Author: thefaithfilledtraveler

I'm a purpose driven dreamer who loves The Lord, her family, reading, writing, dancing & running!

The Gift of Now- Part 2

by thefaithfilledtraveler, posted in The Gift of Now

How many times have you found yourself replaying an event of your past in your mind? Perhaps it was something that you regret or something that you are very proud of. Do you find yourself often bringing it up in conversation with others? One of the greatest ways we forgo living in the present moment and embracing THE GIFT OF NOW is by spending too much time revisiting the events of our past in our thoughts.

Isaiah 43:19 (NIV) says- “Forget the former things: do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. In this passage we are reminded that the Lord is busy working on our behalf…today. Although the things of our past, whether good or not so good, all helped to move us closer to who we were created to be, they’re old. He is providing new, fresh and beautiful things for each of us daily. Sure, we can occasionally reflect on the old as a reminder of his faithfulness in our lives, but we shouldn’t allow them to take up residence in our minds and rob us of THE GIFT OF NOW.

So how do we keep from dwelling on the things of our past and embrace the GIFT OF NOW? Well, I for one, use past experiences as triggers to focus on something in the present. In other words, if a thought enters my mind from the past that is taking up too much of my time and energy, I will find something around me to redirect my attention to. And it’s generally something that I express gratitude for internally in that moment.

That said, is there something or some things from the past that are keeping you from fully embracing THE GIFT OF NOW that the Lord has graciously given you? I would love to hear from you so that I can pray for you in this regard, if you are willing to share. For He has a multitude of new and beautiful things sprouting up around you in THE GIFT OF NOW. Don’t miss it, my friends!

Warmest Regards,

Salina Watson

The Gift of Now

by thefaithfilledtraveler, posted in The Gift of Now

Good Monday morning, my friends! How are you guys doing ? Hopefully, you are rested up from the weekend and ready to get this new week started. I certainly am. Although I have no idea what is in store for me in the days ahead, as none of us do, I am faithful that they will be good, none the less. Now, let’s jump into this blog weeks topic of THE GIFT OF NOW, shall we?

Do you ever find yourself replaying an event in your mind that happened in your past whether good or not so good? Or, have you found yourself on any given day wondering where the heck the time went? What about being anxious about what the future holds? I, for one, can answer yes to all 3 questions. And from experience, I can attest that each one of those scenarios kept me from fully embracing the present, which is all we really have….THE GIFT OF NOW.

I was reminded of this on Saturday morning when I stopped by Einstein Bros Bagels to pick up a quick bite for the first time. As I stood waiting on my bagel with a caffeinated beverage in hand, this sign caught my attention and seriously had me thinking about the words … “LIFE IS SHORT STAY AWAKE FOR IT”. See, the Lord has given each of us a designated amount of time on earth in which to fulfill his plan for our lives. This can only be accomplished in the present, moment by moment. Unfortunately, the majority of us are either sleep walking through each day, reliving our past or so focused on our future that we miss the GIFT OF NOW.

With this in mind, I would like to spend the next three days of the blog week diving deeper into this truth. We will talk about the past, the auto pilot present day and the future. My prayer is that we will begin to see the GIFT OF NOW that has graciously been given to us by the Creator of The Universe and fully embrace it for the precious gift that it is. I hope you will join me! Make it a great day! See you soon!

Warmest Regards,

Salina Watson

Dare To Be- Part 4

by thefaithfilledtraveler, posted in Dare To Be

This blog week we have been talking about daring to be who we were created to be and fulfilling the assignments that we were designed to fulfill. I touched on two things that can potentially keep us from doing just that or that could move us closer to them, which is our circumstances and the opinions of others. Today, I want to talk about our thoughts, which encompasses them both.

See, if we are not careful, our thoughts can keep us trapped in our circumstances and in the opinions of others. While I understand, first hand, that circumstances in this life can be tough at times, it is the way in which we think of them and ultimately approach them that makes the difference. We can either focus our attention….our thoughts on all that is wrong, which will create more wrong, or we can find one thing that is good, which will create more good. Now our minds, by default, will tend to focus on all that is wrong in our circumstances; however, each time we redirect our thoughts to the good, we train our minds to find good. Negative thoughts can become a trigger for us to focus on something positive in any circumstance, if we allow them to.

Now take the opinions of others. Did you catch that? The OPINIONS of others. Their OPINIONS are just that…. OPINIONS. They are mere thoughts that are based on their personal life experiences that are not factual in nature. Why on earth then do we allow the thoughts of others to keep us from becoming who we were created to be and doing that which we know we have been called to do? The answer….our thoughts! Instead, we should use their opinions as triggers to remind ourselves of our truth! That which is true for US.

My friends, buried within each of us is an ocean filled with beauty and wonder! Below its surface are treasures that are waiting to be discovered! Will you DARE TO BE who you were created to be and fulfill the assignment that you were designed to fulfill by exploring its possibilities, or will you allow circumstances, opinions , and negative thoughts keep you from doing just that?

Warmest Regards,

Salina Watson

Dare To Be- Part 3

by thefaithfilledtraveler, posted in Uncategorized

Have you ever refrained from saying something that you felt strongly needed to be said, due to fear of how someone may respond to you? Or, have you held back from doing something that you knew needed to be done, because you were fearful of what they may think of you? We have all crossed this path at one point in our lives or another, and by holding back we forfeit being our truest self each time that we do.

I believe that nudging within ourselves to say or do something is from the Holy Spirit within us. It’s like our own personal GPS directing us throughout our lives. Now, this doesn’t give us the green light to say or do anything that we want, which I know you are fully aware of, but if it is done out of love and a pure heart, I believe that we have a responsibility to do it. See, we are the hands and feet of Christ. He works through us to fulfill his mission. This means that there will be times when we will be prompted to say and do things, despite our fears.

That said, although there are some individuals who will judge us for doing so, the majority of people are not actually paying attention to what we are doing . And the few that are, are basing their opinions solely on their own experiences, much of which come from a place of fear within themselves. Think about it, there are over 7.5 billion people on the planet, and each of us have a story that is based on the things that we have encountered up until this point in our lives. In other words, we only know what we know, and we only know what we have learned through our experiences. Therefore, we cannot allow ourselves to shrink back from saying and doing the things that we know we should do.

So the question that I will end with today is… Will you DARE TO BE who you were created to be and do that which you were created to do, despite what others may or may not think of you? For your assignment is too great and his mission to BIG to do otherwise, my friends. Press on!

Warmest Regards,

Salina Watson

Dare To Be- Part 2

by thefaithfilledtraveler, posted in Uncategorized

Have you ever found yourself feeling paralyzed by a circumstance that occurred in your life? Perhaps it was the loss of a job, the passing of a loved one or a betrayal. Did you feel as though a part of your identity had been stripped away in the process? I, for one, can relate to all three examples, and if you have lived long enough, it is likely that you can too.

I believe that unfavorable circumstances as such have the potential of throwing us off course, which is natural for a period of time. However, if we are not careful, the affects of these circumstances can keep us from evolving into the men & women that we were created to be, if we hold on to them for an extended period of time. This will inevitably result in our God given assignments going unfulfilled or perhaps not at the capacity at which they were intended.

The good news is, those same circumstances have the potential of doing the complete opposite, if we change our approach to them. That is, if we will redirect our power towards the greater of the two. Take my daughter, Morgan, for instance. In 2009, she was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia. After 3.5 years of extensive chemotherapy, which left her disabled, followed by 1 year of treatment for pulmonary hypertension, she was in remission for 5 years before relapsing in June 2018. Since that time she has been receiving various forms of treatment and has spent many days in clinics, labs and confined to hospital rooms.

My point? Although no one would fault Morgan for being bitter for the life that she has been given, she feels blessed because of it. The experiences that she has encountered over the years due to her illness, has created within her a grateful heart. Why? Because she knows first hand that tomorrow is not guaranteed and that each day is a gift. See, Morgan has chosen to give power to the gift of the present , not her disease. And she is using the gift of today to boldly share her story with a mission to bring hope to the world by showing the faithfulness of God, which she believes to be her assignment in this life.

So what am I saying? While unforeseen circumstances will inevitably arise and are out of our control, we get to choose how we will approach each of them. Our choices will ultimately move us closer to who we were created to be in love or further away from it out of fear. What will you choose? Will you DARE TO BE who you were created to be and do that which you were created to do? Or, will you allow your circumstance to dictate the outcome? Choose wisely, my friends…choose wisely!

Warmest Regards,

Salina Watson

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