I have been thinking a lot about health recently. I’m sure it is related to my Holy Yoga training and my teaching. Also, I’ve been on a cleanse.
Physically, I feel great. I have to say it has brought me more mental clarity and focus. But sometimes with the mental clarity comes…well…clarity. And sometimes when we wipe off the grime and dirt and fuzziness, we see what’s really there. That’s when the real work begins.
It’s sort of a theme for me right now. I had a garage sale so I cleaned out every nook and cranny of my house and now I see all the marks in the floors and handprints on the walls. It’s a step in the right direction for sure but it just brings more work.
This may get worse before it gets better. You know what I mean?
One of the MUST DOs of the cleanse is DRINKING WATER. On the cleanse, I make a point to drink 30 oz when I first wake up. Drinking water makes such a difference in our bodies and our skin and our overall health. It’s not difficult to do but it’s a new thing for me. I used to think 3 cups of coffee and a donut was a good start to the day. I had to force myself at first but now I’m committed to it!
I’ve decided that as I’m drinking my 30 oz of water for my body every morning, I’m going to read God’s Word. Start the day with the Word of God. God helps clear away the gunk and gives us focus and direction. He’s the windshield wiper, clearing away our sins and allowing us to see what’s ahead without distraction.
I want His voice to be the loudest and the strongest and the one I hear in my head. His voice of love and mercy and redemption and hope. His voice – His power – His authority – His truth. His voice before all the other voices and noises fight for space in my life and in my head and heart. I figure if I fill up my head and heart with God’s voice early in the day, I will not feel the need to fill up with all the other noise (and processed food and yucky junk) out there.
I was thinking about this and then I saw a post from Alisa Keeton at Revelation Wellness (which is Holy Yoga’s sister ministry at www.revelationwellness.org). How great is this!?! “It is totally possible to be a sick health enthusiast. These are people who go through all the motions ; exercise, eat well, are hydrated, and sleep well. Yet at the root of themselves they are lonely, angry, greedy, disappointed, worrisome and fearful. Training your life from the outside-in will leave you dry and empty. And still Jesus waits… Offering us living water.”
So before the bills and the lunches and the signing and the work out and the yoga and the shower and the driving and the cooking and the cleaning and the working and the emailing and the facebooking/texting/instagramming/tweeting…I will start with water and His Word. Cleanse. Refresh. Train from the inside out.
I would say I will “try” to read God’s word every day but I can no longer say “try”. The other day my son told me he had a good quote for the blog. I was really excited about this! He said I should use the quote from Yoda in Star Wars where he says:
“Do. Or do not. There is no try.”
So I will not “try” to do this. I will do it.
Wanna join me?
©2013 Sue Bidstrup, Great Big Yes™ All Rights Reserved
I love God Whispers! I had just decided this morning that during the summer I am going to ease into the day. I am not going to check e-mail before noon (O.K. starting tomorrow) or after 5:00 p.m. I am going to meditate every morning. I’m going to enjoy my husband and kids. I’m going to breathe. I have to learn to hear HIM over all the noise or I will never experience the peace, joy, and abundance that He promises. I will do it! Thanks for sharing the journey!
Hi Lis,
I will try not to email you in the morning – I don’t want to be a distraction. 🙂 Summer brings so much freedom that sometimes I get lost! His Word gives direction and helps me focus. Deep breaths help too. 🙂 Enjoy!
Hey sweet friend! Thanks for this direction! It’s so awesome how God works, how He continually joins us in community! The theme for my Yoga class this pasta sturdy was purity in thought. Basically about hoe we need to intentionally set our thoughts on things beautiful, pure, compelling, (phil 4:8-9), so that the recordings of the “I am Not”, have no room to be heard. Thanks for sharing your heart! I am just heading out for a run and have a great meditation before me!! Thank you! Have a super day! Miss you!
Amy – Miss you too! Love that theme for Holy Yoga. I’m hosting an outdoor, candlelight sunset practice Thursday. I plan to talk on this topic too – purity, cleansing…Thank you for sharing that verse. I can’t stop thinking about the new group going through Holy Yoga training this week. They are in for so many blessings! 🙂 I’m blessed to be on this journey with you!
Love the visual of God as a windshield wiper. Bizarre, but spot on!
Ellie – I first heard this from a friend of mine, Nancy Polacek. She was talking about it in reference to reconciliation. How when we confess our sins to God, He wipes them away and we have a clean slate. We explain it to the kids by using the windshield wipers as an illustration. We feel dirty or icky when we sin – we feel separate from God and we can’t see clearly but when we go to Him and confess our sins, He wipes them clean. We can see, we feel good and fresh and clean. And even though we know we are human and will sin again, He will wipe us clean again and again. His mercy and forgiveness are unending. I visualize those wipers a lot! It reminds us to go to Him often so we can see the road ahead with clear eyes.
love it dear sister, I’m in!!!!!!!!!
love
Kimberly
Hi Kimberly! Yay! I’m In! (A-MEN)
I love this blog Sue. Really hits home on so many levels. My new motto, “do or do not, there is no try”.
Thank you!
Hi Kim!
Don’t you love that you can find inspiration anywhere??? I love Yoda. Star Wars is full of good stuff. I just love that Nick heard that and thought of the blog and knew I would like it. 🙂 So many times we “try” to do things and never do. It’s like when we say we will “try” to make it to something, we are not committed at all. Do. Or do not. LOVE IT!