How To Let It Go

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I have heard lots of advice on how to let things go over the years. Mostly because… I’ve needed it myself! Letting things go has been a struggle for me. Remembering what people have done to hurt you is the best way to keep yourself safe. Right? It’s really hard to let things go, when you think it’s beneficial (and safer) not to. But all the googling I’ve done over the years hasn’t been as helpful as sitting in the presence of God and realizing He is enough.

I’ve carried a burden for too long on my own. I wasn’t created to bear it alone. I hear your invitation to let it all go. I see it now. I’m laying it down. I know that I need you. ♬♪

Did you watch the video yet? If not stop reading and go do that. Then read these lines again. Then repeat the cycle until you realize God is inviting you to let it ALL go. All of it all: pain, betrayal, desperation, fear, self protection, justified anger, guilt, injured pride, and so much more.

Life is a battle friends, and we have two options: follow hard after God’s truth or do “our” best. Our best leads to never letting go. We can’t. But God has a different way. But God says: Oh precious, you have carried that heavy weight much too long. I made you for so much more than to hold onto that. Will you let it go?

Will you let it go? God never forces us to open our hands. But if we do open them and lay down our junk… he will fill our hands with so much more of all that is good.

I run to the Father. I fall into grace. I’m done with the hiding. No reason to wait. My heart needs a surgeon. My soul needs a friend. So I’ll run to the Father again and again and again and again. ♬♪

I remember the first time I realized that I could fall into the grace of God. Have you ever ran to your husband/dad/boyfriend/brother in absolute tears of devastation over some way life failed you? And when you hit his chest with the full force of your cries did you fall into grace? A special favor where they protect your heart with their strength?

I hope you know this feeling. But even if you don’t… that is what God is offering you. The riches of God through the sacrifice of Christ which means you don’t need to carry the burden. Through Christ, you can let it go. Letting it all go – all the pain we struggle to release – is an act of worship and trust. I don’t need to live in guilt or pain from a lost relationship or a wrong that was done to me or fear. I actually can just let it go and fall into the grace of God.

My heart has been in Your sights. Long before my first breath. Running into Your arms. Is running to life from death. And I feel this rush deep in my chest. Your mercy is calling out. Just as I am You pull me in. I know I need You now. ♬♪

What do you need to let go of? I know I used to think remembering everything was the best way to protect myself. But actually it was a great way to keep the pain fresh and kill my joy. Jesus carried all our burdens and wants to invite you to let him have yours. How would it feel to fall into grace?

If you want to know more about God’s love for you and about Christ, ask. God will reveal himself to you if you are really look for him. In the Bible it says, “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” [Matthew 7:7-8]

I hear your invitation to let it all go. I see it now. I’m laying it down… ♬♪

Faith = Confidence + Memory

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Faith is a frequently used word these days. We have faith in money, airplanes, buffets, antibiotics… and it is basically code for “oh boy I hope this works”. Which can make faith in God, seem very abstract and powerless.

What is faith? How do we really use it? Paul does a great job with the definition in Hebrews 11:1 saying, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Let me explain:

CONFIDENCE: We are supposed to have confidence in what we hope for, but what do we hope for? Salvation is our greatest hope. The entire Old Testament of the Bible was a record of people trying to understand, follow and earn salvation. It proved quite impossible for almost everyone. But we can have confidence in our salvation because of Christ.

MEMORY: Remembering to trust in the love of God for us (even when we can’t see it) is the second part of having faith. We are assured of God’s love by the very fact of Christ’s sacrifice, but we must remember. One of the best ways to remember God’s great love for us is by reading the Bible. It’s the longest love letter ever.

Faith is a word that has been watered down in common language. It is a word that has come to stand in for a mere wish or random vote of support. And if that is all faith stands for in your mind, no wonder it has lost its power. But faith is the most powerful tool we have! Here are some verses to remind ourselves of how God views faith.

Faith is confidence in our salvation through Jesus Christ and continually remembering God’s love. That is why faith heals, throws mountains into the sea, fulfills promises, makes anything possible and performs miracles. So I guess I have a question: do you have this kind of faith?

I think it’s natural to find ourselves in a season where an honest answer is… no. If that’s you, stop settling for the kind of faith you have in the milk not being sour or in the to-be-continued after a favorite TV show. Your faith can be the most powerful part about you. Something that gives you strength and courage and joy and power and love.

Let’s all decide something together: we will hold onto confident hope in Christ and will remember God’s love all day today. And then, maybe try it again tomorrow. At least that’s my goal! Join me?

Humans are Bananas

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“BRB, swatting away outdated notions of perfectionism. No one is perfect, yet we chase perfectionism in hopes of reaching a sense of fulfillment. If you don’t stop to smell the roses and be kind to yourself, you’ll get pricked by destructive thinking patterns. Start by giving yourself room to slip up, whether that means going over your calorie intake for the day, or staying up watching reruns at night. Save this post as a friendly reminder that perfection is overrated.” [NOOM]

Which banana in the image above is your ideal one: hard green, slightly green, yellow, spotted or something in between? I’m pretty sure our favorites are not the same. Does that mean the one I choose is inherently better than the one you chose. Nope. No banana is perfect to everyone.

Humans are basically glorified bananas. We are all in a different stage of ripeness which means my best might not be good enough for you. Your ripeness might not suit my preferences. And even if you could attain perfection, you certainly won’t be to everyone.

If we can’t find fulfillment in being perfect, where can we find it? A lot of us get trapped into trying to fill it with s-t-u-f-f: food, shopping, drinking, partying, drugs and lots of other naughty stuff. Truthfully these things can feel fulfilling temporarily, but they end up being just another trap. So maybe we should all stop trying to be perfect and try being the best version of ourselves instead. That’s a big enough challenge.

And how to we find the freedom to be ourselves, even if we’re not perfect? Jesus Christ. John 8:36 says: “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” The need for perfection was ended with Christ. Now we are free. Walk in that – and be your own best banana.

Be Trustworthy

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God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? Numbers 23:19

Humans are known for… changing our minds. But that’s not how we were created to be. I was created in the image of a trustworthy God who does what he says he will do. So were you beautiful friend! Yet we struggle don’t we? Maybe we can keep promises to others, but can we keep them to ourselves?

How do we grow into the person we were intended to be before the world got to us? I think that emulating someone who does this so well would be a good place to start. We all love a good role model because they inspire us to level up ourselves. So let’s fan girl over God and: pray, look and seek.

PRAY: to God. Sincerely pray. When you do this He will listen.

LOOK: for God. Don’t just glance around and wonder when He will show, but look with passion. Be enthusiastic about your search.

SEEK: Him with all your heart. He’s not really hiding but you may need to discover Him in places you’re not used to looking.

When you pray, look and seek you will find a God so worthy of emulating. And yet the question is what will you allow it to do in you? Will you allow the trustworthy nature of God to inspire a change in you? Spending time with excellence always makes me want to reach higher, do better and conquer my struggles with renewed dedication.

Do you want to be known as someone who makes goals and reaches them? Speaks action? Runs a faithful journey? I know I do!! But let’s be real about our humanity because perfection isn’t the goal. Growing more in the character of who we were created to be like IS the goal. Though it lingers… wait for it.

For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. Habakkuk 2:3

Are you trying so hard but not coming through? Are you struggling to accomplish a goal or flat out failing? God is trustworthy. He does what he says. And it’s not an unrealistic goal to work towards being that way too. Keep praying. Keep looking. Keep seeking.

What Kind of Soil are You?

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I was talking to a friend today about my lack of ability to make myself a priority in my own life. I will turn myself inside out like an octopus for someone else but if I have plans that are inconvenient to others… I will usually drop my own. I like to think of this as a wonderfully sweet trait, but I’m not so sure it is.

How can I yield to God’s cultivation of my life if I don’t even cultivate it myself?! How can I allow God to mature things in me if I won’t spend the time working diligently on me? What might seem generous to others takes away from God’s ability to grow me, when taken too far.

I need to allow myself to be changed. I need to get rid of some bad habits. I need to learn to correct myself. And I need to yield my desire to “not disappoint others” to God and let Him train me. As my beautiful friend reminded me, a full life is a combination of sacrifice AND self (not just self sacrifice).

Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Matthew 13:3-8

Although this is often known as the parable of the sower and the seed, it can also be said this is a parable about the soil. All four types of soil are essentially the same dirt but are in different conditions and respond in different ways to cultivation. What made one soil more responsive and the other less? And also… what kind of soil am I versus what I should be? Let’s take a look at the four types:

PATH: The soil on paths would compact over time as people walked them over and over. A path was never plowed and never fertilized. In the parable, the seed that is sown on the path is not able to penetrate the ground because of this constant use. The condition of the first soil is impermeable, untrained and unhealthy.

ROCKY PLACES: The second type of soil mentioned in the parable is the “rocky places” or the shallow soil where the plow didn’t cut deeply enough to break up the shale or hard ground just below the surface. This soil produced only plants with weak, shallow roots. The condition of the second soil is minimally accessible or trained so even if it is healthy it doesn’t matter much.

THORNS: The third type of soil mentioned is the thorny soil, most likely found in the corners of the field where the plow couldn’t reach; here, weeds overtook what was planted. The condition of the third soil is minimally accessible, untrained and unhealthy.

GOOD SOIL: All the types of soils mentioned here are actually in the same plot of ground with one major difference: Only one area was fully yielded to cultivation, to being changed and prepared for planting. That area was called the good soil. Therefore the condition of the third soil is accessible, trained and healthy.

The greatest amount of fruit produced was not determined by how rich the soil was, but how yielded it was. The soil in each condition received seed, but not all produced quality fruit.

What kind of soil are you? I have been a lot like like the soil on the path. Unplowed by lack of time working on myself and unfertilized by not focusing on any of my needs. I need to make myself more of a priority and do the work God has for ME. And the best way is to become “good soil” so that God can cultivate what he wants in my life.

Hijacking Habits

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It’s the age of both hustle culture and treat yourself culture. This may look great on Instagram, but in real life this combo is burnout-inducing. I know I’ve lived in this dichotomous space over the years and it’s left me with some dysfunctional habits. I’m ready to tackle them head on. With me?!

This afternoon I read an article on breaking bad habits. Interestingly thought, it said that the best way to break a bad habit is to take advantage of a habit you already have built… hijack that one and transform it. Genius right? You can read the whole thing here: How to Build New Habits by Taking Advantage of Old Ones

I am going to try this with two habits. In order to hijack a habit you need to identify the habit you want to break or start. Then identify the four phases of the habit: cue, craving, response and reward. After that you just give it a go!

SNACKING: The cue that sets off the urge to snack is when I feel my energy dip. My craving goes straight to something extra tasty – like brownies or chips. Here I can hijack this habit and instead of grabbing chips with my grocery order or whatever else, my response will be to drink 20 ounces of water. This will give me an energy boost just like a snack!.However, the dopamine release I’m used to from the fatty, salty, sugary snack will be absent so I need to add that in through a happy reward.

EXERCISE: This is a habit I don’t have yet, so I need to look for a habit I currently do have and hijack that one! How about driving the kids to school in the morning? So the cue will be when I get back home after dropping the kids at school. The craving here is usually to have a quiet moment with my coffee and a journal. Here I can hijack this habit and instead of going to the coffee pot, my response will be to get on the treadmill for 60 minutes. Again, the dopamine release I’m used to from the coffee and relation will be absent so I’ll need to add that in through a happy reward.

So this is a tool I plan to use in lots of areas and you might find it helpful too! Let me know if you give it a go. Also, I’d love to hear any rewards you love. I am still thinking about that part. Hugs beautiful friends!

Rest in Joy

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This is Little Dud the Pomeranian, and he is resting. He is sure of my unfailing love supporting him. My comfort and strength brings him great joy and he can close his tiny eyes in complete peace. Children often rest in this same security of their parents love, yet as we grow up we can forget what children (and puppies) know.

When I said, “My foot is slipping, your unfailing love, Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy. Psalm 94:18-19

Rest in God’s unfailing love, you are not left to figure things out on yourself. He supports you, even when you feel like you are slipping. “Your unfailing love, Lord, supported me.” That is truth! You can rest in Him and find freedom from all worry in His Spirit.

Rest on the word consolation. It means comfort, compassion, relief and strength. Jesus Christ has brought God’s consolation to us all and it replaces anxiety with joy. Not only peace, but joy. “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.” We can rest in the joy of the Lord.

Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope. Psalm 119:49

Our hope comes from remembering God’s promises. God promises to support you. God promises to console you. But without remembering these promises we cannot hold onto this offered hope. But we can choose to remember these verses from Psalm 94 and claim the support of his love and his compassion which brings joy.

WE – should memorize these verses so that we can remember the hope we have in Christ.

CAN – trust the promises of God and choose to keep our minds fixed on His support and compassion.

REST – in the knowledge that we are safe in Christ because our salvation has come.

10 Things That Make Me Happy

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“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” Howard Thurman

Everyone should spend time figuring out what makes them happy, what makes them come alive. Why? Because we’re all unique and what you love is such a special part of you that the world needs! If you are just starting to explore your heart in this way, take a look at my list and try making one of your own.

1. PLANNERS: Paper planners make me happy. I love everything about them. Binder style, coil bound, leather, artsy, basic or elaborate. I love copying information over and over. Pens. Stickers. My two favorite types of planners (currently) are Happy Planer and Filofax. But I’m always open to something new!!

2. COFFEE: I sure love coffee. Starbucks is a big favorite of mine. It’s delicious. I also love my first cup at home. I use a Keurig and Nespresso makers because I’m quite fond of my coffee with a shot or two of espresso. Then a bit of half + half and it’s sigh worthy. I am always up for a happy little cup of coffee.

3. DISNEY WORLD: Did I ever mention I was married in Disney World?! That’s how much I love it there. The magical destination they have created just seems to fill my happiness meter to the brim. I know people have different opinions on Disney, but I have made it my happy place since I was little. Let’s go to Disney World!!

4. PETS: I adore animals. I would have our house packed full if it weren’t for my sensible husband. Right now we have Beowülf the Akita, Little Dud the Pomeranian, Christian the Russian Blue, Syzygy the Maine Coon and Bruno the Teddy Bear Hamster. I love each and every one with my whole heart. I’m not sure what pet will come next… but I know it’s only a matter of time.

5. FRIENDS: In case you haven’t guessed, I’m an extrovert. Talking with people is my favorite. Honestly, everything is better with friends. I love being with women, talking with them, creating events, having people over to dinner and even public speaking to groups. So fun! I am always open to more friends.

6. PUBLIC SPEAKING: Since I mentioned public speaking above, I should give it a whole section because I really like speaking to groups. Hope God gives me lots more things to share and the opportunity to do so. Need a speaker? Pick me! If you want to see me speak or have questions CLICK HERE.

7. I LOVE LUCY: This is my favorite show to leave on in the background because it’s hysterical. Plus I know all the episodes by heart so I can walk in and out without missing anything. If my life had a soundtrack it would probably be full of Ethel Mertz comments and Ricky Ricardo mispronouncing all the words.

8. CUDDLING: Does this make your happy like mine? I love cuddling my dogs, cats and hamster. I love cuddling my kids to sleep. I love sleeping on my husband’s shoulder. I’ll still cuddle stuffed animals, yup no shame. I will happily cuddle just about anything!

9. PURSES: I don’t think anyone was ever uncheered by a new purse. But this category is quite broad because I would extend it to totes, backpacks, makeup bags, suitcases, trunks. If you can put stuff in it and bring it with you I love it. I’ve moved and traveled my whole life so perhaps it’s the vagabond in me, but purse-type-things make me happy.

10. WRITING: Yup, I love writing. Expressing myself isn’t a chore but a love. I think it’s an extra outlet for this extravert to express herself even more. I write stories, articles, book reviews, devotionals and blog posts on all kinds of topics. I write stories for my kids and tales about our pets. Stick around and you’ll get to enjoy it all.

It’s just about that easy to begin to discover what makes your heart come alive. I try to make these lists often because it helps me know where to direct my efforts and where to get a bit of extra happiness when I’m feeling low. Are we similar in any ways? I’m sure you can think of lots of things I didn’t even mention. Try making a list of your own!

New Blue Boo(k)

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I don’t know how you feel about your Bible… but I LOVE mine. This is my latest – it is the NIV Grace + Truth Premium. I was using an ESV Study Bible but here’s an honest issue I was having. It’s super heavy. I’ve gone on 2 trips with it and lugging it through airports is a lot. We are heading to Israel in a month and of course I want my Bible along. So I knew I needed to make a change. Enter this boo(k) + here are some reasons I picked it:

LIGHTER: This Bible is about 2 pounds lighter. I know that might not seem like much but I carry my Bible around with me. Just imagine throwing a 2 pound weight in your purse or pocket. You would notice.

COLORFUL: It’s beautiful right?! I mean the blue color isn’t a blasé dark navy, but more like the color of a deep ocean soaking up bright sunlight. And the ribbon colors… LOVE the blue, grey and red. You can’t see inside except for a glimpse of the edge from the photo above but the liner is crimson red. I can’t get over the colors. They make me happy just to open it.

SOFT: Can we talk about the leather now? It’s goat skin and extremely soft and flexible. I don’t like a stiff Bible because sometimes I sleep with it. Am I the only one who likes to put the Bible under their pillow?

NIV: I have been using NIV or ESV translations for most of my life. Let’s take a minute to compare the two. The NIV translators goal was to create an “accurate, beautiful, clear, and dignified translation suitable for public and private reading, teaching, preaching, memorizing, and liturgical use.” It is known for its “thought for thought” or “dynamic equivalence” translation rather than a “word for word.” The ESV version is the closest to the original text of the Hebrew Bible. It is a literal translation of the Hebrew text. The translators emphasize “word-for-word” accuracy. This being said, there is very little difference in the readability of either of these. I like both translations, so the NIV will be a great Bible for me at this time.

YAPP: (nerd alert) Where are my book lovers? So the yapp on a book is basically the edge of the cover. A semi-yapp cover will wrap around the page edges, while a full-yapp cover wraps even farther, to the point of touching or thereabout. I love this funny little article on yapp history: meaning of yapp. Anyway, not many Bibles have a yapp at all anymore and this one has a semi-yapp. I’m here for that.

So those are some reasons I picked this Bible. It also has great pages. They are thick enough that you don’t think you’ll rip them just by turning. Some pages can be so thin it’s hard to use the Bible. Not the case here. Speaking of pages I’ll show off an inside shot (before I start adding all my personal notes).

Pretty right?! So this is the Bible you will see me using and posting from. Just FYI in case you fall in love with it too.

2022 Healthy Weight Adventure

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It’s very popular these days to accept everything about yourself and I am certainly here for having realistic standards. But truth still matters and gravity is real so I have decided to get some of this extra weight off once and for all. If I don’t make a better effort to get to a healthier weight it will become harder to enjoy life. After all, we’re not talking about a few cosmetic pounds. I need to drop about FIFTY pounds. So I am going to make some plans!

What specifically will I do? I can think of six things I will need to figure out in order to reach my goal of losing fifty pounds by the end of the year. At least six things that is. Here are my ideas:

  • Food: Eat oatmeal for breakfast. Protein and vegetables for lunch and dinner. Sweet treat once a week.
  • Water: Drink lots of it. It will give me more energy and help me stay on track. Go for 100 ounces every day.
  • Mindfulness: Pay attention to what I’m doing. Eat with my goals in mind not just for fun or stress relief. Work out to reach my goals.
  • Exercise: Walk an hour each day + strength train three times a week.
  • Stress: Figure out ways to deal with stress that don’t involve eating. Use NOOM strategies for building resiliency.
  • Sleep: My sleep goal is to keep it regular. I also want to make efforts toward getting up at 6am and going to bed by 10pm.

In order to measure how I’m doing I will use the scale. I know there are lots of opinions about scales, but since I am working on reducing my weight I think it’s the best tool for me. I have created a WEIGHT CHART to keep track of my progress. It’s clearly no secret so take a peek and feel free to follow along.

Is it attainable to lose the weight in this time period? I think so. There are a little over nine months left in the year. I need to lose five to six pounds a month to reach my goal. That comes to less than a pound and a half each week. But it will require consistent effort, so I need to keep on track.

Keeping my weight loss relevant to my everyday life is going to be crucial to my success, because forgetfulness is my worst enemy. To keep this goal fresh in my mind I will keep a daily journal. When I see it I will remember my health goal is more relevant to my happiness than a brownie. I will use HABIT HIJACKS too!

The deadline for this goal is the end of 2022. Why? So I can be done! Why drag it out!! As a reward for reaching my goal I will [insert amazing reward tbd]. If I reach my goal I get the reward, I just have to figure out what it will be. Simple!

Alright! I am going to post this and get to bed (because that’s part of this healthy plan). Thanks for reading beautiful friend!