Lets talk about the process of enjoying the journey and letting go of anxiety along the way!
How do you manage your stress and anxiety when life is busy, stressful and complicated? The answer is a little more simple than I want to admit…Accept the process. Don’t allow the details of the day to day steal your joy and the little victories along the way. No matter what you are facing, you have a CHOICE in how you are going to respond. No one else can make that choice for you. That’s up to YOU.
As someone who has struggled with anxiety most my life, I understand when everything seems to spiral out of control. BUT GOD. Am I leaning into Him and listening to the peace of His voice? Am I bringing my requests to Him and letting Him fight the battles? Sadly, not enough. But my desire is to take each day and find those victories and celebrations. I want to live from a place where JOY. Not happiness. Happiness is just a feeling that is fleeting. BUT JOY is my portion and He has the ability to reach others in and through me.
So my challenge to MYSELF and anyone else who needs a little pep talk is to REST IN HIS TIMING AND PROCESS. Rest in His perfect leadership and enjoy the journey. Tomorrow is not promised, so how will we live TODAY!? In peace and rest. And it is a DAILY CHOICE! Hard? Yes. But doable? YES YES YES!
I am rooting you on and cheering for you from the sidelines! YOU have the ability to CHOOSE to live a life fully pleasing.
Take a deep breath and let the process perfect you in love! It is worth it dear friends and I am on the journey with you!
Oh HI there!!
I know I know, I might seem a little bruised and beat up but I have a secret!
2016 might have tried to crush me to pieces but something amazing happened.
I finally let go. The surrender of finally breaking.
I finally found a peace I never knew available.
Been a hard year beloved? Yea… Me too.
I feel like we have gone from one traumatic tragedy to the next…
2 miscarriages. ER & ICU visits for me and different family members. Financial struggles, relational challenges, depression, hopelessness… You name it! OH and this week a LOVELY car accident to put a little icing on the top… My natural tendency is to panic and FREAK OUT!
But I feel the Lord whisper that there is another and a better way.
What is it you ask?
GRATITUDE.
Yup. That’s right.
Gratitude.
Oh man… there she goes… giving us the “lets all just ignore whats going on and walk in the opposite direction talk”… But Rachael my life has been HARD!
Yes friend.
It HAS been hard.
But did you know that He has been with you the whole time?
I know… I didn’t realize it either till I finally let myself BREAK.
Its inside out and upside down, but gratitude is a beautiful weapon of our warfare against the schemes, trials and assaults of the enemy.
To overcome obstacles, walk in gratitude.
Tired of fighting depression and anxiety, declare gratitude.
Want to wake up in the morning and not stay in bed ALL DAY, SHOUT OUT GRATITUDE.
GRATITUDE:
The quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.
Seems easy enough. Right?
Well, that is till your world come crashing down!
Yet in the midst of all the trials and heartache we have gone through this year, something has shifted inside of me. I find myself telling God what I am thankful for in the midst of the pain. His mercy really is new every morning. The fact that I have 2 beautiful babies waiting for me… PRAYING for me in heaven. The miracle that I didn’t slip into a coma or die in that ICU room. The depth of love and trust that has been built through trial by fire in my husband and I’s relationship. All things that could have been brushed aside.
BUT GOD.
What does it even look like have a heart alive in love, trusting completely and knowing that His Word says…
And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him,who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 (emphasis mine)
ALL THINGS.
Not some things.
Or just the GOOD things.
Nor the I perfectly pinterest packaged together things.
ALL THINGS.
Do you believe it friend?
That even when you feel broken, He can see the end from the beginning?
He knows the end of the story and is creating something beautiful in you?
When things were easy and effortless it never stuck as deep.
Oh I looooooove Jesus… but didn’t really NEED Him.
OUCH.
The beauty of brokenness causes us to see that through the good & bad, broke & beautiful, bruised and battered, He is forging gratitude in me.
Gratitude in ALL THINGS. Not just the promotions, but the trials.
So to you dear heart, HOLD ON.
Hold onto your faith.
Let your heart fall into His and know that He has you.
Don’t force a thankful heart but look at what He HAS DONE.
For you are BEAUTIFUL.
Breathtaking.
Loved.
Cherished.
Fought for.
Let gratitude rest in your heart and carry you through the storm.
He’s not about your breaking in this season but MAKING you into something beautiful.
I posted a LIVE Facebook video today and didn’t even mean to have it go 11 MINUTES! Nourishing your soul and walking in gratitude? YES PLEASE!
Sometimes you hit a pocket of truth and you ROLL WITH IT!
I love those moments and know that when the Father speaks words of life, we ALL need to hear them.
Check out this video on nourishing your soul and walking in gratitude daily.
We are all on a journey, fighting various battles and need to connect hearts one to another to truly walk in the freedom that Christ has given us.
Lift your head up today, take a deep breath and be encouraged that you are seen, valued and loved.
So many things have changed for my husband and I recently and change is good… BUT HARD.
In the midst of learning new skills, growing as a business woman, wife and friend, I have been provoked to STAY OPEN. To LIVE OPEN. To have my heart be soft, pliable and tender.
How many times do we go through seasons of pruning and RESIST what God wants to do? How many times do we RUN AWAY from the good that change is trying to bring?
I have done this way too many times myself…
We grow weary or tired and “check out” when we get home. We blame it on our job… the house… the kids… the spouse… but never really connect to that ache and barren place in our heart that longs for God.
The ease to disconnect because we are “too busy” to make time for the things that matter. To make time for Him.
As I was reading in my devotionals this morning I was provoked to let change happen, but also let my heart remain open. I have been on a journey the last 6 months to learn what it means to live from my WHOLE heart in all situations.
What it has shown me is how easy it is for me to disconnect, check out or numb when things get sticky. It’s highlighted seasons of selfishness, pride and arrogance. Its shown me how self seeking I have been but how much hope is in front of me.
I don’t want to be that kind of wife… mother… friend. It costs something to live from your heart.
To remain open and present.
To actually LISTEN to when others share their own hearts.
Though I feel weak, I am willing. I want to change and find the confidence to walk in my true self, love from a place of abundance and make others feel seen, heard and known.
This journey of life is too short to stay shut down and isolated.
I invite you to join me and let change perfect us in love and cause our hearts embrace all that is in front of us.
You are loved, cherished and created for a purpose.
Let your WHOLE heart (the good, bad and ugly) rest today.
The heaviness lifts and it feels a bit easier to breathe when I remember to do this… I hope the same for you.
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39
You are more than a conqueror and capable of living free from shame and condemnation! Nothing can separate you from THIS GREAT LOVE!!!
I’m curious what it means to YOU to live from your whole heart?
(I know I can’t be the only one wanting more!) Comment below and I would love to be praying for your own journey!
Since last Mondays blog post, I have really been thinking about the difficulty to actually BE myself. Sounds silly, right?
Maybe…But have you ever thought about it?
To be honest, posting and sharing a LIVE video was VERY exposing for me.
Monday was without makeup, hair up in a pony tail, just worked out, not a great camera angle and imperfect lighting. Needless to say it was SCARY… I think I might care a little toooooo much what other people think. But I did it because I wanted to confront my own fears and be REAL with each other.
It was important for ME to breakthrough the insecurities I hide under and share from my heart. And you know what is CRAZY?? We reached OVER 3,600 views on that RAW, weak, honest video. 3,600!!!! WHAT THE WHAT!!!? (Video can be found HERE in case you missed it!)
The crazy thing is how many emails, responses and comments FLOODED in by me simply being me. Raw, makeup free, real ME.
It caused my heart to ponder the deeper work God was doing in my heart.
Why do I spend so much time hiding behind the masks?
Why do I fret over what others think of me?
What am I feeling when I give into those fears? Rejection… Sadness… Hopeless… Anxious…
But what is the deeper desire in my heart?
That desire that was put there BY God?
For me its to make an impact.
To see lives and hearts awakened to truth.
To be known, seen and heard for who I truly am, not who I am projecting.
So that’s the question I want to pose to you:
What are you feeling when you allow comparison to steal your joy?
What desires are so deep down inside of you, screaming to be free?
Breaking free of false expectations and truly being YOU. Wild, crazy, YOU.
Think about what you like to do. What your passions are. What YOUR dreams are. What God says about you and how He made you PERFECTLY.
Do you agree with Him?
I struggle with it… still.
BUT I am asking for grace to love me for ME and love what He worked so hard to make.
Think about some of those fears that seem to paralyze you and comment below with something that you LOVE uniquely about YOU!
We are in this fight for life and light TOGETHER!
