Peace Of Mind Counseling

It amazes me how God can place someone in your path at the right time, who says the right thing and brings revelation to your life. In a hurried discontented society, it is hard not to fall into the trap of believing you are insignificant. If you are like me, you have a perfectionistic drive to always "look" put together, to be the best mom, wife, daughter and employee you can be but you also feel like nothing you do is enough. The weight of doing it all perfect is a heavy ...burden that drains the joy from everyday life. Today God spoke to my heart through someone, giving me an affirming message that said "I see you, never doubt your importance to Me, I have you right where I planned for you to be and you are touching more lives than you know". When He sends you messages, be open to them, however they may come to you. He loves you and wants to encourage you. He is always there for you no matter what wrongs you have done. He doesn't expect perfection from you, He doesn't expect you to earn your way to heaven by the things you do. There is nothing you can do that can make Him love you anymore or any less. So stop running yourself into the ground with unrealistic expectations. Enjoy the peace that only His grace can provide. We have such a good God! See more

A snowy day is a great opportunity to spend some extra time with God. Get to know him in a way that you have not before. Life is busy, hectic and often filled with incredible obstacles. Remember that God is all we need to over these obstacles, we just need to listen to that still small voice. Sometimes the listening is more of an obstacle than anything else. 1Kings 19 12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.... Let's use this time today to listen for that voice and really connect with God. That is the relationship that needs the most attention and will reap the greatest harvest.

Now is about the time that the new years resolutions are hitting the back burner, and as they start to fall to the waist side, feelings of failure and guilt start to set in. Real change is not something that occurs just because one year has ended and a new one begins. Real change occurs when a person is sick and tired of being sick and tired. That being said, it only lasts and bares real fruit when God is invited in and involved in the process. Leaning into God and acknowledg...ing that He is the only way to lasting fruitfulness, change, and peace will unlock the bounty that he promises. The new year holds no power but God holds all of the power to provide his children with prosperity and to empower them to fulfill his will. To allow this to happen, one must stop relying on their own understanding and rely on God to provide an unparalleled perspective of life and His strength that can overcome all obstacles. The first place to start is to know what God promises and then to have Faith and allow God to work in his own time and ways. Job 36:11 If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.

Sometimes you just need someone to talk to that will listen. Sometimes some feedback is just what you need. Sometimes prayer is the only answer and sometimes the sometimes seems too difficult to bare. No matter what, not sometimes but always, God is here for you. If you are feeling disconnected from him, if you feel lost or alone, let us help you find your way, reconnect, and achieve the peace that you are promised. Proverbs 13:10 Through insolence comes nothing but strife, But wisdom is with those who receive counsel.

Who are you listening to? Everyone has an opinion, everyone has advice to give and most will gladly give if you ask for it or not. Beware, because not everyone has your best interest in mind and some people have a hidden agenda. There are people that will try to interject drama into your life for a variety of reasons including that it makes them feel better or they just really enjoy causing chaos. On the other hand, sometimes people inadvertently provide bad advice that make...s a problem worse. They might be well intentioned but they do not possess enough wisdom to provide appropriate guidance. It is so important that if you are going to seek counsel, that you first seek guidance from God and if you also seek human counsel then be careful in your selection. Select someone who is humble and practices their Faith. Take a look at their life. What does it look like? If it is a mess then their advice might too be a mess. By no means does their life need to be perfect, if it appears to be then something is wrong. No one is perfect. The good news is that no one has to be. There are plenty of non-perfect people who live wonderfully fruitful lives even with their flaws. The key is that they will be aware of those flaws and demonstrate humility with a humble and grateful heart. Those are the type of people that will provide some of the best guidance. Those are the type of people to seek out when you need someone to talk to. They do exist. Matthew 7 15"Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves. 16By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.

Temptation is everywhere. It is sent out by the enemy to crush the Spirit and make people fall. It is not a sin to be tempted. The sin lies in giving into the temptation. Something that is not often considered: sin, temptation, and addiction are pretty much synonymous and take on many forms. Drugs and sex are two of the main culprits people think about when they hear the words temptation, sin or addiction. The truth is, there are so many of them that are perceived as normal... that they go by virtually undetected. One major one would be food. Since it is something that is needed for survival it is often dismissed as harmless until it is to late. Glutiny is a sin for a reason. Food can be an addiction and because it is everywhere, it is a constant temptation. There are so many seemingly harmless vices that people fall victim to everyday. Gossip, spending, hoarding, collecting, lying, stealing, lusting, betting, drinking, and partying are just some of the obvious and not so obvious temptations people are exposed to constantly. They are supposed to seem harmless, that is the point, the enemy wants you to think that they are really no big deal and that whoever is pointing it out to you is just too conservative. Because, now a days any view point that does not condone giving into temptation, is deemed to be conservative. Conservative is the current word for loser or lame in some circles; that is just another tactic by the enemy. 1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. According to 1 Corinthians 10:13, every temptation you experience is common, you can bet that everyone is exposed to the same temptations at some point in time. You can also count on God to never let it go too far and to give you an escape route, which often presents itself at first as that small voice inside of you telling you to make a different choice and then he shows you the way out. Do not be surprised when there are others who do not want you to take the way out. Misery loves company. It is up to each one of us to dig in and trust in God to help us overcome the everyday temptations and addictions that seek to destroy us. It is also up to us to choose our company wisely. 1 Corinthians 15:33 Do not be deceived: Bad company ruins good morals.

As a Christian we are to reflect the love of Jesus to others. But so often Christian married couples lose sight of this, treating their spouse worse than any person in their life. More than any other relationship marriage offers a shining example of God's love if the couple are on the right track. When two people can love and treat each other with respect despite the flaws and short comings only then does their marriage truly reflect Jesus. So ask yourself this: are you showing the world God's love through your marriage? And more importantly are you showing your spouse an example of Christ's love? You never know if your testimony through your actions led someone to Christ or discouraged them. At the end of your life, when God reflects upon your marriage, will God say well done good and faithful servant?

Faith is something that people talk about but don't always practice. It is easy to say that you have Faith but the question is, when times get tough do you really believe that everything will work out in the end? Do you really believe that promises God makes to you that everything will work for your good? Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.... When times are dark it is easy to lose sight of hope and forget your Faith. When you hurt and feel defeated it can be nearly impossible to see how anything good could emerge from the pain. It can feel like everyone and everything is against you and that things will never be good again. The thing is, those are lies that the enemy wants you to believe. Faith is stepping outside of those feelings and negative thoughts and knowing that even though you might not get what the outcome you want, in the end, it will all be OK. Better still, in the end, God will often create something that works better for you than what you hoped for and wanted for yourself. Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. Think of a time when you felt hopeless, in the end, how did it all turn out? Probably some version of better than you predicted when you hurting. Save yourself a lot of undue frustration and hurt, hold on to your Faith no matter how bad it seems. It will get better. Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

The enemy is out in full force as we speak! He has invaded our government, he has invaded our families, he has invaded our marriages all because he has invaded OUR MINDS. Pride is his weapon of choice. When a person starts believing that their way is the only way to do things, this is pride. If you've ever had an argument with someone, pride was playing a role. Marriages crumble because of differing perspectives on parenting, finances and expectations all because one or bo...th people are intolerant of the other's view because they believe their way is the only right way to do things. Pride WILL destroy relationships. Pride says, "how dare they do ___, what were they thinking? they should have done ___, If they would just listen to me they wouldn't have this issue!, I am NOT going to apologize to them until they do it first" All statements ooze intolerance into relationships which eats away at the bond between two people. But God has the antedote found in HUMILITY. Humility looks at situations with the perspective that there is always a possibility of being wrong. Therefore someone practicing humility will say "I'm sorry, I was wrong. Or how can I be a better husband/wife/friend to you? Or what can I do to show you love?". Humility asks questions, is open-minded, is accountable to mistakes made. Humility grows relatinships while pride destroys relationships. So ask yourself, am I practicing pride or humility in my relationships? When is the last time you said "I'm sorry I was wrong" or asked how you could be a better spouse? If it's been awhile, please start dismantling the enemy's weapon of pride in your life today! See more

As much as we know that death is a part of life it does not prepare us fully for the loss of our loved ones. No matter the age, losing a loved one can cut through the heart like a double edge sword. It leaves so many questions and little answers and it will leave pain, anger, resentment, guilt, bitterness and hopelessness in its wake. There are so many theories on the proper way to grieve and the stages a person should go through in uncomplicated grief. The term uncomplicat...ed is used to mean something along the lines of normal, not profoundly affecting a person's life and day to day functioning, at least not for a prolonged period of time. The stages of grief include denial, bargaining, anger, depression, and acceptance. Not everyone experiences all of these stages, some spend more time in some than others, and there is no set in stone order for them either. However, when a person has truly accepted the loss then they will be at the end of their particular cycle. It is considered to be complicated when the impact of the loss devastates the life of a person for a prolonged period of time. The truth is, grief looks different for everyone and in the beginning it is often devastating. It is difficult to believe that anything will ever be alright or that life will continue. Things tend to look bleak when hope is lost. Fear of a life without this person, without joy, and without love can set in. This is the time when it is so important to remember that there is always someone who can provide comfort like no one else. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.~Isaiah 41:10 During these times, it is so important to cling to what is good and what is true. The enemy wants you to never get back up from your loss, that is his goal. There is hope in pain. During a time of loss is when people show how much they are capable of loving and God will wrap you in His loving arms if you just reach out for them. That pain in your chest, that emptiness, numbness, fear, etc. will leave you, He will take it if you give it to him. This too shall pass. This is not easy stuff to get through on your own. Let God in, let people in. Sometimes just talking it out can bring a great relief. Always remember you are not alone and will heal with time. Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.

It is perfectly normal to feel sad when something bad happens. This sadness may even last a little while without cause for concern. Sometimes it helps just to have someone to talk to when times are rough. If sadness is persistent or at an intensity that is greatly affecting the quality of life than it may be a serious issue. When in doubt, error on the side of caution and talk to someone about what is going on, get some feedback.