Spiritual Life

Simply Begin Again – Podcast 133 (5:50)

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Ever feel stuck or discouraged about moving forward? Here is a simple exercise that makes all the difference.

Transcript

Welcome to the Sabbath Cafe Podcast. This is Episode 133 – Simply begin again.
For transcripts and more episodes, please go to sabbathcafe.substack.com.

Hi everyone! Thanks for listening to the Sabbath Cafe Podcast. And welcome to our first episode of 2025. I hope you all had a good holiday season and had a good restful time.

Usually me and my family, we take a break in some downtime at the end of the year. And so by the time January rolls around, supposedly we’re all ready to go, right? I was very excited. I had a great break with a lot of new ideas. And so I thought, “Great. January started, new year. I am ready to go and jumping into all these new projects.”

But sometimes, when you’re so excited about a vision or all these things in your mind and you sit down at the table to start working on it, all of a sudden, you feel so intimidated.

I think for me it’s a few things all mixed together there’s the self-doubt of starting new projects, and then just trying to get back into anything after a break always takes time. And I know for sure that the first couple of tries, I will be making mistakes just because I’m trying to remember some of the things… trying to warm up.

And as a recovering perfectionist, I often get stuck at this stage. I don’t know why, but the idea of making mistakes often keep me from moving forward.

And a few years back, I learned about this exercise of beginning again, how to begin again. And it has been so helpful for when I feel paralyzed in the process.

This is actually an old Franciscan advice or exercise. Basically, it’s to treat yourself as a beginner. And whatever project or whatever you’re trying to do, just think of yourself doing it as a beginner. And it sounds simple, but it’s such a powerful tool.

When we begin again, we wipe the slate clean. We just toss away any expectation of ourselves and just reconnect and focus on what we need to work on.

And it also helps to get rid of any guilt or shame you may feel about taking a break. The feelings of guilt and shame, they only keep us stuck looking at the past. They don’t really help us move forward. And so when we begin again and start over, we can kind of put those things aside and simply jump back into the process.

This is so helpful when you want to make any long-term changes. Whether it’s about exercising, eating better, or just building any new habits, it takes time for these new routines to form and to adapt. And so whenever you find yourself falling back into old habits or quitting new routines, there’s no need to beat yourself up. Just simply begin again.

This idea of starting and restarting as a beginner is also a great exercise for us folks who wrestle with ADHD tendencies. This practice removes so much of that self-criticism that we always hear in our thoughts that brings the guilt and the shame. And so this exercise is remove those things so we can simply move forward and start to re-engage with the process.

If you have ADHD tendencies, you know what I’m talking about. Even before we start anything, that critical inner voice almost always has already killed any motivation. And so whenever I feel those old voices starting again, I just have to remind myself to simply begin again. Then I can just stop all those criticisms and remove all that self-sabotage.

And so if you have been thinking about starting or restarting any projects or habit in the new year, I hope you will give this a try. Simply begin again and just take that next step.

Treat yourself like a beginner and enjoy the process of learning and discovering.

Treat yourself as a beginner and give yourself the grace to practice without any expectations.

Learning to begin again really helped me get unstuck so many times in my process. I hope it’ll be helpful for you too.

And that’s it for this episode.

For transcript and the podcast archive, please visit sabbathcafe.substack.com.

Thanks for listening, and we’ll see you next time.

Time of Transition – Podcast 132 (6:18)

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Looking back, 2024 was an exciting year for me. Looking forward, I’m even more excited for 2025. Let’s go!

Transcript

Thank you for listening to the Sabbath Cafe Podcast.
This is Episode 132, A Time for Transition.

Hi everyone! Thanks for joining us. This is Michele.

Time flies. I can’t believe that we’re at the end of 2024 already. This year went by so fast. It totally felt like a blur. So by the time Thanksgiving rolled around, I felt like I was done for the year. And so I just stopped and took a break.

And I journaled about some of the key events that happened this year just to jog my memory. And I wanted to get a big picture. And after I did that, I realized I did a lot of new and different things this year. Totally not what I expected at all.

For the past couple of years, I was mainly focusing on painting, watercolors, and I was doing a couple of other things too. So in the beginning of 2024, I thought that’s what I’m going to continue working on. But it didn’t quite turn out that way.

And back in spring, I ended up helping at my local election for the very first time. I know, something totally different. I met this gentleman at my local coffee shop. Now, we had a completely different culture and background, but when I heard him speak about his heart for the community and his vision for my area, I totally connected with it. And so I just decided I was going to join his team of volunteers.

And we happened to be a bunch of people with completely different backgrounds and cultures. We had Muslims, we had Christians, we had Indians, and pretty much all the different people groups that made up my community. And so it was really exciting and I had fun.

And most of the friends that I had reached out to to kind of share about this election, they didn’t know what to think about my new project. But it was amazing to just be able to step out of my comfort zone for a cause that’s really close to my heart and to just really connect with different people – to find other people out there where we share the same vision.

And the interesting thing is I have been praying for my area since 2022. Things were not going in the right direction. And so I’ve just been praying for God to bring about change. I just did not expect that God will bring me into the community as part of that change.

And later on in the year, I volunteered on another project, also community-based. And so I see God opening new doors and taking me in new directions and just being more involved with my neighbors and the area that I live in.

The new projects that I’m working on, that is going to continue into 2025. And so I start to see that God is giving me a new focus that is heading into the new year. So when I got a chance to just kind of stop and look back at what I did this whole year, I start to see a theme of transition, of change and new opportunities that God is shifting me into.

And what is interesting is also that I’m sensing this on a larger scale too. A lot of the friends and my prayer partners that I talk with, we all sense a newness, a time of change and transition.

And actually, as we look back and review the major milestones in 2024, I think I’m starting to see that the shift is already happening.

And so as we are on the cusp of 2025, also a time of transitioning, I just want to invite you to look back at your year, and see what are the new opportunities and major milestones that you’ve had and what are the new interests that’s caught your attention.

I just want to encourage you to be bold and to take up new projects, walk through the new doors if you get the opportunity. If the door opens, Give it a shot. Be ready to try different things.

Something I’ve learned this year is that God’s opportunity can come at any time. And this may also mean that we need to finish up and close up certain projects that we have been working on to make room for new ones. And so be mindful to see what are the areas that it’s time for us to close so that we can get ready for new changes, be ready for new people and connections.

And so I just wanted to take this chance and share about what I’ve been feeling in my spirit.

And I have to be honest, I am excited and looking forward to 2025. Thank you so much for your support for me this year. I look forward to sharing the new things I’ll be learning.

See you next year.

Thank you so much for listening to the Sabbath Cafe podcast.
For transcripts and more, please visit sabbathcafe.substack.com or sabbathcafeblog.com.

Thank you so much for listening and we’ll see you next year.

My thoughts about Sabbath – Podcast 131 (9:27)

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The idea of Sabbath and rest seem to be a major theme in my life and God often brings my focus back onto rest and the heart of Mary. Maybe this is a good time for me to chat about this topic…

Transcript

You’re listening to Sabbath Cafe Podcast. This is Episode 131, What Sabbaths Means to Me.

Hi, everyone! Thank you for listening to the Sabbath Cafe Podcast. This is Michele. This week, we’re celebrating Thanksgiving here in the States. And I just want to take this time to say a quick thank you for listening to us. You are a great encouragement to me, and I’m so grateful. Thank you.

So recently, I met up with a friend who found my podcast. Since he has a break right now, he jokingly mentioned that he just may take a Sabbath break. And I realized I never did an episode on the Sabbath. Maybe this is a good time to start this conversation. And so here are my thoughts.

And I’ve been thinking about this idea for a long time also because it’s such a counter-cultural idea. Because the Sabbath rest quintessentially is to stop doing.

If you ever are curious about the idea of Sabbath and what it is, it’s just about stop doing work and becoming who you are and stop striving. I think that makes a lot of people very uncomfortable. Because they assume that what it means is that we are not doing anything at all. That being passive or that having a Sabbath time is being passive.

But what I realize is that when I’m doing something or when I’m moving because of people’s expectation, it pushes me to a place where I’m reacting. And more often than not, I’m reacting. And when I’m reacting, I’m not getting God’s guidance. I’m not able to sense the Holy Spirit’s recommendations or insights. And that just brings us back to the story of Mary and Martha.

In the New Testament, there are two sisters. These are Jesus’ contemporaries. So they’re actually real people in biblical times. And there’s one section where Jesus went to Mary and Martha’s house.

I think both Mary and Martha really loved and just think it’s such a great honor that Jesus stopped at their house. But both of them responded very differently.

So when you look in scripture, it says that Mary sat at Jesus’ feet listening to everything he’s saying. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.

And Martha was, of course, kind of overwhelmed. So she said,

“Jesus? Why are you not telling Mary to help me? Don’t you care that I’m left to do all the work by myself? Tell her to help me.”

And Jesus said,

“Martha, you’re worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is necessary. And Mary has chosen what is better and will not be taken away from her.”

I think I am so much like a Martha. Oftentimes, I find myself in a situation. My first reaction is, what is the situation? What can I do to manage it? I would jump on it and do all this stuff.

But I think what God is saying is to remind me that I’m no longer alone, right? God is not expecting me to do the work by myself anymore. And God is wanting me to learn Mary’s heart, to remember that to sit with Jesus is better.

And that in itself, I think, is the essence of Sabbath.

The other day, I decided to have a day where I’m not worrying about all the situations in my life. I decided that if anything came up, I was going to just give it to God. I’m going to remember to not be anxious about anything but in everything, present my request to God.

Just some of these things where I’m not fixated on things that I currently have no control over and that I just have to wait. And so instead of being fixated about these things, God’s just been reminding me to give thanks and to think about the things that are true and really just to bring my thoughts back to Him.

And that really, I think, has just been such a great breakthrough. Because the rhythm of what I’ve been doing is, like I said, it’s been a really busy season. And so a lot of what I’ve been doing is planning, hosting some families, I had to plan a lot of events.

I just really felt like my whole being, I’ve been just going from one task to another to another. And I felt like I was so busy that I couldn’t stop. That when I stopped doing-when I decided I’m going to put the tasks away- instead of feeling peace, I felt even more anxious.

And I realized that doing these tasks, finishing these tasks, had become a runaway train in that sense. I’m trying to keep myself busy to distract myself from a deeper sense of frustration.

Sure, I can continue to keep this lifestyle going, this rhythm going with all of these excuses. Oh, you know, these are really important. I need to take care of my parents. I need to be praying and I need to help do whatever.

These are all just excuses to keep me going for that next high. And I know that if I’m honest with myself, I know that’s what I’m doing.

And so that’s when God sort of gently tapped me on the shoulder and just kind of go, let’s take a break and get focused on him.

And even as I’m recording this right now, I think that tendency to strive is still there.

And I have to remind myself to just in my heart to kind of go back to that place… of just being with God and just resting in Him and not worrying about how this podcast is going to turn out.

And it’s not, I think maybe it’s not that we don’t do things, but it’s really our attitude.

In our heart and minds, are we turned towards God or are we distracted and overwhelmed by the busyness and the needs that surround us?

Something amazing happens when I turn away from the works of my hands and start to turn my focus back onto Jesus. Usually, there is a reset and a realignment.

My thoughts and perspectives can realign with God’s perspective. Instead of focusing on the situations, my thoughts can now be shifted back onto Jesus.

Instead of replaying the negative outcomes in my mind, I start to remember how God has been faithful through the journey and His promises start to come back to me.

And over the years, I have learned that God really knows best. As my heart starts to let go of the burdens and the worries that I’ve been carrying, the peace of Jesus now starts to flood my soul.

And I can sense God’s kindness and peace in that stillness again. And then I remember what Sabbath is all about. That Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.

God is spirit, but we are still made of flesh. And through the practice of Sabbath, it helps me to reconnect with God in my spirit even as I go through my day-to-day routines in this very real material world.

So no matter what kind of season you are in, I’d like to invite you to take a Sabbath break with me. It can be a quiet morning or a few hours in an afternoon. Set your to-do list aside and just spend some time focusing on Jesus. It may just be the recharging break that you are looking for.

And that’s the podcast for this week.

Thank you so much for listening to the Sabbath Cafe podcast.

For transcripts and more, please visit sabbathcafe.substack.com or sabbathcafeblog.com.

Thank you for listening and we will see you next time.

Dopamine Fast Diary – Part 1

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This is inspired by “Dopamine Nation” by Dr. Anna Lembke. Listen to  Sabbath Cafe Podcast #129 for my reflections on the book. 

At the end of her book, “Dopamine Nation”, Dr. Anna recommended a “dopamine fast” to reset our dopamine flooded brains.  Simply put, it’s to identify the habits where once we start, we find it hard to stop, and fast from it for 24 hours.  I felt ambitious, and decided to fast from online-games and TikTok videos for 48 hours.  

Right now, I’m at the 24 hour mark, and it’s been both easy and hard.  

It’s amazing how TikTok style videos still find ways into my feed.  Before I knew it, I’m scrolling through these micro videos again on Facebook, YouTube… To facilitate this process, I pulled out non-digital projects like paper journals and sketch books so I can keep my hands busy and catch up on my creative works.   

Dr. Anna warned about anxiety, irritability, and depression as part of the withdrawal process.  However, at first, I actually felt relieved and enjoyed catching up on some sketching with the extra time that I had.  Surprisingly, I also remembered many things from my to-do list that I had procrastinated on. My “age-related bad memory” turns out to be related to my “dopamine habits.”  

The anxiety and irritability didn’t hit me until the next day.  Actually, it wasn’t so much the anxiety that surfaced, but the pain and frustrations behind the anxiety. Without my “coping habits,” I came face to face with the deep anguish and pain that I’ve been feeling lately from some life changes.  

Here’s a quick disclaimer.  I don’t think what I’m dealing with is extraordinary.  These are simply life situations that we all go through.    My favorite psychologist once mentioned that life is difficult and full of challenges.  And it is in facing and working through these challenges that we can find meaning. That changed my perspective in dealing with trials in life.  Nevertheless, when I am in the midst of it, the emotions can still feel pretty overwhelming.  

I was also surprised because I didn’t think I was repressing my frustration. Reality bites, however.  Without the coping habits, fears and feelings of disappointment surfaced. Their intensity caught me off guard.  Thankfully, I remember how to work through negative feelings.  Feelings need to be acknowledged.  “I feel hurt because…” “I feel disappointed because…”  As I continued to acknowledge my negative emotions, they dissipated, and gave way to peace. Then I remembered insights and scriptures God highlighted about my situation.  These insights cut through the confusion, and reminded me of God’s faithfulness.  For the first time in a long while, I felt hopeful again. 

This is the power of a “dopamine fast.”  I’ll be honest, going through this exercise was not pleasant.  However, it helped me understand why I’d become so easily irritated lately.  When I stopped my coping habits, I stopped “running away,” and started facing my own issues.   

… to be continued in “Dopamine Fast Diary – Part 2“.    

Understanding Addiction-Thoughts on “Dopamine Nation” by Dr. Anna Lembke Podcast 129 (10:00)

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We all love to enjoy life, but what if our pursuit of fun and enjoyment actually had the opposite effect?! Check out my latest podcast episode.

Transcript

Welcome to the Sabbath Cafe Podcast. This is episode 129 Understanding Addiction: Thoughts on the book Dopamine Nation. Please be aware that this episode will include topics on addiction and compulsive behavior.

Hi everyone! This is Michele. Thank you for joining me on the Sabbath Café Podcast.  This week I want to talk about this book that I read that has had a profound influence on me. The book is called The Dopamine Nation by Dr. Anna Lembke. Dr. Lembke is actually a psychiatrist at Stanford University.  

I first picked up this book just at a bookstore. And I was really curious about it because I know that it was a book dealing with addiction. I’ve known people, whether it’s family or friends, who deal with nicotine addiction. They are chain smokers. And I know people that are recovery alcoholics. And so when I picked up this book, when I saw the title about “Dopamine Nation”, it just really hit me.  

If you don’t know what dopamine is… dopamine is the pleasure hormone. And so what it is is that when we get that fix… whether it’s just binge watching your favorite show, and you just click on that next episode, we get a pleasure.  We get a sense of high from it. And that high, biochemically, is a result of a shot of this dopamine hormone that’s released into your brain to give you that sense.  And also, the subtitle of the book is called “finding balance in the age of indulgence.”  Now who would not want to find balance? 

And so the first thing I did was I went and listened to a two hour podcast by Dr. Anna Lembke. Just because that was the fastest thing.  Actually, she has done many podcasts on Youtube. So I’m going to put the name of the book, Dr. Lembke’s name, and one or two Youtube videos that I really liked in the show notes and the transcripts.  Please go to www.sabbathcafeblog.com.  And this episode is episode 129.  So go to the website and look up the show notes. I really highly recommend anyone who’s interested in this area, this topic, to just spend some time to listen to the podcast. 

And so the amazing thing is after I listened to the podcast, I was just so encouraged that I actually finished reading.  And the book was even better. Because in the book, she actually includes a lot of the patient cases. Like I mentioned before, she is a practicing psychiatrist. Her official title is that she is the medical director of Stanford Addiction Medicine. Wow.  

And she’s not just one of those people that has a lot of theories when she writes the book. In the book, you can read many of her patient’s case stories. And Dr. Anna shares these stories to show us the steps on how to break the cycles of addiction and start new habits for recovery.  And that just really gave me hope. 

In my experience being in the Christian community, I think addiction is one of those areas that really honestly people don’t like to talk about. Because there is a stigma of shame. Everyone who I know that wrestles with that almost always feels like they’re suffering because… or that they’re stuck in it because they don’t have enough self-discipline…or if they just tried hard enough… or have accountability that this will go away, that this will be fixed. And that’s a very simplistic way of looking at it.  And I think what I’ve come to learn is that addiction is a very complex issue. And even though choice and discipline do play part of the recovery, but there are so much more elements involved with that.   

And one key thing that I learned from this book is to understand how our brains are wired to handle pleasure and pain.   Because one of the main motivations for people that wrestle with addiction and compulsive behavior is that most of the time, we’re trying to run away from pain by pursuing pleasurable experiences. There’s a sense of escape. But what I’ve learned from this book is that this idea of chasing after pleasure to avoid pain is actually counterproductive. The result is that we will end up experiencing more pain and less pleasure.  And why is that?  It’s because our brain is actually wired to have pain – or to experience pain and pleasure in a balanced way.  So Dr. Anna was illustrating it.  It’s like having a teeter-totter in our brain.  So with pain on one side, and pleasure on the other side.  And our brains are wired that when one side have more experience… So let’s say that you have more pleasurable, more fun, more satisfying experiences, the brain would actually secrete chemicals to push down on the pain side, and lessen the experience of the pleasure.  So the brain is actually fighting against our trend.  

And this is totally counter-intuitive because I think for all my life, I’ve always been trying to avoid painful experiences. I deal with them. I process through them because that seems to be what God always recommends for me: don’t brush these experiences… don’t brush these feelings under the carpet. But face it, process through it, and then you will be free from it.  You will be healed from it. That is the right process that God seem to always be teaching me.   

After I read Dr. Anna’s book, I feel like wow, I now understand why God seems to be recommending that. And what I learned from the book, and Dr. Anna includes a lot of… goes into these into a lot more detail.  And I don’t want to try and teach that here because I’m still processing through it myself. But one thing I have learned is that when I face difficult things in life, to not try and run away… and try to go to my coping mechanism. But to actually deal with the challenges and negativities, and to learn to process through them.  

And I just want to thank Dr. Anna for writing this book, and just for her work in helping so many of her patients to come to recovery.  And I just want to encourage anyone out there listening that if you also feel like you’re stuck in a compulsive behavior, if you’re stuck in some kind of addiction, and I don’t care how long it has been.  If it’s been decades.. If you just want to change, but you don’t know how, and you feel like you’ve given up.  Just go and get this book right away. Again, her name is Dr. Anna Lembke, and the book is called Dopamine Nation. It’s a wonderful place to get started to have some understanding and to take the first step towards having more information to understand why we do the things we do.  And to understand how our brain is made and created to function so that we are working with our bodies and not against it. 

And that if anything you get out of this [podcast] today, I just want to say that there is hope for anyone stuck in addiction.  And Dr. Anna also shared a lot of examples on patients that have success with prescription medication to deal with chemical dependency. So there are a lot, a lot of paths out there to recovery. And I just want you to know you are not alone. There is hope for anyone dealing with addiction.  So if you get a chance, search for her name on Youtube, check out her book.  Just do the next thing. Take the next step to your recovery.  You can be free. You can be free from addiction.  

So that’s what I wanted to share with everyone this week. I’ve just been so excited about this book. Thank you for listening to Sabbath Café Podcast.  This is episode 129.  If you like more information on this episode or on the transcript, please visit www.sabbathcafeblog.com.  And we will see you next time.  Have a blessed week. 

Would You Like A Gift? (Podcast #128 & Transcript 5:09)

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I always ask God for a gift during this season. This year, why don’t you ask Him for a gift too? He just might surprise you.

Transcript

Would you like a free gift?!  I love a freebie!  Especially during Christmas season.  I’m learning to be generous this year.  At first, I felt like Golem from LOTR… holding my gold [ring] very tightly.  But I’m getting better at sharing now.  Whenever I give, it opens my heart in a way I didn’t expect.  Giving is interesting… the more you give, the easier it becomes, and giving has truly brought joy to my heart. 

Ah, but that’s not the key thing…Looking back, partly of why I was learning to be generous is because God has a generous heart and also loves to give.  And as I learned to give, I began to understand more about God’s heart as a Giver. 

There’s something about giving that brings joy to my heart.  It’s not really about the size of the gift or how expensive these gifts are. I find more satisfaction in giving someone the right gift at the right time.  Often, I’d pick up something at the store – because it was on sale –  just to give it to someone who needed it later that week!  It’s as if God prepared a gift for them at just the right time. As these “coincidence” happens more often, I began to see how God is so good at gift-giving!  He is like the best Santa!  

As I reflect on my journey with God this year, I am so grateful for what God has given our family.  But even more so, I’m amazed at how God has just been generous with everyone around me!   He’s been generous with my neighbors, friends I met online, and even at my favorite boba shop.  I’ve just seen God’s heart to want to bless people in so many ways. 

God truly has a generous heart.  He has always been so confident and encouraging whenever I ask or pray.  It didn’t matter how big the problems were or how little faith I had, He was always kind and ready to show me a path forward.  

In this special season, if you feel burdened about anything in your life, why not talk to God about it?  If anyone you know is sick, ask God to heal them.  If you have a financial need, go ahead and ask God to pay that bill.  If you need a job, tell Him about that too.   

This year has taught me how generous and creative God can be.  So don’t be afraid to pray or ask God about what you want. I used to wonder why we have to “ask” God or pray about things.  Doesn’t He know our needs already?  And if He knows about it, and hasn’t done anything, why would it matter if I prayed about it? 

Then God kind of showed me that there are a few things missing in my logic.  The first thing was that God actually takes our words very seriously.  He respects our decisions and boundaries. And when we pray, we’re actually inviting God to come into our situations.    

Also, God is very relational, and He loves to partner with us even when He can do everything Himself.  So the praying process is like our dialog with God.  We share our concerns with Him, and He can show us what He sees, and more importantly, how He plans to answer our prayers. 

Often, God wants to take me on a journey when I pray.  I’ve brought many problems to God this year, and I’ve been amazed every time at how He resolved things.   So this Christmas season, why not ask God for a gift?  No matter what you wish for, I know He can and will do something awesome for you. 

And that’s it for this episode.  I want to wish you a very merry Christmas and a very happy holiday!  Thank you so much for listening to us in 2023, and we will be back in 2024! 

For transcripts and more, please visit www.sabbathcafeblog.com 

Podcast #124 – (updated)Fasting From Negativity (8:36)(Live – Lent update)

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Many join the fasting tradition 40 days before Easter to prepare for Easter Sunday. This year, I’m also joining them in fasting… but in a different way. Transcripts and more are available at http://www.sabbathcafeblog.com

Hi everyone, happy 2023.  I hope everyone is doing well.  I can’t believe we’re already almost March. I took a few weeks off and I am working on the next podcast, but I did want to just jump in here and give everyone a quick update because it’s Lent season.  And it’s kind of funny because I have not fasted in a very long time and the Lord didn’t  put on my heart to fast either. But this year, somehow, he is bringing it back into my attention. 

And I guess it started because my YouTube feeds, I started to get these videos about  Lent and about fasting. And after a few times I got the message.  So I started to ask the Lord, okay, is this something that I want to be doing?  And how does he want me to do it this year?  Because I don’t want to just follow the traditions. I kind of want to see what God has in store for that, how God wants to lead me in that area.  And it’s funny because the pastor that I’ve been following, he also had an invitation to do fasting and prayer for the Lent season. 

And I was like, oh, okay.  So that kind of took me down a different path.  So I started to ask the Lord. And so the day after, I was kind of having my tea and suddenly this idea just popped up.  And I just felt like the Lord is asking, how about you fast from the thoughts of negativity?  And I was like, huh? Now that’s a novel idea. 

Actually this year, God has been challenging me to change my mindset, to upgrade my mindset and to learn to shift it from a negative mindset to a more hopeful outlook.  And so when he talked about “Oh, why don’t you fast from negative thoughts?”  I thought… Perfect. That’s something that is in line with what I’m learning right now, so I just feel like it will work much better. And so I said okay. 

And so I think today is probably the third or fourth day that I’m doing this.  And let me tell you, it’s a lot harder than fasting from food. And so the fasting that I used to do is fasting from meat.  And what’s funny is when you do food fasting or that kind of fasting, you just really think  about it pretty much three, four times a day. So every time you eat, you will stop and think, okay, I’m going to fast.  So I have to make a decision to let go of meat or what I decide to give up.  So that’s like three, four times a day. 

And when I started to fast from negative thoughts, oh my goodness, now it went from three times  a day of me working through my fast. Now it’s about 30 times, more like 30 times a day of me fasting because I didn’t realize how often negative thoughts come up in my mind.  When I was just thinking about it, I thought, okay, so I’ll just be mindful of when I’m worrying about things or when I’m stressed out or when I’m frustrated. So that’s okay.  Fine, I’m being mindful of those now. And then one day, I realized I had made a mistake. It was some decisions I made, I was kind of like, ah, dang it, I think  God was recommending me to do something different and I probably should have done that.  And that just would have made my day so much easier. And I was beating myself up. 

And all of a sudden, I just felt the Lord went “ahem,” tapped on my shoulder: “Don’t beat yourself  up.  That’s negative thoughts.”  And I was like, oh, I did not realize… I guess beating yourself up does count as negativity because you’re trying to berate yourself.  And I was like, oh, that’s a good point.  So I stopped and go, “Thank you, Lord, I give that to You” and move on. 

And shortly after that, I was helping my parents take care of some stuff.  And all of a sudden, I just started to be worried about their needs and their health. And I just went on this downward spiral. And I didn’t realize how naturally my thoughts just went there.  And again, the Holy Spirit went, “Tap, tap. Just so you know, you need to stop that because we are fasting from negativity.”  

And so I had not realized how much of my mindset and how much of my thought patterns… I’m so used to giving into these thoughts. And so I guess that’s what God is challenging me… to let go of those things and to, learn to have a new mindset.  Because after all, Easter is really symbolic of hope and new beginnings. And so I really feel like maybe that is something that God is wanting to give me too… just this breakthrough in this old way of thinking and this old habits of mine that tend to be gray.  And that just is not very helpful. So starting the Lenten season this year, that’s what I’m doing. I’m fasting from negative thoughts.  I’m fasting from negativity.  And maybe later in the year when I’m all done, I’ll do another follow up and maybe gather my thoughts and share another update on how that went. 

So I just wanted to share this with you.  And you know, I want to just encourage you, for those of you that also are doing that  you feel like you want to do something for the Lenten season. I just want to applaud you and say, hey, encourage you just do what the Lord’s laid on your heart to do.  And it may be food, it may be drinks, just whatever He’s put on your heart.  It’ll be a great journey for the next 40 or 30 some days for this whole season. If you like, send me a comment to let me know what you may be fasting from during this Lenten season.  And so I hope you’re all having a wonderful year.  

And I am working on the next podcast. So hopefully I will get that out to you really soon. And have a wonderful week.  Thank you so much for listening to Sabbath Cafe podcast. I’m Michele and I’ll see you next time. 

Podcast #123 – Small Steps Lead To Big Changes (5:26)

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I’ve been watching lots of 15 second mini videos lately. It’s easy to forget how much time it actually takes to bake a cake or cook a meal. Real life moves at a much slower pace. The road to success often starts with small and ordinary steps and takes much longer than 15 seconds.

Welcome to the Sabbath Cafe Podcast. This is episode 123: Small steps lead to big changes 

When I was younger, I used to want to do “big and great things” that can influence a lot of people. But as I get older, I’m learning that in order to do the “big things”, I need to start taking small steps because it’s these small steps that will help build up the skills and experiences that I need to eventually tackle something bigger and more significant.  

I lived next to a piano teacher when I grew up.  Everyday, I’d listen to the beautiful piano music that flowed out of her house.  And after a lot of begging, my mom finally agreed to let me take piano lessons.  However, when I started taking piano lessons, it was nothing like the beautiful music I’ve heard her play… Instead, I was only doing beginner exercises that sounded a lot like chopsticks, and I felt like I was fighting with my small and stiff fingers all the time. 

Like everyone who’s ever learned an instrument can tell you, these early lessons are repetitive and very easy.  But, even though these basic exercises feels simple and maybe a bit boring, it’s actually very important to practice them every day, and do them correctly.  Because they build muscle memory and muscle strength that your fingers need to play the piano well. And eventually, one small exercise after another, I could finally play those beautiful and sophisticated piano pieces like my teacher.   

Now a days, we’re so used to seeing a project competed in 15 second videos that we tend for forget that real learning takes time. And real change takes time too. And the process of learning and doing the work often don’t come with the “instant gratifications” that we get from scrolling on our phones. But, when we are persistent, and we continue to take small steps in the right direction. and that we take the time to do work of learning and growing, we get the ultimate satisfaction of finally having real and meaningful growth, and accomplish changes that will last. 

I recently found my old sketch book. To be honest, the pictures looked like kindergarten art projects. Back then, I was simply curious about drawing and sketching, and I made all sorts of mistakes. But when I looked through the pages, it was amazing to see how far I’ve come and how much I’ve grown in the last 10 years. When I started, I had never imagined that my skills can grow to where they are today.   And all I did was simply to keep drawing, keep sketching, and keep creating. Some of my sketches went straight to the waste basket, and a few eventually made it into art shows.  Now looking back, I can see that I learned something from every project whether they looked good or not. Every project taught me something, and they all helped me get to where I am today. 

And I seem to follow the same learning process in the other areas of my life too… When I was working through my anxiety issues, I also started with simple daily habits that eventually helped me to manage my anxiety much better.  

And through these things, I’ve learned the value of making small changes, and the value of doing the little things consistently. These little steps is what it takes for me to accomplish the final goal.  I’ve learned not to despise my small beginnings, and to be patient with the process even when I don’t see the results yet.  

Maybe you also feel discouraged about some of your projects, but don’t give up.  Be persistent and do the next thing.  Our journeys are all different.  Take your next step, and do it well.  Before you know it, you too will reach your destination.  Real learning and real change takes time. Don’t despise these small beginnings because small beginnings can and will lead to big changes. 

And that’s it for this episode.  Did anything specific come to mind as you were listening to today’s podcast?  What are some small steps you can maybe take in those areas?  I hope you can take a few minutes and just write them down.    

Thank you so much for listening, and I hope today’s podcast has encouraged you.  Have a wonderful week, and we’ll see you next  time. 

Podcast #122- Turning A Problem Into An Upgrade (5:20)

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Whether it’s a hotel room or a plane seat, I love getting upgrades. Wouldn’t it be great if life is full of upgrades? Here is my recent “upgrade” story.

Ever since the pandemic, I often hear about shortages of many things.  I’m glad that I haven’t ran out of toilet paper.  I’ve always been able to find exactly what we needed when we needed it. However, recently, I did run into my own “empty shelf” experience. 

One weekend, I needed to get a health supplement for my husband. It’s a natural remedy that works really well for his  medical condition. I used to get them from my local grocery store. But when I got there, what I saw was the dreaded empty shelf.  In fact, it’s not just an inventory issue.  It looked like the store simply stopped carrying it.  It was really frustrating because I had a hard time finding it before.  And now, it seems like the only store that was carrying it is not an option anymore. And I have to start the search all over again. 

And of course my first reaction was panic. It was Sunday morning and we really needed it.  And when my only option didn’t pan out, I felt frustrated.  When I run into an problem, I often feel panic and my mind just blanks out.  Frustration and panic aren’t very helpful emotions.  They make me feel like I want to curl up into a ball and just hide in a corner… which doesn’t help at all to solve the problem. 

Thankfully, I know my own tendencies well. I took a deep breath, and waited for all these feelings to pass.  Deep down, I knew God has a solution.  Even though I felt overwhelmed emotionally, they are just temporary.   And when I calmed down, God reminded me that we actually had another store really close by that offered more organic products.  Sure enough, a quick search confirmed it.  When I got to that store, there wasn’t just one item like my old store had. There was a whole isle full of organic supplements.  And many of these were even on sale!  I never have to worry about finding these again!  

Suddenly, I understood what this lesson was all about. I don’t know why, but when I run into problems, instead of asking for help, I tend to feel like I have to solve it all on my own.  And for a while now, God’s been reminding me to learn to ask Him for help.   But I’ve been hesitant because I don’t like to change the way I do things.  So I’ve been resisting him.  I know, right?  Why do we resist the goodness of God?  Well, change is inevitable in life.  And God’s solution often is so much better and easier than I could ever dream of. When I run into problems, He really is always my best bet. 

Walking with God isn’t just about changing the way I do things.  It’s often about changing the way I think about things. Over and over again, God reminds me that He is ready and willing to help me through any challenge.  If only I would invite Him into my situation, He is happy to work with me to resolve any problem I have.  And this “empty shelf” situation was yet another learning opportunity for me.  As soon as I asked God to show me what He has planned, I found an even better option.  God has upgraded my supplier situation.   And at the same time, He also upgraded my experience of Him as my provider. 

When we run into an obstacle, because of our own perception, we often only see the problem itself.  I’m starting to realize that what first looks like a “problem” often ends up being God’s way of showing me a different and better solution. The key is if I’m willing put aside my initial frustrations and my own perceptions and simply ask Him to show me what He sees instead. 

So what obstacles have you run into lately?  Maybe God also has a better solution waiting for you.  Let’s invite Him into your situation and see what upgrades He has in mind for you. 

Podcast #121- Finding Peace & Hope in the Storm (5:49)

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Life is a great adventure with sunny days and stormy days. How do we connect with God’s Peace and Hope in every situation? That’s my “homework” right now, and here’s what I learned.

My husband has been recovering from a medical condition, and the process will take over a year at least.  While we’re on this path, there are ups and downs.  Some days are rougher than others.  Recently, he just went through some complications that took 2 weeks for him to recover.  I’m grateful that he’s doing quite well now, almost back to 100%.  But when we’re in the middle of this downturn, I was often exhausted, both physically and spiritually.   

Honestly, when you’re dealing with a serious life issue, any amount of self-reliance goes out the window.  We come face to face with our own limitations, and it hits you just how much of life is really out of our control. Faith and hope can feel very elusive during these times.   

So when we face hardships, how do we find our bearings?  How do we connect spiritually? How do we find encouragement?  These are the questions that came up for me, and I’ll share some things I learned this time around.  

Taking things one day at a time 

It’s very easy to feel discouraged in a season like this. Especially if the situation drags into weeks or months with no end in sight.  One night, I was lying on my bed simply exhausted. The Lord reminded me of Matthew chapter 11 where Jesus invited all who are tired and weary to come to him… That He is gentle and humble. As we give our burdens and cares to Him, we will find rest for our souls.  At that time, I was internalizing a lot of worry and concern, but I wasn’t conscious of it. I was kind of in a “survival mode” sort to speak… And when God reminded me of what Jesus said, I started to tell Him about what was troubling me. And one by one, I gave my burdens to Jesus in prayer.   And in return, I accepted and received His burden that is light.  At the end of my prayer, I felt much lighter, and had one of the best night sleep in a while.     

There is so much wisdom in not carrying stress or anything negative into the next day.  I found that taking things one day at a time was what really helped me not get burned out. In the morning, I rested in God’s mercies that are new every morning.  And at night, I gave my cares and negativity that have accumulating all day to Jesus.  As I received His peace, I slept better, felt more hopeful, and was refreshed next morning. 

Giving thanks for every step forward

And another key lesson I learned was to Give thanks for every step forward… no matter big or small. 

Our recovery process really felt like a roller coaster ride with lots of ups and downs. After a while, I felt kind of disappointed in the process because it took longer than I expected.  That was when God reminded me to give thanks through out my day. 

Thanksgiving has shifted me out of negativity and depression before.  And it was also a gamer changer for me this time. I started to thank God for every small signs of healing and restoration even when I felt down. Right away, I sensed a glimmer of hope and faith rise up in my heart. I started to feel hopeful again.   

Because we’re in the middle of this process, it’s easy to get too focused on the current problem, and forget the many things God has already done.  Thanksgiving not only helped me shift my focus onto the positive things God is doing, it also reminded me of how God took care of us in the past, and that He will continue to help us in this process. 

Looking back, I can see how God was leading me every step of the way.  There was always an encouraging word or promise everywhere I turned.  In my prayers, He was trying to help me change my focus… to shift from a grey and negative outlook to His perspective that is full of hope and joy.  And as I found out, hope and joy are powerful things. I felt more positive and hopeful throughout the day even though the circumstances still looked the same to me. Focusing on one day at a time, giving thanks, and learning to have a positive outlook really helped me not to only survive this season, but to come out feeling more encouraged. 

And that’s my podcast for this week. Working on this episode was really helpful for me to look back and remember what I learned.  I hope it’s also encouraging for all of you out there.