Live Your Best Life

As I've navigated the turbulent waters of life's trials, from witnessing friends confront cancer to feeling the sting of financial pressures and mourning the loss of loved ones like the incredible Mandisa, I've been on a quest for gratitude amid the grief. In this heart-bearing discussion, I share with you how turning our questions into thanks can profoundly alter our approach to life's challenges. I delve into the raw emotions of loss, the struggle to find contentment, and the deep-seated desire to live a life that resonates with purpose and presence, leaving behind a legacy that echoes with hope and intention.

Join me to celebrate the notion that every day is worthy of our finest—be it the clothes we wear or the dishes from which we eat. Revel in the beauty of life's ordinary moments and the treasures we often save for "someday." This episode is an uplifting journey through finding peace in the stillness, trusting in the perfect timing of a higher plan, and cherishing the steadfast support of friendship. Let's embrace the fullness of living, the joy in each step, and the quiet strength that comes from faith and companionship. Join me for a discussion that promises to encourage, inspire, and remind you of the beauty stitched into every aspect of our existence.

Transcript

0:00:03 - Jess

If you're new here, welcome! And if you came back, oh, God bless ya! Thank you for coming back. This is the Jesus Fix It Podcast with Jess. We talk about everything: life, its craziness, it's ups and downs. ‘Cause you know what, Jesus can fix it and He can handle it all. Dance, smile, giggle, marvel, trust, hope, love, wish, believe. Most of all, enjoy every moment of the journey and appreciate where you are at this moment, instead of always focusing on how far you have to go. 

That's one of my favorite quotes by Mandy Hill and I've really been clinging to that lately. There's been a whole lot going on and I want to add to that quote also quit focusing on your past mistakes, quit having regrets and again live. Live every single day to the fullest. If you listen to the Jesus Fix it podcast, then you know that most of the time I end with this question If you could pick one thing right now, what would you ask Jesus to fix? And I know there's a whole lot, but just one thing. And I know there's a whole lot, but just one thing, but today I am going to begin with that question and I'll answer. I want Jesus to fix my complaining heart and make me more grateful and help me to truly live. I mean truly live, and I'm quite sure I've prayed this a lot. Well, I need to pray harder. 

Over the last two weeks I've seen so much hurt Friends diagnosed with cancer, some struggling to make ends, meet two friends who died suddenly, then to hear about the sudden death of Christian artist Mandisa. I mean my heart has been heavy. I mean I thought I had problems. Maybe I do Lots of doctor visits. My anxiety has been on 10. The way my rent keeps going up is diabolical. I mean the way my rent keeps going up is diabolical. I mean, like enough already, sheesh. I could go on and on. But God is good and I'm here in the land of the living. 

So what do we do with that? What do we do when we have real life problems? We want to be validated, but we also want to give God all the glory because it could be so much worse. Well, I'm certainly no expert and I can't give anybody any expert advice, but I can tell you what I am having to do a deep anxiety and a deep depression, because I not only have this thing where I have my own problems, but then I start taking on everybody else's problems as well, which is totally not good for any of us. But one thing I love is when our why is this happening? God turns into a thank you God. And so I am really trying to have more moments like that, more moments where, when I'm faced with a situation, instead of why, why God, what are you showing me? What are you trying to teach me in this moment and no, that is not always easy to do, but I'm really trying to focus on how God is going to get me through the situation, because I don't want to spend the rest of my time here walking around feeling so overwhelmed, frustrated and anxious. I really, really don't. 

Especially with the passing of my two friends. Suddenly you know, when people pass away, suddenly I often ask myself I wonder what their last couple of days were like. I wonder if they were happy, I wonder if they were sad, I wonder if they were really living. I wonder what that were like. I wonder if they were happy. I wonder if they were sad. I wonder if they were really living. I wonder what that was like. And then I take a look at myself and do some self-reflection and I wonder, if it was my last day if I would be happy with my attitude and how I'm living. And I want to be able to say yes. I want to be able to say, whenever that time comes, that God calls me home, I am going to be walking in my purpose, I am going to be worshiping, I am going to be just living every single moment to the fullest, when it is my time to go. And I know that is so morbid for some people to even think about, some people don't even want to think about that, but these are the things I've been thinking about lately and this is one thing that I thought about and this may be silly, but some of you might be able to relate. I guarantee you. 

But growing up in my family, whenever we got really nice furniture my family, whenever we got really nice furniture, like a really nice sofa or a really nice couch or love seat, we would keep the plastic on that love seat so we wouldn't mess it up. The plastic on the couch, I mean we used it but the plastic stayed on there. So when you sat down, your legs like stuck to the couch I mean in the summertime it was crazy because it was so hot and I mean you made all kinds of noise when you were all getting on and off the couch because you literally stuck to it, because we kept the plastic on it to keep it nice and we had all of these nice dishes and nice china. But we never used it because we saved those things for special occasions. And we had all of these nice dresses. We used to get beautiful dresses for Christmas and Easter and we would maybe wear them like once a year and then we would grow out of them and never wear them again and it was just like that all the time. We would save all of our nice things. They never got used. 

And I was just thinking life is a special occasion. Why do we have to always save the nice things? Why couldn't we just rip the plastic off the sofa and sit on the sofa and live? Why did we have to save all the dresses? Why couldn't we just wear the nice things and celebrate life? Why do we always have to put up the good china? Why can't we just use the good china on a random Saturday, just the family? Why can't we just break out the good smelling perfume? Just because? Why do we have to save things for nice occasions? Why can't we just do things just because life. 

Life is such a beautiful thing, why can't we just celebrate? Why can't we just celebrate every single moment? So I am trying to find ways to celebrate. I'm trying to find ways to live life and have a better overall attitude. And that's part of me asking God to just fix my heart, because I get stuck in the rut of complaining and I just want to be happy. I don't want to get to the end of my days and all I'm remembered by is complaining about my bad knees and my terrible anxiety. I mean, think about yourself. How do you feel about your own life? Do you live every day in excitement? Do you look forward to tomorrow? Are you living your best life? 

My sons say that all the time I'm living my best life, mom, if your answer is no, you're not living your best life, or you're not sure, or maybe that means you're not living your life to the fullest. This shouldn't be the case, as your life experience is yours to create. We all have good days and we all have bad days, and the most important thing is to make the best out of each day, whether that is a good day or a bad day, and ultimately, you only have one life to live and while we can't control all the bad things that happen, you can control your attitude towards them and, in the process, create your best life. Yet Listen, I know of life is not always full of puppies and rainbows, and every day you are not going to feel like living your best life. I mean, I'm sitting here saying all this stuff and then later on today even I might not even be feeling it, but I do know this. There will come a time when the tears will fall, not because of the problems you might be facing, but because God has answered your prayers. And yeah, we may have bad days, but we have good days too. And the same God who is the God of the mountaintop is the God of the valleys. 

And this is one verse that has been on my heart. And I am so bad at being still, but I need to practice it more often. I need to be still and know that he is God. Psalm 46.10 says be still and know that I am God. I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world. If I could just be still in the midst of what I'm going through and let Him work things out, because I know he's working things out for my good. This is what I'm praying. 

Father, I am beyond grateful for your grace and mercy. Oftentimes I don't know why your timing is what it is, and I am the first to say it's trying sometimes to wait. However, I trust you with my life and, no matter how you do it, I know it will be far better than me getting ahead of you. Father, help me to live life and not complain and wait on you. So remind me please, ever, so gently as you always do, that when I step too soon, even before my left foot catches up with my right, to slow down, just be still and live. Love your daughter. 

0:11:21 - Announcer

Friends to laugh with and be real with the Peas and Carrots Podcast with Brian and Kayla Sanders. Check out peasandcarrotspodcast.com or search Peas and Carrots wherever you listen.