What You Need To Know About The 3 Things That Are Helping Me Respond to Life Right Now

Are you finding yourself in reflection mode as the season changes and routines restart? Here are 3 things helping me respond to life right now.

Happy September friend!

Can you even believe we are here?

I loved letting August be August and I hope you did too.

In case you missed my last post, you can find out HERE what has helped me to gently let go of Summer with gratitude and prepare for what’s next.

Speaking of what’s next…

High School.

Middle School

Elementary School.

That is what’s next around here.

A ninth grader, a seventh grader and a fourth grader all walked into a school building on Monday…

This is not a set up for a joke – just a life update. 🙂

Three different schools, three different schedules and three different smiles (praise God) greeting me at three different times of day to download the happenings of the day.

I love it.

The girls are all happy and doing their teen and pre-teen girl things.

Which includes ushering in the next season of life for us as a family, having a high schooler for the first time!

We are super proud of Eve for making her debut on her first high school sports team!

Snapped this pic before she walked out the door for school on Friday, wearing her jersey for her soccer game later that day!

And so?

With all the excitement of back to school…

And my 43rd birthday passing last week…

(thank you so much for all of your sweet birthday messages!)

It is safe to say that I have been in…FULL & DEEP reflection mode.

Because life is passing us by so quickly.

And for me?

The back to school season always seems to make this fast passing of time thing…well, more potent.

Today on the blog, I am sharing 3 things I have learned or have become more keenly enlightened to recently, that are helping me respond to life (and stress) right now.

Because when seasons slip away…transitioning us into forced forward motion…

Sometimes?

It can be stressful.

My hope is that these 3 new-ish nuggets of wisdom that God is re-teaching my heart right now –

My hope is…that they will help you too.

Follow me friend.

What You Need To Know About The 3 Things That Are Helping Me Respond to Life Right Now

1. Life Will Continue To Serve You Exercises In Surrender.

I have a lot more words to share on this lesson…in time.

But what I am continuing to learn and re-learn about myself is this –

I am able to sit in situations with a more contented, quieted and calm soul posture, when I…

Stop trying to control the situation.

In other words?

Whatever seems huge right now –

Whatever seems so important right now –

Whatever is occupying the biggest parts of my bandwidth right now –

I need to surrender it.

And?

The sooner the better.

Because?

In time…

The hugeness of IT will shrink.

The importance of IT will fade.

The occupied thoughts of IT will dwindle and dissolve.

And the surrendered situation will resolve.

Just as it should.…

Because?

It was surrendered.

Life will keep serving us exercises in surrender…it’s up to us how we return the volley.

With a self sufficient sand spike, in conned conglomerate control?

Or on bended knee humility drenched in soul surrender, to the God who sees and knows it all?

Which sounds more life-giving?

2. Prayer Takes The Edge Off.

We all know the saying – “prayer changes things.“

You may even have a sign that reads just that, in your home.

And yes, I have known that prayer changes things for as long as my memory will go back.

But recently, I am learning afresh that not only does prayer in fact change things, both in the short and long term situations we are praying about…

But also?

Prayer takes the edge off in the right now minute.

Prayer takes the edge off while you are smack dab in the middle…of experiencing the stuff.

Studies actually show that prayer also calms our nervous system, can make us less reactive and more responsive to situations and prayer can also help to shut down the flight or fight response.

I have shared personal stories before here on the blog of answered prayer.

Like THIS story and the importance of “Seeing the small things as miracles.”

But what I am remembering again and again, is that there is a reason why I love and cling to my quiet time in the morning, but also?

The power of an arrow prayer sent from the heart while in the grocery store aisles, or while behind the wheel, while driving to car pool pick up, or while standing in the midst of an escalating situation that catches me off guard…

Prayer time and time again…takes the edge off.

Whether it be in the morning during daily intentional quiet time, or while escaping to the laundry room, after a discussion where Shawn and I may not be seeing eye to eye. 🙂

Or, while in the midst of navigating Mom life, the daily decisions and helping guide our girls in their personal decisions.

Prayer takes the edge off, while in the middle of all the things and calms the nervous system.

Not only is prayer our always there Access to communicate with our able and present God who can change things.

But prayer is also our always there Approach towards calming the storms inside us.

3. Discipline Leads To Desire.

I heard this phrase while listening to my favorite Christian music station, Bright-FM.

And my gosh does it ring true.

Also?

This simple truth makes so much sense and helps to explain the why of why during the Summer months I lack desire to exercise!

HA! 🙂

Because, during the Summer months…

I lack the discipline to stick with my healthy habits of regular exercise, due to the randomness that comes with kids home from school all Summer.

My discipline lacks and therefore my desire lacks also!

The more I discipline myself to exercise, the more I desire to exercise.

The more I discipline myself to read my Bible, the more I desire to read my Bible.

The more I discipline myself to getting up early, the more I desire to get up before the sun rises.

You get the idea. 🙂

Where discipline leads…desire will follow.

Ok friend, that’s what I am parking on right now as I reflect and fold into new Fall rhythms over here.

And if you are feeling a little overwhelmed right now?

Remember this –

“Routine,” while sometimes can be a comforting “order” of things… 

“Rhythm” is more of an individualized choosing of pace.

Striving for calendar ordained racing routine, while coming off of slow Summer, can perhaps leave us feeling a bit frenetic and send us grasping at what is being forced upon us…

Instead?

Rhythm is less reactive and invites more of a steady responsiveness that offers stability and a grace to enter at your own pace.

Let’s go with that and respond in motion towards our next best personal move.

Living on a prayer,

Heather