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How To Handle Expectations and Interruptions : OVERCOMING FEAR SERIES as a Christian Woman

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We are talking about Overcoming Fear this month. Fear was my guide nearly all my life and until I broke free from it, I didn’t realize how bound up I was until it broke loose. 

Today let’s continue the conversation of fear and talk about Permission, Grace, Discernment and Surrender and the roles Sisters, Boundaries and Intimate Worship play. I know….this could literally turn in to a few books, but today, we will skim just the tip of the surface!

Let’s continue this bloggy convo! Here's the last one in case you missed it!

Discerning the Thoughts and Feelings wrapped up in Fear:

Let's talk about Permission to Pause. For some of us, we have a hard time moving forward because we don’t feel like we have permission to do so, be it feeling inadequacy, lack of invitation, or sometimes just simply not having the time or energy to do the thing.

Life is unpredictable and things happen whether you are a Professional working outside the home or the Pro in your home. Life Happens and our ability to adapt to it is one thing but our response to it is everything! The less flexible we are and the more jam packed our calendars, the greater our angst will be when things happen we didn’t plan for.

For me, this is why creating space in my day became so super important. It’s not about creating the space to push AWAY something, rather the space to ALLOW something in. 

I call this Space for Grace.

But first I needed to give myself PERMISSION to pause. Permission to follow what I learned to reframe as Divinely led appointments or Divine opportunities. To exercise my Peace muscle instead of perfectionism To know that real courage is the ability to push through fear, even when fear is a simple rest

It doesn’t sound like such a big deal to the average person but to those of us who struggle with fear of rejection and fear of failure, we are constantly focused on what we need to do to check all the boxes for the day to feel any type of accomplishment and therefore find our value and worthiness of a job well done.

As a Stay at Home Mom, I don’t have a paycheck or bonus program to show proof of work. I don’t have Reviews with a Boss telling me I am doing a great job in my career. In fact, when things don’t get done, not only do I feel like I failed, I hear things like, “Why is the house such a mess? Why are the dishes still in the sink? Why is the laundry pile still on the couch to fold? Why not...you've been home all day?!? Why didn’t you run to the store today? You forgot to sign my online permission slip. The car really needs gas. The pool looks dirty with all those leaves in it.” On and on….a job never done, especially noticeable when Mama takes time “off.”

So you have to ask yourself, is it worth it to slow down and step into those slower spaces and follow the “interruption” or just push through and stay focused on the things we placed on a calendar as highest priorities no matter what! For me, slowing down and creating a better flow took a lot of self control but once I found how much better my day went, how much more efficiently my home and my heat ran, filling my days with joy and laughter vs stress and overwhelm, I never went back to the crazy cycle of living life under the microscope of judgement. Nothing but Grace, forever more! 

Then you must ask yourself, What actually are my priorities the first place? Is it the house or the people in the house? Is it the work or the people in the work? Is it serving in the church or community or the people within?

We get so easily caught up in the things, we loose sight of our Audience of One. 

My heart's desire was/is to love the Lord with all my heart, mind and soul and this became really hard when my adrenals, my mind and my body began to crash. When I re-evaluated my priorities and asked God to show me what HE had planned for me each day, my heart and mind relaxed into Grace. Creating Space for Grace was what I needed to do so I could have a schedule of peace. 

To move about my day seeking the things above for my life here below.

I talk more about "pushing through on fumes" over in the You Tubes if this is you too. 

Here's what I did....
First steps would be to sit down with the Lord and ask Him what HE has planned for you each day and in this season. Ask Him to make it clear to you where your time and energy is needed to then accomplish those things.

Next, sit down with the family and let them know what changes will be implemented so everyone is on the same page and don’t forget to share the why! The WHY is so important to teach them this principle so our hearts are aligned. Here we are, just now learning (finally implementing) these disciplines as adults. How blessed our kids to learn something so valuable at a younger age! 

I will come back and put the link here when it's done, but I'll share a list of things I began to implement here to help you get started thinking about things you can do. The main thing is honoring your body, mind and soul through rest and care. It's not just Self Care Sunday...it's a Sabbath's rest, a soulful rest. These are our boundaries. This is our surrender. This is our worship.

Ultimately, you know what you wish could be done, you just need to take the time to plan it out without fear of judgement! We are choosing to live our life seeking first, God, our Audience of One, to love Him above all others. 

You've Got This! Pray & Plan it out Sista! You've got permisson and all the grace!!!.

We don't think about running our home like a ministry, but it most certainly is! It's our soil to nurture, our true Homestead's planting ground, our first mission field! A field of much grace!!! There are people, projects and spaces that need our planned for care. 


Let’s talk about our 3 helps:

Circle your fears with Sisterhood.
Share your overwhelm with your Sisters when you face an “interruption” and let them pray for you and over you should that be desired or necessary. Knowing I had Sisters circling around me meant a lot even though it very only 1 or 2 of them. What a beautiful relationship where 2 or more are gathered in His Name to lift each other up to bring Him Glory in the midst of interruptions. 

These were the ones who helped me up off the ground when I crashed. These were the ones who showed me how to serve my family, my God, others through caring for my self even in the dessert, the fire and pit. These were His Lights in the darkness.

Circle your fears with Boundaries. 
Identify your non-negotiables and be realistic with them. Create a calendar of things you need to get done and things that can be penciled in and even removed. I love the sticky note To Dos....they can be done as able.

Establish clear guidelines on when and how interruptions can be addressed. Have you established a back up plan? Do you have honest conversations with those involved where you can freely say Yes, or No. Saying No is such a powerful word and declaration, knowing God has prepared this and it's not yours to hold.

Prayer is always the first response and discern whether it’s something He has planned for you to do, or not do, yet.

Then, let your Yes be Yes and your No be No. Watch out for the foxes and squirrels to pull you out of God’s Grace Garden. We no longer serve others above God. Our Audience and Boss is The One and He is who we are meeting with over laundry or loving others. His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven! 

No guilt. 
No shame. 
No regret. 

Prayerful Discernment and Surrender, for He is a Shield about us and The Provision for the calling and the setter of our Appointments.

Circle your fears with Intimate Worship. 
Sometimes the interruption or Divine appointments are so much fun, like a friend with a last minute lunch invite or a fun playdate at the park. Other times they can take our breath away in grief, anger, frustration. In these Divine moments, Peace more quickly flows when we have already set our heart in a posture of trusting surrender. 

As we follow His leading, He walks us through rocky roads, around steep mountains, uncharted terrains, long wilderness trails and we are still held. Will you choose to surrender your knowing what's next, knowing your value, to The All Knowing?! He's says you're enough. He says you're never alone and HE has plans to prosper and lead you through open doors no man can touch.  

Grace upon Grace knowing He is all knowing, all seeing, all providing and in Him we walk out of callings. Our homes, our work places, our church, our community, our friends are all Holy Ground because He is there in the midst, Will you invite Him in to your schedule?! 

Let the Light in all the places of your world. He holds it all in the Palm of His Hands.

And so we continue to seek and pray, Less of me, God, More of You. 

Sister, your heart, mind and soul are safe in His arms. You don't need to worry about earning, being or doing, to earn God Points. You are precious in His sight. Your debt has already been paid! He’s got you and you can have perfect peace.

Here's a little Guide if you want some more practical tips I have implemented in my life since 2009.


If today's encouragement hugged your HEART today, let me know in the comments or meet me over
 in my Facebook Sisterhood Community! Feel free to share this blog with a friend who needs a heart hug too!
This is how YOU get to hug my HEART back!

Heart Hugs and Blessings,
Michele
I am so glad (and honored) you are here! I have been blogging since 2009 as a way to journal out my thoughts as I pray God would use these story shares as practical heart encouragements for YOU TOO! We all need to recall and share those Living Stone moments.
Feel free to look around and make yourself at home! 

If you're looking for Journals & Books, check these out over on HeartsFromGod.com too!!

If you are looking for an Online Sister Community 
?Are you an Introvert Rising?!? If you are looking for a Community of HEART Centered, Jesus Lovin' Sisters ready to rise up over their insecurities and seek after the Heart of God?!?  Meet us here! 

I share encouragement over on the Facebooks on my personal profile as well as the Encouragement Page Livin’ Where Faith Is on too.

I have two free resources for you: 
1.) If you'd like some help sharing YOUR story or testimony, here's a link to grab the fill in the blank PDF I created to help you get started sharing YOUR heart with others! There's a video that goes with it over in the But God Sister Squad Community on Facebook.

2.) www.CreatingSpaceforGrace.com is PDF I share the things I have done (and do) the help guard my peace on the daily!!! I get asked about this all the time, this is my practical resource guide!

Heart Hugs and Blessings,

Michele"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith--that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."
Ephesians 3:14-21 ESV


Pssst...by Law, I have to share there are affiliate links in here where I earn money from your purchase when you make a purchase! it's affiliate marketing and I love not having to sell stuff! And you know me, I am not gonna sell anything, but I will share everything! I love it! 

A Little About My Heart

 
Born and raised in the church, a Christ Follower, Kingdom Encourager, Wife, Mama, and an Overcomer! GLORY TO GOD!!

I lived most of my life fearful, anxious, and insecure.. I found myself always hiding but serving, striving for perfection in my less-thanness, as a way to earn my worth to self, God and others, sacrificing in the name of serving, hospitality and humility...putting others needs before my own from a place of hiding in my lack, and trying to earn value rather than serving in the space of grace, confident faith and overflowing love. 

Never attaining, only to lead a life of more insecurity, overwhelm, anxiety, and panic, screaming to break free from this bondage, to be that actual strong, courageous Christian Woman everyone else seemed to be, but me. 

BUT GOD.

In 2009, Where Faith Is was born as a blog, learning my voice behind the safety of a keyboard, building courage to speak my truth behind the screen...and here all these years later, Little by little, God is expanding my heart boundaries as He reveals more of His to me. I am so excited to share so freely! 

I especially love being an encourager to other encouragers in the faith who know they are called to encourage yet they themselves struggle with their value and ability. Isn't that how the enemy works? He tries to disqualify us in the same area we are called to shine! What an irony!  

I believe if more people let go of fear and insecurity, surrendered to grace and BELIEVED their value, their spark for life will return to a roaring fire that lights up wet wood! 

When women choose to walk courageous and strong in body, mind and spirit...they step out of the boat and walk on water as Peter did, part the waters like Moses and set more people FREE in His name through their Divine purpose to the Glory of GOD! We are each a Light House of Strength on the shorelines of Grace . 

Friend, you may not believe it, but you are meant for more than eat/sleep/work/repeat. You are also equipped with good works to serve and bless the Kingdom Body, and the world with His Love, through YOU! You've got to surrender your fear and let Him lead you.

You are more able than you think you are and most likely, the thing you feel is the weakest part of you is the strongest thing about you!

If you are an introvert too and want to be a part of our newly launching online community, we are here for you!! Let's Connect! It's an honor to encourage the Encouragers.

I am H.I.S. (Heart In Surrender & Service).

Hugs & Blessings, 
Michele

"So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 
Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." Philippians 2:1-4

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