We Are Our Children’s Voice...Give Them a True One

Yesterday was a day of feeling overwhelmed. I was solo parenting my wonderful tribe and, just like you, my family has its own unique challenges that makes “going it alone” a tough charge. Early on in the day, I lost control of myself and chose to let my temper flare. I took my frustration of how difficult it can be to parent a child who experiences special needs out on the ones who need my calm the most. And just like a gateway drug, it’s easier to lose my cool the second, third, fourth time once the damn of the first outburst broke. Outburst after outburst, my little ones sensed it was a day to walk tenderly.

I so wanted to choose love, but I was making myself stuck. I was sticking myself in a cycle of interpreting the stressors around me as too much to handle and letting the overwhelming steam out viscously. I had to do something to reset my frame of mind and give myself and everyone in my sphere of influence a chance at peace. More than that, I needed to speak truth into our dear hearts.

You see, our brains do not know the difference between what someone else is saying and what we are saying. Our brains also do not know the difference between a truth and a lie. If we hear it, or even think it, our brain interprets it as truth.

We have to train our brains through what we expose ourselves to and through the thoughts we allow ourselves to have. If we surround ourselves with people who speak negativity into our lives, our brains will start to think that negativity is truth and act upon it. If we allow false negative thoughts to enter our brain, it will become a truth and our lives will reflect that new truth.

We have to train our brains. We have the power to speak life or death into ourselves and into those

around us. We must be intentional with what we say and what we do, especially as we speak to our children. We have the power and the responsibility to train our children to know what is right and good. We have the power to break down their worth or build it up. Choose life.

I needed to make a physical choice to reset, to choose LIFE and LOVE. Contrary to outdated beliefs, our brain is plastic, not rigid. The theory of localizationism, where brain functions are confined to certain fixed locations, was long accepted in the medical community as absolute truth. Under this theory, conditions arising from brain damage were

untreatable. Thankfully, this theory was debunked and replaced by the theory of neuroplasticity late in the 20th century. Under this theory, we now accept that if a section of our brain that is traditionally in charge of a certain function is not able to perform that function, another part of our brain is able to remap itself and pick up the slack.

This adaptation is not confined to physical functions of the body, it also applies to our thought life. Dr. Caroline Leaf puts it beautifully when she says, “Through our thoughts we can be our own micro-surgeons as we make choices that will change the circuits in our brains.” We are not slaves to the negative paths we establish through repetitive negative thought patterns. With practice, we are able to teach our brains to react in a positive and healthy way and create new pathways. It takes 62 days to change a neurological pathway in the brain; the deep negative grooves physically disappear with disuse.

I removed myself from the surroundings I was allowing to trigger me. I went to God’s creation, moved my body, spent time with my kids in a productive way, and guarded and tested every word I let come out of my mouth and every thought I had. I prayed to God to give me His hope and strength when I had reached the end of mine. I rolled some of my “Ultimate Chill Pill” essential oil blend on all of our wrists (because aroma is the key to unlocking the emotional control center of our brains) and deeply inhaled. I chose to renew my thoughts and speak life into my dear children, my children who are fearfully and wonderfully made and need to feel that truth from their very core! I chose to redeem the day, redeem my thoughts, and redeem the negativity I was forcing upon those around me. What a beautiful day it was, once I chose to see it.

Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Need help choosing life? Learn more at https://www.unboundbethany.com/educational-links?lightbox=dataItem-jm7dr5n91 and https://www.unboundbethany.com/educational-links?lightbox=dataItem-jm7dr5n92

Now go break those bonds and live unbound! #UnboundBethany

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