Do you Feel Distracted? A Guest Post by Kelly Balarie

I know it's been a LONG drought of silence around here on the blog.  

It was sporadic at best through a long hard season and then --well, crickets really since going back to work!

I do write my monthly newsletter (she says, realizing it was due today and it's still waiting for me to finish and hit send!) However today, in this space, I wanted to invite a friend to share her heart with y'all! Many of you know and love Kelly already, but for those of you who may not have had the pleasure, let me just say --her new book, Rest Now, is just what we need! You're gonna want to get it so you can let the message work its' way into your heart and your actual life!

Without further ado: Kelly Balarie!

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I had no idea what was above me. I was focused on the stop sign to the right of me, or the people crossing the street, or changing the radio station in the car that day...I was not caught up in what was above me. But, suddenly - and I can't say why -- I looked up.

There I saw a brilliant display of nature. The sky was gorgeous. It was radiant, blue, red and purple hues strewn all over the sky. It seemed to convey the brilliance, the majesty and the beauty of God all at once. 

I would have missed it if I had kept my eyes on the million little things happening in front of me. 

I would have missed it if distraction had a greater hold on me than my desire to look up. I would have missed it if I wasn't aware that there is usually more than meets the eye.

Yet, I looked up. We are told in Scripture to -- look up.

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. (Col. 3:2)

Lately, I've been earthly focused. I see politics. I see news articles. I see what is not happening in my world. I see issues with people. I see problems.

Yet, essentially, God tells me -- Kelly, do not set all that -- look up!

I love how Isaiah 40:26 NIV says it...

"Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing."

When we look up we don't get discouraged by what's raging all around. When we see higher, we get a higher perspective. When we look at what God has created, we remember He is Creator. We remember He can create a new thing at any time and at any moment. 

This is rest. 

Are you looking up -- remembering God's faithfulness? Giving thanks for what He is doing in your life today? Meditating on His Word? Singing of His goodness? Or, are you stuck in the muck of a million little distractions that are demanding your attention?

God is higher and stronger than everything and anything you may face today. Look up!

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About “Rest Now: 7 Ways To Say No, Set Boundaries and Seize Joy”

If you feel overwhelmed, you're not alone. Three out of five people admit to doing more than they can manage. Thinking God requires this, we say, "I must be everything to everyone." Then we struggle and feel selfish and guilty when we say no, grow weary, or snap at someone out of sheer exhaustion. Is this what God desires? Somewhere along the line of being a good Christian, wife, daughter, or friend, we lose sight of who we are in Christ. We put our performance above God and who he says we are. But what if we chose a more soul-full way?

Rest Now offers permission to breathe. It exposes the lies that distract, tire, and bully us, so we don't strive for rest but love from it, like Jesus did. 

Learn how to: 
- create boundaries that allow you to overflow with love
- say no so you don't hate yourself later
- ditch passive-aggressive behaviors in favor of healthy conversations
- embrace permission-giving thoughts to create mental space for God

About Kelly Balarie:

Kelly is a Cheerleader of Faith and a Fighter of Fear. She’s a get-on-the-gloves kind of girl. By seeking God’s unending encouragement, she uncovers His deep callings right under the surface of her worst failings. Get all of Kelly’s Purposeful Faith blog posts by email for a dose of inspiration and encouragement. Kelly is a blogger at www.purposefulfaith.com, Crosswalk.com and iBelieve.com. Her work has been featured on Relevant and (in)courage.me, and as the cover story on Today’s Christian Woman.