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Wendy Grages

What to do when you lose motivation

Wendy Grages
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What to do when you lose motivation

Have you ever set a goal and excitedly given it a shot? Only to have that passion waver after a few weeks? What do you do when you lose motivation? Here’s what happened to me:

At the start of the year I was determined. I had my plan all laid out and I was ready to go. My friend and I were going to take our lunch break on Wednesdays and Fridays and go for a jog. No excuses, I was going for it.  My friend and I were going to be running buddies and accountability partners.

We started out pretty well. We were excited to be getting in our exercise during the week and doing it together was fun. But then one thing after the other started to go wrong. First, the rain came so we had to skip our exercise for that week. Then we both had meetings that interfered with our running schedule. Before we knew it, we had totally lost motivation and we haven’t gone for a run in months.

So what will we do now that we’ve lost motivation?

Remember why you started

There is always a reason why we decide to do something. In our case, we wanted to get fit and exercise a few days a week. Exercise has so many health benefits and we wanted to enjoy those. Now we have to remind ourselves on why we set this goal in the first place.

Have friends who will encourage you

There is a saying that says, “The blind can’t lead the blind.” If you are struggling to find the motivation to do something, find people who will cheer you on and encourage you. That way when you feel weak and low, they can encourage you and motivate you to reach your goals.

Perhaps you have had a desire to know more about God and perhaps even set a goal to go to church this year. But then the worries and stress of life have kept you busy and distracted.

To find out more about knowing Jesus for yourself and drawing closer to Him, click on the link below.

Who goes to heaven?

Wendy Grages
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Who goes to heaven?

Back in the ’90’s there was an animated film that came out called, “All Dogs Go to Heaven.” It was a cute movie but it has me thinking, who goes to heaven? Does everyone go or only those who’ve done good deeds?

What is your idea of heaven? Most of us think of heaven as a place to go when we die. People may think it’s full of bright lights, flowers and people floating on clouds and playing harps.

Although the Bible mentions Heaven over 500 times, it doesn’t give a lot of information about what it looks like or what we will do there. But what it does tell us is this:

Heaven is a real place

Just because we can’t see it, doesn’t mean that it isn’t real. Jesus Himself said that He is going there to prepare a place for those who love and follow Him.

You can go there

God is not trying to make it difficult for us to get to heaven. He has prepared it for us so that we can enjoy it with Him. The problem today is that people have over complicated things and made heaven into this mysterious, elusive and impossible to get to destination. The Bible is very clear on this. One of the most well-known Bible verses is this one found in John 3:16. It tells us that because God loved every single person so much, He sent His Son Jesus to die on cross because the blood that Jesus spilled would pay for all the wrong things we could ever have done. It’s all these things that actually separate us from knowing God fully.

God made a way and provided the solution for all the pain and suffering in the world. It’s simple. This is how you get to heaven.

Believe that Jesus paid for all your mistakes by dying on a cross.

Believe that He miraculously rose from the dead.

Give Him control of your life so that your eyes can be opened to a new way of living.

If you would like to know about believing in Jesus or if you would like assurance about whether you’ll go to heaven, click on the link below or on the pop up.

Shortcuts don’t always save you time

Wendy Grages
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Shortcuts don’t always save you time

I was intrigued by something I saw on social media about life-hacks. Have you heard of them before? Life-hacks are shortcuts to everyday chores that need to be done around the house. However, I have found that shortcuts don’t always save you time.

I find it fascinating that we are so obsessed with saving time. If you think back to our great grandparents, they would wake up every morning and bake their own bread. As soon as they finished cleaning up breakfast, they would have to start preparing lunch. Dinner took hours to boil and simmer and roast. People worked hard around the house and in the garden. Life was tough but stress levels were low and overall satisfaction was high.

But not today. We are rushing around , trying to save 10 minutes here and 30 minutes there. And for what? Just so that we can spend more time on our phones? More time on social media feeling like everyone else’s life is better than ours? Because we certainly aren’t spending that extra time exercising. So many people say that they don’t have time to exercise. We may not be spending that extra time with our children because studies show that the amount of time kids spend watching a device or TV is higher than ever. And we are most certainly not using that time we’ve saved to explore faith, read our Bibles or go to church. Countless people say they don’t have time to read their Bible or go to church.

So what are we doing with all the time we are trying so hard to save? We take shortcuts in traffic just so that we can rush home and lie on the couch being bored. In trying to save time, I don’t think we are saving much of anything.

Shortcuts can cause you to sacrifice quality

If saving time is the end goal then attention to detail and quality will diminish. There is a saying that goes, “Don’t count the days in your life but the life in your days.” Our lives are meant to be enjoyed and not endured.

Let’s stop rushing from one thing to the next and actually slow down to enjoy the journey. God has plans for us to enjoy our lives and to live our best life.

To find out more about a different way of life found in a relationship with Jesus, click on the pop up banner or on the link below.

Dealing with tragedy

Wendy Grages
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Dealing with tragedy

Dealing with tragedy is such a difficult thing. We think we have all the answers until tragedy strikes us. Unfortunately, no-one is exempt from it. It can strike anyone of us, at anytime, often without warning. What can we do when everything is falling apart?

Surround yourself with people who love you

Often we don’t feel like being around people in the midst of tragedy. We think dealing with our pain and suffering on our own is easier. But it’s not. We were created to do life in community, and support from other people is crucial when dealing with tragedy. We sometimes think that people going through tragedy want to be left alone. But I have heard people say that even just knowing that people are sitting in the lounge while they are crying in their bedroom is comforting. It helps them to keep living for what they do have in their lives instead of wanting to stop living because of what they lost.

I remember when my grandpa passed away. My grandmother was devastated. She became down and depressed. My mom suggested that I go stay with my gran during the week and go back home on weekends. My gran lived close to my school and although it wasn’t ideal, we made it work. You may think that having a child around while you are grieving would be irritating but it really helped my gran. She had purpose and things to do to help me. It helped her keep going while her heart was healing.

I look back now and those were some of the happiest times of my life. My gran and I are so close today because of those difficult weeks we spent together.

If you are going through tragedy, don’t try to survive it on your own. People and family can be a great comfort but there is One who is the greatest comfort of all.

The Bible says that God is close to the broken-hearted. If you are dealing with tragedy, God is near to you and is waiting to comfort you, strengthen you and give you peace and calm in your soul.

If you would like to know more about this, click on the link below or on the pop up.

The comparison game

Wendy Grages
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The comparison game

Have you ever played the comparison game? It’s the game where no-one wins and everyone loses. Why is comparison such a tricky thing that sucks us all in at one point or another?

Comparison is defined as this, “a consideration or estimate of the similarities or dissimilarities between two things or people.” Have you ever found yourself comparing yourself to those around you?

It can happen at work. We compare our quality of work with those around us. Or we compare what level we think we are on with those around us. We often compare what our neighbours drive with our car.

This is why you cannot win when playing the comparison game:

Comparing yourself to others will either make you feel superior about yourself or it will make you feel badly about yourself.

Either one is unhealthy. There will always be someone who has more than you, is more successful than you or has more opportunity than you. That is just the way of life. So how can we survive the comparison game?

Find contentment in what you do have

The best way to be content with what you have is to focus on it. Instead of focusing on what you don’t have, start focusing on what you do have. A great idea may be to write down what you are thankful for in your life. This is a great start to finding contentment in your life.

Be uniquely you

Do you know that you were created uniquely and on purpose? You are not a result of a random cosmic explosion. God created you to be unique with gift and talents. There are things that only you can do and strength that only you can bring. But you can only bring that if you are comfortable with being yourself. Celebrate your differences and uniqueness and looks for ways that only you can shine.

The comparison game can be ugly and can leave us feeling badly about ourselves and our lives. Knowing that we are created on purpose with unique gifting and abilities helps us to embrace who we were made to be.

To find out more about how God created you uniquely and with purpose, click on the link below or on the pop up.

Do you love drama?

Wendy Grages
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Do you love drama?

We all have seasons in our lives which are chaotic and unpleasant. From time to time, we all experience some drama. Hopefully, it’s short-lived and we can move forward stronger and wiser.

But there are some of us who love drama. Do you know anyone like that? People who love drama can be easily spotted by everyone except themselves. Here are some tell-tale signs that love drama:

Drama makes you feel important

People who love drama, love it for different reasons. One person may like the attention that drama brings them. Another person may like the sympathy they get when they have drama in their lives. I reckon people who love drama don’t know how to live life without it.

If you don’t have current drama, you create it

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the Facebook post. I once knew someone who loves drama. They had no current drama so do you know what they did? They reposted a memory of a past drama on their Facebook feed. Perhaps they felt like people weren’t paying them any attention and felt the need to create drama just to be noticed. As sad as that may be, the good news is that you don’t have to stay where you are at. We are all guilty of loving drama at times. The point of this post is to help us to deal with drama in a healthy way.

My friend asked me how I’ve been. My response was that I had no news, no drama, no issues. I went on to say that life was normal, we were all good and that I had nothing to report. When I asked her if she thought that made me boring she exclaimed the opposite. Drama should be the exception in our lives, not the norm.

Good friends are so important. Make sure you are surrounding yourself with people who help dial down your drama. The one way you can ensure you keep the drama at bay is to realize how big God is. No matter what we face, we can trust in a big God who is in control and who loves us fiercely.

If you would like to know more about this love of God for you, click on the link below or on the pop up.

How to hear God’s voice

Wendy Grages
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How to hear God’s voice

Have you ever spoken to God in prayer? You probably have more than once. Well have you ever wanted Him to answer you or speak back? The good news is that God does speak to us and we can hear His voice. You can know how to hear God’s voice for yourself.

Tuning in is key

You can liken God’s voice to a radio frequency. The radio station is always broadcasting. However, in order to hear what’s playing on the radio, you have to tune in to their frequency. It’s the same with God. We have to learn how to tune in to God’s frequency so we can hear what He is saying.

Position yourself

The key to being able to tune in to God, is to position yourself to hear from Him. Quieting your thoughts and removing distractions is a great place to start. Here are some tips that I use personally:

  • Pray and ask God to speak to you. Ask Him specific questions.
  • Open your Bible and begin reading where you last left off. Quiet your thoughts and be open to what you are reading. As you read, pay attention to any verses that may stand out for you and write those down.
  • Use a journal to write down your prayer. Record the verses that stood out for you. Summarize the main thought of the verses in your own words. Reflect on what those verses mean in your life and how they may apply to your current situation.
Be patient

Don’t get disheartened or discouraged if you don’t get an immediate answer. One way God speaks to us is through the Bible but it’s not the only way you can hear His voice. The Bible says that the Holy Spirit is a still, small voice that teaches us. As you go about your day, be open to any impressions that God may put on your heart in regards to your situation. That still, small whisper in your heart is very often the Holy Spirit leading and guiding you. God can also speak to you through a song or a sign board so pay attention.

The Bible says that if we seek God, we will find Him if we seek Him with all our heart. Keep praying and seeking God. He is faithful to answer you because He loves you and you are His treasured child.

I hope that you will join in my heart’s cry which is, “Speak Lord, I’m listening”.

If you would like to know more about hearing God’s voice or being His child, click on the pop up or on the link below.

How to lose weight guaranteed

Wendy Grages
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How to lose weight guaranteed

You’ve seen them on TV or online right? Products or programs claiming to show you how to lose weight guaranteed. They promise maximum results with minimum time and effort on your part. Sadly, most of those gimmicks don’t work.

People are overweight and unfit. You can blame fast food or office jobs, but the bottom line is we don’t eat what we should and we don’t exercise like we should. Apparently, more than two billion people worldwide are obese. Can we do something about it? Here’s how to lose weight guaranteed.

Put yourself back in charge

This may seem very simple, but it’s true. The reason why so many people are unfit and overweight is because we are not in charge of ourselves. We let cravings and convenience dictate what we will eat. Many times, we go by our feelings and because we don’t feel like exercising, we don’t. We need to put ourselves back in charge and tell ourselves what we are going to do.

I recently bumped into a friend who I hadn’t seen in a few months. She looked fabulous. When I asked her how she did it, her answer astounded me. “When I look at food I tell myself that you don’t need that. You may want it, but you don’t need it.” It sounds simply but it’s so profound. Cravings will try to convince us that we absolutely need that chocolate and we need it now. But in reality, you simply want it but certainly do not need it.

So there you have it. How can you lose weight guaranteed? The answer is found in one word, self-discipline. Put yourself back in charge. You decide what you need to eat, not your cravings. You decide when you will exercise, not your feelings.

We are quick to form bad habits but the good news is that new habits can be formed just as easily. Your will and determination are no match for cravings and emotional rollercoasters. You can determine how you will live and make healthy choices that will benefit you.

If you are struggling in the area of self-discipline, God is able to give you strength, wisdom and courage to do what is right. To find out more about a relationship with Him, click on the pop up or on the link below.

How to get to God

Wendy Grages
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How to get to God

Getting close to God can sometimes feel like an impossible task. Have you ever felt like God was far away, distant and unapproachable? With all the distractions in our world, getting to God can be difficult. But it shouldn’t be.

Our inner voice can tell us that we are not good enough for God. Our failures and mistakes can hold us bound and prevent us from reaching out to God.

I sometimes feel like I am caught in a web of disappointment, failures and doubt that prevents me from getting to God. Can you relate?

So how do we get to God?

Believe that He is

I love this verse found in the Bible in the book of Hebrews,

“And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek him.”

What a great thought that is. God rewards those who sincerely seek Him. That is good news!

Believe that you are

One thing that will keep you from getting to God is believing you are not worthy. This awesome verse in Romans 5:1 says,

“Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.”

Because of what Jesus did for us on the cross, we are made right in God’s eyes. So it’s not based on our own ability to be good but His gift to us.

Just do it

Now I am not referring to the Nike slogan. But when it comes to getting to God and seeking Him, we need to just do it. No matter how we feel, we need to make it a priority to seek after Him and draw close to Him. When we do that, supernatural things can happen in our lives.

If you feel far away from God and want to be able to draw near to Him, simply click on the banner below or on the pop up.

Help! I’m addicted to my phone

Wendy Grages
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Help! I’m addicted to my phone

It’s not something that we are eager to admit. Being addicted to anything is something we all try to avoid. But that’s the tricky thing with addiction. Nobody starts out planning to become addicted. One thing leads to another and before we know it, we are bound in addiction. So what can you do if you are addicted to your phone?

Firstly, let’s look at some warning signs that you may be addicted to your phone:

You reach for it whenever you get a notification

You can read articles online that will tell you that getting a notification on your phone stimulates the reward centre in your brain. Notifications make us feel wanted and needed. They make us feel popular. So what can you do to combat this? Turn off your notifications. That way you can control when you check your phone.

You check social media whenever you have a free moment

I’m not necessarily against social media but I will say this; it has been proven to be addictive. Can you sit through dinner without going on Instagram or Facebook? Is it the first thing you check when you open your eyes in the morning? A thought struck me this week. Say you have 500 friends on Facebook. Scrolling through your News Feed and reading up to 500 people updates would be like talking to 500 people in the span of 30 minutes. No wonder we feel so drained and tired after being on social media. When you look at it that way, you begin to see that madness that has us so addicted to our phones.

Perhaps you can consider taking a break from social media. Take a step back and evaluate what you use it for. Does it fulfill some kind of longing for acceptance or validation in your life? Do you use it just to stay in touch with people? If so, have a think about just how many people lives you need to be actively involved in.

I do agree that social media can be a great platform for business networking and so on but sadly, our phones can become addictive if we are not careful.

If you feel you may be addicted to your phone and need some help in this area, we would be more than happy to pray with you. Simply click on the pop up banner or on the link.

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