I took this picture because it looked like a cross. If you look at this picture closely, you will see one bird sitting by himself. We tend to isolate ourselves with self imposed pressure. We fill our hearts and minds with worldly anxieties that are not of God. I love the message version of Philippians 4:23 NIV; “Receive and experience the amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, deep, deep within yourselves.”

On this Mindset Monday I encourage us to break free from isolation. Will we choose to receive and experience God’s amazing Grace deep within?

Take a few minutes to listen to this song; No Pressure by Danny Gokey

Jesus came to be the light for all mankind. Today we have the Holy Spirit living in us to shine the light of Jesus so that others will see His glory. I took this picture recently on a run. I am not sure what happened during the process of taking the photo to make the sun appear this way. It reminds me that we can’t see the sun’ rays & we can’t see the Holy Spirit. Just like this picture, Jesus is radiating His light in unexpected ways.

On this Spiritual Sunday may we all go to our places of worship and get filled with the light of Jesus so that we can radiate His light throughout our week in unexpected ways.

“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” John‬ ‭1:4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Some Fridays feel like you have come to the end of traveling a long rode. We are back to adapting which means to adjusting to new changes. Have you been in survival mode this week? How can we finish this Friday strong? God says all we have to do is come to Him in Matt 11:28-30 NIV; “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

I love the response to the question, how do you eat an elephant? “One bite at a time”. I encourage us all today to take it one minute, one bite at a time. May we all lean into God to carry us through to our weekend.

On this Thankful Thursday I am thankful for my church. I love that I get to worship in God’s house, fellowship with fellow Christians, small groups with friends, and oh how I miss the potluck gatherings.

Did you know that we as Christians are the church? Our bodies house the Holy Spirit. We are God’s temple. I am especially thankful for our Run for God group. We get to talk about God, take care of our temples, and fellowship with one another.

I encourage you to evaluate how you are caring for your temple. Are you taking time for yourself? Both mental and physical health are so important. I would love to hear what your routine is. Maybe it’s walking, yoga, or riding your bike.

On this Thankful Thursday let’s thank God for the opportunity to get active for Him! I am also thankful to get active with family. Below are pictures of me running with our twins and riding bikes with my husband.

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” 1 Corinthians‬ ‭6:19-20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

My daughter and I spent an hour at the beach this past Sunday. I enjoyed watching the birds walk around the sand. We talked about how calming it was to hear the waves as we read our books. Life can be complicated and a trip to the beach is a simple way to in complicate our minds and get soul rest.

One of the simplest scriptures comes from Micah 6:8; “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah‬ ‭6:8‬ ‭NIV‬‬. If life feels complicated today, remind yourself to simplify it with God’s word.

On this Water Walking Wednesday let’s humbly walk, one step at a time like this bird on the beach. Let’s remember to show love and Grace to those around us, especially those closest to us. Let’s remember in our actions and our reactions to act justly, even if it means pausing and counting to 10. Let’s go be a Water Walker for His glory today.

The moon appears to transform from a full to a quarter, and to a crescent in shape. In fact as the moon orbits the earth, the sunlight reflects on different regions. One evening I took this picture of the moon over our house. Just as the suns light illuminates the moon, God’s light lives in us to shine His glory for others to know Him.

Some days we may only allow God’s light to shine in a quarter or crescent size. We allow the sin of the world’s illusions to keep us hidden. On this Transformation Tips Tuesday will you shine God’s light to the fullest?

I encourage you to read the scripture verses surrounding 2 Cor 4:6; “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”

As most of you know by now, we love feeding the birds. They have such a calming presence and remind me not to worry. I encourage you to read the parable on worry in Matt 6: 25-34. Let’s look at verse 33 for our instruction; “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

On this Mindset Monday when your worry for the day, or maybe just the next task in front of you is overwhelming, remember to seek God. How can we do this? Tiny breathe prayers throughout our day. Surrender is not one and done, it is a continual practice.

Will you choose to worry? Or will you choose to surrender and seek God? We can also choose to look up. I encourage you to listen to this song by Lauren Daigle, Look Up Child.