Tag Archives: good mental health

Jesus wants You to be Mentally Healthy this Christmas

Unfortunately, Christians are among the suicide statistics. I recently heard about a friend who took his life just after Christmas. It didn’t make sense, but he must have been hurting desperately and wanting to escape the feeling of helplessness.  

Caring for our mind, body and soul as Christians is a serious responsibility that God gives because we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. 


1 Corinthians 6:19 New Living Translation
Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,

Mental Health Foundation reports that 54% of UK adults are worried about their mental health or someone they know this Christmas.  

As we approach Christmas, significant numbers of people are expressing their concern for the mental health of relatives (38%), friends (31%), partners/spouses (27%) and children (28%). 

AUSTRALIA

Surviving the Silly Season, 12 Tips for a Mentally Healthy Christmas

Psychological Health Care, based in Australia, reports that A third of Australians report that their relationships are negatively affected by Christmas due to work-life balance issues and financial concerns. 

According to a new Pew Research Center survey, only 46% of Americans celebrate Christmas as primarily a religious rather than a cultural holiday.

Christmas is often thought to be a season of peace and good cheer; however, the opposite is true for many.

 I live in the United Kingdom, where the suicide rate, domestic abuse, family estrangement and job losses peak during Christmas and New Year.  

So instead of celebrating the birth of the saviour Jesus Christ (Christ- Christ-mas celebration) with joy, thousands are facing an uncertain future. 

The expectations of celebrating Christmas, whether one wants to or not, can be enormous. As a result, researchers point out that the role of Christianity in Christmas is at an all-time low.

The ME Culture

Most have taken the ‘Christ out of Christmas and celebrate it as a regular holiday. When we are devoid of the original value of a long-held tradition of being Jesus Christ’s Birthday, we go down the rabbit hole of secularism that widely holds to the ‘me’ culture. If we are honest, we have fallen into that hole at times! 

 The ‘me’ ideal promotes one’s desires above all others. At the same time, the Christian ideal is to put others above oneself. 

 I include believing Christians in this following statement- have we lost the practical teachings of Christ to conform to the status quo? We have no wonder that even believers end their own lives, abuse or divorce those they promised to love and protect. 

However, if you celebrate the Christmas season or don’t, you must care for yourself and those you love.

So, here are a few tips for your consideration.

Have Realistic Expectations

Christmas can become highly stressful when your grand plans float adrift. When things don’t go as you intended, tension between people can ensue. Instead of promising that this year will be the biggest, brightest, and best Christmas ever, permit yourself to have a less-than-perfect Christmas. Accept that you live in the real world where things go wrong- and this is normal! 

Have a Back-Up Plan

Because things may not go as planned, having a plan B in your back pocket is wise. For example- have a pre-cooked meat joint or vegetarian option in the freezer that you can quickly defrost if needed. The same goes for desserts or other foods. 

Plan Ahead

some people hold to the that Christmas Eve is their primary celebratory day. It has been my family tradition that the primary day is Christmas day. These days, I visit my family for Christmas; however, when they visit me, I cook as much food as I can the day before. I would arrange the house to accommodate extra people and set the table a day or two before. Pre- preparation allowed me to be more restful on Christmas day and enjoy friends and family company.

Avoid Debt or Overspending. 

Pray before you buy. It is wise to Set a Budget and Stick to it!  My family and I agreed that we would not spend a certain amount of money on each other. We also exchange our wish lists 4 – 6 weeks before Christmas day, which is helpful because it allows us to stay within our budget. 

Also, the wish list helps because we buy gifts that are actually needed or wanted. Nothing is more disappointing for many people than giving a gift that will be returned or re-gifted. 

Remember Christmas is about the Giver of life- Jesus Christ- which is the greatest gift anyone can possess.

Take Some Time Out

Ensure you take time for yourself daily to get away from your busyness. For example, getting yourself outside for a walk in the fresh air, and exercising, no matter how light, is a great way to boost your hormones, such as serotonin, which positively affects your mood. Equally, spending some quiet time in prayer elevates your mind from the pressures of constantly engaging with people. 

What strategies do you employ to cope with the Christmas season? Let me know- and if this article was helpful to you, please let me know. I would love to hear from you. 

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Remember to live life on purpose, in Hope. Faith and Love

Paula Rose Parish💕

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Lessons from the Book of Job 

Prince William, Catherin, and Harry founded a mental health charity after figures showed the number of female suicides rose sharply in 2015.

The number of women who killed themselves rose sharply last year as the number of suicides for England and Wales reached a 20-year high. According to figures released from the Ministry of Justice, there were 3,899 rulings of suicide in coroners’ courts in 2015. This was more than for any 12 months since 1995 when the data series began.

While the number of men who killed themselves fell to 2,997, 23 fewer than in 2014, the statistics for women increased by 70 to 902. The fewest suicides were in 2007 when 3,007 such verdicts were recorded, and the number has risen consistently since then.

What is it that causes a person to take their own life? The easy answer is to say its’ mental illness, shrug our shoulders and move on. But who assesses what mental illness is? By what measuring rod does one assess if a person is mentally ill or not?

I have ministered to perfectly healthy people who outwardly seem successful, and happy but have experienced an acute amount of stress that caused them to despair for their very life. However, these people were not mentally ill. 

I really believe that some people will not admit they feel suicidal for fear of being labeled mentally ill. However, wanting to die in the face of acute stress, illness or circumstances is not so unusual. 

For example, in the book of Job, we read how he wanted to die and cursed the day he was born. The Bible did not label Job as mentally ill, but we see a very human reaction through Jobs’ despair when there seems to be no hope. 

Lessons from Job 

Job can be a difficult book to understand, however, it can help us in our everyday life. I am studying Job in my personal daily quiet time and found it a wonderful insight into the human condition. None of us need to feel ashamed by having such thoughts, even if an attempt to die has been made. Like Job, we are human, and we are weak at times and may feel there’s is no way out of our circumstances expect to die. 

That’s why, just like Job, we need to be in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ gives us hope and strength to live each day. Read John chapter 3 & 1 Corinthians as the whole 13th chapter.  

You have Meaning & Purpose.

We were born for a purpose, and that purpose is to love. To be loved by God and love God back and love other human beings. Each of us is unique and very important and much loved by God. We may want to end our life, but God wants us to live life to the full.

 If you haven’t already, give your life to Christ and wait on Him to fill you with His Holy Spirit, and you will have the passion to live out God’s purpose for your life. You will find true meaning and happiness and courage to face the most difficult of circumstances. 

Every day you will be living in God’s strength and not your own. 

Also, if you know someone who is struggling with life, pass this article to them, and pray for them. Be light in someone’s darkness today.

The real problem arises when we don’t know what to do with our troubles. We wonder how on earth do we get through this! And how do we survive this phase of mourning and not allow it to immobilize us in some way? How can we make sense of what is happening?

 This is where the 23rd Psalm helps us. As you read on, I pray that the Holy Spirit of God will minister to you and heal you in this time of grief. Psalm 23 is found in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). 

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

It is important to understand who God is. If really difficult to receive healing from someone you know little about. So, let’s take a brief look at the character of God.

So, who is God? There is no name for God as we understand the term to be. God is not a John or an Eric or even a Fred, for example. But what we believe are names for God are actually descriptions of God’s nature, characters, and actions.

For instance, Jehovah-Raah, which means The Lord, my Shepherd. Jehovah is translated as “The Existing One” or “Lord.” It also suggests “to become” or specifically “to become known. This denotes a God who always discloses who He is. A shepherd is the one who feeds or leads his flock to pasture (Ezekiel 34:11-15). An extended translation is “friend” or “companion.” This indicates the intimacy God desires between Himself and His people and can be understood as “The Lord, my Friend.” 

 GOD HAS NO GENDER

I refer to God as Father a lot however it does not indicate that God is a man. To be able to accept help from God. we need to trust who God is and will do what he promised us. Therefore, understanding God will benefit our faith greatly. So here we will briefly discuss who God is. God is Spirit- not a man.

People get hung up on God’s gender, but God has no gender. Why is this so important? I have found that some find it challenging to receive from God because God is a man. Past or current toxic relationships with men cause their relationship with God to become problematic. Therefore, understanding that God has no gender is especially important. 

Well, He’s a father, right? He’s a he – The concept of a genderless God can be confusing.

So let’s take a brief look and see. 

In Christianity, the Hebrew scriptures are referred to as the Old Testament. Here, God is a He. The ‘he’ simply is an allegory for His authority and creativeness. The Hebrew word he is usually not written out, but more understood from the verbal form. Then he is used as a reference to God not to be confused with the Latin HE, which refers to one’s gender.

 All the names of God in the Scripture are simply a description of his actives in creation. By this, we then understand who God is. Therefore, the is He is referring to the Infinite Being (Ain Sof), who is the creator of the universe and is above all divine names. So, God is not a he or she (Numbers 23.19-20). God is a spirit.

Jesus taught us to worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4.24). A spirit is a genderless being who is eternal, beyond time and space. God is the Alpha (the beginning) and the Omega (the end) of all things. Beyond time and space (Revelation 21:6). It is the eternal creator who lives in you by his Holy Spirit so you can succeed, “you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you” Philippians 4.13.

 We could grapple with meanings of words all day, but the vital point to grasp is that God is Yahweh, which means, I Am who I Am. It is not God’s name but describes the Eternal Divine. God in Christ is above all names, in other words, God just IS. God is past, present, and future. God is a timeless, genderless Spirit being whose essence is love.

God The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit exist as One beyond the universe or human imagination and yet present with us in our worst fears and the most profound grief. God shows himself in Christ, on earth. I know it’s mind-blowing, but that same Christ lives in you, who we call, the Holy Spirit. Colossians 1:27-To them, God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 

To place that into today’s understanding – Christ is the matrix of all that is. Christ IN YOU the hope of glory. ( the promise of beauty). How wonderful!

God is also depicted widely in Scripture as having female attributes. This is a beautiful metaphor depicting his nurturing character. We see this clearly in many scriptures, and just for an example here Deut. 32:18 “You forget the rock who begot you, unmindful of the God who gave birth to you“. Here we understand that God is not a rock, but the allegory is used to describe the steadfastness of God’s nature. Likewise, ‘he’ is also used in this way. Job knew the steadfastness of God and place his trust in this infinite being.

In my book ‘NOTHING GOOD ABOUT GRIEF: from grief to recovery’ I go into this in more detail.

 When we know who God is, we come to understand God in Jesus Christ, securing us in our journey through our darkest valley. 

You have meaning & purpose because God loves you and has a wonderful plan for a happy life.

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My Top 5 Tips to Self-Awareness of Mind, Body & Soul

The phrase ‘know thyself, is a famous adage that is often attributed to Socrates or Plato. It’s a great saying, and we know it well, but what does it actually mean to know oneself? Of course, this can be a subjective question. However, here are a few questions to start your thinking.

· Do you welcome change? 

· Do you believe that you can learn self-awareness?

· Do you believe that if you become more self-aware, it will change your health and life?

Bad Habits

Today, hundreds of thousands are battling a chronic disease, and many have multiple chronic conditions. Statics say that by 2030, these chronic conditions could cost sufferers upwards of 47 trillion U.S. in healthcare spending. Why is this happening? Two short words give us part of the answer- Bad Habits. Changing habits is not easy, and for most people, one habit alone isn’t to blame. Realistically, it’s repetitive, multiple negative habits over time that is the culprit. This is because habits lead us to be well in our mind, body, and spirit. 

Alternatively, they can lead us into struggling with un-wellness and eventual sickness. If you want to find a way to overcome feelings that drag you down, you must become aware of what is going on. My mission is to help you work with you through the destructive mind, body, and spiritual habits that hold you back from a fruitful life. I will help you to cultivate good habits. In fact, I like to call them Well-Habits! Let’s get first things first. You cannot develop sound habits if you are not self-aware.

So, let’s take a moment and ask yourself-

· What drives my decisions? 

· How do I honestly feel about myself?

· How do I honestly feel about the people in my life?

· What causes me to behave the way I do? 

Jesus said, ‘you shall know the truth, and the truth will set you free. Do you want to be free to be the real You? If the answer is Yes! I invite you to read on.

In this article, you will learn my Top 5 Tips for self-awareness 

  1. Tip Self-awareness is important
  2. Tip: Understand what self-awareness is 
  3. Tip: Become self-aware of your mind (mindfulness)
  4. Tip: Become self-aware of your body (body awareness)
  5. Tip: Become self-aware of your spirit (inner self/spirituality)

I am not explaining each tip but will point out a few points. These tips are for you to explore for yourself, to give you food for thought. 

What is Self Awareness?

Self-awareness is often defined as the ability to engage in honest self-reflection. Seeing yourself as others see you. Self-awareness is about understanding why you feel what you do and why you react in a particular way.

Once you begin to understand this, you then have the opportunity and freedom to change things about yourself, enabling you to create the life you want. You will become the CEO of your own life. No longer will you be bounced around by unruly behaviours and emotions. You will be better able to keep yourself in check because you know ‘how ‘you work.

It’s almost impossible to change and become self-accepting if you are unsure as to who you are.

Having clarity about who you are and what you want is empowering, giving you the courage and confidence to make even the most challenging change. How self-aware are you are? Being self-aware is vital for both personal and professional success. It is also vital to overcoming negative behaviours and habits.

When you are self-aware, you empower yourself. You have the power to choose where to focus your emotions, your energy, and your personality so that you can improve and direct the course of your life. Self-awareness helps you be much more aware of your thoughts, emotions and behaviours and helps you guide your life. 

Create Good Habits 

The best way to continually develop self-awareness is to learn the habit of looking at yourself objectively. In other words, see yourself as others see or perceive you. The more self-aware you become, the more you can improve and make positive changes in your life and lifestyle. As you develop an awareness of the self, you begin to connect with your uniqueness. You connect with the essence that makes you – You!

 As you honestly examine your inward self and your associated behaviour, in comparison to your core values, you become self-conscious and an objective evaluator of yourself, which is a very important well-habit to develop. So let me share something with you.

Good Stress

When feeling overwhelmed and panicked, it’s easy to plunge into negative habits that often worsen matters. Stress is your body’s way of responding to any demand or threat. When you sense danger—whether it’s real or imagined—the body’s defences kick into high gear in a rapid, automatic process known as the “fight-or-flight” reaction or the “stress response. What makes me feel down isn’t always clear to me at the time, which adds to my distress. However, when I realized why these unwanted feelings occurred, I realized more than half the battle was won, which makes me hopeful that things will be okay. I know it doesn’t feel like it, but the stress response is the body’s way of protecting you. When working correctly, it helps you stay focused, energetic, and alert. 

There is good stress that gives you extra strength to defend yourself in emergencies. Healthy stress can save your life, for example, urging you to slam on the brakes to avoid a car accident.

Write it!

Over the years, I have learnt the considerable value of jotting things down. So, when I feel low, I note it down. I briefly describe how I feel and the circumstance that led up to it, then date it. Later, I can look back and understand why a particular activity, circumstance or situation made me feel out of kilter.

Inner self/spirituality

 My faith has been paramount in helping me to become self-aware. I am not always aware of myself, but I am mindful of being so every now and then through my day. I also pray, asking God to help me in this. None of us has arrived. None of us is perfect. However, we can work each day to learn by becoming self-aware.

Are you Learning to be self-aware? What Have you learned so far?  Let me know- Leave a comment- I  would love to hear from you!

Thank you for visiting me here; I hope this post was helpful.

If it was, please follow this blog you’ll find a button on the lower bottom right and leave a comment with any questions or prayer requests. Also head over to my other blog www.moonrosemindfulnes.com for lifestyle tips and details of my Stress Relief Master Class.  

Remember to Live Life on Purpose

Virtual hugs, 💕I look forward to your visit to my next blog post

https://health-well-being.uk/2022/01/26/tips-on-how-to-stay-well-when-experiencing-family-estrangement/

4 WAYS SELF-LOVE CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE – For good mental health

THE TRUTH ABOUT SELF LOVE- 4 TIPS to Self-love, and why it is important  WATCH THIS VIDEO

FOR MORE ABOUT HOW TO BE SELF COMPASSIONATE FOLLOW THIS LINK- https://www.moonrosemindfulness.com/post/how-to-love-yourself-3-tips-to-mindful-self-compassion

NOW, let us LOOK AT how to have self-compassion

  1. Forgive Yourself 

Forgiveness means that you accept what has happened and your behaviour and be willing to move past it and move on with your life without worrying about things that cannot be changed. As a therapist, I learned this approach to self-forgiveness, which is also the Biblical way to forgiveness. Jesus taught us to forgive others- however- we need to forgive ourselves as well! Matthew 6:14 14For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 

The below method suggests that four key actions can help you to forgive yourself. 

The 4 R’s of Self-Forgiveness 

  1. Responsibility 
  1. Remorse 
  1. Restoration 
  1. Renewal 

Forgiving yourself is beneficial for any good mental, physical, and relationship health.  

Letting go and offering yourself forgiveness can help boost your feelings of wellness and improve your self-confidence. The act of forgiveness can also positively impact your physical health. Have you heard the expression “he’s eaten up with hate”? Science and the Bible tell us that unforgiveness can manifest itself negatively in our physical bodies. If we can’t forgive ourselves, then it will be impossible to forgive others impacting our relationships.  

  1. Remind Yourself – No more People Pleasing.  

Have you heard the expression keep your opinions to yourself? Well. That’s the philosophy I was brought up with, as were many of my generation. As a result, I became fearful of what others thought of me. To this end, I expressed no personal opinion of my own in case someone did not agree with me, and I would upset them. To avoid upset, I learned to keep my opinions to myself. Unfortunately, this led me to the weakness of people-pleasing. The problem with this approach is that one forgets what is important in their own life and tends to live ‘through’ other people’s experiences, which I sad. 

I began to observe the same behaviours in others and saw what resulted from their lives down the track. Therefore, I decided that I would no longer be a people pleaser and that my opinion does matter. After a struggle of years, much sweat, and tears, I finally rid myself of such behaviour and began to value myself. In valuing myself, I was able to love myself.  

  1. Do Things That Make you Happy. 

Someone once said, ‘you were not born to live to just pay the bills then die’. No, you are more highly valued than that! 

If you are happy, you will be more productive, motivated, and fulfilled. So when the alarm sounds, you will bounce out of bed in the morning, ready to begin ad brand new day with its challenges. However, if you are unhappy, you’ll be more likely to pull the covers over your head when the alarm sounds because you just can’t face your day. 

If you are happy within yourself, it will become self-evident. You’ll automatically spread positivity, love, and joy, and Others will notice and want to be around you. After all, who wants to cosy up to a grump? 

So, think about what makes you happy and ensure you engage with those things regularly. Don’t get so busy that you have no time to do the things you enjoy. Maintaining happiness takes effort because it is a state of mind, and then doing those things that make you happy will reinforce that attitude. 

Thank you for visiting me here; I hope this post was helpful.  

If it was, please follow & Subscribe on the pop-up banner as you come onto this blog, www.paularoseparish.com 

 you’ll find a button on the lower bottom right and leave a comment with any questions or prayer requests.

Also, head over to my other blog www.moonrosemindfulnes.com for lifestyle tips and details of my Course.  

  Virtual hugs, I look forward to your visit to my next blog post! 

  Paula Rose Parish 💕

Thank you for visiting me here and being part of the HOPE. FAITH. LOVE community!

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Moon Rose Mindfulness is a community for those who aim to learn how to create an independent, meaningful, and healthy lifestyle. If this post was helpful to you, I would love to hear your story – so please leave your comments.

 Feel free to contact me if you need support or share any thoughts you may have – we are on this journey together through life.

I look forward to your next visit here and remember…….

LIVE in HOPE, FAITH & LOVE because Your Best Life is Yet to Come! 

Paula is an Ordained Minister, Blogger, Podcaster, Course Creator, Published Author and has a Master of Arts in Counselling and many other qualifications and a lifetime so, I have heaps to share with you.

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What is Stress?

Stress is your body’s way of responding to any demand or threat. When you sense danger—whether it’s real or imagined—the body’s defences kick into high gear in a rapid, automatic process known as the “fight-or-flight” reaction or the “stress response.”

I know it doesn’t feel like it, but the stress response is the body’s way of protecting you. When working correctly, it helps you stay focused, energetic, and alert. 

In addition, Stress gives you extra strength to defend yourself in emergencies. Healthy Stress can save your life, for example, urging you to slam on the brakes to avoid a car accident.

Recognizing Stress

We de-frag our computers because they get clogged up with too much information so they will perform efficiently. The same happens to our minds, and we get clogged up also. You are all over the place. When we struggle to make sense of a difficult situation, it doesn’t leave much headspace to deal with everything else that needs our attention. The Stress of a shock makes us illogical and emotional. 

When you are stressed, You might feel as if your brain has turned to mush, or you have ‘brain fog ‘. Life may feel unreal, as if you are disconnected and floating slightly outside of your body, watching yourself continue doing things. It’s a horrible feeling. 

You could suffer a bit of a temporary personality change due to severe Stress. For example, you might want to be alone and hide out at home if you are usually social. Or if you often take time out by yourself, you might find yourself going out every night, drinking when you usually don’t. Usually financially savvy, you may do unusual things like compulsive shopping.

When Stress merges into burnt-out, life seems pointless. 

When something happens that leaves you deeply upset, and life can temporarily lose its meaning. You can have negative thoughts like, ‘Why keep trying when everything is just going to go wrong?” You need to be aware of this effect as you can easily slip into depression. You may relate to some or all these symptoms -or none. In whichever way it affects you, severe Stress causes suffering.

Thank you for visiting me here; I hope this post was helpful. If it was then please like, subscribe, or leave a comment with any questions you may have!

 If you feel you would like further support, please contact me. Details of How to get in touch with me are found in my home page’s top menu.

Virtual hugs, I look forward to your visit to my next blog post!

Paula Rose Parish

THE PEACE MAKER- the Church, Unity in Diversity and Peace of Mind

We hear a lot about Unity in the news. Countries desperately try to create Unity to put a halt to wars and factions. In our personal lives, we try to nurture Unity within our personal and work relationships for the sake of peace and productive life. We do not want the avoidable and unnecessary drama that bring more stress into our lives, so we seek peace in some way, shape or form. 

A peaceful life gives us the psychological space we need for good mental health. If we have good mental health, then we can better look after the needs of our bodies and Spirit. So living in peace is very important. The Bible I full of instructions on how to live in Unity; however, we run into problems when our diversity gets in the way of Unity. We face a dilemma, do we stick our heels in and refuse to budge, which runs the risk of unrest? Or, do we compromise for the sake of Unity? In this blog post, we are looking at the Christian views of Unity in diversity- so if that is something that interests you, please keep reading!

According to Wikipedia, Unity in diversity is an expression of harmony and Unity between dissimilar individuals or groups. It is a concept of “unity without uniformity and diversity without fragmentation” shifts focus from Unity based on a mere tolerance of physical, cultural, linguistic, social, religious, political, ideological and psychological differences to a more complex unity based on the understanding that difference enriches human interactions. The phrase is ancient and dates to ancient times in both Western and Eastern Old-World cultures. It has applications in many modern academic fields. The Christian Church has a similar idea of Unity in diversity but goes a step further as to its origins. The Christian vision of diversity is fundamental to two doctrines of Holy Scripture-

 (1) the Unity of the whole human race, 

(2) the universality of the Christian Church, as the Body of Christ

History shows that Christian communities face significant challenges in applying these truths and expressing the need for a changed heart to overcome the prejudice that dominates so many believers and non-believers. God teaches us in Holy Scripture that human beings are ONE (in completed Unity). Jesus said, ‘be as One as the Father and I are One, and Paul preached to the Athenian philosophers, “From ONE man God made every nation of the human race, that they should inhabit the whole earth”.

Human diversification receives its first mention in Genesis 1:27 “So God created the human race in his own image . . . male and female he made them.” The text’s singular term, “human race.”

(`Adam in Hebrew), is specified as diverse in gender, male and female. The idea of diversification is within the Cultural Mandate of Genesis 1:28:

“Be fruitful, increase in number, fill the earth and subdue it.” This divine command calls explicitly for the scattering of the race — a theme that shall recur in the Genesis story– and calls enthusiastically for cultural diversification.  It is within this greater context of Unity that humanity’s diversity reveals Gods love for all creation. Hence, it is clear that the Bible provides no approval of anti-multiculturalism as sometimes expressed in the world of dogmas.

The Enemy of Unity

 Different Christian denominations appeared through Cultural imperialism and prejudice of all kinds ends by shattering the human community into a thousand fragments. Each fragment becomes a subculture jealously defending its interests against all the others. From the beginning of time, this was not God’s plan but a result of selfish human pride.

Unity is Not the Same as Uniformity. 

Unity, in fact, is the reconciliation of differences and must nurture those differences for a healthy society to flourish. To forge a healthy Church and society. We must distinguish things and separate them, usually at a cost to ourselves, before we can spiritually unite them and make them work (Ephesians 2:14‒16). 

Perhaps if we had made that simple distinction between uniformity and true Unity, a big problem. Especially by those who overemphasized separate identities and individualism. The great wisdom of Pentecost is the recognition through the Spirit of an underlying unity amidst the many human differences! Paul made this universal principle very clear in several of his letters. For example, “(1 Corinthians 12:4–6). “There is a variety of gifts, but it is always the same Spirit. There are all sorts of services to be done, but always the same Lord, working in all sorts of different ways in different people. It is the same God working in all of them“.

We see this beautiful diversity and yet Unity in the the universe itself—from Latin, unus + versus meaning- “to turn around one thing.” Now, after the traumatic effect of the pandemic upon our lives, let’s pick up the pieces of our lives, to turn around anything that would promote the fragmenting of our lives, Church or society. 

Jesus Prays for All Believers

John 17: 20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I also pray for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 in them and you in me—so that may bring them to complete Unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

As we continue to celebrate the season of Pentecost, let we also celebrate our Unity within our diversity and continue to love, respect, and learn from each other.

This is article is a snippet from my new book about Holistic Living, which features Mindfulness and issues around mental health.  It will be published and made available to you later in the year (2021) – so keep a lookout for that!

Also, If you struggle to make self-care a priority or do not know how to start your holistic-mindfulness journey, check out my course, which will be available in the Summer of 2021- subscribe free to this blog to get updates on this! I am launching another website soon just dedicated to Holistic  mindfulness, so keep a look out for that going live! Please follow me here, or subscribe to my newsletter to get your updates on this.

Thank you for visiting me here, Regardless of where you are on your journey, I hope you have found something useful here- if so, please let me know down in the comments.

 If you feel you would like further support through prayer, counselling or coaching, please contact me. Details of How to get in touch with me is found in the top menu on my home page.

 
 
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Paula Rose Parish

How to Get Rid of Unwanted Thoughts: and the Daily Mindfulness Habit

Everybody on the planet is subject to unwanted thoughts – No one is exempt. Understanding assaultive thoughts and how to deal with them is the key to living happy life. Unwanted thoughts and images distract us and lead us away from what we are purposed to do. Such thoughts, also create barriers in all our relationships. 

In this post, I want to share with you that When the thought enters your mind in the form of a suggestion urging you to do something negative in nature, you can either submit to that thought turning it into action, or you can ignore it. I have also created a YouTube video on this very subject, so check that out for more detail.

This is not the whole story but a snippet from my new book about Holistic Living, which features Mindfulness and issues around mental health. I am in the process of writing it. It will be published and made available to you later in the year – so keep a lookout for that! If you struggle to make self-care a priority or do not know how to start your mindfulness journey, check out my course, which will be available in the Summer of 2021- subscribe free to this blog to get updates on this! Regardless of where you are on your journey, I hope you will find something useful here- if so, please let me know down in the comments. 

Thoughts are Things.

Thoughts are things. They are as real as our actions are. Our thoughts create us to be who we are. Thoughts are like building blocks one piled on top of another creating and provoking actions, delivering results.

Because thoughts are things, we can choose whether we interact with them or not. Thoughts are not floating around in our head independently of our free will, on the contrary, our thoughts are under the command of our free will. Once we realise this, the thoughts and the distractions that assault us are much easier to control. But while we believe that our assaultive thoughts are almost disembodied things, and we cannot help thinking about what we do, we will never be able to be free or positively organise our thoughts.

To Interact- or Not

We must realise what thoughts are. We must realise that we can control them, indeed they are under our complete control. So, when a thought comes to you that is negative or destructive- don’t interact with it. That means that avoid rumination by thinking the thought – over and repeatedly as if it has some merit that must be considered. Assaultive negative and destructive thoughts have no merit at all, they will only bring you misery and uncertainty. So, the least interaction you make with those negative and destructive thoughts – the better.

By interacting with those thoughts, we are saying yes to those thoughts. We are giving consent to them to bombard us from the right, left and centre. By giving consent we are submitting our free will to those negative and destructive thoughts (now that’s a horrible thought!)

However, If we refuse to interact with those thoughts we are freeing ourselves from the power. Those thoughts are defeated, and we have the victory!

 However, if we entertain the thoughts and interact with them, it is us who becomes defeated, and it is the thoughts that have the victory over us! 

Sometimes we can feel that we are held hostage to our thoughts. At these times we feel that our mental wellbeing is under threat. At these times, we need evasive action to be able to quell those thoughts and take them under our control. The Bible calls it taking every thought captive. Once we do that, we are saying to our thoughts…

 ‘I am the boss you are not- I am control of my person you are not’! 

Of course, this takes time depending on how ingrained the habit of interacting with negative thoughts is. Be patient, take courage, and persevere, it will take time to learn your new habit of ignoring the negative destructive thoughts and replacing them with positive healing ones.

Obsession, Passion, Action. 

If we do not lay hold of these negative destructive thoughts at the interaction stage, then there is the danger that our thoughts will turn into an obsession, passion, and eventual action. 

Everybody on the planet is subject to bad thoughts – No one is exempt. Grabbing these thoughts before the interaction stage will help to ease the process of creating new and wonderful thought patterns. However, if we allow our thoughts to turn into actions they manipulate our lives to the point where we refuse to get rid of them. We say things like,

 “I can’t help it “, or “this is just who I am “. 

I’m sure that you can come up with many other little sayings that you have been guilty of in the past and I certainly have been. The problem is that by just accepting these thoughts they turn into negative and destructive habits. Not only does that affect our lives negatively but also those around us. 

Sometimes we entertain such thoughts because they become a source of strength and of power to us somehow. What we don’t realise, however, is that it’s not true strength, but a false sense of being in control. True strength gives rise to courage and true power leads to love. Anything opposite to that is something far more sinister.

The Daily Mindfulness Habit

Mindfulness is a wonderful way to conquer unwanted thoughts, particularly in the first stages when you feel overwhelmed with the negative assault of thoughts.

 In previous blogs, I have outlined different ways of becoming mindful in our everyday life so keep visiting back here because I will be posting more about how that can be achieved in various ways. 

Creating a good habit of mindfulness will help you to harness your thoughts and become a happier you.

It is helpful to Nip the thoughts in the bud before they do any damage. Mindfulness enables you to become self-aware, and that awareness is the underlying truth about yourself and who you are. Jesus says- you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. The truth only sets you free if you are willing to accept it and do something with it and only then it leads to your freedom. Becoming self-aware through daily mindfulness practices leads you to freedom little bit by little bit. Your mind will be set free, thus your lives free to be what we are meant to be and what we are supposed to do in this life.

Thoughts are things so pay those negative and destructive things no mind!

Thank you for visiting me here, 

I hope this post was helpful. If it was, I would love to hear from you. Feel free to contact me and share any thoughts you have. And if you enjoyed reading this blog, please support it by subscribing to my FREE newsletter and receive your FREE thankyou gift! 

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Paula Rose Parish

Bliss- How to avoid overwhelm and have a healthy mindset

These days we’re bombarded with so many ideas of what it means to be ‘healthy. But what does it actually mean to be ‘healthy’? Is it going to the gym every day? Having glowing hair and skin? Drinking green juices? Walking 10,000 daily steps? How about wearing jogging shoes from dawn until dusk?!

In this post I want to share with you how I gin a healthy mindset. This is not the whole story but a snippet from my new book about Holistic Living which features mindfulness and issues around mental health. I am in process of writing it and be published and made available to you later in the year – so keep a look out for that!

Health and appearance often get confused. Some people judge health on how they look, for example, their body shape and size, but this isn’t always a sure indicator. Everyone is different, and just because someone is bigger or smaller than someone else doesn’t mean they are healthier or unhealthier. There is a lot we don’t know and cannot see.

If asked, ‘what does it mean to be healthy’, each of us will come up with our own version of that question; we all have our personal version of what optimum health and well-being is. I believe that good health, mind, body and soul, whatever it may look like for you, begins with a healthy mindset.

What is a Healthy Mindset?

Decide – A healthy mindset is deciding that Healthy living is about respecting my mind, respecting my body. I can make positive and informed decisions to look after my health while remembering that what goes into my body and what I do with it can affect my mind and spirit (the essence of you) because everything’s connected.
Do– A healthy mindset is taking charge of my own health with consistent action upon what I have decided to care for myself.
Maintain– A healthy mindset is about maintaining my overall health to adapt as my mind, body and spirit grows and changes. 

Remember, nothing is more important than looking after yourself. If you don’t look after yourself, how can you be energetic, fit and well to maintain your world’s responsibilities or look after others? 

How to maintain a healthy Mind Set

If you view your mind in the same way as you do your body, it will be easier to understand how to look after it. Your mind is not on automatic pilot to be healthy. However, you must maintain its health. Therefore if you have a healthy mind, it follows that you will have a healthy mindset. 

Whether it’s seeking out a therapist, playing a sport, or creating art, do whatever it takes to find a way to get and maintain a healthy mind set.

I have found that writing is such a therapeutic practice, it focus my mind and such a great outlet. I practice daily prayers and devotions each morning, and I write my thoughts in a journal. At each day’s end, i pray and sit down to journal. Within 20 words, I jot down my all over days events and make a few comments. This helps me to sort and clear my mind, as one would an email in-box. Have a go at a few things to find what works for you, and make time for that thing as much as possible.

Some other ideas for maintaining a healthy mindset is- :

Writing a blog

Dancing

Working out

Singing

Building something

Making crafts

Walking mindfully

Indulge in regular self-care

I’m a huge fan of self-care. I don’t leave it to the health professionals to care for me. During the off and on lockdowns in the past year, I have found it’s almost impossible to access any kind of professional health care anyway! Regular self-care is about prevention which is far better than cure. If we have a healthy mindset we will DECIDE, DO and MAINTAIN to prevent burn out, stress, and exhaustion. A huge part of living a holistic lifestyle is listening to your body and treating it with love and respect. If you’re body needs a break, let it rest. If you need energy, go for a run. Do the things that help you feel your best!

Thank you for visiting me here. I hope this short guide to holistic living was helpful. Feel like, subscribe or like and free to leave a comment with any questions!

If you feel you would like further support, please contact me. Details of How to get in touch with me is found in the top menu on my home page.

My Blog posts are for your encouragement.

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HEAD OVER TO my YouTube channel and catch up with my videos, and I will see you in my next blog post!

Paula Rose Parish

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Letting go

One of the blights of humanity is frustration. Human beings are forever striving for pleasure and wonderful feelings of rapture and bliss which in analysing it, is only temporal in nature. Try as we might the problem is that in doing this, we are trying to convert the temporal experience it into something permeate, which cannot be done.

In hankering that which is lost, frustration ensues, grief may result. When it goes wrong, we try to fix it to make it permanent, but we can do it. No matter how hard we try, we cannot make that which is temporary permanent. And we know that we will be disappointed because the pleasure will fade away and we want those pleasurable feeling back again. Jesus said do not chase after those things which are here today and gone in a few minutes, but rather strive for those things that are permanent by its nature and therefore more satisfying. Trying to hold on to a relationship which is gone will leave you frustrated and grieved for as long as you hold onto it. All human relationships albeit long term, are temporal subject to this life. The only relationship it is nature is permanent is with God through Christ which is subject to life eternal.