Category: devotions

devotions

inspiration, information, transformation

dailystepsblog

This. I’m about halfway through the book “Uninvited” by us a Terkheursr and I want to both sit and finish it all TODAY and spread it out over the next month so it won’t end… it’s that good and that applicable to life for me (and my girls!).

image

This quote in chapter 13 really jumped out at me as I read today. This is SO what I do. I’m a questioner and researcher and ask ‘why?’ about A LOT. I just have a curiousity to understand things better. And I am completely into encouragement and inspiration… Anything that is positive and uplifting…. sunshine and rainbows is what we call it with my daughter. ☀️🌈. I’m ALL about that.

But transformation? The DOING? That’s where I lack. That’s where either laziness or fear step in. Almost.every.time. The brainstorming and idea part is fun. The lets-make-it-happen freaks me out. This is true in every part of my life. I read and study daily. But applying it? That needs work.

I’m learning in this book that so much human emotion and repercution could be avoided if I would DO what His words tell me to do. I’m realizing the same is true in so many areas of life. Bible study, eating healthier, parenting, being a good wife, being a good friend… The list goes on. APPLICATION is what creates my TRANSFORMATION. Not good intentions. Not acquiring knowledge. Not motivation. I’ve got to DO.

For me, this was the perfect excerpt to read at this time of trying to practice intentionality.

Thank you, God, for finding me in the quiet and stillness this early morning and teaching me to apply your holy words to every step I take throughout the day. Every step matters.❤️

daily moments, devotions, working out

the monotony of exercise

dailystepsblog

image

Have you ever started a new workout- loving every second, going everyday- only to find yourself burned out months… maybe even weeks later? I certainly have. I still do! It takes intentional effort on my part to find variety. I will try a different format to teach in jazzercise. Last year I took some tennis lessons which I had never done before. I went back to yoga, and here lately I’m getting outside more to just walk. The change breaks up the monotony, it brings about excitement in me to try something new and exercise in a new way, and it gives me the desire to make it part of my routine.
Strengthening our spiritual life is very much the same. Monotony can set in quickly when we find ourselves following the same routine week after week. I am speaking from experience! A daily morning habit of reading and following a study all of a sudden has felt a little blah and monotonous over the last few weeks. In looking for a pen this morning, I found this bible study journal that I forgot I bought. It was tucked away in a drawer. The scripture I had on my mind this morning was 2 Peter 3:5-10. And the notes I had jotted down from a previous sermon talked about spiritual exercises we can do to participate in our faith- to grow. I could have just sat and read this scripture and notes and I would have gotten the message on how to supplement our faith. But using my journal prompts helped me to think and engage in a new way. I was interactive with scripture in a way I hadn’t been doing. I was studying in a new way. One new change felt like I broke the monotony of the last few weeks and I got to learn and process in a different way. My life in this simple moment was illustrating exactly what my notes said.
Spiritual exercise matters just as much as physical exercise. And sometimes adding variety to how we spiritually “workout” brings about a new desire to keep going and keep growing. But, just like planning a healthy menu for the week, or planning to teach a specific jazz class, it takes being intentional.
I’m so happy I came across this journal this morning. I feel like it is a new tool to help me continue to grow in a new way.❤️

daily moments, devotions

coffee grinder gratitude

dailystepsblog

image.jpeg

I woke up this morning and this coffee canister was empty. EMPTY. That is NOT a good feeling when you are an overly-dependent A.M. coffee drinker like I am. I starting rummaging around our pantry feeling quite panicked at the thought of no morning cup-o-joe.

It didn’t take long for me to find this bag of whole beans, tucked away since last Christmas, a gift from a jazzercise customer. Thankfully I still had a grinder, too, and within minutes I had the pot brewing.

I realize being without coffee is ABSOLUTELY a #firstworldproblem, but as I sat there happily listening to the whir of the coffee pot, I was reminded of the book of Matthew where he talks about being anxious:

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:25-34

God met me right where I was this morning, a place I mindlessly operate every morning just trying to get my day started, and He jostled me awake with such a simple reminder of how He will always provide what we need.

I think every time I look at my coffee canister I will be reminded of His love for us and how He will always provide just what we need if we seek Him first. ❤️

being mindful, devotions

the living word

dailystepsblog

imageI spent time getting caught up on my Women Living Well (an Instagram community) Ecclesiastes study this morning and learning more about haste and contentment. Both are good words for me to focus on while on this specific journey God has me on, right here and now in 2016.

It’s SO easy to get caught up in the comparison game, looking at what others have, how quickly they’re losing weight, how far they can run or how fit they are, and how fun their social life/friends seem to be. And in playing that game it’s equally enticing for me to be rash in my decisions on what to buy, what to eat, the things I pursue and WHY I’m even pursuing them.

This morning, I sensed God steadying my heart with His words. I feel Him centering me (yet again!) in finding peace in letting Him guide my path, my daily steps I take each day.

I’m so glad I copied this Pinterest idea and added this Hebrews scripture to my outer bible pages. His word IS living and active. It does find me exactly where I am in life and help me discern what is in my heart and the plans He has for me… not what I want for me.

Help me to keep seeking you, God, and thank you for your words that feel written specifically for me this morning. ❤️

being mindful, daily moments, devotions, friends

seasons of stories

dailystepsblog

“He made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he put eternity in man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” Ecclesiastes 3:11.

image
I am loving the @womenlivingwell study! I am learning about Solomon and realizing how similar his story of seeking earthly joys seems to our world today. I came across this previous note I made in the margins of my bible. It is from a women’s retreat I attended a couple of years ago.

I relate to it personally, but I think it can relate to so many of our stories here. We ALL have stories. I love following all of the stories I see on Facebook and Instagram, on Twitter, and on the blogs I follow. I find myself  learning so much day to day. I see people who are real and genuine in their fails, and so inspiring and humble in their successes. Let’s keep sharing, keep living out and telling our stories. Every part of His story is important. Every part matters…. YOU Matter.

Here’s what my jotted down notes say- notes from an incredibly wise young speaker:
“Our stories are going somewhere on purpose! Some days I feel I may have a larger part of God’s story than other days, but to God every part is important. Every part is intertwined and interdependent. Even the smallest of “parts” can have an impact for years to come. I need to remember that.”❤️

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

devotions

stones that are alive- wait, what?

dailystepsblog

1 Peter 2:5…”you also like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”  As I finished up my last day of James, a 7 week bible study I took part in, I lingered around on this verse: sometimes it just takes me a little longer to soak in certain scripture. I kept going back to the words… “we are living stones… being built into a spiritual house…”

image

I really had to think on this and what it meant.  I started to imagine a stone home where every single part of that structure is made of stone- floors, walls, stairs, pillars. Every stone is unique, cut and shaped to fit where it works best, where it fits in with others to make the overall design and function of the home work. Each stone fits together to make the whole, well, whole.

image

I thought back to the verses in Peter, reading how we are like living stones. How we, as believers and followers of Christ, are all so unique and different from one another. We are all shaped and designed individually by God for His purposes. We all fit together and are using our lives… our talents… and are building His spiritual house, where we each serve and do the job we are designed to do.  So, in reading 1 Peter 2:5 again, am I doing my part? Am I living for the purpose He designed me for? I had a sinking feeling. If I am not, then what happens to that pretty house I envisioned? If my stone was missing, how stable is that part of the house? What if it’s not just me? What if several of us are not living out His plan for our lives?

image

Imagine what would happen to the stone house if several of those stones were missing.  If you took just the right few out of the wall, it could collapse. Take a few stones from the staircase and it could be unusable, unable to help people move about the house.

image

The same thing can happen in our world. God has called each of us to live our lives on purpose… with purpose…. surrendered. Each of our gifts and callings fit together to build an amazing spiritual home. If I don’t do my part- what happens to the overall design of His home? How can we secure our stone in the exact spot God wants it and strengthen the overall design He created and planned?

Dear God, I want to be a strong living stone for you. Please help me to live a life surrendered to you. Help me find and nurture the gifts you have given me so I can be a stone, set in place, in your spiritual house. Guide me to seek and encourage others to stand confident in who they are and to help us all stand firmly in the place you have called us. Amen.

being mindful, daily moments, devotions

the leaning boxwood

dailystepsblog

image

I walked out of my garage a couple of weeks ago and this caught my eye. My once straight-up-growing, symmetrical boxwood is now completely leaning forward- growing from the shady porch area towards the light. It’s grown all the way to the front of the planter box, because to keep thriving in this spot, it needs the sunshine. The science nerd and questioner in me googled this. It’s called phototropism which occurs when a plant responds to light by turning in the direction of the light. With too much shade on my porch, my pretty green plant will stay sort of stagnant… dull. Isn’t this a little how we can find ourselves, too? We are designed to respond to the Son and bend our lives towards His light. That’s how we thrive. When we don’t, we are not really flourishing like we were made to do. I have times where I find myself tucked away in the shade. I’m not growing towards the light like I should be. I feel off and a little out of sorts. I think it’s because of how we are made. It’s an innate response to grow towards Christ when He is in your heart. When I don’t seek Him, I remain pretty stationary. I’m thankful that I noticed this leaning porch plant. Every time I walk past it, in or out of my house, I feel a reminder to keep growing towards the light…. His light… of love and grace…. gentleness….forgiveness…. joy and kindness. Just like my boxwood, I can thrive when I grow towards the Son.❤️ John 8:12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

devotions, friends

levees and friends

dailystepsblog

This past spring, our city has gone through a deluge of rain. In fact, it was the second year in a row Houston has been hit with such a downpour. The floods that ensued have been devastating. Our suburban neighborhood, designed with a levee of protection, has been one of several around the city spared by the rising waters.  This levee is a a raised embankment that channels the waters of the overflowing Brazos away from us. The waters have risen, the roads have even shut down in places, but the levee has protected us, leaving our homes, and our families, dry and safe.

levee at camp sienna

Storms happen in life. Hard times hit us all. Psalm 107:29 says, “He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves.” The bible doesn’t talk about IF the storms come. It assumes they DO.  Storms of grief…. of worry and fear.  Storms of sadness and anger .  Storms of the need to let go, but the lack of trust to do so.  Our storms are full of emotions that often drive our actions and attitudes day to day.  Storms, that on some days, leave us covered and trapped.

This past spring has been a season where we have experienced the emotional kind of rains. Losing pets is tough, especially on your kids who grew to know them like a sibling.  Helping your child grieve and learn a new normal is hard but necessary.  And, to put in bluntly, bullying sucks.  The word can be overused, I know, but when your child experiences it it is real.  Really real.  Ugly words said can leave a stain on your heart for years to come.  Words that came unexpected from former friends, people you had a love for and trust of. And as a mother, witnessing this can rip at your heart in a way you hadn’t felt before.

As I reflect back on the last several months, I begin to realize…. just as the levee has protected our homes and community from devastating floods, so too, has our family experienced the same kind of protection by our friends.

All around, we have had friends loving us, being sad with us, and just taking on some of our heartache in order to protect us from the flood of emotions that grief and hurting hearts bring. These friends acted just like the levee does. The storms came, but the rise of waters that follow the downpour have been channeled away from us by each act of love and friendship… by prayer.

Watching my daughter be on the receiving end of some rather obnoxious nastiness was hard to do. Mommy claws can be SHARP and LONG. But seeing true friends walk with us through that ordeal helped us deal. And it wasn’t always big noticeable acts… these sweet friends just loved on us through simple acceptance and kindness and prayers that we never specifically heard out loud, but we felt in our hearts.

levee fully surrounded home

I have to be honest with myself here. Am I like a levee? Do I help shield the storms of life from taking over my friends?  Do I help build up and protect from the heavy burden of hard rains?

I have had so many friends go through so much this last year. SO MUCH. We can’t change the fact that the storms will come, but we can try to keep the flood waters from overcoming those that we love.  Do I share in my friends’ hard times, taking on some of their heartache, and just love on them?

If I can do that, I can help guide the remnants of their storm away from them, protecting them from the flood of emotions that can easily swallow us up. Galatians 6:2 says “Carry each others burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” When I read this, I realize it is my DUTY as a Christ follower to carry burdens with my friends. Jesus does so for us all the time. Every day. All day. No matter how big or small the circumstance.  Jesus, our crown-wearing prince, is our ultimate protection.   Is it any coincidence that in my research of levees,  I came across the diagram below, showing that the top of a levee is called a crown?

levee diagram

So… am I following His lead… am I like a levee? Do I raise up and protect others during their time of storms? Do I help to channel away all the murky waters of sadness and fear, frustration and heartache?

Every time I come up on one of these strong embankments, I will try to remember to ask myself this.  It will be a self-check of sorts.   Rains come, waters rise, but the strong embankment of friendship can protect from the flood of it all.  Friendship that can last a lifetime if it’s grounded in the one who gives us ultimate refuge.” Carry each other’s burdens…. “

being mindful, daily moments, devotions, healthy living

tug-o-war

dailystepsblog

tugowar3rdgrade

Tug-o-war.  If you live in our neighborhood, this has been an annual tradition at the elementary school at least since my oldest daughter has been there.  It is an annual competition, a tournament among the grade level classes, that earns you bragging rights for the year.

This is a photo of my daughter’s 3rd grade class.  She’s the tugger in the white shirt right there with her teacher coaching her on.  These kids and their teachers are serious, mentally prepared, and make it fun.  The parents have as much fun watching as the kids do competing.

When I look at this photo it depicts how I feel with my daily journey to live more balanced.  Being about six weeks into weight watchers, I am feeling the reality settling in of living a new lifestyle. It’s not one big pull and I’m at my goal.  It’s something that I will work at always.  And I want to be healthy so  I take it seriously.  My health and the health of my family matters.  I have had to get to a place of being mentally prepared in order to approach this as a lifelong journey- a lifestyle of balance that I practice daily.  And, yes, I have fun.  I make it fun!  I have gotten in a rhythm of sorts with it all.  I found workouts I love to do.  I know what foods I need to fuel my body with and I am learning how to prepare them in ways that are tasty… that I look forward to eating.  I’m learning to say to no to things that make me feel overwhelmed and I try to rest when I can.  It’s not easy and it takes work.  Daily work.

So what else is going on in this picture?  How does this relate to a journey of better living?  I see a whole team that pulls with you, in the same direction you are going, to get you closer to the goal.  One person alone cannot carry the work that requires many.  Your team is right there by your side, going through the game with you, wanting the win too.  They are your steadies- those that do life with you in a way that makes you want to live better, love bigger, and give your all.

On the other end of your team?  That’s all the things that work against you… habits from the past that are hard to shake, negative self-talk that becomes your everyday norm when you are in that self-demoting mentality, emotional triggers that cause you fight or flight… and most days flight is just an easier option.  It’s those that may not support your new way of living or your new habits of bettering yourself.  And sometimes it’s just the taste of that one vice that you.cannot.say.no.to.ever.  (Remember… The chocolate struggle is real…). These things tend to always be pulling us away from our goal- whether it’s massive resistance or just a gentle tug.  We are in constant motion to pull back, away from these triggers.

Standing there right by your team is the coach.  Maybe this is a person, maybe this is an online community of support, maybe this is a monthly meeting you attend.  It’s that person or program that gives you specific strategies on how to pull harder in the direction you want to go.  Coaches that have clipboards full of ideas to keep you committed to do your best.  They see in you the goals you want to accomplish and they help you figure out a plan to execute a plan.

None of this would be easy without the cheering section.  These are those bystanders around you that yell out encouragement from the sidelines.  They are there, ready to give you that attagirl that we all need to hear from time to time.   They may not be in your life daily, but they are there watching you succeed, giving you that thumbs up to keep going.

My daughter’s class started off this competition losing two out of the first three rounds.  That didn’t stop them.   They kept trying, working together one round at a time, getting stronger as they kept going and relying on each other.  And by the time it was all said and done, they walked away with first place.  What a win!  Accomplishing a goal is always so much more satisfying when a little sweat and tears went into the game.

So I look at this photo and realize- this is life.  This is me using my strength to pull towards the goals I have set for myself.  One giant tug doesn’t get me there.  I have to work with those around me, that help push me towards my goals.  I have to use the support I have put in place to help coach me through, and I need to pay attention to the encouragement I get along the way.  One day at at time.  One tug toward the goal at a time.  The drawn-out, hard fought wins are always the ones that you remember the most.  And they are always so worth it.❤️

 

 

 

 

 

 

devotions

tree shaping mamas

dailystepsblog

Have you ever noticed how power lines can GREATLY  affect the shape of a tree? Every time I head out of our neighborhood I see this one in particular just as I pass through a light.

shaped tree neighborhood

Or, when I head out to our new Starbucks, I see these trimmed up trees, altered because of the power lines that run through.

starbuck shaped tree

The ones I see as I drive around our town are often cut in a “V”. But this whole tree shape thing has really intrigued me. I started doing a little research online and came across several other examples…

tree collage

It’s up to the power companies to keep these trees trimmed. It takes an actual person to clip each and every branch that’s in danger of coming into contact with the power lines. If the branches are left to grow on their own through the hot wires, fires can erupt. Power is lost. The damage from these incidents can have a lasting impact. The result of these dedicated workers taking the time to trim and prune as to avoid danger, leaves us with all kinds of uniquely-shaped trees.

This Sunday is Mother’s Day. I keep thinking how my mom is kind of like one of these tree-pruners. As I was growing up and began branching out to discover and find my place in the world, my mom was right there watching the direction I was headed, letting me grow, but then pruning me, and redirecting me away from things that were potential hazards. She would nip and clip and sometimes even saw down unsafe areas where I was branching out… places that could have had a lasting negative impact. My mom knew just where I needed to be trimmed to keep me growing, but safe.  It’s a process that takes time, attention to detail, careful planning, patience, and steady hands.  There are a LOT of branches and there are a LOT of hot wires.  The job is not for the faint of heart.

So, Happy Mother’s Day to all the tree-shaping women out there! This includes all women who are trimming and pruning, working hard to keep others growing in a safe direction, and helping to shape them into who they were meant to be. Every time I see one of these uniquely shaped trees, I will thank our heavenly Father that He gave us mothers… soul-shapers, redirectioners, pruning princesses. WE LOVE YOU.

Dear God, thank you for shaped trees. Thank you for those that work hard to trim them, prune them, and keep them branching out where it’s safe. Thank you for eyes to see the gift of moms in random spots of nature. Thank you for the ability to grow away from unsafe places and find our unique design. And thank you for mamas. Our world truly is a safer place because of them.

Do you have any pruning princesses in your life?  In what ways did they help shape you into who you are today?

Who are you helping to shape?  Sometimes it’s in big ways- sometimes it’s a subtle change of direction you need to tweak.  In what ways have you found yourself using the “clippers” to keep hazardous situations away?