4 Scriptures to Pray Over Your Thought Life

I posted a Podcast on Spotify & YouTube called, “Grace Crew with Alexis Joy” about 3 Ways to Take Your Thoughts Captive. Here’s PART 1:

This blog post is to go alongside that Podcast with scripture to pray over your thought life.

Taking your thoughts captive means choosing what you allow to take root in your mind.

We have to surrender our thoughts and make them obedient to Christ. 

A way to help us surrender our thoughts is by praying scripture truth over our lives. 

Here are 4 Verses to pray over your Thought Life:

1.When you feel alone, remember that God alone is your refugee…

Psalm 16:5,8 “Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. … I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” 

Psalm 91:2,4 “I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. … He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” 


2. When you feel discouraged about what others are saying, remember that God’s opinion is the most important…

Matthew 10:28 “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell” 

3. When you are tempted to compare your body to other people’s, remember that God made you in His image…

 Psalm 139:14 “I will praise God because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” 

4. When life makes you fearful, remember that God hasn’t given you a spirit of fear…

2 Timothy 1:7 “I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.”     

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You can be delivered through Christ from your own destructive thoughts. God honors those private moments where you seek Him in prayer. Remember, God will help equip you through every hardship. So, keep seeking God and following His guidance.

Embrace grace with joy,

ALEXIS

God, how do I handle (blank)…?

God, how do I handle (blank)…? 

How should I handle that friendship fallout?

How should I handle that family member?

How should I handle that coach/teacher?

How should I handle my parents getting divorced?

Let’s dig a little deeper on HOW to handle these things… 

1.God Will Help You Handle it in an UNEXPECTED Way 

In the book of Joshua, the Israelites were led to the Wall of Jericho. In order to defeat their enemies, they needed to KNOCK this wall down.

Now if I was an Israelites, I would be praying for a earthquake, bomb, or maybe even a wrecking ball to knock the wall down. 

If you had told me that this wall was going to fall down because of a trumpet… 

  • I would probably laugh!

God had an unexpected way of handling this situation.

God used his people marching and the sound of trumpets to knock the wall down.


Did God deliver his people? YES 

Did the Israelites expect God to deliver them in this way? NO

God handled it, but not in the way the Israelites were expecting. 

2.God Will Allow You to Go Through Impossible Situations

(as it may seem ) to Reveal His Strength and Your Potential to You

God has equipped you with everything you need to overcome whatever you are facing.

YET frequently we hold ourselves back in fear by believing that we can’t overcome it.

Sometimes it takes us being at our lowest points to turn to God and receive strength from Him. 

“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” – Philippians 4:13`

You don’t know the strength God can give you until you go through that circumstance. 

3. Wisdom is there, you have to seek it! 

As I said above, God has equipped you with everything you need… 

including wisdom. 

In James 4:3, we are told that we have not because we ask not. 

Have you asked God to give you wisdom in your circumstance? 

Have you opened your Bible? 

Have you turned to God in prayer?

Have you opened that Christian book on your shelf that collecting dust?

Have you asked a youth pastor, mentor or parent? 

WISDOM is there, you just have to reach for it.

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And so whatever you are facing today, as you turn to God and say, “God how do I handle (blank)?”  Remember, God will help you – sometimes in the most unexpected ways, he will bring you through.  So, keep seeking God’s wisdom and following him.

Embrace grace with joy,

ALEXIS

Strawberry Banana Smoothie (Simple & fat free!)

This Strawberry Banana smoothie is one of my year-round favorites! It is the perfect healthy and delicious drink.

Fat Free Frozen Yogurt Strawberry Smoothie!

INGREDIENTS

Frozen Strawberries (around 15 for 2-4 servings of the smoothie)

1 Banana

Orange Juice

Sugar

Fat-free frozen yogurt

MIX MIX MIX


15 frozen strawberries (slightly thawed in the microwave for 45 seconds)
1 frozen banana
3-4 splashes of orange juice
1-2 tablespoons of sugar
And a bunch of scoops of fat-free frozen yogurt (we use Eddy’s – fat free and only 90 calories!)
Mix it all together and you have 2-4 servings of smoothies!

It is as simple as adding the strawberries, banana, orange juice, sugar and yogurt to your blender. Blend it until it is creamy or your desired texture.

YUM!

Embrace grace with joy,

ALEXIS

4 Tips for Decluttering Your Closet

Now that we are entering summer and you are trying to figure out what clothes need to be tossed, I’m here to help you declutter your closet!

We are about to touch every item in our wardrobes!

–-Remember your forgotten old shirt could be someones new favorite item—

These are the things to let go of:

1.If you wouldn’t buy it today

If a piece no longer fits your lifestyle and aesthetic, its time to donate it.

You can donate, give it to a friend, upcycle or resell the item.

2. It’s uncomfortable to wear

This makes me think of Marie Kondo and her method of “does it spark joy?”

If a piece of clothing is too tight, too loose, has loose straps, tight straps or does not make you feel confident when you go out it is ~DONATE TIME~!

3. You haven’t worn it in the past 6-8 months

These clothes are doing nothing but collecting dust. At this point, it is time to let it go.

Maybe you have no where to wear the item or it’s seasonal but it obviously no longer fits your lifestyle…

4. Old Trends

Sometimes we want to hold on soooo tightly to clothes that are outdated.

It is time to update our wardobes for summer though!


So toss those old patterned shirts, old colors, and old trends.

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Happy cleaning! It feels so amazing getting rid of the old clothes and decluttering.

Embrace grace with joy,

ALEXIS

3 Effective Cardio Exercises for the Gym

I have a love hate relationship with cardio.

When it comes to which type of cardio exercises are the most effective, I’ve found gym machines to be my best friend.

Here are three of my favorite machines to use when I do cardio…

Stair Climber

The stair climber can be a hard exercise for newbies.

If starting out new, you should aim for around 15-20 minutes on a low level (2-4).

If your body is used to high-intensity cardio you can do 20-30 minutes on a higher level of (4-10).

(Levels may vary based on machine used)

Perks of the stair climber:

  • High fat burn
  • High calorie burn

Side note: The stair climber can put a lot of pressure on your knees if that is something you already struggle with.

Treadmill

The treadmill is definitely my favorite way to do my cardio.

I LOVE this type of cardio because there are so many ways to switch it up.

Different workouts:

  • 15-20 minute high intensity jog
  • 20-25 minute incline walk (Incline is a great way to increase calorie burn and target those lower leg muscles)
  • 30 minute moderate intensity (walking half, jogging half)

Perks of the treadmill:

  • Increases heart rate to a healthy level
  • Builds bone density & muscles

Cycling

Cycling is definitely the most fun way to do cardio.

Whether you do a stationary bike or a real one, it is a great workout.

30 minutes of cycling (regular bike)

Whether you are cycling in a park, neighborhood or street you will be getting a great amount of variation of hills and intervals of low and a high intensity workout.

30 minutes of cycling (stationary bike)

I highly suggest selecting the “rolling hills” option when cycling on a stationary bike (if this is an option).

IF NOT: Feel free to adjust the resistance level on your bike for a low medium or a high intensity workout

Perks of cycling:

  • Improved joint mobility
  • strengthens bones
  • Improves posture

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Have a great time doing your cardio and taking care of the body God gave you!

Embrace grace with joy,

ALEXIS

3 Things to Avoid When Responding to the Call of God

To the people that want to start responding to the call of God on their lives…

This is my first blog post to ever write and responding to God’s call is very close to my heart. This blog post actually is me stepping out and responding to God’s calling. While it makes me a little uncomfortable hitting publish on this knowing many of my peers may see it, I have decided to step out today. I hope this can be an encouragement to someone.

Here are 3 things to avoid when responding:

1. Running Away

Initially a lot of us can have the reaction of “who me?”

Why does God have to send ME?

In the Bible, Jonah is someone who just wanted to run away from God’s calling. So much so, that God had to put him in the belly of a whale to keep him from running!

Jonah got angry at God’s calling. God says to Jonah in Jonah 4:4, “But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

Although Jonah did not feel like doing Gods work, it wasn’t right for him to be upset at his calling.

We have to remember that everything we do is for God’s kingdom purpose not our own.

2. Comparing Our Calling

It can be so hard to not want to play the comparison game. We can look at other people’s callings and think they look more “glamorous” or “easier” than our own.

We have to remember that God has equipped each person with different skill sets and abilities. The church needs the youth leader, music director, janitor, children ministry director, head pastor and many other people!

Your role is as important as everyone else’s. In the Bible, Jonathan was the son of the first king of Israel. He should have been the second king of Israel. Instead God anointed David as the second king of Israel. Jonathan willingly supported David’s calling, even though he could have gotten jealous of him.

We have to support others and not compare ourselves to our brothers and sisters in Christ.

We are all working together for one cause, to bring glory to God.

3. Half Listening

In the Bible, King Saul half listened to God when he was told to not take any plunder after winning his battle. God sent him into battle and told him to destroy everything. This plan did not go with what King Saul wanted. He chose to follow his own ideas and kept some of the animals for himself. Unfortunately, by disobeying he did not get the full blessing of God and God was not pleased with King Saul.

We want to fully follow God’s plan.

When we half listen, we do not reap the reward we could’ve received if we had fully surrendered to his plan.

Beware of running away, comparing your calling and half listening.

We are all called to say “yes” to Jesus. Sometimes this requires us to let down our safety nets and say “here I am, send me.”

Embrace grace with joy,

ALEXIS

You’re not alone, let’s be friends 🙂

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