Thirst with Sheryl: season 2- Holistic Change

Fasting

Today I want to add to our essentials in building our Spirit man, the action of Fasting. Fasting is the voluntary abstinence from food (or other things, like TV, Internet, talking on the phone, social media, etc.)  We want to Fast from any distraction that takes our attention away from God. Fasting is done for a specified period, to focus on spiritual growth, self-reflection and seeking God's presence.
Now for our action steps:
Be Intentional (that is one of our necessities for this podcast)-Be clear on your purpose and specific prayer points for the fast.
Pray and seek God's guidance on the type and duration of the fast. Plan meals around fasting times, or have plenty of water available; also consider alkaline water and/or mineral drops to add to the water.
During the fast, dedicate more time to prayer, worship, reading the Bible and journaling.
Minimize distractions (another one of our necessities for this podcast)
Keep it to yourself! You do not have to go around broadcasting it. Matthew 6:16-18 NIVsays 16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Don’t forget, the whole purpose for fasting is to focus on spiritual growth, self-reflection and seeking God's presence. It is not necessary to let everyone know.
When you come off of the fast, gradually re-introduce your body to light foods, like a bowl of chicken noodle or vegetable soup.
Reflect on what the Holy Spirit showed you during your fasting time; did he lead you to a scripture to read, did you journal a specific bible verse, was a certain praise & worship song in your mind?
Offer prayers of thanksgiving for the spiritual growth and insights gained.

Nitty Gritty Part 2

Last week’s discussion focused on Deepening your connection with God; if you have not listened, please circle back and tune in.  Today, our discussion will focus on Engaging in practices that will strengthen your faith
There are many ways to engage yourself in fellowship and community, but today I want to discuss just three:
Join a Faith Community. This is something that most of us are already doing, I hope; and that is being involved in church or participate regularly in worship services and church events. This includes going to regular service, worship services, church revivals, bible studies and small prayer groups.
Cultivate accountable relationships. Accountability in the Bible symbolizes responsibility, stewardship, and the interconnectedness of the community of believers. The Bible emphasizes that individuals are not only accountable to God but also to one another. Romans 14:1 CEV And so each of us must give an account to God for what we do. This verse underscores the idea that we are responsible & accountable for our actions before God.   Galatians 6:1-2 CEV My friends, you are spiritual. So, if someone is trapped in sin, you should gently lead that person back to the right path. But watch out, and don't be tempted yourself. 2 You obey the law of Christ when you offer each other a helping hand.  This passage highlights the communal aspect of accountability, where believers are called to support and help one another in their spiritual walk. 
So, find a more mature believer who can be your spiritual mentor; or a person to share experiences, challenges and victories with, i.e. a peer support.
Serve others by using your gifts to volunteer within your church or community. Look for opportunities to bless others showing the Love of God in you, by performing acts of kindness.

The Nitty Gritty Part 1

Now for the nitty gritty, or the most important aspects of building up your spiritual man.
Now Building your spirit man goes beyond establishing healthy mindsets & thoughts. In light of this, to include your entire spiritual being, there are 2 mandatory things that are essential:
Deepening your connection with God
Engaging in practices that will strengthen your faith.
Daily scripture reading. You can begin with a verse or a chapter daily. It doesn’t matter, just as long as you are consistent with daily action.  As you continue, and begin to develop longevity, the Holy Spirit will give you the yearning or Thirst to do a little more! May I suggest to focus on short manageable sections to prevent getting overwhelmed. I love the book of Proverbs, because it teaches on Wisdom about everything.  The Contemperary English version (CEV) is one of my favorite versions. Pick yours!
Reflection and Journaling: Now prayerfully, you have been obedient with having your necessities in proximity, as instructed in episode 1. You are, not only in your clutter free area without distractions, but also, you have your bible (tangible or electrical) and your journal/notebook with your pen/pencil and highlighter. Write down insights, questions, and how the scriptures apply to your life.
Study to get understanding. Think about joining a group to study the word or use study guides to delve deeper into the specific books of the bible. By studying, consistently, the holy spirit will bring clarity to you. While studying, write down key verses and commit to memory, especially those that address what you are searching for or what you are going through.
Ps 119:105 NIV says Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. We know that a lamp gives off light, therefore this scripture is saying that the Word gives me light for which way to go or do.
Apply the biblical principles that you’ve learned and be a doer of the word and not a hearer only as the scripture says in James 1:22.
Share what you’ve learned with others to foster mutual growth. Prov 27:17 CEV says Just as iron sharpens iron, friends sharpen the minds of each other.
As we conclude this session, I encourage you to continually cultivate a strong prayer life and immerse yourself in God's Word. These practices are foundational to building and transforming your spirit man.

Stop It!

Thoughts are important because they directly influence our emotions, behaviors, and decisions, essentially shaping our perception of the world and dictating how we navigate life; Listeners, “what we think" becomes "what we do," so we need to make our thought patterns, a powerful tool for creating positive change or overcoming challenges. 
Now for our Action Step:
Identify the thought you need to change
When you get the thought, say “STOP IT!” say it out loud or to yourself, but say it. This will stop the irrational thought; you cannot think 2 thoughts at the same time!
As we learned in episode, 3 ANTs or Automatic Negative Thoughts, make a covenant with God by turning the negative or irrational thought into an affirmation. REMINDER: IF YOU HAVE NOT LISTENED TO EPISODE 3, PLEASE GO BACK AND TUNE IN; 
If this thought is stopping you from completing a task, turn your attention back to what you are trying to do; if you are not trying to complete a task and you are just having this thought, use your imagination to turn that negative thought into a positive vision. For example: imagine yourself laying on a beach in the warm sand with the sun beaming and the ocean waves flowing in and out.
Calmly repeat this process every time you get an unhealthy thought.

ANTS (Automatic Negative Thoughts)

I want to discuss 5 ANTs or automatic negative thoughts.
Always Thinking: This happens when you think something that happened will always repeat itself. He’ll never stop drinking or getting high
Focusing on the Negative: this occurs when your thoughts only see the bad in a situation and ignore any of the good that might happen. -He is late picking me up, which means I’ll be up all evening cooking dinner; (not realizing he is late because he stopped to get her a dozen of roses to give her when he pulls up)
Fortune-telling: this is when you predict the worst possible outcome to a situation. -I’m not wearing this dress because people will laugh at me or think I look inappropriate.
Mind Reading: this happens when you believe you know what another person is thinking when they haven’t even told you. A lot of people do mind reading and more often than none, it gets them in trouble. -She didn’t say good morning to me today; she is mad at me.
Thinking with your feelings: This occurs when you believe your negative feelings without ever questioning them. - I probably won’t get the job anyway so I am not going to apply.

Setting the Tone

Action Step: 
Write down in your notebook or journal the challenges, attitudes or mindsets that have gotten in the way of your progression. 
Find the scripture in the bible regarding the challenge/attitude/mindset.
Write it down. Writing it down creates a Personal Connection to the material, further aiding memory retention.
Read it out loud 3 times. This is called Active Engagement. Writing information down forces you to engage actively with the material rather than passively reading it. This active involvement helps reinforce memory retention.

Begin with the End in Mind

Holistic is defined as encompassing the whole of a thing, and not just the part; as far as this podcast, the spirit, soul, & body; all 3 and not just one.
So, we are setting out to begin our journey and there are some essential requirements that are necessary: (don’t worry, not for this episode, but for upcoming episodes)
Your Bible
Notebook or journal
Pen/pencil and highlighter
Intentionality-to be deliberate, conscious & purposeful
Faith- Heb 11:1 TLB version says faith is the confident assurance of something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it ahead.
Expectation- a strong belief that something will happen 
Let me bring to your attention 3 sneaky distractions:
Listening & not doing. And yes, we should be listening & doing/participating.  There is no since in listening and not doing! How are we going to make a holistic change without acting! Remember, I said that one of the items listed above that we need for each of these podcast sessions is faith. James 2:14 NLT version says What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? The scripture also goes on to say in verse 17 that Faith without the works is dead and useless.
Listening in an area or room that is cluttered.  Clutter creates visual distractions, constantly drawing your attention away from your study material, making it harder to stay focused on the task at hand. 1Cor 14:33 NIV says God is not a God of disorder but of peace. Some Christians believe that maintaining a clean and organized space reflects God's order and discipline in creation.
Unbelief/Doubt. I pray that everyone that is listening to this podcast, is not only a believer, but also believes that God’s Word is true? This will also be a distraction if you think that the bible is just a story book from the past about how this great guy named Jesus walked the earth healing and performing miracles. Heb 13:8 NIV says Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.  This means that healing is still taking place, deliverance is still taking place, miracles are still taking place! The bible is not a la carte, where you can pick & choose what is true.
Listeners, if you want to see and experience a holistic change, in the spirit, soul and body, then true change begins internally; it starts by what’s on the inside of you. If you want to see change outwardly, it has to begin on the inside…your attitude, thoughts and expectations. 
 

Thirst For Holistic Change Trailer

In each of us lies a profound desire—a thirst for a holistic change that honors God and transforms our spirit, soul, and body."
Welcome to Thirst for a holistic change, where every step of your journey is intentional and each choice brings you closer to wholeness. 
I’m your host Sheryl Tyner and this podcast is intended to give you, the listener, droplets of information to set you on a path to a healthier, more whole & restored “you”
So, if you want to quench your Thirst for a holistic change, join us on January 19th with a community of believers committed to living fully, authentically, & joyfully.  Embrace the journey & transfigure your life through Christ. This, is your moment to Thrive!
music credits: Music by Aleksandr Abrosimov from Pixabay

Emphasis on the Outro

It has been 53 episodes of Thirst with Sheryl.  We started out a year ago & it was made known that the podcast sessions were dedicated to my beloved mother, Alice Harriston, who went home to be with the Lord on October 15, 2023. 
I then set out on the journey of doing a weekly podcast, with God’s help beginning, December 26, 2023 ending with this podcast on today, December 16, 2024…53 episodes! God has been faithful and has kept me through many challenges with my work, health & my personal life.  To God be the Glory!
Hebrews 2:1 NIV We must pay the most careful attention to what we have heard so that we do not drift away.
2 Tim 3:16-17 NIV all scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Let Everything that has Breath!

Have you ever thought about the fact that you have breath, in your lungs, in your body, when you wake up?
Therefore you can function!
Do not take this for granted!
And because we have breath in our lungs, what better thing is there to do, than to praise him, by saying, thank you God for waking me up this morning? 
We are the recipients of the benefit of new mercies, that God gives us, every morning.
Lam 3:22-23 ERV
says the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness
.