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Bite-sized Inspiritment Day 16: Pray
Have you ever explored a topic or been on a journey with something and the more you learn and experience, the more you realise it is deeper and more complex than you know while still being completely simple? Prayer has been like that in my life. It seems to have infinite facets and nuances and yet is still incredibly simple. I am far from having all of the answers to all of the questions around prayer. What I do know is that it is essential to my closeness with God, to recalibrating my focus and to my peace of mind. I know that it is more about the attitude I…
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Bite-sized Inspiritment Day 15: When
I will be happy when……. I will be successful when…… Life will be better when…. Life will be more settled when…. What fills in those blanks for you? I catch myself thinking these things and pinning my hopes on some intangible and not guaranteed future event. Inevitably, even if we get those things it doesn’t look quite like we expected or have the result we wanted. I don’t want to pin my hopes on these changeable and elusive “whens”. I want to ground my everyday in faith, contentment and savouring the present. There are things to celebrate and things to change in every day life. We can find peace and…
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Bite-sized Inspiritment Day 14: Ask
I can rationalise with the best of them. Maybe you are like me and rush to justify your actions, your thoughts and emotions. Sometimes we have to stop and ask ourselves the tough questions that we avoid. Being a parent has brought this to the forefront of my mind more than anything else. When you are trying to teach another little human how to act, how to do things even when you don’t feel like it and how to regulate emotions, it is a big mirror reflecting yourself. How can I ask and expect her to respond and act in certain ways if I, as an adult, can’t do the…
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Bite-sized Inspiritment Day 13: Talk
So many dreams and ideas remain as something talked about (to yourself in your own mind or even verbalised to others) but don’t eventuate. At least, it’s true in my life. Talk can be the easy part. How do we move past the talk to the doing? Now, I am the first to admit that not all of the ideas and dreams I have had should be acted on! I am certainly not advocating jumping in to action on a whim. Each idea can be filtered through some questions. Does it fit with your “why” and your priorities in this season? Do you have the resources- time, emotions, support etc-…
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Bite-sized Inspiritment Day 12: Praise
Praise can be a really loaded word. We think of praising good behaviour, worshipping God and receiving accolades. I think that it is an important one to think on. I was thinking of my daughter and how much she craves encouragement but is also quick to give it. I think of how she spontaneously sings songs that she has made up to praise God. I think of the battle I wage in my mind about when to praise her and what for so that I don’t raise her to be an entitled, spoiled kid with no concept of dealing with reality. My thoughts then led on to the praise that…
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Bite-sized Inspiritment Day 11: Door
Have you ever found that a small decision can open the door for bigger things than you ever thought possible? So often we can’t see ahead to the doors that will be opened by the small step of courage today. I am also recognising that it is not just about doors for me either. Each of us has the ability to open doors for others. Doors can be opened to new friendship groups and community with a simple invitation to that person on the fringe. Doors can be opened to dreams another person has had by sharing our journey. Doors to freedom can be opened for others by simple choices…
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Bite-sized Inspiritment Day 10: How
How do I gain consistency? Is that something that you struggle with too? I get so frustrated at myself at how often I start a habit or take steps to stop doing something unhelpful and then it all unravels. I know that I have seasons of strong will power but it seems to be lacking now. Maybe you can relate? Something that I am learning more and more is the power of giving myself grace (because if God can do that for me, I need to accept it for myself too) and take smaller steps. I tend to want to jump all in. I take leaps that are too big…
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Bite-sized Inspiritment Day 9: Inspire
What inspires you? Are the first things that come to mind big things or small everyday moments? It can be so easy to find ourselves in a trap of wanting to be inspired and only looking for that in large experiences or looking to a person to provide this for us. I wonder how much inspiration I miss each day. What little moments could lift my soul and inspire me that I allow to rush past in my quest to tick the next task off my list or, even worse, the mindless scroll on my phone. The other question I’ve been asking myself is what do I do with that…
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Bite-sized Inspiritment Day 8: Comfort
Comfort. It seems to be that unconscious goal in my mind so often. Maybe it is for you too. We are all absorbed in maintaining our own comfort levels. The human nature in us. The question that has been pricking my heart and conscience is this: what has my comfort cost someone else? How often has wanting to stay in my comfort zone cost someone in my path a word of encouragement, a meal or even just a smile? How many opportunities to bless others do I let pass me by because I would have to get a little uncomfortable to make it happen? What do the lives of those…
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Here’s your opportunity to finish 2018 with a flourish.
I tend to have the idea that the last few months of the year don’t count for much. I write them off and seem to believe that anything I wanted to achieve up to this point, and haven’t, won’t be done. I discount the time available in this season. I blanket these months with the view that there is too much else on to be focused or intentional. Do you feel the same? Are there dreams and goals that you held for 2018 that aren’t a reality yet? Are you tempted to let your goals slip through your fingers in the rush towards year’s end- your health, your dreams or…
Encouragement for women in leadership
