I am well in my soul....not always, but that's when I know I'm really living well; when I'm Living well from the Inside Out.
It's here where I really live, where I breathe and believe in so much more than what I see. It's my soul's workshop filled with what I've come through, me in this moment and hints of where I'm headed in heart and soul.
A journal, really. The kind where I take ALL God's given me, form words and then give them away in little morsels from the seat of my soul to slowly sink into yours. It's the place I tinker and toy with life lessons, sharing hopes of peace and purpose. It's what I wish to wrap up as a gift for two girls who fill my heart with gratitude and gumption to live well each day!
I’ll be blessed to share a word once in a while that resonates with you! Now, pull up a chair and rest with me…..
What...or who's...got ahold of your heart?
As we prepare to enter a new year, where’s the focus of your heart? Does the approaching year instill fear….or offer hopes and dreams? Sometimes we anxiously find reasons to run away from what may come….yet we’re urged towards opportunities of renewal. With so much hinging on inflated expectations for the New Year, our hearts swirl with hopeful anticipation all due to a simple new digit defining the upcoming days.
We all need a little more time and a little less complication right about now. We all need to cleanse our bodies (…and our souls…), flush out our emotions to create quiet minds for just a moment or two! If we want to carry on until Christmas with a spirit worthy of the real reason for this season, all we really need is some rest…some real soul rest.
~Or…am I the only one looking at my list trying to see the open end of the tunnel on the other end of this hustle?~
We are free! We are loved so deeply and freely we can let go into a free fall to that holy night knowing our soul’s precious worth is forever protected….
“A Savior has been born to you and He is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11
A Savior! Our God SAVED US with His very own Son!
The Christmas season whirls around us with calendars overflowing, lofty expectations and to do lists bursting at the seams. It's overwhleming! It's a Christmas contradiction, actually. The gifts, the grandness and festive glitter of it all ironically darkens the spirit of the season as we rush towards the finish line only to arrive exhausted on Christmas morning.
Sometimes things surprisingly complement each other. Like two flavors you'd never pair but when you taste them together, they tantalize your tastebuds leaving you wanting one more bite over and over again. It's that way with people, too, you know. It happened to me about nine months ago, actually. God placed something (well, ummm, someONE), in my path, who someHOW seriously complimented me. Dare I say, we complimented each other. But we found it first only in conversation.
I get it. Not everyone likes to write. But, there’s no arguing that the more actively involved you are in any process of change, the more likely you are to be successful. Reading each post and completing the short term goals I’ve laid out very tangibly engages you in this 30 Day Challenge. But writing immerses you in your own unique journey. It will help you absorb more of what you experience here!
We live in a complicated, ‘stuff’ driven world. More is better and accumulating only the best makes you better than the rest. Reaching social successes and possessing professional (or personal) power prove our worth. And image implicates us all along the way...
Ohhhh…I am so excited about this! Yes, yes, food and fitness excite me. But a faith-based approach puts it all into perspective. I mean, really, Ladies, we already know He wants ALL of us. So, why withhold the very essence of our earthly existence, the care of our human bodies?
If you’re reading this you’re probably ready, or at least contemplating, making some healthy changes. Maybe you feel like your body needs refreshing or your soul needs reviving. Maybe your struggling with healthy habits and need a positive, more empowering approach. Well, I hope you’ve found one here at Happily Whole! But before you begin the 'Challenge', here’s what I want you to hear:
Have you trusted God enough to give Him ALL of you? Yes, that even means your struggles with wellness, eating or exercising! So often we withhold those issues from Who created us. We go to Him for everything else but when it comes to wellness, we try to manage it all alone. Maybe that’s why so many of us get stuck in a vicious cycle—because we fail to surrender when we’re not strong enough!
