How Faith is Good for your Joy and Your Brain

It's Thanksgiving week and we have much to be thankful for. I am thankful for you who are reading this now. I am thankful for technology, for faith, and for a good mind to be able to write this blog. I hope you find it beneficial. 

Difficulties are part and parcel of life and I want to remind us that it is in these difficult times that what we believe - our worldview - is crucial to how we get through the tough times and how we will emerge. 

Stressed out? Cynical? Dwelling on the negative? Or do you instead look for the silver lining in every difficult situation? Every challenge provides a lesson to learn. I have learned that "It's all gift", good or bad. 

Brain Science and Psychology 

I find an interesting correlation between psychology, brain science, and what the Bible teaches. Brain science is evolving and we are learning that we do, in fact, have some control over how we perceive the world. It has to do with what types of thoughts we think on a daily basis. And this is exactly what the Bible teaches, "think on things that are lovely,  pure, noble, excellent of good report". (Phil 4:8 - 9). 

"Hardwiring Happiness" is a book by neuropsychologist and best selling author, Rick Hanson, PhD, and the gist of it is to focus on the good, to take it in, and absorb it more. This is because the human brain is hard-wired since caveman times to focus on the negatives since it was a matter of survival way back then. With each thought we train our brains to be more either more positive or more negative. With every negative thought, we are programming our brains to continue to see and focus on the negative. But there is another way that has been written about for over 2,000 years. 

The Faith Component 

The key to positive outcomes in our lives is not simply based on our thoughts or our intentions, but also by utilizing the power of FAITH - believing in and trusting in a supernatural, all-powerful being who is able to move the mountains we cannot move. We've all encountered situations that are beyond our abilities to conquer and this is where the power of FAITH comes in. 

Faith and the belief in a loving and caring God gives us strength to persevere and carry on no matter how bad things seem at the time. Faith is both a gift and a choice and it is in the tough times that our faith is tested. It is in times of trials that we need something greater than ourselves to put our hopes in. I am a living testimony of how Faith can bring us out of even the worst of storms. 

Personal Story 

Read my inspiring true story of being raised in a dysfunctional family, leaving an emotionally damaging marriage, an ugly divorce, financial ruin and then raising two wounded kids and watching them struggle with addictions and overcoming all of it by the power of Faith.  "The Power of Faith: a journey to healing, wholeness and harmony"  will encourage and inspire you. Learn how I was transformed from a shy, timid, anxious girl to a woman of faith, confidence, and strength all by the power and grace of God. 

What do you put your hope in, friend? Your job? Your family? Your health? Your 401k? Your smarts? All of these can disappear in an instant  - just look at the story of Job - but faith in God is constant and eternal because God is constant and eternal. 

In fact, Scripture says God rewards those who seek him. Did you get that? REWARDS! I'm up for that. How about you? 

See the Good. 

Instead of dwelling on what is wrong with our life or our world, try focusing on what's right with it. I don't mean being a polyanna because we do need to know what is going on in the world, but we don't have to absorb it or talk about it 24 - 7. Often we take for granted the many gifts we have been blessed with: gifts of freedom, of sight, our abilities to walk, run, cook, dance, be with loved ones and friends, travel and enjoy our children and grand-children. These are all gifts from God. One thing I hope the pandemic taught us was to appreciate all of these more and not take life for granted. 

Let's also remember the Pilgrims who left bondage in England and courageously ventured across the ocean to come to a strange new land and start life afresh and anew. 

Let us do that this season. Let us leave behind us any bondage that keeps us from moving forward and enjoying a life of abundance, peace, and joy. Let us dream a new dream and leave behind any negativity and instead embrace faith, hope, and love. 

Thankful for YOU!

I am thankful for each of you reading and commenting on my blog posts. I am thankful for the gift of faith and the opportunity to write this blog as a way of encouraging and inspiring others. We are all on a journey and I am grateful that you have chosen to travel this journey with me.

Look around you this morning. What do you see? I see the glorious colors of the fall leaves, the sunshine streaming thru my windows, I feel the quiet presence of the Lord after another busy week. The whistle of my new dryer telling me my clothes are dry. The sound of the heat coming from my furnace to keep me warm. Many people struggle simply trying to obtain the basics. I bet if you look around you will notice the same types of things. Truly God is gracious to us!

Let's also make time to reach out, encourage, and bless some who is less fortunate. Donate to a food bank. Take food to an ailing neighbor. Invite a single person over for dinner. We are blessed to be a blessing.

For Reflection
What can you be thankful for this season? What can you do to be a blessing to someone else? Won't you take time today to offer up praise to God, the giver of all good gifts? 1 Thessalonians 5:18 exhorts us to give thanks. "In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus."

I wish you and yours a healthy, happy, and harmonious Thanksgiving so until next time,

Keep looking up!

Ariel Paz

Follow me on Social Media

Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter 

How Eating Healthy Can Give You More Energy

So we've been talking about joy, gratitude and energy this month. You may be wondering how food fits into this series. Let's find out together. 

As a reminder, we are body, mind, and spirit so in this week's post we are going to address the body's needs in order to feel joyful and full of energy and it starts with what we put in our mouths on a daily basis. 

A Bit of Quantum Physics 
You know we are all energy, right? Just look at a drop of blood under a microscope and watch all the movement. God, the universal Source, as some call it, is the source of all energy, and we are a part of God incarnated on this earth for his purposes. Yup. 

So, how does food come in to the picture?

 

Well, food grows under the sun, right? Plants, veggies, animals. We all need sunshine. Sunshine, as you know, gives us energy. Well, without getting too technical, it's called photo (light) and synthesis (to put together). Plants turn light into energy and food. So when we eat them, we absorb their energy. Animals eat plants and absorb their energy. When we go out in the sun, we absorb energy (the body makes vitamin D from the sun). Did you know that 40% of the population is deficient in Vitamin D? Low levels of vitamin D can cause depression, osteoporosis, and low immunity. Hence, low energy. 

You are What You Eat
You've heard this phrase before I'm sure, but do you realize how true it really is? What we put into our mouths has a huge impact on our energy levels and consequently our joy. How do you feel after a huge carb-laden meal like Thanksgiving? Not so great right? How about after a big fat steak dinner? Same thing, right? Lethargic. How about when you eat a nice big green salad and a piece of lean chicken or fish? Energized, light, and ready to go, right? Processed carbs and high fat meals lack nutritional value as well as energy-producing components. 

Low energy foods keep us feeling lethargic and joyless. Who wants to feel like that? Not me. I encourage you to swap out some of the low-energy foods you may be eating for more energy-laden sources. Here is a list of 11 foods that give you energy. from one of my favorite online health websites. 

The Food Connection

Eating healthy is crucial to our metabolism and to our energy levels. Don't blame it on your hormones or your age. Blame it on your diet. If we don't eat the right amounts of macros (carbs, proteins, and fats) our bodies will not function at their optimum level. We will run out of energy at 3 pm and seek out some caffeine or something sweet. We will plop on the sofa after dinner instead of going for a brisk walk. We won't have energy to exercise. You get the picture. 

Forget the whole notion of low-fat diets. Healthy fats are crucial for our brains! And our hormones. Salmon, sardines, walnuts are all full of omega 3 essential fatty acids. Notice the word "essential". That means our body cannot make them and we need to eat foods that provide them. Did you know our brains are like 60 - 70% fat? Yup. We gotta have good fats, folks and that means olive oil instead of vegetable oil, walnuts instead of peanuts, salmon instead of mahi-mahi. You get the idea. It's all about making the right dietary choices. If you want to have more energy AND more joy, start with your diet. 

Remember, friends, we are body, mind, and spirit. We have to address all three areas in order to achieve wholeness. 

For Reflection

After reading this post, what kinds of changes can you make to have more energy? What will you swap out of your diet and what will you swap in? Write and let us all know. 

I hope this post has been helpful and encouraging. If you'd like to join our holistic, growth-oriented community so you can transform your life, enter your email address in the box provided. You'll receive my weekly newsletter and a copy of my FREE eguide " 7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path." 

Do check out my books on Amazon and your favorite online bookseller. 

Until next time, stay tuned, eat well, and as always,

Keep looking up!

Ariel Paz 

Step 3 - Rewire Your Brain and Improve Your Memory

Your brain is your most expensive real estate. Do you realize that? What we think, what we eat, and how we manage our stress all have a HUGE impact on our brain. What's more, scientists now know that we CAN rewire our brain. It is a process called neuroplasticity. How we think and what we think about can reprogram our brains for years to come. Welcome to week 3 on developing a spiritual practice. 

So far we've talked about reading spiritual material and starting the habit of journaling. This week I'm sharing on memorizing positive phrases and verses. 

                                             

Use it or Lose it

These days we don't have to use our memorization skills as much. Educators abandoned memory skills years ago, sadly. Our cell phones store all our phone numbers. We have planners and online calendars that remind of us our schedule and to do's. When was the last time you actually memorized something? And then we wonder why our memory is not so great and we forget things. 

Benefits of Memorization

Memorizing stuff is beneficial at any age, from the very young to the elderly. Remember learning songs in childhood that had little hand gestures to go with them? Like "itsy bitsy spider goes up the water spout"? Here's a cute video.  I remember having to memorize Shakespeare in school and recite it before my class. "Friends, romans, countrymen, lend me your ears...." 

Memorizing things gives your brain a workout. It helps stimulate the neural pathways that help ward off cognitive decline. For more on the benefits, give a read to this article by the Cleveland Clinic. 

Reprogram Your Brain

How we think and what we think determines our outlook on life, be it positive or negative and since you are reading this post, I believe you want to think and be a more positive person. This is where memorizing scripture verses comes in. Scripture is positive data. Faith-filled thoughts that dispel anxiety, fear, loneliness and much more. In times of stress, our brains (via the Holy Spirit) will bring to our consciousness the verses we have memorized which will help keep us grounded and at peace during stressful times. 

Scripture Has Power

Not only is memorizing scripture good for our brains, did you know that speaking out scripture gives us supernatural power? Yes, indeed. God is obligated to fulfill his word. There is power in His Word. So the next time you are in a bind, try speaking out a verse of scripture and see what happens.

For Reflection

What have you memorized lately? What sacred text will you be memorizing? Start small with short verses. Here's one to get you started "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind." (2 Tim 1:7). 

Do write and let me know what you thought of this post. Love hearing from you. Stay tuned for more practice wisdom to help us all become better people and more connected to ourselves and God. 

If you enjoyed this post, do consider joining our community of growth-oriented folks. Simply enter your email address in the box provided on the right and you'll receive my weekly newsletter. You'll also receive my free eguide "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path" which I think you will enjoy also. 

In the meantime, check out my books on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Apple. Pop on over to Pinterest and enjoy the collection I have curated for you. 

Until next time, thanks for reading, and

Keep looking up!

Ariel Paz