Heart Renovation

Heart Renovation: A Construction Guide to Godly Character

Compiled by Katy Kauffman

How Does God make our character more like Christ’s?

What is His part, and what is ours?

“Under construction” is the condition of our hearts as children of God. He is the General Contractor—that is the Contractor in charge—and Christ’s likeness is His flawless design. We contribute to the process by cooperating with His work within us and by following the principles and instructions of His word. Then transformation happens. 

This Bible study compilation is a construction guide to building godly character and overcoming the hidden problems that sabotage it. It explores how God works in our lives and gives us wisdom to handle such real-life issues as unwanted change, grief, loneliness, financial debt, and difficult people. It shares God’s blueprints for a renovated heart by looking at Jesus’ character, godly people in the Bible, the Fruit of the Spirit, and Beatitudes. It also discusses how to help our children grow in godly character. 

Whether your heart renovation started recently or years ago, this book will encourage you to continue to cooperate with God until the job is done. After all, the goal and the reward is building a heart like His.

A leader guide for a group study is included.* 

I am blessed to be a contributing author for this beautiful and spiritually rich Bible Study. If you, as an individual, your church, or small group is looking for new study material for fall, you may have just found your answer in Heart Renovation. It is a great choice for men, women, and teens for individual or group study. 

Below are a few snapshots of the contents and proof 😊 that I really am one of the authors. 

Heart Renovation was compiled by Katy Kauffman, co-founder of Lighthouse Bible Studies, located in Buford, GA. You may order your copy directly from me or from Amazon. To place an order or for more information, email me at author@conniewohlford.com. (I cannot mail outside of the continental USA.) 

 Thank you for prayerfully considering this study, to help you grow spiritually and become better equipped to walk in your own personal God-ordained destiny. Your comments are welcome.

   

*This book description is copied from the back cover of the book itself.

Fill Your New Year With Optimism - Seven Strategies to Attain Optimism—Part 2

Fill Your New Year With Optimism

Seven Strategies to Attain Optimism—Part 2

Our general outlook plays a large role in the manner in which we step into each moment of every day, either leaning toward pessimism or optimism. Various factors influence our leaning, over which many we can have control. 

In my last post, we looked at the first three of the Seven Strategies to Attain Optimism: 1- Let go of the past. 2- Avoid getting hung up on a negative thing or situation. 3- Remember that, for everyone, life has ups and downs. 

Today we’ll consider the next two:

4-  Watch your mouth.

“Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never harm me.” ─NOT SO!

Have you ever been hurt by words? I certainly have.

A psychotherapist may tell us we have control over our feelings and reactions to words spoken to us. There is some truth there, but tell that to the person who has just heard their spouse say, “I don’t love you anymore. I want a divorce.”

Words can uplift or drag down. They can shed light or confuse; bring stability or knock you on your face; fill you with joy or punch you in the gut.

An article in PsychologyToday.com, titled, “The Most Dangerous Word in the World,” says there’s a word that can literally do damage in a person’s brain. During a brain scan doctors can detect stress-producing hormones and neurotransmitters when a certain word is flashed for less than one second. “These chemicals immediately interrupt the normal functioning of your brain, impairing logic, reason, language processing, and communication.” *

What is that word? It’s “no.”

The article further says that negative words can make an anxious or depressed person feel worse and can affect sleep, appetite and one’s “ability to experience long-term happiness and satisfaction.” *

But we don’t need phycology professionals to enlighten us in this area. God’s Word teaches us much the same thing.

“A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit” (Proverbs 15:4 NKJV).

“Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones” (Proverbs 16:24).

We must continuously be mindful of our words, whether it be self-talk or directed to others. So much has been taught and written on this subject, we have to wonder why the tongue is still so hard to tame.

James, the brother of Jesus, gives powerful guidance, stating “no man can tame the tongue” and it is “full of deadly poison.” (James 3:1, 12)

We need to ask and rely on the Holy Spirit to help us maintain control over our words on a minute by minute basis. Let’s pray with the psalmist: “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3).

“I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise will be in my mouth continuously” (Psalm 34:1 NSV).

Pinterest Photo

Mindfulness in our speech can help attain optimism in ourselves and those with whom we come in contact. When we do so, we honor God and build up ourselves and others.

*  https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/words-can-change-your-brain/201208/the-most-dangerous-word-in-the-world

    5-  Practice Gratitude

“The struggle ends when gratitude begins.” –Neale Douglas Walsh

Let’s chew on that quote for a couple minutes.

photo by Connie Wohlford

Gratitude will cause optimism to rise up in the spirit of a person. Right now, stop and think of five things for which you’re thankful. Did you know that as you meditate on these things, the production of dopamine and serotonin increases and has a positive effect on your brain?  

Scientific studies show that we literally receive a boost in feelings of well-being as a result of gratitude. Many studies have been performed and articles written about this phenomenon.

There’s no lack of things to be thankful for as followers of Christ and the Bible is full of passages reflecting this truth. If you have much experience in Bible reading and church attendance you can probably bring several to mind without much effort.

The psalms especially extol the glories of the Lord and reasons to be thankful to Him. Thankfulness is an important aspect of worship. As we read through Psalms, we see that praise, worship, and thanksgiving are three pillars in acknowledging God and relating to Him.

Psalm 100 is one of my favorites, especially verses 4 and 5: “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures forever to all generations” (NKJV).

In addition to being grateful to God, we need to express gratitude to other people. Any expression of thanks is welcomed by most people. Knowing how we feel when someone expresses gratitude to us, we should liberally convey thanks to others whenever possible. This is one way we can encourage optimism in others while receiving benefits ourselves.

Thanksgiving leads to contentment even when circumstances of life are less than desirable. “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NKJV).

A contented person is a grateful person                  and a grateful person is a contented person.

So, let’s take heart as we meditate on the above Scripture Passages and these forth and fifth of the Seven Strategies to Attain Optimism. Be assured that God wants us to live joy-filled lives, unhindered by pessimistic thoughts and anxieties.

Please check back in a few days to learn more of the strategies. May God richly bless you in your own pathway to attaining Christ-ordained optimism.

Your comments are welcome.

©Copyright 2018 Connie Wohlford

“Say, ‘Yes,’ Granny. Say, ‘Yes!’”

“Say, ‘Yes,’ Granny. Say, ‘Yes!’”      

“Say, ‘Yes,’ Granny. Say, ‘Yes!’”

His image is seared into my mind forever—my four year old grandson looking up at me—with huge brown eyes and raised eye brows, yearning for a positive response. As any self-respecting granny would, I looked adoringly at his face wanting to say, “Yes,” but he had not yet stated his request.

So before giving an answer, I had to say, “What is it, William? What do you want, you precious darling?”

I believe God says to us, “Say ‘Yes,’ (insert your name). Say ‘Yes!’” And, hey, He may even add, “you precious darling.”  When God calls our names to follow Him initially and when He gives a specific directive, He wants our response to be, “Yes.”

And just like William, sometimes our Lord wants us to say, “Yes,” even before we know what He wants us to do.

We must be convinced that when we say, “Yes,” to the Lord, it’s for our good.

 

We must know, in the depths of our being, that when we say, “Yes,” to our Creator, we open up the door to our destiny.

When Jesus called His disciples to follow Him they each said, “Yes,” immediately, knowing little about to what they were agreeing. But in their hearts, they knew they could trust Him. 

 Matthew tells us,

“While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him” (Matthew 4:18-22 ESV).

We don’t know what is weighing in the balance by our answer. But God knows.

We don’t know what hardship or blessing will result from our answer. But God knows.

What if Peter, Andrew, James, and John had said, “No,” when Jesus said “Follow Me.” Each would have closed the door to his God-ordained destiny.

Are you aware that you have a God-ordained destiny? God knows each of our names and we’re each called to follow Jesus. He has a plan and purpose for each of our lives (Jeremiah 29:11). 

When we say, “Yes,” and believe and receive Jesus, we’re taking the first step into our God-ordained destiny. That first step, though, is not the end-all. Yes, it determines our eternal home but it’s just the beginning of our walk with the Lord.

Over and again, we need to say, “Yes,” to the call of Christ. Each time we do, we’re stepping further into our destiny and deeper into our relationship with Jesus.

As we trust Him with more, He trusts us with more. I repeat: As we trust Him with more, He trusts us with more.  

“He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also with much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much” (Luke 16:10 NASB).

Is Jesus asking you to say, “Yes,” to something? Don’t say, “No,” closing the door to your destiny. By the way, “Maybe,” is a negative response as well.

Perhaps, like me, you’ve said, “No,” to His call in the past. That doesn’t mean it’s over. Our God is full of grace and is a second and third (and more) chance God. 

He doesn’t get mad at us but it saddens Him when we turn away from His calling

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This time say, “Yes.” Boldly say, “Yes,” with joy and anticipation at what God’s going to do.  With a willing vessel, God is able to do exceedingly more than we can ask or think or imagine because of his Spirit working in and through us (Ephesians 3:20).

Is God saying, “Say, ‘Yes,’ (your name). Say, ‘Yes!’”?

 ©Connie Wohlford 2016