Tag: Holy Spirit

Recently, I’ve been setting the intention to stretch and push my body more to help with flexibility and strength. I’m noticing how shallow I breathe throughout most of the day. I was curious to see how many deep breaths I could take in a minute and use that as a guide to hold different stretches and yoga poses for flexibility rather than set a timer. I was shocked that eight long, slow, inhales and exhales brought me to the minute mark. This exercise of breathing intentionally left me a little lightheaded and changed my perspective. I don’t need to pick up the pace and do more, I need to lean in and slow down.

The way we think about ourselves determines how we behave and who we become. If I believe I am good at something, I will be more confident and have a more favorable result and my extra effort usually pays off.  If I think I’m proficient at something, I have a sense of pride and I’ll continue to excel in that area.  

Lately I’ve been noticing the generosity of the people that cross my path. It is those little acts of kindness that pattern God’s grace-filled giving.

As a daughter of the King, I find myself more often than not kicking my crown to the curb living a worldly life rather than in my divinity. Surely I’m not the only one!

What is the law of the Lord? We are to love God with all our heart, mind, and soul. When we have God as our center, our foundation, the Spirit within guides us and shows us the way. We learn to love others and we learn to love ourselves. Not in a narcissistic way which the dysfunctional world teaches but with a kind, compassionate and merciful love. Like the love that flows in the Trinity which is the outpouring of self-emptying love between the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 

It takes endurance to live a life worth living. As a person who has found their value in achievement, running the race of life has been effortless most of the time. However, to live life well, in connection with God, myself and others, I’m learning the endurance it takes to slow down and enjoy the journey. 

We all need a “time out” to take a few moments to catch our breath. As a mother, I knew this well for my toddlers when they were pushing boundaries and not knowing when to stop. I would send my children to take a time out, not necessarily as punishment but to learn to calm down, to self-soothe so we could then talk about the impact of their actions.

When all else fails, “courtesy prevails” is a time-honored saying. And our daily experiences bear witness to its truth. It’s not a major decision to choose kindness in our actions, and there’s certainly nothing very difficult about being present to another in conversation. And yet, the frequency with which so many of us dishonor people by our rudeness, interruptions, and mean-spiritedness would suggest courtesy is indeed very elusive and difficult.

When all else fails, “courtesy prevails” is a time-honored saying. And our daily experiences bear witness to its truth. It’s not a major decision to choose kindness in our actions, and there’s certainly nothing very difficult about being present to another in conversation. And yet, the frequency with which so many of us dishonor people by our rudeness, interruptions, and mean-spiritedness would suggest courtesy is indeed very elusive and difficult.