- Created on 15 April 2013
Parents: Take Your Life Back
The term parenting is most readily defined as the act of taking care of and raising children. But parenting is also the act or process of becoming a parent, which we believe is as much about taking care of you as it is about taking care of your children.
“I don’t have time.”
Hands down, time is one of the biggest scarcities for modern parents. But everyone can carve out 10-20 minutes a day for self-care time. Yes, it may require reallocating and prioritizing (I, for one, recommend foregoing perfectly-folded laundry), asking for help or getting creative with how you build the time into your day.
For example, one way I fit self-care into my schedule is by building it into child care transit time. I push my 2-year-old, Violet, in the jogger to day care and then run home (or run a longer loop ending at home). It’s a win for everyone; Violet gets to hunt for dogs, buses and trucks en route, and I get my self-care.
We all deserve at least ten minutes a day to focus on ourselves; schedule it in the calendar as a non-negotiable meeting!
“I don’t have money for self-care.”
Self-care doesn’t have to mean expensive spa treatments. We define it as whatever feels relaxing and rejuvenating to YOU. Curling up with a book or magazine, going for a walk, writing in a journal, sitting with a cup of tea and doing absolutely nothing? All are forms of self-care and all are deliciously within your reach.
Another crucial aspect of self-care is looking after your health. While getting a mammogram isn’t exactly the relaxing “massage” we look forward to, it’s one example of the importance of caring for yourself.
“It seems selfish to take time for myself.”
Repeat after me: Self-care is not selfish. When you treat yourself well, goodness trickles down into your relationships with your partner, your kids, your friends and your community. It’s like a big circle of awesomeness. Your ability to take care of others is directly proportional to your own vitality and happiness.
- Created on 12 April 2013
Minute Meditation: Prayer For Strength
Strength is a characteristic that is often underrated. Praying for strength is merely understanding that you are seeking out the ability to survive in our insane world.
We can compare our spiritual development to the construction process of building a home. When building anything from the ground up, a great deal of time is spent on preparing the foundation for the massive weight of the building.
If the foundation is not prepared correctly, then after the weight of the building is applied, the foundation may crack, thereby causing serious concern for the stability of the building. So it is too with our spiritual lives. We spend time training our minds to sharpen our intellectual skills.
O Lord,
In this time of need, strengthen me. You are my strength and my shield; You are my refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. I know, Father, that Your eyes go to and fro throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts long for You. The body grows weary, but my hope is in you to renew my strength.
I do not fear, for you are with me.
I am not dismayed or overwhelmed, for you are my God. I know You will strengthen me and help me; that You will uphold me with Your righteous hand. Even as the shadows of illness cover me, I feel the comfort of Your strength, Or Lord.Amen.
So what is spiritual strength and capacity and how can we develop ourselves? Spiritual strength is the ability to carry an enduring spirit that follows the unpopular path when the world seems to want to fold in on itself. It is being able to stand for something when doing the right thing is not popular at the time. (Numbers 14:24) It is the development of a strong prayer life, never avoiding spiritual conflict and a willingness to be inconvenienced.
- Created on 09 April 2013
4 Steps to Inner Peace
Inner peace takes time.
We try to fix ourselves in different ways. Although it is undeniable that therapy can offer many benefits, there is also a trap to be aware of. By focusing on what is wrong, therapy reinforces the idea that we are in some way broken and incapable of experiencing fulfillment now.
Accept that some things will not change.- There is only so much we can affect. What we cannot change, what we cannot influence no matter what, should not be a concern to us. This is what I notice with so many people, in that we focus and linger on things which we have no control over.
Never lose hope - Hope is something you can never afford to lose. With hope you always have a path towards peace. Whenever we get too stressed out and overwhelmed within our own life, we forget that hope.
Keep learning- One thing that provides us with much stress in life is the fact that we always worry about not having all the answers. Just accepting that you do not know everything, and that you are open to always keep learning is a tremendous step to take towards achieving inner peace.
Be patient - Remember that this develops over time. Fluctuations occur throughout the day.
- Created on 10 April 2013
Bishop Jakes: 'I am So Sick of This Hollywood Spirit'
Bishop TD Jakes is calling out the star struck faith that has taken over national churches.
"I am so sick of this Hollywood spirit that has overtaken the church!"
On Sunday, April 8, while promoting an upcoming worship service featuring largely unknown guest ministers, The Potter's House leader expressed displeasure over the amount of focus placed on preachers' popularity.
"We do not have to have big names to have a big move of God," he said. "I got filled up with the Holy Ghost by somebody that didn't have no name at all."
But nowadays, "no name" preachers–those who are not exposed to the masses through national media and large preaching platforms–have trouble attracting crowds and filling up the church pews.
Furthermore, the rise of the mega church has crippled some leaders who are considered "small time" or ineffective if their membership has not reached thousands.
Research shows, in 1960, there was 1 mega church for every 7.5 million Americans. In 2010, there was 1 for every 200,000 Americans, and growth is continuing.
In the minds of many, bigger is better and more popular means more powerful. Click here to read more.
- Created on 08 April 2013
Pastor Rick Warren Writes Open Letter About Son’s Suicide
In an emotional letter to his church members, pastor Rick Warren of Lake Forest, Calif.-based Saddleback Church told them that his youngest son committed suicide.
In the letter Warren asks his church family for their prayers, writing, "No words can express the anguished grief we feel right now. Our youngest son, Matthew, age 27, and a lifelong member of Saddleback, died today."
Click "Next" below the image of Warren above to read the full letter that was circulated to the Saddleback Family.
Matthew Warren, the youngest of three children of Rick Warren and his wife, Kay, killed himself Friday, the evangelical pastor said in the letter.
