Self-Esteem Makeover Challenge - Week 4 Day 5

I am so thankful that you are here with me on celebration day! This week we learned about Gratitude. This week our goal was to fight low self esteem by being full of gratitude. We wrote letters of thanks to our God and to ourselves. We wrote a letter of thanks to a friend. We learned that our hands can build up or tear down our homes and our lives. When we use our hands to build up, God will bless them and give us even more reason to be thankful.

Today I challenge you to make another list. Today’s list is full of gratitude. Today, list ten things that you are thankful for, here’s my list:

1. A God that loves me enough to save me from me
2. My darling husband and his desire to walk with the Lord
3. My beautiful children
4. My granddaughters
5. My education and the people who gave of themselves to give it to me
6. My wonderful friends who are always there for me when I need a hand to hold
7. My cousin Serina and the rest of my family for your love
8. My home
9. A heart that desires to love others
10. The knowledge that I have so much to be thankful for

Self-Esteem Makeover Challenge - Week 4 Day 4

For building day today, we are focusing on hands. Hands? Yep, hands. Our hands can help or hinder us… and no, I’m not talking about your nail polish or length of your finger nails.

We will start with the negative. Proverbs 14:1 says, “Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.” This verse pretty much hits on both points, but we are going to start at the rear of this one. Does this say that a foolish woman is one who will stand and tear her actual physical house down? Nope, don’t think so. There are so many ways that you can tear your “house” down. Your house being your family, your life, your relationships, and ultimately your own state of mind. You know, the place where you live.

If we are lazy and we don’t take care of the important things in our lives, then things will start to fall apart. Our husbands, who already work hard, begin to feel that it is their responsibility to take over the housework because we are neglecting it. Then they become bitter, angry and resentful. Then not only does our relationship with him begin to diminish, but everything attached to it as well.

If we do not build up those important things then who will? We must build up our friends, our homes, our families. We must take time each day to build our houses so that they do not crumble in around us and leave us looking like fools.

The wise woman builds her house, not with a hammer and nail, but with love, kindness, creativity, peace, patience and prayer. We are the thermostat for our household, we set the temperature. If you are walking in the Spirit, your family will follow.

This pretty much leads us to the next verse I would like to reference. Proverbs 31:20, “She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.” Does this mean people who are monetarily poor and needy? Yes, but it means so much more. It also is talking about those who are in need emotionally and spiritually. Sometimes that is you, my friend. If it is, don’t feel bad about reaching out to a Godly friend and letting them know you have a need. If it is your friend, husband, child or co-worker, let them know that you are there for them, reach out your hand to them and do your very best to be Christ’s hand in their time of need.

Pray that God would reveal to you your influence on your home. Pray that you would have the desire to make it a sanctuary for your family. Take some time to paint your nails or get a manicure to remind yourself how important your hands are in building your home, both physically and spiritually. When you build your house, you have so much to be thankful for, because God will bless the work of your hands. In doing this, you will have hands folded in prayer of thankfulness for all of your many blessings.

Self-Esteem Makeover Challenge - Week 4 Day 3

Happy Service Day!! I am so very grateful that you are here with me. For some reason, the entry I posted yesterady morning just now showed up on my server. I pray that didn't slow anyone down?

Today's challenge is similar to yesterday except for one thing...we are going to write a thank you note to someone in our life. Sit down and think and pray on this and really listen to who God wants you to write to. Listen to His leading and write a note to someone with a heart filled with gratitude.

Self-Esteem Makeover Challenge - Week 4 Day 2

Hello friends, I pray that today finds you blessed! Today's exercise is going to be a challenge for many. Most of us with self-esteem problems can create a list a mile long with things that are bad about us, and have a difficult time thinking of things about ourselves that we are thankful for.

Today's challenge is two-fold. The first part is that you are going to write a letter to God, thanking Him for your life and for the wonderful things that He created about you. Try to list at least two or three specific things. The second part is to write yourself a thank you letter. Try to list at least two or three things here that you are thankful to yourself for.

Are you thankful that you are punctual? Or maybe that you are neat and tidy? Are you thankful that you are thoughful of others? These would be things you could list.

I pray that this challenge is not too difficult for you and look forward to seeing you tomorrow with a thankful heart.

Self-Esteem Makeover Challenge – Week 4 Day 1

Hello! I pray that you had a wonderful weekend and that you made it through without self-sabotage. When I was in the fourth grade, my Sunday school teacher taught us a song of thanks. It goes, “Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul. Thank you, Lord, for making me whole. Thank you, Lord, for giving to me thy great salvation so rich and free.” I love that song. That little song has gotten me thankfully through some of the darkest hours in my life.

Gratitude is our goal this week. Gratitude and thankfulness are pretty much the same. Did you know that the Bible mentions gratitude in many ways? In the King James version:
• The word thanks appears 73 times
• The word thanksgiving appears 28 times
• The word thank appears 27 times
• The word thanked appears 3 times
• The word thankful appears 3 times
• The word thanksgivings appears 2 times
• The word thankfulness appears 1 time
• The word thanking appears 1 time
• The word thankworthy appears 1 time

I think that God wants for us to be filled with Gratitude. In James 1:17 He says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” I love that verse. Every good thing we get comes from God! How exciting is that?

Now I know that no matter how hard you are on yourself…no matter how many different ways you sabotage yourself…that there are good things about you. Now we know that those good things come straight from the heart of God.

This week our goal is to fight low self esteem by being full of gratitude. I pray that you will join me tomorrow as we take a step in that direction.

Self-Esteem Makeover Challenge - Week 3 Day 5

Today is celebration day! This week has been about sabotage. Have you learned anything? I know I have. So many of us as women find ways to sabotage the good things, and I found more ways this week than I had known that I was sabotaging my own self-esteem. I want to be like Erma Bombeck and strive to be that woman who can tell God, “I used everything you gave me” and not “Well I just couldn’t do it.”

It is my goal to stop making excuses, stop lying to myself, stop avoiding conflict and stop procrastinating. Stop all of those things that I use to sabotage the blessings that God has given me. Stop killing my own self-esteem.

I enjoyed my hour of time alone with God, did you? I took a long hot bath and listened to sweet old hymns after I spent 30 minutes reading in Psalm. It energized me! I also visited a wonderful friend and spent some great time with her. It was a refreshing reunion. As for Day 4, I have made an appointment to get a hair cut. I seriously have tonsurephobia, fear of getting a hair cut and it is one cause of my self-esteem problems. Because of this, I have vowed to get my hair cut every three months so that it can stay healthy and pretty and truly be that “glory” that Paul referred to.

Today’s celebration challenge is to list three ways that you are going to stop self sabotage. My three are

1. Get a hair cut every three months to keep my hair healthy.
2. Spend time alone with God every day and spend time for just me at least twice a week.
3. Stop procrastinating.

You truly are beautiful in His sight, and I bet in someone else’s too! Have a wonderful weekend and I will see you right back here on Monday!

Self-Esteem Makeover Challenge - Week 3 Day 4

Good morning! I pray that today finds you blessed. So now that we are past snowstorms, conventions and grandbabies, I will pick up where we left off. I really do pray that you are enjoying this as much as I am!

Today is building day and today we are building our hair. Eeek, some about passed out just now. I can hear it. “She’s going to tell us we can never cut our hair!” Don’t worry, although I enjoy my long hair, I am not going to tell you that it is wrong to cut yours.

Remember our key verse? I Peter 3:3-4 "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight." Our great worth does not come from our hair, but our inner beauty. The terms used in this verse “braided hair or gold jewelry” refers to a hairstyle popular in Paul’s day. It was not speaking of simply braiding your hair. Women, in that time, would often immodestly braid their hair, weaving expensive jewelry into it. We know that modesty and moderation are important to God as seen in Phil. 4:5 “Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.”

I Cor. 11:15 tells us “But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.” Now this verse does not say that you must not cut your hair, it simply says that as a woman, God has given us pretty hair as a covering and He calls it our glory. I believe that Paul is simply urging us that we should seek tasteful, attractive and modest styling for our hair. Paul warns in I Timothy 2: 9-10 against seeking vanity “In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.”

Nowhere in the Bible does it forbid modest cutting, curling or styling in a feminine manner. Any style and many lengths of hair are appropriate if its length can be considered a “covering.” We must simply take care of our hair. Not allow it to become one of those things that sabotage our self-confidence. Get a hair cut when we need it. Curl it or fix it up sometimes, and always remember that God Himself called it a “glory” to us.

I know that I am guilty of going the easy way and most days I pull my hair back in a ponytail and call it good. So here is today’s challenge, for me as much as everyone else, take some time to do something new with your hair. Get a hair cut or just have it styled by a beautician or a friend. Maybe you’ll learn a new way to style it for special occasions. Just don’t always wait for a special occasion to make yourself feel pretty. A new hair style always makes me feel good about myself.

Self-Esteem Makeover Challenge - Week 3 Day 3

Hello there! Service Day is upon us and have I got a great challenge for you today! Remember last week? We went over Proverbs 27:17 “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Well the Bible also says in Hebrews 10: 24-25, “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” You see, fellowship and loving one another is very important to Jesus. He wants us to gather with our sisters and to lift them up.

Sometimes we women sabotage fellowship as well. “Well I see my friends at church (at the gym, at work, at whatever) and that is fellowship, so I should be okay, “we say to ourselves. We busy ourselves with carpool, housework, and jobs. That girlfriend whom we promised to have lunch with four months ago is still on that list of things we need to do. We see her at the store and we blush and we say, “Oh yeah, I haven’t forgotten about you, I’ve just been soooo busy.” I don’t think that’s real great for her self-esteem. I know I’m guilty of that.

So today we are going to stop sabotaging our friendships. Your challenge is to call up a friend and invite her to do something. Have dinner, go get an ice cream, go to a movie, something…anything. Just spend some quality time with someone whom you don’t see every day.

I challenge you to take it even one step further. On your way to meet her, stop and pick up a simple flower, not a rose, but something cheerful like a daisy. When you see your friend tell her that you wanted to get her something beautiful to remind her that she is beautiful in your eyes and in God’s. Thank her for being your friend.

Prolific Blogger Award

I received the Prolific blogger award from my dear friend Becky. Thanks so much Becky! It's my very first blog award!

The Webster's online dictionary defines prolific as: marked by abundant inventiveness or productivity, or as Becky so wonderfully described this award "A Prolific Blogger is one who is intellectually productive… keeping up an active blog that is filled with enjoyable content."

There are a couple of rules for this award:

1. Every winner of the Prolific Blogger Award has to pass on this award to at least seven other deserving prolific bloggers. Spread some love!

2. Each Prolific Blogger must link to the blog from which he/she has received the award.

3. Every Prolific Blogger must link back to This Post, which explains the origins and motivation for the award.

4. Every Prolific Blogger must visit this post and add his/her name in the Mr. Linky, so that we all can get to know the other winners.

Here are my seven award winning choices, which was a little difficult, seeing as how I don't read many blogs anyway and a few of them have already been given this award:

1. Jocelyn in Texas

2. Contemplative Opines

3. Nehemiah Christopher Reyna

4. Simply Serina

5. The DIY Show Off

6. The Idea Room

7. Clean or Create

Self-Esteem Makeover Challenge - Week 3 Day 2

Hello again! Did that Day 1 post step on your toes a little? It stepped on mine as God was revealing it to me. In today’s “Uplifting Me” challenge, we are going to address time thieves. A time thief is anything in your life that steals your time.

For some it is the computer. They waste time playing internet games, dwelling on Facebook or Myspace or another social networking site, or just goofing around online. For others, it is television, they must watch this show on this night, no matter what is going on. For others, it is activities such a athletics or church. Did you know that you can become so busy doing “good things” that they become bad things? I got to a place a little while back where I was spending so much time at church that my other responsibilities were not being met. Remember, God is a God of balance.

In order to feel that we are beautiful, we must take some time to make ourselves beautiful. In order to feel that we are healthy, we must do things to make ourselves healthy. In order to feel close to God, we must spend time with Him. Any relationship requires an effort on our part, even the one with God, even the one with ourselves.

Today’s challenge is fun and two-fold, take some time, make some time for yourself and for God today. Set aside at least 30 minutes to spend in prayer with God. Relax, grab a cup of cocoa, hot tea or lemonade and spend some quality time just seeking His face. Do that however you think you should, read Psalms, or study or just pray. Everyone is different in the way that they spend time with God. The next part is to take at least 30 minutes for yourself. Take a soak in a hot bath, get a massage, or lie in the warmth of the sun shining through your window and listen to calming music. Oh and guess what, you can spend this time with God also! Whatever you do, don’t let anything sabotage this time. Get your chores done before you start, don’t worry about that email inbox and for sure, Facebook can live without you for one hour.

Have a wonderful day today!

Self-Esteem Makeover Challenge – Week 3 Day 1

Good morning! I pray that this new week finds you blessed and growing in self-confidence. I apologize for the techinical problems that we had yesterday that makes today's post so late in coming. I pray that on Friday you were able to name two ways in which you had begun to change a negative behavior in your life. For me, I had made a goal to change the behavior and prayed to ask God to help me change. Secondly, I took a step in the right direction and began to actually make the change. My goal was to increase physical activity in my life, so I have started an exercise routine.

This week’s goal is to Kick the Self-Sabotage Habit. So many of us as women find ways to sabotage the good things. We sabotage relationships by starting unnecessary fights or finding all the bad we can in a person. We sabotage our goals by making them too large or too lofty to reach. We sabotage our self-esteem by not believing that we are worthy. The first step in that is believing that we are of “great worth” to someone. How about the Most Important Someone, God? I hope that you still have I Peter 3:3-4 somewhere that you can read it daily "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight."

One way that we, as women, can learn to stop sabotaging our self-esteem is to understand a few simple points. The first one is to realize that conflict will happen and it’s not necessarily your fault. You cannot please everyone all the time…and that’s okay. You are not less of a woman if you let someone down or feel that you have. Sometimes, we even make them mad. Sometimes there is even a confrontation. Because of our low self-esteem, we avoid conflict at every opportunity, even if we are right. In order to stop the sabotage and the defeat, we must understand and accept that sometimes we will do things that don’t please other people. We must act out of right. Follow the Word of God and stand firm on it. Act and live within the power of the Spirit, not out of fear of conflict. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)”

The next thing we have to do to kick self-sabotage is to re-examine those things we believe about ourselves that aren’t true. For instance, women who believe they don’t deserve to be in healthy relationships will act in ways that sabotage or defeat good relationships. Women who believe they’re unattractive or worthless will sabotage their own attempts to lose weight or take care of themselves. In order to stop the sabotage here we must stop believing those things about ourselves that aren’t true. We MUST stand on God’s Word and believe Him when He tells us that we are worthy in His sight.

Another thing that we do as women to sabotage ourselves is to procrastinate or make ourselves busy in so many ways. Instead of doing our daily prayer time with God and allowing Him to whisper words of worth to you, you iron that load of laundry that just couldn’t wait another hour. Instead of taking the time to do something to improve yourself, say take a walk with a friend, you decide that you can’t possibly go one more minute without cleaning out the junk drawer. Instead of doing that paperwork that needs to be done, you play on Facebook or check your email. Any of these things can create conflict, giving you another reason to feel down about yourself. They can steal precious time from your family and from your fellowship with the Lord.

Erma Bombeck said, “When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, ‘I used everything You gave me.’”

That is my prayer. That I can defeat self-sabotage and instead, spend my time utilizing the gifts that God has given me to bless and serve others. Know this, you will never achieve your goals if you let fear, adversity or obstacles defeat you. One of my favorite Bible verses is Galatians 5:1,”Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” I even had it tattooed on my ankle, along with the word “Stand” because that is my biggest challenge, standing and not backing down, especially with myself.

This week we are going to take steps to remove some of the sabotage in our lives. Today I just want you to think and really be honest with yourself. Pray and ask God to show you the ways that you sabotage your own goals.

Self-Esteem Makeover Challenge - Week 2 Day 5

Today is celebration day! I am so glad that you are here!! Today we are celebrating change…changing negative behaviors to be exact. That was our goal this week, to change one negative behavior.

We learned that one of the keys to changing negative behavior is accountability. We learned that we had to make a conscious choice to change our behavior. We also learned that we need to make sure we don’t have a negative countenance and that we should uplift our friends.

Did you take the time to write yourself a love letter? Did it help you to see some value in yourself that you may not have taken notice of before? I hope so.

You are a wonderful person and you are the only one who can do the things that God created you to do. Today’s challenge is an easy one. Write down two things you did this week to change a negative behavior.

Be joyful today, have a great weekend and please, join us back here on Monday!

Self-Esteem Makeover Challenge - Week 1 Day 4

Today is building day and today we are building our face. Now this is not a post about how you should go to Merle Norman and buy $4000 worth of make-up. There is more to a woman’s face than that. We’re more focusing on our countenance today. Webster’s dictionary defines countenance as “especially : the face as an indication of mood, emotion, or character”. Sarah, Rachel, Bathsheba, Abigail and Esther are all mentioned in the Bible for their countenance – their beautiful character, the character of a woman after God’s own heart - while the only woman who is mentioned for artificial make-up is Jezebel and what did it say she did in 2 Kings? “She painted her face and tired her head.” If you don’t know that story, the next thing that happened was she was killed and called a “cursed woman”.

So today we will learn how to “Let the beauty of the Lord be upon us (Psalm 90:17)” by accepting His love for us. Then by allowing His beauty to fill our hearts, we will have that beautiful countenance that will proceed us no matter how much or how little make-up we are wearing.

What does God see in you that is beautiful?

Your mind: Philippians 4:8-9 reminds us, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things..” Lovely thinking brings beautiful thoughts, and beautiful thoughts are the foundation for a peaceful and beautiful countenance.

Your smile: Probably the best kept beauty secret going is the radiant smile that is found on the face of a happy, joyful woman. Remind yourself daily of the greatness of YOUR God and the great love that He has for YOU! Psalm 139:14 “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

Your eyes, as unique as you are: Do your best to keep your sights on the goodness of God. Protect your eyes from evil. Keep them singly focused on what is godly and good. Matthew 6:22 reminds us, “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.”

Your mouth, even more importantly your speech: Proverbs 16:24 tells us, “Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.” Everyone is attracted to the beauty of a mouth that speaks kind and pleasant words! You can also use your words to encourage and uplift others.

Hands that are beautiful in service: Psalm 90:17 says, “And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.”

Feet that spread the gospel of peace: Romans 10:15 reminds us, “How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”

Can you see all the ways that God has already made you beautiful before you even put any cosmetics on your face? Because of this knowledge, you can carry yourself with a beautiful countenance, knowing that you are BEAUTIFUL in His sight.

Am I saying that you shouldn’t wear cosmetics? Absolutely not. That is each woman’s individual decision. Seek God’s face and feel secure in what you decide. If you wear make-up, do so modestly so as not to gain a reputation like our infamous Jezebel. Also, remember to clean and refresh your face, whether you wear make-up or not.

One of my favorite things, one thing that makes me feel better, reminds me that I am beautiful, is a facial. I’ve never had a professional facial, as I’m not one to spend much money on things like that, but I got one of those $10 kit things from Wal-Mart and when my countenance is down, when I forget that God has given me traits that make me beautiful to Him, I take some “me time” and turn on some soft music and give myself at at-home facial. I read Bible verses that tell me how beautiful I am, like the ones listed in this post, and I praise Him for making me His own. When I finish my facial, not only is my face refreshed and renewed, but so are my countenance and my confidence.

So that’s your challenge today. Take some time alone with God and His Word and give yourself a physical and a countenance facial. See if it just doesn’t brighten your day a little.

Self-Esteem Makeover Challenge - Week 2 Day 3

Good morning, Friend. I am so glad that you decided to join us on this journey yet again today! I think that Service Day is one of my favorite days. I enjoy so much making someone’s day brighter, it encourages me so very much.

Today’s challenge isn’t a whole lot different from last week’s but I believe that it will make someone’s day. Remember Proverbs 27:17 from yesterday? “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” So today you will get the opportunity to sharpen another woman in your life.

Today you are challenged to call or email a friend. Let her know that she important to you and why. Remind her that she is special to you and to others. Remind her that God sees her through the blood and that to Him she is of great worth. Tell her something that you love about her.

Today’s challenge is short and simple but be sure to give it 100% so that it can build you up as well.

Have a wonderful day today!

Self-Esteem Makeover Challenge - Week 2 Day 2

Uplifting is important for everyone. The Word tells us in Proverbs “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another (Proverbs 27:17). “ As Christians we are supposed to uplift our friends. However, we do serious damage by sitting around waiting for someone to uplift us.

I was talking to some women who asked me, “When my husband doesn’t notice me, is that his problem or is it self-esteem?” Good question, girls, but let me ask you one question. Do you notice it when he DOES notice you? Most of us that answer honestly will have to answer no. Well, why not? Because our low self-esteem will not let us, that’s why. When he walks in and does a double-take, do you notice?

We cannot expect or depend on others to value our worth. God says that we are of “great worth” to Him. We need to claim and accept that. If the One who created us sees us as worthy, then why can’t we? Easier said than done, I know, but that’s what we’re here for, right?

So on to today’s challenge, you are going to write a love letter….to you. I recommend that you take a minute and pray, ask God to show you some of the beautiful and worthy things that He sees in you so that you can see through His eyes when looking at yourself and writing this letter.
Here is mine:

Dear Kaci,

I just wanted to write and let you know how much that I care for you. It is a growing process, learning to love me, but any relationship takes work, right? Anyway, I think you are a great person. You have a big heart and love to love people. I encourage you to keep going and learning to appreciate yourself because once you do you will be able to love others even more.

You have been blessed with many talents. God has rained down some real creative ability on you so that you can use them to further His kingdom. Speaking of which, your heart to serve Him has grown so much in the last several years.

You are a good friend. Your willingness to serve others is so nice. I also like your kindness to people, even people that you don’t know. Thank you for learning to seek God as your friend and for allowing Him to teach you His love and worth for you. My love for you is growing every day.

Love,
Me
Have fun writing your letter and have a wonderful day today!

Self-Esteem Makeover Challenge – Week 2 Day 1

I pray that this week finds you so very blessed and that Week 1 was a great week for you, as it was for me.

This week we are going to focus on a new goal. Our goal this week is to work on Changing Negative Behavior. We will set our goal small: change one negative behavior this week. Do you bite your nails, smoke, drink, cut or scar yourself, over-eat, or are you like me and avoid physical activity? There could be any number of other things too, some people are impulsive shoppers….whatever it is, make up your mind today what that is and come up with a game plan to work on it.

What is a game plan? Well, maybe your negative behavior is foul language. If so, then stick a rubber band on your wrist and pop it whenever you catch yourself saying a dirty word. If your behavior is nail biting, chew gum and put something nasty or hot on your nails. If your behavior is lack of physical activity like me, maybe you can join a gym or find a walking buddy or some other form of physical activity to get you up and going.

One of the keys to achieving a goal like this one is accountability. Find someone to hold you accountable. Ask a friend, a prayer partner, your spouse, your mom or a co-worker to ask you every few days how you’re doing and to call you on it if they catch you in your negative behavior.

My goal is to increase physical activity. I am going to try the C25K program. A program designed to take a couch potato like me and make them a 5K runner in 8 weeks. If you’re interested in a program like this, you can read more at http://C25K.com.

Your challenge today is to sit down and think, talk with God and decide what one negative behavior you need to work on. Don’t ask those whom you love, as we are still working on our self-esteem here and we don’t need someone giving us a list of things that are bad to bring us down. Come up with one thing and decide, make the conscious choice to change this behavior this week. Pray about it, ask for guidance and peace as you set out on this journey.

I am so proud of you for making the choice to take part in this program and take a step in loving yourself so that you can love others as Christ does.

Have a wonderful day!

Self-Esteem Makeover Challenge - Day 5

I told you I was a fruit loop. Because I was silly and started on Tuesday instead of Monday, and because I don't blog on the weekends, you never got day 5 (except for my wonderful friends at the Pit Stop who get the print version a week at a time...hi girls!). So I will post Day 5 this morning and day 1 of week 2 this afternoon.



Celebration day! Hooray! The best way to meet goals is to celebrate the small successes. Now, be careful how you celebrate. If you are celebrating losing 10 pounds, you don’t want to do that by wolfing down a half a chocolate sheet cake and a gallon of fudge ripple. Balance, remember is the key here. We are learning to find balance in our lives so that we can appreciate ourselves.

We learned on Monday that we are of great worth to God. On Tuesday, we buried Can’t. We have rid our lives of that vile creature, nevermore to return. On Wednesday, we did something to build up someone around us. We built our self-worth by serving another. Then finally, on Thursday, we realized that we need an attitude adjustment and prayed for God to help us create that change.

Today we will practice accepting that we are worthwhile by creating a list. I’m not a list-maker by nature but I have a friend, Kim, who lives in lists. I learned this from her. Today’s challenge is to list three to five things that you did this week that are worthwhile. I promise, you can do this. Everyone has done at least three things this week that are worth mentioning. I am not asking you to publish this list in a local paper, just make it for you, not anyone else.

Here is my list:

1. I started a blog to help me and my friends to learn to love ourselves.
2. I did not leave any dishes in the dishwasher for more than one hour after it was done.
3. I wrote a note to my friend and brightened her day.
4. I helped a friend.
5. I volunteered at my church on a building project.

Your list will be wonderful, I am sure of it. Let it make you smile today!

Self-Esteem Makeover Challenge - Day 4

Today is building day and today we are building our attitude. Our attitude is the fundamental key toward meeting our goals. Your self-esteem and personal peace, according to Jesus, starts with your attitudes and behavior. Jesus taught us in Matthew 5, in the Beatitudes, how deeply our attitude affects the blessings He has already provided. Attitude is the key to receiving blessings. Attitude can also sabotage your goals.

Goals are important because they helped us to reach a desired end. The key is to set an attainable goal, not one too lofty to achieve. Set small goals, short term, so that you get to where you want to go a little step at a time. Instead of planning to lose 30 pounds, set one goal to lose 10 pounds and then celebrate that victory. Then you can grow from that achievement, build your confidence in that you met a goal and set your next goal for 10 pounds and the same until you get to where you are going.

The only problem is that the first 10 pounds, 10 cigarettes, 10 miles of exercise, whatever you are trying to achieve, cannot be attained if your attitude doesn’t carry you there. Let’s take a look at Matthew 5:5 “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth”.

Most people think that meek means weak. On the contrary, someone who is meek is someone who is strong, but not violent; able to endure injury with patience and without resentment. A better idea of the meaning is "humility". The meek person of this beatitude is one who is secure, humble, and unassuming. Secure? UGH! That’s a word I don’t like to hear. Most of my self-esteem crisis comes from insecurity. Able to endure injury with patience and without resentment…double UGH! Sometimes I think I thrive on allowing others to tear me down. Then I tear myself down. Then the insecurity wins.

Then we look at this issue, the meek shall inherit the earth. What is the earth? Here "earth" means the realm of your existence. It is your environment. It is the place and circumstance of your life.
So if we can learn to control our attitude, if we can learn the attitude of meekness, we will, in essence, be taking control over our existence. In achieving this new attitude, we will allow God to create harmony between the meek person and all the circumstances of her life. Toil and effort to exist, survive, and succeed are no longer required. The God who controls all things takes control of your life to make your efforts easier, more productive and satisfying. The God who fearfully and wonderfully created you will give you the increased self-esteem that you seek.

Today’s challenge will be simple for some and the hardest challenge all week for others. I am asking you today to pray. Seriously seek God’s face. Ask Him to show you when you fail to have that attitude of meekness. Ask Him to deliver you from insecurity and to give you patience. Ask Him to teach you true humility so that you may better control your attitude and your existence. Find a friend and pray for each other in this aspect.

Self-Esteem Makeover Challenge - Day 3

You may not think that serving someone else could be a self-esteem building exercise, but it is. Not only do you build yourself up by serving, but you are building someone else's as well. Jesus said, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

When you serve another, do something kind for them, you are showing them that they are worth your time. You are increasing their self-worth. When you do something kind for another person, when you serve them, as Jesus served us, you will feel joy. You will feel an increased purpose, which will improve your view of yourself.

We don't know what others around us may be going through. They may have an inward struggle that they just don't know how to deal with. They may not feel that they are able to share their pain with anyone. Sometimes, a small act of kindness can shed light into their darkness. Sometimes something simple is all that is needed to improve someone's day a thousand fold. So, today's challenge will, perhaps, make someone's day.

Today I implore you to write a note or card of enouragement and give it to someone in your home, school or office. Try to leave it without them knowing so that they don't feel obligated to open it right away or thank you for the kindness. Maybe leave a note of enouragement under your son's pillow telling him how proud you are of the way he took out the trash last week without being asked. Maybe leave a greeting card on your husband's steering wheel so that he will find it when he leaves for work in the morning. Maybe leave a cookie and a short note on your co-worker's desk saying how thankful you are to work with someone so kind. Maybe leave a card in the locker of that girl in your class who no one really talks to, reminding her that she is not invisible, that God loves her and maybe invite her to lunch or to study. Maybe stick a welcome note and a package of cocoa on the doorstep of that new couple that moved in down the street that you haven't met yet. The possibilities are endless, and they don't have to be extravagant.

Today's challenge is simple. Simply show love to someone. Simply. A card, a note, but do one thing, when you write your note, say a short prayer for that person. Ask God to give them a renewed confidence in themselves today. That is my note for you. You are loved. You are worthy. You are beautifully unique. You were fearfully and wonderfully made. Me and Jesus love you. I pray that today and every day as we travel through this challenge together, that God will renew your confidence.

Self-Esteem Makeover Challenge - Day 2

Good morning friends! I pray that today finds you blessed! Today's exercise is intended to help us better make and reach our goals. It is important when dealing with self-esteem to know how to effectively set a goal and see it through to completion.

Many of us know about goals, some of us simply have problems seeing them through to completion. "I cant's" get in the way. Well I set the goal to lose weight but "I can't" because "I can't" afford a gym membership, or "I can't" feel good about myself because "I can't" buy new clothes. "I can't" change the way I am. "I can't" make so-and-so love me. "I can't" do anything about this scar, mole, birthmark, whatever. "I can't", "I can't", "I can't", "I can't", "I can't". Blah, blah, blah.

I have news for you! "I can't" died today and you are going to bury him. That's today's exercise. Get out a piece of paper and write down five to ten things that you feel like you can't do.

Here are mine:
1. I can't lose weight without a gym membership
2. I can't get Austin to do his homework
3. I can't make Angie be my friend
4. I can't change the ugly stains on my teeth
5. I can't make everyone like me
6. I can't make mom feel better
7. I can't do everything for everyone
8. I can't possibly do all the things I want to every day
9. I can't make a difference
10. I can't change the world

Now take a shovel and go into your backyard. Dig a hole and bury all of your I cant's. If you are a young woman, still living at home, please check with your parents before just digging in their yard, we don't want to accidentally bust a sprinkler line or ruin someones prize begonias. If you're a mother doing this exercise with one or more young women, put all the lists in a box and bury them together. Have yourself a proper funeral so that you will truly remember the day that you laid "Can't" to rest.

Click the headstone picture above or the obituary and print it and hang it somewhere that you can see it. Then, when you get to feeling down, or get to feeling like you can't do something, remind yourself that can't is gone. It is no longer an excuse. On the bottom of the print out, write Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Another reminder that you CAN!

Ask someone to hold you accountable, maybe a good friend or your spouse, ask them if they hear you saying that you can't do something, to point to your picture or remind you of the day you buried him, laid to rest, soon to be forgotten.

Have a wonderful day today!