Well the first week of the new year has officially come and gone. That feels strange to say doesn’t it?
How did yours go? Did you accomplish anything great? Stick with any new years resolutions? Learn something new about yourself?
Or maybe it was a super rough week in which you felt unsuccessful and unaccomplished. Whichever the case may be, that week is over, and a fresh new one has began. Whatever happened last week is unchangable and the only option is to move and look forward to the future. What a blessing that is though right?
Take a moment to reflect on the week that just passed. Write down the things that made you feel good and happy that happened. Reflect and point out the things that hurt you, made you sad, or that brought about feelings you didn’t like. Take both categories into consideration and decide how to get more of the good, and less of the bad!
I am happy to report that all of those things and then some happened for me this past week, and the happenings were almost eerie in the way that they unfolded.
First of all, a week sober in life has never left my energy or inner-self feeling better. Was it challenging to go out for one of my best friends birthdays and not participate in the cocktail drinking or celebratory champagne? Of course; but being able to leave the bar with a clear mind and glistening skin from dancing harder than I’ve danced in a long time with a crowd of people I love felt better than any drink could ever taste!
One of my goals for the new year is to take better care of my inner-self, physical health, and spiritual well-being, all of which I did! I haven’t taken on a big crash diet or dropped money into an expensive workout plan as I would normally do. But rather, I just changed my eating habits and awareness all week, and went to the gym for some cardio and small weight workouts 5 of the 7 days!
I am learning through this process of growth and positive mental awareness that it is not the big leaps we take in life, but the smaller minor steps that can make the more impactful difference. I am learning to be easy on myself and my soul and to allow my growth and learning process to happen in it’s own time, with my higher power holding the reigns and not having to control everything all on my own. I am learning to trust that much that happens in life comes from a guidance outside of my own self. I’m learning that I have to trust in that, or in Him, in tandem with my own personal efforts; that if I do this, I can truly do anything.
I do not want this to become a religion based blog, but I would liketo testify to some of the ways my spirituality has grown in the last week, just from some awesome divine intervention that God is working through my life.
Last Tuesday, January 3rd, I had the privilege of attending one night of the Passion Conference at the Georgia Dome with thousands and thousands of other young people around my age. It’s been a long time since I was able to be sincerely, emotionally moved by words of praise songs. It’s surely been a long time since I’ve felt the physical desire to hold my hands in the air and sing praises to a God I’ve always attested to believing in, but never fully embodied or really professed to live for.
The sermon that night was all centered around the phrase, “Wake up o’sleeper, rise up from the dead.” The symbolism behind this was that many of us claim to be one way, but often chose to live another. It carries meaning asking us to wake up, open our eyes, and see again the new life and new light that is within us if we can get ourselves out of whatever death, sadness, pain, or negative feelings we may be trying to conquer. The evening left me feeling full, and my mind running 90 miles an hour over what feelings those were that made me feel so alive and awake for those two hours I was at the conference.
I had planned to start this blog over a few months ago with the name “12 Months of Sunshine”, with a plan to spread light and positivity into the lives of people that read this. In the dark world that we often times live in, I think it’s imperative that more of us bring our light into this darkness within ourselves, and within others, whenever we are able.
Would you call it coincidence or Gods voice when I tell you that the sermon I attended at Passion City yesterday morning began with Pastor Louie saying “This year, what if we decided to shine brighter than ever before? What if this year could be the best year of our lives?”
Other things he spoke about yesterday:
• “Darkness isn’t our enemy, it’s our opportunity.”
• “What sin has wrapped around your hope in your life lately?”
• “We were made for a purpose- to be light and give light to a darkened world.”
• “Welcome to a new year! You are NOT forgotten and it is NOT too late for YOU!”
So… is it coincidence that the sermon was nearly verbatim to my original blog post from the first day of the new year? Or was that God making me aware that He hears me, that He’s listening, and that the moves and choices I’m trying to profess in my own life are right on track? I’ll let you decide that one.
Let’s wrap it up:
1. My “clear sky and goals set high” mentality is working out pretty darn well so far! What clarity have you gained this week in your own life? What negativity are you beginning to remove from your own life to clear your skies, and how is that working out for you?
2. As I grow and learn about myself, I learn that I do have to relinquish full control over my life and allow my Higher Power (God) to work his miracles through me. I can do a lot of things on my own; positive thinking is a huge start, but ultimately I have to let Him drive my life in the direction He wants it to go. Is this something you are trying to do more of? What is stopping you?
3. What accomplishments have you made in the last week, or what big ones do you have to take on that may be coming up? Revel and excite in your successes, but learn and remember your failures. It’s a full circle process that makes us grow.
Every single day, we wake up and continue writing the stories of our lives. What will the next pages of your book look like? What adventures would you like to see in your next chapter
The possibilities are endless!
May this week bring you all the joy and positivity in the world. Remember, you always get back what you give out!
Even through the darkest times, keep your chin up, your smile wide, and NEVER forget to share your sunshine!
How did yours go? Did you accomplish anything great? Stick with any new years resolutions? Learn something new about yourself?
Or maybe it was a super rough week in which you felt unsuccessful and unaccomplished. Whichever the case may be, that week is over, and a fresh new one has began. Whatever happened last week is unchangable and the only option is to move and look forward to the future. What a blessing that is though right?
Take a moment to reflect on the week that just passed. Write down the things that made you feel good and happy that happened. Reflect and point out the things that hurt you, made you sad, or that brought about feelings you didn’t like. Take both categories into consideration and decide how to get more of the good, and less of the bad!
I am happy to report that all of those things and then some happened for me this past week, and the happenings were almost eerie in the way that they unfolded.
First of all, a week sober in life has never left my energy or inner-self feeling better. Was it challenging to go out for one of my best friends birthdays and not participate in the cocktail drinking or celebratory champagne? Of course; but being able to leave the bar with a clear mind and glistening skin from dancing harder than I’ve danced in a long time with a crowd of people I love felt better than any drink could ever taste!
One of my goals for the new year is to take better care of my inner-self, physical health, and spiritual well-being, all of which I did! I haven’t taken on a big crash diet or dropped money into an expensive workout plan as I would normally do. But rather, I just changed my eating habits and awareness all week, and went to the gym for some cardio and small weight workouts 5 of the 7 days!
I am learning through this process of growth and positive mental awareness that it is not the big leaps we take in life, but the smaller minor steps that can make the more impactful difference. I am learning to be easy on myself and my soul and to allow my growth and learning process to happen in it’s own time, with my higher power holding the reigns and not having to control everything all on my own. I am learning to trust that much that happens in life comes from a guidance outside of my own self. I’m learning that I have to trust in that, or in Him, in tandem with my own personal efforts; that if I do this, I can truly do anything.
I do not want this to become a religion based blog, but I would liketo testify to some of the ways my spirituality has grown in the last week, just from some awesome divine intervention that God is working through my life.
Last Tuesday, January 3rd, I had the privilege of attending one night of the Passion Conference at the Georgia Dome with thousands and thousands of other young people around my age. It’s been a long time since I was able to be sincerely, emotionally moved by words of praise songs. It’s surely been a long time since I’ve felt the physical desire to hold my hands in the air and sing praises to a God I’ve always attested to believing in, but never fully embodied or really professed to live for.
The sermon that night was all centered around the phrase, “Wake up o’sleeper, rise up from the dead.” The symbolism behind this was that many of us claim to be one way, but often chose to live another. It carries meaning asking us to wake up, open our eyes, and see again the new life and new light that is within us if we can get ourselves out of whatever death, sadness, pain, or negative feelings we may be trying to conquer. The evening left me feeling full, and my mind running 90 miles an hour over what feelings those were that made me feel so alive and awake for those two hours I was at the conference.
I had planned to start this blog over a few months ago with the name “12 Months of Sunshine”, with a plan to spread light and positivity into the lives of people that read this. In the dark world that we often times live in, I think it’s imperative that more of us bring our light into this darkness within ourselves, and within others, whenever we are able.
Would you call it coincidence or Gods voice when I tell you that the sermon I attended at Passion City yesterday morning began with Pastor Louie saying “This year, what if we decided to shine brighter than ever before? What if this year could be the best year of our lives?”
Other things he spoke about yesterday:
• “Darkness isn’t our enemy, it’s our opportunity.”
• “What sin has wrapped around your hope in your life lately?”
• “We were made for a purpose- to be light and give light to a darkened world.”
• “Welcome to a new year! You are NOT forgotten and it is NOT too late for YOU!”
So… is it coincidence that the sermon was nearly verbatim to my original blog post from the first day of the new year? Or was that God making me aware that He hears me, that He’s listening, and that the moves and choices I’m trying to profess in my own life are right on track? I’ll let you decide that one.
Let’s wrap it up:
1. My “clear sky and goals set high” mentality is working out pretty darn well so far! What clarity have you gained this week in your own life? What negativity are you beginning to remove from your own life to clear your skies, and how is that working out for you?
2. As I grow and learn about myself, I learn that I do have to relinquish full control over my life and allow my Higher Power (God) to work his miracles through me. I can do a lot of things on my own; positive thinking is a huge start, but ultimately I have to let Him drive my life in the direction He wants it to go. Is this something you are trying to do more of? What is stopping you?
3. What accomplishments have you made in the last week, or what big ones do you have to take on that may be coming up? Revel and excite in your successes, but learn and remember your failures. It’s a full circle process that makes us grow.
Every single day, we wake up and continue writing the stories of our lives. What will the next pages of your book look like? What adventures would you like to see in your next chapter
The possibilities are endless!
May this week bring you all the joy and positivity in the world. Remember, you always get back what you give out!
Even through the darkest times, keep your chin up, your smile wide, and NEVER forget to share your sunshine!
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