Relax,Refresh, and Revive (Part 3).....

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"Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you." Psalm 116:7

Want to return to your rest, but missed a couple posts? Check out Part 1 and Part 2!

1. Find your Refuge in God
2. Examine your responsibilities
3. Recognize the blessings of God

Psalm 9:1 says,  "I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will show forth all thy marvelous works."

That phrase "show forth" can also be translated, recount. In the busyness of our lives, it's imperative that we take time to recount His many blessings. 

I love what Ann Voskamp says in her well-known book, One Thousand Gifts (pg. 76)... 

"It takes a full twenty minutes after your stomach is full for your brain to register satiation  How long does it take your soul to realize that your life is full? The slower the living, the greater the sense of fullness and satisfaction. The body and soul can synchronize."

This last point in our series is actually fairly simple, but can also be so difficult. By our very nature, we focus on the negatives, the thousands of things that go wrong in a day.

There are times when we need to just stop and focus on His favor in our lives. Sometimes the greatest refreshment for our soul is "recounting" the LONG list of blessings in our everyday. You'll be amazed at how revived you are after just a couple items on your list!! 

I hope that this little series has been a help. All three of these lessons have been HUGE in my own life as I refresh myself spiritually and emotionally. 

How can I pray for you? Do you currently feel refreshed or drained? How can some of these principles help? 

Stay tuned for a fun post next week about some ways we can physically refresh ourselves. You will definitely need it during this crazy holiday season!!

Relax,Refresh, and Revive (Part 2).....

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Yesterday, we started talking about the importance of refreshing and reviving ourselves spiritually and emotionally. It's SO important to run to our True Refuge in times of stress and trial. If we're going to ever get any spiritual rest, we have to rely on Him.

Psalm 116:7, "Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you."

1. Find your Refuge in God

2. Examine your Responsibilities

At the beginning of last month, our church hosted a small pastors/pastor's wives retreat. The ladies enjoyed a GREAT speaker from a college a couple hours away. She didn't realize it, but an illustration she used hit me right between the eyes. 

Farmers are some of the most intentional people in the world. They spend hours examining the soil, the seeds, what soil is right for those seeds. Their job, their livelihood depends on their extreme focus and purpose in planting and harvesting. 

There's a reason that you never see any farmer deciding spread some wildflower seeds in their fields. They are beautiful and grow very quickly, BUT they also have tiny roots and die soon after blooming. It would go against the intentional nature of a farmer to sow those kinds of seeds. 

In the same way, we as women and moms HAVE to be intentional with our responsibilities. It's so easy for us to get distracted by the thousands of "wildflowers" around us. We start taking on jobs and obligations that don't add to our family, but instead create a more chaotic life. We struggle to say, "no" and feel like it would be wrong for us to take a break from a responsibility. Our "wildflower" obligations quickly spring up and may even look beautiful for a while, but before we know it we're dying inside because we can't keep up with it all. 

Remember, friends, you don't have to do it all. You don't have to say "yes" to every opportunity that comes your way. Take time to examine it. Will add more stress to your family? Will your kids suffer because of your added responsibility?  Is it something that you could try in a few years when you are in a different season of life? It's ok to say "no"!!

In order to truly refresh ourselves emotionally, we have to examine the responsibilities in our life. For me, my priority is the two little boys in my care. I want them to know God in a deep and real way and want them to see that in their mommy! 

What about you? Do you struggle with too much responsibility in your life? How do you create boundaries with the things you add to your plate? 

Relax,Refresh, and Revive (Part 1)....

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Relax....many of us can't quite remember how to pull that off. We run from one thing to another trying to "get it all done". Relaxing brings up images of remote beaches or quiet spas. Who really has time for that? 

That's why I love Psalm 116:7, 

"Return to your rest, O my soul, for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you."

It's a great reminder that all the pedicures in the world can't bring true refreshment. Our soul has to be revived on a regular basis.

So, how do we "return to our rest". I'm excited to share the next three posts outlining the simple ways that I've been learning to do just that. 

1. Find your refuge in God

Have you ever seen the amazing photo of the lighthouse being overcome by a massive wave? In the doorway stands a man. In comparison to the lighthouse and tidal wave, he looks like a tiny insect. He can stand there in confidence that the tower behind him totally protects him from the crashing water around him. 

In the same way, God is our strong tower. When the storms of life threaten us, we can find refuge in Him. Casting all of our cares and fears on Him is the first step in refreshing our soul. 

It's so important to "pray without ceasing" which doesn't mean that we walk around with our hands folded and our eyes closed. Instead, when trials and rough moments arise throughout the day, our first inclination should be to run to Him. Much of our stress and exhaustion comes from trying to do it all ourselves. We need our Rock!

What are some areas that you find fear takes a foothold in your life and mothering? How can you run to God as your refuge in those areas?