Today is the best day to THRIVE !

THRIVE Issue 01

 Hey Friend,

Today is the best day to begin to THRIVE!  

• Thrive is defined as to flourish, prosper, succeed, bloom, increase, grow well, and be healthy.  The opposite of thrive is to deteriorate and to fail.

Do you want to thrive in your daily life, in your relationships, and in your relationship with God?  I think we all want to thrive… but it can be hard. Right?

The truth is I did NOT thrive for the first nine years of my Christian walk. If you had asked me, I would have described my life as being weighed down by anxiety. I carried the weight of my past wounds and sins. Even though the Bible said that I was forgiven by God… I still had a hard time feeling forgiven. I was daily tripped up by many obstacles such as fear, doubt, shame, rejection, and negative thoughts, which caused me to have a weak relationship with God. I was frustrated because I knew I could be living better but I did not know how. Many times there are obstacles that hinder our life from flourishing.

• Obstacle is defined as a problem, hindrance, hurtle, difficulty, stumbling block, barrier, blockage, or blockade. The opposite of an obstacle is an opening, passageway, path, course, or a way through.

My obstacles rerouted my life for almost a decade. I was so tired of feeling weak and ineffective. I sought God for His way, and He taught me through His Word and through my everyday life.

Here is a brief look at three of the answers that helped me.

Recognizing why I felt weak

• I had to recognize what was causing me to feel weak and ineffective. God’s answer surprised me. He revealed that I was not walking by faith and that I was continually allowing the obstacle of fear to derail my faith.

• You can read a short excerpt about the night I recognized why I was weak.

Recognizing one thing I had to do

• I needed to stand firm in my faith.  But how? 1 Corinthians 16:13 (NIV) taught me to: Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.

• I realized that giving into fear was the opposite of being courageous and strong. I also had to learn to be on my guard against the sneaky, fearful thoughts that were robbing my peace. (I will go into this much deeper in future newsletters.)

• Watch this 1 Minute video from John Maxwell. It helps explain daily courage.

I learned to submit and resist

• This lesson was very empowering. I learned to submit myself to God and at the same time resist the negative taunts. When we come near to God, Almighty God will come near to us. Submitting ourselves (our heart, lives, thoughts, and ways) to God, He will help us to purify our heart and keep us from being double-minded, which causes us to waver from faith to fear.

• James 4:7-8 (AMP)

• My prayer back then would have sounded a lot like this: "Lord, I gave into fear once again. Please forgive me and help me to stand firm in my faith. Help me to resist the promptings of the enemy who does not have my best in mind. Lord, I do not want a divided heart that believes You but gives into fear so easily. I declare that I do trust you! I want to walk with You. I believe if you told me to be strong and courageous then you have already equipped me with the inner strength to do it. Your Word says that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

• Philippians 4:13 (AMP)  is a truth we can hold on to.  

Do any of these obstacles resonate with you?

• Do you feel weak or ineffective?     

• Are you tired of allowing fear to run your life?

• Are you exhausted from the indecisive battles over everyday decisions?

• Do you see the evidence of obstacles in your life?

• Do you feel far from God, or far from His purposes?

• Are you searching for a deeper walk with God?

I would love to hear from you! Can you please take a minute and reply?

Your comments will help me to tailor my topics.

We are in this together.

THRIVE for His glory!

Dawn Marasco