One-woman Retreat

Some women have the power to elevate us from the mundane to the Divine. Sally Clarkson does that for me. I listen to her when I crave kind wisdom. She said, "The year is about to get busier. It is okay to do something lovely for yourself such as a one-woman retreat." I was fascinated with the idea. My life is never not busy. The fact that I can soothe the busier months to come was intriguing. 

The idea was to do something realistic. Lighting a candle and reserving 15 minutes to drink tea without having to rush to the next thing. Something that will add gentleness to a hurried life. So I lit the candle and I brewed the tea. I was better for it. The one-woman retreat idea stayed with me long after. 

The following week was one of the busiest ones in my current job. I worked over the weekend and I was tired. I decided to take a day off during the week to recover. I implemented the one-woman retreat idea that day. 

Sally's suggestion was to add something lovely to the reality of life. I sent the kids to school with a blessing and a kiss as we do daily. Breakfast was next. I took my time and made sure my plate was nutritious yet pretty. I truly enjoyed eating. Next, I did my mani and pedi while finishing a lovely movie. My husband was available at lunch time so we turned the retreat into a "one-woman one-man retreat." His company filled my heart with joy. Then I got a phone call that caused the opposite effect. Just because I made room for a lovely day, it doesn't mean that life's circumstances won't interrupt it. I stepped outside the restaurant and worked on the matter. I had to do that three times. I felt myself getting stressed. I did not like that feeling. I took a deep breath and asked God to fill me with the peace I needed. We finished our lunch and went to a store next door. We found some new jams we wanted to try. My husband suggested we find a coffee shop. I bought a calligraphy kit and worked on it while we enjoyed a great oat milk latte. I walked next door and found the tarragon plant I wanted to grow this summer. What an extra boost of joy! 

Shortly after that, it was time to go back to a life I love and appreciate. Picking up kids from band rehearsal, snack time, packing everyone's dinner, and heading to church. 

The one-woman retreat ended up better than it started. It landed me safely in the place I'm rooted: family. 

While the end of the year will always be busy, I can take firm steps toward the lovely side of life. I don't think this was self-care. I care for myself regularly. This was an investment in myself. It was a way to sprinkle goodness on an otherwise ordinary day.

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Sunday Seven

 Sunday Seven 

1. Bible reading is part of a surrendered life. This week on the blog I will propose why this is not as hard as some may think but it is part of a life Jesus modeled for us. 
2. Some women have the power to elevate us from the mundane to the Divine. This week I write on the blog about my "one-woman retreat," an idea I received from a great woman of God I never met in person. 
3. Family is where I'm rooted. Thank God for the purpose, growing pains, and joys that family life brings. I am deeply grateful to God for His brilliance in planting us in families. 
4. Marital love is nurturing. I learned this week how nurtured I feel when spending time with my husband. Our interactions this week filled my heart with so much goodness. I am grateful for the steadfast character of Zeke's love for me. 
5. The kids are growing. I always thought I should grow and mature as well. Why stay the same if God wants me to grow? "Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby  if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious." I Peter 2:1-3
6. Change is not costly. Change is a privilege. Staying the same, in my case, suffering the side effects of ill health, is costly. 
7. If I say 'I changed,' you can believe it. I do not have to sacrifice my morals and integrity for you to believe what I say. I live in a world where some quickly leave excellence of virtuous character for the filthiness of sin. I say this standing in the grace and truth of God who wants virtue to flow from our lives, not the vulgar. 

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Sunday Seven

Sunday Seven

I was recently asked, "What can you control?" My schedule was busy, filled with uncontrollable variables. A lot of them were making me angry. I've been reflecting on the answers, which I want to share with you today. 

1 • How much I expose myself to Scripture reading. Yesterday at church, I was reminded that Scripture shapes both my opinions and prayers. The reading and study of Scripture are empirical in my life, no matter how busy my week may be. 

2 •  When faced with toxic, negative comments and complaints, I can control my response. The person wants a reaction, but I believe that a response is something I can control. The best way to provide a Biblical response is to be sure that my attitude lines up with what I read. 

3 • Toxic and negative complaints are part of what I do. Over the years, I learned to set up and maintain great boundaries. I turn off comments and notifications. I go outside and enjoy nature. I even passed the torch to another coworker who would read each complaint and only notify me of something truly important. These and other steps, which I can control, allowed me to keep my joy and peace. 

4 • "The excellence of my job" was the first answer that came to my mind. I can't control variables. I can't control what other people think of me, how they react to me, and how mean they are to me. What I can control is how I rely on excellence as I work. I decided that I do my work unto the Lord because I serve Him. Excellence is costly yet worth the price of the peace it brings. 

5 • I can control how much I exercise. I can control how many hours of sleep I get at night. I can control how many servings of vegetables I eat during busy weeks. I decided that I could mindlessly browse the internet or I can be proactive about my health. It was within my control to buy a bag of spinach and a case of strawberries, so I did just that. I felt much better, although I was tired at the end of the week.

6 • I can control my response and heart attitude toward people who manage insecurities in public. I often tell myself, "Cintia, you don't deal with public insecurity, and you do not have to have the same attitude as this dear person." Then, I stand in my confidence. Standing in my confidence has saved me from drowning in the insecurity of others. I do not believe that embracing someone else's insecurity is the same as loving them. Oftentimes, people do not want to let go of their insecurity. I can't convince them otherwise. I can pray and I can stand in my confidence. 

7 • It may seem counterproductive, but I can control how much I think and do for others during a busy week. When God clearly puts someone in my mind and heart, I go to action. I write a note or I give a small token. I can control how much good I show to others. I discussed with my kids this weekend that it is more blessed to give than to receive. We all shared how much joy giving brings to our hearts. We prayed that God would allow us to be more alert of those around us who need to be uplifted. Uplifting someone is completely within my control. 

How about you? What can you control?

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Easter Practices for Busy Families

Hello my friend! If you are so incredibly busy with your family's activities, you will love this episode.  

I speak about the easy practices my family adopted over the past 15 years to make Easter a meaninful season for the soul. You can listen and subscribe here.

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Sunday Seven

 Sunday Seven

1. Never allow anyone to establish your potential. If they close doors, let them. If they say you can't, don't take it to heart. God is the one who called you. He can open and close doors. He can do what seems impossible. If He allows you to be where you are He will also sustain you there by His grace. 
2. Our greatest potential may be hiding behind our greatest fear. Asking yourself "why" may lead you to recognize the source of that mindset. 
3. God is still assuring us of His presence amid the storms of life. When we choose to get on our knees and read His book, we find evidence of who He is to us and in us. My conviction is that though my situation does not always change, my resolve to stand firm and trust God is strengthened. 
4. Holding on to grudges is a waste of time. Passing personal grudges on unsuspecting people is like planting weeds in a perfectly beautiful garden. This week I chose to get on my knees and repent from planting bad seeds on unsuspecting people. May God give me wisdom to speak only what encourages and blesses others. 
5. Distractions come to anyone who receives a word from God. The word I'm talking about are the words from the Bible. When we read and believe that Jesus is our peace, a distraction comes our way to derail us from this truth. I find it helpful to recognize distractions for what they are. I'm learning to go back to God's word and immerse myself in His truth. I benefit from speaking this truth to God in prayer as I fight against any distractions that come my way. God's word will always prevail, no matter what the enemy of our souls tries to do. 
6. I'm amazed at how some lovely humans use intimidation as their first line of contact. I learned to keep a smile on my face and the kindness of God in my heart. I never match their energy because that's not what God called me to do. He called me to represent Him at all times. I often use peace and self-control as the counter strategy for intimidation. So far so good. 
7. I'm grateful God brought us to Georgia. I can't thank God enough for our community. I never thought I'd work for the government but here I am serving God and community and loving my experience. 

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