85. Quiet Time With God Feeling Stale? Try This Brain-Based Meditation (Week 8)

If you're looking for a Christian meditation that also helps you work with your brain to renew your mind and get unstuck, this is an episode for you. Are you motivated, purpose driven, and want to live intentionally, but struggle to stay consistent with your goals? Do you feel like you were made for more, but often get stuck over thinking and second guessing? Well, you're in the right place. Welcome to Personal Growth for Christians. I'm Renee Boo and I was there too. That is why I spent years studying the psychology of behavior change and became a certified brain-based life coach. In this podcast, we'll use strategies based in neuroscience and God's word to empower you to break free from frustrations, manage your mind and create a life of purpose and intention. It's time to get unstuck, thrive in every area of your life and step into the abundant life you were made for. Hey, hey, welcome to the podcast. I am so honored that you're here if you are new. Welcome. This is week eight of a series we have been doing. So if you are new, I'm going to give you a quick little, I don't know, explanation of the podcast. If you're not new, you can fast forward me a little bit, probably in the show notes. It'll tell you the start time of the actual meditation. So you can fast forward if you'd like, except for if you're not new, I'm waiting to hear this just quickly. I want you to know that I am offering single, one time unstuck sessions the first week of March. And you'll all have offered single sessions since August of 2024. So I want to get you straight to your meditation. And if you're new here, I will help you out. Don't worry. But if you are working towards goals and find yourself stuck somewhere, maybe it's in your thoughts, maybe it's in your action plan, maybe you're just what have clarity on if the goal is the right goal, if the calling God's calling you into is actually him. If there's some confusion there, an unstuck session is for you. Now you can go to renebubu.com/unstuck. That's reneb.coe.com/unstuck to get all of the details. And if you come back on Tuesday, I'll give you even more in podcast episode. But there are unlimited spots available for this. And if you know you want to work together to work with your brain to make some progress when it comes to your goals, you're going to want to check that out. Okay. So if you're new, this is a Christian meditation. Also what I call brain priming. It's where we take Romans 12 to the scripture that tells you to be transformed by renewing the way you think. And we put it into action. It's a practical thing that works with your brain to help you get real change. Not just to feel better in the moment, but to actually rewire the brain that has you going to old patterns and old thoughts and old programming that you just don't want to participate anymore. So if you want to know more about the why behind this, the biblical principles behind this practice and also the neuroscience, plasticity, all of those things like the science goodness, I go deep into that and share my own story of how this has really healed my brain and changed my life in episode 65. So I'll link that in the show notes. I highly suggest you go there. And if you like, when we do this practice, so you're actually going to do this with me, you're going to walk along. Oops, sorry, totally hit my mic there. You're going to follow along with me. I'm going to leave pauses inside the meditation so you can hear that. And if you need more time, you can pause me. But I would suggest that you go to Renee Boo dot com slash renew. Renee Boo again, it's Renee R E N E. Boo with an E on it. So B O E dot com slash renew. Grab the pdf that goes along with this. Now sometimes I change things up and add things to the meditation based on what I feel like the Holy Spirit is leading and guiding. And that will happen today as well. But that pdf will give you the why behind each section and the foundation that you will hear from episode 65 and some of the episodes as well. But this one may be a little different just a heads up. So what I want you to do is I want you to get a notebook or a piece of paper. If you can, if you're driving or you're walking, you can still do this too or you're working out, you can do this. Not a problem. You're just going to be intentional with thinking thoughts as I prompt you. And there was something else I was going to say, but apparently it wasn't important because it just left my brain. Okay. Yeah. So we're going to dive into this together. If you want to use the pdf you can and we will get started with being transformed by renewing the way we think. Okay. So what I want us to do is we're going to take a deep breath. We're going to take a couple of them. And what this does is it helps us relax and gets us in the parasympic nervous system, nervous system state or a lack state, a flow state helps not be in a fight, fight, freeze or fawn state, but a flow state. And that's nothing woo woo or new age. It's just relaxing our nervous system so that we can really feel safe enough to let just be present here with the Lord to calm our bodies so that they can get on board with what we're doing. This is a whole mind body connection practice. So take a couple of deep breaths with me. Okay. Here we go. Good job. Breathe in again. Breathe out. This time breathe in and hold it at the top. Melodate out. Take a minute to move your shoulders. Take your neck back and forth. Maybe little circles. Relax. Smile. And let's spend time with the Lord. Renewing our mind and rewire our brain. Let's pray. God, I thank you so much that you made us in really cool ways and really cool ways where we can change where our brain can heal our brain can rewire. And we can truly have transformation by renewing the way we think. We are grateful we get to partner with you in that process. So always spirit come to each of our rooms, each of our places where we're listening. Fill us fresh and help us to hear what you're saying. I ask God that your voice would be louder than anyone else's. Then any other thoughts that are going on and they were fears and doubts, which you just be the Lord and King over this time. Have your way. God, have your way over my mouth and the things that are spoken in this episode and Jesus name. Amen. Okay. We're going to start with gratitude. We're going to start with 24 hour gratitude. So what you're going to do is you're going to write down as many things as you like in the next 90 seconds that you're grateful for that happened in the last 24 hours. This causes you to think and be aware and look for the things that you can celebrate big and small. So I'm going to go quiet for 90 seconds and you can list anything you can think of. Ready? Go. you you next section we're going to do is called lay it down. This is where you're going to list anything that's on your mind, anything that's weighing on your heart, anything that's just causing you to think and not fully be present in this moment or anything that you know you go to work on or address today, just write it down. Just list it all out get it out of your head. You got 60 seconds. Go. you Next section is endless gratitude. Here after you've spent some time thinking on things that may be stressing you out or frustrating you, we want to go back to gratitude. Go back to gratitude. So I want you to write down all the things that you're grateful for that are not just a 24 hours. So this can be your family, your relationship with God, your health, just write anything you can down in the next 90 seconds. But if you don't have a notebook, just think these things, think about them. Remind yourself in your brain how good they feel, let yourself actually get emotional about them. Bring that back up. Celebrate them. [BLANK_AUDIO] [BLANK_AUDIO] The next section is a new one. I'm calling it stormy gratitude. We're supposed to praise God in all circumstances. And so I want you to take the next 60 seconds. And thank God for the hard things in your life right now, the storms that maybe aren't clear yet. The rain is still there, the wind is still howling. And thank him for him, for them. I know that's hard, but can you say thank you God for this hard thing because I know you work all things together for good of those who love you. And when we say this, we're not saying that hard thing is good, that sickness isn't good. That relationship that severed isn't good. That bad news you got isn't good. That's not good, but God is good. And he is going to work in it for your good in some season. But right now while you're in the storm, can you thank him for it in the storm? I know this is going to be challenging, but just spend the next 60 seconds. And if you need to talk to Lord about those things and thank him for them and what he's going to do in them. [BLANK_AUDIO] [BLANK_AUDIO] Good job, I know that's not easy. But there's so much goodness and so many sweet things I think God wants to do when we can praise him in the storm. The next one is also a new one. I love adding these for you because I just think they're fun to expand and expand upon this practice. But this section here is it's called checking in with yourself. So in this section I'm going to ask you a few questions about yourself and get honest with you and how you're doing. So the first question I want you to sit with for the next minute is how am I right now really? I want you to be honest without judgment. You can write it down or just think how am I right now really? Be honest for the next minute and let yourself say what's true. [BLANK_AUDIO] [BLANK_AUDIO] Next section is titled what do I need right now? [BLANK_AUDIO] Take some time to identify what do you need right now? Is there anything that an emotional need, a physical need, or a spiritual need? What do you need right now based on how you are really? Be honest, be bold, write it down. 60 seconds. [BLANK_AUDIO] Last part of this section, when can I give myself that? When can you give yourself what you need? And maybe it's not realistic for you, maybe you can't. So then maybe you go back and switch it up. But is it possible to give yourself what you need? If it is, write it down. When can I give myself what I need? And what do I need to put in place to do that? What else are you going to have to move or cancel? Who else will you have to involve? We're making them a little bit of a plan here and that's okay. Take some time to be honest about when you can give that to yourself and what's that's going to require. I know your brain's going to try to talk you about of that. Don't let it. Don't let it. 60 seconds. [BLANK_AUDIO] Next section, we're going to ask. We're going to ask God for what we need. We're going to write our prayers down based on anything so far. Maybe what you laid down earlier, maybe about how you're doing really. I want you to spend the next set. 90 seconds, praying and asking the Lord, get bold and ask him, "God, I need this, God helping with this, God guide me here." Ask him. [Silence] [Silence] [Silence] [Silence] [Silence] [Silence] [Silence] Our next section is, "Call Listen." We're going to take the next 90 seconds and we're going to get quiet and we are going to just let God speak to us. [Silence] So I want you to close your eyes if you can or just pause where you're writing. And I want you to imagine Jesus walking into your room and he walks right up to you. So excited to see you. He's so excited to see you and he gets right next to you and he looks right into your eyes because he has things to say to you. So I want you to take the next 90 seconds and listen. Does Jesus say? [Silence] [Silence] [Silence] Next section we do is declarations. We are going to get bold and declare the truth about who we are in Christ. This is where we are going to write the words that we want to believe about ourselves and sometimes we can't. These are things like, "I am capable. I am chosen. I am deeply loved by God." And also things that you are learning to become, especially if they're connected to your goals and the things you want to accomplish. So perhaps you don't feel like you are those things yet. But you want your brain to start believing that they're true. So you declare them now. You say, "I am becoming confident. I am someone who can be disciplined." Whatever you need, you're going to write it here. In faith in the next 60 seconds. [Silence] [Silence] [Silence] [Silence] [Silence] Next section we're going to do is we are going to write our goals down. Now if you're doing the PDF, I've changed it around a little bit. I want you to write down your goals and I want you to be as specific as possible. What are your goals for today? Maybe today you want to be an intentional mom. Maybe today you want to be healthy eater. Or your goals for the year. Have you set some goals? Write them down. Remind your brain. This is what you want. I want you to write them down in the next 90 seconds. And during this time, I also want you, once you have them all down, I want you to stop and visualize yourself doing them. Visualize yourself going on the walk. Mentally picture yourself being a healthy eater. You know, being a present mom, being a really kind wife, doing that bold thing and taking that first step and towards the business you want to start. I want you to take time to visualize it after you write your goals. You've got 90 seconds to do this fun practice. Have fun. [ Silence ] [ Silence ] [ Silence ] Last thing I want you to do today is I want you to list out three intentions for your day. Three ways you want to feel today. This is also new. Not on the PDF and that's okay. So we're going to list it or think it. Do you want to be joyful? Do you want to be productive? Do you want to be playful? Do you want to be competent? Write down three intentions you have for the day. And then close your eyes and imagine yourself operating that way throughout your day. Whether you're going to drop off your kids, or you're doing some homeschooling, or you got a job to go to today, I want you to picture yourself in those environments and acting the way that you're in the intentions that you put down. Mental rehearse it. There's so much good brain science things happening right here as you're mentally rehearsing that. And I want you to smile and get happy and excited as you think about those things for the next 90 seconds. [BLANK_AUDIO] [BLANK_AUDIO] [BLANK_AUDIO] Awesome. How was that? I hope you enjoyed it. I hope you really felt connected and that the Holy Spirit spoke to you. So God, we thank you so much for what you have done in this time. How you're working in our bodies and doing things we can't see. We thank you for being present and caring about our day and our goals and our intentions. And we just ask you to be so deeply ingrained in all of it. God, I ask specifically that you would bless the listener, my sweet friend who's listening. You know exactly what's going on in her day or his day. You know exactly the thoughts that they're carrying, the anxieties, the fears, the hopes, the dreams you know at all. I pray God today that my friend knows how much you see her. She is seen and known and loved by you. May she feel that today. I pray peace over her. I pray protection over him. I pray blessing and favor in Jesus name. Amen. Thank you, friend, for listening. If this bless you, what I would suggest is that you come back and listen to one of the renew and rewires every day this week. And it doesn't have to be this one, but it needs to be at least one of the eight that we have here so that you can get the most all the benefits of the rewiring practice because it does take time to rewire your brain. So commit to one this week, listen, and then come back on Tuesday for our next full episode. Hey, friend, I hope you enjoyed today's episode. If so, would you take 30 seconds to share this episode with your growth-minded friend who is also ready to reach her goals and live with intention? Also, if you haven't yet, please leave a quick review on Apple podcasts. It absolutely makes my day to know this show is inspiring you to take steps for the life God has called you to live. All right, time for me to grab my journal, pour another cup of coffee, and drink big with God about what's next. I'll meet you back here in just a few days. Until then, keep taking steps of faith into the more you were made for.