Life
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Struggles of our past lead us to the future
So many of you have gone through many challenges, struggles, and break throughs this past year.
1 year ago I had envisioned women from all around the world, gathering together in a safe place to share our stories, lift each other up, encourage one another, and grow stronger.
Every single day for the past year I have had the privilege of getting to know so many of you through books clubs, Facebook lives, private coaching and zoom calls.
I am TRULY honored and grateful for each and everyone of you in our Brave Sisters Community, YOU showed up big time not only for one another but for me💗💗💗
Thank you!!
Holding on to the past behaviors and staying stuck is so exhausting and doesn’t allow you to move forward into where you were are destined to be in this bug old world.
As we finish off this first week in this new decade I encourage you to reflect on last year’s progress.
Was it what you hoped for?
Did you accomplish the goals you had set?
Did you create long lasting relationships?
Did you just survive on of the hardest years of your life?
In order to move forward, we must take time to reflect on what worked and what didn’t work.
Reflection allows us to make progress instead of shaming ourselves into thinking we didn’t accomplish anything.
As I continue to reflect on my progress through last year I’ve realized when I celebrated those small victories just as much as the big ones.
My mindset was massive impacted.
If you are ready to make some progress big or small I’m personally inviting you to join your Brave Sisters on Jan 10th for part 1 of a 3 part series about intentional growth for 2020.
Register today by clicking the link 👇
You won’t regret investing in your future 💗bit.ly/LSB2020
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Let Your Values Do The Driving
Day 6 of 30 Days to Taming Your Stress
“As I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless. It was like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere” – Ecclesiastes 2:11
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Get Physical
“I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified” -1 Corinthians 9:27
Have you ever had a ridiculously stressful day? I bet you can think of several moments in the past week that made you a bit stressed. Stress effects all of us differently because we have coping mechanisms to help us get through those hard times.
“Physical activity is an excellent stress-buster and is critical to normalizing your body after a stressful event”
Our bodies release hormones during stressful moments and our bodies typically respond in two ways FIGHT OR FLEE and depending on your personality we typically migrate towards one or other. As an extrovert you typically you tend flee away and go hide away, which makes us feel safe. However as an introvert we tend to FIGHT, standing our ground no matter what.
Which of these two defensive mechanisms do you tend to migrate towards when you are feeling stress?
Personally, as a very big extrovert in times of stress I retreat and take time away from interacting with others because it makes me feel safe. However, it wasn’t until earlier this year did I truly understand why I did this throughout my life.
In order to avoid this and center myself BEFORE I get stressed I learned the importance of physically activity on the daily. I’ve always loved nature, but I would get caught up in the daily demands and become stressed.
I find myself every single day walking in nature for at least 30 minutes to move my body not only to physically move my body, but to RECENTER MYSELF.
Can you think of ways to recenter yourself and get physical, the best form of exercise is the one you enjoy and find most convenient?
People who are routinely active tend to eat better and maintain a healthier lifestyle for themselves and their families. I encourage you today to get physical, move your body in a way YOU enjoy
Today’s Prayer: Father I need YOUR divine empowerment to engage in some form of physical activity on a regular basis.
To go a little deeper grab a copy of
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Nourish Your Body
Day 4 of 30 days of Taming Your Stress
“So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” -1 Corinthians 10:31
Each day is filled with hustle and bustle the constant drive to chase after ALL the things, but when we lay our heads down at night we physically feel terrible. WHY??
Because we are not physically nourishing our bodies with nutrients to keep us fueled throughout the day. Everyday it’s struggle to keep up with the demands of this world.
Yet, if we were to start a new journey into nourishing our bodies we might live a more fuller life where we can thrive not and just survive anymore.
Several years ago when my second daughter was born I realized how important it was to truly nourish my body especially since I was the sole provider of nutrients for her first 6-8 months of life. It wasn’t until a few years ago when I was hospitalized for 8 days straight when I had a second wake up call to nourishing my body at a different level.
Six months after my hospitalization I was still being seen by every doctor under the sun, yet I still didn’t have any true answers of why my body was completely shutting down even though I was a very healthy 30 year old.
It wasn’t until I received the diagnosis of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) also as know as MONO, which most of us get as young children, did I truly realize I knew I need to FIND A NEW WAY because the life I wanted was fading away quickly!
Each and everyone of at some point in our lives indulges in junk food… you know the kinda food with no real food value, but tastes delicious while were eating it or so we think. Yet in a short period of time we are still craving something else or still hungry. Do you ever remember a time in your life when you over indulge in food.. and it turned into a bad habitat you struggled with?
I know I have and it was a hard habitat to kick, because we become addicted to those types of food and our bodies even begin to create ways to flourish off the junk.
My health journey has been a long one for sure, but worth every moment, so today I encourage you to challenge yourself with one new life changing habitat.
DRINK MORE WATER
Take it slow and steady, start with small goals. Because consistently over time you will retrain your brain to make better choices subconsciously.
If you are struggling with you health and want to make some changes, my inbox is always open. As I am writing this blog .. I am happy to announce I am officially 100% vegetarian as of 1 month ago..
Today’s Prayer: Father, please give me the desire and the discipline to consume foods that properly nourish my body.
To go a little deeper grab a copy of
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Sleep
Day 3 of 30 Days to Taming Your Stress
“I will lie down in peace and sleep, for you alone, O Lord will keep me safe” -Psalms 4:8
Sleep is more important to our survival than water or food. Getting sufficient sleep to restore our bodies is a key factor in coping with day-to-day stress. Failure to get enough sleep can increase stress and make handling future stressful situations even harder.
As an adult we require 8 hours of sleep, yet we are kept awake by stress making matters worse and creating a vicious cycle. Sleeplessness, then, can be one of many signs that our body is under stress.
Do you have a sleep routine, where you go to bed and get up at the same time or do you allow events, people, deadlines, or other circumstances to dictate your sleep schedule?
Most of us struggle with falling asleep and if you do you trying these few things below may increase your ability to fall asleep with more ease.
Leisurely walk, warm baths, dark cool room to sleep in, comfortable mattress and pillow, fresh bed linens, releasing tension through a deep breathing exercise (Inhale rather loudly and slowly through your nose, while your mouth is closed counting to ten; Exhale slowly through mouth, making a hissing sound with your teeth together. Repeat through out day when you are feeling stressed).
Remember If there is an issue that you need to deal with, then plan to do so. Get in touch with why you are unable to sleep. Meditate on Proverbs 3:24 “Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet” (NKJV)
Todays’ Prayer: Father, You promised to give YOUR children rest. Therefore, I will lie down in peace and my sleep will be sweet.
Looking to go deeper grab your copy of
Looking for a community filled with amazing women who are walking through life a little braver every day come join our private Brave Sisters Community
Join us on this amazing journey of #bravebookclub over the next 30 days over on Living Simply Brave where we will Live by Faith, Walk in Freedom, Restore our Health, and C.R.E.A.T.E Cultivating Connections.
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Secure Your Foundation
Day 2 of 30 Days to Taming Your Stress
“The one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.” Luke 6:49 NIV
OUR lives are full of chaos every single day, why do we choose to keep running around like we have an a strong foundation under our feet when we are just throwing things on the floor hoping they stay put?
We must first build a strong foundation if we can expect to withstand the pressures of our daily lives. According to Deborah Smith Pegues “the base of our lives is built around four foundations financial, relational, mental, and physical all connecting back to our spiritual base.”
Neither of us can stand strong without having a firm foundation in each of the four mentioned above because all four together make our lives complete. Imagine a stool with four legs, where one of the four legs is loose. The loose leg will cause you to feel off balance the moment you sit upon the chair and eventually causing unnecessary damage.
God’s word above all else will help guide us back to a firm foundation when we become diligent to secure our foundation first thing each day before we fall victim to distractions.
IF you struggle with finding time to pray and journal, I highly recommend setting a time and place to everyday get quiet and recenter yourself.
“If you fail under pressure, your strength is not very great” – Proverbs 24:10
” We cannot escape life’s troubles or stressors, but we can fortify our spirits with prayer and the Word of God so that we can have the strength and courage to respond to and overcome them”
Today’s prayer: Dear Lord, please ignite in me a passion for prayer and for Your Word so that I may secure my spiritual foundation and weather the storm when they arise in my life.
Looking to go deeper grab yourself a copy of
Looking for a community filled with amazing women who are walking through life a little braver every day come join our private Brave Sisters CommunityJoin us on this amazing journey of #bravebookclub over the next 30 days over on Living Simply Brave where we will Live by Faith, Walk in Freedom, Restore our Health, and C.R.E.A.T.E Cultivating Connections.
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Identify Your Stressors
Today we are beginning a new journey to taming our stresses
As we begin Day 1 I encourage you to keep a journal as you read
30 Days to Taming Your Stress“Please listen and answer me, for I am overwhelmed by my troubles” Psalms 55:2
When you think of stressful situations in your life what comes to life???
Family, health, finances, work, kids, school..
Ponder your stressors big and small and write them down.. then categorize them by placing them into 1 of 2 categories 1- ones YOU could impact and 2- one outside of your control
Developing an effective coping strategy for those stressful situations outside of your control is vital to “managing your sanity” God is providing YOU all the grace you need
Sometimes we believe we must stick around to enjoy the fruits of labor because we are afraid all of OUR hard work is put to waste
Yet “many times the path to God’s PERFECT will for our lives requires us to make various transitions”.
“Transitions are sometimes mandatory if we want to achieve our destination. So it is with our ordained destiny. We are created with free will, which is not to say that God does not have a special plan for our lives, yet it is we who act outside God’s will, therefore missing the blessings He has for us. Many times God is saying “Time to transition to the next path” But we respond “I’m very familiar with the route. Can’t I just stay here and still reach my destiny?” Then we have the audacity to become frustrated or blame God when our goals seem to elude us.”
I suggest you find a quiet place today where you can sit for 30 minutes and make a list of every situation stressing you, I also encourage you to rank from most to least stressful
Today’s prayer: Father please give me the wisdom to deal with the things that bring me pressure to bear upon me so that I may respond YOUR way and bring honor to YOUR name.
Looking for a community filled with amazing women who are walking through life a little braver every day come join our private Brave Sisters CommunityJoin us on this amazing journey of #bravebookclub over the next 30 days over on Living Simply Brave where we will Live by Faith, Walk in Freedom, Restore our Health, and C.R.E.A.T.E Cultivating Connections.
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Taming Your Stress in 30 Days
Are you sick and tired of living in stress??
I know I am 😱 and so is 75% of the population.
But what can we do about it..🤔
In 30 days you 👈 can learn more about causes of stress, how to regain control and exchange it for peace.
Every day for the next 30 days you can take one tiny step closer to becoming a better version of yourself and incorporate more joy into your everyday life.
It all starts by releasing worry and increasing your sense of purpose in life.
Are you ready to live authentically into who you were created by living a life with less stress and more peace?
If so follow us over at Living Simply Brave to begin your journey 💗 We will be reading 30 Days to Taming Your Stress click the image below to grab a copy to read along
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Learning to live without SHAME
Shame has a funny way of creeping in slowly day in and day out. It never seems to show up when were sitting on the couch binge watching our favorite TV show…
Yet when we start chasing after those burden God has placed upon our hearts we tend to believe we aren’t ENOUGH, we believe the shame of our past is too much for anyone to bear including us.
Jeremiah 8: 4-5 says “When people fall down, why don’t they get back up? They have discovered their ways were wrong, but aren’t willing to turn back on their destructive paths”
We have to all walked through sin and in our hears long to have a better life, however we we feel we have wandered too far away.
YOU are never too far gone, your sin is NEVER too big
I pray today you find peace and ask the Lord back into your life where he can bring more healing into your life where he may fulfill those burdens in your heart.
Brave Sister, Liza Jean
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Brave Book Club
Welcome Brave Sisters
We are beyond blessed to be here with each and everyone of you Brave Sisters.
Each and everyone of you has your own story to tell and we can’t wait to build a stronger relationship with you brave sisters.
October 1st has a special meaning in my heart for my many reasons… it’s the beginning of the month I celebrate MY welcoming into this world. Also, it’s the start of the LAST quarter of the year and you know what that means.
We are officially starting #bravebook club again! Woo hoo who loves reading books??
Rachel Hollis has inspired me daily to live my best life and wrote an amazing book used by many as a field guide to living every day with AMAZING intentions.
So, Yes! We’ve made it to the point of no return. Tonight we are exploring 3 excuses of why we aren’t living authentically into who we were meant to be.
Dang Girl Stop Apologizing for who you were created to become, you were created with a great purpose.
Do you feel like you are ALWAYS apologizing for everything.. on a recent trip to Seattle I kept running into people all over the airport… and you know what they ALL kept saying to me….
I’m SORRY!!!!
why the heck is the entire HUMAN population walking around apologizing for everything ??
Starting THIS week, every single week for the next 10 weeks ( Until Dec 4th) we will be covering 2 chapters of Girl Stop Apologizing so get your hands on an audio version or a hard copy of the book today and click below to join your BRAVE SISTERS dig deep and connect with other brave sisters.
Join us on this amazing journey of #bravebookclub
Hopefully you have signed up for the book club emails so you won’t miss out on any available information if not click the link below
bit.ly/LivingSimplyBraveSee LessSo excited to be on this journey with you brave sisters💗
Want to connect more check the socials
Facebook Page Living Simply Brave
https://www.facebook.com/LivingSimplyBrave/
Facebook Two Brave Sisters Community
https://www.facebook.com/groups/361733641252035/
Brave Sister Liza Jean
https://www.facebook.com/livesimplybraveeveryday
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