365 days of nurturing

Alan Wright of www.sharingthelightministries.com is one of my favorite people to read. He has amazing insight into God and his power and grace. I was first introduced to him through a group of women that I was doing an intense bootcamp with. We would workout until we couldn't move, then we would all congregate at my house where we would eat and worship together. We studied his book Shame Off You which is a lifechanging read.

For New Years he sent an email about how in their congregation they do not set resolutions, but instead they speak blessings over one another. What an amazing concept! Just imagine being in a room full of people who love you, telling you what they wish for you in the New Year. He included this text from Ephesians:

Ephesians 3:20-21:

Beloved, in Jesus Christ, you're blessed beyond what your mind can now conceive. In that sense, you are blessed beyond belief! God is at work in you and through you and for you in ways that are exceedingly, abundantly above all you can currently ask or think.

Even when you don't understand how, you're being blessed in secret ways that only God could engineer. God's plans for you are better than what you could plan for yourself. It's a season for you to rest and delight in the goodness of God.

So with that said, I have decided to speak this blessing among all of my friends and family: May you find one way, each day, to nurture yourself in 2011. Rediscover who you are, and most importantly recognize your master who created you so wonderfully for his craftsmanship in you.

I am going to blog each day this coming year(hopefully) about one way I have nurtured myself. I challenge you to journal or blog or do whatever you do to keep track of how you are nurturing yourself.

I am a couple of days behind, so I'll will play catch up now.

January 1st- I had dinner with an amazing group of Christian women. Two of us are healing from marriages ending, the other four have had marriage struggles and have come out stronger on the other side. We prayed, ate, cried and laughed. We talked about our faith and our futures. Amazing doesn't describe how awesome it was. I was completely nurtured.

January 2nd- I had some one on one time with my oldest daughter. We watched a movie and took a nap together :) I also was nurtured by my church family as they lined up to hug me and offer their support and share their personal stories of pain and marriage failure. One after another I was greeted with the love that can only be given through a church family. I cried from the overwhelming emotion of love I felt. I am truly a blessed woman!