by Karen Lindwall-Bourg | Sep 4, 2020 | Blog, Entrepreneur Endeavors, Writing & Publishing
WIN with WELLNESS
Introducing, Rhema Counseling Associate’s book
WELLNESS: THE AWARENESS OF THE WHOLE INDIVIDUAL
Answering the questions everyone wants to know about this great resource!
Win with Wellness – WHAT is wellness?
“Wellness is an active process of becoming aware of and making choices toward a more successful existence in multiple areas of a person’s life.”
“Wellness” is the buzzword of the twenty-first century and has been termed “the science of the whole individual .”
Charles B. Corbin of Arizona State University defines wellness as “a multidimensional state of being describing the existence of positive health in an individual as exemplified by quality of life and a sense of well-being .”
At Rhema Counseling Associates, we love to use the following counseling tool to remind us to attend to all dimensions of wellness when listening to and guiding our clients. We ask them to divide the dimensions into sections and prioritize each one. We give them the fifty-question BELIEFS Dimensions of Wellness Assessment (included in the following chapters) to help assess each area of their lives. They often ask to take a copy home as well.
Win with Wellness – WHAT are the 7 dimensions of BELIEFS?
The 7 Dimensions of Wellness we chose when writing the book include:
Win with Wellness – WHY?
“The concept of wellness today goes far beyond a single consideration of being physically healthy and knowledgeable about healthcare . In our current culture, there is a growing trend of people looking for a more personalized approach to wellness .
Win with Wellness – WHO?
Everyone!
“People want to be viewed as a “whole person”—they want all caregivers and helping professionals to address other dimensions of their lives . We all want to be well!”
Come ONE – Come ALL!
Wellness: The Awareness of the Whole Individual – now available on Amazon!
Thank you to those who worked with me at Rhema Counseling Associates for compiling this wonderful resourse about Wellness.
Order Your Copy Here Today!
Blessings,
Karen Lindwall-Bourg
“Achieve Levels of Success Worth Celebrating”
*Founder, Karen Bourg Companies http://karenbourg.com
*Owner, President {Inter}National Association of Christian Women Entrepreneurs/International Christian Mompreneur Network http://nacwe.org
*Founder, RHEMA Publishing House http://rhemapublishinghouse.com
*Founder, RHEMA Lakeside Retreat Center https://www.facebook.com/rhemaretreat/
*Founder, RHEMA Counseling Associates http://rhemacounseling.com
About Karen Lindwall-Bourg
Karen Lindwall-Bourg is the President of the {Inter} National Association of Christian Women Entrepreneurs [est. May 2010] and the new President of the International Christian Mompreneur Network [est. July 2010], both at http://nacwe.org . She and the NACWE Operations and Leadership Teams work diligently to provide
· Community
· Networking
· Education
· Missions
opportunities to Christian Women Entrepreneurs, Mompreneurs and Nanapreneurs alike all over the world!
Our Core Values are
· Community – we value Connection, Collaboration and Contribution
· Networking – we value Nurture, New relationships and New and innovative offers
· Education – we value Encouragement, Excellence and Expressiveness, and
· Missions – we value Ministry and Making a difference
Karen is wife to Fred, Mommy to 6 kids and 5 in-loves, Nana to “going-on” 12 grandchildren, and treat provider deluxe for a herd of Great Pyrenees who protect their north TX ranch! She is an entrepreneur coach, author, publisher, retreat hostess and more! Learn more about Mastermind groups and “Celebration” coaching with Karen at http://karenbourg.com
by Karen Lindwall-Bourg | Sep 4, 2020 | Blog, Entrepreneur Endeavors, Writing & Publishing
Wellness: The Awareness of the Whole Individual
Wellness, wholeness, and completeness are necessary to satisfying relationships and entrepreneurial success!
“Thank you RHEMA Counseling for addressing the entire person and how God created us for wholeness! This book is a potent and life-changing tool that can be used over and over again in all areas of my life, business, relationships, and faith. Powerful transformation! Praise God for Karen and the RHEMA team!”
– Diane Cunningham, Founder of the National Association of Christian Women Entrepreneurs
Wellness: The Awareness of the Whole Individual –
now available on Amazon!
Are you tired of that incomplete and unbalanced feeling? Are you seeking a full and comprehensive life for yourself and those that you serve? Wellness may seem like the buzzword of this century, but wholeness and completeness are necessary to satisfying relationships and entrepreneurial success!
The Word of God tells us that we are complex creatures with a body, soul, and spirit; and it emphasizes that Christ came that we might have life, and have it abundantly. To care for ourselves and minister to others without attending to all dimensions of wellness can be neglectful and even dangerous.
Karen Lindwall-Bourg, Grace Edoho-ukwa, and the Associates of RHEMA Counseling bring you Wellness: The Awareness of the Whole Individual, providing you effective tools and assessments useful for your own growth and that of your clients, and encouraging living in abundant wellness within the following BELIEFS dimensions:
- Body
- Emotions
- Livelihood
- Intellect
- Environment
- Family/Friends
- Spiritual
Wellness: The Awareness of the Whole Individual
helps you bridge that gap holistically and Biblically.
Consider the danger in helping a depressed friend or client by discussing their emotions and spiritual conditions without evaluating their medical, environmental, and relationship needs as well! Explore these 7 dimensions of wellness and encourage those around you to gain insight as well.
Order Your Copy Here Today!
Blessings,
Karen Lindwall-Bourg
“Achieve Levels of Success Worth Celebrating”
*Founder, Karen Bourg Companies http://karenbourg.com
*Owner, President {Inter}National Association of Christian Women Entrepreneurs/International Christian Mompreneur Network http://nacwe.org
*Founder, RHEMA Publishing House http://rhemapublishinghouse.com
*Founder, RHEMA Lakeside Retreat Center https://www.facebook.com/rhemaretreat/
*Founder, RHEMA Counseling Associates http://rhemacounseling.com
About Karen Lindwall-Bourg
Karen Lindwall-Bourg is the President of the {Inter} National Association of Christian Women Entrepreneurs [est. May 2010] and the new President of the International Christian Mompreneur Network [est. July 2010], both at http://nacwe.org . She and the NACWE Operations and Leadership Teams work diligently to provide
· Community
· Networking
· Education
· Missions
opportunities to Christian Women Entrepreneurs, Mompreneurs and Nanapreneurs alike all over the world!
Our Core Values are
· Community – we value Connection, Collaboration and Contribution
· Networking – we value Nurture, New relationships and New and innovative offers
· Education – we value Encouragement, Excellence and Expressiveness, and
· Missions – we value Ministry and Making a difference
Karen is wife to Fred, Mommy to 6 kids and 5 in-loves, Nana to “going-on” 12 grandchildren, and treat provider deluxe for a herd of Great Pyrenees who protect their north TX ranch! She is an entrepreneur coach, author, publisher, retreat hostess and more! Learn more about Mastermind groups and “Celebration” coaching with Karen at http://karenbourg.com
by Karen Lindwall-Bourg | Sep 4, 2020 | Blog, Celebrate Life!, Entrepreneur Endeavors
Working Together with God for Change
A new year is such a beautiful time to close the past and start anew and to begin working together with God for change!
“Resolutions are popular because everyone feels they could use a little improvement.” Marilu Henner
A new year is such a beautiful time to close the past and start anew. We all commemorate the end of one period of our life and celebrate the possibility of the coming New Year. One way we mark this new beginning is to set goals and make resolutions. As lovers of Christ, we should be no less inclined to make changes in our life. In fact, we are encouraged to work out our salvation (Philippians 2:12). This means we are to keep growing and healing. We are to continue transforming our mind and behavior to be more like Jesus in this world.
But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:20-24
If we are stuck in the process of creating our resolutions or goals for this year, we should consider this verse in Ephesians. It outlines a great goal toward becoming more like the God in whose image we are made. Putting off the old self and putting on the new, is not just a goal for the year for us. It is a lifelong process which starts with each one of us!
PUT IT OFF
so we can begin working together with God for change
There is an important point in this verse which seems to be often overlooked. It is up to us to put off the old self. It is our choice and our responsibility.
Have you ever walked into a spider web stretched across your path? Depending on how you feel about spiders, this can be an absolutely terrifying or a simply annoying experience. Either way, there is usually a bit of dancing about, sputtering, spitting and wiggling. It is a dramatic choreography.
We want that sticky, yucky thing off of us. We put it off of us. This is the same thinking we should have when it comes to getting rid of the “old self”.
PUT OFF WHAT?
so we can begin working together with God for change
Putting off our old self, the old you, is not about changing our personality. The verse is specific about what to put off. We are to get rid of deceitful desires. Which begs the question: What is a deceitful desire?
It is not just about lying or telling untruths. Deceitful desires are things which are against the knowledge of God – anything that goes against God’s plan for how He wants us to live. We are to put off certain behaviors which are not good for relationship with each other or with God.
When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21
This verse hits on many of the things we are to put off. It is not possible to do it by ourselves; that is why we have a Comforter and Helper in the Holy Spirit. However, it is very much in our power to choose. It is in the choosing that we put off these things. It is in the choosing not to sin, when we submit to God, and resist the devil. It is in the moment of putting off sin when God rescues us, but we have to choose it.
PUT ON
so we can begin working together with God for change
Now that we have chosen to put off the sinful nature; then what do we put on? Gratefully, we have a guide book for that too!
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8
We control our thoughts. ALL behavior starts with a thought. We measure our thoughts, take captive any unruly thought, and steer our thoughts toward those things on which God would have us focus.
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Galatians 5:22-23
We have a Helper to aid us in producing the character and behavior which is pleasing to God. Help is available to us.
Take a look at the resolutions and goals you have set. Are they pushing your character and behavior toward the fruit of the spirit? Prayerfully reconsider your year in the light of putting off deceitful desires and putting on the fruit of the spirit.
Ready to put on and put off? Great! Share your insights! After all, we are on this same journey and all need a helping hand, a godly perspective, a listening ear, and much more.
Blessings,
Karen Lindwall-Bourg
“Achieve Levels of Success Worth Celebrating”
*Founder, Karen Bourg Companies http://karenbourg.com
*Owner, President {Inter}National Association of Christian Women Entrepreneurs/International Christian Mompreneur Network http://nacwe.org
*Founder, RHEMA Publishing House http://rhemapublishinghouse.com
*Founder, RHEMA Lakeside Retreat Center https://www.facebook.com/rhemaretreat/
*Founder, RHEMA Counseling Associates http://rhemacounseling.com
About Karen Lindwall-Bourg
Karen Lindwall-Bourg is the President of the {Inter} National Association of Christian Women Entrepreneurs [est. May 2010] and the new President of the International Christian Mompreneur Network [est. July 2010], both at http://nacwe.org . She and the NACWE Operations and Leadership Teams work diligently to provide
· Community
· Networking
· Education
· Missions
opportunities to Christian Women Entrepreneurs, Mompreneurs and Nanapreneurs alike all over the world!
Our Core Values are
· Community – we value Connection, Collaboration and Contribution
· Networking – we value Nurture, New relationships and New and innovative offers
· Education – we value Encouragement, Excellence and Expressiveness, and
· Missions – we value Ministry and Making a difference
Karen is wife to Fred, Mommy to 6 kids and 5 in-loves, Nana to “going-on” 12 grandchildren, and treat provider deluxe for a herd of Great Pyrenees who protect their north TX ranch! She is an entrepreneur coach, author, publisher, retreat hostess and more! Learn more about Mastermind groups and “Celebration” coaching with Karen at http://karenbourg.com
by Karen Lindwall-Bourg | Sep 4, 2020 | Blog, Celebrate Life!, Entrepreneur Endeavors
New Beginnings: New Self
As the Year and new beginnings get underway, we all want a fresh and balanced start. As Christians we want to start new God’s Way!
Helping Others into the New Self
One of the most challenging tasks for a counselor is offering effective and practical steps to our clients. We want to be able to help people with new beginnings, to find their own practical solutions. Fortunately, as counselors who center our work on the Bible, we have help through the Word of God. As a therapist, I love that I can remind someone they are a new creature in Christ. It is a privilege to help someone learn how he/she can be renewed and live in this newness offered to him/her.
New beginnings are always a great time to focus on renewal; such as the beginning of the month, the year, or even the week or day! God tells us His mercies are new every morning. (The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23) With every sunrise we see, we are given a clean slate. The key is living in it. The key is to remember we are new and that old things have passed away. (Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17)
And have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Colossians 3:10
What does it mean to be “renewed in knowledge” at times of new beginnings?
Each of us lives with an inner monologue, a recording we play over and over. This is the knowledge of who we believe we are. Oftentimes it is full of negative statements usually related to not being good enough, not mattering or not having what it takes. This is the knowledge we live with. However, it is not the truth. The Truth is what the Word of God says about us.
When we are learning to be a new creature and live in the renewal which Christ intended for us, we must be aware of our current knowledge. For example, our current knowledge and recording might be: “I am damaged goods because I was abused. No one will ever love me.”
We are instructed to shut down those thoughts and bring every thought into captivity and subject it to the light of the Word of God. In order to renew, we are to line those thoughts up with the One in whose image we were created. God is love. We are loved!
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 2 Corinthians 10:5
What does it mean to be created in the image of our Creator during new beginnings?
One of the biggest hindrances of living in the new self is figuring out who we are. So much of our identity comes from our family of origin, our life experiences, what people say about us and who we think we are. We identify more with the negative experiences in our life than the positive. We rehearse our traumas and tragedies. Those things are part of the old self. The new self is who God says we are. He says we are created in HIS image!
BUT, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
The Bible is full of wonderful examples, images, and analogies describing the character of God. In nearly every verse the image of the Creator is revealed to us. We must seek it, then meditate on it, then put it on as our new self. The following scripture is a great place to start allowing God to reveal His character and intention toward us.
The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. Psalm 103:8-14
Helping during new beginnings to reveal the new self – for Counselors
Putting on the new self and being renewed in knowledge is a choice made by each individual. As Christian counselors we can offer support in the process in the following ways:
- Acknowledge and normalize that being made “new” is a process. It is not a one-time thing. It is done daily, even moment by moment. Why else would we need new mercies daily?
- Offer scripture which reveals the character of God. Give references to the way God feels about us, the way He loves, forgives and blesses His beloved.
- Support and community is key. This process happens as other supportive Christians walk with us along the journey to the new self and encourage and keep individuals on the right path.
Jesus was sent so that we would have life and have it more abundantly. Part of that abundance is to live in the new self. We are to put off the old ways and put on the new ways of Christ so we can experience freedom in life and in relationships.
Blessings,
Karen Lindwall-Bourg
“Achieve Levels of Success Worth Celebrating”
*Founder, Karen Bourg Companies http://karenbourg.com
*Owner, President {Inter}National Association of Christian Women Entrepreneurs/International Christian Mompreneur Network http://nacwe.org
*Founder, RHEMA Publishing House http://rhemapublishinghouse.com
*Founder, RHEMA Lakeside Retreat Center https://www.facebook.com/rhemaretreat/
*Founder, RHEMA Counseling Associates http://rhemacounseling.com
About Karen Lindwall-Bourg
Karen Lindwall-Bourg is the President of the {Inter} National Association of Christian Women Entrepreneurs [est. May 2010] and the new President of the International Christian Mompreneur Network [est. July 2010], both at http://nacwe.org . She and the NACWE Operations and Leadership Teams work diligently to provide
· Community
· Networking
· Education
· Missions
opportunities to Christian Women Entrepreneurs, Mompreneurs and Nanapreneurs alike all over the world!
Our Core Values are
· Community – we value Connection, Collaboration and Contribution
· Networking – we value Nurture, New relationships and New and innovative offers
· Education – we value Encouragement, Excellence and Expressiveness, and
· Missions – we value Ministry and Making a difference
Karen is wife to Fred, Mommy to 6 kids and 5 in-loves, Nana to “going-on” 12 grandchildren, and treat provider deluxe for a herd of Great Pyrenees who protect their north TX ranch! She is an entrepreneur coach, author, publisher, retreat hostess and more! Learn more about Mastermind groups and “Celebration” coaching with Karen at http://karenbourg.com .
by Karen Lindwall-Bourg | Sep 4, 2020 | Blog, Celebrate Life!, Entrepreneur Endeavors
Proper Self Care and How to Do It Right
Currently, there is a movement toward focusing on self, building self-esteem and more. Unfortunately, these trends can be distorted into a “you-don’t-matter-I-am-the-only-one-that-matters” mode of thinking. But that is not self-care. That is selfishness and contrary to the point and benefits of self-care. Self-care is essential for your health and wellbeing. The right amount and type of self-care enables to give to and love those around you.
Proper Self-Care is NOT
PROPER SELF-CARE IS NOT SELF-INDULGENCE.
You can find a myriad of articles on getting a mani/pedi as a way of practicing self-care. While it is a great way to pamper yourself. It’s not the only way. Proper self-care does not thoughtlessly decide to indulge in whatever you fancy despite its impact on time, your budget, or your family.
And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31
PROPER SELF-CARE IS NOT SELFISH.
Yes, sometimes it means saying no to those who usually get your yes. Consider this, you cannot love the Lord your God with all your soul, mind and strength if you are exhausted by your schedule and commitments. How can you love your neighbor if you haven’t shown your own temple any care with rest and relaxation?
And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. Mark 6:31-32
Self-Care is Biblical
In the above verse from Mark, Jesus and His disciples were so busy they didn’t have enough down time to eat. He encouraged them to go away to a place for rest. I think in this instance desolate meant without throngs of people. In the same chapter, verse 45, Jesus sends the disciples ahead of him on a boat so they can seek rest. Jesus encouraged them toward self-care.
You need rest. No matter your calling, career or responsibilities, you need to take time to rest.
Self-care is a way to get this rest.
The Effective Practice of Self-Care
The point of self-care is to refresh, renew and energize you. It is for rest, reflection and relaxation. Self-care is very individual to each person. Some may find rest in spending time with a spouse while others want to literally be alone on a mountain side. You can determine your best practice of self-care by exploring these questions:
Refresh. What refreshes you? Like a dip into a cool pool of water on a hot day, what makes you feel fresh and clean again? Take time to consider activities which make you feel alive and revived. Is it something physical, spiritual or both? Is it something you do alone or with someone else?
There are times when you just aren’t good at self-care. You get bogged down in your daily duties and obligations. Self-care is an opportunity to renew your spirit and flesh toward those things God has called you to do. It is a time to evaluate, pray and meditate so you can renew your mind toward God. What activities can you take part in to renew your spirit, soul and body?
Even Jesus rested. He was napping on a boat in the middle of a storm. (Read: don’t feel guilty about taking a nap during a difficult time.) You need energy to take care of the people in your life. If you are exhausted and spent physically, spiritually, and mentally you are not offering your best. You are not stewarding the relationships and talents God has given you to the fullest. Take time to find your energy again. For some it might mean a daily nap or going to the gym or both. It could be just taking 20 minutes for yourself to decompress after a hard day. What activities give you energy or give you a boost of energy?
The Most Important Aspect of Self Care
PRAY. PRAY. PRAY.
Jesus was a busy and sought after man. Yet, he found time to go off by himself and pray (Mark 1:35, Luke 5:16, Luke 6:12). Prayer, meditation, quiet-time, devotionals – whatever you call it – is the most important self-care practice you can adopt. It is during these times when you release temporal worries and hear from God about how to be refreshed, renewed and re-energized. Your prayer time is the foundation of self-care.
RETREAT. RETREAT. RETREAT!
Another way to practice self-care is to attend connecting and energizing retreats.
Blessings,
Karen Lindwall-Bourg
“Achieve Levels of Success Worth Celebrating”
*Founder, Karen Bourg Companies http://karenbourg.com
*Owner, President {Inter}National Association of Christian Women Entrepreneurs/International Christian Mompreneur Network http://nacwe.org
*Founder, RHEMA Publishing House http://rhemapublishinghouse.com
*Founder, RHEMA Lakeside Retreat Center https://www.facebook.com/rhemaretreat/
*Founder, RHEMA Counseling Associates http://rhemacounseling.com
About Karen Lindwall-Bourg
Karen Lindwall-Bourg is the President of the {Inter} National Association of Christian Women Entrepreneurs [est. May 2010] and the new President of the International Christian Mompreneur Network [est. July 2010], both at http://nacwe.org . She and the NACWE Operations and Leadership Teams work diligently to provide
· Community
· Networking
· Education
· Missions
opportunities to Christian Women Entrepreneurs, Mompreneurs and Nanapreneurs alike all over the world!
Our Core Values are
· Community – we value Connection, Collaboration and Contribution
· Networking – we value Nurture, New relationships and New and innovative offers
· Education – we value Encouragement, Excellence and Expressiveness, and
· Missions – we value Ministry and Making a difference
Karen is wife to Fred, Mommy to 6 kids and 5 in-loves, Nana to “going-on” 12 grandchildren, and treat provider deluxe for a herd of Great Pyrenees who protect their north TX ranch! She is an entrepreneur coach, author, publisher, retreat hostess and more! Learn more about Mastermind groups and “Celebration” coaching with Karen at http://karenbourg.com .
