Week 23 of 52 Week Challenge

MEDITATION/MESSAGE

Why does our reality forsake us? Why do stand in this world partly aware of our center with Christ and partly distracted or confused with what is in front of our eyes? Our true identity is so apparent when we see it in His presence, but as soon as we stand among the other broken souls we are tempted to start questioning our worth and our place among them. We can stand and see where God has moved, where He has been. But it does not keep us from stopping right where we are, in the middle of the process, to look around and see what is going on; as if looking around our broken world is somehow going to reveal Gods perfect works. He is so far beyond our comprehension, such a mystery  and a miracle giver. There is truly no way for our little minds to grasp all of what is actually happening and so very often we simply settle for whatever we can logically conjure up instead of watching and waiting for Truth to reveal itself. We can find ourselves buried beneath the rubble of our torn world; we need only return to the Master and rest and wait to be used as He intends for the great revelations of our stories in His book. Plow pose is a figurative way to change our perspectives and reveal the Way out of the rubble.....

PLOW POSE DESCRIPTION

 Lie on your back and bring your legs straight up in the air towards the ceiling. Bring your arms alongside your body with your palms down. Press into your hands and lift your legs over your head.

If your legs do not touch the ground behind you, bring your hands to your back for support. If your feet do hit the ground, then clasp your hands together, trying to roll your shoulder blades towards one another.

SONG SUGGESTIONS

He Loved Me To The End by Jenny Powell

Perfect by John Loux

Never Let Me Down by Jill Phillips

MEDITATION/MESSAGE

The word “pain” or some form of it appears many times in Scripture. While not specifically stated in the Bible, medically we know that pain is a gift. Without it we would not know when we needed medical attention. Children would never learn that touching a hot stove is a bad idea, nor would we be aware to a dangerous medical condition without the pain associated with it. Pain also provides one an opportunity to experience the grace of God. Consider what Paul said: 

“and then he told me, My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness” 2 Corinthians 12:9.

We don’t know what exactly Paul was struggling with, but it seemed to have been painful for Paul. He recognized that God’s grace was being given to him so he could endure. God will give His children the grace to bear pain. Although pain is not pleasant, we should thank God for it because it alerts us that something is wrong in our body. Also, it causes us to reflect on the awful consequence of sin and be extremely thankful to God for making a way for us to be saved. When one is in pain, it is an excellent time to realize that Jesus endured excruciating emotional and physical pain on our behalf; that He suffered pain willingly to redeem us and glorify His Father.

BUTTERFLY POSE DESCRIPTION

• Keep the spine and the neck in an upright position
• Breathe natural and easy.
• Bend both the knees.
• Bring the soles of the feet together and place them as close to the pelvic bone as possible.
• Grasp firmly both feet with your hands.
• Do not allow the heels to be raised.
• Keep the torso in line with the waist.
• Place the elbows on the thighs.
• Inhale deep and press both the thighs downward with the elbows.
• Remove your hands from thighs and try to raise the knees without any support; exhale breath.
• Practice this in the beginning with rhythmic and natural breathing.
• Initially attempt this for 10-20 times.
• Closing your eyes remain focused on the hip joints and the waist zone.
  
  
  ALSO, NICOLE IS HOME AND HEALING!!!! THANK YOU FOR YOUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS....REST IN HIM SARAH G

Week 23 of 52 is on hold....

Hey guys, so sorry no post this week. Instead we have a prayer request. Sweet Nicole the second writer for our blog has been in the Hospital and suffering from serious pain and looking at possibly having to have fluid removed from around her heart. She is a trooper , but we would love for you to join us in prayer over her. We will take this week just to join as a community in prayer if that is alright with you, please feel free to practice any of our previous poses and simply surrender your mind to this family...each and every one of us that comes together to unite more fully with Christ. Thank you so much for your love and support. Rest In Him Sarah G

Nicole 

Week 22/52 week challenge....Chaos in a week; sorry we are late...enjoy!!!

MEDITATION/MESSAGE
Have you ever had one of those weeks where everything turned upside down and you could not seem to find where you were standing. Well this week has been like that to me. One thing showed up out of no where and everything started changing. I couldn't keep my brain focused let alone my body or soul. I couldn't see ahead of me, but I knew I was standing on the verge of something new and something amazing. But it just looked like a whirl wind in the moment. I began to wonder what on earth was going on, when calmly and quietly God whispered, "Keep Your Eyes On Me, just keep your eyes on me." He brought me to Peter and the other disciples standing outside  Gethsemane, with Jesus. They had no idea what all was about to happen and Jesus simply said to them, "This is serious, please wait and watch with Me." I guess this just made sense to me today, in the middle of the whirlwind, the only thing you need to do is Keep your eyes on Him, and Wait and Watch what He does, because it will not be what you expected. It will be far better, a Risen Savior....even after all the suffering, the denial, the pain, the betrayal....there He stood Alive again! So whatever you may be facing may I encourage you, first that you have no idea what is really about to go down; so don't assume you do. And second, if you just wait and watch, keeping your eyes fixed on Him, you will find yourself in the safest place as the chaos spins around you; and you will see something beyond expectation rise out of the ashes...just wait for it!!! This pose is a combination of inversion, balance, strength and stretch...all the things that this journey will present to us and all opportunities to Keep Our Eyes On Him, watching and waiting for what He will do next....


STANDING SPLIT POSE DESCRIPTION
This pose is perfect because it tasks all of your muscles in order to stay focused and to reach deeper. 
~I like to start this pose from Warrior I, right leg forward first
~Cartwheeling the hands down to the floor and pivoting onto the ball of the left foot
~taking the hands to the floor or a chair
~begin to lift the back leg off of the floor
~then reach that leg as high as you are able
~melting the heart towards your thigh and reaching with the toes to the sky
~lengthening and stretching for the standing split
~draw your forehead to the knee sinking into the pose
~lower leg and switch sides
**This pose may be done against the wall to deepen the stretch; listen to your body but focus your mind on Him that you may remain in this tasking, upside down, and difficult pose...watching and waiting, He has something remarkable in store for you!!!




JUST ONE SONG SUGGESTION
Matthew 26:38 by Marcy Priest-The Artist Bible

MEDITATION/MESSAGE

We can do almost anything to turn our attention inward. We could tune into our breath or stop mid-stride of walking to feel our feet on the ground. Or we could take a moment to remember the interconnectedness God has placed in everything. As we do, we should notice a thread of connection to Him, to the part of us that is not totally caught up in the drama of the moment. As we touch that open presence, we touch our deepest source of strength through taking a moment to connect with God. In that state of stillness, we should recall our intentions that God has called each of us for. Then act or speak in a way that's in line with that intention. You may find, in moments when your intention and motivation are clear, that it will bring you inner strength. This strength is a dependable source of support, the support that never leaves you through God.

GARLAND POSE DESCRIPTION

Don’t let the world take away your peace, wear your “peace” as a garland of protection and a connection with your Lord at all times.

1. Starting in Mountain Pose with the palms of the hands together in prayer pose
2. Step feet open a little bit more than hip width apart with feet turned out slightly, rotating the legs slightly outward 
3. Inhale, bringing your arms overhead, turning your palms to face each other 
4. Exhale, as you release the arms bringing them into a straight line, hinging at the hips and leading with the chest, fold forward, making sure to keep a straight spine and release the finger tips to the ground
5. When fingertips touch down, inhale and deeply bend the knees and lower hips down into a deep squat
6. Exhale, bring palms together for prayer pose, and use the elbows as levers to open your knees a little farther, keeping the spine long and chest open. Feel tension in the lower back begin to melt away. 

• If your heels aren't planted down, try opening your feet a little wider apart 

1. Hold here for several breaths 
2. To come out, place hands on the floor and straighten your legs. Next, slowly roll up one vertebra at a time and step your feet together in Mountain Pose.

Week 21/52!!!!

MEDITATION/MESSAGE

In today's world it is virtually impossible to avoid stress; almost everyone is carrying some amount of it. Most of us are so used to carrying the burden of stress; we can hardly imagine our lives without it. We think it is simply an unavoidable part of life. Stress seems to be intrinsically woven into the fabric of our lives; hanging around in our bodies creating strain. It presses in on us from all sides, causing tension and pain. 

Yet, Jesus says, "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Mt. 11:28-30)
The first thing we must do to be free from our stress and worry is to come before Jesus. Without Him, our life has no real purpose or depth. We simply run from one activity to another, seeking to fill our lives with purpose, peace, and happiness. 

"All man's efforts are for his mouth, yet his appetite is never satisfied." (Ecc. 6:7)

If we do not know our real purpose in life; our reason for existing may seem very meaningless. Yet, God created each of us with a special purpose in mind. There is something that needs to be done on this earth that can only be done by YOU. No matter who we are, we are bound to have tribulation in this life, it is unavoidable. But having trouble in this life is not the issue; the real issue is how we react to it. The trials we face in this world will either break us or make us strong. Until you have fully committed yourself to God and your foundation is dug deep into Him, discerning what His perfect will is for your life, will be a huge challenge. When the storms of life come, as they are bound to do, you will only worry and fret and walk around with an ache of stress. Who we are under pressure reveals who we really are. The storms of life wash away the thin covering that we present to the world and will expose what lies deep in our heart. God, in His mercy, allows the storms to hit us so we will turn to Him & be cleansed of the sin that we were not able to see in the times of ease. We can either turn to Him and receive a soft heart in the midst of all our trials, or we can turn away and harden our heart. In all things God allows us the freedom of choice, which will you choose?

NOOSE POSE DESCRIPTION

In the previous weeks, we have mentioned great poses for relieving stress and letting go of tension. Carrying on with a similar theme this week, noose pose is another great posture for relieving stress and tension. With any spinal twist, it will help relieve tension in the muscles of the spine. Noose is more of an intermediate pose but with the noted modifications anyone may add it to their yoga practice. As you practice the posture, meditate with God, knowing that He will bring you peace in the midst of your trials and stress.

* For beginners it may be helpful to stand sideways, with a forearms distance, next to a wall

• Standing tall in Mountain Pose with feet hip-width
• Slowly, with a straight spine fold into a forward fold
• Bend the knees coming into a full squat, with the bottom resting on heels

* If you're not able to get the heels fully on the floor, try resting heels on a thickly folded blanket or a rolled up mat

• Inhale & lengthen the spine long, taking any roundness out of the back
• Shift knees slightly to the left
• As you exhale, twist your torso to the right
• The left elbow presses against the outside of your right knee, acting as a lever to help you deepen the twist
• Slowly, inch the left arm down the side of your leg, moving the back of the left shoulder toward the outside of the right knee

*Eventually, you can place the knee into the armpit, as you bend your elbow, & move the forearm around the front of the shins

• Exhale & flow the other arm behind the back
• Preparing to bind your arms, Grasp the top hand with the bottom hand
• Use the pressure of the bind to lengthen out your left side and deepen the twist
• Maintain long slow & steady breaths deep into the belly
• Hold here for several full breaths then release out the twist as you exhale
• Repeat on the opposite side

MEDITATION/MESSAGE


One thing is essential and Mary has chosen it....She has found what is important and that won't be taken from her... Ah the story of Mary and Martha. I have a sweet take on this; here is what I have found...in my own life there have been precious moments of exchange between God and I. These exchanges are personal, intimate and unexplainable to others ( by this I mean there is no way to truly relate the experience from your perspective to another who cannot nor will not ever have your perspective) It is a unique gift that God has given us, one that simply draws us where we are into awareness of His presence. He is looking right at us, with Loving eyes that adore and say, “ You are my Beloved, won’t you come with me?” The instant we think we have arrived at the most expansive sense of who God could be and how much He can love us, He will break through our insufficient thinking and make Himself known, once more, in a deeper way than before. And all we have to do is be willing to look....to believe in a reality that says God is greater than even what our sense of Him has been and that this reality can and will grow as expansive as our God truly is.....as well allow our reality to shift. So no matter how you find your way to The Well, go; again and again and drink of The Water of Life. You do not have to wait until you are thirsty. Once you understand that you need The Water, always and for all things..you can begin to go to The Well more frequently, drawing from the Source and feeling the Power and Healing that come from each drink. You cannot get enough Water and when the first well you came to runs dry, follow Him to the next trusting that He knows you and your true needs. You begin to find the One Essential in this life and He will not take it from you....He may move you and mold you, but never remove Himself or you from His feet. May you find surrender and peace as you partake of that which is Essential...


SEATED STRADDLE POSE DESCRIPTION


The idea with this pose is the simplicity of turning to Him and surrendering at His feet; letting everything else fall away from you so that Truth, Light, Healing, Peace and Joy are what you find as you arrive there. Aware of His presence all around you every day, every moment, every second....As you begin to see your need for this awareness; you find yourself at His feet...so simple go to The Well in whatever way you know how and partake...


~From a sitting position, spread your legs apart until they won't go any further. 
**Sitting on a cushion will help tilt your hips. 
~Fold forward, resting your weight into your hands with your arms straight-out in front of you
~Flex or point your toes (try both and see which one fits best for you)
~breath and surrender...stay here as long as you are able...remain with Him as long as you need...It will not be taken from you!!!!


SONG SUGGESTIONS
The Secret Wedding off the Braveheart soundtrack
Satisfy by Bethany Dillon
In My Veins by Andrew Belle