Monday Morning Encouragement…
Good Monday morning ladies!
As we head into this busy Holiday season, I hope you were encouraged last Monday (and today) with some helpful ideas to take with you into the next two months. With Thanksgiving right around the corner and our Christmas activities and “to-do” lists abound, I want all of us to remember a few things to add to that list. (No, they won’t be an added burden… I promise)
Here are 4 things to remember at this time of year:
Remember to breathe.
No seriously… take long, deep, slow breathes in and out. I usually breathe in for 5 seconds, hold for 5 seconds and then release for 5 seconds, and then repeat it 5 - 10 times. Concentrate on pushing out your stomach with your breathing in and then letting your stomach come back to natural position as you breathe out. You can either breath out through your mouth or nose, both have different benefits. Overall, deep breathing is proven to be so beneficial as it relaxes our bodies, reduces anxiety, lowers blood pressure and improves our mood. It’s a game changer in stress levels, trust me.
Get outside and walk.
This is coming from the girl who doesn’t get outside nearly enough. But, I know what a stress reliever it is to walk. Obviously it’s overall good for our health to get exercise, but especially at this time of year when we’re overworked and over stimulated it’s so important to get outside and physically be active. AND, did you know it helps boost our focus AND creativity? Yes, creativity actually happens when we’re walking and thinking and getting fresh air!
Take a break.
Honestly this one is hard for me. I’m learning to do more of this, and see the health benefits of it as well. Over the years, one of the thing I hear a lot at my retreats is “I can’t believe you do all of this by yourself Laura” or “How do you get everything done, I could never do what you do.” True, I am a busy person and a “one-stop-shop” as far as organizing the retreats, planning all the details, answering all the emails, doing all the social media, creating all the art, prepping for all the classes, etc. etc. BUT, I’m enlisting the help of my daughters more AND I’m learning to take breaks, even in the middle of the day. And that’s HUGE for me. I’m working through changing a mindset that I’ve had all my life, where I felt like I had to be busy or I wasn’t being “good.” Anyone else feel that way too? Well, a wonderful Christian counselor is helping me walk through this and I’m learning to let go of the stress that actually comes with that mindset. (I can send you some great podcasts on this if you’re interested)
Lastly… Buck the system.
I’m not joking. We NEED to be counter-cultural to this world that says: “indulge yourself”, “serve yourself” and “you can have everything you want.” (Frank Sinatra really sent the wrong message with his hit “I want it MY way…” hahaha) But in all seriousness, like I mentioned last week, it’s especially hard at this time of year not to be inundated with SO much we’d like to have. Social media showers us with the pretty, the shiny, and the perfectly styled. Add that to our natural longing to want beautiful things and the science behind social media, and suddenly it’s easy to feel swept into the same current as everyone else, chasing picture-perfect homes and the latest treasures under the tree.
Friends, I’m right there with you. I feel that pull too.
But I believe there’s a healthy balance to all of this hustle and bustle and consumerism we so easily get caught up in. I’ve said this before in past blog posts, pertaining to my retreats, but it also applies to our homes:
We can lovingly “set the table” so they say: “You are welcome, you are loved,” without letting the pursuit of more or the pressure of doing it all become the focus of our hearts.
Where does that healthy balance begin? It begins when we root our daily contentment in Jesus Christ, first and foremost. This isn’t a vague, broad-brush version of Christianity. This is a steady, everyday walk of the heart… choosing God again and again.
Jesus reminds us in Matthew 16:24-26 to do just that: “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it. For what will it benefit someone if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will anyone give in exchange for his life?”
Whew. That’s not easy. I feel the sting of that truth in my own wandering heart. But the beautiful reality for every follower of Christ is this: Real rest, real contentment, and real JOY is only found in knowing He is worth more than anything this world could offer.
Yes & Amen!
I’ll end with this song I’ve been listening to for over 20+ years by Fernando Ortega. Take a listen. It ends with these beautiful words:
You can have all this world
You can have all this world
But give me Jesus.
I hope you all have a wonderful Monday and start to your week! Please know I am right here if you want me to pray with you or talk to you about any of this.
I’ll be sharing some updates later this week on the Scholarship Fund (it IS still happening, just got a little delayer) AND… Where we’re headed in 2026!
Hugs to all,
Laura McCollough
P.S. There’s a quick video on YouTube I did for my “Sunday morning calm” yesterday and I thought it might give you a little peaceful calm this morning as well. You can find it HERE.