Tag: life

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Single Spiritual Intimacy

Who Am I?: 3 Truths to Get Your Identity Rooted

Written by: Kayla Thomas
 
Have you ever looked at yourself and thought, “Who is this imposter?” “I don’t even recognize myself!” “Who am I?” “What is the meaning of my life?” “Who am I supposed to be?” These are all tough statements and questions, but they are rooted in one cause: identity crisis. When you can honestly look at yourself and not recognize who you are, or question aspects of yourself, that is a clear indicator of an internal conflict of identity. How do I know? Well, I’ve been there–many times.
 
I remember the first time I struggled with my “place” in the world, I was 14 years old and just starting high school. My mom bought me a few velour sweatsuits (the fashion at that time, thanks to Jennifer Lopez) and I wore one to school. Let me tell you, it seemed like every guy in my school had a sexual comment about me and the way I looked in that suit. It happened so often that, although it made me uncomfortable, I began to think it must be normal. This was “confirmed” by how some of my new friends would interact with guys in the school. As a way of fitting in, I would do what “my girls” were doing. If they were hugging guys in the corner, so was I. If they were poking out certain body parts to attract attention, so was I. If they were skipping class to hang out with the football team in the cafeteria, so was I. You know what the crazy thing about this was? I actually hated doing all of those things. So why did I? Because my identity was rooted in what my friends were doing rather than in what I enjoyed doing. Do you see how this could be dangerous?
 
Allow me to give you another example. Several of my friends in university were attracted to the same sex. They would often invite me to LGBT events and clubs and, while I was attracted to the opposite sex, I would go. I have to admit, I enjoyed the music and the “vibes” at these events. Eventually, I started questioning if I was attracted to the same sex as well. This started me down a dangerous path of “dabbling” with same-sex relationships. Throughout this experimentation phase, I knew something didn’t feel right. I proceeded anyway because I “knew” that if I was enjoying myself so much in the LGBT community, then my sexual orientation must align with that community as well. So what changed? I hit my version of rock bottom and a friend invited me to her church thinking it would give me some peace. Eventually, as I began learning who God said I was, I had a personal conviction that what I was doing was wrong.
 
So what does God say about me? I spent many years stuck in a cycle of “discovering” and “reshaping” who I was, or who I thought I should be. It wasn’t until I discovered these 3 biblical truths and meditated on them, that I realized who I was in Christ all along:
 

  1. I’m chosen and blameless! Ephesians 1:4 says that “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.” Have you ever done something to try and catch the attention of someone and it doesn’t work? Doesn’t that leave you wondering “why not me?” or “what’s wrong with me?” Well, God chose us before we could do anything to stand out to him and guess what? Before Him we stand faultless. All the mistakes we’ve made in our past, once we repent and turn back to God, are wiped clean!

 

  1. I’m an heir! Galatians 4:7 says that we are no longer slaves, but children of God —this makes us heirs! It takes an attitude adjustment to go from a slave mentality to an heir mentality. Slaves work so hard for little to nothing in return, but heirs don’t need to work for the inheritance they are to receive. Everything I do as a Christian is not to earn a “better” place in heaven; it’s to share with everyone the joy and gratitude I feel being a part of large spiritual family with a Father who loves me for who I am!

 

  1. I’m accepted! This truth shakes me to the core. Everything I did in the past, all the poor mistakes, was to be accepted by my peers —who never really accepted me, anyway! To know that I’m fully accepted by God (Romans 15:7), and I don’t have to do anything to earn it, leaves me in constant awe.

 
Not knowing who you are is a tough struggle to deal with. Friends, there is no reason why you need to continue walking out in life in a state of internal confusion. That is why the “Break the Cycle” challenge is so necessary. Thousands have already said “yes” to dedicating 4 days to break the cycles of toxic relationships, identity crisis, financial strife, and generational curses. What is stopping you from saying yes? You have everything to gain and nothing lose! Click here to take your first step to freedom. 

Categories
Home Single

5 Mistakes Single People Make Before Marriage

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Marriage Single

The Journey IS the Destination

High tourist hiker man on the rock peak in rocky mountains
“There’s always going to be another mountain, you’re always going to want to make it move. There’s always going to be an uphill battle, sometimes you’re going to have to lose. It’s not about how fast you get there, and it’s not about what’s waiting on the other side: IT’S THE CLIMB!” It was Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb”. -Miley Cyrus.
In my heart of hearts, I truly believe those are profound words to live by. We’re taught from very early that in order to have a good, happy, and successful life, we must fulfill the “American Dream”.
We’re taught that we must go to school, go to college, get a job, climb the corporate latter, get married, have children, buy a big house, have fancy cars, and accumulate wealth. There’s no problem with accomplishing those life goals, however the dilemma presents itself in how we attain these goals. We never anticipate the obstacles and opposition that will present themselves on our journey.  Instead, we go through life, hastily rushing towards the next major milestone, all the while forfeiting the blessing that is the present.
We give every last ounce of effort in order to ensure we reach our destination year after year. We reach milestone after milestone on the chase to make our dreams come true, only to realize that we’re still unfulfilled, so we set new goals and milestones, and grind even harder than ever before still aiming for the prize. By the time we reach our destination of success, we’re 70 years old, retired, and grandparents and all we can do is sit in our rocking chairs with regrets wondering where did all our time go?
This is why that song is so profound to me. Our lives are made up of moments, and we must cherish every moment God gives us as gift because if we rush it and reach the peak of the mountain too soon in our lives, the only place to go from there is down, and we’ll spend the rest of our life reflecting on that moment rather than making more memorable moments.
Life is NOT all about attaining worldly accolades and success. It’s NOT all about “arriving at your destination”. No matter how many milestones you achieve in this life, you’ll  still feel there’s more you need to accomplish.
Life is not all about hurrying and scurrying through all obstacles and opposition in order to reach your goals. Instead, THE JOURNEY IS THE DESTINATION! In other words, It’s The Climb! Life is about embracing every moment that God gives you. Whether, good, bad, ugly, or downright sad, every situation that God places before is an opportunity to learn, grow, and develop as a person. It is in cherishing these moments that you truly live an abundant life.
After climbing the mountain called life, it’s not just the feeling of being on top of the world that makes that moment so special. Instead, every time you slipped and almost fell, every time you almost died, and all the times you wanted to give in and felt like giving up, all make that moment when you reach the end of your journey so much more special.
To the person who is single: don’t rush through this season of your life and settle for less than you deserve because society makes you feel like you’re cursed for not having a significant other yet.
Married people: don’t rush through your lives, wishing your kids would hurry and grow up so they can move out and kill yourselves trying to “keep up with the Jones’s ”  and miss the very blessings you have right before you.
Embrace your current situation in whatever season you may be facing knowing that God is present with us every step of the way, and every obstacle He chooses to place before us will eventually become a stepping stone to bigger and better things if we embrace the challenge and let His word, His strength, and His spirit guide us through.

Categories
Finances Home

3 Signs It's Time to Stop Paying Rent and Buy a House!

love, people, real estate, home and family concept - smiling couple showing dollar cash money over house background

by guest contributor Calvin Russel Jr.
Right now is the PERFECT time to purchase a home. Mortgage rates are still at an all-time low and the banks are becoming more lenient on the qualifications to get a mortgage loan. Many current tenants are thinking of making the move to become home owners but, they are not quite sure it is the right time. Take a look at these signs as it may describe your current situation.
1. Your Rent Payments Are Equivalent To Mortgage Payments
This is the number one sign as this is always the tipping point for most renters. I remember when I was working one day at the dealership and I asked my customer a series of questions related to their auto loan approval. One of the questions was, “What is your current rent/mortgage payment per month?” They answered “$850!” Yes, $850!!! At the time, my wife and I were paying a little more than that for a nice apartment in a nice area. It was at that moment I began to ask myself, “Where do all of my rent payments go each month?” It was also at that moment that I decided to become qualified for a mortgage loan. Most rent payments are extremely close to that of mortgage payment. Mortgage payments can be under $1000/month for a lot of reasons. The homeowner could have placed a nice down payment, they could have re-financed, they could be living in a low cost neighborhood, or they simply could have found a great deal on a property. Many tenants think most mortgages are between $1500-$2500 when that is not the case at all. Most residential homes for middle income Americans range from $125k-$175k and could be lower depending on the state. That creates a mortgage anywhere from $800/month-$1400/month with today’s mortgage rates.
2. Your Neighbors Aren’t The Best
You gotta love the alarm clocks that never get shut off in the morning from your neighbor. Or what about the one who always decides to wash their clothes past the allowed time notice. Or the kids who sleep in a bedroom right above yours and it seems like there is always a wrestling match on their floor. Or what about the one who always has company over to “hammer a few things on the wall”…every night. Either way, your neighbors keep doing things that upset you or make you angry. We didn’t even discuss the major ones such as: arguing couples, constant smoke alarms, cannabis under the door, loud music and parties, constant furniture moving, and I could go on and on! Most of the minor things we all have dealt with only because the situation is not big enough to complain to the landlord about. One thing for sure is that it’s easier to change what YOU CAN control versus trying to change something YOU CAN’T control.
3. Your Landlord Is Really A Slumlord
That moment when you call your landlord about a problem you are having in your apartment that needs to be fixed and they said they would fix it months earlier or what about the so called “Free Heat” but the temperature feels like 60 degrees inside the apartment during the winter. Wait, what about the time your landlord asked you to pay rent a couple of days EARLY for no reason at all! Or maybe the time you came home and you noticed your apartment had been entered by someone else and could possibly be the landlord! Yeah, that my friend is a slumlord! Things never get fixed and complaints never get addressed, but you deal with it. Why? Because it’s easier to live under someone else’s rules and building than your own right? With a home, you will have to maintain it yes, but at least it’s your home. You may have your own gas bill, but at least you can control the heat to your liking. Ditch the slumlord and qualify for your own mortgage!
The Bottom Line
I know the feeling of dealing with tenant issues and also dreading the pre-approval process. Credit is a big deal and it is needed to finance a home. As a good tenant or great tenant, I am sure you have thought about the idea of home ownership. Let these 3 signs push you in the right direction of getting that loan pre-approval.
 

Categories
Dating/Courting Home Single

9 Questions to Ask Yourself If Your Dream is to be Married

I think it’s easy to focus on so many other variables besides ourselves when it comes to marriage. Finding the ‘love of your life,’ having a beautiful wedding, or , what the kids will look like, etc.
The problem is, when we focus so much on what we don’t have control over in the future, it can take our attention away from what we can control in the present.
I do believe God created us to dream, and that He’s even placed those dreams within us.
But I also believe He calls us to steward our time well, and therefore I think it’s safe to say it’s important we use the time before marriage wisely.
If you are in a season of being single, I challenge you to ask yourself the following hard questions:
1. Are there things I want to do before I share my life with somebody?
2. Am I really working on my weaknesses or do I pass them off for being ‘a part of who I am?
We all have weaknesses, but that doesn’t mean we should ignore them or excuse ourselves from working on them. It’s much easier to hide them when you are by yourself.
3. What does marriage mean to me?
I may not be married, but I’ve been around married people enough to know that it’s not just butterflies and bliss 24/7. I’m not saying fairy tale marriages are impossible, but if you’re expecting it to be easy you may need to do some more research before getting married.
4. What is my view of God?
God designed marriage, so He is the ultimate expert. Focusing on your relationship with Him will naturally prepare you to be ready for marriage, along with establishing a foundation that will be vital to your relationship with your spouse (and others in your life!).
5. Am I praying for my future spouse?
6. Have I dealt with my insecurities?
Insecurities have a way of wreaking havoc on relationships. If you’re not at peace with yourself, it’s going to be difficult to feel at peace in a relationship. If you have insecurities that haven’t been dealt with, find the root and get rid of them!
7. Would I be a financial burden to somebody?
I’m not sure financial problems are an attractive quality. You may as well get on top of your finances now so that it doesn’t create tension in your marriage later.
8. Do I know who I was created to be?
Knowing what you’re meant to do with your life will help you to find the right type of person to partner up with. If you’re not sure, this would be a good time to get some clarity on your destiny.
9. Am I an ideal spouse (for my ideal spouse)?
Bear with me on this question… Are you the type of person that the type of person you want to marry would want to marry? It’s fun to think about the qualities you want in a spouse, but the reality is, they have to choose you too!
Ultimately, the more you spend time improving yourself instead of dreaming of what is to come, the better chance that dream will be fulfilled and exceeded!
 
M&Y! What are some other questions to ask yourself if you desire to get married? 

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Home

6 Steps to Turning Your Mundane Season Into a Purposeful Season

Seasons are a big part of my home state’s identity. Minnesota has four distinct seasons, each with its own set of unique characteristics and qualities.
Right now, it’s Summer. Summer in Minnesota is HOT. Just because we’re always portrayed as lumberjacks toughing out the bitter cold doesn’t mean it’s always below zero. Today was a particularly humid, hot summer day and I found myself longing for fall.
I stopped myself in the middle of my thought, realizing how silly this was.
If it was already Fall, that would mean I’d be going back to school already (I’m a teacher). I would have missed out on lake days, camping, flexibility in my schedule, traveling, and bonfires. Now sure, Fall has a lot to look forward to, but Fall is not Summer. They are separately wonderful, and each also carry their own difficulties as well.
I couldn’t help but compare this to our life stories. We are constantly going through different seasons, and each season has its own joys and hardships. I’ve found that the key is not to make it through a certain season in order to get to a ‘better’ one, but to change your focal point so that you can find contentment in each season throughout your life.
Here are some steps that I’ve taken to enjoy my current season of life.
1. Recognize the season you’re in.
Maybe you’re in a season of being newly married. Maybe you’re in a season of being single. Maybe you’re in a season of starting a family. It sounds simple, but this is an extremely important step. Without acknowledging it, it’s easy to get caught up in comparing your life to others’. Comparing your life to another’s can cause tension and destruction in the destinies of each person involved. Recognize your season, then believe that your season is just as important as another’s.
2. Discover the purpose of your season.
Big or small, this is what will allow you to thrive during this time. Ask the Lord to reveal what your purpose is and trust that He will give you an answer at some point. If you feel confused, be patient and faithful. I’ve found that sometimes I don’t fully understand a purpose in a season until it’s over, but it’s a big relief when I can look back and feel confident that I remained faithful and at peace throughout the process.
3. Make a list of activities you can only do in this season.
I can’t, or maybe the right word is shouldn’t, go swimming in a Minnesota lake in December. I can’t go downhill skiing in August. I won’t see leaves turn color in February. You get the point. There will be really great opportunities in every season, and not all of them will be available every season of your life. Take advantage of them before it’s too late.
4. Find people to connect with who are in similar seasons.
I’m not saying you need to spend all of your time with these type of people. But having someone, or several people who are in a similar season will provide an outlet when you need to talk through issues that may arise. This is not to say others won’t be able to offer any insight, but there is something really comforting about a person who can identify with specific emotions and experiences.
5. Find people who were in your season but aren’t anymore.
They will be able to provide wisdom and counsel into what you are experiencing. This type of relationship could also end up being valuable encouragement and restore hope within you!
6. Don’t give up.
A new season is bound to come along! Galatians 6:9 – “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” If you feel overwhelmed by what’s currently happening in your season, just keep doing your best each day! His mercies are new every morning. Worrying about what will happen in the future only uses up the mercy that you received for the day.
There might not be a way to ensure that trials and difficulties aren’t a part of our lives, but there are ways to navigate through them. Being intentional about how we treat each season will allow us to find value in our experiences – whether they seem positive or negative at the time.
With that, cheers to our unique seasons and discovering our purposes in them!

Categories
Communication Home Marriage Physical Intimacy Spiritual Intimacy

Sex and the Christian Wife

Like most women who didn’t enter into their marriages in piety, I was not a virgin when I met my husband.
Honestly, even if I was, I probably would not have made it to the alter a virgin.
I fell deeply in love very quickly and let’s just say, I couldn’t keep my latest promise to God.
My man and I had fun. We spent weekends in bed, ordering food, and staying up long enough to satisfy each other. It was as amazing as it was damning. We both knew what we were doing was wrong, even though it was soooo good.
Now that we are married, sex has taken on a new form. It is more than just fun. It is transforming.
Everything I thought I’d never be able to do (due to lack of flexibility) God has somehow given me the strength to do.
As weird as it might sound, I think the youth pastor from my old church was right, “Sex is better after you pray!” The euphoric feeling of confirming that we are one sends me over the top every time. The way we touch goes far beyond what I’ve experienced in the past.
According to my current pastor, “Sex is meant for procreation.” Apparently, it is not meant to be enjoyable or done in any other position but missionary. He is right, God says that we must “multiply,” but he also made sex a significant part of marriage.
Sex is the joining of two souls. In the end, you walk away with a piece of that person. “Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, ‘The two will become one flesh.’” (1 Corinthians 6:16). This is why sex should only be between man and wife. It is spiritual, not just of the flesh.

I remember discussing sex with another woman from my church and I said that the first form of sex involved God, Adam and Eve. She considered me a weirdo from that point on, but she wasn’t able to see past the negative connotation of sex. What I meant, though, was that God’s definition of sex is two souls coming together to create something new. When God made Eve, he joined his soul with Adam to create her. He took Adam’s rib and from His breath formed a new being.
The beauty of that encounter is the same way we Christians need to see sex.
It is not something nasty or wrong, as long as you’re with the right person.
 It is the one thing that only married couples should do, so why should we act as if it is wrong? For appearances? As long as my bedroom/bathroom/whatever room I’m in’s door can lock, no one can see me. Yes, God can but the wonderful, amazing ecstasy of it was also created by Him, why wouldn’t He want us to like it?
I won’t lie, there are times when I’m going the extra mile that I feel guilty, but the word says that his body belongs to me and my body belongs to him.
It also says that I must be submissive to him, servicing him in the way he requires. I am a woman that is intent on following the word. So whatever he requires, wherever, and however he requires it, I will give it to him.
Because he is mine and I am his and it shall remain that way.

Categories
Dating/Courting Home

Why You Should Stop Waiting?

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Why You Should Stop Waiting?

It seems like the dawn of day will never come, well at least with me it does when the agonizing diminishing minutes of waiting in the Starbucks line drag on for what seems like an eternity. You scroll through the news feed, you check your Instagram, you take a selfie or two (don’t even try to deny that you haven’t done this its just sad) and sweetly jam to whatever blasts its way into the speakers of your car. Waiting.
Then you finally reach the glorious window to grab the drink you just felt like you went through a marathon of tribulation to get! It tastes just as good as you thought it would and you realize you carried on with life in the waiting. You continued to be. The drink came just like you knew it would without a second thought. And all the while you carried on living life in its entirety because of one great assurance; the reward for the wait would be there in the end.
Now I know that is an infinitely grand symbolism to relate the relationship woes of singles to the steamed Starbucks lattes we savor, but stay with me I promise I’ll whip up a delight for you in the end.
WAITING
Webster’s states the word waiting as a period of time spent inactive or stationary. For many singles the ideology behind being in the season of waiting means being inactive or dormant to life. We should just await the arrival of his or her significant other, or the the next season of life when in reality Jesus came to “give life and life more abundantly.” Jesus didn’t sacrifice himself in hopes that during the “waiting” season of our lives we would expel ourself from living it.
In 2 Peter 1:2 it states, “Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God.” God wants us to have peace in the grace of the season He has us in. When we are celebrating in the season of our singleness He means for us to stop waiting in the literal since of giving up life and wait in the beauty of His assurance, the assurance of the great reward awaiting in the end of our season.Whether that is moving into a new season of singleness, a new relationship, a new place to live etc. When we stop looking to the next season to make life better and start seeing Jesus for all He has and is in the now. We settle in the peace of the grace of the present. 
SEEING SINGLENESS
Singleness is to be lived. Not waited out in agony of finally being done like a math test or credit card application. Singleness isn’t about the pursuit of “finding the one.” Singleness is to be savored like a Starbucks frappe on a hot day. It’s to be lived in its fullness to grasp the great grace; knowledge and truth the Lord wants to extend to us.
When the choice to choose forever with the right person does come, (if marriage is even the end result for what God has for you) that its viewed through a season which was lived out in love and light not one waited out in disillusion and depression.
Singleness isn’t to be viewed with bitterness and sarcasm such as, “All good things come to those who wait”, I sure hope so because if I’m waiting for bad this is going to suck. “Why are you still single”, because becoming a magician was taken? Singleness should be a place on the journey where books are read, road trips are made at midnight, community is at your core, relationships with sisters or brothers in Christ are deepened, laughter is abundantly more, where dreams are drawn up and accomplished by the droves. Stop waiting for life to start or force people into a place which hasn’t yet been established for them in your life because you are so tired and exhausted of the process we’ve deemed waiting.
STOP WAITING
Hear me out please, I am not saying throw in the towel and go completely off the cliff of your foundations and cornerstone of standards. I am saying though stop claiming singleness as a dead, dormant dry season meant to be the end of all ends until you get to the mountain top. Instead change the viewpoint of singleness to be lived out not waited out. Let life be enjoyed, let God become more savored and let love most of all nourish and grow in the living out of the waiting.
“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully? Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” Ephesians 3:16-19
This verse to me is the motto us as singles should be holding onto in a season where Christ longs to make His home in our hearts and bring us to trusting in Him even more for filling the space where our future mate will capture one day. But in the mean time letting God’s love grow deep in us to keep us faithful and strong. And this is the very best part so we can have fullness of life! A season of waiting isn’t death. It wasn’t meant to wait out with dread and expectations of lack. It is meant to be lived in the fullness of life, to be enjoyed to the utmost all the while increasing our faith and hope in the assurance of the end result that God is ever faithful in His promises to us!

 If we are just waiting to wait out the waiting we are waiting our life to death.

And when we finally start living the waiting fades in time and we soon realize the reward came just at the perfect time and we arrive to the window of goodness, exceedingly abundantly more than we could ask or imagine. A future full of promise and the reward of all that our sweet heavenly Father promised us. And it just so happens to beat out a good Starbucks drink any day. Don’t you think?
 
Written By: Angela Groce

Categories
Dating/Courting Home Marriage

Let Your Husband Find You: Part 1

It was four years ago when I expressed to my pastor that I was in love and we were going to be married. He insisted that my husband-to-be only told me those words to sleep with me. It was at that point that I knew I didn’t have a counselor. I felt alone. How dare he try to take away my blessing? That day I walked away feeling like I was in a fight for my life. I knew that his feelings were that of many people who could not understand finding happiness in just 6 months.
A year and a half before meeting the love of my life, I sat in a bath tub with tears flowing down my face. I was suffering from a broken heart. My ex-boyfriend cheated on me again and this time got a girl pregnant. I felt like dying. Was he the best that I could do?
As I cried, I recalled a sermon that I heard just a few weeks before. He met a young woman who was desperate for a husband. He explained to her that her husband will find her.
“The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the LORD.” Psalm 18:22
As women, we cannot force relationships because its not our calling to. God created man FIRST meaning it is his duty to initiate the relationship. When he finds his wife he finds a good thing because he has found the missing part of HIM.
The pastor then instructed her to make a list of all of the qualities she desired in a husband and said that in a year, she will be married. The word of God says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7 It is when we ask, and have faith that God will answer us. We may not receive what we want exactly when we want it but in His time we will receive our answer and possibly our husband.
The young lady didn’t believe the pastor but by the next year not only was she married, she had a child.
God knows exactly what we need and when we need it. It is not up to us or anyone else to tell us what our calling or a blessings are. When we make the conscious decision to talk to God about our future, we are relinquishing the right to take control. “Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.” (Psalm 55:22). If we put our total trust in Him, He will not steer us wrong, whether it be in relationships or life in general.
Following the pastor’s advice, I was able to marry the man that I requested. I rebuked every negative person that tried to advise me against following God’s word for my life including my pastor. We cannot let anyone stop us from obtaining what is rightfully ours.

Categories
Marriage Parenting

How to be Inspired When "Life" Leaves You Inspiration-less

Life Happens
What do you do when “life” happens and you become so consumed by your day to day activities that you have succumbed to routine and complacency? Your day is full from the moment that your alarm clock sounds or your children stand over your sleeping body asking for cereal.
You spend your day chauffeuring these pint sized people to and from school and to and from after school activities. You shop for groceries, put away the groceries, and then cook the groceries. Between doing laundry and cleaning the house, you somehow manage to squeeze in a cup of coffee and maybe a meal for yourself. For some all of this has to be juggled around a full work schedule. 
In the midst of all of these things, you don’t even realize that have lost your inspiration, the thing that you love to do, the things that gives you that breath of fresh air. Somehow that which gives you life and purpose amongst your “must do’s” has managed to take a back seat so far back that you don’t even remember what it felt like embrace it, wooed by it, inspired by it.
What do you do then?
How do you get back to a place where you are not running on autopilot, but on the inside your heart is smiling with anticipation of doing that one thing that makes you happy? 
What is it that you have neglected in your unintentional pursuit of ordinary?
Maybe you a writer with no time to put pen to paper or a photographer who hasn’t been able to see the beauty of nature because of traffic. Perhaps you are musician but life is so cluttered that you would rather sit in silence during your down time than pick up your instrument. No matter what your “thing” is, it’s yours, it’s part of who you are, and it deserves your attention too. 
5 Tips to get your inspiration back

  • 1. A Vision Board is a great way to remind yourself visually of things that you love. What to put on your vision board: Pictures from a magazine, quotes, or cards, hand written notes or doodles that inspire you. Put the vision board someplace that you will see it often throughout your day
  • 2. Think back to the last time that you felt inspired. Where were you? What were you doing? Now think about what has changed since then. If the change can be altered so that it’s not an “inspiration killer” make the necessary changes. If the changes are a necessity, find ways to accommodate those changes in other ways; maybe at different times of the day or on different days all together. 
  • 3. Join a group or take a class. If you love to cook, take a cooking class. If you are a writer join a book club and allow someone else’s work provoke you to writing again. 
  • 4. Go somewhere and be still. There are times when our minds are so busy thinking of everything and everyone else that we neglect our own wants and desires. Take a drive, sit on the beach, find a place away from the noise and routine to be alone. Let the scenery and the silence inspire you.
  • Just do it. Sometimes the only thing that will get you going again is just to do it. Push past how you feel and just do it. Make time in your schedule and just do it. It may be hard but it will jump start you again.