spirit and soul.

friends,

first things first, a sincere apology for my recent absence. a culmination of changes surprised me in the already-busy season of the holidays, and to be perfectly honest, i have been stretched to my limits. with that stretching, i’ve had very little time to devote here. the typical me would carefully describe the intricacies of “why?” and weave an acceptable case for myself in your eyes, but i’m going to stop here. as hard as it is for my over-achieving self to do so, i’m giving myself grace in this busy time and hoping you’ll do the same. i’ve been learning volumes about the value of balance, rest, and pure motives. (another blog post to come about this :)).

there are big things brewing for inspiratherapy and i’m thrilled to have them rolling out to your pretty eyes and hearts in the next few months. 2012 is going to be the best year. in the meantime, happy christmas. may it be exceptional. 

“this is my prayer for us, that we would give and receive the most important gifts this season- the palpable presence of a Holy God, the kindness of well-chosen words, the generosity of spirit and soul. my prayer is that what you’ve lost, and what i’ve lost this year, will fade a little bit in the beauty of this season, that for a few moments at least, what is right and good and worth believing will outshine all the darkness, within us and around us.”

.full breaths. clear minds. high hopes. generous love.

good friendships are like breakfast.

it’s essential. it doesn’t happen without work, effort, and sacrifice. but my goodness, dear ones, it’s worth it. it’s worth it to sow seeds of friendship intentionally and often. as those seeds sprout and grow, you’ll realize the beauty in the harvest. every-day life was meant to be experienced together.

“so walk across the street, or drive across town, or fly across the country, but don’t let really intimate loving friendships become the last item on a long to-do list.

good friendships are like breakfast.

you think you are too busy to eat breakfast, but then you find yourself exhausted and cranky halfway through the day, and discover that your attempt to save time totally backfired.

in the same way, you can try to go it alone because you don’t have time or because your house is too messy to have people over, or because making new friends is like the very worst parts of dating. but halfway through a hard day or hard week, you’ll realize in a flash that you’re breathtakingly lonely, and that Christmas cards aren’t much company.

get up, make a phone call, buy a cheap ticket, open your front door. because there is really nothing like good friends, like the sounds of their laughter and the tones of their voices and the things they teach us in the quietist, smallest moments.”

“press on”

even in seasons of harvest and beauty, parts of life are seemingly “uphill”.

hang tight as your muscles grow weary and your breath shortens. i’ve said it before, but don’t isolate yourself. lean into your community and let love surround you. receive care and believe in the profound hope found in the promises of Jesus.

there is value in persistence. 

“nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful [people] with talent. genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. the slogan “press on” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”

-calvin coolidge

courageous, gutsy, earthy.

“we really do need both the bitter and the sweet, and the life of nothing but sweetness rots both your teeth and your soul. bitter is what makes us strong, what forces us to push through, what helps us earn the lines on our faces and the calluses on our hands. sweet is nice enough, but bittersweet is beautiful, nuanced, full of depth and complexity. 

bittersweet is courageous, gutsy, earthy.”

keep your breaths deep and your hopes the reaching kind. 

it’s a new month. to me, a tangible fresh start.

take care today.

“if not us, then who? if not now, then when?”

i’m a sucker for ted.com. my favorite category is the “inspiring” videos (shocking, i know).

the stories of big dreams becoming reality… the perspectives shaping initiatives to promote health and wellness… the people with ambitious hearts and brilliant minds. these things are my inspiratherapy today (and often).

the quote in the title is from Kiran Bir Sethi. she is changing the education system in india with the sheer force of empowerment. take 9 minutes to experience what she’s initiating by teaching children to own the statement “i can”. 

also, recognize the drive and urgency in her movement. she knows her vision and sure-as-hell is on a path towards making it a reality.

i understand that not everyone was created to lead a nation-wide initiative to change millions of children’s lives, but what, within your community, can you spark and fan until it becomes a fire that breeds positivity? we all have this ability. whether it’s in your workplace, your family, or your friend group, how are you adding to and encouraging bold and influential living? 

today.

“One reason we are so harried and hurried is that we make yesterday and tomorrow our business, when all that legitimately concerns us is today.

If we really have too much to do, there are some items on the agenda which God did not put there. Let us submit the list to Him and ask Him to indicate which items we must delete.

There is always time to do the will of God.

If we are too busy to do that, we are too busy.” 

-elisabeth elliott

laugh often.