TAKE A BEAT….BREATHE…practice the PAUSE

In this time we are in…everyone is writing about taking a beat, practicing the “PAUSE”. So I have to ask myself…WHY? It seems to me lately, that the world has gotten off track and we have our priorities out of order. My personal priorities are: GOD, Family, Friends, Community, World, of which sometimes I have to continue to “put back in order” or “realign” my priorities.

I know that I have NOT MADE the time to write on my BLOG as of late, as I have been SOOO “BUSY” with my book release “Jilted to Jesus” and getting it published. However, I am looking forward to this PAUSE to be able to write again! It brings my soul JOY!

I believe so many good and wonderful hardworking people are going about their daily lives with NOT enough time to simply…BE. There is a BADGE of HONOR that we take on called “BUSY”. I once heard someone say that BUSY stood for “Being Under Satan’s Yoke”. No wonder, because when we are running around “SO BUSY” that we no longer can take or MAKE the time to spend with God, or to be with family or friends as much as we should, we lose “CONNECTION” with HIM and with each other because of the demands of our schedule. Believe me I understand this…as being a business owner, blogger, author/writer…or all the other things that I have chosen to take on, even I can get overwhelmed by a “to do list”. So I would have to say that although this pandemic is new and can even cause us anxiety due to loss of income, fear of dying or getting sick, etc., I would ask us all in the midst of it, to count this time as a blessing, and to be a good steward of “time”.

I also understand the reality and severity of what we are facing, that some are just worried and trying to feed their families. So after filing for unemployment, sending out resumes, counting your pennies and trying to be frugal and balance your budget…take a beat…be intentional to STOP the worrying and release the anxiety. Easier said than done, but I have been there, struggling financially. However, in the midst of this reality, I would ask you to maybe try and flip the script and change your perspective. Try to honor this time off with choosing to re-prioritize.

Let us take the time to just sit in silence in nature, go for a walk by the lake, sit on your patio and watch a sunset, curl up with a good book (or many) that you have had no time to read, get on the floor and play with your kids, make a candlelight dinner, put the kids to bed and REALLY TALK to your spouse…or dance with them in the kitchen, send all those texts you’ve been meaning to send to friends to just check in on them, or better yet, PICK UP THE PHONE and HEAR your friends voice on the other end, CALL your PARENTS-they MISS YOU, clean out that closet, and de-clutter and simplify your life. Take a moment of quite time to yourself, PRAY, for all your family and friends, and then PRAY for yourself and allow the Holy Spirit to really speak to your heart and search out the areas in your heart that need to be recommitted and realigned to the Lord. READ your Bible…it is an amazing book for encouragement and wisdom. Put on some WORSHIP music, and just allow the presence of the Holy Spirit to invade your space, to comfort you and bring you PEACE… be STILL before the LORD.

The Bible reminds us here in…

Psalm 46:10-11-¹⁰Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.¹¹The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

Philippians 4:6-Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

So during this crazy time we are in…these words are a promise from the GOD who knows all and created all, that remind us to simply “be still” and know that God is with us and HE is our refuge. I encourage us all to not let your mind or heart be worried or troubled…to pray when we are and present our worries to the Father who cares for us.

I thank GOD that our HOPE is in JESUS…and that HE came to BRING us HOPE. TRUST IN and lean into HIM, take a SELAH moment…practice the “PAUSE”…it IS SO NEEDED at this time for AMERICA!