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It’s Not Easy Being Green

“It’s not easy being green” is actually the thing that immediately jumps into my consciousness when I think of the word GREEN. Kermit The Frog sang that line. One of my fondest childhood memories is playing my Sesame Street album on my box record player. Oh the joys of childhood…But I digress.

 

sesame street record player

 

In my early teens my father took a painting class. He explained to me the different emotions color invokes. [bctt tweet=”Green conjures feelings of balance, growth, stability, harmony, fertility, renewal and restoration”]. He went on to show me company logos that used green and he pointed out how often green is used in hospitals to promote renewal and healing.

 

Just think of how much of our planet is covered in green. To me the color speaks LIFE. So when I embarked on a journey over a year ago to create the logo for my personal brand, I KNEW it had to be predominately green.

 

Inspired Life

 

Inspired Life

 

Where hearts are inspired to live fully spirit, mind and body, by delightfully obeying God, embracing the now moment and honoring the temple through proper nourishment, rest and exercise.

 

YES.

 

GREEN.

 

You shall live and not die

 

You shall have the abundant life Jesus promised in John 10:10

 

You are fully of energy and vitality

 

You are a tree planted by rivers of living water whose leaf does not wither

 

You are at peace and in harmony with the universe

 

You are rooted and grounded in Him

 

You abide in God and bear much fruit

 

And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

Revelation 22:1-2

 

While the cares of the world craftily draw our attention away from green and all that in invokes, I encourage you today to embrace that it IS indeed easy being green. We just have to be intentional about being green, seeing green, embracing green.

 

Connect with your green today.

 

pond2

 

follow the path

 

Pence Pond 1

 

It is easy being green.

 

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

 

Delighted to connect with others sharing on the word GREEN @ #FiveMinuteFriday

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Prayer: The Default Mode

When beginning a word a document, I defer to the settings already established. I rarely change the margins, spacing or font. I go right in and get to work! When I am confronted with any life situation or circumstance, I want my prayer life to mirror how I begin a document; I go in and get right to praying.

 

Instead of focusing on what’s not right about the situation or person, how I could change or fix it or complain about it, just get RIGHT to praying. And while that is my frequent mode of operating, it isn’t quite my DEFAULT mode yet, but I’m working on it.

 

The Lord crashed this into my consciousness the other day, as I was texting a friend about what someone had done to me. As the chain of texts grew in length, the Lord gentle whispered, “Have you talked to ME about the situation yet?”

 

Ah, I hadn’t. So it made me aware that my mode was to sort through my feelings then pray. That’s when the Lord said to me, Prayer: The Default Mode. I’ve heard my Pastor John K. Jenkins say many times, “You turn to other before you turn to God.” And when he says that, I nod my head in agreement, “Mmm-Hmm they sure do. Running to complain to someone else. Talk to God first”, is what I utter under my breath about THOSE people.

 

Well excuse me Miss; you would be one of those people too. Oh no, not Tyra. Well sorry to burst your bubble Little Miss, but yes, that would be you. No you don’t usually call to talk to someone about it but you do engage in dialogue in your head on how you’ll fix the person, what you’ll say to him or her and how you’ll say it. All before talking to God first.

 

But I’m recalibrating. I’m tweaking the settings. Now it will look like:

 

Prayer: The Default Mode

 

So how does one make prayer the default mode?

 

[bctt tweet=”Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Colossians 4:2″]

 

By praying: praying in faith, praying with a clean heart, praying in alignment with His will, praying with thanksgiving and praying without ceasing.

 

Like Nike says, Just Do It!

 

For those who are recently establishing a consistent prayer life, there are recommended models of prayer to help get you into the habit and routine of praying. Years ago I was in a ministry meeting and we were told to pair up and pray. Well the person I was next to was uncomfortable with praying especially aloud as she had come from a Catholic background. So let’s take some of the mysticism out of prayer and make it accessible to all.

 

Jesus himself provides a perfect model of prayer in The Lord’s Prayer

 

In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,

Hallowed be Your name.

Your kingdom come.

Your will be done

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts,

As we forgive our debtors.

And do not lead us into temptation,

But deliver us from the evil one.

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Matthew 6:9-13

 

Here are two similar models.

 

PRAY

Praise

Repent

Ask

Yield

 

ACTS

Acknowledge

Confess

Thank

Supplication (ask for what is needed)

 

For those with a vibrant, fervent prayer life, keep the fire burning. Are you writing down your prayers? Are you recording the testimonies of answered prayers? Do you have a prayer partner? Are you praying without ceasing?

 

Pray without ceasing.

1 Thessalonians 5:17

 

And what I’m personally working on here lately is making my prayer more specific. For example a daily prayer of mine for my children is that they will continue to grow in wisdom and in stature, in favor with God and with man. Ok great, praying the scriptures over my children. But what does that look like real time? How can I make that even more specific? My specific prayer last week was, “Lord, I thank you for my first born. You’ve given her a spirit of discernment. Let her couple that with the wealth of information she easily retains and empower her to apply it as wisdom when in situations with her friends as school. Let her be a leader among her peers leading them in paths of righteousness for your namesake. Let her find favor among the teachers and administrators to be selected for special projects, tasks and programs in which she can shine bright for you. Thank you for ordering her steps as she walks out your plans for her future and hope.”

 

I also pray all throughout the day. It begins from the moment I awake. Every morning I awake with a song on my heart. I sing the song in my head, and then I pray specifically related to whatever the song was talking about. Then I read my morning devotions and pray and listen for what they Lord has to communicate with me that morning. Then as I’m driving I continue to pray. Mid-morning prayers, lunchtime prayers, homework time prayers (thank you Jesus for modeling patience) and evening prayers. Then one of my most special times of prayer, shower time prayers. The Lord just really seems to show up in the shower.

 

Indeed, praying without ceasing.

 

And they include all types of prayers. Prayers of thanksgiving, petition, supplication, intercession, pleas, repentance and more.

 

Two excellent new resources out now on prayer are:

 

The Battle Plan for Prayer

Fervent

 

[bctt tweet=”As automatic as breathing is how I want my prayer life to be. To flow effortlessly from my heart to His.”]

 

As you draw near to Him in prayer, He’ll continue to draw nearer to you.

 

The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,

To all who call upon Him in truth.

Psalm 145:18

 

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

 

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Happy to connect with others sharing the Good News Grace&Truth #DanceWithJesus

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Good Health Is A Choice

Do you believe your current state of health is within your control?

 

There are those who would say no. Diabetes runs in my family. High blood pressure runs in my family. Cancer runs in my family.

 

There are those who straddle the fence and think well….hereditary and genetic factor do contribute to my health but maybe I can do a little something.

 

And finally there are those who know that their health is in their hands.

 

Possessing good health is a choice. It is God’s desire that you be in good health and prosper even as your soul prospers. And while we pray many prayers for healing, it is His desire to keep us from sickness and disease.

 

He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.”

Exodus 15:26

 

But it is up to us to choose. We cannot serve two masters.

 

And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Joshua 24:15

 

And this includes choosing Him with our food choices. [bctt tweet=”When it comes to food, will we serve the God of the Universe or the god of our taste buds?”]

 

[bctt tweet=”Every food choice we make either adds to or detracts from our health”]; a deposit or withdrawal, an investment or a loss, an advancement of health or a reversal. There is no food neutral.

Honoring the temple is a choice. And when faced with options, we constantly have to weigh and choose.

 

I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live Deuteronomy 30:19

 

Because my body is the temple where the Holy Spirit resides, I try to make choices that will honor my temple. But choosing well is not always easy. But the Lord is faithful. He’s given me a system that I can commit to and seems to work well for me. I have a smoothie for breakfast (sometimes I have oatmeal if I’m going to have an intense workout); I have salad for lunch and a well-balanced, nutrient dense dinner. But there are times when I don’t choose well. I’ve given myself a little wiggle room purely for indulgence. I follow the 85/15 rule. 85% of the time I attempt to eat clean, nourishing whole food and the other 15% well….And even in granting myself that grace, I try not to overdo it. I’ve also come to know the importance of identifying and heading off triggers for eating poorly. If I’m stressed, overwhelmed or haven’t eaten and go to a place where unhealthy food is being served I’m apt to slip. That’s why we have to be proactive in warding off the slips by knowing our triggers.

 

And guess what? Last night I slipped. I ate 3 chocolate chip cookies. That was a huge indulgence for me. And I know why I ate them. It was totally a case of emotional eating. I was tired, not feeling well and just wanted comfort. Oh friends, that I would turn to CHRIST not cookies for comfort the next time. We can do ALL things through Christ who gives us strength if we just look to Him.

 

Having the right information is just one step in helping you make better choices. Check out these posts for tips on choosing the right foods:

 

Healthy Eating On The Go

Get Them To Eat Right

10 Keys Eating Right

 

Coupled with the right information is then exercising our will and making the right choice.

 

“Every person has free choice. Free to obey or disobey the Natural Laws. Your choice determines the consequences. Nobody ever did, or ever will, escape the consequences of his choices.”

~Alfred A. Montapert

 

I stand here in your RaRa section, cheering you on as you choose well. Good health is a choice.

 

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

 

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Lift Up Your Head

As I was driving the other day, I saw a man walking with His head slung so low, he looked like the headless horseman. It immediately made me think, “LIFT UP YOUR HEAD!”

 

 

Lift up your heads, O you gates!

And be lifted up, you everlasting doors!

And the King of glory shall come in.

Psalm 24:7

 

Then I began thinking about various trials I have faced this year; things that could have caused me to hang my head low, things that could have caused me to believe that the King of Glory was nowhere in the vicinity.

 

But God! Through it all He was indeed the lifter of my head.

 

Lift up your heads, O you gates!

Lift up, you everlasting doors!

And the King of glory shall come in.

Psalm 24:9

 

Mentioned twice nearly back to back in this chapter so God wants you to get this. These verses were most likely sung by the choir as the ark was carried into the temple.

 

Let it be your song too friend. Do not be disheartened. Do not be dismayed. While the trials you face may be difficult, while we see our world being ravaged by darkness, death and destruction, be of good cheer. The kingdom of God is at hand. Lift up your head.

 

“And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”

Luke 21:25-28

 

Just as the gates were lifted and flung open to receive the King of Glory, lift your head, and open your heart to receive ALL that Jesus brings when he comes into your midst.

 

When Jesus comes into the atmosphere He brings:

 

Hope

Healing

Deliverance

Liberty

Favor

Blessing

Love

Joy

Peace

Security

 

[bctt tweet=”Friends it is not enough to just welcome Him into the door of your home but you’ve also got to welcome Him into your heart.”] Allow Him to walk through every crack, crevice and recessed corner of your heart. Even the Pharisee welcomed Jesus into their home, but a true disciple welcomes Him into their heart.

 

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

Revelation 3:20

 

So lift up your heads and open your hearts, for the King of Glory stands at the gate, ready to enter.

 

Will you receive Him today?

 

As always, I pray that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

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Family

When I sat to write on the subject of family, I thought elegant prose would flow freely from my fingertips. Instead, there is a delay, a pregnant pause of sorts. I am deeply disturbed by this hesitation to flow on a subject that is so meaningful to me.

 

When I think of my immediate household, my immediate family brings a smile to may face. I chuckle when I visualize a picture of us thinking, “Wow, that sure is a lot of people”. There are seven of us, my husband, our five children and myself. Never did I imagine having such a large family. They are quite entertaining and the source of endless laughs as my husband and I sit back and observe them interacting with one another. Even now as I type in the wee hours of the morning, the 3 boys are already up, playing with Legos, going on wild Star Wars adventures.

 

I think of my dad who is one of my best buddies. He is not only father but also friend.

 

I think of my closest girlfriends who are not merely friends but are family. I treasure these relationships and thank God for the extension of family.

 

A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Proverbs 18:24

 

And I can’t leave out my in-laws with whom I felt instantly connected.

 

But there’s a deep gnawing, a raw pain that also comes when I think of family. I miss my sisters who are hundreds of miles away. I long to be knit closer to them in distance and tied closer in heart. I miss my aunts and older cousins some of whom are hundreds or thousands of miles away. And then there’s that place that carved out little niche, that empty space labeled MOM. A space nobody but Jesus can fill since this gal’s mamma has long since passed away. This void that cries out with a hollow echo. This place that has been patched over, stuffed then excavated again. This space I thought was mended but is still quite fractured.

 

FAMILY.

 

The thought of family brings joy. The thought of family brings tears. I give thanks for ties that bind. I pray my children will always remain close to each other. I see myself growing old and gray with my sweetie, my husband. We know that family is close to the heart of God as He Himself came to earth through the context of family. I pray for love, joy, peace and unity in families across the globe. Thank you Lord for the sacred institution of family.

 

[bctt tweet=”Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! Psalm 133:1″]

 

What immediately comes to mind when you thinking of family?

 

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

 

Happy to connect with Five Minute Friday  & #DanceWithJesus on the topic of Family

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Your Will, Your Way

“You can go your own way, go your own way”, sings Fleetwood Mac. The song rings in my mind as it was used a few years back in National Car Rental TV ads.

 

Yup. That’s what this world tells you.

 

Go your own way.

Do what makes you feel happy.

The world is your oyster.

WYW (Whatever You Want)

 

As a disciple of Christ I want His will to be done in my life. Yes to YOUR will Lord is a consistent prayer of mine. I’ve recently come to discover hidden in the dark recesses of my heart, in a tucked away-cobwebbed corner was a sign that said, “YOUR WILL, My Way”. Those two avenues travel in completely different directions. To bring myself into alignment, I have repented. Jesus has shed light in that dark corner and His light has permeated my ME-ness.

 

You know ME-ness.

 

What I want. What I don’t want. What I’m willing to do. How much I’m willing tolerate. What won’t cause me too much inconvenience. What works within my schedule.

 

I. I. I.

 

Me. Me. Me.

 

Can you relate? Ever suffer from of case of ME-ness?

 

Enough of self. Self take a knee and bow down to GREATER is HE!

 

With clean hands and a pure heart, I say yes Your Will and Your Way.

 

Your kingdom come.

Your will be done

On earth as it is in heaven.

Matthew 6:10

 

Then ME crept up a little again. And a second time, I asked if I could have my way.

 

Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying,

“O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it,

Your will be done.”

Matthew 26:42

 

He gently answered, [bctt tweet=”“Instead of trying to pray it away, pray that MY grace will carry you through”.”]

 

So again I had to declare, YOUR WILL, YOUR WAY. My best-laid plan of my way, gives way to the Lord directing my steps

 

 

A man’s heart plans his way,

But the Lord directs his steps.

Proverbs 16:9

 

Plans with my husband, plans for my children, plans for my ministry, plans for this blog, plans for my future…

 

There are many plans in a man’s heart,

Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.

Proverbs 19:21

 

I really did think I was being obedient to walking out His will. And while that was mostly true, I really desired for His will to be deliver in the way I wanted. I was committed to His will but I wanted it to come dressed in wrapping paper and a bow of my choosing. But what if the gift comes wrapped in newspaper or brown paper bags. Will we receive it or reject it?

 

Yes to YOUR WILL and Yes to YOUR WAY.  While the light that permeated my ME-ness was piercing, sharp and cut right through me like a laser, I give thanks that He loves me enough to expose my hidden me so that HE is free to BE.

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!
Happy to connect with others sharing the Good News Purposeful Faith

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Vegetable Fried Rice

Leftover Rice? CHECK.

 

Odds and Ends of Veggies? CHECK.

 

Looks like you’ve got most of what you need to quickly prepare a batch of this tasty fried rice. So save yourself a trip to the Chinese Takeout and make your own at home.  Pair this with my Broccoli In Garlic Sauce for a satisfying meal.

 

Vegetable Fried Rice

 

3 cups cooked brown rice

2 TBSP grapeseed oil

2 Tbsp sesame oil

1 onion peeled and diced

1 bunch scallions chopped

1 cup peas and chopped carrots (lightly steamed)

1/2 cup broccoli chopped

1 cup cabbage thinly sliced

2-3 TBSP soy sauce

1 TBSP ginger grated

 

Preheat a large skillet or wok to medium heat. Add grapeseed oil in the wok. Add onion and stir-fry 5 minutes. Add cabbage stir fry 3 minutes. Add broccoli, peas and carrots and stir-fry 2 minutes more. Add the ginger. Add sesame oil then the rice. Next add the soy sauce. Stir to combine flavors. Top with scallion and serve.

 

This recipe is super flexible.  Add whatever veggie you have on hand.  You can also add any protein you desire.

 

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

 

Happy to connect with Plant-Based Potluck Party

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Scriptures For LIVING FULLY Mind, Body & Spirit

Indeed it is God’s desire that you be in health and prosper even as your soul prospers. Jesus came that YOU may have LIFE and have it more abundantly and you experience the abundant life when you properly nourish your mind, your body and your spirit.

 

What are you to do when?

 

~Toxic thoughts run rampant

~You eat one slice of cake and reach for a second

~You forego your exercise

~You stay up late on social media knowing you have to wake up early

~You spend 2 hours watching TV but only 5 minutes on devotions

 

Yup, those days will occur. But we can take a proactive approach. We can arm ourselves so those days are the exception and not the rule. And we arm ourselves with the Word.

 

We STAND ON TRUTH.

 

When your flesh wants to pull you in that direction, meditate on these verses to stay firmly rooted and planted in Him. We hide these words in our hearts so that we don’t sin against Him. So dive in and feast on this nourishing sustenance. Here are some of my favorite scriptures for living fully mind, body & spirit.

 

MIND

 

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Romans 12:1-2

 

Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; Try my mind and my heart.

Psalm 26:2

 

You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.

Isaiah 26:3

 

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.

Mark 12:30

 

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus

Philippians 2:5

 

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:7

 

I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.

Deuteronomy 30:19

 

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5:23

 

 

BODY

 

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

 

“And God said, behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for food.”


Genesis 1:29

 

He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.”

Exodus 15:26

 

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Hebrews 12:11

 

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31

 

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

3 John 1:2

 

Behold, I will bring it health and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth.

Jeremiah 33:6

 

 

SPIRIT

 

But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

John 4:23-24

 

So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then.  But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”

1 Peter 1:14-16

 

Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Matthew 26:41

 

 The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

John 14:17

 

And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

Luke 2:40

 

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Romans 8:5-6

 

 

What are some of your favorite scriptures for living FULLY mind, body and spirit?

 

 

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

 

Happy to connect with these friends sharing the Good News Grace & Truth Dance With Jesus

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God’s Glory

From the Dictionary of Theology:

In the Old Testament the word for “glory” is the Hebrew word   כָּבֹוד “kabowd” which carries the idea of heaviness and weight.  In the New Testament the Greek word is δόξα “doxa” which carries the idea of opinion, judgment, estimate, splendor, brightness, etc. It is used to speak of great honor, praise, value, wonder, and splendor. Glory is spoken of in reference to people and God.  Glory is given by God and also is a manifestation of God’s greatness and presence that is awesome to behold.

 

But to really define glory virtually impossible. It’s the sum of WHO God is, WHAT He is and WHAT He does. How can that all be summed up in a neat one-sentence definition?

 

Weigh of Glory

 

Personally, I’ve come to know God’s glory to be the external, present, manifestation of His presence in my life and all around me. For me, it is sensing, seeing and feeling his character and attributes manifested spiritually and physically. God’s glory is the FULL sum of who He is and what He does. When basking in His glory I am completely consumed, feeling as if my heart may nearly burst from being FULL of His love and His light. 

 

God’s glory is The Lord of the Universe putting Himself on display for us to see and experience. And everywhere we look and in everything we do, His glory is evident, if we have eyes to see.

 

The heavens declare the glory of God;

And the firmament shows His handiwork.

Psalm 19:1

 

Jesus himself is the express image of God’s glory. He is the sum of God’s character, attributes and actions all wrapped up in human form.

 

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory,

the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14

 

As Jesus is the express image of God’s glory, our lives should reflect His glory. As true disciples and followers of Christ we ought to be a tangible representation of His truth, love and grace in all the earth. As He takes us from glory to glory, we in turn ought to give Him more glory. Our demonstrations of praise, worship and love for mankind give Him glory.

 

Declare His glory among the nations,

His wonders among all peoples.

1 Chronicles 16:24

 

DSC_0003

 

Oh God that we would have eyes to see and ears to hear; to immerse ourselves in the weight of your glory. For it to completely envelope us like a cloak of fog in the UK.

Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting,

and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

Exodus 40:34

 

 

DSC_0004

 

Oh Lord that we your people would bask in your glory, that we would be so completely saturated by it. That we would absorb its life sustaining nutrients and that we would then reflect its brilliance.

Arise, shine; For your light has come!

And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.

Isaiah 60:1

 

Basking in Glory

 

Join me in basking in His glory.

 

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

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Homemade Body Butter

Your Skin.

 

The largest organ in your body.

 

As it directly interacts with the elements your skin protects, allows you to process sensations and helps regulate your body temperature.

 

Though our skin may seem resilient, it is quite sensitive to light, temperature and what’s applied to it topically. Even our clothing can irritate the skin. So we should take great caution as to what we apply to our largest organ.

 

Most commercial skincare products contain ingredients that are harmful to the skin. When using these products our skin can become dry, scaly, rashy, patchy, and more. Many soaps contain harsh detergents and many lotions contains oils that clog the pores. And what’s put on the skin is absorbed into the skin. While it has to travel through several layers, much of what is applied to the skin does make its way into the bloodstream.

 

Properly nourish your skin by applying natural products to it. I used to purchase expensive body butter from a local company until I learned to whip up my own; though I still purchase soap from them because I believe in what they are doing and want to support local business.

 

Whip up a batch of this all-natural, good for you body butter. Everyone in my household uses this mixture from head to toe; yes in our hair too! Many of the ingredients can be purchased from your natural food store, food co-op or online.

 

Homemade Body Butter

 

1 Pint Raw Shea Butter

½ cup Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

5 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Few Drops of Essential Oil

 

Place all ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Mix on low with a kitchen hand mixer until smooth. Slowly slather all over and WHOOSAH!

 

I use essential oils and fragrance oils from Brambleberry and NOW.

 

For more on skincare, also see the post titled:

GET RID OF IT

 

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

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