Jan 31, 2022 | Books, Faith, Family & Home
Finding My God-Given Talents
The best-selling author, Erma Bombeck, once said, “When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and I could say ‘I used everything you gave me.’” Like many things in life, this is easier said than done. I strive to embrace my talents, to trust in God to clarify what all my gifts are, to seek His counsel in how to use them. But I am learning that sometimes falling short of our talents is part of the journey to discover them.
How Do We Know Our Talents?
I feel it is often in my nature to resist (girl’s gotta love her control!), even when I don’t mean to. As a conduit for God’s word, I pride myself on hearing Him. But when He requires of me anything that sacrifices my comfort, I find myself attempting to evade the very thing God is ushering me into. So to truly seek the Lord’s wisdom and guidance, I’ve had to start by listening and learning from His desires. I must trust his direction, trust that He knows how to enhance every ounce of my talent to display Holy boldness and a life of purpose. So here are a few things I am practicing listening to and learning from him to embrace my God-given talents.
Bloom Where You Are Planted
Ugh… Well, Lord, if you had just planted me in one location for 30 years this would be so much easier! This is a thought that has crossed my mind on and off for 10 years. Excuses and reasons why it is too difficult to embrace the purpose of my journey. But after fighting against it for so long, I have finally surrendered to His will. By understanding that it is not an accident that God has moved our family, I am finally able to walk with freedom through these uprootings. It is time for me to embrace blooming, in EVERY place He plants me. To live a life of purpose, mission, and community, I have had to embrace His plan of dislocation and abort mine of stability.
Trust God’s Plan
No, duh! I know this one seems like a no brainer, but in order to trust God’s plan, we must have an intimate relationship with Him. I must release the desire to know how He thinks and instead wait and trust that His plan is greater than mine. I often have to remind myself that his vision is not centered around me and my experience, but instead is a great picture of which I am a mere brushstroke to be used to enhance and encourage.
Stop Hiding in Fear and Doubt
Fear and doubt only lead to procrastination. A fact of which I am painfully aware. I want to live without the bondage of these restraints, and to do so I must remember that some of my God-glorifying talents can’t be put on display until I deal with the root of my fear. It is my prayer to shed these so that every talent I’ve buried can be raised up. By embracing instead of doubting, His desires will show me how to multiply and bloom the talents that he has bestowed upon me, to glorify not myself, but my Heavenly Father.
Jan 30, 2021 | Faith, Family & Home
Finding Balance Through Self-Care
I will admit, I most certainly have a tendency to… let’s say, overcommit to some of my gospels. First and foremost? Philippians 2:3. You know, the part that says “Count others more significant than yourselves.” I can’t tell you how often I find myself run ragged trying to ensure that all those around me have what they need; nice clothes, exercise, balanced meals, spiritual enrichment, and this list goes on. Meanwhile, I push myself to the side, looking like a stray dog, overweight, body aching, eating cake for breakfast.
Get Honest With Yourself
At some point, I had to recognize that self neglect had become something I was so guilty of, it was damaging my health. Self-care never was a priority for me because I so frequently struggled under the false burden to prove I was an excellent follower of Christ by being servant to my family and community. Don’t get me wrong, this verse should be very instrumental in our day to day lives, but never at the risk of our own mental and physical wellbeing.
Understand All That You Give
I entered 2020 running on empty, exhausted with my life, emotionally defeated, and physically drained. I look back now and know that had God not revealed to me early on the importance of caring for myself, I would have broken. He gave me a simple lesson: you cannot fill another’s cup if yours is empty. We are called to live selflessly, without conceit, to not show partiality, and to display the same unconditional love and servanthood to our neighbors as Christ does for us. Nevertheless, God desires for us to be whole in Him first by obtaining a great level of spiritual health. We must remember that Christ needs us to give to ourselves so that we may then give to others.
“Caring for myself does not make me self-centered, it does not negate all that I do for others.”
Fix Yourself Up
It has certainly been a year of growth, but I am most thankful that finally I have gathered the awareness that my overall health is just as important as the health of those closest to me.
Moreover, caring for myself does not make me self-centered, it does not negate all that I do for others, nor does it take away from living out my calling through Christ.
So how am I going to make changes in my self-care this year?
^
This means a long list of exercising, drinking more water, taking my supplements, limiting my sugar intake, seeing my health care providers and yes that includes my massage therapist.
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I need to seek assistance to properly confront my anxiety and OCD, and overcome the stigmas I associate with needing help.
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Embrace the people around me that bring me love and laughter.
It is time I learned that caring for myself equips me to understand what I need in all facets of life and to be able to identify when those needs aren’t being met. And boy, am I going overboard with it this year!
Dec 31, 2020 | Faith
Suffice to say, 2020 has had its fair share of lows. As for all of us, the global pandemic has forced me to navigate so many unforeseen challenges with family, friends, and faith. It has been a year of adjusting and readjusting, adapting to changes that seem to appear at the drop of a hat. And while I have struggled to overcome each new obstacle, 2020 has forced me (as JJ Heller would say) to find the “big magic in the mundane, the big picture in a small frame”.
What I Learned Along the Way
For all its difficulties, this year brought to the forefront some lessons that I was remiss to have forgotten. I was reminded of the things I take for granted, the necessity of finding time to care for myself in the midst of caring for so many others around me, and the simple fact that none of us can ever truly have it all together, and that’s okay! 2020 has given me the gift of remembering that valuing life and time with your family, and prioritizing grace, unconditional love, and forgiveness is the most important thing we can do. Time doesn’t stand still for anyone, and as this year closes, I am finding myself thankful to be reminded that each moment is a blessing.
Finding Faith in the Chaos
We certainly couldn’t have predicted the events of this year, but we do get to choose how we respond to it, who we will believe in, how faith will take us forward. Above all else, 2020 has made it evident why it’s imperative to believe in someone bigger than the trials of today. We must saturate ourselves in God’s word and prayer. We must embrace the beauty of vulnerability and living in community. Despite the many challenges I may have endured, this year especially, God has repeatedly shown me His Victory. He has opened my eyes to new ways of experiencing Him.
Stepping Forward Without Fear
As 2021 rapidly approaches, I find myself calm. While the unknown is always scary, I feel that God is pushing me out of my comfort zone into a new season of life. So next year? Next year, I am along for the ride, surrendering to be used as a vessel. I am remembering what 2020 has taught me, what God has illuminated amongst the hardship. I am leaving behind the fear and doubt that have kept me in bondage. As we embark upon a new year I’m eager for God to help me discern His voice, to know that He will reveal Himself to me like never before, even in the midst of the chaos. Let us remember as the New Year rings in, together, with the help of God, we can move mountains.
Dec 29, 2020 | Faith
In the most recent weeks, I’ve been attempting to establish new boundaries and find ways to simplify my life a little more. It’s extremely challenging to simplify when my expectations are rather high AND that little control issue I have tend to creep back in. Control is often a quality we associate with success; being in control and being able to control imply a sense of power, an impact on your surroundings. But lately, as I navigate through so many transitions at once, I have found that sometimes my need for control has driven me to complicate things in my life that would otherwise be simple.
Embrace the Unexpected
In a year where transition has been unexpected and frequent, I find my need to control the outcomes of every situation overwhelming. We all want to be sure of how everything is going to turn out, to do all we can to get positive results. Sometimes though, the effort we put in exceeds the benefits we get out. We miss out on the moments that we should be cherishing. Why? Because we are contributing so much complexity to our life and our decisions.
Introducing Boundaries
As a New Year’s resolution, I am eager to work on simplifying my life a bit and trying to enjoy outcomes that may surprise me. How do I do this? By reintroducing a recurring matter in my life: boundaries. By accepting my limits as a person and relinquishing control over every facet of my life, I am finding a new brand of success, a way of making my life flow easier.
Finding Trust
Boundaries alone, however, aren’t enough to add simplicity to your life. You must pair every boundary with trust. Trust that if you release control, someone else will pick up that slack. Trust that someone else’s approach may still bring positive outcomes, even if it is different from what you would do (those dishes will still get clean even if your husband isn’t as good at loading the dishwasher Tetris style). Trust that others will understand when you need to say “no” (sometimes prioritizing your mental health means you can’t always be available).
And if all else fails? All it takes is remembering with grace that God is looking out, that the ultimate control is His.
I am allowing myself to let go and trust in Him from this day forward.
