October 29: Grace Let’s Us Improvise When We’ve Forgotten The Lines To Our Lives.

Affirmation: My self-compassion is growing everyday.

(Cultivate resilience.)

~~~~~~~~~

Ponder, Personalize, Practice: Continue to ponder Romans 12:12. Wrote it out and carry it with you. Focus on the 2nd phrase today: “…patient in affliction…”As you ponder this and talk to God remember that nothing is impossible for God.
Romans 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
~~~~~~~~

Wholehearted Guidepost from Brené Brown 

Guidepost 3: Cultivating Your Resilient Spirit, Letting Go of Numbing and Powerlessness

1. In your journal, create a collage of what drives you to numb. Cut out magazine pictures and words that capture the feelings, experiences and/or situations that drive you to numb. Use double-sided tape, soft gel matte or white glue to affix them to the page. If you can't find pictures that represent your thoughts, write them out with colored pens or markers. Decorate around your picture with your art supplies.

2. Then, do the same to create a collage of what you use to numb.

3. Finally, create a third collage of what truly brings you comfort. What refuels you?

4. Reflect on the three pages you created and make a "comfort wisdom" list. Write down all the things that truly take you to a place of joy. Decorate around your list with your art supplies. Use this list during a time of struggle to remind you of the choices and activities that really lift your spirit and bring you back into your power.

5. Take a picture of your "comfort wisdom" list, print it out and hang it in an area where you'll see it often.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Mastering the 7 Decisions from Andy Andrews 

The Compassionate Decision 

6. I WILL GREET THIS DAY WITH A FORGIVING SPIRIT.

By the act of forgiving, I am no longer consumed by unproductive thoughts. I will forgive those who have criticized me unjustly.

I now understand that forgiveness has value only when it is given away. I forgive their lack of vision, and I forge ahead.

I now know that criticism is part of the price paid for leaping past mediocrity. I will forgive those who do not ask for forgiveness. From this day forward, my history will cease to control my destiny. I have forgiven myself. My life has just begun.

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:32‬ ‭NIV‬‬

~~~~~~~~~~

Reading for Today

Walk in Grace. Live in Love. by Bob Goff

October 29

Grace Let’s Us Improvise When We’ve Forgotten The Lines To Our Lives.

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Hebrews 413

I’m a big fan of all the plays and performances little kids put on. Whether it’s a ballet recital, Christmas pageant, or a school play, what is better than watching a bunch of little kids do their best with whimsy and joy and without any self-consciousness?
You know how the game goes. Jane is fidgeting with her fingers on the left side of the stage while Johnny is staring at the ceiling on the right. The ones in costume in the middle of the stage are tripping over their tails. And two best friends are playing pattycake to the side when they should be making a big entrance. The kids speaking from the stage don’t even care if they mess up their lines. They just keep going, and the crowd gives them a standing ovation in the end.
Don’t you wish adulthood could be like that? When we grown ups trip up or forget our lines in speeches, or business deals, we are mortified. We fumble around to find something to fill the silence, and then beat ourselves up about it the rest of the day. But not kids. When kids forget their lines, they either improvise, or completely ignore the mess up.

What if we use moments when we forget our lines as opportunities to improvise or just walk away like it never happened? What if, like kids, we put a premium on JOY rather than obsessing over whether things go according to the plan? God already told us that people He made are more important than our projects and productions that we put on. God is less concerned about you looking polished and perfect like a Broadway star than He is about you, knowing that neither your successes, nor your gaffes define you.

The next time you do something that makes you feel like disappearing, remember, God sees you and loves you just where you are, and just as you are. Grace lets us improvise when we forgot the lines to our part.

What part of your life do you feel tempted to hide from God?