Have you ever had a computer you were trying to accomplish work on and it was moving sooooo slow? Like it was having to crawl through thick mud? Or worse, it completely froze and won’t do anything? I’m sure if you’ve been around computers much you have experienced this. You know the answer to this problem is to reset the computer through a restart. Maybe the window you have open isn’t showing everything it should.

Once you restart your computer or do a hard reset on a browser window, suddenly everything works as it should. I have been told that leaving the computer off for 60 seconds allows all residual power to leave the computer and works even better than the immediate restart. Sometimes my computer has required more than one restart. 

Why?

Our computers start acting like they’re crawling through mud because there is too much in their memory. Too much for it to remember on the clipboard, too many windows or programs open at once, Sometimes it’s because malware has been inadvertently downloaded.

How’s your computer functioning?

How often do you feel like you are trudging through knee-deep mud? Are you moving slowly? Or maybe completely frozen?

I’m going to be completely transparent here, I have been feeling like I am in the thick of the mud. At some points, I’m unsure which direction my next step should head in. I feel the need for a complete reset. So this is going to be my guide, and I hope by sharing it someone who reads will be encouraged in their own journey.

(I wrote this last week only for my computer to glitch and delete everything. Fortunately, I have a Mollie in my life and she stepped in and posted in place of mine. So I’ve had a week to implement the Plan of Action I came up with and it has helped tremendously! I don’t feel quite so much in the thick of the mud. It’s starting to clear )

Let’s reset and renew

1. Set a timer

2. Close some windows/tasks/programs

3. Do a malware scan

4. Run updates

1. Set a timer and unplug

Set a timer for 60 seconds. Spend the entire 60 seconds focused on God. Don’t tell Him what you need Him to do. Praise Him for what he’s already done.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father. James 1:17

He’s given his son that you might live. (John 3:16) You woke up this morning. Do you have a home? Food for your family? (Those dishes that never seem to be done, mean your family is eating.) Clothes for your family? (That overwhelming mountain of laundry means that you are blessed with clothes for your children to wear.)

Another way to spend the 60 seconds is to find a praise song to sing. Sometimes when we have young children it is hard to take 60 focused seconds. I get it! Maybe the answer is to find a favorite playlist or channel on a streaming service and listen with your kids. In my experience, this changes everyone’s attitude. It’s hard to fight and argue if you are singing praises to God We enjoy the Praise and Harmony channel on YouTube. 

You know you and your circumstances. What is the best way for you to reset your mindset? Maybe you can take 2 60 second chunks and do both.

2. Close some windows

Do you have too many tasks running? Women are known to be multitaskers; however, when we are too bogged down by all the things it is time to close some things down and get rid of the background noise. I know sometimes my brain freezes because all the tasks I need to do are just bouncing around in my head and I can’t actually accomplish anything.

For me, a To Do list is a great help. Once I get the things down on paper I free up space in my head. It also allows me to see everything at once and then I am better able to prioritize what needs to be done. Sometimes it takes two lists, one to get it out of my head, and one to put it in order.

I find checking the tasks off my list also allows me to close some windows and function a little faster and more efficiently.

Sometimes I even write down things I already did just so I can check them off. Have you ever gotten to the end of the day and felt like you did nothing? Write it down so you can remember For me, having some easy wins helps me to build momentum when I am really overwhelmed. So I will start with some easy tasks that I can check off.

3. Do a malware scan

Paul encourages the church at Corinth to examine themselves in 2 Corinthians 13:5. I believe we each need to do the same.

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

 

We must regularly perform scans on ourselves and then self-correct. Are we walking in the faith? Have we allowed a sin (even a “small” sin) to take hold in our lives? I submit to you that all sins, even the ones we view as small have the same wage in the end.

For the wages of sin is death… Romans 6:23

There is only one fix for sin in our lives. This would be to confess them to our Lord and repent. If we are truly repentant, we are turning away from the sin and living in a new way.

If we keep reading in Romans 6:23, we are told that God offers us a free gift.

 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

Do you need to know how to accept this free gift? Click here for some guidance.

As we work through the sin in our lives, I believe that God is a very powerful God, but we are a very weak people. God has given us people in our lives who will help us as we walk on His path. James 5:16 tells us to confess our sins to each other. This isn’t so we can go around gossiping about how Susie’s sin is so awful. Can you believe what Jan is doing? It is so that we can pray for one another and be healed.

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. James 5:16

4. Run updates

Sometimes the computer needs to run updates to keep working properly. How does this apply to our lives? How many times have you read an old scripture that you’ve read a zillion times only to glean something new? Continually reading the word of God will help keep us spiritually updated. Reading and spending time in quiet with God gives us a chance to hear what He wants us to hear. 

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

We can renew with God every morning if we allow Him. Each day comes with challenges and temptations, but each day also greets us with new mercies from God and new blessings. Don’t forget to praise Him, because in doing so you will find renewal. You will find a renewed, refreshed mind, body and spirit that are more able to tackle the tasks at hand.

I am One Blessed Momma!

I have been blessed by God to be mom in 6 children’s lives, some of which are already adults. I do not do it perfectly. By the grace of God they are becoming some amazing people. I am so grateful for the church family and family that are in their lives and are also encouraging them to become the people God created them to be. I am so blessed by the people God has put in my life to encourage me as I walk through life to stay on His path. Especially those who encourage me in my motherhood and help me find ways to be a better mom and get through the mud. Thank you God for giving me the support I need!