Hello, my friend! And happy fall!
It doesn’t feel like fall whatsoever down here on the Texas coast, but that hasn’t stopped any pumpkin or pumpkin-flavored food or beverage from making its appearance! Sitting here at a local cafe, I see jackets and Uggs despite it still reaching the nineties every day.
Speaking of nineties, I’ve been feeling extra nostalgic for that decade lately. Which decade did you grow up in? I’d love to know! I listened to Hanson at the gym today, so yeah…nostalgia is in full effect. I also listened to non-nineties Hazakim, a Christian rap duo I’ve loved since college. Check them out on Spotify! They call their music “hip hopologetics,” and every song truly is like a mini Bible study.
Okay, moving on to this week’s Top 6! I’m talking about my personal lack of discipline (full confession mode!), turning testimonies into ministries, taking care of the insides of ourselves (literally!), staying in our lanes, looking on the bright side when others are critical of us, and when we’re critical of ourselves. I hope you enjoy!
My Latest “Proverbs Thirty What” Post!
I write about my soul-deep desire to become more self-sufficient and my current abysmal lack of discipline when it comes to, well, becoming more self-sufficient! Check it out here, and let me know if you can relate!
Ministry and Testimony
I saw this on Pinterest this week and thought it was so well put:
“Your ministry is found where you’ve been broken. Your testimony is found where you’ve been restored.”
Question for you: How can you use your story of restoration to minister to people who are struggling in the ways you once did? If you don’t know, I encourage you to pray and ask God to show you; He has big plans to turn that “mess into a message”!
Gut Glow-Up!
Have you noticed that healthy guts are the new black? 😛 Seriously, though. Who would’ve thought our intestines and the countless critters who inhabit them would be so popular? Anywho, because I’m nothing if not into trending health and wellness topics, here are five ways to boost your gut health, from @drlauryn on Instagram!:
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Eat Meat. The amino acids help build healthy gut tissue and support detox to keep toxins and undigested foods at bay.
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Wear red glasses at night. This “resets” your microbial clock for great digestion.
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Soak up fresh air. “Forest bathing” helps you soak up healthy microbes to boost your own.
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Hang out with people more often. Humans are nutrients! They boost oxytocin for better gut healthy and decreased inflammation.
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Enjoy email and social media-free mornings. YOU happen to the day (versus the day happening to you) to decrease cortisol.
Remember, it’s all about the little things, like your gut germs.
Stay in Your Lane
I love this quote from James Clear. I think we all – as citizens of the Internet Age in which it’s oh so easy, and tempting, to judge others and stick our noses where they don’t belong – need to be regularly reminded of this:
“People spend a lot of time talking about other people’s bodies, gossiping about other people’s relationships, critiquing other people’s businesses, etc. Keep your eyes on your own paper. Work on your body. Nurture your relationships. Improve your business. Boost your own gut bugs.” (Okay, I added that last one…. It just seemed right.)
Wisdom from Rue
Did you ever watch the sitcom Golden Girls. It’s one of my favorites. In a speech she gave after winning an Emmy for her portrayal of Blanche, Rue McClanahan said:
“My mother said to me once… Some agents had just turned me down. They said I wasn’t photogenic and that I would never work on television. That was in 1960. And she said to me, ‘Oh Eddie Rue, don’t you know every kick’s a boost.”
I just love that. And I love mamas. Heaven knows how many billions of times their quirky words of wisdom and memorable ways of saying them have helped their children keep their chins up!
Look on the Bright Side
I jotted down this quote from Anne of Avonlea a while ago and have been meaning to share it; it’s wonderful:
“‘Well, let’s forget our troubles and think of our mercies,’ said Anne gaily. ‘Mrs. Allan says that whenever we think of anything that is a trial to us we should also think of something that we can set over against it. If you are slightly too plump you’ve got the dearest of dimples; and if I have a freckled nose the SHAPE of it is all right.’”
