Tag: Love

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

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

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