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IT’S ALL IN MY HEAD
Welcome to freeFLOW, a zine dedicated to exploring the transformation of everyday thinking. If you received this zine in the mail, you can imagine how challenging it is to squeeze something of substance into a 1/8 size format. So, I will be writing supplemental blog entries to make the freeFLOW experience a little richer, both for me and for anyone else who wants to tag along.
As I wrote in Issue #1, the purpose of the zine and this blog is to create a kind of laboratory where I can experiment creatively and process what God has been teaching me about living in alignment with the truth. I will not be striving to write eloquent essays or create perfect designs. I have to give myself permission to be a little messy with this project or I will get stuck.
So onward and upward!
For a personality like mine that tends too easily to veer itself in the direction of depression, it’s most helpful to just saturate myself with the truth throughout the day. I’ve borrowed the medieval practice of carrying a collection of texts, scriptures, songs, and prayers and started building my very own “Book of Hours” to center my thoughts for worship, devotion, and just plain old daily living as a stay at home wife and mother. Focusing my attention on God and staying connected with Him throughout the day makes a HUGE difference, not only in my thought-life, but in how I feel as well. The challenge is in not making this practice an empty ritual, but really immersing myself as I read over these texts and speaking them from my heart.
Part of my new collection is an excerpt taken from a workbook I used when I facilitated a class taught by Beth Moore (via DVD) called Living Beyond Yourself. It’s about victoriously walking in the fruit of the Spirit. Most of this is quoted directly from the workbook, although I did add some of my own notes to personalize it a bit.
Rise in immediate pursuit!
What a privilege to begin your day in the loving arms of God. You need to connect with God first thing in the morning. Acknowledge His authority! The moment you awake, settle the issue of authority. Acknowledge His lordship over how you fill your mind, how you fill your body, and how you fill your time.
Abound in His presence!
Invite the filling of the Holy Spirit. Cleansing + yielding = filling. With the filling of the Holy Spirit comes the fruit of the Spirit! As often as you are cleansed and yielded, you will possess a power that is completely beyond you…to love, to experience joy, to know peace, to express patience, to possess kindness and respond in goodness, to be faithful, gentle, and submissive to His will, restrained and under control.
Ask to see His glory and power!
Glory = the ways of God, who He is Power = the works of God, what He does Only the Spirit-filled Christian has the boldness to really ask to see God’s glory and power. Only the Spirit-filled Christian can discern all the ways He is moving. If you ask to see Him and then agree to keep watching through the eyes of the Spirit, you will see His glory and power everyday, even in the small, intimate details of life.
Abide in praise!
Praise Him all day long for who He is and for how you see Him working in your day. Attribute all satisfaction to Him! Answering the invitation of access into His presence is the only thing that will ever truly satisfy. Then He will give you everything else you need. When He does, enjoy it! Don’t cling to it, don’t idolize it, but enjoy it…and share it!
Audit His manifold blessings!
If you asked in the morning to see His glory and power, and you allowed Him to adjust your spiritual vision, and sought Him with all your heart, then you can be sure He worked in the course of the day. When He discloses Himself to you, remember it, praise Him for it, and RECORD it!
Accept His mercy and grace!
…for any thoughts, words, or deeds, performed outside the realm of His authority. Ask Him to change your heart because He’s the only one who can.
Allow yourself to rest in His arms…
Relax into His transforming embrace. All is well.
I’m beginning to internalize this way of thinking and relating to God throughout the day and a shift is taking place in how I see myself, how I see my loved ones, and how I see my daily circumstances. It’s a slow process and I’m definitely feeling some growing pains, but I’m excited to learn how to claim more and more of the abundant life that God has for me simply by knowing the truth and allowing the truth to bring the freedom that Christ died for.
Blessings to all who visit.
P.S. In case you were wondering how to pronounce the author’s name, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, wait for it…..”Me-HIGH Chicks-sent-me-HIGH-ee.” And that is a professor’s pronunciation, so it must be right!
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