Susan Martinez Lee LCSW

Such a high impact verse. Biologically are bodies can not actually be anxious and thankful at the same time. Try it, it’s impossible. Turn my worry into… what can I find about the topic I’m anxious about that I’m actually thankful for. If it’s so distressing ask loved one or friend for help, to see the good in this situation/ season/ loss/ transition. Once we can be grateful for even one thing, thanking God, a Promised Peace that surpasses all human understanding will come over us!

This photo reminds me that life is a gift. Sometimes we get a short time with loved ones and sometimes longer. Almost exactly 50 years ago, this coming summer I lost my sister Karrie.. or my husband would say she relocated to our heavenly home. This is a photo sent to me a few days ago… age 4 and 6, weeks before she passed. Nothing can prepare you for the loss of a loved one. We were not created to withstand this kind of heartache this side of heaven. I have never seen this photo🤍.. thank you for sharing and loving our family so well. Today I celebrate the 4 almost 5 years I got to be with my sister. We sure did love those Big Wheels riding them on the hills of Summerland, Ca. with our pet German shepherds. SO CLEAR.. Heaven is our home and earth is our assignment… Until we meet again. Lots to still BE, ENJOY, and DO here on this earth. Each day an opportunity to LIVE so we can LOVE and LEAD the next generation🤍🌷🌼🤍🌷🌼

In times of stress, panic, worry, facing the unknown Pastor Chuck Swindoll shared his personal growth in the last 70 days after fracturing his skull due to a fall from a weak heart valve that led to open heart surgery. He says it’s at this moment of feeling helpless/ powerless that he taps into 1. listening to God’s voice ( like Saul did on the road to Damascus). Stay constantly close to God w daily meditation and reading. 2. Be flexible for what the next steps may be, get professional advice and help use counsel 3. Keep obeying God what he has called your u to. 4. Remember: Like The Israelites, God asked them to remember what HE had brought them home out of. Remember how God has shown up for you, provided and gotten us through, around and over mountains before.

What I get with faith, is not knowing, but trusting that when I do my human part, I leave the result’s to God.

One of my new favorites! May u save it and take it with you when you hit those walls. Surrender the key 🔑 to the next level of personal growth. Suffering leads to my willingness to look at me, my blind spots, my shadows, my areas that need the surgeons hand. I needed this today!

One of my most favorite verses in Proverbs. Very ahead of the times this book talking about a woman buying Realestate, then planting a Vineyard with her earnings. She is know for being energetic, strong and hard working! This is a highly honored woman of strength and dignity. I know so many woman who have raised children, held down the home, owned their own businesses, worked long hours. So much encouragement to all you beautiful, creative,full of life, strong, hard working woman. 🎉 Congrats on completing 31 days of Proverbs this New Year 2024🎉🪷

Love that the Proverbs is constantly teaching us to take note of the beauty in this life. We can get too busy and fail to notice all the beautiful! To stop, smell the roses, experience all that God has created around us brings a sense of peace and calmness.

This is not a popular proverb but necessary. Correct means to guide into a different direction. This can be done harshly or kindly… but it needs to be done. In fact it still needs to be done in my life as an adult when I’m off course. Truly a child brings their parents honor when they take instruction as we adults bring Honor to God as we also get instructed as adults and course correct.

Day 28 of Proverbs Wisdom

Day 28 of Proverbs Wisdom. In this life we are not guaranteed a trouble free life. Iñ fact many times I can be my own worst enemy. When I’m not sure which way to go, I can lean into God’s wisdom and get clarity.

This!! Wow! Like a shepherd knows his sheep’s faces and can recognize them each so distinctly. So should we be so attuned to our children, spouses. Love is noticing. Slowing down enough to take the time to notice. And with children they will come to us and speak out what we need to attune/ notice. Let’s see it before they speak it out.

Day 24 of Wisdom from Proverbs… see even me one day late, doing my best to catch up😊. Wow… so our daily work habits, our consistency, discipline and routines, matter. They can either bring a fruit or success and provision or lack and poverty. When our health/ mental health is being challenged this can be even more difficult… but stay consistent with the disciplines anyway! Take a short break and get back to it.

Proverbs 22. Wisdom in the Markeplace/ work Field. One@of the greatest pieces of advice we got from a Leadership conference we attended was choose a lane and be excellent at it. Refine what you are good at. Instead of being excellent at everything. At the time my husband was a general contractor, after this conference he Focussed his work on Door and Window Installations. I refined down what speciality and ages of clients I see in my practice as well. Let’s be clear about our gifts so we can be a gift to others in this world.

Interesting the Bible actually talks about $. 2,350 times to be exact. Who would ever know this! Money is one of the top 5 issues that most people/ couples argue over or have conflict. It’s one of the highest triggers or producers of anxiety. To only glean wisdom on finances would be beneficial for anyone. Here are 2 verses today in proverbs 21 I gleaned on finances.

As I was spending devotional time with God this am gleaning Wisdom Proverbs 21 and tryouts no to decide which verse I would post.. I realized that no the only reason I even read this book of Wisdom is because of the person who wrote it. I have learned to trust Him over many years of Friendship with him of the good, hard and challenging. Taking the time to invest in knowing this God and people who also do the same is how this friendship grows. Then the wisdom’s shared in this book make sense. Otherwise they are just words. It’s like the weight of a good friend or sweet friends word carry a special weight in our lives. This Friendship is the beginning of the Framework to leading a Resilient Life that allows us to weather the challenging and celebrate our wins!

Our time, words and actions/deeds reveal what is truly occurring in our hearts and character. It will either be life giving, building up and encouraging or life taking, tearing down or discouraging. As parents and people this is when we know we have work to do on ourselves or help coach our children. Once they are teens are coaching turns to mentoring and then into only sharing if they ask.

Another way I have heard this is “Pride cometh before the fall.” When we understand that there is no one greater than another on this earth, this brings humility. When I feel the greatness of what God (who is greater) has done for me I am greatly humbled. 🪷

When the quarrels and strife start in our home, we know we have adjusting to do. Either lack of sleep, hunger ( Chapt 2 Maintaining Physical Health/ Mental Health) lack of gratitude, or honor/ positive regard for another (chapt 4). Sometimes we need a minute, rest and some fun ( chapt 7) We each need to assess, take care of our needs or our children’s and get back to a place of peace in our relationships.

It’s harder to post these really strong truths of wisdom but they are truth. Dishonestly causes so much strife/ conflict, as does whispering or talking quietly about another person behind their back. Rule of thumb: be at truth teller and if you do have an issue with someone 1. self evaluate asking yourself what potential part could I have played in the disconnect, 2. Give grace or assume the best vs the worst 3. Is what has been said causing a danger to myself or others 4. Is this a pattern with this person ? 5. speak with the person directly, unless there has been abuse in this relationship.

I was in an Al-Anon Meeting and one of the shares so Impressed me. A more Seasoned member shared that in her early years if anyone got angry at her she got louder. But now she stays calm and simply says in her calm voice, “Yes I hear you.” Maintaining Spiritual, Physical and Mental Health helps me stay regulated when the challenges of life arrive.

We have explained this to our children in 2 ways. The Bible describes Lying as the opposite of wisdom but will cause all of us to have a very hard life. 2 forms, direct lying about a subject and then secondly giving false testimony that incriminates another person. Both are horrific and can cause great harm to ourselves and others. Almost 1/2 way w Proverbs a day for the month of January. Thankful for the New Year Daily Wisdom Reminders 🪷

How do we measure Wise? How do I know if I’m walking with somebody Wise or I’m not? People ideas standards are a moving target, unless you have a specific line of guidance. God is that nonmoving target his ideals, wisdom direction never changes. People aligned with his hearts ideas instruction tend to be wise( not perfect) . Spend time with those who have a heart after Gods heart and desire to follow God’s instruction/ wisdom.

Anxiety can really weigh us down, but a building up word can bring back the joy. How are we going to get built up if we are not showing up in consistent community? I specifically used the word “consistent,” community because going every once and while isn’t enough to help us manage the challenging in this life. A life giving, Family of faith community needs to be consistent to get the reciprocity we need. Meaning I go to receive and to give. 4 specific ways community has built me up this week:
1. Last week our pastors went and dedicated a new large church in Kirkland, WA… it was So crowded it blocked the freeway off ramps in both direction. More churches = more opportunity for people to come to know God and ⬇️ loneliness by being in community.
2. A woman I attend with asked me if my daughter wears a size small and she handed me a bag of clothes to give her
3. Another woman comes up to me every Sunday and gives me a huge hug and tells me how much she loves me and oir family.
4. I get a call that a close friend is in the ER and we call them, thankfully she is stable and we get the opportunity to see how we can be of assistance.
Note: If Faith community has not been Healthy in the past I encourage people to heal those wounds in Chapter 3 “Healing Heart Wounds,” so u can get back into receiving and giving love in Faith Community. Have an Amazing Day!

31 Days of a Proverbs: Day 11, January 11th, Proverbs 11.
If nations prosper because of wise counsel, how much more do I need wise counsel. Yesterdays post I shared about being challenged in my faith in my early 20’s in college. Specifically about why would I want to keep following God’s precepts because I would be missing out on so much fun others told me. I was having a lot of fun but wondered, well maybe there was more fun if I compromised my values? But I called for wisdom and counsel from those with more years. Secondly this verse talks about living a fruitful life when we not only follow wise counsel but live a generous life. Generous in our recourses, time, gifting, talents. Our gifts were given to us to share. To bless our household and then to bless others. 🪷

Living out the beautiful directives, guidance, instruction from God, brings about a deep peace and rest even in the midst of the storms. 5 people near to us have past away this winter, and God’s peace and rest has held me and I’m believing that same for you 🪷. Day 9, Proverbs 9.

I can honestly say that every ounce of wisdom, clarity and direction I have gotten from God from the Bible has NEVER steered me wrong. In college there were multiple people who challenged my faith and standards I was following. I called people 20 years older than me ( Mrs. Newkirk high school English teacher and professional windsurfer) and asked if she and her friends had regretted any of the wisdom/ standards they had followed from God over the years. These beautiful, athletic, educated, Faith filled, ( all traits as a young woman I respected ) happily married woman all reported they had not one regret in following God’s wisdom/ standards.

In coaching and counseling we discuss boundaries consistently to have a healthy Resilient Life ( Chapter 4 Honoring God, Self and others). First time I ever saw that Wisdom acknowledged God for being the first to actually create Boundaries in HIS art when HE created the separation between the ocean and the land. Even in a perfect world there is a need for boundaries.

1 Proverb a day for January Challenge… today is Jan 7th. Wow Proverbs 7 in the Passion Translation was powerful. Basically saying that we can all be lured away from the Healthy, Good, Life giving im a quick second if we do not keep our heart and minds guarded by the Instructions, counsel and wisdom by God. What is my weakness that I can easily get entangled into that I have no business waisting my time there?

The first time I read this verse I was shocked there were more clear instructions in the Bible besides the 10 commandments… and one that was worse than all the others. Made me curious.. on the edge of my seat. Take the time to read this entire verse it’s dripping with so much Wisdom to direct our lives and give us Spiritual Resilience ( Chapter 1 Cultivating Resilient You, 7 Principles To LiVE, LOVE and LEAD well!”