- Does your hectic schedule seem to start at dawn and end at midnight?
- Do you ever feel like you are going around in circles and not accomplishing anything?
- Have other people gotten on your last nerve lately?
- Do you simply need to take a “time out”?
If you answered “yes” to one or more of the questions above, perhaps it’s time to sit down and quietly still your mind and heart for a few minutes. The more time, the better, but if all you have is five minutes, then meditation can still be beneficial to you.
So, just what is meditation? Merriam-Webster offers these definitions: “to engage in contemplation or reflection; to focus one’s thoughts on someone or something; to reflect on or ponder over something.”
For meditation to be relaxing and beneficial, you can pick just about anything to meditate, reflect, or focus on . . . a beautiful sunset, a heartwarming poem . . . or just sit quietly and listen to soft music.
My favorite type of meditation is Christian meditation. Sometimes I reflect on and contemplate verses of Scripture that are meaningful to me. At other times, I focus my thoughts on God and all that He has done for me. This not only relaxes me, but it increases my faith when I remember all of the great (and small) things He has done for me. And often I ponder life questions and then sit quietly and let the Spirit whisper answers to my soul.
The Psalms encourage meditation on God and His Word:
“I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.” (Psalm 77:12, NIV)
“I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.” (Psalm 119:15, NIV)
“Let me understand the teaching of your precepts; then I will meditate on your wonders.” (Psalm 119:27, NIV)
“May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the LORD.” (Psalm 104:34, NIV)
So, whatever or whomever you choose to meditate on today, I encourage you to take a few minutes to reflect, ponder, contemplate, focus . . . whatever you feel like doing that helps you slow down and take in the moment.
Lynn
_________________
Lynn Jacobs
Christian Life Coach
http://www.lynnjacobs-christianlifecoach.com/
lj@lynnjacobs-christianlifecoach.com
Telephone: (615) 429-2078
Skype: lynnjacobs.usa
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Guided Journaling to Improve Self-Esteem
Could your self-esteem use a little boost? Have you tried guided journaling? Guided journaling provides a question or a lead-in sentence to help direct your thoughts as you journal each day.
Below are three days of guided journaling, excerpted from my Authentic Self-Esteem Journal. Try these out and see how they work for you. Please contact me if you would like to continue this journaling process using the Authentic Self-Esteem Journal. Order information is given below.
_______________
DAY 1
“I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully
and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.”
- Psalm 139.14, NASB
What are some of your unique, God-given attributes? Write down at least five and then describe some ways in which you can use those special characteristics to bless someone today.
DAY 2
“Other people’s opinion of you does not
have to become your reality.”
- Les Brown
Write down how you would like to be perceived by others, then describe ways in which you can set that into motion. You can create your own reality. Don’t let someone else do it for you.
DAY 3
“Anyone who has never made a mistake
has never tried anything new.”
- Albert Einstein
Describe a mistake you made recently, and then reflect on it to see how you can learn something from it. Discovering new things is usually worth the risk of making a mistake.
______________
The Authentic Self-Esteem Journal is a beautifully bound soft-cover 31-day inspirational journal that offers a daily inspirational quote or Scripture verse and a question or comment to guide your journaling. To order your journal for only $12.12 per copy, please send me an email with your name, address, and the number of journals you wish to order. A PayPal invoice will then be sent to you. Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery. You will receive confirmation by email once the journal(s) has been shipped to you. ~
Lynn
_________________
Lynn Jacobs
Christian Life Coach
http://www.lynnjacobs-christianlifecoach.com
lj@lynnjacobs-christianlifecoach.com
Contact me if you would like to subscribe to my FREE monthly eNewsletter, and receive my free 7-day eCourse, “Authentic Self-Esteem: It Can Be Yours,” absolutely FREE.
Below are three days of guided journaling, excerpted from my Authentic Self-Esteem Journal. Try these out and see how they work for you. Please contact me if you would like to continue this journaling process using the Authentic Self-Esteem Journal. Order information is given below.
_______________
DAY 1
“I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully
and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.”
- Psalm 139.14, NASB
What are some of your unique, God-given attributes? Write down at least five and then describe some ways in which you can use those special characteristics to bless someone today.
DAY 2
“Other people’s opinion of you does not
have to become your reality.”
- Les Brown
Write down how you would like to be perceived by others, then describe ways in which you can set that into motion. You can create your own reality. Don’t let someone else do it for you.
DAY 3
“Anyone who has never made a mistake
has never tried anything new.”
- Albert Einstein
Describe a mistake you made recently, and then reflect on it to see how you can learn something from it. Discovering new things is usually worth the risk of making a mistake.
______________
The Authentic Self-Esteem Journal is a beautifully bound soft-cover 31-day inspirational journal that offers a daily inspirational quote or Scripture verse and a question or comment to guide your journaling. To order your journal for only $12.12 per copy, please send me an email with your name, address, and the number of journals you wish to order. A PayPal invoice will then be sent to you. Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery. You will receive confirmation by email once the journal(s) has been shipped to you. ~
Lynn
_________________
Lynn Jacobs
Christian Life Coach
http://www.lynnjacobs-christianlifecoach.com
lj@lynnjacobs-christianlifecoach.com
Contact me if you would like to subscribe to my FREE monthly eNewsletter, and receive my free 7-day eCourse, “Authentic Self-Esteem: It Can Be Yours,” absolutely FREE.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
What is a Life Strategies Coach?
The word strategy means “a careful plan or method to work toward a goal.”
In a nutshell, a life strategies coach assists his or her client in recognizing the client’s current position, determining where the client wants to be, and helping the client develop a plan of action in order to get there. The coach works with the client in the development of goals to reach the desired destination or outcome, and the coach serves as accountability to hold the client responsible for achieving those goals.
A Christian life strategies coach adds another dimension—spirituality. All plans and decisions made by the client are lined up with what the client believes is in accordance with God’s plan for his or her life. It’s a three-way partnership among the coach, the client, and God, working together in harmony to help the client achieve success in attaining a desired outcome. ~
Lynn
Christian Life Coach
Christian Life Strategies Coach
Certified Holistic Life Coach
http://www.lynnjacobs-christianlifecoach.com/
lj@lynnjacobs-christianlifecoach.com
In a nutshell, a life strategies coach assists his or her client in recognizing the client’s current position, determining where the client wants to be, and helping the client develop a plan of action in order to get there. The coach works with the client in the development of goals to reach the desired destination or outcome, and the coach serves as accountability to hold the client responsible for achieving those goals.
A Christian life strategies coach adds another dimension—spirituality. All plans and decisions made by the client are lined up with what the client believes is in accordance with God’s plan for his or her life. It’s a three-way partnership among the coach, the client, and God, working together in harmony to help the client achieve success in attaining a desired outcome. ~
Lynn
Christian Life Coach
Christian Life Strategies Coach
Certified Holistic Life Coach
http://www.lynnjacobs-christianlifecoach.com/
lj@lynnjacobs-christianlifecoach.com
Thursday, June 5, 2008
5 Ways to Live Life on Purpose
Are you like Charlie Brown, who shoots an arrow at a fence and then draws a circle around the spot where the arrow struck and then claims that that was where he was aiming all along. His reasoning for that method, he explained to Lucy one afternoon, is that he’ll never miss his target.
That would be a random way to live—shooting “goal arrows” all over the place and then defending that wherever they land that’s where we were aiming.
For any of us to be successful, we must do things intentionally—on purpose. Here are five simple ways to begin living life on purpose.
1. Set realistic goals that are in line with the dreams and visions you have about what you want to accomplish in your lifetime.
2. Tell a friend or relative what your goals are so that you will have accountability.
3. Determine the steps to reach each goal, and then write them down.
4. Decide on a target date by which to reach each goal, and check your progress regularly.
5. Celebrate your success as you reach each goal . . .
and then set another one! ~
Lynn
Christian Life Coach
http://www.lynnjacobs-christianlifecoach.com/
lj@lynnjacobs-christianlifecoach.com
That would be a random way to live—shooting “goal arrows” all over the place and then defending that wherever they land that’s where we were aiming.
For any of us to be successful, we must do things intentionally—on purpose. Here are five simple ways to begin living life on purpose.
1. Set realistic goals that are in line with the dreams and visions you have about what you want to accomplish in your lifetime.
2. Tell a friend or relative what your goals are so that you will have accountability.
3. Determine the steps to reach each goal, and then write them down.
4. Decide on a target date by which to reach each goal, and check your progress regularly.
5. Celebrate your success as you reach each goal . . .
and then set another one! ~
Lynn
Christian Life Coach
http://www.lynnjacobs-christianlifecoach.com/
lj@lynnjacobs-christianlifecoach.com
A Little Forethought
I just bought a car, a 1997 Buick LaSabre. It’s beautiful and rides like the luxury car that it is. I paid what I thought was a fair price for it, given its age, mileage, and a couple of things that needed repairing. I didn’t want to offer too low of a price and insult the seller, but now I think I’m the one who has been insulted.
I took my car to a mechanic a few days ago to have it inspected, and the cost for those “couple of things needed repairing” will be more than what I paid for the car! Why didn’t I have my mechanic look at it before I plunked down the money on the table? Was I in a hurry? Was my mechanic unavailable? Was I just not thinking?
After it’s all said and done, it doesn’t really matter why I didn’t check out the car more fully before buying it. The point is—I should have. A little forethought could have resulted in big savings—or avoiding the car altogether.
I’ve lived my life like that on occasion—have you? A situation presents itself and instead of taking the time to completely check it out, and ask God's opinion, I rush in only to be sorry later.
Whenever something of great value needs to be considered, or a heavy decision to be weighed, it’s always a good idea to take your time and think about it from all angles. Ask advice from others, if you feel that would be helpful. Check out any questions and settle any doubts before finalizing anything. And remember to pray and find out what God has to say about it.
A little forethought on the front-end can be a big sanity-saver on the back-end. ~
"For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding" (Proverbs 2:6, NIV)
"Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed" (Proverbs 15:22, NIV).
Lynn Jacobs
Christian Life Coach
http://www.lynnjacobs-christianlifecoach.com/
lj@lynnjacobs-christianlifecoach.com
I took my car to a mechanic a few days ago to have it inspected, and the cost for those “couple of things needed repairing” will be more than what I paid for the car! Why didn’t I have my mechanic look at it before I plunked down the money on the table? Was I in a hurry? Was my mechanic unavailable? Was I just not thinking?
After it’s all said and done, it doesn’t really matter why I didn’t check out the car more fully before buying it. The point is—I should have. A little forethought could have resulted in big savings—or avoiding the car altogether.
I’ve lived my life like that on occasion—have you? A situation presents itself and instead of taking the time to completely check it out, and ask God's opinion, I rush in only to be sorry later.
Whenever something of great value needs to be considered, or a heavy decision to be weighed, it’s always a good idea to take your time and think about it from all angles. Ask advice from others, if you feel that would be helpful. Check out any questions and settle any doubts before finalizing anything. And remember to pray and find out what God has to say about it.
A little forethought on the front-end can be a big sanity-saver on the back-end. ~
"For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding" (Proverbs 2:6, NIV)
"Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed" (Proverbs 15:22, NIV).
Lynn Jacobs
Christian Life Coach
http://www.lynnjacobs-christianlifecoach.com/
lj@lynnjacobs-christianlifecoach.com
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