Kingdom Breakthrough

01/11/2022

I love this time of year. I’m able to reflect and reevaluate, find renewed strength, grace, and peace to continue my journey to a whole and full life.

Over the years, I have learned to be grateful (I have had to be intentional). This has completely transformed my perspective and spiritual, emotional, and physical health.

November is a great month to intentionally give thanks.

Will you join me?

I remember years ago, in my mid twenties, someone I respected and admired gave me advice that has stuck with me. She told me to write down all my blessings and then when life got hard, as it would, to refer back to that list of blessings. Reminding myself of the blessings I have during the dark days and curve balls life tends to throw, was a life-saver.

Dr Emmons, a professor at the University of California, is one of the pioneers of research into how gratitude affects our lives. In his studies, he found that those who kept gratitude journals, counted their blessings, and were quick to say ‘thank you’ to others, experienced tremendous benefits.

Here are five worth a mention:

🍂 Counting your blessings boosts your health. Grateful people had less depression and stress, lower blood pressure, more energy, and greater optimism.

🍂 Giving thanks slows down the ageing clock. It slowed down some of the effects of neuro-degeneration.

🍂 Being thankful put the brakes on stress. Cortisol is known as the ‘stress hormone’. When our bodies produce too much, it can deplete our immune system and raise blood sugar levels. Being thankful lowers our cortisol levels.

🍂 Thankful people have healthier relationships and bond more easily with others. When we ooze gratitude, we foster peace, calm, and security.

🍂 Gratitude is good for the heart and waistline. Studies have shown that grateful people can experience a reduction is blood pressure and a decrease in their dietary fat intake.

Grateful people don’t ignore the hard and dark times and pretend they aren’t happening. They acknowledge them, find something to learn from those situations, and are still able to give thanks in all things.

Does this remind you of something Paul says?

“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭18‬ ‭

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭

Today on All Saints Day, give thanks for those who have gone before you and are still with you who have and continue to point you towards what is true, honourable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, beautiful, authentic, holy, and worthy of praise. 🤍

05/10/2022

Let God’s living word become your ‘go-to’ every day.

05/11/2021

“And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:20

Gratitude is a great way to embrace simplicity. It will change your life forever. But like anything, it takes practice to make it a way of life.

Learning to pause and to actively appreciate the small moments and comforts we have everyday, though it sounds ‘cheesy’, will transform your life. Take it from someone who trialled it for a whole year and can’t go back.

If you’re willing to practise, gratitude can become one of your daily anchors which will help you to manage stress better, feel more resilient during tricky and even dark times, and create meaningful relationships with others.

Studies have revealed many benefits of living a grateful life. But it’s not enough to only know about these. Gratitude has to become a way of life to experience the impact it can have.

Like most things that are good for you (vegetables, exercise, reducing sugar, increasing our water intake, taking deep breaths, etc.), gratitude may not be our natural ‘go to’ and we don’t see the benefits until much later. But it’s worth pursuing and persevering.

For the rest of this month, can you make a commitment to practice gratitude at least once a day?

Here are some practical ways you can do it. Take your pick. You might enjoy it so much, you’ll do it more than once a day. 😄

✨ At the start of your day, capture three things for which you are grateful. Connect it with an activity you do every day, like that first cup of coffee or tea. Then it will stick and become a habit. Write them down. Take a photo of them. Say them out loud. Text them to a friend.

✨ Use gratitude as bookends for your day. If you start and end your day being thankful, it will influence the way you see your day.

✨ Whenever you feel stressed by a situation or a person, take a step back, breathe deeply, and think of something for which you’re grateful.

✨ Start to say ‘thank you’ more. Thank people for what they do and who they are. Look them in the eye, smile and mean what you say. Have you noticed how often our ‘thank yous’ are rushed or said under our breath.

✨ When you’re tempted to criticise or speak badly of yourself, stop and pair it up with an expression of gratitude for something that is good or that you appreciate about yourself. Do this over time and it will shift the way you see yourself.

✨ Notice the good in others. In these days, where there is so much criticism, be the one who sees the good and gives thanks for it.

✨ Text someone, ring them up, or write to them and express your thanks for something you appreciate about them.

✨ Think of something easily taken for granted (running water, a roof over our heads, food in the fridge, health, friendships, the ability to enjoy good music/books, the outdoors, the list is endless). Imagine life without it and give thanks. This is really helpful especially when life throws curve balls and things seem to be falling apart. Even in the midst of hard times, there is much for which to be thankful.

Have fun practising gratitude. You won’t want to live without it.

04/11/2021

God gives us all things to enjoy.
(1 Timothy 6:17) Let’s not be in such a hurry that we miss these things. They could end up being more important than we realise. 🧡

Simplicity teaches us the importance of the little things in life.

In our performance culture, we’re bombarded with pressures to go further, achieve more, dream bigger, become better….

While that in itself isn’t wrong, it can cloud our vision of what’s important and even who we are, as it encourages hurry and frenzy to get there.

Enjoying the little things slows us down. It offers us a simpler way to look at life. It opens our eyes to what is important and helps us become more aware of our values and ultimately our priorities.

That’s when we realise the little things actually are the big things and are worth our time and effort. We might even end up where we had hoped to be but without all the pressure.

❓How can you enjoy the little things today?

03/11/2021

Jesus wants us to experience a full and abundant life until it overflows and touches those around us. Don’t let the enemy use the unnecessary to hold you back from a life that shines brightly and speaks loudly for God’s glory. (John 10:10) 🧡

What unnecessary things can you eliminate today so that what is necessary shines brightly and speaks loudly to those around you?

Terry Guillemets says, “Clutter smothers. Simplicity breathes.”

Clutter isn’t just about our homes. Our minds can be cluttered. Our diaries and lives are often cluttered with well-meaning activity. The problem is we have more choice today than ever. It takes discipline and confidence to be able to say ‘no’ to the things that are unnecessary so the necessary has space to grow and speak.

❓What clutter can you get rid of today?

❓What thoughts are unnecessary?
❓ What possessions can go?
❓ What needs tidying up and putting away?
❓ What activities are cluttering and smothering your life?
❓ How will you create space and room to breathe today?

A fire needs space between its logs to burn brightly. How can you ensure there is space between your logs (thoughts, activities, possessions, etc.) so you can burn brightly for what matters and is important.

✨ Start small
✨ Be consistent
✨ Noticeable changes will happen

The photo below is of Leiston Abbey’s remaining ruins. It dates back to the 1100s. During the Second World War the prayer chamber, which is all that is left now, was turned into a pill box. In the distance you can see Sizewell, a nuclear power station. Today, there’s glass art on display in the ruins called ‘a wing and a prayer’. It signifies the changes and contrasts seen in this place.

Life is full of changes and contrasts. Embracing simplicity allows us to breathe and not become smothered by the changes and contrasts we may experience.

02/11/2021

Even Jesus had rhythm to His life. He knew what was important. (Mark 1:35)

As I embrace simplicity this month, I’m reminded again the importance of having a rhythm/routine.

Rhythms/routines free up energy and give clarity so we can make good decisions and live well. They keep life from becoming a blur. They bring order. We begin to take note and appreciate the small things. We become more aware of what’s going on around us. Rhythms/routines slow us down and give us support so we can handle the unexpected.

Having a rhythm that works will involve saying ‘no’ to some things so you can say ‘yes’ to what is important. For example, it’s important to me that I get enough sleep. I like to get up early and my morning routine sets me up for the day. In order to get to bed on time, sometimes, I have to say ‘no’ to other things. Obviously, there’s room for flexibility when needed but having a rhythm that works eliminates a sense of chaos and feeling stressed.

No two days are alike with what I do so having a morning and evening routine is crucial. They act as bookends to my days and keep what happens in between from tumbling off the shelf, so to speak. 😍

What is important to you?
What will you say ‘no’ to so you can say ‘yes’ to the things that will enable you to show up and do life well?

Make your routine work for you. Try different things. Be creative. What might have worked once, may not work now. That’s okay. Don’t beat yourself up. Be consistent and before long what you choose to do will become as natural as brushing your teeth.

Remember rhythm/routine adds beauty and essence to your life. Let it serve you so you become equipped to serve those in your family, workplace, and community well.

Whatever you do, don’t forget to have fun.

“A child reminds us that playtime is an essential part of our daily routine.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

01/11/2021

I love how Jesus modelled a simple life style. He knew what was important, what He was here for, and who He was. This was evident in the way He lived.
Find time this month to read or listen to Matthew 5-7 and allow the words to shape your thinking and ultimately your living.

It’s November 1st. We’re almost at the end of another unusual year. This month I am choosing simplicity as a way of life. For me that means living an uncluttered, uncomplicated, a straightforward, clear, sincere, modest, not overworked, elegant, and simple life.

Surprisingly, this leads to real freedom, flexibility, efficiency, joy, peace of mind, and more time.

A survey found last year 79% of people at work in the UK felt stressed, overwhelmed, and anxious. That is staggering.

I believe simplicity is one way to eliminate stress, overwhelm, and anxiety. It will impact our minds, relationships, health, environment, and so much more. We won’t master this art over night, but rather one step at a time.

Drew Brees says, “When you wake up, think about winning the day. Don’t worry about a week or a month from now - just think about one day at a time.”

When you think about winning the day, don’t ask “What needs to be done?”
Instead ask, “What needs to be done first?” Do that and then go to the next thing that needs to be done first. You will win the day one thing at a time.

Simplicity isn’t about deprivation. Simplicity is about a greater appreciation for things that really matter. (Anonymous)

So, in the month of November, choose to focus on the things that really matter and win the day one thing at a time. This will prepare you and set you up to start another year well, regardless of what it might look like.

Remember, living well doesn’t depend on what happens to you, but rather on how you choose to show up.

Let’s embrace simplicity and begin to live well.
What one thing that really matters do you appreciate today?

27/07/2021

As many of you know, Paige has offered life coaching for some time. This is a paid service to reflect the many hours and the significant sums invested in training. In order to receive recognised professional accreditation from the International Coaching Federation she needs to demonstrate a log of paid coaching hours.

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