Showing posts with label Week 4. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Week 4. Show all posts

Day 28: CONTENT

Our Give-Away for Today!

Lost and Found a novel


It appears Jenna Bouvier is losing everything: beauty, family, and wealth. When her controlling and emotionally abusive mother-in-law accuses Jenna of an affair with her spiritual director and threatens to expose them, Jenna also risks losing her reputation as a woman of faith. Will she capitulate to her mother-in-law’s wishes again or fight for what she holds dear? As Jenna loses her life, will she find it?


Andee Bell has found exactly what she wanted: fame, fortune, and respect. There’s also a special man in her life—Jenna’s brother. Despite her success, a secret quells Andee’s contentment. As memories torment, will she find peace in a relationship with God, or will she sabotage herself while also taking down the only person she cares about? As Andee finds her life, will she lose it?Moving between San Francisco and the Napa Valley, Jenna and Andee form an unlikely relationship that leads them to a crossroad. They can follow familiar inclinations, or risk it all and walk in faith.
Ginny Yttrup:  The opportunity to write is the fulfillment of a life-long dream. Words were my salvation as a child, until I met my true Savior, the Word. Through the tumultuous years of my childhood, I lost myself in the stories I read. There, in the world of fiction, I escaped the trauma I faced and found a place of safety and rest. Today, I enjoy the gift of combining my two loves—I write words that, I pray, reflect the glory of Jesus Christ.
As I write, speak, and work as a life coach, my prayer is that God will use my words to replace the lies so many believe about themselves with the truth of His unconditional love and grace. To see someone grasp, perhaps for the first time, the truth of God’s love, is truly an honor. Through a relationship with the Truth, Jesus Christ, the bonds of shame are loosed and freedom abounds!

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"It's my party, and I'll cry if I want to…”

I’ve cried through plenty of parties.


As an “especially high maintenance” person, I’ve spent more than my share of birthdays reflecting back on the previous year/decade with frustration, regret, and shame. 
All that I hadn’t done. All I’d done that I shouldn’t have. All that had happened to me.
“You would cry too if it happened to you!”
Finally Different
This birthday is different. 
Memory Lane was invited, but only on the condition of good behavior. 
Cynical Old Stories didn’t get an invitation. 
The entire “If Only” family was turned away at the door (even though they insisted I would love the “gifts” they’d brought!) 
A restraining order was issued for Poor Me. 
I Know

(Can't see the image? Click here to download Philippians_4_12!)
(With apologies to Paul)
I know what it’s like to have a mother who says, “Just looking at your room makes me feel messy!”...
...and I know what it’s like to have a father who says,
"I'm so glad you chose me to be your Daddy!" 

I know what it’s like to starve myself and compulsively count every calorie for months, priding myself in feeling no hunger…
...and I know what it’s like to cram everything I can 
get my hands on into my mouth and still want more. 

I know what it’s like to give up on guys forever…
...and I know what it’s like to fall in love 
at first sight weeks later.

I know what it’s like to hide in the bathroom between classes, crying my eyes out because the students won’t listen or obey…
...and I know what it’s like to receive a 
Teacher of Excellence medallion and check. 

I know what it is to be dumped by BFFs…
...and I know what it’s like to be the 
“rising star” of a company.

I know what it’s like to live with the chronic pain of a fractured vertebrae and ruptured discs…
...and I know what it’s like to re-build core strength 
the most joyous way imaginable: on the back of a horse. 

I know what it’s like to hide behind my secrets…
...and I know what it’s like to break shame’s power 
through authenticity. 

I know what it’s like to wonder if there’s any hope that I’ll ever change…
...and I know what it’s like to learn vicariously 
through the courageous story of a sister in Christ. 

The Secret

This birthday is different because I’m content. 

I’m not saying my life is perfect or stress-free, no way!


  • Dusty’s on her 4th splint and still has 10 days to go...

  • I’ve got dozens of papers to grade and tests to score by Thursday...


  • I have a graduate research project to finish and submit in a couple of weeks...

  • Thus far, May’s expenses have far exceeded May’s income...

  • My son’s summer Physics class is already full with a big waiting list...

  • My daughter’s phone shattered and doesn’t have insurance coverage after all...

  • The front bumper is literally falling off my car...



And yet, I'm content. I've learned Paul's "secret."

  • It's not self-control or self-indulgence.
  • It’s not independence or romance.
  • It’s not survival or achievement.
  • It’s not overcoming loss or receiving laurels.
  • It’s not a high pain threshold or a miracle healing.
  • It’s not resilience or transparency.
  • It’s not surrender or peace.
  • It’s not faith, hope, or love.
  • It’s not even gratitude.
All
As friends have asked me what I want for my birthday, I’ve been able to honestly say, “Nothing.” 

  • I can do all things...for which God has called me.
  • I have all strength...in Christ Jesus.
  • I am filled with all joy and peace...by the power of the Holy Spirit.
It’s my birthday, and I’ll cry if I want to...but they will not be tears of frustration, regret, or shame. 


They will be tears of recognition that I have all I need.



Jesus has been, is, and always will be my all in all.


He is the "secret" in any and every situation (...the "secret" that's way too good to keep!)


Try this today:  Ask yourself: “If I could pick the one biggest obstacle between myself and contentment, what would it be?”  Prayerfully ponder this between today and tomorrow.



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Please leave a comment 
  • responding to today’s blog, and/or
  • sharing your Day #1-28 experience of replacing “baditude” with God’s word and gratitude, and/or
  • about anything else on your heart!

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    (Catch up on any "Warm-Up Week" Blog Posts!)
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    Day 27: GUARD


    Our Give-Away for Today!


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    Wow!
    I'll say it backwards: !woW
    I am blown away by the comments to yesterday’s blog! I came so, so, so close to not sharing my Anxiety Girl stuff. 
    I was afraid it would be the last straw, proving that I’m too much of a mess to be worth reading or hearing or “hanging out with” online.
    Turns out, there's a busload of us looking longingly at the “promised land” of contentment. We’re willing to move forward. But our internal GPSs are stuck on “recalculating route.”
    “Normal girls (or even "normal people") just don't get that you can't twinkle your nose and leave where you're at and join them!”
    “I want to be calm and peaceful, there is a tangle in my wiring and I don't know how to get to contentment. I need the roadmap and a hand to hold along the way doesn't hurt either :)” 
    I’m Just Saying...
    I finally understand why none of the ideas on yesterday’s “Just…” list have ever helped me move from Anxiety to Contentment.
    As soon as someone says, “Just…” I know that they have never walked through my particular fire. If they had, they would know better than to use the phrase “Just…”! 
    And if they haven’t, their advice is likely to be well-intentioned but impractical. They can’t do just-ice to my situation.
    What I need is someone who says, “I know exactly how you feel. When I was where you’re at right now, I felt the same way. And looking back, the steps that helped me make progress are…”
    Oh, then I am all ears!
    100 Thankfuls
    “my very first thought and comment (out loud) was, ‘Oh my goodness... I don't think I could even get to 10, let alone 100.’ My Husband responded with, ‘It's all about perspective. Not to mention, you need to change your bracelet because that was a negative comment.’ Urgh.”
    “This year I chose the word grateful as my one word to focus on for the year. I'm choosing to find things to be grateful every day even if it's raining all day. I'm trying to let go and let God.” 
    If you’ve ever tried to brainstorm a list of 100 before, you know that you may (or may not!) get off to a fast start. But somewhere around 20 or 30, things slow down. 
    Around 60 or 70, surprises start showing up. By 80 and 90, new ground is being broken.
    It’s so worth the effort and the time to get to 100 (and beyond!)
    In Every Situation
    “I do think praying and focusing on the good things helps but you have to do this constantly throughout the day and that is quite difficult!” 
    Preach on, sister!
    Perhaps this is why we are urged to “pray without ceasing.”
    Reading this verse in context, we see familiar themes come together in a familiar list:
    “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
    Anxiety: Such a Shame

    I’m doing some research on shame, a root of anxiety. One author personifies shame this way:
    “Shame hates it when we reach out and tell our story. It hates having words wrapped round it–it can’t survive being shared. Shame loves secrecy. The most dangerous thing to do after a shaming experience is hide or buy our story. When we bury our story, the shame metastasizes.” (Brene Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection)
    Brown goes on to say that the best thing to do when shame hits “feels totally counterintuitive: Practice courage and reach out! We have to own our story and share it with someone who has earned the right to hear it, someone whom we can count on to respond with compassion.” 
    She lists and discusses the kinds of people with whom I should not tell my stories. With pretty much every person in my life disqualified from helping me out of my shame, I was discouraged.

    Reaching (for) Peace
    (Can't see the image? Click here to download Philippians 4:7!)


    Then I remembered an epiphany I'd had about complaining: When it comes to people, I have to be very careful about talking only to the right person, at the right time, in the right manner in order to avoid complaining. 
    But when it comes to God, I don’t have to worry about such boundaries. He’s always the “right person”! Right now is always the right time for Him. And it’s not called complaining when I’m talking to God–it’s called prayer!
    The same thing is true for shame. When I feel shame coming on, the only One who is always safe to share with is God. 
    God will not

    • absorb my shame (to the point I have to make Him feel better)
    • pity me 
    • fall apart with disappointment
    • scold or blame
    • insist I’m exaggerating (“It can’t have been that bad” when it really was!)
    • one-up me
    Guard My Heart
    Far too often, I leave my heart unguarded. 
    Anxiety Girl dons her cape. She throws herself into throngs of people, heart bared to receive their approval or rejection, basing her worth on other’s reactions.
    I used to get an adrenalin kick out of her routine.
    But now, the peace of God sounds like the greatest thrill imaginable!
    Yes, it’s difficult to pray and give thanks and surrender...every moment of every day.
    But it’s 100x harder to live as Anxiety Girl!
    In yesterday’s blog post, I pointed out that anxiety and gratitude can not co-exist.
    Mindy elaborated “When I am anxious I am focusing on me. When I’m thankful, I am focusing on Jesus. When I’m focusing on Jesus, my anxiety disappears. How cool is that?”
    Directions that truly transcend all human understanding:

    {Gratitude --->  [Peace = Guarded (heart + mind)]} Christ Jesus.
    The map for our bus ride from Anxiety to Contentment.
    I’m on board!

    How about you?
    Try this today:  Watch for situations in which you feel the urge to guard your heart with complaining+. (1) Pray, (2) Give Thanks, (3) Surrender the urge, and (4) Experience His Peace.
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    Please leave a comment 
    • responding to today’s blog, and/or
    • sharing your Day #1-27 experience of replacing “baditude” with God’s word and gratitude, and/or
    • about anything else on your heart!
     * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
    (Catch up on any "Warm-Up Week" Blog Posts!)
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