Still

I had the pleasure of reading this book, Still by Jenny L. Donnelly for review. This book, y'all, it was a perfect God send for me and where my life is at the moment-- smack dab in the middle of chaos! In the book, Jenny talks about how to get still with God, how to REST in the middle of chaos. I thought that was impossible! But, the book goes into how to connect with the true source of peace- Jesus. And how to apply that practically, which is something we all forget to do! I know I was in the trap of needing to have everything set up just so for the perfect "Quiet Time." If something wasn't just so- I had such a feeling of defeat and not getting what I needed from that time with Jesus. 

     I love how Jenny went a little into her own testimony and makes her teaching you how to do this with her own story. It made it feel more practical rather than just a teaching/self-help book. She really wants to teach you how to get to the root of anxiety, fear, worry and dig that out rather than smoothing it over until the next time anxiety or worry or fear grips you. I would recommend this book for anyone who struggles with this. Buy a few and give them out to others!

*I received this book for free in exchange for my honest opinion. *

Hiya!

It's been a while, hasn't it? Life is still running at a million miles per hour, but I thought I'd give a little update on things and tell you what I'm enjoying this Summer! 

Update: I'm now an official 200hour Registered YogaFaith Teacher! It is thrilling to be able to say that! My LLC came in, I have the insurance squared away, all I have to do now is build enough courage to teach some classes! I know the first class will be the hardest, but yikes! I still need to finish up my Trauma Sensitive YogaFaith modules online, and then I'll have that certification under my belt as well. A detailed recap of my whole road to get to this point is coming soon, but for now that's where I am. You can follow along on my Facebook page- Shine Christian Yoga, LLC and on My Instagram- ShineChristianYoga , where I am more active about updating and posting. 
  God has stretched me in this, and I know this is only the beginning. I'm terrified and also equally excited to see where he leads me in this! 


Some of the things I'm loving this Summer are- 

Books, of course there will be books on this list! You know me! 

From Moody Publishers- 
Images and Idols- We have a creative God. And it's no doubt in my mind that we are made in His image. So, of course we have some creativity, too! As children, we have no problem being creative in all sorts of ways. School even encourage it by giving us arts & craft time. Then, as we grow, maybe we were harshly judged by others or even ourselves, our crafts became not that great, or whatever was said to make us quit being vulnerable through our creativity. This book goes in detail to explain to us how God can use creativity for His glory. Being vulnerable while having God use you as a vessel somehow isn't so scary anymore. Great book when you need that little nudge. 

Marriage: Its Foundation, Theology, And Mission in a Changing World by
Curt HamnerJohn TrentJohn TrentRebekah J. ByrdEric L. JohnsonErik Thoennes

This book is beautiful, inside and out. It's one that I would include in a wedding gift. Marriage is hard! Especially in a day where the world is trying to pull you in all different directions at break neck speed. The idea of marriage changes from generation to generation, but I feel like this generation has it mostly wrong. It could be a result of many things. I believe, however, that it's not a surprise we've pulled away from God's true reason for marriage the same way most of the world has pulled away from the bible as their life's instruction book. And this book is from many theologians, so you get many points of view on the subject. Love it and will recommend/gift this book to many. 

Other things like- 

Large Ice cube tray similar to this. I don't know why it's taken me this long to realize that larger ice cubes = longer cold but I'm LOVING these things! 

On Poshmark

FriYayy mug by Rongrong DeVoe. I mean- how sassy is she? And how much do you want to be THIS put together on a Friday? This is my official Friday coffee mug, if you must know. 

This plant. I can't remember the name of it, but it is going nuts in this little corner of the living room! My black thumb is widely known, but this plant doesn't seem to notice! It's doubled in size since we got it, um, maybe a year ago? If that. LOVE plants that live! 

Of course these doggies because, well, because they're down right adorable and I can't get enough! We all try to sleep on a king sized bed... try being the key word! They hog the bed sooooo bad! We did try to make them sleep in their beds on the floor for a few nights. Then, Ginny (smaller dog) snuck up in the bed one night. In my sleepy brain, i remember the feeling of pure joy thinking, "This is such a treat!" and scooching her away from Husband so he wouldn't notice she was in the bed and kick her out! Did you hear me? I was harboring a fugitive in the bed for cuddles and ELATED about it! That's when I knew I could kid myself no longer and let them in the bed at night. 



And my Yoga Faith Community. I said it during my 7 day training, my life is now Before YogaFaith and After YogaFaith. The closeness I feel with God is incredible. The whole process of being a YogaFaith Teacher is indescribable. I will blog about it later, but it's just... really indescribable. If you just want to experience a class, look for one in your area. Even if you have to drive a ways to get to it, do it! 
 But the love, support, and friendships I've made with my YogaFaith sisters are bonds that will never break because they were formed and are rooted in God's love! I just can't express how I feel about it enough. Don't get me wrong here, I'm not worshiping YogaFaith, I'm just so thankful that it helped me clear the clutter in the way of developing a deeper relationship to God. If that makes sense. It's amazing, and you should definitely try a class! 

That's all I have for you right now, but be sure to keep checking in as I'll be able to post more when my schedule clears up soon! 

What are you loving this Summer? Comment below; I'd love to hear it! 

*I received these books complimentary in exchange for my honest opinion.*

What I'm reading this month

From HarperCollinsChristianPublishing- Dangerous Prayers, 50 Powerful Prayers That Changed the World.
  This book was incredible! Such a nice coffee table book.  It features a brief spinet of history for each person, and a documented prayer they've said. Some of the people who have changed the world, and you get a glimpse into their life and their prayer life. Wow! Even the illustrations are gorgeous. It's a great book to read when you need inspiration, or to gift to someone for any occasion! And who doesn't need a refresher in their prayer life every once in a while?

I have a couple of other books I'm finishing up, so be on the look out for those. I also plan on blogging more after briefly contemplating doing video updates on my life. But, after hearing that video editing takes such a long time, I thought blogging would be the quickest way to connect with y'all and not take all of my time! What would you like to hear about? Leave a comment below!



*I received this book for free in exchange for my honest opinion. *

Lately

YogaFaith

Did I tell you my HUGE news?  No? Probably not, things have been super busy since November of last year.

Well, after debating, praying, and talking myself in & out of it for years... I've finally leaped and am going through my YogaFaith teacher training! YES! Yes, you read that right! Hopefully by this Summer I will be a yoga teacher!

It's crazy to even think about it because for the last 4 years I've been trying to adjust to what my life is now with chronic illnesses & chronic pain. It's been a roller coaster. I decided that I wouldn't let Fibromyalgia dictate my life, I just knew I needed to do this. Not only to help others physically, and help them get closer to Jesus in the process, but mostly I needed to do this for me. To show that through Jesus, anything was possible.

After last year, and getting the migraines under control through meds & botox (a blog post on botox for migraines is coming soon), I didn't have any other excuse stopping me from going after this goal!

And of course things try to pop up and stop me, or at least slow me down, like having a cold/flu for all but 2 weeks since January 1st - yeah not fun- but I can't let them stop me!

Anyway, so if you find this website a bit quiet, that's the reason- my brain is doing some heavy lifting learning all the yoga poses, how to get in & out of them, muscles, what's connected to what, and how that all ties in to worshiping our Savior.



I'm so excited about this journey! If you just have to keep up with what I'm doing, I'm more active on Instagram- The Artsy Cajun.   I've also created an instagram for my yoga journey- RenewedYogaFaith so you can follow me there as well. Leave a comment saying hi! Your encouragement and prayers are always so meaningful to me. See you soon !

My 2019 Book goals

One of my goals for 2019 is to read more books.  I feel such joy when I read. Not only am I learning new things, or diving into a new story that unfolds in front of my eyes, I'm de-stressing. And this year, it's allllllll about de-stressing, simplifying, just getting rid of clutter in every area of my life. Reading takes me out of my own head, where thoughts and worries fly around like a swarm of bees. Reading puts me in a different world, or different mindset. And it's always a faithful, trusty friend. 

For 2019, my goal is 40 books. That's 3-4 books a month. OK, maybe that's too lofty of a goal, but we'll shoot for it anyway!  What that means for you is, more book reviews, or maybe just a list of books that I think you should give a try! If you're not a book type of person... well, I guess you could just skip right on over these posts. :) 

OK, today I have a couple of books that I read over the holidays. 

Redeeming How We Talk: Discover how communication fuels our growth, shapes out relationships, and changes our lives. by Ken Wytsma and A. J. Swoboda

 This book grabbed me from the first glance of the title.  Over the years, I'm slowly learning the weight of words, even your own internal dialogue.  Words are impactful.  They can lift someone up or bring them to their knees. And this book helps deal with that. Not to mention how it seems that everyone communicates electronically now. No one knows how to have a good conversation anymore! I love how the authors of this book dig out scripture to back up what they're saying: Words have power, and we need to re-learn how to use them to glorify God.  This is a book that I'll keep re-reading throughout the years. 

He is Enough, Living in the Fullness of Jesus by Asheritah Ciuciu

  Y'all, this book really hit home for me right now. There's always that little voice saying, "If this were this way, then I could do this..."  and it's simply not true! But how do we get out of that mindset? By focusing on Jesus. He is so much more than just "Enough."  This is a 6 week study on Colossians, and it focuses on Jesus, how sovereign He is. It's easy to forget that in the day to day garbage we all wade through. This study would be fantastic for anyone in any stage in life. I love how she has 2 paths, a snack on the go for when you have just a little bit of time, or a meaty option for when you can dig deep. The 6 weeks is another thing I like. Long enough to get you to re-train your brain, but short enough that it doesn't seem to require a huge chuck out of you. Love it! 

Praying God's Will for Your Life: A Prayerful Walk to Spiritual Well Being

By Stormie Omartian

Stormie Omartain is one of the few authors that I seek out regularly.  Her popular books- "The Power of a Praying..." can apply to anyone in any stage in life. This book is no different. More times than not, we all get to a point where we question our life path. And this book will teach you how to pray for God's will for your life, how to change your heart attitude, how to have an intimate relationship with God, solid foundation in God’s truth, and commitment to obedience.  If you're seeking answers, or feeling stuck in your walk with Christ, this book would be excellent for you! 

That's all for today! I'll have more books I've read lately in next week's post. What are you reading lately? Comment below! 

And I use Goodreads to keep up with my reviews, what I've read, what I want to read. You can find the link to my Goodreads profile at the top of the page- "Bookshelf". 

**I received these books complimentary from publishers, in exchange for my HONEST review. All opinions are my own.**

Praying the Promises

Book Description

Find security and hope in a broken world through the unshakable promises of God. Join bestselling author and beloved pastor Max Lucado as he leads you through 30 life-changing promises from God in Praying the Promises. You’ll experience a more intimate and effective prayer life and a deeper faith in the God who keeps every promise.

God makes His character clear throughout the Bible: He is a God who saves us, who is faithful, who sends His Comforter, and who has a good and holy purpose for our lives.

In short, He keeps His promises.

But what does that look like in a broken world? Surrounded by confusion, darkness, violence, and pain, where do we see the promises of God at work in our everyday lives?

Max Lucado invites you into a deeper understanding of the peace and security God offers His people in Praying the Promises, a beautiful book that tells stories of God’s faithfulness and offers tangible ways to implement faith into your own prayer life. Through 30 key Scripture verses, a look into the lives of biblical people of faith, reflections, and prayers, you will see a clearer picture of the promises of God and how He is the rock you can build your life upon.

Whether you are a lifelong believer or if faith is a brand-new adventure, Praying the Promises offers you access to the God who has kept His promises since the beginning of time and will continue to do so for eternity.

A great gift for all ages.

My Review: 

  Y'all, this book.... it is amazing! This is one of those books that I will keep year after year. I love how Max Lucado lays out the prayer topics in the table of contents. While he writes out the prayers word for word, he also gives you scripture to back it up and I love that! It gives you a glimpse of how he reads certain scripture and puts it into his prayer language. 

I would recommend this to everyone, but especially to new believers. 

*I received this book complimentary from Booklookbloggers.com in exchange for my HONEST opinion.

Biggest Sale of the Year!

Etsy Shop

Cyber sale week is here! This is the biggest sale of the year for my little Etsy Shop!

20% off when you spend at least $20! Valid Nov 20-Nov.25th. Use code: ETSYCYBER2018

If you've had your eye on something, now is the time! 

December 13th is the last day to order to get it by Christmas, so hurry! 

Etsy Shop

Pain takes a lot away from you. You fight it, constantly, every second of the day. Fight it from taking away your whole day; fight it from taking your mood; fight it from taking away your relationships, your personality, your sense of worth, your value to this world. 

You’re constantly fighting it from robbing you of everything you enjoy, from taking your mind, everything- it takes everything away from you.

 But praise Jesus that pain can’t take Him away from us. It can’t go near- can’t touch our faith, our God, our Savior. He is what you cling to when you feel exhausted, He will wipe away our tears. He becomes everything when we can’t fight any longer.

 Cling to Him, friends.