February 8 GIVE AWAY- INEXPLICABLE AMOUNTS OF LOVE WITH TREMENDOUS COURAGE.

Affirmation: I am loved and cherished.

“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.”‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭54:10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

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Wholehearted Guidepost from Brené Brown

Guidepost 8: Cultivating Calm and Stillness and Letting Go of Anxiety as a Lifestyle

Cultivating Calm and Stillness

BRENÉ'S INTENTION

For me, anxiety can feel like a briar patch that will tear me to shreds if I don't put up a really thick shell. Anxiety is something we all feel; it's stress; it's work; it's sick kids. What I didn't realize, because it happened so slowly, was that anxiety was not something I was experiencing; it was something I was living. It had become a lifestyle. I realized that I didn't need to put up a defensive shell to cut off the world—I needed to stop living in the briar patch of anxiety by learning to cultivate a practice of calm and stillness.

This Lesson's Intention

"I want to heal with calm, so I will practice calm."

small things matter | breathing is believing | questions before answers

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Mastering the 7 Decisions from Andy Andrews 

Active Decision 

3. I AM A PERSON OF ACTION. I am Resilient 

I will create a new future by creating a new me. I inspire others with my activity. I am a leader. I will create a habit of lively behavior.

I will walk with a spring in my step and a smile on my face. My activity will create a wave of success for the people who follow me. As a leader, I have the ability to encourage and inspire others to greatness. I do not fear failure, because failure exists only for the person who quits.

I do not quit. I am courageous. I am a leader. I seize the moment. I choose now. I am resilient. 

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Reading for Today

Walk in Grace. Live in Love. by Bob Goff

Feb. 8

GIVE AWAY- INEXPLICABLE AMOUNTS OF LOVE WITH TREMENDOUS COURAGE. 

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.

ECCLESIASTES 4 9-10 

In our busy lives, it can seem like the only way we ever see friends is to make an appointment with them. Whether it's Tuesday night small groups, Thursday morning playdates, or Friday afternoon happy hours, there's a clear script for how and when we connect. These codes can make our interactions feel more formal, and I think it dampens a sense of genuine connection.

 

In truth, we want to be in homes together, with no end time and no fear of imposing. We want people to stop by unannounced on their evening walk and then stay to join us for leftovers. We don't want to worry about whether the house is clean or the kids finger-painted the walls. We want to be seen by one another in ways that reflect our actual lives.

 

Who decided friendship needed all these rules? Since most people feel lonely and want to be truly known, why not just change the rules? It takes courage to step outside the norms-to spontaneously show up for people on a Monday night with pizza, or to welcome them into our messes when we want them to imagine we're more like Martha Stewart. But we're not! So why keep forcing each other to act like we've got it all together?

 

We have the power to change this. People might think we're a little weird, and because of their own fears they might even turn us down. But that's okay. We don't need to settle for typical. We just need to have a little courage.

 

Who in your life will you let in more to your messy world?