this internal spiritual reality is definitely the first step.

Here are some questions to ask yourself in order to become more aware of what happens in your mind:

• What do you think of when a problem occurs?




• Do you get really nervous and feel helpless?




• Do you get into a state where all you can think about is bad and awful things?




• How long do you remain in that state?




• If something bad happens in the beginning of the week will that ruin the rest of your week?

What have you discovered about your thought life?

Now that you’ve reflected upon those questions,
You might be able to see a pattern in your thoughts and in the way you respond to difficulties that you encounter. ( If you don’t know the answer to the questions above, I suggest writing down what your thoughts are daily and when you face problems. That way you will be able to clearly see the internal dialogue that happens in your mind. )

It’s possible that you’ve discovered that your thought life is indeed positive and if so, then congratulations! But it might be that you’ve figured out that your thinking process is not as positive as you would like it to be.

If after asking yourself certain questions, you’ve discovered that your thought pattern is actually negative then I want to help you understand what to do to transform that pattern into an inner positivism and strength. I don’t want the enemy of your soul getting a foothold in your mind through his deceiving lies. Scripture says:

I Peter 5:8
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

You see, the devil wants to see you in a defeated state of mind, believing that you are not capable of moving forward. He wants to have you believing that it’s not possible to overcome the obstacles that you face but the truth is that God has the answer for you. You CAN overcome as we see in

Philippians 4:13:
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

So it is possible to move forward and the way to do that is through Christ. He has already provided a way of escape so that you can experience a joy filled life.

How do we keep our minds aligned to the truth of God’s Word? We may go to church or hear a sermon and we feel so strong while listening. But then the week begins and the problems start to mount up and that’s when we get down because we seem to “forget” everything that we heard.

In order for you to live in accordance to God’s word it’s not a question of having a huge amount of biblical facts stored in your head. It’s about applying God’s truths that you’ve learned and remembering to do so in your daily life.

The next article in this 3 part series deal with applying the Word of God in our daily lives.

This post was the first part of a 3 part series.
If you have not read part 2 you may do so here:

Part 2 :
Spiritual warfare lesson guide and teaching how to apply God’s word


You might also enjoy these posts:


Goal setting and goal based ethics


Believing in God in times of crisis and trusting Him


Letting go of the past: how to let go of the past to achieve a peaceful and content life

Post from: Christian Homemaking and Family Resources, Encouragement and Help at Embracing Home

Overcoming obstacles & failures – instilling a positive mindset

Roman 13:14
But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to [fulfil] the lusts [thereof].

Now how do we do that? How can we put on the Lord? How can we live in Him, being led by His Spirit?
We need to do this daily….by the hour…..by the minute.


I have a little acronym for it to be very easy for you to remember the action steps that you need to take in order to achieve God’s will for you and stay on the right track with your thought life.
Every day put on your spiritual C.A.P.E.

The acronym is C.A.P.E.
C- Capture the thoughts
A- Apply God’s word
P- Pray in His Presence giving Him your thought life and asking him for His grace to do His will.
E- Enabling power is given to you from the Lord that will energize and excite you.

Let’s start with the first letter:

C stands for Capture those thoughts.

You must grab certain thoughts before they grow and become destructive. And by this I mean- you need to be aware of what is going on in your mind and you need to stop wrong thoughts dead in their tracks.

I know that this is not easy because many times thoughts seem like snowballs going downhill making them hard to stop when they begin to grow and gain momentum. And if the snowball really grows it can cause an avalanche. That’s precisely why you need to catch the “forming snowball” right at the beginning before it grows.


Identify the thoughts.

The way to get them in the initial stage is to identify them through talking it out, writing it out or asking yourself certain questions. Here’s an example of a list of questions that you can ask yourself in order to identify the error.

• When did you start feeling sad or anxious or like doing something that you know is wrong?




• Can you think of an event that triggered these feelings?




• What are the root thoughts that you are having that are provoking all of this?

These are some questions that you can ask yourself and talk about it until you identify the root of the issue. You can write it out in a journal or even talk to a trusted friend. If you talked to one friend and it didn’t help, you may look for help from another friend. Sometimes I talk into a recorder and the Lord shows me exactly where the wrong thought came in (just by recording myself).


You have a real enemy.

If you make this a habit in your life there is no way that a wrong thought can remain in your mind for long. The fact is that if you’re constantly aware of the thoughts going on in your mind, the devil won’t be able to plant his seeds of lies in your heart. Satan will throw so many darts (wrong thoughts) at you attempting to get you off track. He will use every venue that he can find. He’ll use T.V. shows, friends, family members, magazines, media, etc.


He’s out to destroy you. When you’re searching for those wrong thoughts, it’s like getting a magnifying glass out and looking deeply into your heart to find what needs to be changed. The devil knows that if he can plant seeds of doubt into your mind, he can hinder your faith in the Lord. And if he’s able to do that, then how will you be able to do God’s work?

The importance of remaining in the faith.

When you believe in God’s purpose for your life and you’re close to the Lord’s heart, you will be able to hear what He wants you to do. And you can do it. When faith is stolen from your heart what do you have left?

When that faith is robbed, you will only be able to achieve works of the flesh. And in the flesh we can’t possibly please God (*Romans 8:8) and really can’t produce eternal fruit.
We can only produce fruit if we are in Christ.

John 15:5
I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

But remember that identifying the problem is just the beginning of solving it. Just as a doctor needs to apply the right medicine to the ailment. Discovering the ailment is just the beginning of things.
After you’ve identified the wrong thoughts swarming around in your mind, you need to take the next step.

A- Apply God’s word to your thoughts.

So this is what you need to do:
The next time you start to feel a lack of peace or you perceive that you are not resting in God, ask yourself the following questions:
Are these thoughts that I’m having in accordance to the Word of God?
Do they align with the mind of my Creator? Many people are aware of inner thoughts but they don’t apply God’s Word to them. That makes them susceptible to be deceived by their own hearts. Contrary to what the world teaches, God’s word says that our hearts are wicked and full of deceit. So therefore our feelings should not guide our lives if they are not in alignment with the Word and the will of the Lord.

Jeremiah 17:9
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

By letting God’s Word be a mirror to our hearts we are able to clearly see when we are being led astray.

Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

After you’ve asked yourself those questions to bring to the surface what’s going on in your mind, then you can ask yourself the following questions:

• Are the thoughts that I’m having in agreement with God’s Word?




• If I truly believe to be right, then where can I find a verse that agrees with the mindset that I have right now?




• What has the Lord told and confirmed to me personally that is opposite to what I’m thinking at this moment?




• What sermon could I listen to that would help me move forward?

This is when you should take out your Bible and begin to study what God has to say about the subject that you’re thinking about.


Satan whispers in our ears several thoughts. If you find that the thoughts that you are having do not align with God’s truth, then you need to apply God’s Word to your thoughts and destroy any lie that you may have in your mind. With God’s Word you can unmask any idea that doesn’t come from above.
And that makes it easy to discard wrong thoughts. This is the process that is described in

Romans 12:2
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

In order to experience this transformation we need to be constantly vigilant and not letting our minds conform to thoughts that are not true according to God’s Word.
So many people may even find out what their thoughts are but they don’t even attempt to transform their minds. I’ve seen people bring out the thoughts that they have through talking or writing and instead of moving on to the second stage which is to verify if those thoughts are true or not, they convince themselves of the lies. They deceive themselves. And they remain in bondage. Here’s a verse that clearly shows us this spiritual battle:

2 Corinthians 10:5
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

But thankfully we are not bound to lies. We have the Lord Jesus who has come to set us free from all lies and enable us to cast down these imaginations. If we actively participate to overcome and win this spiritual battle then the deceiver will not grab our hearts and we will be set free by the Lord.

John 8:32
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
He has come to transform us and to give us new life through His truth.

John 10:10
I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

It is at this stage that you make a new decision on what you will believe and what you will do. If your mind was going the wrong way you do a complete turn around and go the right way. The good news is that you don’t need to do this work in your heart by your own strength.
The next article will be the last part of this 3 part series and will cover the last steps of putting on your spiritual C.A.P.E. which are:
P- Pray in His Presence giving Him your thought life and asking him for His grace to do His will.
E- Enabling power is given to you from the Lord that will energize and excite you.


This article is part 2 of a 3 part series. If you have not read part 1 you may do so here:

Part 1 (Introduction):
Overcoming obstacles and failures through instilling a positive mindset.

Eagle image credit Heartlight

Post from: Christian Homemaking and Family Resources, Encouragement and Help at Embracing Home

Spiritual warfare lesson guide and teaching how to apply God’s word

Post from: Christian Homemaking and Family Resources, Encouragement and Help at Embracing Home

Finding nemo birthday party ideas supplies cakes