One of the best parts about forgiveness is it’s a personal process. It’s something we can do alone with God through prayer, whether the offender is dead, estranged, or never seen again. Its power can transform our hearts and change our lives—forever—with or without that specific person....
Women Cultivating Mindful Beauty: Body and Soul
At the bottom of every woman’s heart, I believe God has planted the desire to be beautiful: body and soul. The seed has been planted in the raw materials of our hearts, minds, and deep within our beings to be the best God has made us to be. We are both physical and spiritual beings and our bodies and souls are like gardens that need tending. It is our pleasure and great reward to cultivate and curate both. Although we may see these two as separate parts of ourselves: our physical and spiritual selves, they work best hand-in-hand. They marry like music; harmony and melody.
A Practice of Christian Mindfulness: Body and Soul
Therefore, we will step up, value, and take care of the precious materials we have been given as we meet life’s challenges with both grace and determination, acceptance and stewardship. We will do this with patience for ourselves and in Christ’s strength we will hone in our identity as sacred and accepted followers of Jesus. Redeemed, precious, and valuable our worth is non-negotiable, hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3 NIV). Grace motivates us to do and be our best and whispers to our hearts that dignity is God-given and not man-made. We will carry this as a shield into the unknown and the daily drama of the potentially mundane.
Light and Zest: The Nuts & Bolts of it
Find articles and helpful resources, here on the Light and Zest website, on cultivating an active and growing faith by applying God’s word, heightened mindfulness, balanced and enjoyable fitness, and mindful eating. As you travel your own path, I hope these resources culminate and encourage you to grasp the unique and mindful beauty God has planted in each and every one of you (body and soul).
Connect with women on a similar life path within our Balanced and Beautiful Women’s Facebook Community or gather in some extra inspiration–almost–daily on the Light and Zest Instagram.
“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” – 1 Corinthians 15:10 NIV
Join a blooming community of women in a private Facebook group called Balanced and Beautiful! We are growing and encouraging one another as we explore different monthly topics from a biblical perspective.
Recent Posts: Mindful Beauty
When our home catches fire, we call 911 for help. We may quickly assess, but when we realize it is taking over, there is no delay in our response. There is no sitting on it. Pondering it. Wrestling with it. Yet, when temptation starts to grip our hearts and minds, we may treat them as a favored pet, letting our mind race back to it with mental and emotional attention....
I was chewing on my own faith this past week and getting stuck on some of Jesus’ words like dry bread in the back of my throat. It was a particularly hard tenet to swallow:...
It’s a good thing I wasn’t a comedian at the time or my agent would have been furious when I decided to turn my back on sarcasm for two months as an experiment. I can imagine his hands wringing, mouth grimacing, and the berating as he pretended to remain calm. All the while him calculating how this would affect my act. But that’s the thing, I didn’t want an act anymore....
I had it in me, my old bulldog of being right. Think soft marshmallow flesh with stocky shoulders and a snarling, sputtering, toothy, aggressive need-to-be-right....
The Ketogenic Diet seems an oxymoron, but isn’t life full of them? How can eating more fats help us reduce body fat? Simply said, this oxymoron contains principles that work. When we pair Keto-thinking—trading carbs with highly sustaining, low glycemic, fats and proteins—while keeping to smaller portions, an ample water supply, and mindful movement, our weight loss efforts are unstoppable....
