Tag: Faith

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

 

 

 

Free As A Bird

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

Recently my son, Montana and I were driving in the car together. While in deep conversation about life, a black bird in the distance caught my attention. It prompted me to ask him the following question, “what comes to mind when you think of a bird”? He answered, “freedom”. This obviously lead to my next question, “what about it makes you think of freedom”? His response, “the fact that they can fly anywhere”.  At this point in our conversation it was clear that the Lord was teaching me a lesson and that he was using my 18 year old son and a bird to do it.

See like a bird in the sky, the Lord has given each of us the gift of freedom. We are free to “fly” anywhere we choose. Unfortunately, more times than not, we forgo the gift by staying in places that we know are not healthy for us and that are not serving us in anyway. Examples of this would be toxic relationships and environments that are draining every ounce of our energy. Instead of being free like a bird in his natural habit, we are bound like those that are encaged. My friends, the good news is that this is not what the Lord intended for us! No, he did not die on the cross for you and I to be bound in anyway. He died so that we could be free !.

Galatians 5:1 reminds us of this – IT IS FOR FREEDOM THAT CHRIST HAS SET US FREE. STAND FIRM, THEN, AND DO NOT LET YOURSELVES BE BURDENED AGAIN BY A YOKE OF SLAVERY. In this case,  this means that we are not bound to our environments. If they are causing us more harm than good and are keeping us from living the life that the Lord intended for us to live, we are free to “fly”. See, not only does the Lord want us to live a rich and satisfying life, he has a mission for each of us to uniquely make this world a better place. We cannot have or do that if we are bound to environments that do not align with his mission for our lives.

So, is there an environment that you currently find yourself in that you know is not healthy for you to be in? Is it causing you more harm than good? Perhaps it’s time for you to be honest with yourself and consider breaking free. By doing so, a weight that you were never meant to carry will be lifted and you will finally receive the gift that has been yours all along.

Thank you for spending part of your day with me! Let’s plan on meeting here again in the morning. Have a wonderful Tuesday, my friends!

 

Warmest regards,

Salina Watson

 

 

HE DIED SO THAT WE MAY FREELY LIVE

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

Good Monday afternoon, my friends! How was your weekend? More importantly, how in the heck have you guys been? With all that has been going on in the Watson house since the start of June, I have managed to allow life to take over for a bit. Thankfully, with a great deal of planning the past 48 hours, I have taken it back by creating time in my daily schedule to do things that I enjoy most and that are important to me. Blogging and spending time with you all each week are 2 things that rank high on the lists of both. That said, lets get down to business!

Freedom… what is freedom? Wikipedia defines it as the ability to act or change without constraint. So what does freedom look like to you? Can you think of one day to day example of it? Having recently spent a few days in Florida on the beach with my family, hermit crabs come to my mind . Now I understand that hermit crabs are likely not the first thing that you think of when you think of freedom, but stay with me here.

While on vacation, my daughter, Morgan and I spent a few beautiful early mornings bayside watching these fascinating little creatures.  What amazed me the most about them was just how fast each of them were and how eager they were to get back into the water . As quickly as I would pull one from the ocean floor and place it on the shore for Morgan and I to observe, it would find its way back to the water leaving a little trail in the sand behind. The process of this had Morgan and I comparing the hermit crab that she had as a pet when she was a little girl to those before us.

What we noted was that the ones that were living freely in their natural habitats  appeared to be thriving, unlike her former pet crab. It was rare to see him moving, and if he did it was to grab onto the little wet sponge in his cage before returning fully to his shell. This had me thinking a lot about freedom and how the Lord gave his life for each of us to have it. Yes, he died so that we could be free in every area of our lives. My friends, I don’t know about you, but the depth of this left me over the top excited on that beautiful June morning in Destin, Florida!

With that said, for the next 3 days we will dive deeper into freedom and what that looks like for each one of us. I hope that you will join me. My prayer for you this week is that if there is anything in your life that is holding you back from living the life of freedom that he died for you to have, that you will begin to feel the weight lift until it is finally gone!

God bless you guys!

-Salina Watson

 

What My Son Has Taught Me (Part 2)

by thefaithfilledtraveler, posted in What My Son Has Taught Me (Part 1)

Is it just me or have you ever thought that you knew exactly what was best for you and your life? I mean, how could the Creator of The Universe possibly know better? After all, we are the ones walking this whole “life” thing out on our own each and every day, right? Wrong. As it turns out, he is walking along side us, and his plans for our lives are far greater than our own. This is one of the greatest lessons my son has inadvertently taught me. Or perhaps I should say, one of the greatest lessons the Lord has taught me through my sons life.

I remember the day that I found out that I was pregnant with Montana as though it was yesterday. I could hardly believe it. Although I am a bit ashamed to admit it, I would not necessarily say that I was excited as a result of the news. See, having gone through a miscarriage a few years prior, I was terrified that history would repeat itself. And the emotions that I experienced during that time were not ones that I wanted to revisit. Unfortunately, I knew that there was a high probability that I would.

After 5 months of walking on egg shells each day and having mixed emotions about what was taking place within my body, the day came for my first ultrasound. Although  I would say  I was breathing somewhat easier knowing that I had bypassed the most critical time in my pregnancy, worrisome thoughts about the child that I was carrying were always lurking in the back of my mind. Truth be told, reality of this found me a little depressed, at times.

But something shifted the moment I caught a glimpse of my sons little face for the first time. The worrisome thoughts that I had for the previous 5 months were instantly replaced with joy. To be honest, I cannot fully put into words what my heart felt in that moment, but my love for my son and my fathers love for me,  was never more evident as it was that day.

It was in that moment in time, as I laid there  looking at my son  with tears of joy streaming down my face, that I knew that the Lords plan for my life was much greater than my own. And that he knew exactly what I needed, when I needed it most. For the word says in Jeremiah 29:11- ” For I know the plans I have for you”, says the Lord. “They are plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”  Be encouraged my friends! For the plans that the Lord has for us all are good. Trust the process… TRUST THE PROCESS!

 

Warmest regards,

Salina Watson

What My Son Has Taught Me (Part 1)

by thefaithfilledtraveler, posted in Uncategorized, What My Son Has Taught Me (Part 1)

With the end of the school year and the scorching hot days of summer upon us, can you recall being excited in anticipation of both as a child? What about when you were counting down the days until your high school graduation? Did they seem to fly by as you were completing your academic obligations, taking part in various events leading up to the big day, as well as preparing for the celebration following it? This has certainly been the case in the Watson house.

In 5 short days our son, Montana will be walking across the stage with his classmates to receive his high school diploma. He will be the last one within our 4 walls to do so. To say that this is a bitter sweet time in the Watson household is putting it lightly. At least that is the case for this mom. I could not be more proud of him and his accomplishments. Nor could I be more excited to see what the future holds for him. But, I am a little saddened by it all to be quite honest.

Over the next few days, I will be sharing some of the things that I have been fortunate to learn from my son, as well as some of the things that make me most proud of him. Yes, I am dedicating this blog week to Montana.  For the Lord has shown/ taught me many things over the course of the past 18 years as a result of his life that I am forever grateful for.  I hope that you will stick around as I open up about a few of them.

In the mean time, I pray that you all have a wonderful Memorial Day with your friends and family as we honor those who have died serving this beautiful country of ours. May we all take this day to reflect on the gifts we have been given as a result of the ultimate sacrifice these men and women have made for you and I. God bless you all! I’ll plan on seeing you here in the morning. Take care!

 

Warmest regards,

Salina Watson

 

Living… Learning… Growing (Part 3)

by thefaithfilledtraveler, posted in Living... Learning... Growing, Uncategorized

Have you ever said or heard someone say something like, ” You don’t have control over anything or anyone. You only have control over yourself.” ? Personally, I have said and even heard similar statements many times over the course of my life. However, experiencing it through my personal shopping adventure has really heightened my awareness of this.

As a personal shopper, everything from scheduling my hours for the week to shopping for my customers was done through an app. On the days that I was scheduled to work, I would receive an alert when I had a customer that needed groceries. I would then shop for them given the list of goods they had selected on the app and deliver them to their homes.

After a few weeks of doing this, I began to notice patterns related to the app. It became evident that the company was controlling everything from scheduling, to the wait list, to the particular orders that I would receive and where I would shop and then deliver them to my customers. Unfortunately, after disputing the referral bonus that I had received due to it being much less than they had advertised, it was apparent that they were not in my favor. Thankfully, the Lord gave me vision to recognize this.

For years I have prayed for eyes to see, ears to hear and the heart to feel that which the Lord is attempting to show me… to teach me… to remind me of. And there is no doubt that this was the case in this particular situation. What he showed me was that  the things of this life will control us, if we allow them to. What he reminded me of is that he is in control of it all, but we must allow him the room to do what only he can do. See, our father, the Creator of The Universe loves us so much that he gives us the freedom to do it our way. But, when/if we finally figure out that our way isn’t necessarily the best way, he steps in. Thank goodness, he steps in!

Well, I pray this post has helped you in some way. The experience has certainly helped me… tremendously. With that….make it a great day. LET GO AND LET GOD! His ways are much greater than our own. Take care, my friends. I’ll see you here tomorrow as we wrap up the blog week!!!

 

Warmest regards,

Salina Watson