Kristi Woods

How to Change Your Thinking Habits + Shift Book Review & Giveaway

February 18, 2020 by Kristi 18 Comments

Post title with copy of the Christian nonfiction book Shift — **Pin me for later**…
*This post may contain* *affiliate links.*

Do you ever need to know how to change your thinking habits?

I do. Discouragement is one of my big battles, but God has answered every time I’ve been brought low.

Thinking Habits

When discouragement hits, and I sometimes go to the wrong place. I curl up in the quiet. Hide. Sit in the dark, licking those self or others-imposed wounds. Have you ever felt that way?

It’s a rut or habit, but with God’s help, I’m learning to rethink my action steps.

Wisdom from Above teaches us to resist the darkness and the temptation of being cordoned off alone. (Remember the lone sheep Jesus went after? )

I’ve changed habits, letting my close circle of friends know I’m battling, because often, one of them will have a nugget from the Lord that clicks on the lightbulb–not to mention they’re warring for me in prayer.

There, in that place under the brilliance of that lone lightbulb–typically a scripture mentioned–I find a shift in focus. Hope hangs out there, too. And guess what happens? Discouragement lifts, and I journey on with a hop to my step. Praise God.

Thought Patterns

It’s a battle–not a snap-your-fingers, rosey world of cotton candy and unicorns. Hello, real life. There may be years of thought patterns in need of rerouting. So be patient, okay? But remain diligent and focused on the Lord.

It takes intentionality on our part–to pray, rally with other Christians, and run to God. Overcoming requires the strength of the Almighty because we’re fighting spirits–not willy, nilly bullies on the playground. He–and only He–has what it takes to overcome.

Sometimes, the Lord provides a miracle, and our thought patterns instantly. Other times, the win takes a little time, inch-by-inch, foot-by-foot.

Regardless, our God remains faithful. Always. Keep that reminder close if you’re discouraged today. Let us or a friend pray for you. Email me. Put it in the comments below. Hop over to my FB page. Just don’t stay in that space alone.

Posts You Might Enjoy:

Notepad, pen, glasses, and drink on a white surface with the title of this Christian podcast

Change with Prayer Partners

One of the girls I run to for prayer is named Abby McDonald. She wrote a book about a shift in focus–closely related to this discouragement battle and other “thinking” battles, too. She appropriately titled the book “Shift.”

Timely release–considering the discouragement and all. Perhaps it’ll be apropos for you as well.

Shift Our Thinking

Sometimes, during our struggles, we want to see God and our situation in a certain way. Or, we feel as though God remains invisible amid the struggle. But those are all through the human lens.

A shift in thinking or focus changes that–seeing the presence of God just as He is. There, in that place of differing focus and surrender, we find the Almighty we’ve been looking for all along.

Shift Book

I could do a full review of this Christian nonfiction book, but I think a few glimpses into its pages would benefit us better. Here are a few gems that stuck out to me–encouraging a change in focus to see the presence of God.

“At the foot of the cross, not one of his children shines any brighter than another. We are all stars because of Christ’s light in us.”

“Sometimes our faith walk requires us to stop looking ahead into the unknown and to instead look back at everything God has done.”

“Sometimes we complicate the next step God wants us to take, when he simply wants us to take the one in front of us.”

“We walk around and do life like we’re orphans instead of like daughters and sons who have a Helper.”

Where to Purchase Shift

Each of the quotes above impacted me, but there are surrounding paragraphs that brought the “aha” to light. As you endeavor to change your thinking habits, I encourage you to grab a copy of Shift and read further for yourself. It’s available at Christianbook.com, through the link below, and wherever books are sold.

263106: Shift: Changing Our Focus to See the Presence of God

Shift: Changing Our Focus to See the Presence of God
By Abby McDonald

Giveaway

Good news, friends! Abby and her publisher have supplied a free copy of Shift for a giveaway. Contest closes Feb. 24th, midnight central time.

Here’s how to enter:

Comment below. (1 entry)
Pin this post on Pinterest & comment to let me know below. (2 entries)
Share this post on social media and comment below to let me know. (2 entries)
Sign up as a subscriber here at KristiWoods.net and comment below. to let me know. (3 entries)
Subscriber already? Let me know in the comments below. (3 entries) And thank you!

This giveaway is for US residents–where legal–18 yrs. or older, please. US addresses only. Winner will be notified by the email address supplied and in the March 6th Insider sent to all KristiWoods.net subscribers.

Best wishes and happy reading! Even more so, praise God as we learn to change our thinking habits and bring Him glory.

10 Best Podcasts for Christian Moms

February 11, 2020 by Kristi 16 Comments

Are you turning a listening ear, looking for the best podcasts for Christian moms? Lean in, friend. We’ve got a list of 10 good, helpful, and encouraging podcasts just for you–ones targeted at Christian moms of all ages and experience. But some of these aren’t just for moms. They’re for those of us looking toward Jesus–all types of women.

Some of these may be familiar, others will be new. All have a place in the podcast world. Feel free to give your feedback and note your favorite podcasts in the comments. Enjoy!

1. Intentional Living Podcast

Sliding in here shamelessly at the beginning is the Intentional Living with Kristi Woods. Sound familiar? It should. 🙂

This podcast focuses on intentionality with our faith walk. Listen for your own faith growth, or pass the link along to others, including teens or older children.

Episodes: 6 total
Length: Approximately 30 minutes
Topics: Prayer, the Bible, Relationships, and more.

Intentional Living with Kristi Woods

2. Entitled Christian Children?

This episode of Faithful Life with Matt and Lisa Jacobson is called How to Free Your Kids From Feeling Entitled. In today’s times, moms might find this one helpful.

You might remember this Christian couple from last year’s book review. Most of their podcasts center on marriage, so peruse their listings to see if there are others you’d enjoy. But for this one, it’s all for the Christian mom and dad.

Faithful Life

Episodes: 1 (Many other topics & titles await at this podcast, however.)
Length: Approximately 35 minutes
Topics: Freeing Children from Entitlement

3. Are You Raising Kids On Your Knees?

Are you concerned with the destiny of your children? This Christian podcast is steeped in prayer and “real” discussion. Episodes are short, sweet, and encouraging. If you’re a mama whose confidence wobbles or you’d love a little new year encouragement, take a listen.

Raising Kids on Your Knees

Episodes: Many, but we’ll focus on one here
Length: Approximately 12 minutes
Topics: Various–This one focuses on shaping the destinies of our children

4. Podcasts for Moms and Women Short on Time

Many moms find themselves short on time. After all, mothering takes time and a crowd of arms at times, doesn’t it? Short podcasts come in handy for those busy schedules.

Your Daily Bible Verse from BibleStudyTools.com focuses on one Bible verse and a short discussion surrounding it. (This podcast is affiliated with Salem Web Network, as is the Intentional Living with Kristi Woods podcast.)

Episodes: Many
Length: Approximately 5 minutes
Topics: Bible verses and a short discussion/devo

Announcing the Faith Library - light green with gold

5. Mothering Children with Mental Illness

The By His Grace Podcast by Misty Phillips is FILLED with encouraging stories, ones that bolster our faith. Take some time and listen to several of these. You’ll find a friend here–and possibly hours of listening joy.

One episode called Parenting Mental Illness addresses very specifically Tammy Kennington’s story of parenting a child with mental illness. Mothers in similar trenches will find great encouragement here.

Episodes: Many
Length: 15-ish minutes
Topics: Various stories from Christian women

6. Podcast Stories to Encourage

At Home with Sally causes the listener to feel as though they’re sitting with Sally Clarkson in her home. It’s comfortable, conversational, and would be good to listen to while prepping dinner or delivering kids in the mama taxi. And if you’ve read any of her books or heard her speak, you know Sally has a beautiful heart for encouraging mamas in this all-important Kingdom role. The podcast is no different.

Try Nurturing God-Sized Dreams and let us know what you think.

At Home with Sally

Episodes: Many
Length: 25ish minutes
Topics: Various — centered on mothering and the home

7. An Oldie but Goodie

They’ve been on the radio for years. There’s a reason. Don’t forget to keep this podcast ready to play. Some are parenting-focused, but Focus on the Family’s broadcasts focus on marriage, social issues, and many aspects of the Christian life.

Answering Your Kids’ Tough Faith Questions is a useful tool for moms.

Focus on the Family

Episodes: Many
Length: 30 minutes
Topics: Parenting, Marriage, Social, Etc.

8. A Podcast for Moms of Teenagers

Endless Grace by Doug Hall Podcast offers an episode on understanding teenagers–from the perspective of a former high school administrator. You might find good insight and encouragement here.

Conversation with Daniel Patterson: Issues Facing Today’s Teenagers

Episodes: One (This podcast offers many others as well.)
Length: 40-ish minutes
Topics: Understanding Teens (Other topics and stories faith-wise are available for listening, too.)

9. Unsetting Goals Mama

Sounds a little odd, doesn’t it–unsetting goals. (Is unsetting even a word?!) There’s an episode from Life Repurposed that caught my attention that’s about this very thing. It’s called What’s on Your List of UN-Goals for this Year? Take a listen to this one from Michelle L Rayburn–she has a very comfortable podcast voice, by the way–as we venture into the new year.

Life Repurposed

Episodes: Many
Length: 20-ish minutes
Topics: Faith Focus on Women

10. Spiritual Podcasts for 2019 (Christian)

This is a revisit to last year’s list of Top Christian Podcasts. It’s a popular post with fifteen solid suggestions for any Christian. You’ll find The Verb, More than Smalltalk, and more listed here.

Top Christian Podcasts

Episodes: Many
Length: Vary
Topics: Vary

I hope you find a new favorite among this list of best podcasts for Christian moms–and others, too. Happy listening, friend.

What Grief Does to You

January 28, 2020 by Kristi 2 Comments

I hadn’t intended on sharing this today, but then Kobe Bryant died on Sunday, thrusting many into a world of sadness and despair. It’s a funny thing, what grief does to you.

Grief

The sports world and more reeled at the news–young and old fans alike. Another talented voice silenced. Nine in that helicopter in all. How could this have happened? What now? They–we–are faced with grief.

I faced this monster after my father’s death. We knew he was dying. We had several days to prepare, but there’s one thing I didn’t expect: feelings of desperation during his final days. It was grief’s beginning.

Walking Through Grief

As Kobe excelled on the basketball court, my Dad did under the hood of automobiles. If he couldn’t find a car part, he’d create one. If he pulled a tractor, raced a vehicle, or showed a car, he’d most likely win. He was a genius with motors.

In his final days, as I began walking through grief, an odd thought hit.

He can’t go. The world can’t afford to lose his mechanical ability. What will we do?

Desperation. Maybe normal. Maybe not. But it was all mine. Have you experienced it, too? Maybe family members, friends, and fans of those who died Sunday are as well.

Losing that precious, gifted person equates to swallowing an apple whole. It just ain’t made to happen. Or so it seems. Alas, there is a time to be born and a time to die. But it doesn’t make it any easier.

Walking through grief stinks. Period. But rest in this, precious one. God has a plan. Nibble that apple in pieces. One bite at a time–because sometimes that’s all we can muster. And that’s okay. No need to swallow it whole.

Even in grief, our God remains trustworthy. Cling to the Strong Tower.

Even in grief, our God remains trustworthy. Cling to the Strong Tower. #grief #hope #kobe #death Prov. 18:10 Click To Tweet

Finding Hope After Death

It sounds cliche, but hope amid grief can be found in the Lord. It’s not wrong to grieve. We should. And if tears flow, so be it. But God doesn’t leave us hopeless, even when we hurt with such intensity.

Hope in Grief Through Jesus

There’s the hope of eternity through belief in Jesus Christ. This brings the utmost comfort in a time when comfort seems lost. See this link to read more about salvation. But let’s focus on our feelings of desperation amid grief in this post.

Purple background with announcement of Christian Bible word study for Christian women called Created to Believe

Hope for Desperation

Even those feelings of desperation–of losing the golden gift of a person–are quenched by Him. He takes the loss and causes us to see it as gain–the benefit of having this person on earth, in our lives, in the hearts of many.

Celebrate His handiwork–that He created them in His likeness and image.

God finetunes our focus from the loss to the gain. Sometimes this takes time. A good bit of time. And that’s okay. But what a relief from the intense heaviness when that focus turns.

Desperation dwindles when we hold close the gain of having that person in our life and in the lives of others. What if God would never have created them and they never walked this earth? What a loss! We are better because they were here. Society gained, too.

Praise You, God, for Your creation–those loved ones we miss.

Praise You, God, for Your creation–those loved ones we miss. #grief #findinghope #kobe #death Click To Tweet

Hope in Death Scripture

There’s one scripture I clung to while walking through grief. God proved Himself mighty and faithful with it, but that’s an amazing story I’ll share some other time. For now, as we walk out the days after Kobe’s and our loved one’s death, hold this scripture tight to your heart.

Pray it over the friends and family of the deceased. Proclaim to God for yourself. And keep eyes on the one who loves us like no other, our true Helper. May God comfort us all.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort; who comforts us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
(2 Co. 1:3-4 WEB)