In order to help you get to the root of whatever clutter issues you are dealing with, I want to introduce you to the concept of Spirit Work, also known as SW. I want to clarify that SW is not homework. It is designed to help your spirit and your heart connect with God’s Spirit and His heart. Think of SW as a time of prayer, a time to slow down, to quiet yourself, and appreciate that God wants to have communication with you. SW helps you to do that.
As we all know, communication and relationships take work. Your communication and relationship with God also takes work. SW helps you to come into a relationship with God, yourself, and others.
SW is going to help you to:
♥ Experience the Person and power of God’s Holy Spirit.
♥ Stretch yourself by making healthier choices.
♥ Take small steps to make big changes.
♥ Find healing, hope, love, and truth.
♥ Reveal your own hidden story.
♥ Find God’s way rather than your way.
So now that you have been introduced to SW, let’s get started so that you can gain more insight and clarity to your story through the power, strength, guidance, and council of God’s Holy Spirit.
The following SW questions have been designed to help you get into the habit of getting your thoughts decluttered. Regardless of what the clutter is in your life, it is always related to how you think, so we are going to start with decluttering your thinking. And because your thinking then influences how you feel and what you say, we are also going to focus on decluttering your heart and the amount of words that come out of your mouth. Therefore, we are going to focus on one word phrases for your answers. Feel free to print this off.
1. In one word, write down the thought that reflects why you are choosing to read Red Wednesday’s Blog______________
2. In one word, write down the feeling that relates to why you are choosing to read Red Wednesday’s Blog_____________
Please keep this in mind about feelings:
♥ Feelings are secondary to what you think.
♥ Your feelings belong to you based on your thinking.
♥ Someone else can not make you feel a certain way.
♥ You are responsible for what you think and feel.
♥ Someone else does not have the power to make you feel a certain way.
♥ You are responsible for what you feel and not someone else.
3. Circle the one seed that you most want to plant as you consider how you answered your first two questions:
♥ Healing
♥ Hope
♥ Love
♥ Truth
The fruit of planting your specific seed will take place over a number of months and even years. Change will happen in all four areas of Healing, Hope, Love, and Truth, but, it will be a process that is meant to be gradual, slow, purposeful and watchful as you focus on just one seed.
4. As you reflect on the one seed that you want to plant, circle the one Scripture out of the following that most speaks to you in regards to the seed that you want to plant for yourself:
♥ “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11
♥ “Keep on asking and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking and you will find. Keep on knocking and the door will be opened.” Luke 11: 9
♥ “In the beginning the Word already existed. He was with God and he was God.” John 1: 1
♥ “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32
This Scripture will be your personal Scripture in the months to come. I suggest that you write it down on a small card and carry it or post it where you can see it every day. Then look forward to hearing it and seeing it as the Lord uses it to get your attention about the seed you are planting.
As you choose to focus on:
♥ One thought
♥ One feeling
♥ One word
♥ One Scripture
♥ One step at a time
You will begin to see how you can live your life with more of the SON:
His Simplicity
His Order
His Nurturance
One of my very favorite songs is called Draw me Close by the Katinas. One of the ways that I am always drawn closer to God is through SW. May you be blessed with this week’s SW and be drawn closer to the Lord.
May 30, 2012
May 16, 2012
Red Wednesday's Widsom - Symbolism
Symbolism is a form of communication. Webster defines a symbol as “an object that is used to represent something abstract.” So symbolism can be a reminder to us of what an object stands for or the message it is meant to convey to us. But here is the caution that I want to express about symbolism, symbolism does not always carry the same message or have the same meaning for all of us, and therefore, we need to be discerning in how we use it in our communication:
♥ Satanic rock groups wear crosses.
♥ The New Age movement puts power and energy into symbols.
♥ God uses His creation to speak to our hearts, BUT our focus is on the Creator and not His creation.
Over the years, I have learned that the Bible is full of symbolism. God has consistently used specific symbols to speak to me and to get my attention about His Word, His Power, and His Spirit. Ultimately, many of the symbols were very significant in my developing the Clutter Healing Guidelines (CHG’S) that have taught me about God’s simplicity, order, and nurturance.
God’s world is speaking to us all the time. We just need to be opened to how He uses His creation to reveal His personal touch and relationship with each and every one of us. This week I will share some of the symbolism that God has used with me in hopes that you too will begin to experience the touch of God’s Holy Spirit and His desire to speak to you as well, even through something as simple as a candle and an apple!
In the presence of some candlelight, intentionally allow yourself to be quiet, and as you look into the candlelight’s flame, think upon this Scripture from Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light for my path.” In some of my darkest times it has been that one flame of light that has been a symbol of hope for me.
Florence Nightingale was the first nurse, and when she is depicted in pictures, she is often seen as carrying an oil lamp to light her way to the sick. God’s Word brings light to the darkest sick room, including the darkest mind, heart, and soul. Where does God want to shed His light, His lamp of understanding in your life? What does He want you to see that can only be seen through Him?
In Acts 2:3 we are told, “Then what looked like flames or tongues of fire settled on each of them and everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages.” When I gaze upon a candle’s flame, I am reminded of how it is a symbol of the Holy Spirit’s power and how He equips me to do what I could never do on my own! When we make the decision to ask Jesus into our life, He blesses us with this great gift, this power, the presence of His Holy Spirit.
Have you ever thought about yourself in relationship to an apple? Are you aware that God guards us as “the apple of (His) eye,” Psalm 17:8? No matter what we do or who we are, we will always have value in God’s eyes.
An apple often symbolizes the fruit that Adam and Eve ate. Genesis 3:6 just says that they ate some of the fruit. It could have been an apple, a banana, or an orange. It really doesn’t matter what kind of fruit they ate. The fruit was not the issue. The issue was about being obedient to God’s thoughts and what God said, and not what man thought or what man said.
Is it possible that Adam and Eve posed a question to one another that went something like this, “I know I believe in Him, but I’m just not sure I believe Him!” It’s some food for thought when it comes to reflecting on the apple.
Next week you will begin to see more clearly how our clutter is always about:
♥ What builds up and piles up in our life.
♥ That original erroneous spiritual thinking of Adam and Eve.
♥ Thinking that we can be above God and do things our way.
In truth, we are no different than Adam and Eve. We could have done exactly what they did, and we do! We will always be in the middle of determining what voice we are listening to. Ask yourself, am I listening to the voice of God, myself, man, or Satan? There are always two forces at work in everything we do. There is the force and power of God’s light, and the force and power of darkness. Spirits are real and there are many, but there is only one Holy Spirit or Ghost, and He has power over ALL spirits!
I am here sharing the light of what God has taught me on His path for my life as a nurse, organizer, and spiritual coach/counselor. Will you allow God to take you on the path He has set for you? This week, I pray that all of us will experience God’s spiritual awakening so we can see what we have been blind to seeing, be able to hear what we have been deaf to hearing, be clear on what we have been confused in thinking, and be at peace with what we have been numb to feeling. May He free us from the hidden, secretive, and dark strongholds in our lives.
♥ Satanic rock groups wear crosses.
♥ The New Age movement puts power and energy into symbols.
♥ God uses His creation to speak to our hearts, BUT our focus is on the Creator and not His creation.
Over the years, I have learned that the Bible is full of symbolism. God has consistently used specific symbols to speak to me and to get my attention about His Word, His Power, and His Spirit. Ultimately, many of the symbols were very significant in my developing the Clutter Healing Guidelines (CHG’S) that have taught me about God’s simplicity, order, and nurturance.
God’s world is speaking to us all the time. We just need to be opened to how He uses His creation to reveal His personal touch and relationship with each and every one of us. This week I will share some of the symbolism that God has used with me in hopes that you too will begin to experience the touch of God’s Holy Spirit and His desire to speak to you as well, even through something as simple as a candle and an apple!
In the presence of some candlelight, intentionally allow yourself to be quiet, and as you look into the candlelight’s flame, think upon this Scripture from Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light for my path.” In some of my darkest times it has been that one flame of light that has been a symbol of hope for me.
Florence Nightingale was the first nurse, and when she is depicted in pictures, she is often seen as carrying an oil lamp to light her way to the sick. God’s Word brings light to the darkest sick room, including the darkest mind, heart, and soul. Where does God want to shed His light, His lamp of understanding in your life? What does He want you to see that can only be seen through Him?
In Acts 2:3 we are told, “Then what looked like flames or tongues of fire settled on each of them and everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages.” When I gaze upon a candle’s flame, I am reminded of how it is a symbol of the Holy Spirit’s power and how He equips me to do what I could never do on my own! When we make the decision to ask Jesus into our life, He blesses us with this great gift, this power, the presence of His Holy Spirit.
Have you ever thought about yourself in relationship to an apple? Are you aware that God guards us as “the apple of (His) eye,” Psalm 17:8? No matter what we do or who we are, we will always have value in God’s eyes.
An apple often symbolizes the fruit that Adam and Eve ate. Genesis 3:6 just says that they ate some of the fruit. It could have been an apple, a banana, or an orange. It really doesn’t matter what kind of fruit they ate. The fruit was not the issue. The issue was about being obedient to God’s thoughts and what God said, and not what man thought or what man said.
Is it possible that Adam and Eve posed a question to one another that went something like this, “I know I believe in Him, but I’m just not sure I believe Him!” It’s some food for thought when it comes to reflecting on the apple.
Next week you will begin to see more clearly how our clutter is always about:
♥ What builds up and piles up in our life.
♥ That original erroneous spiritual thinking of Adam and Eve.
♥ Thinking that we can be above God and do things our way.
In truth, we are no different than Adam and Eve. We could have done exactly what they did, and we do! We will always be in the middle of determining what voice we are listening to. Ask yourself, am I listening to the voice of God, myself, man, or Satan? There are always two forces at work in everything we do. There is the force and power of God’s light, and the force and power of darkness. Spirits are real and there are many, but there is only one Holy Spirit or Ghost, and He has power over ALL spirits!
I am here sharing the light of what God has taught me on His path for my life as a nurse, organizer, and spiritual coach/counselor. Will you allow God to take you on the path He has set for you? This week, I pray that all of us will experience God’s spiritual awakening so we can see what we have been blind to seeing, be able to hear what we have been deaf to hearing, be clear on what we have been confused in thinking, and be at peace with what we have been numb to feeling. May He free us from the hidden, secretive, and dark strongholds in our lives.
May 2, 2012
Red Wednesday's Wisdom - One Word
Because our day to day communication can get so cluttered up by all the words that are spoken and heard, we can often miss the original intent of what was meant to be spoken, heard, or understood. The people I work with routinely hear me asking them to put their thoughts or feelings into one word phrases. In fact, I purposefully used one word themes for most of my postings in the first 8 months so it would reflect the simplicity of this kind of communication.
And because I practice what I teach, I also know how challenging it can be to declutter your communication by using one word phrases, but this is the key to lessening the amount of words that you think you need to say in conveying a message. It is a great example of how you can stretch yourself and get out of your comfort zone. As you make a conscientious decision to practice communicating with one word, you will begin to see this is a process that is causing you to slow down your thinking. Slowing down is the first guideline for healing any kind of clutter in your life. This intentional slowing down of your thinking will result in you being able to think with more clarity so that you can then communicate more clearly with yourself, others, and even God.
Your communication will also become less cluttered as you intentionally:
• Establish eye to eye contact.
• Practice putting your thoughts and feelings into one word, and then elaborate.
• Replace "you" messages with "I" messages.
• Become more aware of your tone in a message. The clutter of a message is often not in its content but in how we deliver it.
• Use reflective listening for validation not argumentation.
• Become more aware of the non verbal communication with yourself and others.
In my class situations, I am always modeling and reinforcing these points so that we can begin to improve our communication, so let's take the points a little bit further:
1. We sit in a circle to reinforce the eye to eye contact. When you are talking with someone be sure to establish face to face communication. This one piece of nonverbal communication says I am focused on you and I value what you have to say. This is particularly important in helping children to focus on what they are being told to encourage good listening.
2. I will constantly challenge you to express your thoughts or feelings with one word responses and then elaborate on what that one word means for you. You will be amazed at how your communication improves!
3. I will remind you to say “I” messages rather than "you" messages so we can avoid feelings of defensiveness that are the result of pointing the finger.
• Say the following sentence with the focus being on "you" rather than“I” and see if you can hear or feel the blame game:
“You make me angry when I am ready to leave on time but have to wait on you and then I am late.”
The minute we start out with emphasizing you we are setting ourselves up for a battle of defensiveness. And please remember this: Your feelings are yours and they are secondary to what you think, therefore, someone else can not make you feel a certain way. There is a difference in being responsible for my own emotions and communicating the “I” message in regards to them, verses blaming another for the emotions I feel.
4. I will encourage you to examine the different verbal tones that we hear in our communication so we can discern how our tone can create harmony or discord.
In the following two sentences, see if you can hear how the change in your tone can convey a different message even though the words remain the same and have the appropriate “I” message.
• Say the following sentence with what sounds like a tone of acceptance to you:
“I feel angry when I want to leave on time and need to wait, and then I am late.”
• Now say this same sentence with what sounds like a tone of anger to you:
“I feel angry when I want to leave on time and need to wait, and then I am late.”
Which sentence tone was most receptive to being received by you? So often we get into conflict with one another because of the tone in our voice. The words in our message are often appropriate, but it’s our tone that can totally destroy the message of what we wanted to convey.
5. I will use reflective listening when communicating with you and ask you to do the same with me.
Reflective listening is mirroring back what I thought I heard you say. It gives clarification and indicates that we are truly listening to one another. It also validates whether or not we understand the intent of what is being communicated. I can not tell you how many times I have said, “So, I heard you say………,” and I repeat back their exact words, and I get the response back, “I didn’t say that!” Even though I was simply repeating what was said, it shows how unaware we can sometimes be of what we are saying. Sometimes this happens because the meaning of what we wanted to convey does not come through the words we choose to speak. That creates clutter!
6. We can get mixed messages with what we hear and with what we see. Let go of assuming that you know what someone's nonverbal communication means. Instead, state what you are observing and ask the person what your observation means for them
This week I encourage you to take these communication tools with you and begin using them in your home and work place. See if you find your communication becoming less cluttered, especially when it comes to fewer disagreements, arguments, and misunderstandings.
And because I practice what I teach, I also know how challenging it can be to declutter your communication by using one word phrases, but this is the key to lessening the amount of words that you think you need to say in conveying a message. It is a great example of how you can stretch yourself and get out of your comfort zone. As you make a conscientious decision to practice communicating with one word, you will begin to see this is a process that is causing you to slow down your thinking. Slowing down is the first guideline for healing any kind of clutter in your life. This intentional slowing down of your thinking will result in you being able to think with more clarity so that you can then communicate more clearly with yourself, others, and even God.
Your communication will also become less cluttered as you intentionally:
• Establish eye to eye contact.
• Practice putting your thoughts and feelings into one word, and then elaborate.
• Replace "you" messages with "I" messages.
• Become more aware of your tone in a message. The clutter of a message is often not in its content but in how we deliver it.
• Use reflective listening for validation not argumentation.
• Become more aware of the non verbal communication with yourself and others.
In my class situations, I am always modeling and reinforcing these points so that we can begin to improve our communication, so let's take the points a little bit further:
1. We sit in a circle to reinforce the eye to eye contact. When you are talking with someone be sure to establish face to face communication. This one piece of nonverbal communication says I am focused on you and I value what you have to say. This is particularly important in helping children to focus on what they are being told to encourage good listening.
2. I will constantly challenge you to express your thoughts or feelings with one word responses and then elaborate on what that one word means for you. You will be amazed at how your communication improves!
3. I will remind you to say “I” messages rather than "you" messages so we can avoid feelings of defensiveness that are the result of pointing the finger.
• Say the following sentence with the focus being on "you" rather than“I” and see if you can hear or feel the blame game:
“You make me angry when I am ready to leave on time but have to wait on you and then I am late.”
The minute we start out with emphasizing you we are setting ourselves up for a battle of defensiveness. And please remember this: Your feelings are yours and they are secondary to what you think, therefore, someone else can not make you feel a certain way. There is a difference in being responsible for my own emotions and communicating the “I” message in regards to them, verses blaming another for the emotions I feel.
4. I will encourage you to examine the different verbal tones that we hear in our communication so we can discern how our tone can create harmony or discord.
In the following two sentences, see if you can hear how the change in your tone can convey a different message even though the words remain the same and have the appropriate “I” message.
• Say the following sentence with what sounds like a tone of acceptance to you:
“I feel angry when I want to leave on time and need to wait, and then I am late.”
• Now say this same sentence with what sounds like a tone of anger to you:
“I feel angry when I want to leave on time and need to wait, and then I am late.”
Which sentence tone was most receptive to being received by you? So often we get into conflict with one another because of the tone in our voice. The words in our message are often appropriate, but it’s our tone that can totally destroy the message of what we wanted to convey.
5. I will use reflective listening when communicating with you and ask you to do the same with me.
Reflective listening is mirroring back what I thought I heard you say. It gives clarification and indicates that we are truly listening to one another. It also validates whether or not we understand the intent of what is being communicated. I can not tell you how many times I have said, “So, I heard you say………,” and I repeat back their exact words, and I get the response back, “I didn’t say that!” Even though I was simply repeating what was said, it shows how unaware we can sometimes be of what we are saying. Sometimes this happens because the meaning of what we wanted to convey does not come through the words we choose to speak. That creates clutter!
6. We can get mixed messages with what we hear and with what we see. Let go of assuming that you know what someone's nonverbal communication means. Instead, state what you are observing and ask the person what your observation means for them
This week I encourage you to take these communication tools with you and begin using them in your home and work place. See if you find your communication becoming less cluttered, especially when it comes to fewer disagreements, arguments, and misunderstandings.
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