It was a dark hour. In many ways. Thousands of miles away from home with an infant who wouldn’t sleep, was the situation I found myself in a few weeks ago when we flew to Kansas to visit family. There is just something so discouraging about an endless, dark night. Every new parent, insomniac, or anxiety stricken person can relate. Faced with the task of getting my child to sleep in his bed and not my arms, I felt spent.

Yet, just when you have lost your motivation to keep going, God has a way of reminding you why you are still standing.

It’s a meditation I shared in my yoga class recently.  A mantra I have adopted when faced with new challenges as a mom. To some, it may have seemed odd or out of place. Not everyone can jump inside my head and understand why I choose the mantras I do. Love endures all things.And right on cue, my child is screaming from his crib.

Love. It is a seemingly simple concept until we get into the grit and sweat of it.

Love endures all things. The reality is there are many seasons of love but what makes it true is our faithfulness through every one.

Think about the relationships in your life. How does this truth apply to your friend, spouse, child, and God?

And my son just broke a key off my keyboard so . . .that’s all for now. Deep breath. Love.

Being a new mom, I have experienced many anxieties. It is a side of myself I didn’t know could exist. This anxiety was magnified recently when my little one started sleeping upstairs in his crib.

The first night he did well. I, on the other hand, did not. I couldn’t shut my brain off. My heart was pumping with adrenaline, and I was glued to the monitor. Finally after 4 am, I was able to relax enough to sleep.

The next day, as I prepared to put him down for a nap, I reflected on my mental state then compared to the night before. I felt a lot calmer. The difference being, it was daytime. I was up and so was the sun.

It is funny, the things that we fear in the dark. The light not only reveals what is hidden but brings comfort to those who are afraid.

And I thought about the passage where Jesus says we are the light of the world. It gave me new perspective to not only think about being someone to reveal Christ as Truth to the world but also to show them the comfort and confidence that we receive through the knowledge of Christ.

His perfect love casts out our fear and gives us confidence in His grace.

Take a quiet moment today to reflect on Matthew 5:14. Start your meditation by simply being still and connecting to your breath. Let it connect you to your body and the sensation of your breath. Clear your mind and accept the silence. Then take each word of the 16 word verse and meditate on them individually. Next, reflect on the whole verse and think about light and what its function.

 How does that add to the meaning of this verse and how does it apply to your life?

As many of you know, I delivered a beautiful baby boy into the world on March 2nd. My first child. I delivered him naturally, without pain medications, and underwent the hardest, most painful and difficult task of my life.

New life. It’s a miracle to behold. The design of woman’s body to grow a child in her womb, then deliver that child. And feed him with her body. It’s a beautiful plan.But one thing I am now dealing with is getting this body back into shape.

Not only is child birth traumatic but the after effects are pretty traumatic as well.

It can do a number to your self esteem. And though I am excited to get back to unmodified yoga and running, the results can’t come fast enough.

I wanted to take this time to share a parallel God revealed to me recently. When Christ died on the cross for us, his body was broken. He underwent pain so that we may have new life. A similar, yet less severe example is that of child birth. When we choose to create life and bring it into the world to live, we are not just choosing the cute pregnancy pictures. We are choosing to let our bodies be broken and used up so that another may have life.

 So I will keep this in mind. Next time I am doing yoga and shuddering at my saggy belly, I will remember that the sacrifice was worth it and linger in the magnitude of God’s sacrifice for me.

Oftentimes when I prepare a class, there is an even mix of strategic planning and spontaneous spiritual leading. Recently I shared a verse from Psalm with my class and I admitted it was something that was on my heart but I didn’t explain why. Now I want to take the opportunity to open a door for you, into the heart behind the yogi. Continue Reading…