A Daily Reminder

 God created you to be the most incredible balance between soft and strong. And you have the incredible ability to be so many things to so many people. But sometimes being a friend, a wife, a mother, a sister, a partner in Christ can truly be exhausting.  

Because your Father in Heaven has gifted you with talent, created you with compassion and loves you beyond measure take solace in the Lord’s word and promises.  

Something I’ve learned over the years is sometimes I strive in pain. Not because I want pain but because I know unless I find a way to do that (strive in pain, disappointments, setbacks) there will always be a false illusion that once I get to where I’m going or accomplish what I’m working towards “I’ll be happy.” But if you can’t find happiness in the ugliness then you’re not going to be able to find/see it in beauty either. 

Self Care is Essential

 Being successful (and I’m not talking about just women who are entrepreneurs; mothers, students, daughters, friends, etc...)often comes with a massive to do list. As women, we do so much for others and we simply do not put ourselves first often enough. But without giving our body, our mind and our overall self a break, and taking care of us, we cannot possibly be successful in every role we find ourselves in. Take time for you! Not just on the weekend, but everyday of the week. Unfortunately I cannot guarantee that everyday will be like a day at the spa, but setting aside 15 minutes a day to do something for yourself is OK and beneficial. Believe me you are much more useful, successful and lovable at 100% than you are at 0%.

So what are some things you can start to do to take care of yourself and show yourself some love? And this is by no means in any particular order.

1. Value Alone Time

Alone time can allow you to recharge and re-calibrate. It gives you opportunity to be with yourself and reflect on who you are, what you want and what you're doing or not doing. You can meditate, reflect in gratitude or even pray but whatever you do make time for this.

2. Eating Healthy

Trust me, I need to work on this one too but I've also learned not to punish myself if I have a mini cupcake or a slice of cheesecake sparingly. I mean really... it's not the end of the world. But it is important to nourish our bodies with good, healthy foods. I meal prep to make it easier for me and I make sure not to grocery shop when I'm hungry. Remember those 5 basic food groups you learned about as a child: breads/grains, fruits, veggies, milk/dairy, and lean meat/fish. Well they are still good for providing a well balanced diet.

3. Sleep

I know you might be saying to yourself.... "like well duh" but believe me sometimes we take a good night sleep for granted or maybe you overdo it and sleep the day away. Do you know that your sleep and your mood go hand in hand. Have you ever not gotten enough sleep and just went to work or school or had a simple conversation with joy and enthusiasm? Chances are the answer to that question is no! Good sleep makes you feel happy, healthy and strong. Get you a good sleep mask, throw on some ocean sounds (whatever works for you even no music/sounds), pray and close those eyes girlfriend.

4. Treat Yourself

Think about it, what does that look like to you? I'm a working wife and mother who also volunteers at my church (my life is not like The Real Housewives of... no disrespect) but it's not. So treating myself sometimes is taking a nice relaxing bubble bath with my candles and a book at the end of the day. There are lots of ways to treat yourself. You can buy yourself something (even if it's a latte at Starbucks), get a massage, eat that piece of cheesecake (don't worry it's not the end of the world), or take a relaxing bubble bath. I'm not talking about things that need to be grandiose or expensive, I'm just talking about making yourself a priority and treating yourself to something nice. I mean why not, you deserve it.

5. Exercise

No, that is not a foul word. Your physical being is a part of your self-care. I only, just like you have this one body. It's not like when we get tired of the one we are in, we get to pick out a new one. We only get one and we have to take care of it. I'm not telling you to become a gym rat but I am encouraging you to move a little so you can build a stronger, healthier you. 15-30 minutes a few times a week.

There are many more ways to incorporate self-care into your daily routine and make it habit, but these are just a few. If you have some suggestion than please share, let's encourage one another.

As God’s daughter He considers you precious, worthy, and valuable. Do you see yourself that way? Is you value and worth found in running yourself ragged? Or always saying “yes?” Absolutely not! It’s a balance that comes from taking care of yourself mentally, spiritually, emotionally and physically. While serving others out of the overflow of your heart. So find ways and take some time each day to show a little bit of love to yourself.

Jesus and Java

 God does His work on this earth with ordinary women (like you and me) in our ordinary-everyday situations. And He can take an ordinary situation, with ordinary women, kick it up a notch and do some extraordinary things.

Not a day goes by that we're not in need of God's grace and peace. Every morning we need His Spirit to fill us again, to strengthen us for what's ahead. Every day we need a fresh word that He speaks to our hearts, to help keep our focus on what's more important. Trying to run this race of life without Jesus will do nothing but drain us dry.

And the week can be crazy believe me with deadlines and schedules trying to get everything done before the weekend. And we can sometimes lose focus of what's most important. But even for those times... His grace is there. He waits for us. His patience and His peace never run dry.

Jesus covers our past, secures our future and gives us all that we need for this day too. He promises that as we come to Him, and allow His truths to nourish and saturate our lives, we will be satisfied. We will have all that we need to live abundantly and freely in this life. So grab that cup of Java girlfriend and a whole lot of Jesus and make today an amazing day.