Welcome, I'm Leanne Friesman and this is Restoring Word.
Are you having trouble getting into the Christmas spirit?
Well, I certainly am and I think millions of Americans are as well.
It's a hard time of year.
It's probably going to be a difficult Christmas, but there are things that you and I can do
to make that season just a little bit easier.
This is Restoring Word and I am Leanne Friesman.
There's a beautiful scripture in 1 Corinthians 10 and let me see if I can find it for you.
This scripture talks about strongholds and taking thoughts captive.
When I say that, taking a thought captive, if you've never heard that phrase before,
you might not know what to do with it.
You know, not every thought that we have is something that we have to receive.
Someone can give you something and you can make a decision about whether or not you want
to receive that.
Well, there are times where I have very difficult thoughts that come into my mind and I have
to make a decision.
Do I want to receive that or do I want to take that thing captive and focus on Christ?
And especially I think at difficult times of year, like Christmas, let's just be honest,
it's a difficult time of year.
Those are things that are helpful.
Had a difficult year this year.
We had three deaths in four months and this is going to be a kind of maybe a more somber
Christmas for us.
I'm going to miss my father and my father-in-law and my husband's brother.
It's difficult.
But you know, I want to focus on the future.
I want to focus on the beautiful things that are ahead of me and in my life.
When I was getting up at bed and I knew I was going to record this this morning and
it suddenly occurred to me, you know, Leanne, maybe why you're being bombarded with some
of this negativity is because you're going to share something that might help someone.
I never know where these broadcasts go.
I learned long ago, but probably most importantly, last summer in July, I had recorded, it was
actually when I was just starting the channel, it was one of the first messages that I put
out and I had a student of mine that was struggling in her thought life and she was thinking about
hurting herself in a very devastating way.
She was going to commit suicide and she ran across my channel and made a decision to listen
to a bunch of these messages and did not commit suicide that day.
In August, when I met with her, she said, you know, you saved my life and I said, what?
She said, yeah, I found your channel on YouTube.
You know, it's funny, I'm a professional and I don't share Christ with my students.
When I meet with my students, I teach, but often my students know how to find this channel
and every once in a while, I'll have one of them that will run across this and it will
be something that gives them hope.
And I learned that day that it didn't matter who these messages got to, I needed to be
obedient to share the word with people that were hurting, knowing that the Holy Spirit
would use the words to get to someone that was in desperate need.
And I think this is going to be a difficult season for many.
So instead of focusing on those thoughts this morning, Leanne, who do you think you are?
Why are you going to waste your time putting these messages up?
People don't listen to these anyway.
Really they listen more to them on Facebook and on the podcast than they do on YouTube.
Yes, I'm on nine podcast channels and I have no way of knowing who listens to those.
And I thought, well, why are you wasting your time?
And I thought, well, that's like, where is that coming from?
Why?
And then I began to think about it.
You know, the word of God is the only hope that many have.
It is the hope.
It is your anchor.
It is the life raft that is thrown to you in life when things are difficult and you
think you're drowning in despair.
Mom's all over this country are going to be preparing for Christmas this year, and it's going to be a hard one
You know there's probably food on the table and presents under under the trees, but there might not be something for you
I I promise you I've seen God do it in my own life
Love your family love your children do the best you can and God has ways of making it up to you
I promise you
There's great joy in focusing on others and putting others first
Focus on the good things that are happening in your life
Look at the progress that you've made this year. Don't feed the depression don't focus on a sad
Somber movie put on a comedy listen to some praise and worship open some scripture
think about the good things that God has done for you this year and
Focus on going forward because you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength
It's not that we have strength. You know I found that when I am my weakest and my most broken and
My most humble that that is when he uses me the most
It's the days in school where I was so exhausted. I couldn't even think straight those were often the days
God would move why didn't have anything to do with me
Had everything to do with him and my ability to get out of the way so that he could use me
God wants to use you
He wants to use your children. He knows the sacrifices that you're making and
He is going to turn it all for good
Take the negativity captive
Don't don't focus on those thoughts
Focus instead on what the Word of God says about you
about your life
about your children and
about your future
It's a decision
That you can make you can make the decision
to take the negative thoughts and feed on them or
You can put those negative thoughts aside, and you can go back into the what into the word
and
You can renew your mind
What does that mean? Well, we all have a carnal nature. We all have this fallen
You know sinful depressed nature, but that isn't the Holy Spirit that was born inside of us when we gave our lives to Christ
He dwells in us, but you know what it's sometimes. We just got to fill ourselves back up. I liken it to
Charging your cell phone. I mean you don't use your cell phone for a week and not plug it in and charge it
You have to do the same thing to your spirit
You have to make a decision and say
Okay, I know all of this looks bad
But I'm gonna charge my spirit, I'm gonna change my focus
I'm gonna focus on the answers instead of the problems and
That bah humbug attitude
That you might be having this year because it it looks like it's gonna be a rough Christmas
It can actually be
one of the best Christmases ever
Thank you for listening. I
Appreciate it, and you know if you know someone out there seriously that
Is struggling and needs to hear some encouragement. Would you forward this to them?
Like and share the channel because that helps me grow the channel I
Appreciate your help, and I appreciate your support and
Together we can help others
Grow in God
Trust God and learn to love his word
Have a great day