Recap of: My New Way of Thinking

Posted on May 31, 2021May 23, 2021 by Empowering Your HOPE

Change the Way you Think

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. – Romans 12:2

WEEK 14 (May 31 – June 6, 2021)

Recap of: My New Way of Thinking

By Hope McCardy & Rashad McCardy

LISTEN

My New Way of Thinking: A Dozen points

It’s all about God’s glory and surrendering to His will.
I must intentionally keep my mind Word-focused and tuned in to the Holy Spirit.
Because the Word is living and powerful, it is most relevant for my life today. Therefore, I will consistently and faithfully study It so that It can lead my daily walk.
I am a child of God. I was chosen by the King of kings and the Lord of Lords. My Abba Father eternally loves me.

My faith and confidence do not lie in my surrounding circumstances. My trust is in the One who came to give me life. My faith is securely placed in Jesus.
God can bring “dead” things (God-honoring stuff) back to life. He is a miracle-working God.
Although I know it will be hard, with God’s help, I will walk following the lead of the Holy Spirit.
Though it may not be easy to follow through, the Word will give me proven and wholesome guidance for anything that crosses my path. I can trust God’s Word to lead me to live life His way.
Teach them your word, which is truth. – John 17:17b
The Bible’s “GPS” is always reliable and consistent.
I am going to seek God first. I want His insight on this matter.
Since God knows His perfect plan for my life, I surrender it all to Him.
Do I see it? What lesson(s) can I learn from this arduous time? What new, good thing is God doing right now? What is the new treasure in this tough challenge?

Remember beautiful Sisters: Changing the Way You Think is A God Concept!

Recap of Prayers

Posted on May 24, 2021May 24, 2021 by Empowering Your HOPE

Change the Way you Think

WEEK 13 (May 24 – May 30, 2021)

Recap of Prayers

By Hope McCardy & Rashad McCardy

LISTEN

My Recap Prayer (Pray for your husband and children as well)

Lord, with the apt assistance of Jesus, my Savior, and the Holy Spirit, my guide, I choose to seek to move towards walking in Your perfect will daily. Help me, I pray, to select, even today, what is good, pleasing, and perfect in Your sight.

Holy Spirit, I give you permission to teach me. Please show me how to starve and kill my carnal mind. Instruct me as to how I can be spiritually minded at all times. Help me, Lord! Please give me an even greater thirst for the knowledge and understanding of Your Word. Thank You that I can call You Abba Father; I can look to You for my every need and desire. I love You.

Loving Father, though the thief is purposed on stealing, killing, and destroying my life, thank You that You have a far different plan for me. Thank You that each and every day, I can choose to glean until I’m full to capacity, from Your abundant life, full and plentiful. And this is, indeed, my choice today. I choose to harvest from Your rich pasture.

Help me to remember Your everyday faithfulness to me. Set off an alarm in my heart that reminds me that nothing is impossible with You – that You can do anything! Stir in me an authentic comprehension of the truth of Your Word: that You still bring “dead” things back to life and create new things out of nothing. Thank You for the tremendous privilege of being Your child. Thank You that, because I believe in You, You are doing miraculous things in my life.

O God, I seriously call on You for help! Help me not to become worn-out in doing what is good. May I always remember that when no one else sees me, You do. Thank You for the plentiful harvest only You can give. Thank You for giving me Your Word as a powerful tool to keep me on the right track. Push me every day – even when I’m lazy – to meditate on Your Word. For Your Word is the blueprint for my life. Thank You for loving me so much that You desired to give it to me to light my darkened path and show me which way to go. Please motivate and constantly move me to hide it in my heart – to meditate in it – to apply it to my daily life. I truly appreciate this awesome roadmap You’ve given me. Thank You for the command to seek You above all and to live righteously. Without Your tender guidance, I would certainly go astray all too often. I humbly ask for Your shepherding wisdom to strengthen my determination. And gracious Lord, thank You so much for providing everything I need.

Abba Father, I am so finite, hardened, and stubborn. Please aid me in wholly trusting You, since I have come to grips with the fact that my understanding is so flawed. Push me to depend on Your astute insight. And Father, I want to seek Your will in all that I do. Help me to stop being so self-centered and me-focused.

Faithful Lord, Your Word in Isaiah 43:19 deposits and infuses a fresh new hope in the arid and dry places of my very being. I am so grateful that I can look to You to make a way through the dense thicket and create rivers in my parched desert lands. O, Father, I ask that You turn my eyes to You so that I can clearly see the transforming work You are doing in my life – changing the way I think. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Something New is Coming

Posted on May 17, 2021May 18, 2021 by Empowering Your HOPE

Change the Way you Think

WEEK 12 (May 17 – May 23, 2021)

Something New is Coming

By Hope McCardy & Rashad McCardy

LISTEN

For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.

– Isaiah 43:19

Birthing a precious child usually requires a nine-month gestation period: a time of preparation for “new” birth. During that long nine-month period, a woman goes through many doctor visits, new vitamins and regulations, a growing abdominal area, weird cravings, long days, sleepless nights, other issues, etc. As the pregnancy progresses, she becomes increasingly heavy and, needless to say, more uncomfortable.

At last, the anxiously anticipated baby is ready to be born. This segment is the long labor process, which is often the hardest part. It is usually accompanied by much pain and distress to both the mom and the child. Whew! But then the wonderful moment happens – a new baby – a brand new treasured life!

So, it is with our lives.

Sometimes it takes going through a set period of time that is coupled with considerable pain and agony for God to birth something new in our lives. Yes, at times, for something fresh to start…, our wrong attitudes, bad habits, unhealthy traditions, and the like…, must die.

My Prayer

(Pray for your husband and children as well)

Faithful Lord, thank You for the blessing of Your Word in Isaiah 43:19. Thank You for depositing and infusing a fresh new hope in the arid and dry places of my very being. I am so grateful that I can look to You to make a way through the dense thicket and create rivers in my parched desert lands. O, Father, I ask that You turn my eyes to You so that I can clearly see the transforming work You are doing in my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Memo to Self

Be in tuned to God’s every movement in your life. Look out for His “something new.”

Changing the Way you Think

My Old Way of Thinking
All I want is to just get over this difficult time of too much stress and challenge.
My New Way of Thinking
Do I see it? What lesson(s) can I learn from this arduous time? What new, good thing is God doing right now? What is the new treasure in this tough challenge?

Surrender it to God

Posted on May 10, 2021May 18, 2021 by Empowering Your HOPE

Change the Way you Think

WEEK 11 (May 10 – May 16, 2021)

Surrender it to God

By Hope McCardy & Rashad McCardy

LISTEN

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.
⁶Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

– Proverbs 3:5-6

Who can truly understand the times we are living in right now? How will COVID19 eventually turn out? How many more will get sick? How many more will die? Will our economy revive itself? What can businesses do to make ends meet? Will new job opportunities become available? What’s going on with this erratic weather? When will our schools and churches return to normal?

These are all tough questions that we ask ourselves in these ongoing challenging days of this global pandemic. When is it going to…?

We may not know the end. We might not understand it all. We may well be in a state of complete shock and disbelief. But, we know that as long as this is the path God wants us to walk, it will end well. Remember the tremendously hard lives of our brother Joseph in Egypt and our friend Mordecai in Persia? Look at the extraordinary work God did in and through them….

God’s plans for us are always what’s best for our lives. Right now is the time to surrender it all to Him and trust Him to show us what next to do.

My Prayer

(Pray for your husband and children as well)

Father, I want to seek Your will in all that I do. Help me to stop being so self-centered and me-focused.

Thank You for being so faithful to me. Thank You for Your ongoing willingness to show me the best pathway I should take. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Memo to Self

Proverbs 3:5: Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.

Surrender it all to God.

Changing the Way you Think

My Old Way of Thinking
What is going on? I don’t know what is best for me right now.
My New Way of Thinking
Since God knows His perfect plan for my life, I surrender it all to Him.

Seek God First

Posted on May 3, 2021April 25, 2021 by Empowering Your HOPE

Change the Way you Think

WEEK 10 (May 3 – May 9, 2021)

Seek God First

By Hope McCardy & Rashad McCardy

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

– Matthew 6:33

Most times, when something happens in our lives where we are not sure exactly what to do, our first response is to attempt to fix the problematic issue ourselves. We try different things to get the matter sorted out (our way), and if that doesn’t work, we often ask our buddies’ opinions on the matter.

God is frequently our last resort.

When we select to seek God’s Kingdom first: when we run to Father God, read His Word, meditate on It, believe It, and act on It, we are actually doing what’s best for us. But when we seek to solve our concerns our own way, we can actually end up really hurting ourselves.

My Prayer

(Pray for your husband and children as well)

Lord God, thank You for the command to seek You above all and to live righteously. Without Your tender guidance, I would certainly go astray all too often. I humbly ask for Your shepherding wisdom to strengthen my determination. And gracious Lord, thank You so much for providing everything I need. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Memo to Self

Put God first. Earnestly seek Him about everything and learn to depend on Him.

Changing the Way you Think

My Old Way of Thinking
I have to figure out this situation myself.
My New Way of Thinking
I am going to seek God first. I want His insight on this matter.

Absorb the Truth of God’s Word

Posted on April 26, 2021April 25, 2021 by Empowering Your HOPE

Change the Way you Think

WEEK 9 (April 26 – May 2, 2021)

Absorb the Truth of God’s Word

By Hope McCardy & Rashad McCardy

Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.

– Psalm 119:105

Traveling from place to place to new sites would be a nightmare if we did not have a roadmap or a GPS. We can set the GPS to navigate where we are currently to the spot where we would like to end up. The system is set to lead us there (most of the time). The GPS fills us in on all the in-between highways, streets, avenues, and so on. Eventually, true to form, if we diligently follow it, we will arrive securely at our destination.

The Word of God is a kind of GPS for our daily life (except it is NEVER wrong). When we elect to follow It diligently, It leads us to where God wants us to go, or how we should think, or what we are to say or do.

We thank God for providing us with His Word to guide us in this ever-changing world. A world where values are tossed around like the waves of the sea, going from one place to another…, a world with little proper direction.

My Prayer

(Pray for your husband and children as well)

Abba Father, thank You for Your Word and the blueprint it provides for my life. Thank You for loving me so much that You desired to give It to me to light my darkened path and show me which way to go. Please motivate and constantly move me to hide It in my heart – to meditate in It – to apply It to my daily life. I truly appreciate this awesome roadmap You’ve given me. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Memo to Self

Make the Word of God your foundation for life. Absorb Its Truth.

Changing the Way you Think

My Old Way of Thinking
Can I really trust the Bible to give me on-point guiding light to my path? Perhaps I should just follow the world’s ever-changing “GPS.” It will get me to where I need to go, won’t it?
My New Way of Thinking
Teach them your word, which is truth. – John 17:17b
The Bible’s “GPS” is always reliable and consistent.

Obey God’s Word

Posted on April 19, 2021April 10, 2021 by Empowering Your HOPE

Change the Way you Think

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. – Romans 12:2

WEEK 8 (April 19 – April 25, 2021)

Obey God’s Word

By Hope McCardy & Rashad McCardy

How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word.
¹¹I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

– Psalm 119:9, 11

Doing what is wrong is easy. If we are in a tight jam and telling a little white lie could get us out or clear our name, we tend to lie. No biggie! And if we want something bad enough, we may even choose to involve others if necessary, and not think about how our self-focused actions might adversely affect them. Yes, it is indeed fairly natural for us to be self-centered.

Nevertheless, if we desire to do things God’s way, we have to be intentional. Indeed, intentionality usually requires much forethought and hard work! This is the reason why we must develop the daily habit of studying His Word.

God’s Word orders our steps. It provides us with strategic blueprints, directives, and guidance. It is the key manual to living life His way. As long as we follow It closely, we will not stumble.

My Prayer

(Pray for your husband and children as well)

Lord, thank You for giving me Your Word as a powerful tool to keep me on the right track. Push me every day – even when I’m lazy – to meditate on Your Word. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Memo to Self

Take a few moments every day to hide God’s Word in your heart, and then, walk in obedience to it.

Changing the Way you Think

My Old Way of Thinking
I should be able to figure this out on my own. (The Bible is old and irrelevant.)
My New Way of Thinking
Though it may not be easy to follow through, the Word will give me proven and wholesome guidance for anything that crosses my path. I can trust God’s Word to lead me to live life His way.

Select to Walk in The Spirit

Posted on April 12, 2021April 10, 2021 by Empowering Your HOPE

Change the Way you Think

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. – Romans 12:2

WEEK 7 (April 12 – April 18, 2021)

Select to Walk in The Spirit

By Hope McCardy & Rashad McCardy

Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.

⁹So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

– Galatians 6:8-9

It’s relatively easy to do what is right when we know our efforts will be sufficiently rewarded: where we get the warm pats on the back, plus all the edifying accolades that go along with that. We are quite motivated to do the smart thing when our praises are sung loudly, and many hands applaud in a mighty roar on our behalf.

But, it is undoubtedly hard to do good when all you get is pesky criticism and constant complaints in return, especially when all of your hard work goes completely unnoticed.

It is at this crucial crossroad where the decision to live by the Spirit is so very vital. Yes, it is at this difficult place where we are encouraged to go on doing what is right – knowing that our efforts are pleasing to God.

Remember: it is natural to be selfish. It is not in our innate nature to do the right thing (the hard thing). However, when we do what is so normal for us, that is, what is self-focused and selfish, we reap a poor harvest.

On the other hand, when we keep on walking in obedience to the Spirit, we garner an everlasting harvest of blessing.

My Prayer

(Pray for your husband and children as well)

O God, I seriously call on You for help! Help me not to become worn out in doing what is good. May I always remember that when no one else sees me, You do. Thank You for the plentiful harvest only You can give. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Memo to Self

Follow the Spirit and do what is right because it is the wise thing to do.

Changing the Way you Think

My Old Way of Thinking
I’ll only do what I absolutely have to do as it doesn’t matter anyway: most of what I do either goes unnoticed or is criticized.
My New Way of Thinking
Although I know it will be hard, with God’s help, I will walk following the lead of the Holy Spirit.

God Still Does Miraculous Things

Posted on April 5, 2021April 5, 2021 by Empowering Your HOPE

Change the Way you Think

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. – Romans 12:2

WEEK 6 (April 5 – April 11, 2021)

God Still Does Miraculous Things

By Hope McCardy & Rashad McCardy

That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.” This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.

– Romans 4:17

What is “dead” in your life? Do you feel defeated by the many storms and trials? Are you thinking, How long do I have to deal with this? Or, When will it all end? Will I ever…?

We’ve all been to this woe-begotten place at one time or another. Some of us are there right now! (Can I get an “amen?”)

But God.

Only He can take what is “dead” in our lives and revive it by breathing new life into it. Yes, and only He can open up brand new doors.

In other words: When we choose to turn to God, He makes a way where there is no way. He can bring back something that was long “dead” to much better than it was before.

My Prayer

(Pray for your husband and children as well)

Gracious Lord, help me to remember Your everyday faithfulness to me. Set off an alarm in my heart that reminds me that nothing is impossible with You – that You can do anything!

Stir in me an authentic comprehension of the truth of Your Word: that You still bring “dead” things back to life and create new things out of nothing as today’s verse teaches. Thank You for the tremendous privilege of being Your child. Thank You that, because I believe in You, You are doing miraculous things in my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Memo to Self

Put a smile on your face. Remember the awe-inspiring faith heritage you have in Christ. Let Him do something miraculous in your life today.

Changing the Way you Think

My Old Way of Thinking
It’s already “dead.” I may as well give up. Things are too far gone.
My New Way of Thinking
God can bring “dead” things (God-honoring stuff) back to life. He is a miracle-working God.

Jesus Came to Give You Life

Posted on March 29, 2021March 29, 2021 by Empowering Your HOPE

Change the Way you Think

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. – Romans 12:2

WEEK 5 (March 29 – April 4, 2021)

Jesus Came to Give You Life

By Hope McCardy & Rashad McCardy

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

– John 10:10

Mountainous difficulties, wearying obstacles, and quite tiring scenarios can generously shower everyday life (a little too generously most times). And if we let it, these constant challenges will suck-out every drop of our joy and peace.

We must remember that we have an enemy who simply enjoys zapping us dry. He will devour everything in our path that we give him access to. And the tempter will ruin and destroy with no mercy or feelings for his often-naïve victim(s).

But, we also have a Savior.

While the enemy seeks to obliterate us – when we look to Jesus – when we, in humility, repent and call on His mighty name, His great mission is to restore our joy and peace. He came to give us a clear purpose and a productive, satisfying life.

Hence, we must put our trust in God and not our circumstances. Circumstances can change, but God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

My Prayer

(Pray for your husband and children as well)

Memo to Self

Select Jesus’ abundant life today, tomorrow, the day after that, and after that. [You get the picture.]

Changing the Way you Think

My Old Way of Thinking: This world zaps every ounce of my vitality and energy.
My New Way of Thinking: My confidence does not lie in my circumstances. My trust is in Jesus.

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