Nurturing your Spirit

"When you come to the edge of all the light you have, and must take a step into the darkness of the unknown, believe that one of two things will happen. Either there will be something solid for you to stand on or you will be taught how to fly." ~Patrick Overton

Okay, I am forging ahead with my thoughts on our book study "Taking Care of the Me in Mommy" by Lisa Whelchel on nurturing our spirit, body, and soul (I Thessalonians 5:23). We are currently focusing on practical ways to take care of our spirit. Tonight’s topics of discussion are Bible Study, Praise, Sabbath Rest, and Journaling.

We eat daily for energy and nourishment not just once a week (Sunday morning). We need to fill up daily with the Bread of Life and Living Water or we will feel empty.
Psalm 119:103 (NIV) How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Here are my favorite tips for BIBLE STUDY:
• Do daily devotions with your kids (“Veggie Tales Family Devotional” and “Big Truths for Little Kids” are good ones)
• Listen to Bible story tapes with your kids
• Listen to Bible on tape/CD in your car, while exercising, etc.
• Break up your reading time into small chunks (morning, naps, waiting in line, etc)
• Keep a small Bible in your purse
• Keep an open Bible in places around your house (dining table, near computer, etc) and read a few verses throughout the day
• Sign up for e-devotions/newsletters (crosswalk.com, devotions.org, cfdevotionals.org, purposedrivenlife.com)
• Subscribe to devo text messages: send text to 27138 with message PRINCESS
• Read 1 chapter of Proverbs + 5 Psalms daily =finish both in a month
• Use great resources to go deeper into the Word (Beth Moore, Kay Arthur, Lifeway, etc)
• Utilize bible software and online tools (logos.com, Biblegateway.com)
• Vary your translation; read the same passage multiple times in different versions
• Use paraphrased versions to gain new insights
• Read through the Bible in a year

Praise and worship are not for reminding God of who He is, but for reminding us of who He is. When we remember His awesomeness, our challenges look smaller in comparison to His greatness. Praise is often the last thing we feel like doing when we need it the most. Maybe that is why it is referred to as a “sacrifice”.
Hebrews 13:15 (NIV) Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.

Here are my favorite tips for PRAISE:
• Sing while you: shower, drive, exercise, clean house, etc.
• Keep a hymnal with your other reading materials
• Set an alarm for worship
• Teach worship as a part of mealtime (before, during, or after prayer)
• Use a list of attributes describing God (not for things or blessings but for who He is – i.e. Redeemer, Shepherd, Creator, Healer, Comforter, King)
• Dance before the Lord (clap, bow, kneel, lift hands, use musical instruments -these are all in the Bible)
• Don’t neglect worshiping God as a community (Hebrews 10:24-25)

We know that renewing our relationship with God is important but it just doesn’t feel productive. We want to accomplish something rather than just resting in Him. Sometimes our burnout is not because we are moms, but because with all the other things…taxi, cook, teacher, janitor, nurse, maid…we lose our chance to be moms – to be close to our kids and enjoy them. When we get physically weary, our exhaustion opens the doors for the enemy through irritability, lack of focus, and laziness in our habits. Do I trust God enough to believe that ultimately He will enable me to accomplish all the things He deems important enough to do. I can’t so everything in my own strength anyway (John 15:5) and anything of lasting value is only going to happen by God’s grace and power (2 Corinthians 3:5). One final thought…if God needed a break after 6 days of creation, what makes me think I can keep going with no rest?
Leviticus 23:3 (CEV) You have six days when you can do your work, but the seventh day of each week is holy because it belongs to me. No matter where you live, you must rest on the Sabbath and come together for worship. This law will never change.

Here are my favorite tips for SABBATH REST:
• Worship, play, take a walk, rest, read, spend time with loved ones, practice silent listening prayer.
• Create a mini-Sabbath in the car as you listen to a worship CD and rest your mind
• Trade one day a month with a friend as a drop-off day or take advantage of Mom’s Day Out programs
• Go on a date with the Lord – prepare a meal for your family, let dad serve it, then grab your Bible and a journal and enjoy dinner at a restaurant or send the kids to McDonald’s with dad and have your dinner at home with the Lord.
• Anytime your church offers a women’s event, do whatever you can to attend
• Send your kids to VBS, church summer camps, or other great church kids programs
• Set aside a super-Sabbath: book a hotel room overnight
• Have a TV Sabbath one day a week (or e-mail or cell phone)

Journaling is just putting your thoughts into writing. It helps us remember what the Lord is saying to us and teaching us and we can pass it on to future generations
Psalm 78:4 (NIV) We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done.

Here are my favorite tips for JOURNALING:
• Scrapbooks are a great way to journal your hopes, prayers and reflections of individual family members.
• Write a weekly blog on your life to share with others for encouragement
• Cathartic journal – writing about stressful events reduces symptoms of chronic illness; vent your frustrations in journal instead of on husband, kids, coworkers…
• Have a forget-me-not section of journal – to immortalize treasured words of little ones.
• Write a yearly birthday letter to your kids about their accomplishments, new interests, likes/dislikes, monumental moments, funny things they’ve done or said, and the spiritual growth you’ve seen.
• Gratitude journal – 5 praises at beginning and 5 thankfuls at end of day
• Marriage journal/scrapbook – what you admire about your spouse
• Prayer or sermon journal -pour out your heart to God; write down what He is speaking to you; write thank-you letters to Him
• Computer journal – cut & paste from e-mails you’ve sent and received
• Keep old calendars, planners, letters, etc.
• Send weekly e-mails to relatives & close friends describing the families activities
• Family altars – stories of your encounters with God to pass on to your children