Happy Sunday Everyone! I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend!
In continuation of my Sunday Spirituality Series, here are some quotes that resonated with me from my daily devotional this week, key takeaways, and an activity for this upcoming week to support with spiritual health.
Quotes:
"Stop judging and evaluating yourself...Above all, stop comparing yourself with other people...Immerse yourself in My loving presence. Be receptive to My affirmations which flow continually from the throne of grace".
"When something in your life or thoughts make you anxious, come to Me and talk about it...The world has it backwards, teaching that peace is the result of having enough money, possessions, insurance, and security systems. My peace, however, is such an all-encompassing gift that is independent of circumstances. Though you lose everything else, if you gain My peace you are rich in deed".
"People search for life in many wrong ways: chasing after fleeting pleasures, accumulating possessions and wealth, trying to deny inevitable effects of aging. Meanwhile, I freely offer abundant life to everyone who turns to me. As you come to me...I fill you with My very life...I bless you with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory".
"I love you for who you are, not for what you do. Walk closely with Me each moment, listening for My directives, and enjoying My companionship. Refuse to let other voices tie you up in knots".
"Refuse to worry! The best defense is continual communication with Me, richly seasoned with thanksgiving. Live close to Me. Together we can keep the wolves of worry at bay".
"Every problem can teach you something, transforming you little by little into the masterpiece I created you to be. The best way to befriend your problems is to thank Me for them. The next step is to introduce them to Me, enabling Me to embrace them in My loving presence".
"Continue on this path with Me, enjoying My presence even in adversity".
Resource: "Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence" by: Sarah Young (pages 61-69)
Takeaway:
My key takeaway from this week is: Rather than turning outward for gratification and happiness, we need to turn inward. Some ways we can do this is through:
Being more present in the moment: This can support us with not missing the simple things in life that bring us the the most joy. For example: If we are more present in the moment, we will probably recognize that quality time with family and friends is way more fulfilling than having all the money in the world. It also can help reduce our worries and anxiety, because we are focusing on what's happening right here and now versus worrying about the future. If you think about it, a lot of worries and anxiety stem from our future thoughts. Some examples include: What if I lose my job? What if I can't afford this? How am I going to meet this deadline at work? How am I going to finish all these tasks on my to do list? How am I going to get through this? What if I fail? Etc. At the end of the day, worrying about these items isn't going to change anything. Therefore, if we can focus on being more present in the moment, it's going to help reduce our stress and anxiety, and help us to differentiate between what's truly important and what's not.
Communicating with Him: This can help us to see ourselves as He does, which in return will support us with feeling worthy, loved, and accepted. We will be less inclined to have self judgement, seek worthiness and acceptance through others or material items, or compare our lives to others. The world we live in today makes this very challenging. You can get on social media and see everyone living the most "perfect" life, and always looking flawless. However, it's important to remember that most of this is filtered and edited. If we are constantly comparing ourselves to others, we will never be happy. If we see ourselves as He does, and focus on being the best version of ourselves, than we will be able to achieve true joy and happiness. Communicating with Him can also help us to get through adversity. He can give us strength to get through these challenges, and help us to see the growth opportunities that outweigh the obstacles.
Practicing gratitude: This can support us with focusing on what we do have versus what we don't, which in return is going to make us happier and healthier. Life is hard, so it can be challenging to see what blessings we have at times. We are so busy and live such fast paced lifestyles, that often we miss the simple things we should be grateful for. Practicing gratitude encourages us to slow down and acknowledge these blessings we might overlook amongst the busyness. Some examples that we might overlook at times include: life, being able to breathe, health, family, friends, having a job (even though it's not your dream job), having a roof over our head, the sun rising, food, water, etc.
I'm curious to know, what is your biggest takeaway from these quotes? Please feel free to comment here, message me directly, or discuss these quotes and your takeaways with your family or friends.
Weekly Spiritual Activity:
Reminders: Write down any of these quotes that resonate with you , and put them in a place where you can see them daily as a friendly reminder. Consider also sharing these quotes and takeaways with your family and friends that you think would benefit from them.
Presence: Consider implementing deep breathing or meditation for at least five minutes daily this week to support you with being more present throughout the day. (You can find a variety of guided meditations and deep breathing exercises online or via the app store on your phone. I personally like the headspace app).
Prayer: Consider carving out more time to pray this week. We all have busy schedules, so if you are finding it challenging to make the time, it could be helpful to schedule out times and mark it off as you complete it. We are typically creatures of habit, so this can help with making it part of our lifestyle. Plus, it might give you a sense of accomplishment and further motivate you when you mark it off.
Gratitude: Consider journaling the following daily:
At least three simple and non materialistic things you are grateful for
At least one thing you love about yourself
At least one thing you are proud of that you did today
Kindness: Reach out to someone this week that might be experiencing worries, stress, anxiety, or low self esteem, or just someone that you are grateful for. Check in on them to see how they are doing, take the time to affirm them, and thank them for being a part of your life.
Please feel free to comment here or message me directly with any successes or challenges you faced while implementing this spiritual activity, and consider sharing it with a friend of family member who you think might benefit from it.
Thank you for stopping by! Have a healthy and happy week!
