Preparation

“You cannot plan for the life God has for you, you can only prepare for it.” Erwin McManus

Here is to preparation. For the hours we spend in His presence, the times we spend listening and the chapters we read through in His word. Preparation is about character.

Yesterday, I was reading in Luke that passage where Jesus speaks to Martha:

“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭10:38-42‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Martha was distracted. Maybe so distracted she didn’t even realize how anxious or troubled she was (she was maybe on our all-too-familiar setting of autopilot). She was planning and executing clearly. But Jesus saw her. He sees her clearly and says to her: ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things–‘

He saw her clearly and He cared. He saw her heart. But then He reminds her that it doesn’t matter what you role is, whether it’s the oldest, a mother, a wife, a host — your role and the expectation attached to it doesn’t matter. It’s not about that, but it’s about choosing the one thing that is “necessary.” Everyone needs to choose that. God has asked us to choose Him. Spending time in His presence in preparation– that is what will not be taken away. Everything else can fall apart or fade. What we guard in our hearts and minds, however, that is what cannot be taken away.

May we switch our focus from busy planning to preparation of our hearts and characters in His presence.

My God is Alive

By: Gabriela Yareliz

When we feel discouraged, let us remember that God is not dead. God is alive. God is working in every earnest heart that is humble and ready to receive Him.

When confusion rages– we must remember that there is a movement of people that is on its knees. A movement of people who believe in a God who is real. A movement of people that does not believe in charging crystals by moonlight or manifesting but that believes that they serve a real God. An all-powerful God. A God who cannot be stopped. A God outside of ourselves who offers to dwell in us and among us.

The church is not dead. I believe in my heart that the church is just getting started. The church will always rise up in the name of Jesus– covered by His blood of mercy, love and victory.

There is a generation rising to guard truth without compromise. We are the church. The church will never be extinguished because God holds it in His hand.

We are not called to something easy. We are called to a battle, where we must hold on and keep standing.

The church, generation after generation, rises from the ashes because the One who stands behind it is real. The purpose is real. The power of His blood is real, and nothing can and will ever defeat it.

So, in the name of Jesus, may the world know that we are here to stay. We are here to try to uplift humanity to see His life-changing love– even with all of our flaws.

In our imperfections, we believe we are redeemed, we are called, we are healed, we are equipped and by His grace, we will stand.

No matter what, we will stand. No compromise. The answer to our aching hearts and self-destruction is love. God is love. We will never stop– until the whole world hears.

The church is alive. Don’t forget it.

“Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me.” Martin Luther

Courage

In The Courage to Be Disliked, a statement/rhetorical question continues to emerge: Do we have the courage to be happy?

The philosopher in the book emphasizes that life is less about the hand we have been dealt but more about our courage, regardless of the hand.

I pray we can all find the courage to experience joy.

The Boogie Man

“The boogie man doesn’t exist. That’s why he’s such an effective example, and why you should ignore him. As soon as you look him in the eye, he vanishes.” Seth Godin

By: Gabriela Yareliz

I really enjoyed this thought by Seth Godin. It’s a reminder that when we confront that which causes us fear or anxiety, this thing will often disappear. Oftentimes, our fears are powerful in our minds, but in reality, what stands before us crumbles.

Bored Enough to Think

By: Gabriela Yareliz

This morning, I was reminded, as I read Greg Mckeown, that we need to have designated times and spaces to think. Technology has made it so that we are never bored and never truly focused on the art of thinking. We will stream something (TV or a podcast), open a social media app or we will call someone.

He brings up an amazing point: some of our most inspiring literature and the thoughts that have withstood the test of time were born in solitude, in focus, in hard and deep thinking.

So whether it’s developing thoughts that endure time or just designing our lives– we need to schedule time to just think, distraction free.

Think about it… how can you disconnect? Where can you sit? How many minutes can you carve out? Why is this important to you?

Schedule time to think, today.

[Thoughts inspired by Greg Mckeown’s Essentialism]

Two Reminders

By: Gabriela Yareliz

In recent days, I have been reminded of two important principles we should always keep before us:

1. Discomfort Before Change

I was doing my morning Pilates practice, and the instructor was talking me through how to get into a position that requires a lot of balance. It was hard. It felt weird. I wasn’t exactly looking the way she looked on the screen. I was sighing, a bit exasperated, and trying to figure out how to modify the position, when she said: before moments of change and transition, it’s ok to experience moments of discomfort. I heard that and thought about how true that is. Whether it’s starting a new job, growing something or pushing ourselves beyond our current comfort zone– it’s not rare to feel the discomfort that comes along with it, but this is how we achieve what we had not done before. It is how we can be that which we were not, yesterday.

2. No Say

There is a line of philosophy (Adlerian psychology) that states that trauma has no say in who we become. It’s very opposite the Freudian philosophy often followed by counselors and people who try to justify the present with blaming something or someone in the past.

I read this quote, and agreed so strongly with it:

“We determine our own lives according to the meaning we give to those past experiences. Your life is not something that someone gives you, but something you choose yourself, and you are the one who decides how you live.” The Courage to Be Disliked

As we move forward in this new year, let us keep these two reminders before us. If we do, we will be quite unstoppable.

Choice

“It is the ability to choose which makes us human.” Madeleine L’Engle

By: Gabriela Yareliz

I was reading Essentialism this morning, and in the book, there was a powerful reminder to remember our power to choose.

“The ability to choose cannot be taken away or ever given away– it can only be forgotten.” pg. 36

It was a reminder to embrace the choices we have and to have the courage to step out of learned helplessness and embrace the free will we have. Rather than feeling “I have to”– to get to the point of saying “I choose to”.

Where in our lives do we need to exert our power to choose? Where can we choose to show up for ourselves? Have we given our power to someone else? If we aren’t choosing– someone is choosing for us.

Hoping that this morning (and in this new year) we will decide to fully embrace that which makes us human.

How You Are

“The issue is not about how the world is, but about how you are.” The Courage to Be Disliked

We all see the world through our own lenses. We can witness the same event and not take the same thing from it. Ultimately, we must realize that how we see the world has a lot to do with who we are. Our worldview, how resilient we are, from where we source our hope, our values and what we believe the world should be.

We cannot control that which is outside of us, so then, we must see how we see the world and figure out what that says about who we are.

Are we in fear? Do we feel inferior and therefore try to pick apart the flaws that stick out? Are we in joy? Do we rely on external validation or are we complete? Do we believe people can change or that they deserve the opportunity?

What we must remember is that it’s about who we are. This informs what we see and how we see it.

Our Greatest Contribution

By: Gabriela Yareliz

One of the lessons I have been learning and processing is this idea of guarding our hearts and minds. In spirituality, we often just think about this as it relates to purity, but I think that in this day and age that we live in, as we see more and more people choose evil over righteousness, it’s so easy to be affected by all of this evil that surrounds us.

The news, politics, people’s horrendous actions without consequences– it all feels so overwhelming, at times. It can create in us a lot of judgment, trigger trauma, and it can make us cynical.

“Cynicism masquerades as wisdom, but it is the farthest thing from it. Because cynics don’t learn anything,” Stephen Colbert once said.

I realize that I have, at times, allowed other’s frantic energy and pessimism sort of seep into my day-to-day. It can really affect us. And this is where this idea of guarding our hearts and minds comes in. It’s not that we ignore what is happening around us. In fact, we must approach it with compassion and empathy. But by the same measure, I loved what Gabby Bernstein said in one of her talks, which was that our greatest contribution to the world is to show up with light and positivity.

We need to take time to elevate ourselves, so we can elevate one another. We cannot just plunge each other deeper into the despair and hopelessness the world offers.

I truly agree. It’s not selfish to guard your heart, mind and energy. It’s actually the only way you can be a force for good and change in the world.

One of my good friends, Martha, says we can’t crash the ambulance. If we want to elevate, be a light and reflect God to the world, then that will require us to deeply and intentionally invest in hope and positivity.

May we stay focused on Him who can keep us in perfect peace. Only He can guard our hearts and minds. This surrender to God’s guidance is the greatest contribution we can give our neighbors, our children, our partners– the world.

Happy New Year!

Leaving Behind

By: Gabriela Yareliz

I was reminded by Bailey, a sweet blogger at This Illustrious Life, in this decade and year– what are we leaving behind? She said maybe it’s anxiety, insecurities, maybe even negativity. I want to take that one step further.

I recognize that while it may be easy to get nostalgic over the last decade, the last decade also can remind some of us of a lot of pain or things that feel like failures. Maybe this last decade was one where a relationship unraveled. Maybe there was divorce or you witness or battled a true spiritual battle. I don’t know. Maybe you were estranged from someone you love. Maybe the decade was filled with a lot of loneliness and mistakes. We all lived it differently.

No matter what happened in this past decade or year, I also want us to reflect on what we are leaving behind. That may include people, jobs, energy that did not serve us.

This new year is calling us into something new. I personally believe that God is constantly calling us into something new, and when we are aligned with Him, He gives it to us as fast as we are able to receive it.

“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:19

What are you leaving behind? What will God redeem in your life, in this new chapter?

He is able, and He will.

He makes all things new.

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Revelation 21:5