Month: July 2019

Dare To BE

by thefaithfilledtraveler, posted in Uncategorized

Good Tuesday morning, everyone! I hope you all had a good weekend and that your week is off to a great start . The Watson’s have had an awesome few days in that we celebrated my 45th birthday, had friends visit us from our hometown in South East Texas, and we honored my daughter, Mariah yesterday for her 21st birthday! To say that it has been a busy few days for us, is putting it lightly. I am a bit….WORE OUT!(Lol) Well now that you are all caught up in what has been going on in my world, let’s get into this blog weeks topic of DARE TO BE.

Have you ever been in a situation where you chose to compromise your true self? Maybe it was in a social setting or perhaps within your own 4 walls, but did you feel like you could not do or say what you truly wanted to, out of fear of what someone else may think of you? Or, did you talk yourself out of doing something that you know you should have done by saying things like, “I’m too tired”…”I’ll do it tomorrow”? If we are honest, the answer is likely yes for us all.

I believe that each of us have been given assignments to fulfill in this life. I also believe that there is a part of us that is trying to direct us towards fulfilling that assignment. When we compromise being our true self for others or put off doing things we know that we should do,we are essentially resisting that direction. Instead, we should DARE TO BE our truest self by embracing who we are and doing what we know we should do .And we should do it regardless of the opinions of others and despite what that annoying little voice in our heads are saying. It’s a heart thing, my friends.

With that said, this week we are going to talk about some things that can potentially keep us from being our true/authentic self and some ways we can work through it. My prayer is that we will gain traction over the course of the next 3 days and DARE TO BE who the Lord created us to be, inevitably fulfilling the assignments that he intended each one of us to fulfill . I really hope you guys will join me! Take care!

Warmest Regards,

Salina Watson

We Are Not Alone- Part 4

by thefaithfilledtraveler, posted in We Are Not Alone
( 2 of my children, Montana & Mariah Watson)

As we wrap up this blog weeks topic on WE ARE NOT ALONE, I just want to remind you all that there is never a time in this life that you are alone…NEVER! Although you may feel isolated in your circumstance He is ALWAYS near. It doesn’t matter what you have done or what you are being faced with…He is right beside, you and He is within you.

Sometimes He shows up as a complete stranger in a common area with a smile &/or kind word. Other times, it will be through your loved one who embraces you with a hug or a song playing on the radio. I’ve even experienced his touch through the eyes of our precious little dog, Pistach prior to his passing. And I have felt His presence in the stillness of a quite room.

My prayer for you all this week is for you to look around and notice Him in the smallest of things. Then, dig deep within your own heart and you will discover Him there. Before long you will find that He is surrounding you with grace and love.

Thank you all for being here this week. I hope that you have a wonderful weekend with those that you love and that you get some rest. Make it count, my friends! I’ll see you here on Monday! Take care!

Warmest Regards,

Salina Watson

We Are Not Alone- Part 3

by thefaithfilledtraveler, posted in Uncategorized

Can you think of time when you have judged someone due to what they were wearing, saying, doing? Perhaps it was a stranger that you have never met and knew nothing about. Or, maybe it was a loved one that you see each & every day and know everything about . If we’re honest, it is likely that we have all done it at one time or another and more times than we care to admit.

With a daughter who is physically disabled due to neurotoxicity from a chemotherapy that she took in 2010, I can certainly attest to being judged when we are out and about, on occasion. Although our daughter,Morgan looks like a healthy individual from the outside, she has issues with mobility, speech, hand coordination, and she has been battling leukemia for a 2nd time since June 2018.

That said, at first glance, if she is not walking, talking or using her hands, someone who doesn’t know her and her story may not pick up on her disability. An example of this would be when she rides in a scooter at the grocery store due to her inability to walk long distances. Or when we were in Destin, Florida at the beginning of the summer and we loaded her up in a grocery cart, yes….a grocery cart each day to bring her to the beach. Let’s just say that we received a few stares & heard a few whispers from strangers who knew nothing about her story.

My point? How will we come to understand that we are truly not alone when we are faced with challenges, if we are fearful of being judged by the world who is constantly judging us . I mean, wouldn’t you agree that the reason we feel isolated in our situations and do not open up to others is because we are fearful of the opinions that they may form about us? It’s a vicious cycle.

My friends, I believe that in order for us to understand that we are not alone in whatever situation we find ourselves in, we must first refrain from judging others and instead love & accept them just as the Lord has done for each of us. This will allow space for them to be transparent, which will give others permission to do the same. The result will be authenticity amongst us all. I just know it!

So, can you think of a time when you felt alone and did not want to open up to others out of fear of what they may think? What did you do instead? If you are willing and able to share, I would love to hear from you. Perhaps we can all learn from your experience.

Thank you guys for being here tonight. I’ll meet you here again tomorrow as we wrap up the blog week. Take care!

Warmest regards,

Salina Watson

We Are Not Alone-Part 2

by thefaithfilledtraveler, posted in Uncategorized
https://thefaithfilledtraveler.com/faith-filled-tees/

Have you ever considered that the people we live with and come in contact with each day are a reflection of ourselves? At some point in our lives, we have all experienced pain, joy, judgement, loss, excitement, suffering, etc. . Although each of those things may have looked different from one person to the next, the fact remains that we have experienced them.

Take my husband, John and my daughter, Morgan above, for instance. As the majority of you already know, Morgan has been battling leukemia for a second time since June 2018. While Morgan has suffered physically and emotionally from her disease and the treatment associated with it, John has suffered emotionally from watching her walk through it. Another example would be joy. While Morgan enjoys spending time with her father, the man who has helped raise her, John enjoys time with his daughter, whom he helped raise.

So, what does all of this have to do with this blog weeks topic, WE ARE NOT ALONE? Well, it has everything to do with it. See, as we go through life and experience hardship, we generally don’t want to share it with others due to fear of judgement. But the truth is, we have all experienced it. Yes… it likely looks different for me than it does you, but it’s the same regardless.

As we begin to look at others as though we are looking at our own reflection, I think we will begin to notice that we are one in the same. The Word says, “God created man in his own image”. That means all of us, not a select few. Not only are we not alone , but we are in good company with others just like ourselves.

So has there been a time in your life when you have felt alone? Having experienced that, have you noticed when others isolate themselves? If so, what do you do to help them? I’d love to hear about your experience. Please message me below, if you feel led to do so.

Thank you guys for being here today. I’ll plan on visiting with you all tomorrow. Make it a great Tuesday night! Take care!

Warmest Regards,

Salina Watson

We Are Not Alone

by thefaithfilledtraveler, posted in We Are Not Alone

Good Monday morning, my friends! How’s everyone doing? Hopefully you are refreshed from your weekend and ready to get this new week started. I know I am. After attending the RISE conference with my oldest daughter last Thursday- Saturday, I am ready to take on the world. Well, maybe not the world, but I think you know where I am going with that. So, let’s get started!

Have you ever experienced something in your life and felt all alone in the process of it? You know like no one else has experienced that “thing” or felt like you did in that moment. I certainly have. The good news YOU ARE NOT ALONE…NONE OF US ARE. I am certain of this , because I witnessed it first hand at the conference during an exercise that we were asked to participate in.

During this particular exercise we were given a sheet of paper that had a list of 20+ I HAVE’s . Let me explain. They were things like… I have lost a partner, I have been physically abused, I have abused alcohol or drugs to cope. Our assignment was to check off all of the things that applied to us without identifying ourselves on the paper. Once completed we folded them up, placed them in boxes, volunteers picked them up and redistributed them around the room. Afterwards, our host asked that we stand if the ” I have” was checked on our neighbors form as she read them each out loud.

Tears filled the room as women all across the arena stood up for each other as each “I have” was read. The realization of how much pain and suffering we have all experienced was honestly overwhelming. Although I have come to understand that everyone has gone through something in their life, seeing it unfold amongst 7,500 women made it so real for me.

Perhaps you’ve never attended a large conference, can you think of a time when you have been surrounded by thousands of people. Maybe it was a major league baseball game, NFL football game, concert, etc. Can you imagine more than half of the attendees standing for an “I have” like I have considered taking my life? The truth is at least half of us at the conference stood up for a woman whose reality was such.

My point? WE ARE NOT ALONE. Although the enemy tries to convince us otherwise by making us feel isolated in our circumstances, there are many who have or who are experiencing the same things that we have. There is no shame &/or guilt to be had in this, my friends. Instead, we should find strength in it, which is exactly my goal for each of us this week. As we dive deeper into this topic and unpack truth, I pray that you will begin to understand that you are surrounded by others who have walked down similar paths as yourself and that you will find strength in this. Will you join me? I sure hope so!

I’ll see you guys here tomorrow and on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/thefaithfilledtraveler/ until then! Have a great Monday morning! Take care!!!

Warmest regards,

Salina Watson

Making Time

by thefaithfilledtraveler, posted in TIME

Have you ever noticed how when we schedule something for &/ or with someone else, we keep our commitments to them. Take our families/ friends for instance, if we plan to do something with them or for them, we put it on our calendars and protect that time. I know this has certainly been the case for this wife, mother and friend.

Being raised in a home where I heard my grandfather say things with a loving spirit like, “Salina, if you are going to do it…..do it!” and “Everything you do has your name on it” created a committed heart within me. This has led me to do the things I said I was going to do for others at all cost, if it was within my power to do it. Although the picture above is an old one of my children and I, I wanted to share it with you guys today, because for me, it is an example of my commitment to others, particularly my children. And I believe that if you look hard enough, you can see yourself in it too.

My point? We have to make the time for the things that are important to us. Yes, that means blocking out time in our schedules to pursue them. And we have to stay committed in our pursuit by protecting that time. Not only is this necessary for us, but the people around us. See, we each have things that we enjoy doing and desire to do which are clues of what the Lord wants us to do that serve a greater purpose beyond ourselves.

So, yesterday I challenged you to get clear on what is important to you by writing those things down and then coming up with a sentence or two to tie them together. Todays challenge is to make time for them in your schedules. Start small, but just start! Are you in? I sure hope so. For there are many, including those that you have been committed to over the course of your life that are waiting on you to commit to yourself. No guilt aloud!

Thank you guys for joining me! I’ll see you soon! Take care!

Warmest regards,

Salina Watson

Getting Clear For The Sake Of Time

by thefaithfilledtraveler, posted in TIME

At the beginning of the year, did you find yourself saying something like, “This year I’m going to get healthy?” Yet, here it is July and you haven’t taken a step in that direction. What about this week, have you agreed to do something for &/or with someone that you really don’t want to do? Or, have you had a dream tucked away in your heart for years and convinced yourself that you will get around to it some day? If we are honest, we can all relate to one, if not all, of these examples. I, for one, believe it is because we are not clear on the things that are truly important to us; therefore, we are not making, I repeat, WE ARE NOT MAKING the time in our schedules for them.

See, when we know what is truly important to us, we can make time for them. And we can also choose not to participate in things that do not align with those things. In John 10:10, we are reminded that the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy. I believe one of the ways he does that is through time. By consuming our days with things that are not important to us or the Lords purpose for our lives, we cannot pursue those things that are.

With that said, I am going to challenge each of you to get crystal clear on the things that are important to you. Start by brainstorming the things that you value that are important and follow that up by writing down a few sentences that will tie them all together. This will serve as your compass. Are you in? I sure hope so! We are each given a certain amount of time to do the things we love and were created to do. There is not time to waste doing things that do not serve that purpose.

Thank you for joining me. I’ll see you guys back here tomorrow ! Take care !

Warmest regards,

Salina Watson

The Resource of Time

by thefaithfilledtraveler, posted in TIME

Well, hello there! Good Monday morning to each of you.  How was your weekend? I hope you had an opportunity to get some rest yet did some things that you’ve been needing/wanting to do. That is exactly what took place in the Watson household. We were able to check a few things off of our “To-Do List” and squeeze in a nap or two so that we could refuel. On that note, lets dive into this weeks blog topic of time, shall we?

Have you ever thought about time as a resource? To be honest, I don’t think that I have always thought of it as such; however, that is exactly what it is. In fact, I would say that it is our most precious resource in that we only have a certain amount of it each day, week, month and year, etc. . Once it is gone, it’s gone. Unlike jobs and/or money, it cannot be replaced.

With that in mind, why do we tend to take it for granted? We say things like, ” I’ll do it tomorrow’.”  Or, ” When “this” happens, I’m going to do “this.” The truth is, we don’t know that tomorrow will be a part of our reality or that we will be physically able to do that “thing” we’ve been wanting to do when the time is “right”. On top of that, time seems to be passing faster than the speed of light. The picture above is a prime example of this. As I was preparing to type this blog post and looking through my photos, I came across it. I actually took that photo 6 months ago and published it on the Faith Filled Traveler Facebook page. It seems like yesterday when I was standing in front of my desk with outstretched arms taking the photo, yet it was at the first of the year.

My point? Time is a resource that the Lord has gifted each of us with that the majority of us are unconsciously taking for granted. We forget that we have a limited supply of it. That said, this week I would like to dig a little deeper into the topic of time and share some ways that we can begin to manage it and be more present in our day to day. Will you join me? I sure hope so. Let’s plan on meeting here again tomorrow morning and on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/thefaithfilledtraveler/ ) until then! Make it a great day!

Warmest regards,

Salina Watson

 

 

THOUGHTS THAT KEEP US BOUND

by thefaithfilledtraveler, posted in He Died So That We May Live Freely, Uncategorized

This blog week we have been talking about freedom, how the Lord died so that we could have it and some of the things that are keeping us from it. On Tuesday I touched on toxic relationships and unhealthy environments. Yesterday I scratched the surface on distractions. Today, we will be talking about our thoughts.

Could it be that the way we think is keeping us from living life freely as the Lord intended?  I believe it is more times than not. While there are unfortunately times when people are held against their will, we ultimately choose to be in the relationships/environments that we are in and what distractions we will give our attention to. See, everything we do or choose not to do, starts in our minds with a thought which leads to an action or the lack there of.

In Romans 12:2 the word says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. How do we do that? By regularly making time to read Gods word. Why? Because when we do we equip ourselves with truth which leads to freedom. Let me give you an example of this. For me, one of the things that I have battled with since my childhood is poor body image. I have allowed this one thing to keep me bound from living the life that I now know the Lord intended for me to live. It is a mere opinion of myself….not fact . It is a thought that I created in my mind as a young child that I carried into my adult life that is based on things that I was told and believed to be true .  Yet, they were all lies. The real truth is, I, like you, are  beautifully and wonderfully made. The Word reminds us of this in Psalm 139:14.

The things is we have to read the Lords word, know the Lords word and apply the Lords word in order to see just how powerful it is. That is, to be set free from the thoughts that are taking up space in our minds that do not align with the truth. The question is, are you willing to invest the time it will take to do so? I really hope the answer is yes, if only for a few minutes each day. For I believe that by doing so, we will be set free and able to live the life that we were destined to live!

Thank you guys for joining me her this blog week. I’ll plan on meeting you her again on Monday and on Facebook until then. Sweet dreams to you all!!!

Warmest regards,

Salina Watson

 

BREAKING FREE FROM DISTRACTIONS

by thefaithfilledtraveler, posted in He Died So That We May Live Freely, Uncategorized

Have you ever noticed just how many things are fighting for your attention throughout your day? From your phone, to the news, and those surrounding you, everything and everyone seems to be saying, “hey, look at me”. It’s almost like they have little magnets on them and are fearlessly drawing us in. Well, each time we surrender to those things and give them our attention, we are essentially allowing them to control us. For the word says in 2 Peter 2:19 (NLT) – “You are a slave to whatever controls you.” And in case you didn’t know, things like “control” and “slavery” are the complete opposite of freedom. My friends, freedom is what we are all striving for here, right? I mean, the Lord did lay down his life so that we could have it.

So, here is what you need to be reminded of today….YOU DO NOT HAVE TO GIVE ATTENTION TO EVERYTHING! No, you can choose what you give your attention to and when you do it. You do not have to answer every phone call &/or email. But if you choose to do so, you can also choose to do it when you are able. Those annoying commercials that seem to be crowding the air waves with an agenda to convince you that you need the latest greatest gadget…TURN THEM OFF! And the people that are begging for you time for mere personal gain, politely say, “no thanks”. Friends, we do not have to be a part of everything, nor should we.

The Word reminds us in John 10:10 – the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy. I believe  one of the ways he does that is by attempting to distract us with the day to day things. He knows that the Lord has a plan and a purpose for each one of us that if fulfilled will build the Lords kingdom and bring Glory to his name. By diverting our attention, we have less, if any, time to give to the plan. We have to get to a place where we truly understand the depth of our purpose in this life…our mission! We have an assignment to do that only we are able to do, the way we were created to do it! That said, we must learn to observe from a distance all of the many things that are in pursuit of our attention and only give in to those things that are in alignment with our purpose. We must break free from distractions!!!

So, is there something or some things that are distracting you from the life that you know you were designed to live? They are easy to detect,  because they generally frustrate you, make you anxious, take up your time, space &/or resources and rob you of joy, peace and love. If the answer is yes,  I’m going to challenge you to begin by taking note of these things. As your vision of them becomes clearer you and your mind becomes more aware of them, you will be able to break free from of them. Are you in? I sure hope so!!!

Thank you guys for joining me this Wednesday morning! Lets plan on meeting here again tomorrow to wrap up the blog week and on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/thefaithfilledtraveler/ ) until then! Make it great day!

 

Warmest regards,

Salina Watson