Worth A Moment

Our journey to walk WORTHY (Eph 4:1)

Tag: Encouragement

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Unprecedented Times are not Impossible Times

March 19, 2020 / / 0 Comments

As someone who has dealt with depression in the past, I know how anxious times can create dips in our mood. (Normally I love dip, but not this kind). I’ve heard from you recently via the interwebs and phone calls – you’re confused, you’re scared, alone, out of toilet paper, the owner of 30 cans of ravioli with no desire to eat any. Whatever you’re feeling, please allow me to offer a few words of encouragement and steps to avoid downward spiraling before the Corona-crazy of social distancing really sets in. In all reality, life will be harder. We will not be able to control what happens on the outside, but perhaps we can protect ourselves from complete self-destruction in our homes.

The coronavirus does not change God’s promises – it won’t diminish the potential you have

2020 is supposed to be the “Year of Vision,” and I want to see a fresh perspective from God on our current situation. During this time I have felt the need to stay realistic but hopeful. Informed, yet positive. Sound impossible? It kind of is at times! Here’s the thing – this is an unprecedented time, but we have an Unstoppable God! He is showing me that beyond my need to stay woke, I need to TRUST Him (Ps. 9:10). Trust in His sovereignty. Trust that God still has a future and a hope for me, and for you! The coronavirus does not change God’s promises – it won’t diminish the potential you have. COVID-19 can’t limit the growth you will experience or the depths where God will take you.

#sociallydistantNOTspirituallydistant 

Friend, God is with you now, and will complete the work He started in you.

  • He will provide for you!
  • He will stretch you!
  • He will refine you!
  • He will hear you!
  • He will show up in ways you never thought possible!

He will draw near to you, as you tune into Him and tune out the chaos (Ps. 34:18).

Social distancing can still be a time to connect, to grow, to love and serve others, to go beyond buildings, and to test the boundaries of community.

Impossible starts with possible steps

This is also a time to grieve our losses, and beyond acceptance, surrender them to a God who sees, cares, protects, knows, heals, and prospers us. So. While you are on your journey to trust and surrender, allow me to share the things I follow DAILY to keep myself from those low, low places. 

Routine

Yes, sleep in once in a while, snuggle way way more right now, but don’t knock the beauty of routine. Set a time for YOURSELF (yes, you Mama) and keep it on the regular. If you’re feeling off, you might just be off your routine. 

Self-Care/Development

My best mornings look like this:

  1. Wake up / drink my pre-workout (Mommy Crack:Energize)
  2. Read devo/personal development book of choice
  3. Journal thoughts of gratitude
  4. Make short list of 3 – 5 things I will accomplish that day
  5. Push play (virtual gym for the #quarantine win!)

My best mornings/nights look like this:

  1. 10 min shower of prayer/meditation and stretching
  2. Planning and prioritizing my time for the day
  3. Reading/Audiobook
  4. Journal/Reflection time before bed

Workout

Working out has become one area I cherish, not because I dream of abs, but because I infuse my faith with my fitness! This combination is more beautiful than peanut butter and chocolate (and that’s saying a lot for me)! During workouts I listen to worship, podcasts, teachings, or just giving thanks for the gift of movement!

Water

Drink ALL the water (hopefully you have a Brita or filter)! Water is essential for life, and your well-being. Drink half of your weight, yes, you’ll run to the bathroom more, but that’s just burning extra calories – you’re welcome! 

Laugh

I love to laugh! Find joy in life, and learn to laugh at even the frustrating things, it beats crying all the time, lol! 

Serve Others

Acting outside of myself and serving people really takes my focus off my own worries. Call an extroverted friend who is hating this social distancing, find out if your elderly neighbor needs a grocery run, or post encouragement for others to read! Ask me how you can help! When you give, I promise you also gain! 

BE THANKFUL

A heart of gratitude knows SO MUCH JOY! What a blessing it is to serve others through the sacrifice of freedoms right now. Let’s take inventory every day of our blessings and teach this to our children.

Friends, I know this season just started, but let’s not let it overtake or discourage us. Even in an unprecedented season, can we disinvite fear and choose to trust and surrender daily to the God of Possible?

It might just be #worthit.

Coffee, Pray, Repeat

February 22, 2016 / / 2 Comments

Why did I break down and cry after getting this free Dutch bros today? Was it because this mommy is once again worn out and the precious coffee people took mercy on me? Or maybe it was because the Lord knew I would need to know He loves me and sees this “Mombie” trying to function on two hours of sleep? Probably both.

You see, I seem to forget how hard it is to raise a toddler, and this time I was blessed with the “she never sleeps,” kid. Thanks, Jesus.  I know David and Logan were babies once and had their difficulties too, but now they sleep like happy little logs, and I think God graciously allowed me to forget their trying times so we would keep having kids. ? So we keep breeding, and I keep running to social media to vent about it all as if something new is happening, except this time I’m writing to myself and to you all because I know there’s a lesson here….

In the midst of my complaining, joking, venting, and humorous retelling of my night-capades with Aria, I’m forgetting that the more I invest worry in this one area of her little life, the further I am from seeing the big picture. Even with children, God never gives us more than we can handle without Him.

I’ll be the first to admit it, having kids is HARD. Why do I ever expect anything less? Completely worthwhile and awesome, but So. Much. Work. Why is that? Because pressure makes diamond (no wonder labor is so intense). In order to mold, shape, and craft these precious people, it takes all of me, my blood, sweat, tears, and other forms of liquid. It’s about putting focus beyond their physical and behavioral needs, consistently building trust, commitment and reassurance that I will always be there for them in the middle of the night, just like my Heavenly Father is for me each time I cry out to Him.

Jesus has reminded me over and over that my children are exactly who I was equipped to raise. Sleep issues and all. And yes, God can move mountains and give us peaceful nights, but having Aria has stretched me to see grace through the bags under my eyes. She helps me grow confidence in knowing each child is wildly different and I’m going to just have to do my best and stop looking across the playground at the other babies playing perfectly. It’s never a good idea to take my eyes off of Aria anyway.

“My children are exactly who I was equipped to raise”

Our kids are the ones we prayed for (technically, David was an accident, but we still like him), rejoiced over, and I get to stay up with them at night and breathe in the scent of a real miracle and blessing. If I look closely, Aria sleeps as much as her busy mamma does and that scares me a little. I think this means I will be chasing her ambitious heart like my mom chased mine.

So to the other tired moms out there, I raise a coffee-brimmed glass to you and am remembering that today I will put on LOVE, not disappointment that my life isn’t perfect, I will pull on COMPASSION, along with yoga pants because skinny jeans with buttons are too much work (and not as nice). I will lather PATIENCE, and lots of deodorant because I didn’t have time to shower…again. And that’s okay. For now, I have all I need for today…and hopefully tonight. And if you hear me complaining, just smile and tell me “It is well.”

“Therefore, God’s chosen ones, holy and loved, put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, accepting one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive. Above all, put on love—the perfect bond of unity. And let the peace of the Messiah, to which you were also called in one body, control your hearts. Be thankful.” -Colossians 3:12-15 HCSB

The Arizona Cardinals Should Have Won

January 25, 2016 / / 0 Comments
Preface

cam-newtonThis is an emotional response to the crushing loss and humiliating ending to the Arizona Cardinals NFL 2015-2016 season.  This feeling of fury and rage felt at the deepest part of one’s gut is NOT one that can be put into words, but for some fans, this picture alone can induce the feeling.

During that moment I tried to express my distaste for the classless sportsmanship through Twitter, but I’m not sure that was the best way to resolve my feelings:

Disappointment is something I definitely struggle with. Most of the time I place no hope in anything on earth (considering how hopeless it is). But sports represent a different kind of hope, a hope that is intentionally temporal; meaning even when you win you understand the victory is momentary. So in the big scheme of things winning is never everything, but in the context of competition you hope for that temporal victory because of the hunger of the passion within you. Passion is something internal, it doesn’t just “hope” with optimism, but it feeds on any opportunity to triumph. As long as there is an opportunity then there is a hunger, and that hunger is not satisfied until it has seized the opportunity.

“…in the big scheme of things winning is never everything”

What happens when your passion falls short of its pursuit? The opportunity escapes and your passion is more hungry than when it began. Like a cheetah who exhausts itself at its top speed only to see its prey prance away. The opportunity may be gone forever but the hunger rages on. Will your temper ever really be tamed if it settles for anything less?

#TamingPassion

Since desire and passion are seated within our hearts, perhaps we should remind ourselves of where this unquenchable passion really comes from. We have a Creator who claims to have an all-giving, all-reaching, compassionate, everlasting, forgiving, immovable, irrefutable, irresistible, merciful, overarching, passionate, priceless, undeniable, unfailing, unsearchable, unstoppable love for us that is stronger than death. Like a fire that cannot be quenched by water, God displayed a picture of this passion for His people when He devoured Elisha’s sacrifice with fire from heaven even after it was drenched. If you think your passion is eager, compare it to God’s. His love for you is JEALOUS! (Exodus 34:14) His love for you will always PROTECT, always TRUST, always HOPE, always PERSEVERE. And ultimately, His love never fails! (1 Corinthians 13:6-7)

So while success may be sweet and loss can be bitter, love is still the only thing that satisfies. Seasons may come and go but love will always remain. 1 John 4:8 tells us that “God is Love,” He does not just contain this passion within Himself but He IS the relentless passion. He is the pursuer of the human heart, the lover of your heart, and He put within you that same unquenchable desire so that you might pursue Him.

Therefore, let your passions burn! Let your zeal rage! You were created with intense emotions so that you might run to the Father with the same fervor He has for you. Run the race, “Run in such a way as to get the prize… a crown that will last forever” (1 Corinthians 9:24-25).

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