86: Embracing the Power of Pause: Personal Insights on Wellness and New Beginnings

In episode 93, I shared the revelation the Lord had given me about my daughter's fear of me losing her. I laid a foundation for that fear when she was an infant and removed when the Lord revealed it. 
The story I share in today's episode is another big step in the journey. In talking and listening to the Lord we discovered her fear of the dark was linked to that same core fear. More of the wall is removed in her heart.

Discipling mothers to disciple generations

Kingdom Mothers Rise Up is here for you. There is encouragement and practical steps to improve your relationship with yourself, God, and your child.

I'd love to connect with you. You can find me at:

• email me: contact@mukkovejohnson.com
• Diamonds & Pearls Sharecast
• I often refer to HeartDoodling with Jesus. Learn more here.
• Learn how God communicates with you in Transformational Quiet Times.

The Lord has been impressing on my heart, slow down. It's interesting because I feel like my word for 2024 is access. But then what the Lord keeps saying is slow down, slow down, slow down. I am trying to press into that and understand what that looks like. 

Part of slowing down is taking the pressure off. Taking pressure off means adjusting my expectations of where I show up and how often I show up, and that kind of thing. 

I sat down to Heart Doodle with Jesus to sort out what I was feeling when it came to slowing down. Part of me was feeling discouraged and rather hopeless. Then there's the side that can see the benefit of slowing down and the appeal of slowing down. I can see and feel the contrast of my feelings.

As I listened the Lord said, “Slowing down is important. It's obedience.” That struck a chord with me. It's not just oh, do I want to or do I not? It's obedience because He's telling me to slow down. So slowing down is obedience and that's why it's important. Slowing down, on the one hand, feels good, it feels peaceful, so, yes, can I please slow down? The other side is how am I going to make this work? How am I going to get everything done? What does this look like? I don't have the details and I think it's important to realize that walking in faith and living with the Lord often has both sides. When you are walking with the Lord it doesn’t mean everything is roses, easy and peaceful. There's still an enemy. There's still your old programming that pushes you in different ways. 

Obedience goes against striving. The pressure comes from my striving and my own expectations of what needs to be done or how it's supposed to look.

In February's Heart Doodling Workshop (recording is available here) the first doodle I titled, What Was. Doing a Heart Doodle with Jesus gives space to feel and identify your feelings. It is an opportunity to pay attention to the thoughts running through your head. Most importantly it is a time to hear God’s perspective on your thoughts, feelings, and circumstances.

I invite you to reach out to me. If you're in a place of “I can't even imagine slowing down, yet there's that place in my spirit where that sounds so appealing, but then that just gets crushed with everything that floods in on top of it, of all the things to do and all the people that would be upset.” reach out to me. We can have a conversation and see how I can best support you. I have options starting at $17 a month.

Discipling mothers to disciple generations

Kingdom Mothers Rise Up is here for you. There is encouragement and practical steps to improve your relationship with yourself, God, and your child.

I'd love to connect with you. You can find me at:

• email me: contact@mukkovejohnson.com
• Diamonds & Pearls Sharecast
• I often refer to HeartDoodling with Jesus. Learn more here.
• Learn how God communicates with you in Transformational Quiet Times.

Have you ever felt the weight of guilt as a mother, haunted by the moments you wish you could take back? I know I have, and in our latest conversation, I lay bare the emotional journey of confronting the guilt born from unintentionally instilling fear into my child. We tackle the tough work of dismantling that foundation, replacing it with trust and the unwavering grace we're so freely given. This isn't about wallowing in what's been done; it's about confessing, seeking forgiveness, and most importantly, learning to move forward. By sharing my own steps towards healing, I hope to guide you through the liberating process of letting go of the guilt that binds us.

As we delve deeper, we unearth the truths about our identity in Christ. There's a profound freedom in understanding that we are made righteous through Him, not through our own toils and efforts. I discuss how embracing this transformative belief can release us from the past and propel us into the life we are meant to live—free from the chains of guilt and fear. I encourage you to share your own stories, seek advice, and build a supportive community where we can all thrive in the light of these revelations. Together, let's step into the freedom that comes with being new creations in Christ, leaving behind old patterns for a fresh start.

Discipling mothers to disciple generations

Kingdom Mothers Rise Up is here for you. There is encouragement and practical steps to improve your relationship with yourself, God, and your child.

I'd love to connect with you. You can find me at:

• email me: contact@mukkovejohnson.com
• Diamonds & Pearls Sharecast
• I often refer to HeartDoodling with Jesus. Learn more here.
• Learn how God communicates with you in Transformational Quiet Times.

My youngest daughter has always had a fear of me losing her. It didn’t make sense because I’d never lost or left her anywhere. 

The Lord showed me why in a conversation and from a Heart Doodle with Teagan. I explained in this week’s podcast. I also share how intentionally laying good foundations will set your children up for healthy behavior patterns and good character.

The short version is I laid the foundation for her fear by partnering with fear when she was an infant. 

Discipling mothers to disciple generations

Kingdom Mothers Rise Up is here for you. There is encouragement and practical steps to improve your relationship with yourself, God, and your child.

I'd love to connect with you. You can find me at:

• email me: contact@mukkovejohnson.com
• Diamonds & Pearls Sharecast
• I often refer to HeartDoodling with Jesus. Learn more here.
• Learn how God communicates with you in Transformational Quiet Times.

Is there room for creativity in your time with God? 
What about your emotions? Are they welcome? 
Hi, if we haven't met, I'm Mukkove Johnson and I am here to encourage and equip you to understand and use the gift of your emotions. One of the ways that I do that is through the process I've developed called heart doodling with Jesus. 

One of my favorite things about heart doodling with Jesus is that it helps to build awareness, and awareness is so important to mental, emotional, and spiritual health.

Register for the February 9th workshop in Wasilla, Alaska
https://mukkovejohnson.com/courses/heart-check-heart-doodling-with-jesus-workshop/

Discipling mothers to disciple generations

Kingdom Mothers Rise Up is here for you. There is encouragement and practical steps to improve your relationship with yourself, God, and your child.

I'd love to connect with you. You can find me at:

• email me: contact@mukkovejohnson.com
• Diamonds & Pearls Sharecast
• I often refer to HeartDoodling with Jesus. Learn more here.
• Learn how God communicates with you in Transformational Quiet Times.

This heart-to-heart episode is a tender exploration of what it means to truly show up for oneself, especially for those of us who have felt the sting of childhood emotional neglect. I open up about my journey towards self-awareness—how it began with the challenging, yet essential, practice of tuning into my own needs and the neglected parts of my soul. Through stories and reflections, I illustrate the deeply personal process of setting boundaries and embracing self-care, not as indulgences, but as fundamental acts of self-compassion.

Discipling mothers to disciple generations

Kingdom Mothers Rise Up is here for you. There is encouragement and practical steps to improve your relationship with yourself, God, and your child.

I'd love to connect with you. You can find me at:

• email me: contact@mukkovejohnson.com
• Diamonds & Pearls Sharecast
• I often refer to HeartDoodling with Jesus. Learn more here.
• Learn how God communicates with you in Transformational Quiet Times.

I sat down at a coffee shop to write without the distractions of home and child.

I immediately felt like crying. 

This is a very familiar experience for me. I slow down and I feel like crying. Over the years this has led to me paying attention to my tears. They come for many reasons. Sad, mad, happy, overwhelmed in good or bad ways, sensing God’s presence, and being weary from going too much.

The last one was the reason today. 

I’ve been slowing down physically and in my expectations of how much I can get done ( and getting more done). Slowing down to pay attention to how I am feeling and why,,, not so much. Taking the pressure off of trying to say the right thing in the right way… not so much either.

Instead of diving into writing, which was the purpose of this time because I have put off writing twice already this week, I pulled out my sketchbook to sort out the tears.

I’m glad I did.

I drew a big teardrop and wrote the word regret.

I asked what regret was.

At least for today it was grief over what could have been. I could have more clarity. I could have this writing done. I could feel like I know what I’m doing. I could…

As I wrote it I was reminded of the times in the Chronicles of Narnia when Lucy asked Aslan about what would have happened. He responds that she doesn’t get to know what would have happened. She can obey and find out what will happen.

Regret was grieving what I imagined could have happened.

Now it’s time to obey, to move, and find out what will happen.

This was a good revelation and insight. At times I would have left it at that. 

However it was not actionable. There was no practical way I was going to apply it and make a change to intentionally move toward what I want to happen.

In the past this would have led to the urge and pressure to create a detailed plan for all the things I want to have happen.

I still felt the urge.

I also had the reminder that doing a simple thing everyday has gotten me more progress and more peace in managing my home.

I’m trying to apply this to my spiritual and mental health as well.

I’m still experimenting with exactly what that looks like. I know it means slowing down. It means changing my thinking from a project mentality to a small steps mentality. 

There is a temptation to listen to the bullying voice telling me I should have that already. God’s been talking to me about the importance and impact of small steps for almost 3 years.

I don’t need to bully myself.

I don’t need to let the devil bully me either.

I don’t need to stay in what could have been.

I move into what will be.

I will change.

I will learn.

I will see the goodness of God in the land of the living.

Is there an area you have been experiencing regret?

Discipling mothers to disciple generations

Kingdom Mothers Rise Up is here for you. There is encouragement and practical steps to improve your relationship with yourself, God, and your child.

I'd love to connect with you. You can find me at:

• email me: contact@mukkovejohnson.com
• Diamonds & Pearls Sharecast
• I often refer to HeartDoodling with Jesus. Learn more here.
• Learn how God communicates with you in Transformational Quiet Times.

Slow down. 

Take the pressure off.

Show up faithfully.

These are the things that are making a shift in my life. 

Not trying harder, doing more, or going full speed then crashing.

Discipling mothers to disciple generations

Kingdom Mothers Rise Up is here for you. There is encouragement and practical steps to improve your relationship with yourself, God, and your child.

I'd love to connect with you. You can find me at:

• email me: contact@mukkovejohnson.com
• Diamonds & Pearls Sharecast
• I often refer to HeartDoodling with Jesus. Learn more here.
• Learn how God communicates with you in Transformational Quiet Times.

Have you ever paused to wonder why receiving - be it a compliment, a gift, or a helping hand - can often feel so uncomfortable? This episode dares to delve into the tangled web of guilt, emotional neglect, and distorted teachings from childhood that make us resist our innate design as receivers. As we unravel how the inability to receive can stifle our growth and dampen the joy of the giver, you'll discover a new perspective on how God has designed us to be receivers first and givers second.

As we journey deeper, we'll confront the profound impact of childhood emotional neglect on our capacity to accept kindness, help, and divine truths. Understanding these struggles and overcoming them can lead us to not only embrace our roles as receivers but also improve our relationships and self-care abilities. This open-hearted conversation is more than mere talk; it's a call for you to reflect, share your experiences, and embrace the joy of receiving. Come join us for this empowering and enlightening discourse.

Discipling mothers to disciple generations

Kingdom Mothers Rise Up is here for you. There is encouragement and practical steps to improve your relationship with yourself, God, and your child.

I'd love to connect with you. You can find me at:

• email me: contact@mukkovejohnson.com
• Diamonds & Pearls Sharecast
• I often refer to HeartDoodling with Jesus. Learn more here.
• Learn how God communicates with you in Transformational Quiet Times.

What if the secret to a joyful, stress-free holiday season was not about managing your emotions, but feeling them? As the festive season approaches, we take a deep-dive into exploring this concept, reminding you to check societal expectations at the door and put what truly counts at the center - your well-being and spending quality time with loved ones.

Prepare to challenge the norms as we unfold three vital questions; "Who says," "What fits," and "What if it was easy," guiding you to a happier, less stressful Christmas. We share personal experiences and practical advice, especially in managing difficult conversations.

Our focus? Helping you understand and navigate your emotions rather than control others. By the end of this episode, you'll be well-equipped to take control of your actions and reactions, making room for a more fulfilling holiday season. So, tune in and join us as we redefine the often stressful holiday narrative into one of joy and serenity.

There are three simple questions you can ask to make your Christmas more peaceful. They are simple questions. Following through on your answers may be a little harder.

Says who?

All those things you’re feeling you have to do - says who? Question your expectations. Questions the expectations of others.

What fits?

We all have limits. There is only so much time, energy, and money. How do you want to use what you have? How much of what you have do you want to use?

What’s fun?

What if getting ready and going through the Christmas season was fun? What would it look like? What would you do? What would you not do?

Asking the questions is a great place to start. Once you have asked yourself the questions, come back and ask me your questions.

Discipling mothers to disciple generations

Kingdom Mothers Rise Up is here for you. There is encouragement and practical steps to improve your relationship with yourself, God, and your child.

I'd love to connect with you. You can find me at:

• email me: contact@mukkovejohnson.com
• Diamonds & Pearls Sharecast
• I often refer to HeartDoodling with Jesus. Learn more here.
• Learn how God communicates with you in Transformational Quiet Times.