Whatever You Do

“God doesn’t bless us just to make us happy;
He blesses us to make us a blessing.”
Warren W. Wiersbe
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If you follow me on instagram, you probably saw
this verse I doodled yesterday.
Yesterday morning I was reading through 1 Corinthians
during my quiet time and this one verse really spoke to me.

Whatever I do should bring Him glory.
Even simple tasks like eating and drinking.
Warren Wiersbe states it beautifully.
Our blessings help us to bless others.
What we do with our blessings brings Him glory.
Today I am choosing to bring Him glory!

Choose Blessed

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You know who has some of my favorite quotes? Buddha. Yes, I said Buddha. Do I believe Buddhism is correct, not even close. But some of Buddha’s statements line up perfectly with the Bible. {if only they understood the beauty of grace that comes with the truth- Jesus. but that is a rabbit trail for another time} 

The quote above reminds me of 1 Peter 5:6-7 “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may life you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” During trials we must humble ourselves so that we may learn what it is that our Father is trying to teach us. I recently received an email from someone asking for advice. For this individual trials seemed to be abounding and blessings seemed to be few. She asked how I found joy when in seasons of trials.

My first answer is prayer. Prayer for a changed heart, prayer for perspective, prayer for understanding, prayer for healing… what ever it is my heart is struggling with/yearning for. Pray. Second, cling to verses like James 1:2 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.”  Third, choose to notice my blessings above all.  At times this may be the hardest of the three. But it also brings immediate joy. If you follow me on instagram you may have noticed that I often hashtag ‘Choose Blessed.’ Each day we have the choice to choose to look at our blessings or choose to look at our trials. I want to choose blessed.

Feel free to join me in choosing to be blessed!
Simply hashtag your instagram photos so we can share in each others blessings!
Life is too short not to choose blessed!

Engaged

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While at Florida State I loved practicing yoga. There is something peaceful about clearing your mind, focusing on your breathing, and getting in-tuned with your body.  After each class I left with more clarity and focus then I had entering the class. If you follow me on instagram you already know this, but I am proud to admit that I have finally returned to practicing yoga. Due to how long it has been since I have practiced yoga (or stretched at all for that matter) I was hesitant to post any photos or to admit that I was back at it. And while I still feel a bit like an out-of-place, wobbly chicken, the Lord has already begun to teach me through my practice (funny how He uses something like yoga to teach, isn’t it?).

It had been a while since I had actually focused on working out so I had to start at the beginning- my core. I had forgotten how much yoga engages your abs.  After a few classes the Lord began to really remind me- just as our cores are engaged in everything we do in yoga, we must also give proper significance to our spiritual cores.  I must keep God engaged at the core of all I do, just as I must keep my abs engaged throughout my whole practice of yoga.

Over time I am slowly seeing growth in my flexibility, control, & strength. The Lord has continued to remind me that just as it takes time and practice to grow stronger & better in yoga, it also takes time & training to grow stronger spiritually. I can’t just go through the motions, I have to push myself to grow stronger.

“For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” 1 Timothy 4:8