Category: DEVOTIONALS

Daily Renewal Challenge

~ OchiengFamily ~ Leave a comment

Out of a desire to give back to my on- and offline community, I created a 7-Day Daily Renewal Journal, blending Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) principles with Scripture to help transform thought patterns and renew the mind.

I challenge you to set aside seven days this November to engage deeply with this journal and trust God for a miracle. I took the same challenge myself because I will never encourage what I haven’t personally practiced. As I journeyed through the process, it grew beyond just mental renewal. It became a journey of mind, soul, and body renewal.

My greatest concern was whether I’d have the discipline to finish strong and not give up on myself. So, I brought that fear before God in prayer. And let me tell you, anything sincerely placed in God’s hands always ends well. You will feel the impact.

But even if you don’t feel it immediately, keep going. This journey isn’t about emotions; it’s about faith, believing that God will honor your commitment to start and complete what you began with Him.

Now, as I reach the final lap of my renewal journey, I can testify that God has shown up in powerful and unexpected ways. And I know this is just the beginning. He continues to transform my mindset to align more fully with His Kingdom principles.

As the Word says, “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2).

Beloved, I invite you to join me on this journey. Below, you’ll find a link to download  the journal. All I ask is that you return and share your experience when you’ve completed it.

God bless you and be well.

Shalom 🙏🏼

Iamsosasmama ❤️

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FOMO, or “Fear Of Missing Out.”

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“FOMO, or the fear of missing out, is the anxiety that arises from the belief that others are having rewarding experiences that you are not part of, often exacerbated by social media.”

This phenomenon has several negative psychological effects, including increased anxiety and depression, distraction from the present, and compulsive behavior. This brings to mind the biblical account of Sarah in Genesis 21:1-3, where she patiently and faithfully awaited God’s promise that she would bear a child at the appointed time. True to His nature, God always fulfills His promises. He came through for Sarah and Abraham, granting them the gift of a son named Isaac, meaning “laughter.”

If there’s one message I can impart today, it’s this: do not succumb to FOMO. Don’t let the world deceive you into thinking you’re missing out on anything; you are not. Everything will happen for you at the set time. There is an appointed time for every birthing. Wait patiently for God’s timing, for He has not forgotten you. You are held securely in the palm of His hand; how could He forget you? Remain steadfast in prayer, waiting, and serving during this time. If God has placed an idea or a plan in your heart, He will ensure you bring it to fruition at the right time.

Shalom 🙏🏼

Iamsosasmama ❤️

Disclaimer: The information about FOMO is sourced from various online resources.

A wake up call…

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Beloved, this is a call for believers and non-believers to check their hearts and repent. I felt compelled to share a message that came to me on October 2nd. Though I’m a bit late in sharing, I believe its message is timeless. I hope it prompts you to pause and reevaluate yourself, as it did me.

We are living in a time of grace, empowered by the Holy Spirit to help us with all our needs. We must not take this season for granted.  Just as the apostles and early disciples had Jesus and lived lives that set examples for us, we too are writing the chapters of our lives. After this era of grace, a more challenging time will come, marked by increased worldly advancement and wickedness. We can avoid these difficulties if we respond to God’s call and allow His Holy Spirit to guide us during this period of grace. Beloved, you have the grace to overcome sin and habits that easily hinder you, if only you ask the Holy Spirit to help you walk in it.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, have mercy on us. May we not miss this opportunity in Jesus’ name. May we not be caught in an era when your grace is absent.

This is a call for all, believers and non-believers, to examine their hearts and repent.

Shalom🙏🏼

Iamsosasmama ❤️

The Bummer Lamb

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I’ve been deeply moved by the story of the “Bummer Lamb,” and it’s a message I feel compelled to share widely. It has inspired a video and countless conversations, and now, today’s blog post. My hope is that as you read and reflect on this piece, you’ll find a personal connection to the story and experience the Father’s love on a more profound level, just as I have.

In many ways, I see myself in the “Bummer Lamb”—feeling dejected, rejected, abandoned, and unloved. My own struggles with meanness, insecurities, and aloofness, which I now recognize as signs of a broken spirit due to past trauma, were often perceived as weaknesses or “issues” I needed to resolve. Yet, all I truly longed for was to be seen and loved.

But then, the Good Shepherd, Jehovah Elroi, saw beyond my outward appearance. He drew me close, nurturing and restoring me. He cared for my every need, holding me close enough to hear His heartbeat. He showed me that despite my brokenness and a distorted perception of my world, I was deeply loved.

This experience led me to a powerful truth, allowing me to walk boldly in wholeness and embrace the person God has called me to be. I am still a work in progress, and will continue to be until Jesus’ return or when He calls me home. However, I am extremely grateful that I am no longer the broken person I once was. I am that “Bummer Lamb” who now knows she is dearly loved, and who listens and follows the voice of the Good Shepherd.

“My sheep listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me.” – John 10:27 (GNT)

Shalom 🙏🏼

Iamsosasmama ❤️

  God Doesn’t Fit Into Your Leftovers  

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Choosing Convenience with God

At my church, we’re currently in a teaching series on choices. This past Sunday, as my pastor was preaching and I was processing the message, I turned to my husband and said out loud, “When it comes to God, we choose convenience.”

Being the supportive husband he is, he encouraged me to write it down, adding that it was a powerful summary. And in that moment, I thought, “This would make a great topic for the blog this week.” So here we are.

Let me ask you: Why do we so often choose convenience when it comes to the things of God?

Scripture clearly tells us to  “seek first the Kingdom of God”(Matthew 6:33), yet so many times, we put everything else first. We pour our energy into dreams, desires, and goals, and then come to God only when we are drained and exhausted. I’ll be the first to admit that I am guilty of this too.

But here’s the truth: if God is not our first, everything else is out of order.

A Call to Wisdom

Recently, the Holy Spirit challenged me to study wisdom. At first, I thought it was interesting and honestly, I was curious. As always, I prayed for fresh understanding and asked God to strip away any sense of familiarity, because familiarity can cloud judgment.

As I studied, one truth leapt off the page:

Wisdom is knowing what to do and actually doing it.
If you know what is right but choose not to do it, Scripture says you are a fool.

Ouch. That one hit me hard.

I found myself praying for mercy, asking God to redirect my steps back to His will. I realized I can only succeed if God is at the center of everything I do. After all, He is the one who gave me these desires in the first place, so why do I sometimes act like I can fulfill them without Him?

No More Convenience

Beloved, our relationship with God cannot be built on convenience. There’s too much at stake. He deserves our full surrender, our full attention, and our full hearts.

The way we are called to live is already written clearly in His Word. It’s time we stop settling for convenience and start living in obedience.

Let’s get our act together. Let’s seek Him first. Let’s do right by His Word.

Shalom 🙏🏼

Iamsosasmama ❤️