“This morning as I was watching Benjamin, our Labrador, I thought about how even animals are creatures of habit just like we are. He is so predictable in his routine. Every single morning, he gets up at the same time, stretches the same stretch toward the floor, goes outside to the same places to mark, and when he comes back in, he goes straight to the cabinet and sits to wait for his breakfast. Amen.

But as I watched him, I was thinking about how hard it is at times to change habits in our own lives. Even good habits can sometimes become a hindrance, and the bad ones—those things we know we don’t want in our lives—somehow keep pulling us back. We end up in the same old place again and again, even when we don’t want to be there. Amen. It reminds me of Paul in the Bible who said, “The very thing I don’t want to do is the very thing I do” (Romans 7:15).

I did a little research on the brain, and you often hear that it takes 21 days to “rewire” your brain, but that idea has been debunked. Every person is different, and every situation is different, so there isn’t one exact timeline. Amen. But they did say something interesting—kind of like the Elf on the Shelf that we place around the house for kids this time of year at Christmas. They said to take the habit you want to let go of and imagine placing it on a shelf. Then, in that moment, choose something creative or healthy to replace it with.

The reason those old habits are so easy to fall back into is because in the brain they function like tiny pathways covered in dust. Amen. It’s easy to sweep them clean because they give us that quick hit of dopamine they feel good in the moment. But the healthier choices, like exercising or doing something productive, take more effort. and those pathways are like trails covered in boulders, weeds, or snow. It takes struggle to move through them. But they grow us, strengthen us, and change us for the better. Amen.

They say the biggest key is repetition, repetition, repetition. Amen. And in this stage of life, I pray we are all kind to ourselves that we celebrate our victories, even the small ones. Amen. We all end up in places doing things we never wanted to do, wondering, “How in the world did I get here?” Amen. Because daily, we are in a battle against the evil in this world.

So daily, we place ourselves in God’s hands. We put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10–18). We walk wisely, redeeming the time (Ephesians 5:16).

So this morning, I pray for each of us and whatever battles or struggles we are facing. It doesn’t always have to be drugs or alcohol, as people often put those at the top of the priority list. It could be anger. It could be gossip. It could be cussing. It could be fear. It could be depression. It could be hatred. It could be food addiction. It could be pornography. It could be lust. It could be stealing. It could be lying. The list goes on and on. Amen!

But whatever it is, speak well to yourself. Give yourself grace. The first step is acknowledging the problem and recognizing that it needs to be dealt with. And when it comes up, take it and set it on the shelf. Amen. and choose in that moment something healthier to put in its place.

Because we are creatures of habit, and the easy habits are like dust-filled paths that blow clean with little effort and bring that rush of dopamine. But the habits that produce life, growth, and change are the ones worth clearing the stones and pushing through the weeds for. Amen!”

“For it is in His name, Jesus’ name, that I do ask and pray..Amen and Amen..Be blessed today my dear sweet friends and remember wherever you go and whatever you do, Be a light for our Father, Much love to you all, Mandi ❤️