January 2022 | Mysite

January 30, 2022

Good morning! I hope you have all had a good week and were able to refresh over this pasar weekend. Can you believe we are already through the first month of 2022? This is so crazy, I was thinking about it just a couple of days ago and this August will be Bounceback Beautifully’s third anniversary. I cannot even explain how unimaginable it is that I have been in recovery for four years. However, honestly it is all because of God. I am blessed to say that He has used me and is currently using me in ways I would have never guessed had you asked me just a year ago. I tell people all the time, I would not change my story for the world. God has brought me so far through this journey and I want you to know He is doing the same in your life. While our circumstances are all different and the outcomes will all differ, God is working in each and every one of our lives for His glory. No matter the losses, falls, highs, wins, or lows, God is right by your side and this is only the beginning of your story.

This week I want to focus on purpose. I know you probably here it all the time but it is so true in so many unique ways. Everyone on this Earth, placed in hands of God is here for a purpose. While this can be so difficult to understand when we don’s have a birds eye view of that purpose, God promises in Romans 8 : 28 , “And we know in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.” You may not what that reason is, in fact no ne of us do yet purpose is what drives your and me to a better, more successful future. I think that we can all agree with the idea that it is easier to complete a task when we focus all of our physical and mental energy on something greater. This may be a sport, award, or simply a accomplishment your proud of. By doing this, we put our own personal feelings and spiritual thoughts aside and instead focus on the ideas and words of the world. Purpose comes from feelings of delight, desire, and dread.

Delight comes with different activities that bring you enjoyment. Delight is almost like the “action” to having a sense of purpose. If you don’t know where you find excitement and joy then how are you supposed to know your calling on this earth? For me, my delight comes from multiple things. Spending time with family, sharing my testimony, and even small things like doing puzzles, art, or spending time with my six dogs. Enjoyment comes from an array of different things for many people. However I delight is a huge part of finding your purpose.

Second is desire. Desire is the intellectual practice that comes with purpose. Without having desires or goals in life, we don’t have an end we are reaching to. Or say, “A end result we are trying to achieve.” Desire goes hand in hand with the word drive. To find my drive, I had to stop and ask myself what things I want to do in my life so much that I am willing to let go of other activities to do it. For me my desire is my thirst to share my testimony and help as many people struggling with mental health as possible through Christ.

Lastly is dread. In order to know what we are living for, we must find out what we are not. Things that we are trying to avoid or stay out of. These don’t have to be “bad things” but are for some. Maybe it’s social media, a certain friend group or click, drama, etc. Whatever it is that your dreading, before you can identify your sense of purpose you must be willing to call out your “dreads” by name.

All in all, without finding and searching though these three topics, our feelings of purpose are very bland. Until we recognize and put a name to it, purpose is very difficult to identify. However, I tell you all you have a PURPOSE. God put each and every one of us on this earth for a reason and while those reasons remain unknown, before long you will see what He is doing. Your purpose is made up of your desires and delights but you also have to keep in your mind that your purpose is NOT your dreads. God is walking though all of this with you and He has a big plan for you. Stay strong and know that no matter what you are never alone.

I love you all and pray you have a great week! FIND YOUR PURPOSE!

January 23, 2022

Good morning everyone! I pray that you have all had a good week and have been awaiting the new update. I’m going to be honest, I haven’t been thinking about the new update like I usually do because I just let it slip away from me. Usually leading up to Sunday I pray nightly and ask God to lead me to what the update should be about. However, this week has been hectic with swim season coming to a close and school I had a week of constant doing. Therefore when I sat down this morning to write the update I immediately knew what we should talk about. Let’s get right into it.

I know for myself it is very rare that I find me giving myself personal time to reflect and grow. Like I said before, last week was so busy that I forgot to even find time to pray. This is something I really want to start working on, and I feel like by sharing with you all I can better hold myself accountable. Self love is defined as accepting and loving ourselves just the way we are. This can be a hard thing to believe. We as humans are so hard on ourselves to look, act, and be a certain way instead of doing as what the cliche but true quote says and, “Being who God wants you to be, not what others want to see.” I know I know your probably thinking, Gracie I have heard this a million times. But let’s be honest, how often do you really dial in and focus on yourself?

Without taking time to check on YOU, we loose are ability to have self love. Just think, you can’t love something if you don’t even know what it withholds. So how can you love yourself if you don’t take into consideration who and what you are. In today’s society there is so much emphasis on helping others and being selfless. This too is extremely important to an extend. While doing things for family, friends, and strangers is most definitely one of the actions Christ calls us too. He also wants us to be firm in our personal lives as well. Self love is when you accept yourself as who you are right then in that moment. When you truly understand self love you will love yourself for being you despite your past decisions, flaws, and failures your life will fully begin to open up.

You may now be asking, but how? How do I train myself to accept and love me for who I am. This is hard and to be honest, I think everyone struggles with it at some point in their life. One way to love yourself is through practicing self care. There are the common self care activities like journaling, yoga, taking a bath, and meditation which work for many. However to be honest these don’t really work for me. You see, I have a hard time focusing in and being present during these types of relaxation therefore I much rather do things like puzzles, cooking, dancing, or going walking while listening to upbeat music. However you decide to practice self care is up too you. Everyone has different mechanisms that help them to love themselves a little more.

I challenge you this week to pray and ask God to show you in what ways you would best benefit from self care. I promise by doing this you will be led to a place of full peace and rejuvenation. I hope this helps you get through the next week, and remember if you are ever in need of some ideas, I am always here to help. I love you all and have an amazing last full week of January 🤯

January 16, 2022

Have you ever posted something on social media and later found yourself thinking : three hours and zero likes, maybe I need to edit this, now that I look at it I don’t look very good. The thing is, this is not a question. If you have social media of any type I can promise you that you have had feelings or thoughts like these. We may not notice this, but everyone is an influencer. We all have a part in forming and shaping each other. It could be simply by talking to one person or it could be an entire crowd. No matter how shy or outgoing you may be, we are all an influencer of some sort.

Which leads me to the topic of social media. Social media is amongst one of the most powerful man made tools I know about. Just think, you can post a picture one second and within a couple of minutes millions can see it for themselves. Social media platforms can definitely be places of learning, growth, and new relationships however we must remember it can quickly become a stumbling block that leads to obsession and over self confidence.

Each and every one of us have been called to be the light of this world. God wants us to honor Him and be an example of Him in all that we do, say, think, and post! By reflecting God’s love into the lives of those around us, we shine a light that is bright enough to illuminate even the darkest of places. The people in our lives who feel as if no hope is left can forever be changed by our shedding of Christ. This is a big responsibility and it can leave us wondering how? So I have came up with three ways we can honor God with how we influence others.

Remember who YOU are and who GOD is! You and me both are children of the Father, He created us for His good therefore we are to implant this into our minds and influence others through the servant heart He has gifted us. We are God’s vessel and we are called to be obedient to Him. We must constantly check in with ourselves and make sure we are reflecting who God calls us to be, not trying to be God.
Remain in Him! We have stay close to God’s Kingdom at all times. When we remain in Christ, we are able to be more and more like Him. John 15 : 5 states, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
Point those around YOU towards the FATHER! It is so difficult in todays generation to focus on Christ rather than all the circumstances of the world. As technology has rapidly become part of every humans life and we are constantly tempted to do the “liked” actions of the world it can be hard to keep in mind that we have been called to point others towards God rather than ourselves. James 4:6 states, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” We should not compare who we are to the lives of those around us. Instead we need to serve from where we are and use all that God has blessed us with thus far to further glorify HIS KINGDOM!

All in all, lets be influencers. Not influencers of the world but influencers of God. Remember to honor God with all you do and try to not get caught up in the the worldly pleasures. We are all God’s influencers therefore, let’s show it. I love each and every one of you so much and I pray this lesson will make an impact in your lives. I will continue to pray for each of you and please reach out to me if you ever are in need of anything.

BTW - B3 Boxes would be a great Valentines gift and a way to influence someone of God’s love. All you have to do is switch over to the B3 Box tab and fill out a form for whoever could use a little light in their life.

January 9, 2022

Good morning! I am so I excited you decided to check in today in search of some encouragement, and I pray you receive that and much more. I want to dive into a topic that I feel everyone here on this earth struggles with. That is doubt. I don’t think that we talk about our doubts nearly enough. I’ll be honest, I tend to hide my doubts and I’m sure you do too. We seem to have always attached the feelings of doubt to a sin. It is almost as if we feel like as Christians, we aren’t allowed to question things. But in all honestly, we are just as malleable as the lost person to our side. Living in todays society, we are prone to doubt just as much as anyone else if not more. Just because you have accepted Christ into your life certainly does not mean you will not have seasons of questioning or doubt. Just as the Bible says, we are sinners, prone to wondering off and in major need of a Savior.

Many of us who struggle with feelings of doubt had this questioning arise because we were enduring times of suffering where we t as if God has withdrawn from our lives and left us to fend for ourselves. This moment in time when we think these thoughts is so important. In fact, this is a prime example of satan trying to take advantage. We have too stop there and ask the question, “If I can call on God and praise Him in the highs of life, why wouldn’t he want to be a part of the lows as well?” But trust me, I know dealing with doubt is so difficult. It comes in so many different weights and varies by person. And the difficult part is that God never points out one specific way to get rid of these feelings however, I’m going to share with you what I do to cope with doubt and pray that it will help you also.

There are three steps in which I take daily to try and remove or fight back my feelings of doubt. The first is not acting on my feelings. Instead of questioning God “Why” I have to face certain circumstances, instead I ask Him how he wants me to use the situation to bring Him glory. Just as John 15:10 states, “If you keep my commandments, you will abide my love.” We can find the joy, trust, and faith of Christ through our weeping. When we feel abandoned we have to remember what God has done in our past and remember that all we are facing is a part of His perfect plan.

The second step I take is being 100% honest with God. If we try and sugar coat or hide things for the knower of ALL, that clearly shows we do not trust in Him. He knows where we struggle and He wants us to call of him for help during the hard times. Tell him every fear, pain, and anger you have, I promise He can handle it.

The last step I take to combat my doubt is learning to live with a little. There has never been a time where you do not have the slightest feelings of uncertainty. We have to learn that doubt is a part of your story and mine. The stronger our faith is, the more firm we will be in wrestling those doubtful feelings. Don’t be afraid of these thoughts. God is not going to leave you no matter what. Approach Him with your struggles and He will help you bare the weight. We must continue to walk by faith!

Have a great week and please help me find some more recipients for B3 Boxes. I know there are many people who could use one and you could be that link!

January 2, 2022

Welcome to the new and improved year of 2022. Can you believe 2021 is now in the past? It is crazy to think that only 24 or so hours ago we were getting ready to ring in a new year, and now we are living in it. Is it not just mind blowing to you that OUR God created a world that has lasted and provided for us this long. I like to think back on or at least try to picture how many years ago it was when God spoke the earth into being. He said these words that immediately placed characteristics of life in perfect order and sequence. And just think, as He carefully created this world, He specifically had you and me in mind. He knew before humans were a thing exactly what we needed to survive. And He made it in a manor that it would last us until Christs return.

By letting my mind run with this idea of God’s creation, all I can feel is a warming, peaceful, comfort that nothing else brings me. No amount of money, laughs, friends, or things can provide me with the assurance God’s promise and actions create within me. God literally gives us everything we need in order to peruse a productive life honoring and giving Him the glory He deserves.

With all of this in mind, let’s now focus on how we can use God’s past and present actions to encourage and further our relationship with Christ and others. God has given you and me so much in the short amount of time we have been here. He has provided all the essentials for us to be disciples of His Word. Now we are called to run with those provisions and spread the unfailing love and promises of Christ. As temptable, busy, people we loose focus and can often find ourselves putting Christ on the “back burner” of our life. We simply say “oh that can wait” or “I’ll save it for next time”. This is where we are messing up. We don’t know when Christ is going to return or when it may be someone’s turn to join God in heaven therefore, we don’t know when the last time we will have the opportunity to share with someone is. You never want to be left feeling guilty because you decided to wait on something so important.

I challenge you this year, to be that source of encouragement for someone new each day. Now I am not saying you have to sit down and read a chapter of the Bible with a friend every morning before school/work (even though that would be awesome) but I do want you to try and show God’s love in some way every day. Maybe you take out your neighbors trash or donate to a local homeless shelter, you could help with he nursery at church or share you verse of the day at the lunch table. Whatever it is, there are so many ways we can show God’s love and in doing these small actions, we are pointing the lost towards the light of God.

I will continue to pray for each of you and am always here for you. Enjoy the start of a this new year and have a positive mindset as to what God has in store for you.