We are in the middle of our 7 Day Energy Explosion Challenge. If you haven’t joined in, you are welcome to jump in at any time~ It’s not too late!

One of the things I share in Energy Explosion is what I call the MIND Method to meditating. I thought it would be appropriate to share this tool here on the blog today. We can all get bogged down with our internal thoughts and attitudes and Romans 12:1-2 tells us that transformation begins in the mind.

The MIND method is an effective tool for changing your perspective on any particular issue you may be struggling with. Here is more about it from Energy Explosion:

The MIND Method:

Romans 12:2 teaches us that transformed living happens through renewing our minds. Here is a technique I came up with for renewing the mind.

Meditate: To meditate means to mull, ponder, or reflect. It is to review something over and over. Thinking about a passage repetitiously changes the way we perceive life and is the first step to renewing the mind.

Imagine: I like to imagine the scripture in action. I do this by starting with the verbs in the passage and I visualize the subject doing them. This brings the passage to life! I’ll give an example of this in a moment.

kNow: We will undoubtedly encounter truths that our feelings contradict. In these cases, we have to consciously choose to believe what we know, not what we feel.

Direct: The final step is to direct what you’ve been meditating on, imagining, and believing towards a specific area of your life. For this week, the specific area we are targeting is our energy levels.

Here is an example of how I would meditate using the MIND Method. I would begin by writing the scripture (in this case, II Timothy 1:7) on a card and reviewing it several times, thinking about what it means.

Then, I imagine. I know the Greek word for “spirit” in this verse is pneuma, which means “breath” or “wind.” I would imagine God infusing me with breath and liken it to when God “breathed” into Adam the breath of life. I would visualize Him giving me the breath of power, love, and clarity of thought.

Next, I would become aware of where my feelings contradict what God’s word says is true. Maybe I don’t feel strong or loved/loving. I acknowledge that my feelings are misleading and God’s Word is true. I consciously choose to believe Scripture.

Finally, I direct this truth towards regaining energy by saying to myself, “God is breathing in me the power, the mental clarity, and the self-care to increase my energy to the best possible level. He is for me! He is not giving me a spirit of fear or lethargy. He is right here helping me identify and overcome the obstacles to having good energy.”

I hope this little tool helps!   For more free stuff, subscribe to Arabah.

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Hello friends!

This is the question that I had to ask myself before I embarked on writing Energy Explosion: Does God really care about our energy levels? I mean, is having energy a nice thought but too insignificant for God to care that much about? After all, there are people to serve and evangelism to do and bedtime stories to read and meals to cook.

Before I could put my heart into writing Energy Explosion, I had to know it was worthy of my time, especially when there were so many other “good” things to do. So I began digging into His Word to find out where He stood on the issue and when I did…well, it changed my entire perspective!

As I read and studied the scriptures on energy, I discovered that God has a lot to say about it! It begins with Romans 12:11 that commands us to “keep ourselves fueled and aflame” so that we may serve God.

Having good energy is the pre-requisite to doing all those other “good” things He’s given us to do!

While each of us have differing circumstances, demands, resources, personalities, and energy levels, God wants each of us to perform at our personal best. He wants us to know how to keep stoked, so to speak, so that we can live full lives and fulfill the good works He has prepared for us to do (see Ephesians 2:10)

As I studied God’s word on energy, I learned that God cares about our energy levels very much. To process what I learned, I compiled a 7 day devotional based on what scritpure says about energy and His power at work within us.

I’m offering this devotional as a FREE download for subscribers.

To subscribe, simply click here. The link for the FREE download will appear at the bottom of each post. May it be one more tool to help you “keep fueled and aflame.”

You can find out more about Energy Explosion here. And don’t forget to enter to win the $50 Amazon Gift Card, book/DVD/water bottle giveaway below!

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Welcome to the Official 7 Day Energy Explosion Group Challenge!

If you want to increase your energy levels, this week is FOR YOU!

I’m thankful to be part of the blogging community and this is my chance to give back a little

We warmly invite you to join our energy challenge this week and to kick it off, TODAY ONLY you can purchase the PDF version of Energy Explosion for only $1. So go ahead and get your copy, then come on back for the other goodness…

Click to purchase Energy Explosion for Only $1: 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here are some (unsolicited) things others said after participating in our Challenge Week this past spring:

“I got some great building blocks for living and eating from this week long challenge.” Dawn

“My energy level has soared since reading this book.  It’s seriously good, EASY to implement stuff.” Lessons from Ivy

 ”This is an answer to prayer!” Jami

My hope is that this week gives you practical tools to increase your energy and function at your personal best.

Now on to the giveaway!

We are offering another great giveaway during our Fall Challenge Week that includes the following items. One winner will receive:

To help with exercise , we have Leslie Sansone’s Leslie Sansone: Walk Away the Pounds Ultimate Collection (DVD includes 4 different workouts and comes with a stretchie band)  I purchased this DVD after my 4th child was born and jogging outside wasn’t possible with 3 babies under two years of age!

For dealing with emotions that zap our energy, we are giving away a copy of Lysa Terkeurst’s NYT bestselling book Unglued: Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions

We have a NALGENE BPA-Free Water Bottle to keep you hydrated…

And, best of all in my book-loving opinion , we have a $50 Gift Card to Amazon!

Simply click below to Enter the Giveaway:

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Want more energy? Then I’ve got the perfect challenge for you!

Announcing the Official Fall Energy Explosion 7 Day Challenge! I am excited about this because after all the meals on the run I’ve been consuming, the jet-lag, the transitions… I need Challenge Week!

Challenge Week will begin Monday, September 17 and run through the 23rd.

Like our Spring Challenge, we will have an awesome giveaway and daily check-ins, encouragement, and accountability on Facebook. This time I will also be offering a free download and supplementary resources throughout the week.

Several people have mentioned doing the Challenge on their blogs or with a small group of friends. You are welcome to form your own Challenge group~ if you do, please let me know and I will provide you with a free copy of the ebook to giveaway

Here is more info on the book Energy Explosion: A 7 Day Guide to Jump Start Your Energy:

One step at a time, this strategic plan will help you:

~ implement proven strategies for increasing energy

~ address low grade energy sappers like anger, stress, and anxiety

~ identify your personal pitfalls that drain you mentally and spiritually

~ gain a biblical vision for what God is doing in your life circumstances

~ understand top energy foods and incorporate them into your meals {includes a section of delicious recipes}

~ renew your mind with scripture using the MIND Method of meditating

~ chart your progress with printables

And much more!

I believe God wants you and me to perform at our personal best. My prayer is that this eBook will provide practical, realistic tools for fulfilling Romans 12:11 in their lives.

“Keep yourselves fueled and aflame…” Romans 12:11

 You can instantly purchase Energy Explosion for $2.99 by clicking here. Look it over, print off your charts, tell your friends, and we’ll see you for Challenge Week!

I got tickled this morning when I saw that my eBook is ranked #2 in Kindle books category “Christian Living.”

Watch out Francis Chan, I might be  bumping you from #1 soon.

Oh yeah, Chan is in the “paid” column and I’m on the “free” side~ wink!

Regardless of semantics (okay, and cash), I am super excited to tell you that Energy Explosion is being offered free on Kindle until Friday!

One step at a time, this guide will help you:

~ implement proven strategies for increasing energy

~ address low grade energy sappers like anger, stress, and anxiety

~ identify your personal pitfalls that drain you mentally and spiritually

~ gain a biblical vision for what God is doing in your life circumstances

~ understand top energy foods and incorporate them into your meals {includes a section of delicious recipes}

~ renew your mind with scripture using the MIND Method of meditating

~ chart your progress with printables

And much more!

So click over to grab your copy
(you don’t have to own a Kindle to download it. You can download the book to your computer by clicking the “Kindle for PC” button.)

You are very welcome.

*Linking up with Women Living Well

Welcome to Day Seven of Challenge Week!

You all have worked so hard this week and you’ve greatly encouraged me! Thank you for being a part of this week’s challenge.

Today I’d like to give you time to process and compile.

Based on all your “ah-ha” moments, scriptures, tips, etc this week, take a few minutes and compile a personalized “statement of strength.” Make sure you stock it full of scriptures!

Keep this statement near your bed and for the next few weeks, review it first thing in the morning until it becomes a habit. Use your statement to practice dressing yourself with God’s strength and power.

{And share your statement with us! We would love to hear your statement or your story on how God has worked in your life this week! Share in the comments or on our facebook page.}

Much love to each one of you. I’ll see you very soon!

AJ

Welcome to Day Six of Group Challenge Week!

I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve woken up in the morning and thought, “I. Am. So. Tired.” I drag myself out of bed barely able to think about all the demands of the day ahead. I feel overwhelmed, exhausted, and sapped of strength before the day even gets going.

This is a terrible way to start the day and can become a habit very quickly. The good news is that God has a different perspective He wants us to embrace as we begin our day. He never intended for us to consistently feel overwhelmed, exhausted, and depleted.

You know that Proverbs 31 woman, the woman so strong, capable, and energetic? Scripture tells us that she wakes up and “dresses herself with strength.”

God desires us to take everything we’ve learned this week and “dress” ourselves with it. Let’s learn how to do this so it can become our new morning routine!

She dresses.

“Dressing” is a skill, a learned practice. It is not a natural ability that you either have or you don’t. {Isn’t that great news?}

The Proverbs 31 woman had to learn how to dress, just like we must. The phrase here “to dress” implies “Preparing one’s self for something that requires readiness, strength, or endurance.”

Which pretty much describes living a godly life.

Sure, it would be easier if it came naturally…but once we realize it is something we learn, we are free to start practicing! Men and women and boys and girls of all ages can learn how to put on strength.

God calls us to be women who practice putting on His strength like we would our clothes. Morning after morning.

She dresses herself.

We can and should come to the place where we don’t expect others to make life easy for us.

As we learn to dress ourselves, we eliminate the “props” that hold us up and are instead stregthened by the Lord alone. When this happens, we stop making demands of our husband, children, friends, and church family. We stop emotional manipulation, tantrums, and the like and instead become the ones serving. Our *needs* aren’t substantial, even though our personal hardships may be. We have learned to withstand difficulty.

Now I know many women- even older women- who have never learned how to dress themselves with strength. They expect others around them to make their lives easier or more comfortable. They are “high maintenance” women.

Even if this describes us, the Bible has great news! No matter where we are on the spectrum, we can dress ourselves and be in a position to serve others. What tremendous freedom and joy!

She dresses herself with strength.

It is interesting to see what the virtuous woman clothes herself with: strength!

Ever wonder why that particular trait is pointed out? I think it is because God places us as women in situations where we are overwhelmed. The demands He places on us are beyond our abilities. Like the disciples in Mark 6:32-37, there are multitudes of people around us with needs and Jesus turns to us and says, “You feed them!”

Seriously?!

We can either sit there overwhelmed….or we can take up faith and clothe ourselves with strength. {Remember, strength is having a “can do” attitude.}

My friend, unless we have a good, solid understanding of how God equips, provides, and strengthens, we will either flatline or wear ourselves out serving in our own strength.

But when we understand that God graciously intends to include us in the fulfillment of His miraculous plans, we can begin clothing ourselves with the strength He provides (see I Peter 4:10-11).

Today ‘s a great day to start dressing!

It’s Day Five of our Group Challenge~ Welcome!

How strong are you?

One word for “strong” in the New Testament is “Ischys”. Ischys is simply “can do.”

Would your answer be any different if I asked if you are a “can do” kind of person?

This biblical definition of strong has more to do with attitude than it does ability. A “can do” person has the attitude of confidence, capability, and ability. This is not someone who is proud and self-sufficient but rather someone who is confident in God’s ability, grace, and provision.

The biblically grounded “can do” person understands God’s character and grace so thoroughly that she, like Paul, says with confidence, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” (Phil 3:14)

Ephesians 6:10 tells us to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His strength. Our “can do” attitude is firmly rooted in the nature of God (He is all powerful and He is good) and in His gracious provision of strength towards us. We need not have great abilities, talents, and strengths…we only need faith in our great God!

Let’s briefly look at one man with a “can do” attitude. In Joshua 1:7 God instructed Joshua to “be strong!”

Do you think God was telling Joshua to go exercise so that he would be strong enough to take on the Canaanites? Of course not! God wanted Joshua to have a “can do” attitude. This had nothing to do with Israel’s power or advantage over the enemy. In fact, God frequently put His people in situations where they were completely outnumbered, disadvantaged, and under-resourced.

All of this to show that strength is not so much about ability as it is about  mindset…a mindset of faith in a powerful, involved, generous God. We are to have a “can do” attitude, believing and knowing that God will give us the ability to serve or fight or withstand or love or whatever He has called us to at any given moment.

I want us to see from Joshua’s example two reasons God Himself gave Joshua for having a “can do” attitude. And there is an assignment for today, too~ smile~ write these down on an index card and personalize them. When you get up in the mornings, put that index card to work!

Two reasons why we can have a “can do” attitude:

1. “Be strong…for you will lead these people to inherit the land.”  (Joshua 1:6)

We “can do” because we have a God-given Purpose.

Like Joshua, God has given us very specific, tailor-made purposes for our lives. God has spoken purpose, meaning, and significance over our lives! Our daily tasks are not insignifcant but are divine orders. Think about that!

When we realize that God is intimately involved in the affairs of this world and that He chooses to use ordinary men and women to accomplish His purposes, we are filled with a sense of meaning and purpose. If the mundane of life has robbed you of vision, spend some time asking God to restore your sense of purpose and meaning. You are fulfilling His divine plan!

2. ”Be strong…For I am with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

We “can do” because we have the Divine Presence.

The God who says He will never leave us or abandon us mid-stream is the One who calls us and walks through the day with us…wherever we go. He is there, in every moment. He never retreats, never leaves us on the frontlines alone.

We can have a “can do” attitude because of the very nature and character of God.

God cares deeply, He assists constantly, He is fully committed, He acts powerfully, and He never changes! Now that’s a reason for being a can do kind of person!

Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

Welcome to Day Four of our Group Challenge Week!

My energy has been great this week~ smile~ and I’m having a blast with you!

We’ve got a full ride for today, so strap on your seat belts!

We’ve talked about potential energy and kinetic energy and have seen how God has given us tremendous potential energy. By raising us up in Christ and by giving us His Spirit, He has “potentialized” us for every good work.

We’ve also hinted that just because we possess potential energy, this does not make it kinetic. In other words, available does not mean automatic. It is through faith that the potential becomes actual.

Today we are going to look at a very special word in the New Testament, the word “energio” from which we get the word “energy.” We will see how it relates to “dynamis” and I think you will be blown away!

Look at these scriptures to see how “energio” is described in scripture:

Eph 1:19-20   “…and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working (energio) of the strength of His might.”

Eph 3:7    “of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working (energio) of His power.”

Col 2:12    “having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working (energio) of God, who raised Him from the dead.”

As you might expect, “energio” refers to working, exertion, or operative power. You will notice how energio differs from dynamis. Whereas dynamis is the potential we have within us, energio is the actual working out of that power.

{Is that ringing any bells?}

Here is something very insightful: Out of the eight uses of the term “energio” in the NT, four of them are coupled with the word “dynamis.”  Consider these three:

1. Col 1:29    “To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy (energio) Christ so powerfully (dynamis) works in me.”
2. Eph 3:7    “I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working (energio) of His power (dynamis).”
3. Eph 1:19    “and what the exceeding greatness of His power (dynamis) to us-ward who believe, according to that working (energio) of the strength of His might.”

Putting this all together, we see one simple teaching: God’s supernatural, dynamite power resides within us and can be converted into operative power in our lives. Wow!

We have already talked about how it is converted (see Eph 1:19 and Col 2:12). But there is one more thing we must understand, and that is the purpose of this power.

Go back to Acts 3:12f, the story of Peter healing the lame man. We looked at this yesterday. What purpose do you see here for God demonstrating His power?

Dynamis and Energio are for accomplishing God’s work and God’s plans, not ours. Col 1:29 and Eph 3:7 tell us God’s power was working in Paul for sharing the gospel and strengthening the church . While these are certainly God’s work, so is parenting a child, serving a friend, and loving our families. God gives us all the energy we need to do what He has given us to do!

Perhaps we often miss out on His power simply because we are pursuing our plans and goals and not His? It’s something to think about…

Chew on that and I’ll see you tomorrow

 
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Welcome to Day Three of our Group Challenge Week!

Think of all the energy stored at an electrical plant. These places are frequently (and appropriately) called “power plants.” Today, let’s see how we can be like that power plant.

One word used for “power” in the New Testament is “dynamis” from which we get our word “dynamite.” Power is defined as “rapid force” or the ability to quickly exert strength.

In the spiritual realm, power is supernatural. Like energy, it cannot be created. God is the Source and Owner of all power. In Matt 28:18 Jesus says, “All power has been given to Me.”

But get this: the Bible tells us that He places His “dynamis” power within us! He has chosen to use us as vessels and carriers of His power! Isn’t that incredible?

An example would be Peter in Acts 3. Take a moment to read Acts 3:1-13.

We see here that God exercised His “dynamis” power (see verse 12) through Peter. No one can rightfully claim to have power…but like Peter, we can be conduits for the expression of God’s power. In fact, that’s His plan.

Let’s look more at what the Bible teaches about His power in us.

Ephesians 3:20 says,  “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power (dynamis) that works within us…”

At this point you may be asking if this kind of power is just for a few spiritual elite? To answer this question, look at Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian believers in Ephesians 3:16 and his prayer for the Colossian believers in Colossians 1:11.

This power is not reserved for some spiritual elite. It is for every believer to experience in his/her inner person through the presence of the Holy Spirit (see Ephesians 3:16).

We often think of Paul as a super-Christian, a one of a kind man that we could never be like. However, Paul tells us in Colossians 1:29 that he was a man who had learned to live according to God’s strength. Perhaps this was the key to his “supernatural” living. He lived by God’s strength, not His own.

Friend, Paul discovered how to live this way and so can we. God’s power resides within every believer in the form of the Holy Spirit and He desires to demonstrate it in and through each person “who believes.” Ephesians 1:19 says, “that you may know the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.”

The potential energy we hold in Christ is unleashed, put into effect, and made useable in our lives through faith. We must come to a place in our spiritual lives where we believe that God is good and faithful to the extent that He has granted us His power to accomplish His purposes. It is His grace alone that grants us this provision!

We must take up this faith as a lifestyle and like Paul, we must daily say, “The life that I now live (the empowered, supernatural life), I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (See Galatians 2:20)

How about it, friend? Today let’s exercise faith and convert some of that energy!

“So that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.” I Corinthians 2:5

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