Tag: loveserveinspire

Embrace the mystery.✨

On By Heather Wiest

Rise up and come away with me. Live in the mystery, with no full understanding of what I am doing in your life. Faith will provide the insight you need, to know where I am taking you and what I am doing deep in your soul…

Be like my faithful one Moses, who turned aside to gaze on the fire of my presence. I will draw you into secrets where dancing flames bring revelation and wisdom to your soul. Lean in to my presence, and I will pour out the fragrance of divine love. Come closer, and you will taste the mystery of our sweet union. See beyond the veil. Forsake the confines of your understanding, and embrace the mystery of life with me. ~ I Hear His Whisper 

I read this devotional as I was flying back from our AMAZING retreat in Africa (see our lovely group in the photos above ⬆️). Long haul flights provide plenty of time for reflection. We truly “embraced the mystery of life” in so many ways on this adventure of a lifetime…visiting 5 countries, 9 hotels/lodges, witnessing gorgeous scenery, cultures, wild weather and wildlife (the big 5)! We bonded as a group through shared experiences, laughter, long drives through Africa, sensational safaris, and forever friendships and memories imprinted in our hearts.❤️ 

And, to share something a bit more vulnerable that was a true joy moment for me…  

On one of our extended drives through Namibia, I was sitting in the back of the safari vehicle (as one who does not get car sick) gazing out the window, when sadness came over me as I flash backed to a traumatic memory of being a 9-year old girl on a bus turn around trip from Yuma, Arizona to the San Diego Zoo. I believe my mom and step-dad sent me on this excursion to get me out of our travel trailer home during my school spring break. I remember feeling so lonely as I did not know any other children on the city sponsored trip, and did not bring snacks or a lunch as was suggested (I ate some of a leader’s lunch). Upon returning from the zoo and the trip late that night, my mom was not there to pick me up. This happened many times at school and elsewhere as she struggled with addiction…

Why was I remembering this now, on such an amazing trip of a lifetime (que wild animal correlation)?!

Triggers often have no rhyme or reason or optimal timing. But, I have learned to allow the emotions to surface, to feel all the feels of unmet needs and expectations, and with a present awareness, calm nervous system, and God’s supernatural love and grace, invite parts of me into the wholeness and fullness of who I am today. I am safe. I am not alone. I am loved. I am living life fully on purpose in this moment. I embraced my 9-year old self who was lonely, sad, and disappointed. I held her and met a need that had not been previously voiced.

This became a beautiful joy moment of reclaiming a tender part of me that had been suppressed in the depths of my being. 

I will draw you into secrets where dancing flames bring revelation and wisdom to your soul. Lean in to my presence, and I will pour out the fragrance of divine love. Come closer, and you will taste the mystery of our sweet union.

If we are open and aware of our inner workings, and allow the presence of God to reveal and heal areas of hurt and tenderness, it becomes such a gentle, beautiful process.

Who knew I would experience this as I was co-leading a retreat? God did. He provided the ideal set of circumstances and the divine timing for me to reclaim this childhood part of me into the wholeness of who I am right now.

Priceless.

Forsake the confines of your understanding, and embrace the mystery of life with me.

“God, I invite your searching gaze into my heart. Examine me through and through; find out everything that may be hidden within me. Put me to the test and sift through all my anxious cares. See if there is any path of pain I’m walking on, and lead me back to your glorious, everlasting ways—the path that brings me back to you.” ~ Psalm 139: 23-24 TPT

Amen. 🙏🏻

Embrace the mystery, 

Heather

Walking Meditation

On By Heather Wiest

There goes my crazy wife
With her cinnamon eyes
And her simple life

On a sunny day she’d rather
     walk than ride
With her hair pulled up
And her lengthy stride

The clouds of the north
And the clouds of the south
Are separated by her
     seldom ceasing smile

Her heart beats slow and steady
Pumping praises to her
     Prince of Peace

“Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
Intercede Jesus, Jesus
Plant a seed Jesus”

She tears for the searching souls
     that surround her
She walks on her knees

My husband wrote this sweet poem during our early married years. Walking was my moving meditation and prayer time, connecting me to nature and the Divine. Many years later, yoga opened my heart wide open and became my favorite form of moving meditation and connection! ❤️ Urban trekking, desert hiking, and downward dog-ing are all amazing ways to tune into Spirit, discern truth, heed wisdom, and fully integrate body, mind, and soul.

❤︎ What do YOU need today?

❤︎ Are you seeking wisdom, or direction, or an answer to a deep seeded question? 

❤︎ Is there something you would like to release, creating space for the new?

Walking Meditation Instructions by Tara Brach

Meditation is a practice of presence that you can bring alive in all settings and activities. The formal training in walking meditation can be particularly valuable for helping you to cultivate an awareness of your embodied experience in each moment, allowing you to bring your body, heart, and mind together as you move through life.
Begin by choosing a place – an indoor or outside walking path about 10-30 paces long. Start by standing still and sensing the weight of your body at your feet, feeling your muscles supporting and stabilizing you. Your hands can be in whatever position is most comfortable – resting easily at your sides, folded gently in front of you, or at your back. In the stillness, remain relaxed and alert.
As you begin walking, start at a slower pace than usual, paying particular attention to the sensations in your feet and legs: heaviness, lightness, pressure, tingling, energy, even pain if it’s present. For the walking practice, this play of sensations – rather than the breath or another anchor – is often the home base for our attention.
Be mindful of the sensations of lifting your feet and of placing them back down on the floor or earth. Sense each step fully as you walk in a relaxed and natural way to the end of your chosen path. When you arrive, stop and pause for a moment. Feel your whole body standing, allowing all your senses be awake, then slowly and mindfully – with intention – turn to face in the other direction. Before you begin walking, pause again to collect and center yourself. If it helps, you can even close your eyes during these standing pauses, often called “standing meditation.”
As you’re walking, it’s quite natural for your mind to wander. Whenever it does, you might mentally pause, perhaps noting inwardly the fact of thinking, or even where your mind went: planning, worrying, fantasizing, judging. Then, gently return your attention to the sensations of the next step. No matter how long you’ve spent lost in thought, you can always arrive right here, bringing presence and care to the moment-to-moment sensations of walking.
During the walking period you might alter your pace, seeking a speed that allows you to be most mindful of your experience. In this way, you’ll move back and forth on your pathway, discovering that you are not really going anywhere, but are arriving again and again in the aliveness that is right here.

Reflection & Insight:
How did this experience feel in the body? Sensations? Body temperature? What happened in the mind? Did thoughts arise from the past, present, or future? Were you planning, worrying, fantasizing, or judging? How did this meditation feel in your spirit? Write down any insights, any information received.

“The LABYRINTH is receiving an amazing amount of attention, because walking the calming, circuitous path addresses many psycho-spiritual needs. Whoever you are, walking the labyrinth has something to offer. If a project is challenging you, walking can get your creative juices flowing. When struggling with grief or anger, or a physical challenge or illness, walking the labyrinth can point the way to healing and wholeness. If you’re looking for a way to meditate or pray that engages your body as well as your soul, the labyrinth provides such a path. When you just want reflective time away from a busy life, the labyrinth can offer you time out.” ~ Melissa Gayle West, Exploring The Labyrinth

Find a labyrinth near you! 😊 labyrinthlocator.com

Wherever you are at, be all there. ~ Jim Elliot

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All Is Well.

On By Heather Wiest

Have you hoped, wished and prayed with the best intentions for guidance or certain answers, and nothing seems to be happening? Sometimes what appears to be a problem or inaction is actually an answered prayer in disguise. When we ask for help, God may dismantle the old to make room for the new. Or maybe it is just not the right time to proceed with deep seeded longings. Always ask for divine will and timing, and for guidance as you act upon wisdom given to your heart and soul. Ask the Spirit to make transitions smooth and harmonious for yourself and everyone involved. Pray for the highest good for everyone, always and in all ways.

Four Types of Answered Prayers

  1. If the request is off target — God says “NO.” You’ve got to be kidding!
  2. If the timing is wrong — God says “SLOW.” Wait…
  3. If you are not ready — God says “GROW.”
  4. If the request is on target, the timing is right, and you are ready — God says “It’s a GO!”

Sometimes delay has to be. Our lives are so interconnected, so bound by circumstances that to let our desire have instant fulfillment might, in many cases, cause another to go unanswered.

But think for a moment of the divine love and thoughtful care that seek to harmonize and reconcile all of our desires and longings and prayers; delay is not denial, not even withholding. It is the opportunity for God to work out our unique purposes and accomplish our desires in the most wonderful way possible for all of us. Yes, all is well.

Is your deepest longing and prayer currently a NO, a SLOW, a GROW, or a GO? Trust divine timing and will always and in all ways. Be still and seek God’s presence; listen and receive wisdom and guidance for your prayers and petitions.

  • Pour out your heart.
  • Realize God hears.
  • Always believe.
  • Yield to what God says to you.

Rely on My leading. Nothing is impossible to Me. Unlimited expectancy yours. Unlimited power Mine.

God at Eventide, May 2

Simplify

On By Heather Wiest

Today we practice SIMPLIFYING — looking at our daily life, our priorities, possessions, activities, commitments, habits, thoughts and actions — and taking the time to reevaluate, gracefully letting go of what no longer serves us and establishing new intentions. When we simplify, we release unwanted expectations and stress and open up to increased freedom, joy, and inner peace. As Steve Maraboli states, “The greatest step towards a life of simplicity is to learn to let go.” What, where and how can you simplify? What would make your life lighter and easier? What can you get rid of? Where can you make adjustments to allow for more breathing room?

Take a minute to personally reflect.

Here are 3 practical tips to help prioritize and simplify: 

❦ Look for soul stops. Even on your busiest days, set aside several 5 minute breaks to pause, tune-in, pray, and meditate. This helps redirect thoughts, feelings, and actions — even in the midst of the craziest schedule. Try bookending your day with longer spirit-filling stops.

❦ Be keenly aware. Ask God to get your attention. Look for Divine appointments — a text from a friend at just the right time, a song that speaks directly to your heart, a random opportunity to help someone, a funny situation that turns your day around for the best.

❦ Set limits. Pick a time your distractions begin, and tell them when they end. During those hours, do the phone thing, and computer thing, and every other thing you pour your soul into, but when that time comes to an end, shut it down. Disconnect to connect personally and spiritually.

How will these changes add to your freedom, joy, and inner peace?

“Beloved Spirit of God: Teach me the way of simplicity and surrender so that in this world of consumption, noise, and endless choices I might model joy, peace, and freedom. Amen.” ~ Peter Traben Haas

The Weight of Objects, Clearing a Space for Change, by Madisyn Taylor

In life, we tend to have an easier time acquiring possessions than we do getting rid of them. Just as we harbor emotional baggage that is difficult to let go of, our lives can tend to be filled with material objects that we may feel compelled to hold on to. Most people are not conscious of how much they own and how many of their possessions are no longer adding value to their life. They fiercely hold on to material objects because this makes them feel secure or comfortable. While it’s true that the ownership of “stuff” can make you feel good for awhile, it seldom satisfies the deep inner longings that nearly everyone has for fulfillment and satisfaction. It is only when we are ready to let go of our baggage and be vulnerable that it becomes possible to recognize the emotional hold that our possessions can have on us.

It’s not uncommon to hold on to material objects because we are attached to them or fear the empty spaces that will remain if we get rid of them. Giving away the souvenirs from a beloved voyage may feel like we are erasing the memory of that time in our life. We may also worry that our loved ones will feel hurt if we don’t keep the gifts they’ve given us. It’s easy to convince ourselves that unused possessions might come in handy someday or that parting with them will cause you emotional pain. However, when your personal space is filled with objects, there is no room for anything new to enter and stay in your life. Your collection of belongings may “protect” you from the uncertainties of an unknown future while keeping you stuck in the past. Holding on to unnecessary possessions often goes hand in hand with holding on to pain, anger, and resentment, and letting go of your material possessions may help you release emotional baggage.

When you make a conscious decision to fill your personal space with only the objects that you need or bring you joy, your energy level will soar. Clearing your personal space can lead to mental clarity and an improved memory. As you learn to have a more practical and temporary relationship to objects, positive changes will happen, and you’ll have space to create the life that you desire.

“Each of us has favorite items and places that help to calm and quiet us. What stills our mind? A walk in the park, a special place in the city, a quiet room? A rock, a cross, a picture, a lit candle? Use these places and things to find that place of stillness in yourself. Find the power in stillness. It’s a power that comes gently like the morning sunrise or the evening stars. Take time each day to seek out stillness, to find that sacred spot.
Let your mind and soul be at ease. Don’t grasp and grab for the magic and miracles. When you reside in that place of stillness, the joy, miracles, and magic you’re seeking will find you.” ❤︎ ~ Melody Beattie

“Let go of something, somewhere. Use yoga to become aware, to touch what lies beneath the surface of the skin. Is there tension longing for release, a knot of fear so deep and familiar that you believe its part of who you are? Ease into dark corners, locked rooms, unexplored hallways. Gain entry not by force of will, but only by softness. Enter on the wings of breath, and turn the key of self-acceptance to let go of something, somewhere.” ~ Danna Faulds

To simplify life I am___________.

There is freedom in letting go. ❤︎

Let Us H.E.A.L ♡

On By Heather Wiest

This week’s theme and intention for yoga classes is to encourage healing and harmony within our bodies. A quote from B.K.S. Iyengar, “Yoga is like music. The rhythm of the body, the melody of the mind and the harmony of the soul create the symphony of life.” Think for just a minute. What is troubling you about your physical, emotional, or spiritual health? See it. Feel it. Now begin to create a positive, healing intention around your concern. May today’s guidance invite the healing and harmony you desire.

Let us H.E.A.L. ♡
H = Heed: pay attention to—tune into body, mind & spirit
E = Experience: encounter, undergo—allow everything to surface without judgement
A = Awaken: evoke, kindle—what do I need to sense, feel, and know in this moment?
L = Life: the ability to grow and change, the experience of being alive—awareness of, and openness to personal transformation

“Some of us don’t know how tired we are until we try to relax. Then we realize we’re exhausted. We may have lived with exhaustion and stress so long it’s become habitual. That doesn’t mean we’re bad or wrong, or even off track. Many of us are deeply involved in activities, work, projects, and relationships we enjoy. We like our lives and the things we’re doing. But sometimes we’ve pushed too hard or too long. Sometimes we haven’t given our bodies adequate time to relax, to rest, to really let go. It’s all right to take time out. Relax. Refresh. Regroup. It’s all right to rest even if we’re busy, rest often enough to keep ourselves replenished. Get in touch with your body, then stay in touch with yourself. Find out how tired you are. Then let your body tell you what it needs to come back to life and love.” ~ Melody Beattie

As I gradually learned to be true to myself and succeeded in admitting my own feelings, the language of my body spoke out more and more clearly and guided me toward decisions that did it good and helped it to express its natural needs…repressed, disassociated emotions can make us ill but not conscious feelings that we can give expression to. ~ Alice Miller, The Body Never Lies

“Our bellies can be wonderful monitors of our emotional health and the truth can always be found there. So often, emotions that we long to express get stored in our bodies instead. The space where this most often happens is in our bellies. Rather than telling people, or even ourselves, the way we truly feel, we may stuff our true feelings deep inside of us, where they take up space until we are ready to let them go. Stuffing our feelings in our bellies may feel like the safe response, since we then don’t really have to deal with our emotions. Yet, doing so can actually be detrimental to our emotional well-being and physical health. One way to connect with and release your emotions is to do a focused exercise with your stomach area. Take a moment to center yourself with some deep breathing and quiet meditation, relaxing your body fully and turning off the chatter in your brain. With your right hand on your stomach, tell yourself three times: Please reveal to me my true emotions. Listen for the answers. Repeat the exercise as many times as you would like, allowing yourself to drop deeper into your body each time. Notice any physical response in the stomach area, whether you have a warm, relaxed feeling in the middle of your body or if you feel tight knots in response to any emotions that do come up. You may even want to write down any answers that come to you. Remember that the body doesn’t lie.” ~ Madisyn Taylor, DailyOM: In Touch with True Emotions

Witness the elemental motion of emotion:
Fire burning, illuminating
Water gushing, cleansing
Air inspiring, soothing
Earth supporting, holding
Space expanding, embracing
~ Radiance Sutras, Yukti Verse 101

You Can’t Rush Your Healing
Darkness has its teachings
Love is never leaving
You can’t rush your healing
Your healing

Mama, well she told me time
is such a wonderful gift
You’re not running out
You’re really running in
Confusion clouds the heart
but it also points the way
Quiet down the mind
The more the song will play
So
You can’t rush your healing
Darkness has its teachings
Love is never leaving
You can’t rush your healing
Your healing
~ Trevor Hall

“A breath of desire and My Spirit is there—to replenish and renew. Sometimes weariness and exhaustion are not signs of lack of spirit but of the guiding of the Spirit.” ♡ ~ God Calling, Exhaustion

No Mistake
Holding my tension close is exhausting. I don’t know why I do it–
habit I guess–but when I let it go, the sense of relaxation and release
is immediate. My whole body sighs as ease and healing bathe
each cell in light. Once the truth of me has space and energy
to shine forth, it’s clear that the alchemy of humanity and divinity
is no mistake. ~ Danna Faulds

Proverbs 3:5-6 (MSG) 5 Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. 6 Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He’s the one who will keep you on track.