A World Through Her Heart: May 2017

5 Tips to Help You Get Through Your Crazy Summer

1. SCHEDULING

Ahh the obvious…If you’re like me it’s a problem spot. But it is important, whether your summer is busy and filled with things from A to Z or you’re just trying to finish a novel. I’ve dug through the net and my brain to give you all some scheduling ideas. All of our brains are wired differently, so I’ve come up with a few cool scheduling tips.

· PLANNER. Now this is important, whether you buy it or just make your own in a notebook/binder is your choice but it’s a must have. (Oh please! *grunts*) Yes it seems that if you’re like me, the planner gets loved for one month and then forgotten forever in some corner of your room. *guilty smile* Making a neat and visually attractive space is going to help you with that. Whatever you do, make it work for you, we’re all different. As far as planning goes do it the first day of every month (or before) and add on things as they come. HELPFUL TIP: If your compiling your own planner, binders are great for a variety of things.

· COLOR CODING. May I introduce you to the most helpful visual tool *drum roll* COLOR CODING! Obviously this consists of taking out your favorite colors and applying them to different tasks. (e.g. Home/Family-green, Church-blue, Friends/Outings-purple, School /Work-orange, Writing-RED) This is so helpful for quick glances and especially if you’re really busy and don’t have the time to pore over your planner. If you’re going on vacations, conventions, visiting family/friends, this REALLY helps. It saves so much time.

· DRY ERASE CALENDAR. This is really so helpful. Write on the month’s quota and if something is canceled. Erase. It’s so much neater than scribbled out lines and invalid reminders.

2. HEALTH

I’m going to keep this simple, short and helpful even though I do enjoy rambling about this subject!

· H2O. (Duh Anna) No it’s actually a lot more important than you think, especially in summer. Keeping a water bottle by your side might be helpful. Running errands? Make sure to bring one along. Your energy will last so much longer and you’ll feel much better. *Teeny tiny voice* And coffee dehydrates you…summer+coffee= *whisper* no.

· GET MOVING. Dear writer, please don’t let your bum rot away this summer. Get up and moving, it’s necessary to feeling good. God created us to generate hormones that make us feel a lot better when we are being active. It can even be a simple walk, but trust me you’ll feel so much better.

· EAT HEALTHY. Yes I promised I would keep it simple. So I won’t elaborate, just eat healthy, get your fruits and veggies. You’ll feel a lot cooler when your body isn’t burning complex carbs.

3. PRAYER JOURNAL

· A simple notebook. A pencil. The Bible. That’s all you need along with an open heart, let it be heartfelt communication between you and God. A log of the things He has done for you and the things you are doing for Him. When you feel discouraged open it up and realize how much he has been doing for you.

4. VACAY FROM VACAY?

Sometimes it seems like we need a break from vacation. Tips to stay on track and motivated this summer?

· Make a list on your blog or your notebook. Write down a simple to-do, a TBR list, and a realistic bucket list (Psst. Not your bungee rope dreams). Check off as you accomplish this summer and stay encouraged and motivated!

· Spend time away from screens and do things! Keep the hot part of days for writing and sedentary things and in the morning and evenings go outside and spend time with friends and family.

5. ENJOY!

Some of us are working, some of us are going to camp, some of us are doing summer sports, some of us are trying to meet goals, some of us are trying to finish our novels ( beep, beep entering nano mode) some of us are even getting married. But dear reader, whatever you’re doing this summer, please enjoy it and thank God for it. Whatever you do, wherever you go, whoever you pass, reach for the beauty and not the ashes, leave your smile and encouragement behind even if you think it isn’t need it. Your little footsteps could change lives this summer. Here’s to wonderful adventures and priceless memories!

What are YOU doing this Summer? What are your tips and pointers to make it through? Share below! I always love to hear what you guys have to say!

Just keep it clean and remember to check back because I answer all my comments. :)

God is the one who began this good work in you,

and I am certain that he won’t stop

before it is complete on the day that Christ Jesus returns.

(Philippians 1:6)

8 comments

, by Anna

DEVOTIONS

Have We Been Misunderstanding Life All Along?

HOW ABOUT WE GO ON A LITTLE TOUR? I’M WARNING YOU, IT MIGHT BE DEPRESSING AND EVEN A LITTLE MORBID AT FIRST, BUT PLEASE STICK WITH ME TO THE END…THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

What is life? In this society and generation we don’t seem to grasp or understand what life is. Go scan the news, pretty much every day we hear of horrid deaths, terrorist attacks, homicides. And life just…goes on. It becomes normal to hear about abortion, suicide, death, euthanasia. Maybe it even becomes subconsciously normal and in some cases, acceptable. And slowly, little by little, or slam after slam we start getting numb. Indifferent. Our hearts start getting calloused. One bruise than another and suddenly we find ourselves living in a shell. Think I’m exaggerating? Let’s back up.

We are living in the age where depression and suicide is more rampant than ever. I wonder why? We are trying to fill that empty space in our hearts with MORE. MORE clothes, MORE books, MORE status symbols, MORE reasons to be liked, MORE friends. And it never ends, because that space in our hearts isn’t getting filled, it’s just getting…bigger. It’s starting to spiral out of control, and we’re wildly fighting to stuff that hole and it’s just getting bigger and bigger and bigger. Or maybe we embrace it…maybe we bare our chests and show off that hole. We find people with holes, just like us. And we start building communities and idolizing people with…holes. How…empty?

And sometimes and on an downward slide into sheer darkness some just CAN’T DEAL WITH IT ANY LONGER. So they end it. They end your life. How did that happen? Let’s back up even more

Let’s face it, as much as we’d like to call ourselves independent, we do rely on other people every single day. It happen in two ways. One, in what others have created. Two, in others themselves. And it affects us. How often have you heard yourself or someone else saying something like “If ‘he’ or ‘she’ wasn’t there then ‘blank’ would be ok.” Or “If ‘this’ was better than ‘blank’ would be ok.” Unfortunately it’s not that easy or magical. We can go on doing it practically forever. Something gets fixed and more problems surface and we find ourselves wondering what went wrong. Because no matter how much we want to believe that if we had divine power we would solve the problems, we couldn’t. So what can we do?

As we head into the last section of this whole exhibition get ready to find all the answers and the whole point of this tour. Go back to the first paragraph and read the title…Are you back? That up there is the whole issue. For a second imagine you have absolutely no idea what the word “Life” means. Just try. So what is the meaning of Life??? Are you ready to be surprised? The meaning of Life is…God. After all…God is Life. He is the very thing that holds this whole world together. Let’s dig a little deeper…let’s get scientific, don’t let it turn you off this is going to be incredible!

So what makes up life…molecules. What make up molecules? Atoms. And so on it goes. In Switzerland resides the world’s largest and in my opinion most marvelous machine…called the LHC. The Large Hadron Collidor which collides atomic and smaller particles to continuously break them and study the particles that make up everything around us. They have come down to the smallest particle of all the “Higgs Boson” which some also call “The God Particle”. This material cannot be seen! As soon as subjected to the human eye or any documentation it disappears. God is Life. And the whole secret lies in this passage, the whole meaning lies here!

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. (John 1:1-4)

The true problem is our misconception of life. Life has two dimensions. Find a cross to look at. One dimension points up and the other points sidewise. From above to below is God, the most important dimension and the sustenance of Life. From side to side exists the people around us, in fact every single person we come in contact with in any way. How would we start treating each other if we constantly, every single minute, made a conscious effort to look at the people around us and realized they were God’s creations! Life is sacred because in essence, God is Life. We are not bodies with souls, we are souls with bodies. This body is just a transport, a tool to help us accomplish our mission on this earth and the fight is to use the tool correctly. And we’re not perfect…that’s why Jesus died for us, that’s why He gave His life. His blood covers our problems and sins, our shortcomings. That’s the missing link.

What do you think about the God-Particle and Life? What does life mean to you in a nutshell? Share with me below, I always love to hear what you guy have to say!

Just keep it clean and remember to check back because I answer all my comments. :)

In the beginning was the Word,

and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

He was with God in the beginning.

Through him all things were made;

without him nothing was made that has been made.

In him was life,

and that life was the light of all mankind.

(John 1:1-4)