Have you ever felt like your mind needed a refresh button after a grueling week? That's where Heidi and Christina of Revelation Within step in, offering up their own twist with "mind renewal recipes." In a candid and soul-stirring conversation, we navigate the ebbs and flows of spiritual rejuvenation, sharing personal anecdotes that highlight the transformative power of creating a sacred, distraction-free zone to commune with God. It's not just about structured practices; it's about infusing your daily walk with spontaneous moments of praise, worship, and thanksgiving, tailored to fit the unpredictable rhythms of life.
As we unpack the layered concepts of truth, identity, and faith, we find solace in the pages of God's Word. We delve into the comforting embrace of prayer and the resilience we're granted as God's creation. It's a heartfelt reminder that despite the hurdles life throws our way, we can rise up with hope and courage, anchored in Christ. So join us, as we share not only our journey but also invite you to renew your mind with us.
Learn more about our Revelation Within Community: https://www.revelationwithin.org
Have you ever felt like your mind needed a refresh button after a grueling week? That's where Heidi and Christina of Revelation Within step in, offering up their own twist with "mind renewal recipes." In a candid and soul-stirring conversation, we navigate the ebbs and flows of spiritual rejuvenation, sharing personal anecdotes that highlight the transformative power of creating a sacred, distraction-free zone to commune with God. It's not just about structured practices; it's about infusing your daily walk with spontaneous moments of praise, worship, and thanksgiving, tailored to fit the unpredictable rhythms of life.
As we unpack the layered concepts of truth, identity, and faith, we find solace in the pages of God's Word. We delve into the comforting embrace of prayer and the resilience we're granted as God's creation. It's a heartfelt reminder that despite the hurdles life throws our way, we can rise up with hope and courage, anchored in Christ. So join us, as we share not only our journey but also invite you to renew your mind with us.
Learn more about our Revelation Within Community: https://www.revelationwithin.org
Hi and welcome to Revelation Within on the Go. I'm Heidi Bilesma-Epperson, one of your hosts and the owner and lead coach of the Revelation Within Ministry.
Speaker 2:I'm Christina Motley, your other host, also a Revelation Within coach and Heidi's partner in all things Revelation Within, and we are so happy to invite you to join us for this episode of Revelation Within on the Go.
Speaker 1:Well, today, when I asked you know what are we going to do our podcasts on? We have all kinds of ideas, but I kept thinking, you know, what I really need to do is I need to renew my mind. Exhaustion, putting out a lot of effort this week and feeling like I didn't get as far as I wanted to. I just felt depleted and, to be honest with you, a little anxious about I just want to get back to work. I can't be bothered with a podcast. No, but seriously, that's life, isn't it? Things that are really important that we're called to sometimes feel like they're distractions from the earth, that tyranny of the urgent, which what is really important to me is the podcast, and so being able to bring my best self that God is inspiring and encouraging to the podcast recordings is really important. So we've decided to do a mind renewal session with you, using mind renewal recipes.
Speaker 2:Yes. So this is so much fun and it's exactly what I need to. It has been a busy, crazy, upside down kind of week for me, and boy, I have been meeting mind renewal a lot. This week we have this wonderful workbook that we've been using for years and years, called Fresh Wind, fresh Desire. You can actually purchase it on Amazon, and Heidi and I are hoping to revise it.
Speaker 2:Anyway, some of you who are listening have this book at home. So in case you haven't looked at it recently, or if it's your first time, in the back of the book we have an appendix with what we call mind renewal recipes, and this is so much fun. This came out of kind of the need where people were asking us you know, I love this idea of renewing my mind, I love this idea of spending time with the Lord, but I don't know where to begin. I feel like I need a little bit of structure. Will you come up with something to kind of give me a plan? Now, there's no set plan, absolutely not. You can do this any way you want to, but we put together some mind renewal recipes for an hour's time, half an hour, 10 minutes and a spontaneous on the fly, just to kind of get people started who were needing a little bit of that structure.
Speaker 1:Yay, that's and it's. It's been really fun over the years to share these with people in our groups because they can't they actually have a plan if they want one. You know some people really like the structure. Some people need structure for a short period of time and then they can fly on their own, and so that's what this is for. It's not by any means is it intended to be like a yoke you have to wear to do any mind renewal.
Speaker 2:No, this should be really something that brings you life and joy, and you can change it around any way you want to. You can take things out, put things in, make your own recipe, but if you're out of place where you're like, oh, just give me the plan, then this is a great place to start.
Speaker 1:So we like to break it all down real simple, like almost like categories. But no, there's no acrostic for this. You don't have to adore God first and confess your sin second and thank God. No, you don't have to do that. This is just. It's intended to be just a way of relating to God in the moment. Really, if you have half an hour, great, pick the half hour plan. If you have only 10 minutes, pick the 10 minute, and so on. And so certainly, setting the stage is a really helpful part for many of us. We need to get ourselves hidden away somewhere, maybe someplace quiet, away from the dog, away from the kids, away from anything else that might be distracting us, and so set the stage, you know, choose a place or a venue where you can have your moments, or 10 or 30 or 60, without interruption.
Speaker 2:Some of those places for me are the bathroom, unless you have puppies and toddlers, which I do not have right now. Other places might be in the car. I used to have a room at work that we called the book room, and it was a place where people hardly ever went unless they needed a certain book, and I would go in there and use that as a place for a quick on the fly mind renewal. Another place might be outside, taking a walk on your porch Maybe it's a cozy chair in your living room. You decide what's our stage right now.
Speaker 1:Heidi, yes, my stage and Christina's stage are different, but we're sharing our stages together. We're in Zoom. I'm in my office. There's no dog, no children, no husband, no phone ringing.
Speaker 2:Okay, so Heidi's in California in her little quiet space and I'm on my porch, which is sunny and warm. Both of my daughters are home and we have friends sleeping over, but they're all doing their own thing. I have my private quiet little spot here on the porch with my best friend, heidi, and so what's better than that? I'm excited.
Speaker 1:So setting the stage doesn't have to be a big deal, it can just be spontaneous even.
Speaker 1:You just wanna be able to get away a little bit from any distractions for a minute, for five minutes, 10 minutes, however long you have. And today we're gonna kinda do a four part mind renewal. Praise and worship is gonna be what we start with and we're gonna use the tool. You are speaking to God about his attributes and then, after we worship him, we're going to give thanks and that will be some of our mind renewal. We're going to use the tool, lord I love, and then the next thing we're gonna do is remind ourselves to think big T truth, and we're gonna use the tool what is true to do that. And then we're gonna wrap it up with who am I because of Christ, who am I in Christ? And you'll see what we mean as we unfold this.
Speaker 2:Oh, that sounds wonderful, let's do it.
Speaker 1:Okay, I'm gonna invite.
Speaker 2:God in, because we always like to do this before mind renewal. Just real quick, lord, we invite you into this time that Heidi and I get to share with whoever is listening out there in podcast land, and we ask that you would fill our mind with your thoughts, fill us with your hope and encouragement, and I pray that this would bless you as well.
Speaker 1:We love you, lord, in Jesus name, amen, amen. Lord God, you are the king of my life.
Speaker 2:You are my redeemer.
Speaker 1:You are a shield around me and the lifter of my chin.
Speaker 2:You are my strength and my stronghold.
Speaker 1:You are my way, my truth, my life.
Speaker 2:You are the one that I hope in all day long.
Speaker 1:You are the way maker.
Speaker 2:You are my deliverer.
Speaker 1:You are my delight.
Speaker 2:You are the one who makes things so.
Speaker 1:You are the giver of every good and perfect gift.
Speaker 2:You are my strong tower, my hiding place.
Speaker 1:You are the song in my heart.
Speaker 2:You are good, so so good.
Speaker 1:You are my wonderful problem solver. You really are.
Speaker 2:You are the one who has every resource at your fingertips.
Speaker 1:You are the one who walks with me through everything I face. You are there.
Speaker 2:You are the God who loves my family and chases after my kids.
Speaker 1:You are not silent. You speak and you want to be sure that I can hear you. Thank you. You are the lover of my soul, you are the crafter of my life's journey.
Speaker 2:You are my forgiver.
Speaker 1:You are my help.
Speaker 2:God, you are the one who cherishes me and loves me no matter what. You are the one who quiets me with your love.
Speaker 1:I love that. So let's go on to Thanksgiving. We're gonna use the Lord I Love tool for our Thanksgiving time. Lord, I love that. My dog makes me giggle so much. He's so much fun.
Speaker 2:Lord, I love that my daughter has friends over. I love that she has wonderful, sweet friendships in her life.
Speaker 1:And Lord, I love that I've got a great bestie.
Speaker 2:I love that too, lord. I love that so much. I love that we are sharing my renewal today on this call.
Speaker 1:And Lord. I love that. There are times when Michael and I will make meals together in the kitchen and that's just fun. I mean, he's an expert, but he lets me flounder a little bit and that's okay, because he's there to kind of make it all okay. I love cooking with him.
Speaker 2:I love that too, lord. I love that my husband fixed the heater in my VW bug. I love that it has been so cold in there and I just love that he spent all that time doing that. Thank you, god.
Speaker 1:And Lord, today I just love the color of the sky. The clouds have parted, the rain left a just a beautiful crystal clear sky without any anything in it. It's just beautiful. Today I love the color of the sky. It's so interesting to me, god, you could have made it any color, but you made it blue, which I just think is so clever, so pretty, and the green trees against the back. I mean, we see these green trees out my window and we stand so beautifully against the backdrop of the blue sky. I love that.
Speaker 2:I love that too, lord. I love that you left your word for us in a big, wonderful book. We could go and hear your truth, and hear your very own words and know your thoughts. I love your word, god, thank you.
Speaker 1:Yes, lord, I love that when I look over the years of my life, I can trace the love I've had for your word, even to a child, and I know it was planted in me by you, that love that I have for your word. It was planted in me by you and the way that it manifested different stages of my life. I love being able to look back over my life and see your hand guiding and leading and directing and giving me a desire for your word. Thank you.
Speaker 2:Lord, I love that our house looks so festive right now, with special decorations, things that have meant a lot to me over the years. I love that we get to celebrate your birth, and how wonderful that is.
Speaker 1:Thank you, god, lord, I love that I have so many memories. Well, it makes sense because I'm so old, but I have so many memories over the years of wonderful holidays spent with wonderful friends and family and not holidays Other days too. I love that. You've given me wonderful memories that I can take with me into any moment. If I'm sad, downcast, I can recall things that are joyful and life-giving to me. Thank you for that. I love that.
Speaker 2:I love that too. Thank you, god. So so many things that we love. Okay, we're moving into our Big T Truths and we're going to use the tool what is true?
Speaker 1:Sounds wonderful. Oh, what is true is, every moment that you've given to me to live this life is a gift. Every moment is a gift.
Speaker 2:Lord, it is true that my kids are God-sized burdens and you love, absolutely love, carrying those burdens for me. You are in control of whatever they need, whatever they're struggling with. You have my kids.
Speaker 1:And what is true, lord, is that you know everything that's going on inside my husband's body and the struggles he's having with his health, and you know what the solutions are. What is true is you have us. You will get us through this season.
Speaker 2:What is true is that this day is in your hands from beginning to the middle to the end. What is true is that I can look to you in any moment of this day for anything that I need. That is what is true.
Speaker 1:What is true is, no matter what the results of Michael's different tests that he has coming up are, you knew the results way before the tests were even taken and you knew you would have a plan for how to handle it. You have exactly what we need for this season of uncertainty.
Speaker 2:What is true is that, no matter what the bank account says, you are God and you have never failed to provide for us. That is what is true.
Speaker 1:What is true is you will provide a way for Michael and I someday maybe, to have our own place together, just the two of us and blue, of course.
Speaker 2:What is true is that there is nothing that can match your goodness. You are good through and through. I can trust your goodness. Whatever is happening, whatever I don't understand, I can trust your goodness.
Speaker 1:Another thing that is true that I need to really remind myself of a lot is turning to life giving and joy fulfilling and all of those good things, compared to turning to anything else. Anything else I turn to has a consequence that isn't pleasant. So, lord, what is true is you are the one I will turn to. I will turn to you.
Speaker 2:What is true is that you are constantly available, God. You are available for me to come any time of day or night. You are available and I can ask for your help in surrendering, in submitting, in letting things go. What is true is that you are there to help me 24 seven.
Speaker 1:What is true, lord, is you know the future for Daniel, my son. You have a plan and a purpose for him, and all my worried thoughts, all my anxious thoughts aren't useless in accomplishing anything. So when I feel tempted to worry about Daniel, I will pray for him instead, because you have him. You have him.
Speaker 2:What is true is that my health is in your hands and your timing is perfect, and I will trust you with my healing.
Speaker 1:Awesome, all right, let's go on to. Who am I? Our last part of our Mind and All recipe, oh Lord, because of you, I am more than a conqueror in Christ, which just springs my brain. I am a temple of the living God. Your spirit and your life, lord, dwell in me.
Speaker 2:I am God's girl.
Speaker 1:I am a new creation in Christ.
Speaker 2:Thank you, god. I am a member of Christ's body.
Speaker 1:I am God's poetry in motion. Lord, I am your masterpiece.
Speaker 2:I am redeemed and forgiven. I have the mind of Christ. I am complete in Christ.
Speaker 1:I am redeemed from the curse of the law.
Speaker 2:I cannot be separated from the love of God.
Speaker 1:My sufferings have a purpose in Christ.
Speaker 2:I am a citizen of heaven.
Speaker 1:And I am seated with you, Lord, in the heavenly realms.
Speaker 2:I have access to God through the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 1:I have been bought with a price I am not my own. I belong to you, lord, I am precious in your sight.
Speaker 2:I may approach God with freedom and confidence.
Speaker 1:I am your friend, Lord.
Speaker 2:I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit.
Speaker 1:Thank you, god, for this time that we've been able to enjoy renewing our minds. Thank you that even a few minutes makes such a difference, and we just want to go throughout our day thinking with your thoughts. Help us to take captive those runaway thoughts, lord, that tend to take us captive if we don't take them captive. Lord, we don't want to do the will of the enemy, we want to do your will only and always. It brings delight to do so. Thank you, god, and thank you for the mind renewal recipes. In Jesus' name, amen. Well, that was really fun.
Speaker 2:Wasn't that fun. I mean, I don't know about you, heidi, but I am feeling uplifted. Yeah, and for hope and courage, for whatever's next in this day. Yeah, yeah, that just felt wonderful.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Awesome. Why do we renew our minds? You know to be less anxious to think with the mind of Christ about decisions we have to make, about things that face us. That might make us really cranky, and not to turn to food Absolutely.
Speaker 2:We're just so glad that you've been here with us and we hope that you'll join us again next time on our next episode of Revelation Within On that go. Oh, that was fun.
Speaker 1:It was really fun. Bye, bye you.