Cherished Magazine Fall 2018

Fall 2018

FiveWays to Know if You're Addicted to Approval

Riding Tandem

Peace& Posit ivit y wit h Adul t Col oring

embracing your God-given design j ourney t o embrace what mat t ers

most

En c o un t er in g Go d in t h e Da r k

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Click here t o learn more about t his budget and t ime saving way t o plan and prepare meals Fall 2018

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features 6

Riding Tandem En c o un t er in g Go d in t h e Da r k

40

Five Ways to Know if You're Addicted to Approval

13

An int erview wit h Kat ieBennet t Aut hor of heavenl y minded mom: a90 day j ourney t o embrace

24

Peace& Posit ivit y wit h Adul t Col oring

47

what mat t ers most

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I'm so glad you are here!

Wow, half of 2018 is over already - what a journey. To be completely honest, I turned 50 in May and that really rocked my world as to what my life's journey has been so far.

There has been a ton of good in my journey. It is the place I tend to naturally bend to focus on but since this moment in time where I felt as if my journey is coming near to the end, I've struggled with all the negatives, the mistakes, the regrets, and the shameful things in my life.

The way I figure it if I went through a low season the last couple of months, that someone else out there is probably in a similar season and needs to hear this. So for anyone else who is struggling with past failures and situations and who's thoughts are spiraling into a bit of negative despair, here is your reminder (and mine) to focus on the good. Let's journey to the bible: And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Philippians 4:8 (NLT)

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By Grow Bloom Inspire Co Editor in Chief Sheryl Siler Advertising Adam Siler Contributing Writers Katie M. Reid Marlo Schalesky Katie Bennett Dawn Owens

Views expressed in CherishedMagazine do not necessarily represent those of the publisher. Every effort has been made by the staff to ensure accuracy of the publication content. We do not guarantee the absence of errors or omissions. No responsibility can be assumed. Š CherishedMagazine All rights reserved.

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Riding Tandem

By Katie M. Reid

My husband asked me to join him on a road bike tour: five days, 270ish miles, from Lansing to the Mackinac Bridge (in Michigan). Adam had been on this tour, the DALMAC, three other times, but this year he wanted his wife to come along for the ride.

Surprisingly, I said yes? with two conditions: 1. We would ride a tandem bike (I wanted to be welded together so I wouldn?t end up at the back of the pack with tears streaming down my face because I wanted to quit).

He agreed.

2. We would not share a tent with anyone else (five days, people, I?m a married woman).

He agreed.

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Adam rode in the front of our tandem recumbent bike. I couldn?t see what was directly in front of us. It was a trust-building activity for sure.

Adam was a great leader and coach to this novice rider. He did the brunt of the work and I provided support (and continual conversation) from the back.

At one point we went over thirty miles an hour, down a hill.

Hitting a pebble the wrong way would have sent us flying, yet the thrill of letting go (from the stand point of control? don?t worry, I didn?t let go of the handle bars!) was invigorating.

In someways riding t andemcan feel confining.

You can?t go wherever you want without consulting your partner. You have to work with each other in order to be

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effective. But as you find your rhythm, riding tandem becomes double strength.

The same is true of our relationship with the Lord.

Wehavean opport unit y t o fol l ow t heOnewho knows t heway.

Sometimes it feels like you lose momentum when you encounter steep inclines, other times you experience carefree moments of joy, and sometimes you face monotony as you ride mile after mile on flat surfaces.

Your participation in this faith journey is needed as you are led.

Through it al l , you don?t do it al one.

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You have a built-in Helper, always available to show you the way to go.

But t heHel per, t heHol y Spirit , whomt heFat her wil l send in My name, He wil l t each you al l t hings, and bring t o your remembranceal l t hat I said t o you. PeaceI l eavewit h you; My peaceI givet o you; not as t heworl d gives do I givet o you. Do not l et your heart bet roubl ed, nor l et it befearful (John 14:26-27, NASB).

Katie M. Reid encourages others to find grace in the unraveling of life at katiemreid.com. She is a devoted wife, mom to five loud children, and a fan of cut-to-the-chase conversations over iced tea. She is also a national speaker, co-host of "Stop! Hammock Time" on Facebook Live, and author of Made Like Martha: Good News for the Woman Who Gets Things Done

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Learn more about trusting God and embracing your God-given design in Katie?s new book, Made Like Martha: Good News for the Woman Who Gets Things Done (which contains a bonus 5-week Bible Study for individuals/ groups)

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En c o un t er in g Go d in t h e Da r k

By Marl o Schal esky Excerpt adapted from Reaching for Wonder, Š 2018 Abingdon Press.

Used with permission.

The Bible gives us a single encounter, a brief moment in time in which a person in pain encountered a Messiah, a Savior.

A single instance of what it looks like to see his face in the hardest times of life. A glimpse of a hand reaching, a heart touching, a God who beckons us to see him through our struggle.

I ponder this God for whom simple healing is not enough.

He insists on the encounter.

He insists I see.

When I am afraid to hope, afraid to reach, afraid to pray one more prayer.

When I am mute and I am blind.

What does it mean to encounter him then?

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W h a t do es it mea n t o en c o un t er h im in t h e da r k ?

I stand beside my son?s bed at two in the morning. He lies there, tubes attached, equipment in a pouch around his waist. Blond curls frame his face, shadowed lashes touch his cheeks, illuminated only by starlight.

He sleeps.

I do not.

A breeze sneaks through the window, lifts the curtains. I adjust his blanket, watch for his chest to rise, to fall.

He is alive. For now. But there?s no guarantee. Not anymore.

Not ever again.

I pull out his blood glucose meter and shove in a test strip. I wait for the beep. Then I take a sleeping boy?s finger and make him bleed. Rough fingers, calloused from poke after poke after poke. He does not wake. For him, it has become a familiar suffering.

For me, the pain will always be fresh. My son, seven years old, happy, innocent, beautiful, and diabetic. Type 1 diabetes,

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a disease that could steal his life in a single night, or steal it over years. A cruel disease, and a fickle one.

I hate it. No cure, no cause, no prevention, and no life without the insulin that his own pancreas will no longer provide. I provide it now.

If he has enough, he lives. Too much, he dies. It is a delicate dance, every day, every night, every minute, every hour, his life held in the tiny vial of clear liquid attached by tubing through his skin.

So I stand in the darkness and listen to him breathe.

I test.

I hope.

I fight the fear.

Will the number be too low? Will it be too high? Will I be monitoring all through the night so that this otherwise healthy boy will greet me in the morning? Will I ever sleep soundly again?

I sigh.

I will not cry. Not tonight. Not again.

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I gather his blood on the tiny test strip. I count to five. Five long seconds that feel like a spin of the roulette wheel. Five eternities because I am no gambler.

And like roulette, there is a number. Seventy-five. Too low. I am not a winner tonight.

I shake him. ?Jayden, wake up.? He groans but doesn?t wake.

I pull out a piece of dried fruit strip and shove it into his mouth. He chews, eyes closed. I watch for him to swallow, to make sure he does not choke. Ten seconds. Twenty. His throat moves.

I breathe again. Constant vigilance. Constant concern. The life of my precious son, hanging in the balance of blood sugars.

This is the pain I endure.

This is the suffering I cannot escape.

Day after day. Night after night.

Watching, waiting, hoping and afraid to hope.

An incurable disease.

A beloved son.

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But my pain is not unique.

It is no greater, no less than yours.

A lost job, a broken marriage, an estranged child, an untimely death, a scary diagnosis, an incurable disease . . . none of us get through the journey on earth unscathed.

No n e o f us h a v e l if e j us t a s w e w is h it .

W e a r e n o t w h o w e w a n t ed t o be.

Sometimes we are a woman who?s had five husbands and the man she has now is not her husband. Sometimes we live with shame. Sometimes we are a widow with a dead son.

Sometimes we?ve lost everything we hold dear. Sometimes we?re sick, lame, and blind. And sometimes we?ve been that way so long we don?t know how to be well.

Sometimes we want to believe, but our faith has failed us.

And sometimes, our hurt and hopelessness go so deep that all we can do is walk away.

I?ve been there. Maybe you have too.

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Maybe you?ve stood in the dark and believed life is naught but a spin of the wheel.

Maybe you?ve prayed until you cannot pray anymore.

Maybe you?ve come to a point where all you can see is the pain.

And that?s where Christ encounters us.

He encounters us in the heat of the day, on the dusty paths, in the crowds and the dark rooms, on the side of the sea, and on the road out of town when all hope seems lost.

In our worst moments, he comes to bring living water, to break the darkness and break the bread. He opens our eyes when we cannot see until all we can see is him.

Marl o Schal esky is an award-winning author of eleven books (both fiction and non-fiction), including Reaching for Wonder: Encountering Christ When Life Hurts. A regular speaker and columnist, she has published more than 1,000 articles in various Christian magazines and has been featured on many national radio and TV programs.

Schalesky is the founder and executive director of Wonder Wood Ranch, a California charitable organization that brings hope through horses to at-risk, gang-impacted, homeless, and other disadvantaged kids in Monterey County. Marlo lives with her husband, six children, and a menagerie of large and small animals in Salinas, California.

Find out more at VividGod.com.

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Ma r l o 's Hea r t f o r Rea c h in g f o r W o n der

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An int erview wit h Kat ieBennet t Aut hor of heavenl y minded mom: a90 day j ourney t o embracewhat mat t ers most

The lives of moms are all t oo oft en consumed wit h wearisome, empt y st riving.

and deep inside, and it is impossible t o not long for more.

There is an expect at ion from t he world t o keep up appearances, meet cert ain st andards, and find sat isfact ion in t he offerings of t his life such as success, admirat ion, and ease.

In t he new book, Heavenly M inded M om: A 90 Day Journey t o Embrace W hat M at t ers M ost (Abingdon Press), popular M ommy blogger Kat ie Bennet t helps point her fellow moms t o view t heir role t hrough God?s vant age point .

However, God has set et ernit y in a mot her?s heart ,

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Following t he birt h of her second child, life was good for Bennet t . Everyt hing she had dreamed of for herself had come t o pass, and it was all she had imagined, but also fragile.

Because life is so uncert ain she began t o fear t hat she would lose it .

Longing for hope, she ent ered a season of deep reflect ion on et ernit y. It was during t hat t ime her perspect ive changed as she shift ed her focus t o heaven and t he promises of t he life t o come.

In t he book, you writ e about a t ime when you werest ruggl ing spirit ual l y fol l owing t hebirt h of your second chil d. Can you t el l us a l it t l e bit about what was going on during t hat t ime t hat began changing your way of t hinking?

Life was good. I was incredibly cont ent wit h my loving husband, t wo sweet children and happy home. In fact , I loved my life. However, because I had everyt hing I had ever want ed, I began t o fear somet hing would happen t o t ip t he scales. Suddenly, it all felt fragile, and I began t o lay awake at night feeling st rangely helpless and praying fervent ly against t he many calamit ies I could imagine.

As st range as it was, I began t o long for hope right in t he midst of my dream life.

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W it h t hat longing, my t hought s t urned t oward heaven. I ent ered int o a season of deep reflect ion on life, deat h, and et ernit y while st ruggling wit h doubt and uncert aint y. I realized how t emporary and fleet ing life is, how t he infinit e is beyond comprehension.

Through t his t ime of st ruggle, God empt ied my heart of t he idols it held and t aught me t o put my hope in what is sure and unshakable, t he et ernal life in Christ t hat is here now and is yet t o come.

What was your t urning point in t he midst of t hat uncert aint y?

It was a slow, gradual out pouring of fait h and perspect ive.

Like t he pot t er and t he clay, God crushed who I was and made me new. He didn?t just adjust how I saw life a lit t le bit . He gave me new eyes.

W hen I made t he decision t o believe, t rust and follow Him no mat t er how I felt or where my underst anding failed, He blessed me wit h joy, purpose and cert aint y. Not before, but aft er. I t hink somet imes for fait h t o be fait h, it needs t o be a choice, not a feeling.

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How has your l ife changed as a resul t of t his new perspect ive?

In every way. Perspect ive is how we view life, and t his viewpoint will det ermine our approach not only t o t rials and successes, but t o how we live our everyday moment s.

W hen we know we will receive an et ernal reward when we persevere t hrough t rials t hat are ult imat ely very t emporary, we are filled wit h new resolve. (2 Corint hians 4:17) W hen we underst and t he forgiveness we give t o ot hers is t he forgiveness Christ will offer us on Judgment Day, we will forgive offenses in fear of t he Lord regardless of t he merit of t he recipient . (M at t hew 6:14-15) W hen we know and believe t ime is short and each person on t his eart h has an et ernal dest inat ion t hat will eit her include et ernal punishment or et ernal life, our insecurit ies will lose t heir power in t he face of urgency, and we will become a force for t he gospel in our circles of influence. (M at t hew 25:31-46)

What are some t angibl e t hings readers can do t o buil d perspect ive?

You can spend t ime daily reading God?s word. You can t ravel Fall 2018

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out of your cont ext t o see what God is doing around t he globe. You can sacrificially give money t o support t he work of Christ ian organizat ions in suffering count ries in t he name of Jesus and follow along wit h t he work t hat is happening. You can push yourself t o be cont ent and not buy t he next new t hing, believing t hat gain and pleasure and fun in t his lifet ime are not t he great est goal.

I wrot e Heavenly M inded M om t o help lead mot hers specifically t hrough a journey t o re-frame t heir t hinking around t he t rut h of et ernit y found in script ure.

How does perspect ive impact t he way we process suffering?

W hen we become heavenly minded, we know t hat our fait hful perseverance in suffering will be rewarded (James 1:12). W e know t hat we won?t have t o endure t he heart aches and pain of t his world for long. W e cling t o our hope of redempt ion and t he life t hat is t o come, and we pray for Christ ?s ret urn!

W e don?t hope in our failing bodies or our crumbling world, we hope in t he perfect , enduring world t hat is t o come. In t his way, our spirit s will not be crushed by suffering, because we underst and t hat a good or easy life now was never t he goal.

Rat her, t he goal is t o become like Christ .

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How does having a heavenl y minded perspect ivechanget heway weview money?

M oney loses it s value in our heart s when we realize God?s economy. As Solomon observed, we spend our lives st riving for it , but we die and can?t t ake it wit h us. W e leave it t o our children, but t hey don?t get t o t ake it wit h t hem eit her.

(Ecclesiast es 5:15) In t he New Test ament , Christ says, ?Do not st ore up for yourselves t reasures on eart h, where mot hs and vermin dest roy, and where t hieves break in and st eal. But st ore up for yourselves t reasures in heaven, where mot hs and vermin do not dest roy, and where t hieves do not break in and st eal.?

M at t hew 6:19-20 (NIV) W hen we set our heart s on heaven, we will learn t o hold money loosely and leverage it for et ernal purposes.

What does it mean t o be a heavenl y minded mom?

The lives of moms are all t oo oft en consumed wit h wearisome, empt y st riving. W e work t o keep up

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appearances, meet worldly st andards, and find sat isfact ion in t he offerings of t his life such as success, admirat ion, and ease.

However, God has set et ernit y in a mot her?s heart , and deep inside, and it is impossible t o not long for more.

To be heavenly minded is t o know t hat t he promises of God are t rue and allow t hem t o anchor our hope complet ely. It is t o find purpose in God?s calling t o live in a way t hat mat t ers beyond t his life: t o love wit h His love, t o serve as Christ served, t o sacrifice for t he sake of t he Kingdom of God and t o priorit ize spirit ual gain over worldly gain in our daily choices.

You describe your devot ional as a j ourney.

What aret hedest inat ions al ong t heway t o becoming heavenl y minded?

Heavenly M inded M om is comprised of t hree sequent ial sect ions. The first sect ion is designed t o open your eyes t o t he meaninglessness of t he t hings we t oo oft en wrongfully align our heart s wit h and devot e our lives t o. These are t he t hings t hat become idols in our lives.

The purpose of t he first t hirt y days is t o t ill up t he soil of your heart and prepare it for t he seeds of et ernal perspect ive God want s t o plant . It is int ended t o crack t he t hin sheet of colorful glass t hat is right in front of your nose (t he world as

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you perceive it ) and det hrone idols in your life so t hat you will be able t o see past t his physical exist ence and int o et ernit y.

The second sect ion will furt her cult ivat e your et ernal perspect ive by demonst rat ing how t o t hink and int erpret life wit h a mind and heart set on heaven.

The t hird and final sect ion of t he book is about t he t hings t hat will endure. It is int ended t o pour meaning back int o t he st uff of your life. The t asks, pursuit s, and endeavors t hat were st ripped of meaning at t he onset of t his book will be re-enlivened wit h a different , deepened, Christ -cent ered sense of possibilit y and last ing meaning.

Toget her, we will examine t he t hings t hat will endure? fait h, hope, love? and look at how we can st ore up t reasures in heaven during our brief lives on t his eart h.

Can you share more about t he format of Heavenl y Minded Mom? How did you int end for t hebook t o beused?

M inded M om is set up as a 90-day devot ional. Originally, I envisioned it as a book, but t he more I t hought about it , t he more I realized t o shift one?s perspect ive requires t ime and mult iple opport unit ies t o reflect and reevaluat e life.

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Because t he book is script ure-based and script ure-sat urat ed, t his was a perfect fit . A devot ional format also seems t o be helpful for mot hers, who t end t o be busy!

In my book, I reference t he book of Ecclesiast es writ t en by King Solomon who was a man given special wisdom from God. In it , he observes life under t he sun and considers how t ruly meaningless all our st riving, accomplishment , pleasures and gain t ruly are when all of it ends in deat h and is remembered no more. These t rut hs are t he foundat ion for Heavenly M inded M om, but it doesn?t st op t here! Because of what Christ has done, we have t he most st unning of hopes, t he hope of et ernal life filled wit h et ernal meaning.

Each day?s devot ion includes a script ure reference for addit ional cont ext and reading and journaling prompt s t o help readers process what t hey?re reading and apply it t o t heir lives.

On your bl og you focus on l iving simpl y in l ight of et ernit y. How does t his concept and Heavenl y Minded Momt iet oget her?

W hen we t ruly underst and value, we will not run aft er t he t hings of t he world, because we will see t here is somet hing far more wonderful for us t o devot e our lives and heart s t o pursing. W e will be more int erest ed in making disciples t han filling our t rophy case, and more int erest ed in spending t ime

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pouring int o t he spirit ual lives of our children t han wit h providing t hem every shining t hing and t rendy experience.

Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV) says, ?Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of wit nesses, let us t hrow off everyt hing t hat hinders and t he sin t hat so easily ent angles. And let us run wit h perseverance t he race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, t he pioneer and perfect er of fait h. For t he joy set before him he endured t he cross, scorning it s shame, and sat down at t he right hand of t he t hrone of God.?

Here we see t here are t hings t hat ent angle us in our heavenward race t hat are not sin. W e are exhort ed t o t hrow t hese off, fix our eyes on Jesus alone (not t he world), and run.

W e see t hat He did t his t oo. He knew t he joy t hat was t o come, so He was able t o endure t hroughout His life on eart h in order t o obey His Fat her.

If you coul d share one t hing wit h readers from al l you?ve l earned from al l God has donein your l ife, what woul d it be?

Isaiah 40:6-8 ?all people are like grass? and Luke 9:23 ?whoever want s t o be my disciple must deny himself and t ake up his cross t o follow me.? Don?t love t he world. Don?t spend your life on t he wrong t hings! That ?s a great er t ragedy t han we can imagine.

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What is your hope for Heavenl y Minded Mom readers?

M y hope is t hat it will open women?s eyes t o t he brevit y of life so t hat t hey will not wast e it pursing t he wind. This mat t ers urgent ly because we only have one chance t o get t his right , t hen all of et ernit y t o reap what we have sown.

M y hope is t hat mot hers would discover real, unshakable hope, t he joy of loving and serving ot hers wit h Christ ?s love, and t he et ernal calling God has placed on t heir lives for t his present moment .

hi, I?m Kat ie I?d like encourage you to live a simpler and more heavenly-minded life. Because the world and all it holds is passing away, and because life is too short and God is too good to live distracted.

Follow Katie at embracingasimplelife.com

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Five Ways to Know if

by Dawn Owens

You're Addicted to Approval

Everyone wants to be liked. Everyone has a desire to be accepted and loved.

But how do you know when you have a healthy perspective or if you are addicted to approval?

There are those of us who hear phrases like ?people-pleasing,? ?insecurities,? or ?approval addict? and they resonate with us.

But for others, those same words reflect fear, and we want to know if the way we feel is okay or if we have a problem that needs to be addressed.

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So let me offer you five ways to know if you are addicted to approval:

Are you able to make decisions on your own without worrying what anyone else thinks of you?

Do you need the affirmation of others?

Do you set high expectations for others only to become disappointed when they don?t meet them?

Is it difficult for you to share your opinions or beliefs with others when they differ from your own?

Do you have a hard time saying ?no??

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I f you said yes to more than oneof these, then you aremorethan likely havean approval addiction.

Personally, I think we al l st ruggl e with this on some level.

It doesn?t matter if we are female or male. Young or old.

God has created us all with a need for approval. The challenge is in our need to please, we have focused our desire to be fulfilled by man, rather than recognizing we are already approved by God. To make it even more challenging, our addiction to approval is multifaceted. It manifests itself through people-pleasing, insecurity, control issues, and anger.

Each of t hese issues af f ect s our rel at ionship wit h God and wit h ot hers.

They are causing friction in our friendships, we are comparing ourselves to our co-workers, we are holding our spouses to high expectations that they can never meet, and we are expecting our children to affirm us in every way.

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We are literally exhausting everyone around us.

To make matters worse we are using social media trying to fulfill our desire for approval but instead feeling jealous, depressed, and confused.

So what are we to do?

I?d like to offer a few tips on how to start to working on your recovery to this debilitating addiction.

Thefirst step is acceptance.

For anyone who wants to overcome an addiction whether it is from approval, sugar, or heroin they have to accept that they have a problem.

Maybe you declare right now, ?God, I have a problem with seeking the approval of man, rather than seeking your approval. I need your help in overcoming this addiction.?

Second, ask yourself why.

There are so many things we do without considering why we do them. For example, when you make your bed everyday, why do you do it? Is it because you like to

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come home to a neat and tidy room or are you doing it because you still hear your mother?s voice in your head and you want to please her?

Understanding your why in your requests of others, time spent on social media, or even your purchases will bring clarity.

Everything wedo should besubmitted to theLord and if that ?thing? wearedoing isn?t bring Him glory, it needs to stop.

I realized that my why was because I was worrying about what everyone else thought, I was able to make new choices, which brought me to new levels of freedom.

Third, recognize you already have God?s approval.

If you are a believer in Christ Jesus, the old is gone and the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17). You have been gifted with new identity through the Holy Spirit and that identity is already approved by Him. Accept. Ask yourself why. Recognize where your approval comes from. Three steps that I hope will set you on a path to recovery and healing.

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Dawn Owens is an award-winning author, speaker, radio show host and the Founder/ Executive Director of The Link of Cullman County a relational ministry to the poor in Cullman, AL. You can learn more about Dawn?s ministry at www.dawnmowens.com.

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er e H Cl ic k

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Pea c e & Pos it ivit y w it h A du lt Color in g Adults have their own coloring books now, and they may be therapeutic. Some studies show that coloring helps to relieve stress and anxiety and even produces positive changes in heart rates and brain waves.

While fans are enthusiastic, some experts are a bit more cautious. There is strong evidence to support the effectiveness of art therapy for helping patients to manage serious conditions, including cancer and addictions. On the other hand, adult coloring books have been popular for only about 5 years, so less is known about them.

Could coloring help you deal with routine daily pressures?

Before you break out the crayons or colored pencils, find out more about this growing hobby.

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Ben ef it s of A du lt Color in g 1. Promot e mindf ul ness. Col oring can hel p you t o put aside regret s about t he past and concerns about t he f ut ure as you f ocus on what you're doing in t he present moment .

Being in the moment reminds me of Ecclesiastes 3:11 which reminds me to be in the moment:

He ha s ma de ever y t hin g in it s t ime.

bea u t if u l

2. Think posit ive. Shifting your attention away from overdue bills and noisy neighbors can feel good. Your mood brightens as you contemplate pretty colors and interesting pictures.

3. Find bal ance. Any offline hobby that allows you to take a break from technology is a bonus these days. St udies show t hat checking social media or phone messages t oo f requent l y cont ribut es t o anxiet y.

4. Enjoy f l exibil it y. Compared to other hobbies, coloring is inexpensive and portable. You can do it waiting at the airport or sitting in a coffee shop.

5. St art smal l . Another major advantage to coloring is that it requires no significant skills to succeed. If you felt like an underachiever in high school art classes, you can still color between the lines (though coloring outside the lines is fun too).

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How t o M a ke Color in g T her a peu t ic

1. Look f or pat t erns. Repet it ion, pat t ern, and det ail seem t o be t he key el ement s. Studies show that coloring mandalas and geometric shapes is more soothing than working on unstructured designs.

2. Expl ore dif f erent t hemes. Adult coloring books offer a wide range of topics. Pick something that interests you, whether it's science fiction or architecture.

3. Share your work. Add a social aspect. Frame your favorite masterpieces and put them on display for friends to see. Post images and comments on social media. Get the girls together for a coloring social.

Let go of ex pec t a t ion s a n d en j oy t he pr oc es s .

Remember your childhood? Col oring seems t o be especial l y ef f ect ive wit h adul t s who previousl y enjoyed it as chil dren.

Maybe there are other youthful pastimes you want to revive like playing piano or baking cookies.

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Coloring is an inexpensive and easy hobby that can help you relax. Whether you stick with putting the finishing touches on someone else's designs or move on to creating your own works, you can use art to increase your mindfulness and find more peace.

Cl ick t he image bel ow f or a page t o get you st art ed! Enjoy!

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For More Coloring Fun Visit the Color Happy Shop Before you buy another coloring book or d ow nload another boring g eneric coloring pag e, I encourag e you to check out Color Happy.

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Click to Shop at Scrapbook.com

Fall 2018

CherishedMagazine.com