Tag: encouragement

  • 5 Ways to Hear God’s Voice Clearly

    5 Ways to Hear God’s Voice Clearly

    A lot of times, the reason we are paralyzed, overwhelmed, or disobedient is because we are constantly questioning whether we are really hearing from God. I want to encourage you that you do not have to stay paralyzed and questioning.

    Instead, we can boldly approach God with the mindset that:

    • God wants to speak to you 
    • God has an answer 
    • You will find your answer

    In this blog, we will talk about five ways to find answers from God. You can use the methods independently and together. I recommend choosing 2-3 options and asking the Lord to help.

    Ask God

    Asking God seems so simple, yet we often skip over God and run to people or the internet. I want to encourage you to ask God for wisdom today.

    Example prayer: God, please help me to make the right decision about _. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

    Read Your Bible

    The Bible is not a history book. It is the word of God. It is a living entity that God wants to speak to you through (Hebrews 4:12). When you read your Bible with the intention of finding an answer, the Holy Spirit has a way of getting you exactly where you need to be. 

    Side Note: God will never tell you to do something that does NOT align with his word. 😌

    👀 Blog Post: What is the Bible?

    Quiet the Noise In Your Mind

    God’s voice is sometimes quiet and subtle, sometimes making it hard to hear him, especially when our thoughts are so loud. In 1 Kings 19:21, as Elijah is at the top of the mountain, God speaks to him in a gentle whisper. One of the best ways to hear God’s voice is to quiet your voice so that you can hear his whispers.

    🧠 Brain Dump

    One way to quiet your thoughts and slow down your mind is by brain dumping. Brain dumping is writing down all the thoughts, ideas, and feelings without censoring or trying to organize them.

    Brain dumping allows your brain to breathe and think more clearly, which results in mental peace and allows you to have the mental space to hear from God. Brain dumping is a method I use almost every week.  

    Steps to take:

    1. Get a blank paper and write down all your thoughts
    2. Organize your thoughts
    3. Ask God for direction on where to focus

    🥴 It’s tempting to do all the steps together but do them one by one.

    🎙SPEAK OUT LOUD

    Another way to quiet your thoughts is by speaking all of your thoughts out loud. Hearing your thoughts out loud will help you sort through all your thoughts, quieting them down. This is a great method if you enjoy talking your thoughts out. However, in this method, you are to yourself and God.

    Talking your thoughts out will help you to see the lies you are holding on to and will be an opportunity to hear from the Holy Spirit. If you struggle with hearing God’s voice, I recommend asking God to make his voice sound differently than yours so that when he speaks, you know it is him and not your thoughts.

    Find Wise Counsel

    God did not make us do life alone. Wise counsel is critical to making wise decisions. Throughout the Bible, we both see the power of wise counsel.

    📖 For example, we find the following scriptures:

    • “For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers,” (Proverbs 11:14).
    • “The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice,” (Proverbs 12:15).
    • “Plans fail for a lack of counsel, but with many advisors they succeed,” (Proverbs 15:22).

    Tip: Everyone is NOT wise counsel. Your parents or friends may not always be wise counsel. Ask God who you should talk to. You can pray, “God, please guide me to the right person to talk to.” 

    When you are looking for wise counsel, look for the following characteristics: 

    • Trustworthy
    • Hear God’s voice
    • Personally submitted to God’s will in both words and actions!

    Fasting 

    Lastly, I recommend fasting to hear God’s voice. Fasting allows us to take our eyes off of ourselves and focus our eyes on Jesus. It is an opportunity to weaken our flesh, get out of our feelings, and obey God.

    When fasting to hear God, I recommend giving up things that:

    • Unnecessarily take your time or attention
    • Unaligned with God’s words or your convictions
    • Numb or distracts you

    🍷 For example, social media, TV, books, hanging out with friends, drinking wine, eating sugar, etc.

    Be careful not to replace the open time with other things that distract you. Instead, spend some of the time with God.

    Before fasting, take the following steps:

    1. Ask God to help you. Do it with God!
    2. Get clear on what you are fasting for.
    3. Set a timetable for how long you are fasting.
    4. Get clear on why you are fasting.

    Hint: The things you don’t want to fast are often the things you should fast.

    🏃‍♀️Blog Post: Running Back To Jesus

    Encouragement:

    Finally, I want to encourage you in the fact that:

    • God loves you so much
    • God is already speaking.
    • God wants you to hear his voice.

    I hope this blog helps you boldly search for God’s voice with the expectation that he is speaking. Today, take a moment to hear God’s voice.  💖

  • Jesus Our Shepherd

    Jesus Our Shepherd

    Sometimes, we think we are too dirty, messed up, or broken to be loved by Jesus. But that is the furthest from the truth. Jesus is our shepherd, which means he is qualified, willing, and desires to sit in the mess with us. 

    Before writing this blog, I’ve always associated biblical shepherding with farming. I had a picture of a farmer who worked in the day, checked on the animals, worked the land, and then went back home at night. 

    Biblical Shepherds

    Historically, shepherds did not live like farmers. They lived off the land with their sheep. For months, they slept outside, on the dirt, covered by filth. Shepherds were often muddy, bloody, and smelled like animals and poop. 

    Their days and nights looked like this:

    • Caring for and protecting the flock.
    • Fighting off other animals.
    • Healing the wounded sheep.
    • Rescuing stray sheep.
    • Directing sheep to the right paths.

    A shepherd was willing to sacrifice time, get in the dirt, and chase after their flock. This is an image of our God. 

    OUR Shepherd

    Our God loves us deeply in the middle of our storms, shame, and fear. When he looks at us, he doesn’t judge our current state but sees who we will be. He’s not afraid to get in the mud with us. He is willing to get dirty so that we can get clean. He isn’t disgusted by the mud, manure, or blood. He doesn’t belittle, beat, or judge us.

    Instead, he embraces us, longs for us, and chases after us when we are far away. You will never be too broken, too messed up, or too dirty for God. He is a good shepherd. 

    So, today, I want to encourage you to let God shepherd you. Let him be who he is, a good shepherd. 

    Let God Shepherd You.

    Let God be what you need him to be.

    • Let God be a protector if you feel unsafe.
    • Let him be a fighter if you need to fight.
    • Let him be a healer if you feel broken. Let him be a cleaner if you feel dirty.
    • Let him be a shame remover if you feel shameful.

    And finally, let him be your sacrificial lamb if you feel like a sinner because He’s already paid the price. Receive it. 

    God is a good shepherd and trustworthy. 

    The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I am a good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

    John 10:10-11 NIV

    Did this blog touch your heart? I wanna know. Please like, share, and comment. Thank you for being here! 💖

  • What Are Hormones & Why Do They Matter?

    What Are Hormones & Why Do They Matter?

    Table of Content
    1. What Are Hormones?
    2. Why Should You Care?
    3. What do Hormones Control?
    4. Apply It

    Hormones are important because they impact almost every element of your life.

    Growing up, I always associated hormones with sex. But in my PCOS journey, I’ve learned that hormones are the mover and shakers of our mind, body, and soul. Hormonal issues often lead to sickness, mental health, financial, and spiritual issues.

    ✨ The good news is that with God, research, and small consistent changes, we can heal our bodies and reverse hormonal issues.

    The beginning of your healing starts with gaining wisdom. In this blog, we will discuss hormones and their impact.

    “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it will cost all you have, get understanding.”

    Proverbs 4:7

    What Are Hormones?

    💬 Hormones are like messengers that tell your body what to do. When your hormones are out of whack, it causes everything else to fall apart in your body.

    Which results in health struggles like diabetes, heart attacks, sleep issues, PCOS, and infertility. 

    🧪 More specifically, hormones are chemicals that send messages throughout your body. These messages control your body’s basic functions. 

    Why Should You Care?

    Our hormones control our bodily functions. So, when our hormones are unbalanced, it risks our entire bodily functions, for example, motor issues, brain activity, fertility issues, and so much more. 😌

    Hormonal imbalances often lead to:

    • Major health issues like diabetes, fertility issues, PCOS, osteoporosis, and heart disease.
    • Major mental health issues like depression, anxiety, lack of clarity, and bad decision-making.
    • Major financial issues like doctor bills, excessive over-the-counter medicine, and major debt.
    • Major faith issues like unbelief in God, lack of trust, and doubting God’s faithfulness.
    • Major overall issues stack up one by one until we’re in a downward spiral.

    ✨ But, the good news is that, with God, you can overcome any obstacle. It’s time to take your health and power back!

    “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind,” (2 Timothy 1:7 KJV).

    What do Hormones Control?

    Hormones impact so many of our day-to-day health functions.

    1. Metabolism: Hormones determine your energy levels, digestion, and ability to lose or maintain weight.
    2. Reproduction: Hormones are directly responsible for fertility, sperm quality, egg quality, periods, and menopause.
    3. Homeostasis: Hormones control blood sugar, blood pressure, fluids, electrolyte balance, and body temperature.
    4. Growth & development: Hormones determine how your body will grow and age.
    5. Sex functions: Hormones impact sex drive, erectile dysfunction, arousal, and overall sexual satisfaction.
    6. Mental Capacity: They impact sleep-wake window, mood, anxiety, stress levels, and brain fog.

    Encouragement 

    Hormones are a main contributor to our health. So, by learning about hormones, their function, and their impact, you can start overcoming sickness, disease, and attacks from the enemy. 💖

    Today is the moment to take ANY issues to God and ask for help. Why? Because we have a God who is a healer, a doctor, and a teacher. God is the creator of our body, and he has created it to function WELL. 😌

    Apply It

    ⤵️ Assess

    If you could ask God to heal anything on your body? What would it be?

    🙏 Prayer

    Lord, I am coming to you in faith to heal xxxx part of my body. Please increase my faith to believe that you can really heal me.

    📖 Word of God

    “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV

    Supporting Scriptures

    • 2 Timothy 1:7 KJV 
    • Matthew 9:22 NIV
    • Matthew 9:28-29 NIV
    • 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 NIV
    • Matthew 8:16-17 NIV

    SOURCES

    Disclaimer: This blog is meant to provide information to encourage, empower, and educate you; however, it should not be considered professional medical advice. My Hill Co. and its authors are not doctors or healthcare professionals. Please consult a medical professional or healthcare provider for medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment. My Hill Co., nor its authors are liable for risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information on this site.

  • How I Started My PCOS Journey

    How I Started My PCOS Journey

    I started my PCOS journey feeling defeated. 

    The first time I had ever heard about PCOS was at my post-surgery checkup after having emergency surgery to save my left ovary. Talk about trauma, right 😭😂?

    At my appointment, I learned I had PCOS ovaries, but I had no idea what that was, nor the years of fighting I would have as a result.

    ☕️ I left the appointment not understanding PCOS or its impacts and with a list of recommendations to decrease my caffeine intake and stop eating so much bread. 

    From there, I did a little research about PCOS, but I was deep in the throes of college. I didn’t have the mental space to think about PCOS, although the symptoms were wrecking my body from gaining weight, fatigue, no periods, bad nausea, etc.

    👀 My PCOS diagnosis was behind me, or at least I thought it was.

    When did I realize my PCOS would be a problem?

    It wasn’t until before I got married that PCOS reared its big head. All of a sudden I was thinking thoughts I never thought like:

    • What if I can’t have babies?
    • Would my husband still love me if I couldn’t have babies?
    • Am I trapping my husband in a marriage?
    • Can I be a good wife if I can’t have a baby?

    But to be honest, I still didn’t know what PCOS was, what it was going to my body, nor its impact. I just knew I wasn’t having periods.

    Going to the Doctor’s

    So soon after getting married, I scheduled an appointment with an OB and finally confronted the idea that I couldn’t have babies – it was a lie. At that appointment, I met my Nurse Practitioner, aka my OB, who changed my life. 

    Things did not change quickly, because once I found out I could have babies, I was satisfied and had not yet connected my issues with PCOS.

    🏋️‍♀️ Instead, I was trying to address the symptoms. For example, I tried to address my const ant weight gain without going to the root. So, I ate healthier and worked out 4-5 days a week. But nothing was working.

    What I know now is that my hormones were so over the place that I wasn’t going to lose weight, and the workouts were so intense that they were increasing my cortisol, therefore almost making me gain weight.

    🪨Hitting Rock Bottom

    It wasn’t until about a year later that I started to research PCOS and realized that all the symptoms I was experiencing like:

    • backaches
    • brain fog
    • body inflammation
    • headaches
    • weight gain
    • depression
    • mood swings
    • acne
    • NOOOOO PERIODS!

    We’re symptoms of my PCOS. The realization made me feel seen and showed me that I wasn’t crazy. But it also left me feeling defeated. 🙃

    I started accepting my PCOS as my reality. I would gain weight, my back would hurt, I would live in depression, etc. It felt like nothing would change, so I might as well accept it.

    But then, I reached rock bottom.

    ROCK BOTTOM IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE

    My Turning Point

    Rock bottom happened gradually, but eventually, it wrecked me.

    I realized something needed to change when I started having sobbing “attacks.” My sobbing attacks were an overflow of me fighting a war in my mind, feeling like a failure, deeply depressed, and afraid.

    The depression, weight gain, brain fog, body aches, and lack of periods made me feel dead inside.

    ⛅️FROM DEATH TO LIFE

    It was there that God met me. It was there that I decided something needed to change. It was there that I decided that PCOS would not be my life. 💖

    It was there that I learned three things that would change my relationship with PCOS.

    1. God cared. I learned that God cared that PCOS wrecked my body.
    2. I did not have to settle for PCOS because God wanted something else for me.
    3. I had to fight PCOS back with God’s help.

    My rock bottom showed me that I needed to understand my giant (PCOS), create a plan, and actively fight back.

    God wants to help you fight your battles.

    🥷 FIGHT RIGHT

    The first thing I did was research. How can you fight against something without knowing what you’re fighting? 👀

    It’s literally fighting blindly without direction, hoping you will hit something. 

    You cannot fight your battle blindly.

    The Bible says it like this, “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it costs you all you have, get understanding,” Proverbs 4:7. 

    ✨The first level of wisdom is just learning. Then, you take it to God to get the instructions. 

    ✨ So, I started researching and listening to people’s stories on TikTok. For the first time in my PCOS journey, I was operating under the assumption that my life could get better.

    ✨For the first time, I had hope that life could get better, which activated my faith.

    “…Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, “Move from here to there and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

    Matthew 17:20 NIV

    🌟 FINDING HOPE

    My research was the gateway to the hope.

    1. I wasn’t crazy: the research made me feel seen. The body aches? Normal. The brain fog? Expected. The weight gain? A part of hormonal imbalances. 
    2. I wasn’t alone: the research showed me other women facing the same things and overcoming PCOS, which showed me I could.
    3. God cared: God found me when I didn’t know he could help me. At the lowest of lows, God rescued me and sliced down the lies of the enemy that told me I was unworthy.

    There IS Hope

    God rescued me through research and implementation. Here’s what has changed:

    • My hormones are regulated (via my bloodwork).
    • I no longer have constant backaches.
    • The brain fog is at a minimum.
    • I have MONTHLY periods (used to be 3-4 a year).
    • I have a system and know how to seek God in my health and so much more.
    • I’m not constantly gaining weight.

    Listen, the giant is only a giant because you see it that way. 💖

    ✨We serve a God who enables and equips “unqualified” people to fight a giant everyone else was afraid of. How much more can he do for you?

    “David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with a sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, who you have defied.”

    “This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head….”‘

    1 Samuel 17:45-46 NIV

    “So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.”

    1 Samuel 17:50 NIV

    Encouragement for You

    If you are facing the torturous and raging waters of PCOS, I want to encourage you: 

    • It’s going to be ok. It will get better. 
    • God loves you. You can ask him for help. He has the power and authority to help.
    • You’re not alone. 💖
    • If I can do it, you can too!

    📖 SCRIPTURE

    Here is a scripture that you can hold on to as you navigate this season:

    “…Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, “Move from here to there and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

    Matthew 17:20 NIV

    God cares. Ask him to help you with your PCOS journey, and he will! Your PCOS is only a mountain, and God has the power to move it. 💖

    🙏 PRAYER

    Here is a prayer that you say to start your journey:

    “God, I’m tired of being defeated by this. Your word says I am more than a conqueror through Christ who loves me. But, God, I don’t feel like a conqueror, so I need you to open my eyes to see you. Lord, please help me. Please rescue me in Jesus name. I pray.  Amen.

    OTHER RESOURCES

    • 1 Samuel 17: 26-52
    • Proverbs 4:7. 
    • Matthew 17:20.
    • Jeremiah 29:11 -12
    • Romans 8:37
    • Romans 8:31

  • 🗻Unaligned to Glory

    Feeling unaligned is a part of the process. Let me repeat myself- feeling unaligned is a part of the process.

    The uncomfortable feeling of being behind, being afraid, and something just not being right is a part of the process.

    It sucks, but it’s a part of the process. 

    The biggest lies of the enemy when you are going through a process of realigning is:

    • You’ve messed up
    • You’re stuck
    • You’re always going to be stuck 
    • You’re always going to keep messing up.

    🧠 But what if I told you that feeling unaligned is less about you and more about God calling you to a higher level?

    The uncomfortable feeling is the birthplace of a new level.

    Today, I dare you to start seeing the uncomfortable differently, not as a reason to run and hide but as a starting point for development and growth.

    🗻God is not punishing you. He’s taking you up.

    So how do you realign?

    You eliminate distractions, seek God, give yourself grace, and slow down.

    Here is what I am doing as I realign:

    😌 Eliminating distractions:

    It’s hard to hear God’s voice when you’re focused on the voices of others and drowning in your mind, fears, and anxiety

    ✨Seeking God:

    I can’t do this without God. I need his vision to go forth.

    💖Giving myself grace:

    I am in a sensitive spot, so I am treating myself that way, which may look like a little less or more sleep, giving myself space to cry and grace to be less together.

    💐Slowing Down:

    It’s hard to lead when you don’t know where you’re going. I am refraining from making big decisions and giving myself space to hear from God before I lead my team forward. 

    welcome to a new level of glory!💖

    I know you currently feel like you’re in a barren and hopeless place, but I am here to tell you that you’re standing in the birthplace of God’s glory in this chapter of your life.

    You will survive here. I will survive here. But more importantly, we will seek and depend on God like never before, because he is here, ready, and waiting to take us to a new level of glory.

    In the meantime here is a prayer for you 💖:

    God, I thank you that you are a good guide. I thank you that I can have confidence that this is working for my good. Please lead, guide, and comfort me, Jesus. In the mighty name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.

    I’ll talk with you soon,

    Dohna xxo

  • ⛈ July Check-in: Health & Victimhood

    Honestly, things have been crazy. In May/June, I really struggled mentally, emotionally, and physically.  

    ⛈ Health Challenges:

    I never would have thought that I would struggle with chronic pain, but I have. Leading up to my surgery for the removal of my ovarian dermoid cyst in April 2024,  I was in pain and popping pills almost every single day, couldn’t lift anything, and struggled with bad fatigue. 

    The only thing exciting about my ovarian surgery was the idea of pain relief. Sounds ironic, right? Having a painful surgery to remove chronic pain 😭.

    👀 However, I didn’t expect my PCOS to flare up, imitating the same pain I was in before the surgery. Nor did I expect fatigue, emotional imbalances, and so much brain fog. 

    So, I spent May and early June – Angry. Depressed. And like a victim. 

    • Angry – I still couldn’t wear the jeans I love so much (still can’t)
    • Depressed – because I couldn’t wear the clothes that made me feel confident. 
    • Like a victim – because it felt like my life was spinning and things were out of control.

    Overnight, it felt like the miracle of God saving my ovaries turned into a burden, fear, and so much insecurity. I literally just spent time crying, feeling lost, and feeling ugly. 

    😭 It felt like God had done so much. He healed my PCOS symptoms in 2023 for it all to come crumbling down in 2024.

    ⛅️Overcoming Victimhood

    But in mid-June,  I decided I was done with being a victim of my circumstances. Obviously, God wants to teach me something here, or I wouldn’t be here. 

    👏🏾I decided that I would not be captive to something I could not change because the reality is that whether my PCOS is flaring or not:

    • I have periods that I didn’t have in 2022.
    • I have ovaries that I almost lost twice.
    • I have evidence that God heals and restores PCOS (ME!!)! 

    💐More than that, I realized that the love of my jeans was a result of God teaching me how to style them. SOOO -if God did it before, he can do it again. 

    The devil tried to tell me that God was a one-trick pony and that I was stuck.

    Stuck:

    • hating my clothes
    • in pain 
    • with the idea that PCOS symptoms would be my life

    You can count on the consistency of God!

    ☀️Victory!

    But I am here to report that I recently bought an outfit I loved, I’m no longer experiencing chronic pain, and I have a plan to knock these PCOS symptoms out once again. 

    ✨Listen, God is the same as yesterday and forever more. Therefore, if we decide to embrace where we are, God can do so much more. 

    The devil is a liar AND you are not a victim. This is just an opportunity for God to teach you another lesson and for you to get another victory lap.

    You have to decide to embrace this season.

    👀 It’s Your Turn

    SO HERE’S MY QUESTION FOR YOU: What are you fighting that God wants you to embrace?

    HERE’S MY PRAYER FOR YOU:

    Lord Jesus, your daughter needs you. Right now, the devil is trying to convince her that she is a victim of her circumstances. 

    But right, I declare by your power that she is healed from every lie of the enemy, every infirmity, and every false status of victimhood. Open her eyes and heart to you, Jesus. In the mighty name of Jesus, I pray Amen.