try this exercise

Good morning ,

Life has been so heavy lately it’s been hard to recognize what’s going well. I continue to ask God to renew my mind because it’s ALL OVER THE PLACE.

One minute I’m fine, and the next I feel like crawling in bed and crying. So, I want to spend a little time talking about what’s going well. And I hope after you read this, you will be encouraged to do this exercise as well.

I’m doing 12 weeks in a year. One of my goals is to get my business channel monetized.  While I can’t control when it gets monetized, I can control what I do daily for this goal. I’m nearly at 100% for hitting the daily habits for making this happen. New business owners are finding the channel, watching the videos and subscribing. I have found a rhythm for posting and communication which is a huge relief.

I am officially starting a podcast to spread the morning inspo email. This will be an opportunity to reach more people and point them to Christ. I was very disappointed earlier this year when I realized hosting a podcast for others to share their testimonies was unrealistic in this season. I simply do not have the mental capacity to plan for something like that. I do have the capacity to share my emails though! I’m looking forward to seeing how God uses this to spread his goodness and bring hope.

I’ve been cooking a lot more. This requires more planning and cleaning, but it makes me feel good and I really do enjoy it. I know everyone may not relate, but it really does bring me joy seeing my family eat home cooked meals together.

For the most part I’ve been walking 30 minutes outside every day. This has been a huge help to my mental health. I struggled with this through the winter so I’m glad to be back on my walks.

I’ve been practicing being calm. In moments where I want to scream, I’ve been praying and crying out to God to help me. He meets me in those moments and helps me with self control. He is helping me to show gentleness and love in moments where I want to lash out. It’s really incredible looking back at where I was. It’s only by his grace that I can do any of this.

My husband and I had a date last week. The kids are involved in our church youth group. The chores are done. We are healthy and in our right minds. So many good things are still happening, despite the hard times. 

Life isn’t perfect. I’d like it to be a little easier, but I probably wouldn’t have grown in my faith the way I have if it were easier. It’s in the trials that we are refined. Every day, I’m reminded how much more I need Jesus. Here is a verse I was reminded of last Sunday - 2 Timothy 1:7 "For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." In all transparency, I've felt fear. I can't help but be worried and afraid. Some days I feel defeated. I know these feelings do not come from God. This verse reminds me of who I am in Christ. I have the same Spirit in me that raised Christ from the dead, which is mind-blowing to think about. God is helping me and will continue to see me through it. I will not be controlled by fear, because God gave me a spirit of power and love and self-control. I pray we all hold on to that truth as we navigate through hard seasons.