Real change doesn't always shout—it often whispers! 🌟 Choosing rest, clarity, and alignment leads to transformative moments. Here's to the small wins and quiet strength this weekend! Let's refresh and realign! 🎊

“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith!” Luke 12:27-28

One of our goals as a community is to create opportunities in which to share our hearts, taking care to base them on the word of God. The If:Dayton Leadership Team will be sharing their hearts with you. They will share tidbits of their time in the word and about what God is teaching them.

Catherine invites us to step outside and see how God draws close to us in nature.

“During this season I have been able to take peace and comfort in going outside  and take in the beauty of Spring. I have seen the buds turn into flowers and then fresh green leaves. Flowers popping up and dotting the landscape with fresh color, is just one of the reasons why Spring is my favorite season. It surrounds me with new life and new growth. It reminds me every year of this passage in Luke. 

“Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life[b]? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. Luke 12:22-31

This awe and wonder that I feel when I see the beauty of the earth He created,  does not compare to the way He delights over us! That You and I are cared for and loved more deeply than we know. There is not a single shred of good that comes from worry, instead we are left heavy with anxiety, doubts, and fear. In my heart of hearts I know my God is bigger than all of those things but routinely I forget. I forget because sometimes I’m overwhelmed by the stress that seems looming, and the mundane that seems never ending. I think we all have these moments where we feel so alone, broken, and unable to express what we are truly feeling. 

But God hears us and God sees us despite our short term memory He does not forget us. 

It’s a daily fight to hold onto the promises that God has given us especially in these times of uncertainty. So, will you step outside with me and breath in grace in the fresh air? Take a walk around the block, your neighborhood, or go to a park and just breathe. As you allow yourself to be in nature find a quiet place and close your eyes and breathe in the peace of God.  When you breath in and say, “ I accept your peace Lord” and when you exhale name the worries that you are giving over to God.  Do this a few times and you will feel your body rest and relax.

Listen to the birds, for they do not worry about their next meal. Look at the flowers and trees, and enjoy the beautiful colors that you've been gifted through them. Recall to mind that in midst of all the crazy Jesus is with you, holding you and guiding you. You are Loved.

Love, 

So what happens when you don’t take yourself seriously?

You spend a lot of time dreaming but not actually doing. You come up with ideas but you stop yourself before you even try.

Or you do try something but you give up quickly because you decide it’s not good enough, no one will like it, and it was a stupid idea anyway.

But the worst part happens ten years later when you look back on that thing you almost started and you realize there was something there. It wasn’t half as bad as what you thought at the time and you might have really accomplished something if you’d only stuck with it.

This is from "Do You Take Yourself Seriously?" by Sarah Cooper. (I had no idea she'd been spying on me all these years.)

That post cuts right to my core and distills a lot of my recent thoughts and feelings down to a nice, easy-to-read, hard-to-read article. I've been feeling some burnout in my job as a web designer, and I've felt a pull to venture into other areas—namely illustration, lettering, and motion graphics. It's a pull I've had for a long time, but one that I've only half listened to and pursued. I now realize that's because I haven't been taking myself seriously.

What happens when you don’t take yourself seriously?

You end up living a life you aren’t all that proud of. You keep waiting to do that thing that you’re passionate about, you keep waiting to do that thing that’s going to make you feel successful. You fill up your time with a bunch of things you think you have to do, but nothing you really want to do. You work hard and you do a good job but you also feel trapped inside yourself, putting on a show that someone else is directing.

No more waiting. If I want to be taken seriously as an illustrator, or a letterer, or a motion designer—if I want to grow and be successful in those fields—I need to take myself more seriously. I need to recognize that The Gap isn't going to get any smaller unless I put in real effort to grow, practice daily, put myself out there, and share my progress (warts and all).

This is a call to action for me—and for you. We need to fill our time with things that we want to do. We need to stop waiting to do the things we're passionate about. We need to work hard in pursuit of the things that will make us feel good about ourselves, that will make us feel successful.

What's your passion? What is it that gets you excited? Start making time for that thing. Start taking it seriously. Start taking yourself seriously.