09Sep
Tyra Lane-KingslandReal Life, Spiritual Life

A Back to School Promise You Can Bank On

This fall isn’t like last fall.

 

Back to school pictures are a little different.

 

Kitchens and spare bedrooms have been converted into classrooms.

 

School has started but few have gone back into the school classroom.

 

Indeed the start of the 2020-21 school year is different. 

 

 

Amid the different one thing remains. One thing is sure and one thing that is true. The ONE who is unchanging is right here in the midst of it with us. The ONE who does not change (Malachi 3:6) is ever faithful by our side. And He’s given us a back to school promise we can bank on.

 

And I don’t know about you but I need a promise I can hold on to. This promise is going to carry me through internet service interruptions. This promise is going to get me through children complaining about their siblings talking too loudly when they’ve taken themselves off mute. This promise is going to carry my early elementary child through all the loops, hoops and screen switches he’s expected to master at such a young age. This promise is going to give me needed reassurance for homeschooling a high schooler. And this promise is going to ensure that myself, my husband and my 6 children all dwell together in unity (Psalm 133:1) as we navigate this new way of learning.

 

And I’m banking that this promise will come through for you too.

 

No matter how you feel about this school year.

 

Whether your child is attending school virtually, traditionally homeschooled, returning full time to the classroom or hybrid. 

 

For the single mom who has conference call after conference call yet your 3rd grader needs help with the new way of regrouping.

 

For the essential worker who is trying to explain to her father how to log into class since grandparents will be called upon to help manage distance learning.

 

For the older siblings watching the younger ones while attempting to get their own work done because mom and dad have to get to work. 

 

To the teacher who has 3 children of her own at home.

 

Here’s a Word in season that you can fiercely cling to:

 

 

All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children. Isaiah 54:13

 

 

Friends, above all, He is their Teacher. The Holy Spirit is a teacher. The Father, who loves His children faithfully instructs them. Jesus, Rabboni is their teacher. And as such, He’s got this!

 

And wait! Not only will they be taught by Him, but GREAT shall be their peace. 

 

Take heart friend. God’s got you and He has your children. He is teaching all of us day by day. In Him there is no lack. He supplies all our needs including the educational ones. So we can safely place our trust in the surety of this promise. He will teach your children and great shall be their peace (Isaiah 54:13). Commit this verse to memory, ask, seek, knock and watch Him do it for you.

 

Let us pray…

Thank you Lord for the surety of your promises. You have assured me that you will teach my children and great shall be their peace. Lord help me lay aside any worry, anxiety and fear surrounding their education as I put my hope and trust in you. May my children have the wisdom, knowledge, understanding and learning of Daniel and the Hebrew Boys. Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me so that I am open and receptive to be used by You. Show me how I can  best encourage my children and foster their love of learning. And let me remember that instructing them is not merely relegated to academics but I am to diligently teach them about You Father. Let them seek knowledge and have the ear of the wise. May your Word teach them, equip them, and correct them. I thank you for being the best teacher they could ever have.

In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.

25Jun
Tyra Lane-KingslandReal Life

What Is Soul Care & Why You Need It Now

Newscasters are telling us. Social media influencers are telling us. Our doctors are telling us.

SELF-CARE
SELF-CARE
SELF-CARE

 

But these days it seems as if self-care has been reduced to temporary, quick fixes. Perhaps a mani/pedi, massage, glass of wine, night with the crew will invoke happy feelings, but in and of themselves they are short lived. While spa visits and whoosah moments are a sweet reprieve from the constant chatter of the world, in and of themselves they will not satisfy your soul’s need for care. This is why we must extend beyond self-care and embrace SOUL CARE.

 

Your soul is your mind, your will and your emotions. And God has given you a soul as a means of connecting with the natural world. But if you are not careful, you begin to live more out of our soul than out of our spirit. You are 1st a spirit being, don’t forget that.

 

Why do you need to care for your soul? Our life experiences directly influence the health of our souls. And when we are subject to hurts, disappoints, other trauma we end up with soul wounds. But there is good news. God has the balm to soothe and heal our wounded souls. But that requires us to present ourselves to Him. We must surrender completely to Him. So let us look at the three areas that comprise the soul.

 

MIND

 

Day by day, moment by moment we must renew our minds. We are bombarded by so much information that infiltrates our minds and much of it is untrue. Which is why we have to constantly feed ourselves the TRUTH of God’s word.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

 

With all that we are experiencing in our world today: pandemic, civil unrest, unemployment, under-employment, health crises and more, it is easy to succumb under the weight of all that pressure.
It is critical that we employ practices that support our mental health. Turning to the truth of God’s word is an effective strategy for managing our thought life. And I have created this resource to support you in calming the mind when everything around you is raging. In Solace In The Storm, my latest devotional, I unlock the promises of Psalm 46, strengthening your resolve that even in the midst of troubles, God’s peace will prevail. I pray that the mind that was in Christ Jesus is also in you (Philippians 2:5) as you keep your mind stayed on Him.

 

WILL

 

Jesus is our example for living. And He emphatically stated that He lived to DO the will of the Father (JOHN 4:34). Our will and God’s will tend to be diametrically opposed. We are naturally inclined to do what we want, when we want, how we want. But this is not God’s desire for us.

Through reading God’s word, prayer and times of solitude, God’s will, will become apparent to us. The onus is then on us to bring our will into alignment with His. And by the power of the Holy Spirit at work in you, you have divine enablement to do this.  For He works in you both to will and to do according to His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13).

 

EMOTIONS

 

God’s gift of emotions is a beautiful treasure but if mishandled becomes problematic. When we are self-centered and self-focused only we can easily allow our emotions to dictate our behavior. But when we are Christ-centered and Christ-focused, we allow the Holy Spirit at work in us to lead and He empowers us to manage our emotions through the spirit.

 

Your range of emotions is not a bad thing. In fact, emotions are a great tool for letting us know what we are sensing and experiencing at any given moment. Without emotions we would not know joy overflowing and abounding love. The key is to acknowledge the emotion we are feeling, to consider its source or root and to surrender it to the Lord. Your flesh and all its longing are crucified and it is Christ that lives in you (Galatians 2:20), empowering you to manage your emotions.

 

Even the food you eat directly impacts  your emotions. If you eat foods that are processed, full of chemicals and additives it’s going to come out in your attitude! Be sure to choose food & beverages that support your peace and well-being. Adaptogens such as reishi mushroom, rosemary and ashwagandha, support feelings of calm and well-being.

 

Here is a simple, nutritious way to start your day. Instead of a sugary carb loaded breakfast, pair this granola with some fruit to start your day.

NUTTY SEED GRANOLA

 

When you spend time strengthening your inner man, you abide in the spirit, you walk in the spirit, and are led of the spirit. In that manner, your spirit takes precedence and enables you to master your soul.

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

 

 

 

19Jun
Tyra Lane-KingslandSpiritual Life

Solace In The Storm

Within the last three months I’ve heard the words “unprecedented” more times than I can count. A global pandemic, pestilence and civil unrest have our world groaning in agony.

This is enough to cause us to be anxious, fearful, depressed, worried or even just plain numb. But this does not have to be our portion.

With unshakable faith we can stand boldly in the face of calamity and confusion to declare our triumphant victory in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Earlier this year I was facing my own Storm. God in His loving kindness led me right to Psalm 46. For centuries the Psalms have been a source of comfort and assurance for God’s people. And sure enough God met me right there in Psalm 46. From this Psalm I received a Holy and bold assurance that God was not only with me, but that I did not have to worry because He would act mightily on my behalf.

And out of that time of silence, stillness and solitude with the Father, I penned my latest devotional eBook, Solace In The Storm: How To Be Still & Know When Life Is Raging. And the revelation from that time was so deep and so good that not only did it birth the devotional but also an online course.

Solace In The Storm Course

So I invite you to embark on the journey of seeking solace amid the chaos so that you can clearly hear from God. You can pick up a copy of the devotional but if you want to go deeper and gain practical strategies for dealing with overwhelm, anxiety and more, this course is for you. Click the link below for details.

The steadfast promises of Psalm 46 help us activate our faith and put our trust in THE ONE who is powerful and providential.

Amid the storms, I’m praying that you will be still and know that He is God!

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been inspired to live fully!

04Jun
Tyra Lane-KingslandReal Life, Spiritual Life

How To Deal With The Pain of Civil Unrest

Our nation is in crisis. From plagues and pestilence to systemic racism being played out daily as Black and Brown bodies continue to be subjugated by Whites, our world is in turmoil.

 

Chances are you are running the full gamut of emotions, from frustration and sorrow to anger or even just plain numb. As I’ve watched the events of the past few weeks, I’ve cried, I’ve stewed, I’ve measure my words as I’ve tried to explain these events to my children. And it’s not just the me who I am today feeling this. In me lies the pain of my mother’s, mother’s mother and her mother before her. My very DNA groans in agony.

 

This has been downright HARD! Can you agree?

 

So what do we do with these feelings? How do we navigate through the iceberg of emotions? Because of our personal life experiences we are going to process these events differently. Here are a few ways we can deal with the pain of civil unrest.

 

Permission To Process

Give yourself permission to process and grieve in ways that are suitable for you. You want to cry? CRY. You want to be alone? Spend some time alone. Allow yourself to sit and to feel. Acknowledge your feelings by naming them. Give voice to your feelings.

 

Groan

What happens when we lack the ability and the vocabulary to convey our feelings in coherent words? We groan. That sounds comes from deep in our bellies and out through the throat. It is an honored expression. Even The Spirit Himself utters groanings for us when we don’t know what to pray (Romans 8:26).

 

Obey What God’s Telling You

One of the greatest actions you can take at this time is to commune with God, listen to Him and DO what He tells you to do. Obedience is God’s love language (John 14:15) and if you say you love Him, simply do what He tells you to do. The greatest revolution you can wage is to walk boldly in the purpose for which God put you on this earth. God needs EACH & EVERY Believer suited in their armor, obediently walking out their calling. Whether it’s raising your children, raising your voice in protest or raising your dollar to sow it into a worthy cause, DO the thing He’s called you to do.

 

Take Action

What can you do to directly be a part of the change you seek?

  • Fast & Pray for Jehovah Sabaoth, the Lord of Hosts and His legion of Angels to come against the spirit of terrorism, division, murder and mayhem.
  • Engage in meaningful conversations with people of other races. Share your truth.
  • Support Black owned businesses
  • Engage in peaceful protest
  • Teach your children about race relations
  • Call/Write your local officials
  • Donate $ to a fund (Like Justice for Breonna, The Innocent Project, George Floyd Memorial Fund)
  • Sign a petition
  • Vote

 

Embrace The Moment

Be intentional to take breaks from the bombardment of external chatter so that you can process, think clearly and connect with God. We have to strike a balance between being informed and becoming depressed with the information we are consuming. We have to be purposeful to embrace silence and stillness in the Father’s presence. It is here that we are restored and refreshed so that we can engage when God calls us to act.

 

Friends I am praying for you. The enemy would like nothing more than for us to lose hope but remain hopeful. Our God, Adonai is Sovereign. He is Elyon our God Most High. With all power, authority and dominion in His hands, He will sustain you and I and He will see His kingdome come, His will be done.

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

01May
Tyra Lane-KingslandReal Life 1

10 Practical Ways To Manage Stress

April was National Stress Awareness Month and in May we recognize Mental Health Month. And in light of our current global crisis, it is critical that we proactively protect our minds and our emotions. Stress can certainly be a huge contributor to ebbing away at our mental health so we want to do what we can to get the help we need.

 

Let’s face it, if you are a human being, living on this planet, at some point you will come face to face with stress. We will all come to the place where life’s demands exceed our bandwidth, reaching beyond our capacity to handle. And that’s the place where we can begin to feel stress.

 

In and of itself, stress is not such a bad thing. God hardwired this response into every human. From the dawn of humanity until now, this automatic response mechanism has protected us from imminent danger. From warding off an animal attack hundreds of years ago to quickly stepping on the brakes to avoid a car crash today, stress gives way to the release of hormones enabling our bodies to jump into protective mode.

 

It becomes problematic though when our bodies are constantly operating from the protective mode. While we cannot control all the stressors that life presents but we can control our responses to them.  

 

You will manage stress, stress won’t manage you.

 

10 Practical Ways To Manage Stress

You don’t have to do all of them at once. Perhaps you can adopt one a day or practice one a week until they are ingrained and become part of your regular wellness protocol. Employing the following practices has personally helped me heal from past trauma, manage the demands of caring for a large family while serving my community, grow as a disciple of God and effectively handle the pressures of life.

 

Mindfulness 

Be transformed by renewal of the mind (Romans 12:2). Be purposeful in thinking about the things you think about. When your thoughts are pulled away by worry, fear, and anxiety, cast those down and shift your thoughts to those that are excellent and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8).

 

Meditation 

Think deeply on God’s word. Day and night meditate on His precepts. Ponder on His goodness and faithfulness. The Psalms encourage us again and again to meditate day and night.

 

Laughter

Sometimes I envy my husband. Laughter comes easily to him. I tend to be more serious and can get consumed by what needs to be done and that has a way of squeezing out laughter. A cheerful heart is good medicine (Proverbs 17:22) so take a dose of laughter so that you stay well.

 

Sun Therapy

Light therapy, also known as heliotherapy has been used for ages to heal people. From skin disorders to depression, studies have proven the sun’s ability to heal. So when possible, get outdoors and soak up the sun. It will work wonders to calm your nerves and boost your mood. Arise, shine for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you Isaiah 60:1

 

Deep Breathing

While you’re out there in the sun, breath deeply. Deep breathing calms your nervous system, releases serotonin, and increases your oxygen intake causing you to lower your heart rate, lower your blood pressure and exhale toxins. This is a powerful way to bring about relaxation and peace. 

 

Essential Oils

One of the things that you can breathe deeply is essential oils. Coupling oils with the above practices supercharges their effectiveness. Since the beginning of time, plants and herbs have been used to heal mankind. The bible tells us in Revelation 22:2, the leaves on the trees are for the healing of the nations. Essential oils like Clary Sage and Lavender promote relaxation and boost hope.

 

Sleep

Have you ever experienced the rejuvenating power of a good night’s sleep? Review your sleep hygiene practices. Are you creating an atmosphere conducive for a good night’s rest? Limiting electronics, bathing before bed, using Lavender essential oil and prayer are all practices that can aid you in having a better night’s sleep. Your brain has A LOT of work to do in cataloging all the work you’ve done for the day so you’ve got to get some good sleep. Sleep affects for daily performance and even your weight so go to bed!

 

Exercise

On the other side of sleep is movement. Exercise is an effective way to release endorphins promoting a release of stress and inviting in feel good emotions. So move that body and get your happy on. Exercise isn’t my favorite thing to do but I know it’s good for me so I make it a priority. I’m not saying you’ve got to be a super athlete but I am suggesting that you get that blood flowing, get that heart stimulated and move. 

 

Eating Right

Do you understand the powerful effect that your food has on your mood? Food like Soul Food, that you think of as comfort food actually does little to comfort. While they may bring delight to your palate for a moment, they leave you feeling cramped, bloated, sluggish and these foods lead to inflammation in the joints which further leaves you feeling poorly. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables will leave you feeling light, energized and empowered knowing you are doing the right thing for your body. If you need help in knowing what to eat to energize you, improve your mood and reduce stress, get your hands on my book, 30 Days 30 Ways to Salad Heaven.

 

Gratitude

Listen, even in the hardest of times, God has been mmm mmm good to you. Think about how He’s provided for you. Thing about how He’s kept you. Think about how He’s empowered you to forgive those who have wronged you. Think about the beautiful friends and family He’s given you. Think about the talent He’s placed in you. There are so so many reasons to give thanks. So pause and reflect on His praiseworthy deeds and the mighty works of His hands and offer up a Thank You Lord! It will surely shift your focus off of your current stress and unto His goodness.

 

And I have so many others, I may have to do a Part 2. If you’d like to see a part two of this series leave me a comment. And also let me know how any of the above strategies have helped you manage stress.

 

While each of these suggestions may seem a small thing, when coupled together as part of your overall wellness protocol, they will yield a GREAT return. I pray your month is filled with God’s joy and His peace which surpasses all understanding.

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

 

 

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