Tag: faith

Website Blessings & Social Media Blues

Published on by Kimberly Novak2 Comments

Who could have imagined that what started as a tool for healing would evolve into the blog I have today? I am truly grateful to you, my readers, for helping me reach this milestone. Since 2011, I have been creating what I call “gems of inspiration” for the glory of God. Initially, the blog was designed to inspire and uplift those who have experienced loss and to support divorce survivors. Over time, God has touched my heart, transforming the blog into what it is today: a space filled with inspiring and motivational posts, all in praise of Him.

I hope my words continue to encourage, inspire, and uplift those who are suffering, as well as those who simply wish to strengthen their relationship with God. I was amazed to receive a notification this week that my content had reached 50,000 views. If it were up to me, I would post more often, but I always let the spirit guide me to the keyboard. I try not to force an article just for the sake of posting. I truly need God’s inspiration to help me put words on the page.

That, my friends, brings me to a topic that has been weighing heavily on my heart — the social media blues! About a month ago, I removed the social media icons from my cell phone, and it has been amazing! I’ve gained extra time in my day, and there is noticeably less stress in my life. I never realized that seeing certain negative things on social media could make me feel uneasy or uncomfortable. Those reactions only increase stress hormones and anxiety. By keeping the icons only on my computer or iPad, I make social media less accessible, giving me the freedom I didn’t know I needed.

I find many aspects of social media beneficial for promoting my faith, prayer groups, spiritual writing projects, and for giving glory and praise to our Heavenly Father. However, I often struggle to find a balance. How can I continue to use social media for the positive aspects of my life while filtering out the negativity? Often, when I log on, I encounter something disturbing—sometimes even fabricated using artificial intelligence—and by that point, it’s too late to unsee it.

I have been talking to God about this a lot lately, and I feel that He needs me! God needs me to be active on social media, in moderation, so that I can continue to share His love, His light, and His good news!

I’m still figuring out what moderation in social media looks like for me. Right now, I feel compelled to get on social media and praise God! If I can’t post something that gives God credit, then I don’t need to post it at all.

If you’re looking for an amazing prayer group, check out A Little God Time on Facebook. I’m proud of this group of prayer warriors who have prayed for many miracles and witnessed numerous prayers answered.

As a community of believers, we can combat negativity on social media and fill the internet with glory and praise for our Heavenly Father! Who’s with me?

Be Blessed,

Kimberly (Courageous Butterfly)

What An Awesome God

Published on by Kimberly Novak1 Comment

It is no secret how I feel about Christian Worship music, especially songs written by Phil Wickham. God has always used music as a way to speak to my heart. Sometimes the lyrics have given me little warnings of something on the horizon. At other times, the music serves as a means for God to comfort me, filling me with love and joy.

A few weeks ago, I downloaded Phil’s newest song, “What An Awesome God,” and within seconds, my toes began to tap, my shoulders started swaying, and before I knew it, my arms were reaching to the clouds in praise to our Heavenly Father.

After listening to the lyrics, I was completely at peace, and I knew that God was about to do something miraculous in my life. It has been a year and five months since my traumatic brain injury, and my healing journey has been full of ups and downs. I am one of the lucky ones; I have been left with only mild side effects. Still, though, I have been dealing with what seemed like one new diagnosis after another.

In a previous post, I wrote about the visions I experienced while in the hospital, where Jesus’ crown floated around my room. Since then, I have been praying over and over again about what a wonderful gift I received. Not just the gift of life, but the chance to see the face of Jesus through the vision of His crown.

This Lent, our church allowed venerating the crucifix. This, I pondered, is my moment. My chance to give Jesus all of my bodily pain, my tears, and my love. Perhaps this is the moment God had in mind all along. I didn’t even think, as my turn at the cross arrived. I reached my hands and touched the crown on Jesus’ head, and gently kissed Him right where I feel my pain. Tears of joy and hope fell from my eyes, and I praised my Awesome God for the gift of life both now and in eternity. Life, given to me by the sacrifice of His only Son.

My head pain subsided the next day. I didn’t want to react too quickly, thinking maybe I was just having a good day. As the weeks went by, though, I knew I had been healed. Or the medication I was given was finally working. Either way, I was grateful.

Fast forward to a month ago when I faced yet another diagnosis. Here we go, I thought. God took one thing away, and now I’ll get something new. I allowed myself to grieve health in a sense, but then turned to prayer. God showed up big time! In the process of diagnostic testing, I had to stop taking the headache medication for a few days. I was sure the pain would be more than I could bear, but I had no choice if we were to get to the bottom of another possible health crisis.

It has been one week since I stopped that medication, and I have had no headache! Proof positive that God healed my pain as I kissed Jesus’ head on Good Friday! It is also an answer to the prayers of many people who have been praying earnestly on my behalf. Also praiseworthy is that the new diagnosis they were testing me for came back negative! I see this as an opportunity given to me by God to go off that medication. He knew I didn’t need it anymore, but he had to show me. He used the laboratory tests as a way to do that.

God has always been very creative in the ways he gets my attention! And I love it when he uses Phil’s music to do so. If you’re looking for some praise music that may be life-changing, put on your dancing shoes and sing along with Phil…
“My God, You’re an awesome God
You’re great in all You do
I’m made to worship You
My God, You’re an awesome God!”

Praying Through Circular Thinking

Published on by Kimberly NovakLeave a comment

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

“Well, I thought,” the three most dangerous words ever to enter my thinking pattern. Any word in the dictionary could follow that phrase, and I would still end up in the same place, making assumptions without all the facts.

One of the worst possible outcomes of any situation is assumed. It holds no merit because it never existed.  Oh, how my imagination loves to cook up the most unpleasant in even the best situations! To make myself feel better, I blame it on the creativity of the writer within me. In reality, it is the dangerous swirl of circular thinking that takes me down a dark winding road.

I do admit, on many occasions, this has had a negative effect not only on my mind but my overall well-being. A hazardous place to be is in a worrying state of mind, especially when one makes a habit of focusing on the same thought consistently.

Let’s make it clear that circular thinking does not include times when something needs to be mulled over or instances which require much thought before a decision is made. I am referring to those cycles when the thought patterns repeatedly make assumptions about a resulting outcome. “Maybe if I did this, then that would happen,” or “He hasn’t responded to my email, I’m sure I’ve made him angry,” and phrases of this nature.

I’m not a professional, but I believe many factors induce this thinking pattern. Societal influences, childhood memories, or having a nervous personality, to name a few. In my younger days, in high school, I developed an undeniable fear of public speaking. This was ironic because I had been part of a choir before high school. There were even times when I sang a solo. Yet, something triggered a genuine fear, a circular thinking pattern, when speaking before my peers.

The fear was so intense that I would take a zero on an assignment, not prepare, and skip the class. I had repeated visions, all made up in my mind, that whatever I was supposed to do would be a failure.  Another aspect of circular thinking is going back over something again and again. Now, it’s too late to fix my state of mind at 16. However, at my current age, I can face fear and flourish in it.

How I reacted as a young girl is a part of who I am today, and I would not change any of it. Is the fear still there? Absolutely! However, I am old enough to see it, face it and grow because of it. Over the last several years since becoming a spiritual director, I have had to laugh at where God has taken me.  Part of my ministry has evolved in speaking engagements, putting myself on video saying prayers, and having a passion for spiritual writing.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

So, what do you do when God places your biggest fear repeatedly on your path? You pray through it and conquer it. It is through these events that I have learned to remove fear from my mindset, all with my mighty God!  I’m not perfect; after all, it was in the act of circular thinking that this post originated.

Thoughts of this nature are going to happen. It’s in knowing how to shut them down where faith and growth play a part. The only circular thinking I allow myself to remain is knowing that I am in God, and God is in me! That phrase is one I will never tire of repeating!  God is in me, and I am in God!