Robin's Nest

 

Are your insides ramped up because everything seems so darn urgent?

Does it ever feel like you can’t catch your breath?

 

Consider this: It is absolutely okay to take care of yourself. To slow down and rest.

Will you give yourself permission to focus on your own needs?

Because let’s face it: Life happens.

It gets wonky and then it throws us off balance too.

So let’s pause and reset.

A Scattered Mind

A while back, my brain was working against me. Because I let negative thoughts dictate my mood and my attitude.

Hold on a sec … didn’t I write a whole darn book about how to renew our minds and live this abundant life with Jesus? Sure did. And a few weeks ago, a friend told me I need to read my own book again. Oof. 🙃

Here’s a few things that will help you focus when your brain goes haywire:

• • Pray. Ask God to stop your racing thoughts. Pray for peace. Pray for new thoughts, true thoughts to replace the negative.
  • And lists. I make lots of lists. When our to-dos are written down, it frees our minds. We just have to remember to look at the list☺
  • Women tell me my book helps them free their minds. So, yes. Perhaps I do need to read it again. Curious? Take a look at my book here –> Uncover Your Divine Design )

 

A Tired Body

A couple months ago, I wasn’t fueling my body with the right stuff, the foods I know make me feel well, strong. energized. I was stress eating and out of my regular gym routines with Zumba and kick-boxing.

In a season of burgers and brats and chips galore, it’s a challenge to eat food that fuels our bodies well. I am so grateful for other summer foods like sweet corn, watermelon, and fresh veggies from the garden or farmer’s market. Because food, the way God intended, nourishes our brains and our bodies.

 

A Saggy Spirit

Aren’t feeling your spiritual gifts listed in Galatians 5:22-23? “… love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”?  I sometimes feel a bit ho-hum in my spiritual walk. Partly because I can fall into the habit of reading Scripture only to see what’s wrong with me. What can I fix? And there’s nothing wrong with that.  Self reflection is good. But God also wants us to simply sit with Him. Read, soak, enjoy. Our Bibles are full of beautiful prose: poetry, history, literature, and so much more. I am learning to read it with fresh eyes. Especially the Psalms.

For a good reset of our minds, bodies, and spirits ~ I’m a firm believer in a healthy daily rhythm, a routine.  A natural  flow of our days that’s also flexible. I like to be spontaneous, to travel or to hang out with friends and family. But I also need days to simply slow down and read, do laundry, cook good food, chat with neighbors … and of course, make lists. Bottom line, I thrive in a good routine. That’s one reason fall is my favorite season. It brings its own new, fresh rhythms.

 

So, how are you? 

 Do you want a fresh start? 

My friend, today is a new day. And this moment, a new moment.

Let’s breathe deep … Quiet our minds … Settle our spirits … Relax our bodies.

 

It may take a few tries … but we’ll get there. Because we’re plugging into our power source.

In God’s presence, we pray and breathe in peace.

 

This is where we get to process the past, change direction, and start fresh. To make new choices, we take inventory. What have we allowed into our mind, our body, our spirit? What is holding us back from God’s best: a whole, balanced, and abundant life?

 

We invite God into it. 

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” ~ Psalm 139:23-24

 

This prayer often feels a bit risky. But it’s so necessary. This is where we experience God’s gifts of confession, repentance, spiritual renewal, and restoration. What beautiful God-given opportunities!

 

“The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.
I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my inheritance;
    therefore, I will hope in him!’

The Lord is good to those who depend on him,
to those who search for him.” ~ Lam. 3:22-25

 

 

Image by IDKWhoNeedsToHearThisBut from Pixabay

“That will be 3.99$.” ~ Alex, age 9

Are you overwhelmed?

Do your day-to-day responsibilities weigh you down?

Maybe you’ve got some really hard stuff going on.

Or maybe it’s all good but you’re just too busy and it feels like you can’t catch your breath.

 

In the past few months, my husband and I traveled a lot. Ten trips total, ranging from two days to two weeks. Fun? Yes. Exhausting? Definitely.

After returning from a camping trip, I found my grandson’s note (🔝). He taped it to the wall inside our front door and it made me giggle. (I hope it makes you smile too:)

But hold on.

What in the wide world does this note have to do with being exhausted and overwhelmed?

Because humor is vital to our well-being.

We deal with some heavy stuff. Really serious stuff. But when our burdens overshadow our blessings, we can lose our smile. Thankfully, life hands us a lot of funny stuff too.

Because God knows we need it.

• “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones [saps a person’s strength.]” ~ Prov. 17:22 

• “A cheerful disposition is good for your health; gloom and doom leave you bone-tired.” Prov. 17:22 NLT

• “A glad heart makes a happy face; a broken heart crushes the spirit.” ~ Prov. 15:13 

• “A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance.” ~ Ecc. 3:4 

 

I know it’s not always easy. And I’m not saying to deny what’s difficult or suck it up and soldier on. 

But for today ~ for this moment ~ let’s lift our eyes and notice God’s little love notes. May they help lighten our load and remind us to have some fun.

Here’s a fun fact:

“Smiling increases mood-enhancing hormones while decreasing stress-enhancing hormones, including cortisol, and adrenaline. It also reduces overall blood pressure.” Walden University

(Don’t you love it when science catches up to Scripture?)

So, humor boosts our happy hormones and our immune system. It’s good for our mind, our body, and our spirit.

Want more smiles?

Click the link below to read about how I brushed my teeth with Preparation H. (I did. For real.)

A Late Night Brush with Humor 🤣

What do I know about heartbreak & a crushed spirit?

Read my story here & be Encouraged

What makes you smile when you think about it? Click the link below.  I’d love to hear it! 💗☮

Click Here to Share a Smile with Me 😁

 

This time of year, I get restless. Winter is waning but spring hasn’t quite sprung.

Today, I woke up with my mind in a rough place. My head was full and the fight was on.

 

Do you ever wake up already needing rest?

Not just more sleep. But real rest. The kind that refreshes the soul ~ your mind, your will, your emotions. We need to seek peace that won’t panic. And rest that’s not easily rattled.

We soak in God’s Promises. 

Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ~ Matt. 11:28-29, NLT

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly. ~ Matt. 11:28-29, The Message

Freely and lightly?  Doesn’t that sound lovely? Jesus wants to walk with us. To teach us how to enjoy peace in our heart and mind. To live with real rest in our spirit and body.

Whether it’s 3 a.m. or 3 p.m., when restlessness shows up, we remember these beautiful promises.

Here’s a little trick to help you refocus:

• Remember ~ I am God’s cherished child.

• Engage ~ He wants to hear from me. So I’ll tell him about it. All of it.

• Surrender ~ With open hands and heart: “God, I give it all to you.”
• Trust ~ When I worry and overthink again, I say “Nope. God’s got this.” Then I think about my blessings, not my burdens.

 

What helps you when your thoughts are getting the best of you?  

I’d love to keep this conversation going.

Click Here to Contact Me 😊

💗☮

 

More  for  you! My friend, Julie Rebboah loves helping us keep our minds healthy. She is a Christian Mental Health & Wellness Coach. She specializes in helping adults overcome childhood trauma like abuse, neglect, and family dysfunction. Click here to read →  Finding Anxiety & Stress Relief ☮

I love Julie’s generosity too! She’s offering  you, my lovely readers, a 10% discount on her coaching. Here’s your discount code: RM2025

Thank you, Julie!

Are you stressed about the holidays? Do gatherings exhaust you and leave you feeling like you missed out? Maybe you’re in a new life season and just want to change things up a bit? Years ago, my family went to an apple orchard. My ten-year-old grandson, Braden, couldn’t get anyone to walk through the corn maze with him. So, with map in hand, he asked me again, “Come on Meema. I promise we won’t get lost and die in there.” I didn’t want to disappoint my grandson. There are a couple reasons why “yes” wasn’t the wisest answer. 1. I’m claustrophobic and 2. I was in peri-menopause. Physically, I was fine. But my pinging hormones caused random bouts of anxiety. Overwhelming, heart-pounding panic. After much deliberation, onward we went. Dry corn husks crunching under our feet. About 20 feet in, I lost my sense of direction and I was done. Irrational fear created terrifying stories in my head. I panicked, big time. Hence the text (picture above) to my husband. Jeff rescued me and finished the maze with Braden. Now, this memory makes me smile. I share it to remind us: It’s okay to change course. It’s okay to tap out.  It’s absolutely okay to put your needs first and say, “I can’t do this.”  Or “Let’s do something different.”  It’s good to accept our limitations. It’s right to choose what’s healthy for our mind, body, and spirit. Maybe this is the year to order dinner from a restaurant or a grocery store. Maybe it’s time to ask for help in the kitchen (I taught my granddaughter how to peel potatoes). Or maybe this is the year to just hang out and do a whole lot of nothing 😴 Whatever it is, let’s choose less mess and more time for what truly feeds our soul. How do you simplify and de-stress the holiday season?  ☮💗