The Grace Narrative

One of the ways I learned to function in the world was working for the approval of others. I looked for security and identity that way. Basically, I was creating FOR love, not FROM love. Through His grace God has shown me that is a a belief and a thought pattern that is opposed to His design...it is old, it doesn't fit with being a new creation of Christ. I need to renew my mind and be transformed and claim my identity in Him.

We have many demands on our mental energy. We want to be able to focus, be creative, solve problems, and make good decisions. God created our brains in such a way that they can actually keep developing even as our bodies age. Today we will discuss some rhythms and practices that build our mental muscles.

In my adult life, I've learned the value of looking back to reflect. Not in a way that keeps me mired in the past, but in a way that notices what worked and what didn't work so that I can continue to learn and grow. Today's episode is going to be an example of my contemplation of this summer as it comes to a close.

Today is the conclusion of this series on blessings. I felt like it would be incomplete if we didn't address how to offer and receive the blessing concerning endings. I am convinced that we unintentionally do serious damage to ourselves when we try to eliminate or shortcut our way through the grieving process that comes with endings. However deep the loss or hurt, God's presence and purpose are with us and go beyond the endings in ways greater than our suffering.

Whatever your job, the blessing I'll be sharing today is applicable because it's first and foremost about calling. As I share these words today, I hope you'll look at it through the lens that you can live out your calling WHATEVER your job or whatever your assignment. The core of it all is not about performance… It's WHO YOU ARE AS A PERSON that informs your actions.

Crossing a challenging threshold definitely requires courage. Receiving a blessing of courage means that we open ourselves up to discovery and compassion and leave behind the fear that keeps us trapped. Whatever your threshold is today, I hope that you can hold the same view as John O' Donohue who said "No threshold need be a threat, but rather an invitation and a promise."

I am excited to share with you from "To Bless the Space Between Us" by John O'Donohue. We are going to be learning how to offer blessings- those gracious invocations where the human heart pleads with the divine heart. It's a gift that opens doors and can bring healing and transformation. It changes the atmosphere by evoking a sense of warmth and protection because no life is alone or unreachable. In this installment we will be learning the blessing of a new beginning.

I've decided to do a "best of" installment of The Grace Narrative. The most downloaded episode of the podcast to date has been "Don't Despise the Small Steps". Obviously that struck a chord with a lot of listeners, so today is a re-air of that episode. It was originally recorded in December of 2019, but the great thing is that when an episode is based on principles, it can be just as applicable whatever the season or stage in life- the specifics may change, but the strategy is still viable. I hope you'll enjoy this additional reminder to embrace progress over perfection.

We all know that rest is important. But if we don't have a mindset that supports what we know is true, we will continue to fight and struggle to give rest it's proper due as part of our reality. When we view rest as something we have to earn, it leads to some dangerous habits. So today, I want to talk about having a mindset where rest is actually the catalyst for fulfilling our purpose instead of a reward because we got our to-do list done or we worked hard enough to "deserve it".

In this final installment of the paradigm shift series, we will focus on changing our mindset from time management to energy management. The following quote is a great summary of this episode: "Every one of our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors has an energy consequence, for better or for worse. The ultimate measure of our lives is not how much time we spend on the planet, but rather how much energy we invest in the time that we have. The number of hours in a day is fixed, but the quantity and quality of energy available to us is not. It is our most precious resource." -Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz