A Becoming Journey

Inevitably, at various intervals in our lives we will encounter situations about which we feel powerless. Things will come at us that affect us that we simply cannot control. For me, a known control-freak, this is especially distressing! We love to imagine that we to be the designers of our destiny, but the simple-yet-difficult truth is that we are not. As is most-often the case, I am in the midst of a situation right now where I am having to learn this. I hope to be able to share details at a later time, but suffice it to say that my family is presently embroiled in a circumstance involving world systems and life-altering decisions. Yet, we have very little (if any) true influence in the outcome. I am learning again to lean on Jesus. Maybe I’m actually learning this really for the first time! As I pondered this thought today, I thought I’d share some encouragement on how to peacefully navigate a situation outside the realm of your control.My tips: 1) Relinquish Control2) Submit Again to God's Sovereignty3) Manage Your Emotions Through Prayer4) Refuse to be Consumed by the Issue5) Seek Godly Supportfor more, visit abecomingjourney.com

Are you insecure in relationships and you don't know how to get past it? Do you long for deep friendships and connections with other people? Today's episode will help! I am joined by my good friend, Andrea Mathews, for my first "Julie & Friends" episode. Andrea is gifted with people both personally and professionally, and she sheds light on how we can work to get past some obstacles that may be holding us back from having truly fulfilling relationships with others. Fore more, visit: abecomingjourney.com

Do you find yourself struggling in personal relationships (as I do)? If you dig deeply enough, you may find the root cause is undervaluing people. Today's episode is some much needed help for us all to remember why learning to truly value people is worth the effort.For More, Visit: abecomingjourney.com

Welcome to Season 3! Today's episode takes a dive into Romans 12 and the keys that it holds for us in having fulfilling, God-honoring relationships. It's never easy but always worth it! ResourcesLetting it Go -  Forgiveness Episode I referencedA Becoming Journey

Why is it so easy to become consumed with things? If you're like me, you tend to think that more is better. However, we know in our heart of hearts that this is not the case! Yet, why do we continue to accumulate? That's what today's episode is about: the battle to stop loving things. I'll also be sharing a brief life update and what you can expect from A Becoming Journey Podcast in the near future!Resources Mentioned on the Podcast:Decluttering at the Speed of Life by Dana K. WhiteOvercoming Distractions to Lead a More Meaningful Life - podcast interview with Joshua BeckerFor More, Visit: abecomingjourney.comFriend, if this ministry is helpful to you, would you consider leaving a review? I would appreciate it so very much!

Do you ever feel like nothing beautiful can come from past mistakes you've made? Well, I have some good news for you: our God is in the business of creating beauty from ashes! We are celebrating Easter this weekend and reflecting on Isaiah 61:1-3 and taking comfort in the fact that our Lord can make something remarkable from anything in our lives that we feel is beyond hope.For more, visit: abecomingjourney.com

Last time, we talked about several of the obstacles to forming close friendships. How then do we go about forming the bonds with people that will ultimately turn into a meaningful friendship? Well, I've got a "friendship expert" on the podcast today, my husband, Jason!For as long as I have known him, my husband has had many enduring friendships, and I'm thankful for the wisdom that he shares. On this episode, we discuss:how to value people and connectionslearning to accept others where they arelooking for opportunities to build a friendshipseeking to become a good friend to someone in need of onechoosing to investbeing the one to initiate or to take the first stepthe value of vulnerabilitydealing with conflictFor more, visit:abecomingjourney.com

It’s no secret that most of us are struggling in the relationship category, these days. Perhaps your marriage or family relationships are good enough, and you seem to be content with that. But what of friendship? Do you have any deep, loyal, and honest friends with him you regularly interact? If you do, you are blessed…and unusual. Most of us find that we are severely lacking in the true-close-friend category. How is it that a society can be both more connected and more lonely than ever before? Yet, we are. We have scads of Internet friends and we tell ourselves that it’s good enough. But is it? I don’t think so, and neither do recent studies. The Bible has much to say about friendship and community (Proverbs 27:17, 17:17, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, etc.). It is clear that we are not meant to do life isolated and alone. So why is it that we lack so much in the way of meaningful friendships? Today we are talking about obstacles that can prevent us from having close friendships. What I'm Eating:Creamy Broccoli, Cauliflower, Corn, Bacon Salad My alterations: omit onion, blanch broccoli & cauliflower, and layer ingredients to preserve freshness. For more, visit: abecomingjourney.comIf this content is helpful to you, would you consider giving this podcast a rating and writing a review? I would be so grateful!

Dreams, goals, ministries, vocations, or callings create excitement in us at their inception. The Lord may drop something into our spirit, we may get a phone call, an unexpected opportunity presents itself, or perhaps as we are going about our daily lives, a God-honoring idea comes to us and immediately begins to take shape. However these dreams begin in us, almost always, they arrive with anticipation and energy. We can’t wait to begin!….And then….What? Where oh where has the passion gone? What do we do now? Hours were flying by before and the work was effortless, but now? Is this like just another job? Just another goal? I’ll fail or give up? Reality hits. Hard. Inspiration disappears. Energy wanes. Other things get in the way. In other words, it just gets hard. This episode offers some encouragement and how to persevere when that God-given dream gets hard to follow. Resources Mentioned:Every Plate Meal ServiceFor more, visit:abecomingjourney.com

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. (Luke 2:12)The very first lesson that Jesus taught upon His birth was humility. We’ve all heard it said that humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less! This goes against our natural inclinations. We think to be happy we must continually put ourselves first, but this simply isn't true... And this was one of Jesus' first lessons. A lesson from the manger. What I'm Drinking:Bigelow Earl Grey TeaBigelow English Breakfast TeaFor More, Visit: abecomingjourney.com

Things don’t go as planned for your holiday event and you find yourself teetering on the edge of depression. Certainly, you’re disappointed, discontent and sad that the holiday didn’t live up to your expectation. What happened? And more importantly, what do we do to restore our sense of peace and joy? Today I'll talk about my own recent experience with disappointment and 5 ways that I was able to overcome it with God's help!For more, visit: abecomingjourney.comFriends, if this podcast ministry is encouraging to you, would you mind leaving a rating and a review? Thank you!

In our journey to become someone better than what we currently are, sometimes it’s helpful to consider those beliefs and actions that will NOT take us toward our goal. Like...Here’s what we’re NOT going to do! In our quest to grow in wisdom, let’s consider some of the characteristics that the book of Proverbs attributes to the foolish so that we can be sure to avoid these! What I'm Reading: A Voice in the Wind: Mark of the Lion Series Book 1For more, visit: abecomingjourney.com

Gentleness is not something that we often associate with strength in Western culture. Jesus, Himself, says that He is gentle at heart and humble in Matthew 11:29. We like for power to roar and aggressively exert itself, but if we peer intently into the Law of the Lord, we see a very different picture. Those people who are given the honorable title of wise are meek, gentle and lowly. And the truly wise arguably wield the most power among us. For more, visit: abecomingjourney.com

Last time, we talked about where the foundation of wisdom in our lives. So...we have a starting point, but how do we continue to grow in wisdom? We know how valuable it is to become wise, yet we somehow think that merely desiring wisdom will bring it to us. Not so! The tide of our culture is strong and flowing in the opposite direction of godly character and virtue; if we don’t actively fight it, we will be swept along in it. As we are actively fighting against things that are against God, we are also actively fighting for things that are of God. What I'm Reading:The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten BoomFor more, visit: abecomingjourney.com

I wish that I could say that wisdom was something that is highly sought after these days. Sadly, I find an insatiable thirst for knowledge, for wealth, and for fame, but not one for wisdom in our present cultural climate. However, wisdom is needed in this present age as much as it’s ever been needed. We need wise leaders, wise teachers, wise pastors, wise parents, wise children...everyone needs wisdom! But how do we go about getting it? We will talk about wisdom over the coming weeks. Resources Mentioned:openbible.infoFor more, visit: abecomingjourney.com

We are ending our series on anger with a victorious trumpet call! We will overcome in Jesus name! We don’t have to live our lives under the oppressive control of anger. The Word tells us that whom the Son sets free, is free indeed! We can walk the path to freedom by the help of the Lord.In the past three lessons in the series, we talked about how anger is not always a bad thing, we looked at the deeper roots, and we talked about how our thoughts create a life of anger or a life of peace. This time we will be discussing how we can overcome anger through both biblical and practical wisdom.What I'm EatingLarabar Chocolate Chip Cookie DoughFor more, visit: abecomingjourney.com

 In our series on anger thus far, we have discussed how anger, itself, is not always a bad thing, as well as some of the deeper root causes of anger in our lives. In this third installment of the series, unsurprisingly, I’m turning my attention to the vital role that our thought life plays in perpetuating anger in us. What I'm Reading:The Hobbit - JRR TolkienThe Way of Kings - Brandon SandersonFor more, visit: abecomingjourney.com

The second episode in our Confronting Anger series.  Listen to the first episode in this series here. Perhaps, you, too, have a desperate need to be perfect or to please others; undoubtedly, there are situations in your life that have hurt you and over which you had no control. These wells of deep sorrow can so easily manifest as anger. So, I know I’m not alone. And….neither are you!Over the coming weeks, we will continue to probe this topic together. It might be a little painful! However, I am so confident in the Lord’s ability and willingness to turn all things to work for good! That’s why I’m on this journey. I know that He has a more abundant life for me – and for you – and controlling anger has no part of that.What I'm EatingBanana Oat Pancakes - *Disclaimer* This is a YouTube video for a very similar recipe to the one I make almost every day. This is the cookbook that has the exact recipe!For more, visit: abecomingjourney.com

Today's episode begins our series on Anger. We often hear the word "anger" and automatically associate it with negativity. However, as we begin discussing the topic, we will find that there are at least a few positives reasons for anger! In a way, it is a bit comforting to realize that anger is not always a bad thing, that it can be a force for good. Over the next several weeks, we will dig deeper into this topic, confronting it in our own lives, and learning how to overcome its control by the power of the Holy Spirit! What I'm Reading:The Pursuit of Holiness   by Jerry BridgesFor more, visit abecomingjourney.com.

Do you ever just feel stuck? Do you feel like sometimes your emotions hold you hostage and you are unable to do anything productive? If so, today's episode will give you some encouragement and some simple tips to get out of a funk as  quickly as you can! What I'm EatingEl Milagro TortillasScriptures Referenced:2 Corinthians 12:9, Psalm 103:13-14For more, visit: abecomingjourney.com