I’m excited to have a guest blogger and author, Kelly Balarie, with me today! I’m honored to be on the launch team of her latest book, Battle Ready, that is available starting today, July 3, 2018. (You can find the link to her book on Amazon by clicking on the book cover below.) Kelly offers such incredible insight into how to battle harsh moments in life, when the Enemy wants to get the best of us. I really related to her transparent and down-to-earth style. She also writes with a dash of humor—something that makes her book a delight to read! I hope you’ll snag your copy soon, but until then, check out her wit, wisdom and a lovely giveaway below …
She didn’t so much as say hi to me. In fact, even worse, she walked right past me, looking the other direction. She pretended I wasn’t there. Hmph!! After all I’ve done for her. After all I’ve given her. After how I’ve gone out of my way to love her.
Now I’m the one left looking like a crazed waving-at-the-air fool. Like an idiot.
I humph at her husband along the way to my church seat. Silently, I critique her in my mind, She’s rude. Before not too long, I get side-tracked by own thoughts: Everyone always hurts me. Like that boy, I asked to dance in 4th grade. Like those girls who circled up to whisper about me in that damp locker room. Like the group of women who act like they’re far better than me.
I’m supposed to be listening in church, but who can listen, thinking about all this, all them!?
Here, I find myself, in the heat of a horrible battle. You can always tell if you’re in the heat-of-a-battle. Almost instantly, your soul-crushing problem magnifies 100x larger than your promise-keeping God. Suddenly, you’re standing weaponless, in all-out combat within your own mind. Hardly able to win.
Ever been there?
I’ve struggled through a lot—through massive health-scares, depression, an eating disorder, financial debt and relationship-severing dramas. Battles. Huge, hard-fought battles, loaded with momentary decisions of pain, struggle and uncertainty.
I remember the time …
1. The doctor returned to the room with the clipboard saying, “You really might have Multiple Sclerosis.”
I thought: How do I keep my thoughts close to God with this kind of news?
2. My colicky newborn made me pace my hallways 24-7. Sleepless, hardly-thinking and powerless to change my health-situation, I didn’t know what to do.
I thought: How do I still love people when my whole life is unraveling?
3. A family member called me to say I really should get on setting up long-term care for myself.
I thought: How do I deal with the fact all my dreams will now look different than I thought?
Through all this, I realized, real wisdom is having a battle-plan.
Let’s talk about Christ-centered battle-plan preparedness. Begin by asking yourself: What am I currently facing?
Identifying your main struggles (resentment, regret, trauma, unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, fear) is to allow God to help you win your battle.
For example, for me, underneath that issue with the girl, was an old war full of rejection, humiliation, and abandonment from years past. Underneath, were old battles I’d lost—because they were left unaddressed. Therefore, they left me with resentment towards God.
Seeing our battles for what they are, gives us a clear-cut strategy to fight … and win. It also removes all the pent-up offenses that, like plaque, cover our hearts.
[bctt tweet=”This battle-plan removes pent-up offenses, that like plaque, cover our hearts. Find out what that plan is! #BattleReady” username=”BethSteffaniak “]
What about you?
Do you emotionally respond to happenings set before you, or do you wisely act based on God’s Word and promises?
Today, you can fight your battle a new way.
Consider:
1. Asking God what feelings of fear, worry, anger, resentment, neglect and hurt He desires you give to him.
2. Giving those hurts to Jesus, by saying, “Jesus, I am not meant to carry these. Forgive me. They’ve hurt me for far too long. I know and believe you have peace, joy, life and freedom for me as I give you these things.”
3. Blessing any women who have hurt you.
4. Reframing your moments of hurt. (Example: when she passed by me quickly, she was probably was in a rush, she might have had something to do or she was lost in thought.)
5. Returning to a heart of love. (Example: “Thank you God that you love me and I can love others. In fact, I can love the very person who hurt me by ___.”)
This is the start of being Battle Ready. There truly are practical insights, wise biblical instructions and truths that can help you rise above the mayhem of trials and hardships. You can find the light of Christ and step into all God has for you.
[bctt tweet=”The victory belongs to the Lord. Isn’t it time you began to make room for it? #BattleReady #spiritualwarfare @KellyBalarie” username=”BethSteffaniak”]
Click on the book cover to go directly to Kelly’s book on Amazon!
About Battle Ready: Train Your Mind to Conquer Challenges, Defeat Doubt & Live Victoriously
Lysa TerKeurst, New York Times bestselling author and president of Proverbs 31 Ministries said this about Battle Ready …
“The best time to be strengthened against the Enemy’s tactics of doubt, disappointment, and devastation is before he makes his first move toward us. We all desperately need the biblical guidance and preparation found in Battle Ready!”
[bctt tweet=”Battle Ready is your hands-on scriptural plan for battling the Enemy. Come by to enter the giveaway for this great book! @KellyBalarie #BattleReady” username=”BethSteffaniak”]
Battle Ready is a hands-on scriptural plan that teaches you twelve easy-to-implement, confidence-building mind-sets designed to transform your thoughts and, therefore, your life.
You’ll gain practical wisdom, like how to …
- Make new habits stick in just five steps
- Disarm the seven most common attacks that plague women
- Exchange self-limiting thoughts for purpose-driven, love-releasing thoughts
- Implement thirty-second mind-lifters that deliver peace
- Create boundaries so you live life full of what matters
Buy Battle Ready here: https://amzn.to/2l5qQrw or by clicking on the book cover above.
To get Battle Ready freebies – printables, devotional reminders, a customizable daily Battle Plan and the “Find Your Battle Style” quiz, visit: iambattleready.com
To order the companion, click on this link: Battle Ready Daily Prayer Journal.
Kelly Balarie, an author and national speaker, is on a mission to encourage others not to give up. Through times of extreme testing, Kelly believes there is hope for every woman, every battle and in every circumstance. She shares this hope on her blog, Purposeful Faith, and on many writing publications such as Relevant, Crosswalk, and Today’s Christian Woman. Kelly’s work has been featured on The Today Show, 700 Club Interactive, Moody Radio and other television and radio broadcasts. When Kelly is not writing, she is chilling at the beach with her husband, a latte, and 2-toddlers who rightfully demand she build them awesome castles.
Giveaway Details: I’m giving away a copy of Kelly’s book, Battle Ready, to one randomly chosen person (living in the continental U.S.) who comments below. The winner will be chosen by Sunday, July 8th and identified when next week’s post goes live that same day. Check back to see who snags this lovely gift!
Also, I am currently taking a summer blogging break, so I will not be responding to comments, but would love for you to share this post to get the word out about Kelly’s fantastic book and the giveaway to your favorite places around the web. I know Kelly would appreciate that too!
FYI, I’m continuing to share content throughout my blogging break with some repostings of older posts. Next week’s post is called, “Feeling the Forgiveness” for when you don’t feel like forgiving, but know that you should anyway! 😉 You won’t want to miss it!
What’s a battle that is testing your trust in the Lord now or has done so in the past?
What’s a reason why you’d like to receive this book?
Here are some lovely linkups I join –Inspire Me Monday, Literary Musing Mondays, Tea and Word Tuesday, Purposeful Faith, Tell His Story, Recharge Wednesday, Porch Stories Linkup, Break Through Homeschooling Linkup, Coffee for Your Heart, Sitting Among Friends, Destination Inspiration, Grace Moments Linkup, Tune in Thursday, Heart Encouragement, Moments of Hope, Grace and Truth, Faith and Friends, Blogger Voices Network, Faith on Fire Friday, Fresh Market Friday, and DanceWithJesusFriday
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