iShineInMinistry

Are you feeling completely drained, barren perhaps? I was just reading a devotional this morning about barrenness and it occurred to me that I may be in this current state of being. I am always tired, feel like there is always something to do and I really just want a little bit of REST, for like, I don't know...28 minutes?

My body is always giving me warnings to knock it off and get my life together and yet I can't seem to get the hint because...I mean, serving opportunities and other fun things are always around me, just waiting to be completed. And one of my spiritual gifts is serving (being the party is not a spiritual gift, but I seem to want to be that too, lol) so I am always excited, yet prayerful about getting involved. However, I always manage to go overboard (do all unto the glory of the Lord, with joy and glitter) and get carried away with how I execute things, which later makes me exhausted. So, I am prescribing myself (and you if you need it) with three ways to un-barren ourselves when we feel tired, drained and spiritually dry.

1) Nighty night devotions - Obviously, starting your day with morning devos is a genius idea to help you get through the day. However, it is also a smashing idea to add evening devotions to the end of the day and reflect on God's goodness as He relaxes you and prepares your heart and body to bedtime. Play some instrumental worship music in the background to really reset your body to chill mode.

2) Two hours a week of just plain nothing - I have been trying to incorporate this into my week more often these days. I have what I like to refer to as "floor time" where I set a blanket out and just chill on it for a couple of hours. I may journal, light some candles or just lay there looking at my ceiling fan as it turns, but I find that this time to do nothing (for the most part) but breathe is quite beneficial. It may also be a good idea to try to take that time to memorize a verse of scripture. I have been on Psalm 107:8-9 as of late. Or, another fantastic option is to listen to a teaching from a nonlocal pastor that you don't get to hear at church every Sunday in-person.

3) Sip some tea - I LOVE LOVE LOVE tea and had to actually down my intake because it was getting slightly out of hand. However, I do like to have some caramel bedtime tea with cream at the end of a long day to unwind and literally just enjoy the flavor of a sweet treat that does not have nearly as many calories as a slice of cake (which will then send me straight to the gym to run for 60 minutes and further amp me up). The warmth makes my body go into a tranquil state of bliss and I really just love this feeling.

What are some of the ways you take time to re-group and refocus on rest and the Lord when you are feeling drained or barren? How do you refuel and refresh so that your eyes come back to being fixed on the Lord?

Psalm 46:10 (NIV)

 

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;

 

I will be exalted among the nations,

 

I will be exalted in the earth.”

 

Is anyone else drowning in busyness lately? Every moment of every single day seems like it's jam-packed with tasks, follow up, this, that and everything in between. I keep taking things away from my schedule, only to have my precious minutes high-jacked by something else before I know what's happening. I literally cannot even deal with how exhausted I have been lately. I think we all need to take some sabbath moments in our day to re-set, recharge and restore our focus on the Lord so that we can do the things we have been called to do in our everyday life.

 

 

 

I believe I need my little break during the mid-afternoon. I need a little prayer and little devotional time, a little downtime and some quiet to regroup and recollect my thoughts. I know that I need to get my mind back on track before I begin to try and do things in my own strength just to make sure tasks get done. This break allows me to take a step back so that my heart and mind are on the right trail.

 

 

 

While 10 minutes may not seem like enough time to "get your life" it is clearly better than no minutes at all. We all need to get our hearts and minds back on the Lord when stress ensues. Take a breather with God and let Him help you de-stress.

 

 

 

Blessings, Hearts and Hugs!

 

1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)

 

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

For words, for thoughts, for joy, for rest...whatever you are battling we need to get ourselves back on track and get that dulled sparkle back to where it should be. We need to get back where we belong (as the Phil Wickham song says) and make sure we are not blocking anything that God is trying to do in our lives. Here are some ways to get your life back on kilter so we can be joyful and spread the love of the Lord.

 

Repent - Might there be something you did or said that needs to be brought to the Lord. I know that my prideful thoughts and coveting have been getting me in quite the mess lately. What about you? Is there something you need to confess to the Lord so you can get back on track with Him? Pray Psalm 139:23-24 and see what the Lord shows you.

 

Rest - Maybe you are running on empty and can't seem to stop the momentum of go,go, go! This is frequently one of my problems. You may need to sedate yourself or at least get a cup of tea and just take time to sit still. Grab a blanket and lay on the floor of your bedroom or living room and just be for a few moments. Don't force your brain to go into overdrive...maybe even take a nap if you are able. Just calm down a take a mini-Sabbath to regroup.

 

Write - Perhaps there are too many thoughts going about in your head and you need to get them all out to combat how overwhelmed you feel. Get a little notepad and a cute pen and be the hand of a ready writer. Jot down everything that is clouding your mind, whether it be a to-do list, a letter to someone you need to speak with in person or a series of written rants. Whatever the thoughts are, they are taking over and you need to take control of them before they get the best of you. Sometimes just getting them out is all you need to take the first step in getting back on track.

 

Cuddle - This probably sounds like the preschool approach, but sometimes you just need a hug...it's true. Maybe life has drained you and you just want a small moment of affection. Find your best friend, husband, mom, baby nephew or stuffed lion that sits on your bed and give a little hug. A little love goes a long way and could be all you needed to recuperate and get back in the game.

 

Pray - Clearly you should have done this in the first place. However, we sometimes go to our knee-jerk reactions rather than to the One we need most. Hopefully this was your first go-to before you started any of the other ideas I gave you, but I listed it just in case you didn't Talk to the the Lord and let Him calm your anxious heart. Cast your burdens on Him...He cares for you (and me). Also, read Psalm 4:1, it will be helpful!

 

I know that I personally like to do a high-impact workout to get some stress or confusion out as well. What are some of the other ways you get your mindset back on track when you are at a loss? I'd love to hear in the comments below!

 

Lamentations 3:22-25 (NKJV)

Through the lord's mercies we are not consumed

Because His compassions fail not,

They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness.

"The Lord is my portion," says my soul,

"Therefore I hope in Him!"

The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,

To the soul who seeks Him,

It is good that one should hope and wait quietly

For the salvation of the Lord.

So, it is officially the end of the year and our 365 days of great expectations is closing out. I hope that you had an amazing season with the Lord, learned more about His character, grew in your faith and trusted Him even more, having an excited and expectant heart for all of His wonderful plans. This year we also had a great journey with the single ladies praying every Sunday evening. Through all of the wonderful occurrences, times of prayer and fantastic experiences God was faithful to show up many times. I hope you learned a great deal about your relationship with the Lord and an abundant amount of new information about yourself. Here is what I learned.

 

1) God’s sovereign plan is amazing and it doesn’t matter how long “it” takes to get to the desire of your heart.

Many ladies joined me on a weekly prayer for our future husbands and two ladies actually got engaged this year! Some of the girls were able to start new jobs or go on new adventures with God’s provision and timing or do a myriad of other fantastic things. Some of us may have not gotten to get to the “finish line” with very specific areas of our lives, but that does not discount all of the other wonderful things that took place in 2017. Please take note of 10-25 lovely moments and memories from the year (perhaps one from each month) and thank the Lord for His perfect plan.

 

2) Sometimes by asking for something you want, you stumble upon the realization that you really do not want it after all, because it may not be God’s will.

As we draw closer to God, He begins to show us that He really is all that we need. Even through frustration, tears, heartache, sadness, discouragement and despair God will use things, circumstances, people and other seemingly inanimate things to bring us to the truth that God is our all in all. Sometimes it takes everything else getting taken away to see that…or sometimes we have the “aha” moment before we get to that point. Either way, that is a great place to be in!

 

3) Every single day is an opportunity to find joy, hope and greatness.

When you are truly trusting in the Lord, everything can come up roses because we know that God is in the details, whether or not we understand. God can stretch us, allow certain instances to happen or maneuver our lives in such a way that we will have to cling to His promises and choose joy in storms and hard times. When this happens, it gives us the upper hand over the enemy. He will not be able to throw anything at us that will thwart our faith or make our trust in God falter. Even as chaos ensues, we can find joy; not be in denial, but truly chose to be joyful and thankful in all circumstances, for this is the will of God for us in Christ Jesus!

 

4) Life is shorter than we think – make sure to tell people you love them!

Be a kind friend, a loving family member, a fabulous coworker, a listening ear, a prayer partner, a confidant, a genuine fixture in someone’s life. Be someone that reminds people that kindness still exists. Do it through God’s power and not your own strength. Do it without ulterior motives, do it without expecting something in return. Have the heart to be the hands and feet of Jesus and do all to His glory. Let your love abound so much that the overflow is a blessing to all those who encounter you!

 

I hope that you were able to find joy in this year even in the midst of all the mayhem; the sadness, heartache and craziness that we have seen take place over this year. I know that sometimes it can be hard to look for the joy in the middle of hurt, but don’t let your heart get stuck in the pit of despair. As we get ready for 2018, let’s start the year off right…with prayer! And if you need prayer for anything specific, please do message me. Have a wonderfully blessed New Year!

Psalm 51:3-4 (ESV)

 

For I know my transgressions,

 

and my sin is ever before me.

 

Against you, you only, have I sinned

 

and done what is evil in your sight,

 

so that you may be justified in your words

 

and blameless in your judgment.

 

 

 

I remember occasions in my childhood, college and even last week where I have had to apologize for the things that I have done. From coloring on the wall, to running up yet another credit card bill for my mom to pay, to changing plans on a friend last minute because (in my absurd opinion) they move too slow for my pace…or even for not showing my mom my final grades in college when my GPA lowered by two entire points.

 

 

 

During some of those times, I know I was genuinely apologetic about the situation and what I had done. Other times, I may have just said sorry because I knew that’s what the other person wanted to hear. Then there were times (like the grades) when I was genuinely repentant and sad that I had let my mom down. As I think through those moments and all the things that we see that happen around us on the daily basis, my thought is…are we truly sorry all the time? Or are we just sorry we got caught?

 

 

 

I think about this often when I’m around children. They know the right thing to do is say sorry, because it’s what they have been taught. My question is, would they just continue as is if no one ever mentioned their wrongdoing? Then my thoughts come to us as adults. As we hear so many stories of wrongdoing and years of secret sins, are people truly sorry for what they have done? Or, do they know, as little children, that this is the correct thing to say when we get caught doing wrong?

 

 

 

I want each of us to take a personal inventory this week and notice each time we apologize to someone. Do we really mean it? Are we coming forward or waiting for them to “catch us” before we apologize for our actions? Then, I really want us to think about how our hearts are when we pray for forgiveness to the Lord for our sins.

 

 

 

He already knows what we did, there’s no hiding. Are we like David and genuinely realize the depth of what we’ve done or are we like a darling little three-year old that just say “sowwie” because we know we should?

 

 

 

I pray for all of us (myself included) that we will have hearts ready to confess, repent, turn away and desire to obey the Lord. Let’s be transparent before God and let Him make us clean, new, joyful and faultless as we walk this journey of faith, waiting for the day when we will be like Him and no longer need to apologize for our fleshy natures.

 

 

 

Read Psalm 51 in its entirety sometime this week! Then make that your prayer as you seek to stay close to the Lord. Do you need prayer for something specific? Do you need to confess to someone or the Lord something you have done? Feel free to email me your request!

 

 

 

Psalm 51:10 (NKJV)

 

Create in me a clean heart,

 

O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.