Declutter Your Emotional Closet
dr. saundra dalton-smith | ichoosemybestlife.com When you think of spring cleaning, you may have an image of mops, brooms, and trash bags filled with items you no longer need. Spring…
Leading Hearts April 2020 Issue- Is this the worst of times?
COVID-19 has changed our lives. Is this the worst of times? If you need some reassurance and peace as well as a refocused purpose in this time of uncertainty, you…
Christmas 2019 issue: Rise Up! It’s Your Time to Shine
“Those who are wise will shine like the bright expanse of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” —–Daniel 12:3
You may think of a million people more equipped than you to accomplish the call God has on your life, but God is calling you to RISE UP because It is Your Time to Shine!
Christmas Cover Girls Bethany Jett and Michelle Medlock Adams (bethanyandmichelle.com) give us Platinum Faith perspective.
New Issue Sneak Peek: God Will Restore!
by Dr. Saundra Dalton Smith @DrDaltonSmith in Leading Hearts magazine
Over the past month, I’ve witnessed devastation come into the lives of many around me. Tornados stormed through the south leaving a wake of pain and loss. Fire completely consumed the possession of a local family, leaving them clinging to the memories of the past and uncertain about the future. Flood waters swept through, carrying away hope in its path.
What these situations have in common is a feeling of having portions of your life consumed by circumstances beyond your control. They leave you looking back at all those years invested in building and planning with a longing to get back what has been taken from you. I empathize with those walking through this pain because I have experienced it. The circumstances may not be the same, but the feeling of emptiness, grief, and hopelessness are understood.
I have stared at areas of my life languishing from the attack of the “creeping locust, the stripping locust, and the gnawing locust” (Joel 2:25, NASB) and wondered how God could ever restore these years. How can He give back what appears to be forever lost?
5 Tips to Avoid the Resolution Trap plus Bonus Recipe for Ranch House Chicken Bake
by Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith @DrDaltonSmith in Leading Hearts magazine
Did you fulfill your New Year’s resolutions last year? Since only one in ten people keep their resolutions, I’m guessing your answer is no. Resolutions, like losing weight or getting more exercise, are easy to make but difficult to maintain. Our good intentions are met with real-life situations that edge out our desires with daily challenges to overcome. You can only face defeat so many times before you start feeling like a failure.
The reason most of us don’t keep our New Year’s resolutions is that there is no joy in the process. When all you can see surrounding your new year is work and striving, it’s easy to understand the push to give up.
Typical resolutions are fear-based, shame-based, or doubt-based. They feed on our insecurities and tell us we are not OK in our present state. These types of resolutions extract the joy from the journey and focus heavily on the mechanics of the process.
10 Things I Wish I Would Have Known 10 Years Ago
by Saundra Dalton-Smith @DrDaltonSmith in Leading Hearts Magazine
Around this time every year, I start reflecting on how my life is progressing. I wish I could say I’m always pleased with my self-evaluation.
Too often, I find myself utterly amazed at my ability to doubt, fear and regret. Instead of seeing the fruit I desire, I notice too much precious time spent striving and not enough time spent thriving. Too many moments focused on fighting back negative thoughts and too little spent on cultivating the truth.
The truth is timeless, but the time we spend outside of it has a profound effect on how deep our roots grow and how high we can reach. It doesn’t change. The truth remains stable throughout our ups and downs.