Fantastic February

And so it begins! Today is the start of Fantastic February with Female in Motion. Okay, I know I'm a couple of days early, but I just couldn't wait! Together we're going to make a month-long journey to improve our walk with God and get rid of some old, bad habits.

Here's what we're celebrating:

It's Leap Year. There are 29 days in February this year. Let's use each one to improve ourselves and our relationship with Jesus. Every day, write down something positive about yourself. Start each sentence with "I am." We are going to get rid of that nasty, negative voice rattling around in our heads, and replace him (or her!) with good, positive thoughts.

It's my birthday month. I will turn 50 in February. That's right! Book me, Dan-O, I'm 5-0. I'm excited about what 2012 may hold. Every year that God gives me is a gift from Him, so I'm going to grab this one by the horns and party!

I'm giving away a prize! To celebrate Leap Year and my birthday, I'm going to give away a $50 Target gift card to one of my wonderful readers. All you have to do is participate. Write down an "I am" statement every day and at the end of the month, email it to me or private message me on Facebook. I promise not to share it with another soul. I'll put all the names in a hat and draw one as the winner on Monday, March 5.

You won't be doing this alone. I'm going to be right there with you. Each day, I will post my daily "I am" statement on Twitter and Female in Motion's Facebook fan page. If you're not on either of those, comment on this blog and I will email you every day. Included with my daily post will be an inspirational Scripture to help you get through the day. Let's cheer each other on and move forward in our faith.

I have battled negative voices in my mind since I was young. They began outside from another, but I picked up the mantra and continued to batter myself with insults. My favorites were "you're not good enough" and "nobody likes you anyway." After a lot of prayer, counseling and soul-searching, those thoughts are fading.

Insecurity is a very private problem. It's not something you discuss with friends over coffee or at a church social. But maybe that's a mistake. Maybe we should be talking about it openly and candidly. Those negative thoughts return once in a while. I have learned to ask myself, "Is this the truth? Is it based in reality?"

What do you replace those negative words with? How about "Even so." This is something I learned from Dayspring blogger Holley Gerth. Think about this. Would you ever dream of calling your son or daughter the same words you say to yourself? I thought not. You are a precious child of God. Claim your inheritance!

Jeremiah 31:3 (KJV)
The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.


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Female in Motion Exercise Update: I walked four miles last week and did two 30-minute Wii exercise workouts.

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Notable Quote:

"Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless."--Mother Teresa