January 12, 2018

Simplicity Life Hack... a Five Minute Friday post.

I'm not sure what kind of crazy 2018 is starting out with, but I managed to make it to the party two weeks in a row... even if only for a little bit! PLUS... I went to see The Greatest Showman again today, so it's shaping up to be a pretty stellar Thursday! 

Enough small talk... (We're not big into that around here, just in case you hadn't noticed!) Today, the One Word Prompt for Five Minute Friday is SIMPLIFY!

{GO}

I see the word and I recognize it. 

I've seen it over and over and over
across all the social medias
in the past few weeks! 
Maybe it goes along with the whole
clean slate, fresh start feel!

It sounds familiar because
it makes me think back to simpler times...
an uncluttered mind...
an unhurried pace...
an undivided heart.

It makes me think of times in my life
when life felt right and good
and - you know- doable!
A time when it seemed
as if I was nailing it.
(--at least more often than
I feel like I am now!)


To Simplify... 
  who doesn't want to do that

I mean, really?

Our lives can feel like they are
spinning out of control and as if we have
crammed way too much into our days. 
We run around breathless and tired
and we think, "Man, if I could just
get a handle on my life..."

So I stop and think back. 
I do a little silent reflecting
and I discovered a life hack
for you, sweet reader!

Do you want to know the sure-fire way
to simplify your life?


I've figured it out
  (...it's just that sometimes I forget!)

As I looked back over recent years,
I realize that when my life felt
the most calm and confident... 
when it felt the most simple and smooth
was when I was fully aware and acting out of
knowing who I am.

I was confident and I was sure of who I was
and what my strengths and gifts are.
I didn't shrink back or shy away.
I wasn't prideful or brazen,
but I was comfortable in my own skin
and in looking back,
I'm not sure where that woman has gone,
but somehow I lost her along the way,
and I realize that I miss her!

I know... it sounds so cheesy.  
But it's true... 



When we operate out of our true identities. 

We care less about fitting in or standing out.  
We worry less about being too much or not enough.

When we can fully embrace who we are... 
...WHO --not what...
then our lives become simplified
and what really matters becomes
our focus and priority.

We find our true selves standing up taller
and speaking out louder, but with more grace.

So the question is how do I (we) find her again?
How do I simplify my life
and carve away the unnecessary
and cut off the busy
to (re)discover the
calm confidence
of remembering
who I am? * 

Part of it surely is the In AND With 
that I wrote about earlier!

Part of it is self-care that includes

healthy exercise and eating
and exacting boundaries.
It involves Grace for you --and for me.
And simply slowing down
throughout my days
and asking Him what is next.

It requires relinquishing control
of my Day Planner and inviting Him in
to simplify my days!

{STOP}

To live a life of simplicity
is to major on the majors
and to minor on the minors, right?

It's to get His heart... and His priorities,

It's to follow His lead and believe His thoughts... 
--His thoughts about you...
His reasons for creating you
and gifting you the way He did...
It's to hear His songs of love sung over you,
and to dare to believe them!

Once the identity
He placed within you
rises to the top,
all of life falls in to place
and your lists, while full,
won't seem too bossy,
and your calendar, still busy,
won't be so exhausting!

Life Hacks are amazing... 
because so often we think it seems too good to be true
and then we try it and find it really does work after all! 

It's just that sometimes we forget!


* = When my Five Minutes were up! Grace, please! 
Clearly I had to finish my thoughts!


Linking up with Kate Motaung and the #fmfparty Community today.  Five Minute Fridays gives us the chance to dive right in and share what He puts on our hearts! Click HERE to read what others have to say about: "SIMPLIFY"
The FMF lowdown: The gathering happens on Twitter on Thursday nights & then we write our hearts out & hit publish all over the interwebs on Thursday & Friday (& sometimes on Tuesdays!) It's where we encourage & uplift... where we share prayer requests & praise reports... where we talk food & friends & we find support & kindred hearts. It's where we are reminded that life is good & God is good & we're not alone... & then we all write for five minutes flat, a flash mob of wordsmiths letting our hearts & our fingers do the talking tapping & we hit publish before we can second guess it all away. We'd love to have you join us!



I'm also linking up with the lovely writer communities linked below:

Kelly Balarie for #RaRaLinkUp


Barbie Swihart for #Glimpsesofhisbeauty
















Jennifer Dukes Lee for #TellHisStory











A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, THE LORD SPOKE TO ME AND THROUGH ME REGARDING SABBATH REST AND I TURNED MY 31 DAYS SERIES INTO AN EBOOK ON AMAZON.  IF YOU ARE FINDING YOURSELF IN NEED OF REST (WHICH --WHO ISN'T, REALLY?) CHECK OUT THIS SHORT, DAILY DEVOTIONAL  31 DAYS OF RESTING IN GOD ...IT'S EASIER/HARDER THAN YOU THINK!  

YOU CAN PURCHASE IT BY CLICKING HERE OR GRABBING IT FROM THE SIDE BAR TO THE RIGHT IF REST IS SOMETHING YOU KNOW YOU NEED, BUT JUST KEEP PUTTING OFF! 


16 comments :

  1. Great post!
    My favorite part?
    "We find our true selves standing up taller
    and speaking out louder, but with more grace."
    This speaks to the section of Colossians 1:21-24 that I've been chewing on and can't get away from.
    Thanks for that timely word.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Daune, thanks so much! I love it when God confirms things to us in different ways! He's so faithful! I'm so glad you stopped by!

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  2. You take all the time you need - great post on simplify. You are going to find "her" again - she might be a new version of herself. A Mimi/pastor version. Because you see, ourselves change from season to season. We just need to spend a little extra time with the new version of her and in time we learn to love her just like we loved the older version of her. Did you get all of that or ??? xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL! Oh - I got it! I speak code and Spirit and Kindredness! I'm fluent in all of that! Love you! xoxo

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  3. Ah, the timing of things...

    Had the new pastor over for dinner last night. We talked about a lot of stuff. I told him that I really only care about teaching Scripture and cleaning all the physical junk out of the church (why do churches gather trash? Seriously). And after I said that, I realized just how true the words were.

    I want the freedom of being who God made me to be.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes and Amen and I'm so thrilled to hear that you guys had the new pastor over and got to chat over a meal and get to know each other! (There is something so holy about breaking bread!) Well done, my friend! (And #Truth! -- why DO we gather and keep the trash?) LOL!

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  4. "Fearfullly and wonderfully made!" Thank You. I need that reminder of who and whose I am; what gives me life. Selfcare is so vital. I can't help but sing Jason Grays "Remind Me Who I Am" as I read your post.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. May we all learn, know, and remember who we are... and that that is enough! (AND YAY!!! I'm so glad you went to see The Greatest Showman today!)

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  5. I love this post, Karrilee! I'm sure a lot of us can identify. May God help us to continue to recognize our true selves and be the women He has called us to be.

    Blessings to you!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Karrilee! Wow! I just loved this post so much. I hope I can follow your lead and truly rise on up to who God created me to be so very long ago. You are a gem. Loved this: "Once the identity
    He placed within you
    rises to the top,
    all of life falls in to place"

    Have a lovely weekend.
    Visiting from FMF #82

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is our year, Kelly! I feel it in my bones! So glad you stopped by!

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  7. Girl, this post SPEAKS to my heart. My foundation has gotten rocked and although God is still God, I am different and have spent the better part of this year finding myself again. Love you girl!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I thought of you as soon as I saw the word prompt! Love you too, sweet friend! This is our year!!!

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  8. Anonymous4:00 PM

    Amen!!! Thank you for sharing.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for stopping by! I always love to hear your thoughts! Remember to: Speak Life - Be Love - Shine On!
~Karrilee~

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