Keys & Purses ~ Unlocking ancient detox secrets that are guaranteed to improve our health in the new year

I start chucking items frantically out of my purse on to the floor on a rampage.

Sunglasses, reading glasses, wallet, hand sanitizer, 9 pens (who needs 9 pens?),  a book, cords, charger, snacks, an empty package of lozenges, 3 tea bags and a flattened caramel from a past conference with who knows what growing underneath the wrapper - nasty.    

I still can't remember where I put them.

There on my hands and knees, surrounded by my hoarded purse contents I hear this voice telling me to stop the madness.

I was hardly in the mood for a conversation, none the less I concede and flop down amid the mess on the dusty floor.

How can you find what you really need in life when you are carrying around all this baggage? 

What if like the items in my purse I could simply dump out the contents that I cram and hoard in this brain and heart of mine?

What 
baggage
 are you
 hoarding
  and
holding
on to?

There are books, blogs and products galore that promise to de-clutter or detox us into healthier, happier and more purposeful versions of ourselves for the new year.

Coffee enema anyone?

Yes, that is apparently a thing, but since I don't drink the stuff I think I will pass on the benefits of that one!

What if I could de-clutter or detox my soul to eliminate the excess that I have been carrying around on the inside?

What or who might I discover? 

No fancy gimmicks and no costly programs necessary.

A daily spiritual cleanse if you will...

"Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute! 6-7 Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life."
Philipians 4: 6,7 ~ The Message

Spiritual leaders for centuries have been practising the spiritual discipline of letting go.

We let go and let Christ displace our worry so that our lives can be found in Him.

Elimination -
 a necessary
journey to 
 spiritual renewal
What if this year we learn to trust and...

Let go of the need to ...

be perfect

be liked

be right

control the things and people in our lives



Let go of the fear of ...

making mistakes

failing to live up to the expectations of others

rejection

losing someone or something we hold dear



Let go of the shame of...

wounding or disappointing those we love

names and labels we have worn from those who have hurt us

our sin and past mistakes
“Getting over
 a painful
 experience
is much
like crossing
monkey bars.
You have to
let go
at some point
in order to
move forward.”
  •  – C.S. Lewis.
Letting go however is only the beginning.

We can de-clutter our closets, detox our body or thoughts all we want, but if we don't modify what we consume the baggage will only continue to accumulate.

Who or
 what will
 consume us
 throughout
this year?

Will it be fear or Christ who consumes us?

When it comes to our physical health goals we recognize that without a plan and schedule to exercise and eat right we are guaranteed to fall into our same old habits.

Our spiritual lives are no different.

We need a plan and it will require discipline.

The good news is we are not alone.  God delights to help us in our weakness. 
What will
be your
daily rhythm
in 2018?

There on the hardwood floor, the search for keys unlock an unexpected door to the secrets of spiritual health.

I grab one of my 9 pens and begin to craft my daily rule of life for this new year.  Creating A Rule Of Life


Nicole's Rule Of Life for 2018


Step 1:  The Daily Philippians Detox

Spiritual Discipline:  The practice of Letting Go


Step 2:  The Daily Philippians Nourishment Guide

Spiritual Disciplines:  

Celebrate Him

Revel in Him

Praise Him

Love Others Through Him

Thank Him

Pray To Him

Trust In Him


Desired Outcome:

To encounter and live fully awake in Christ




Father,

Help us to live this year with pure and simple devotion to you. Teach us to know and experience your love so that we may let go of everything that distracts from You.  Please show us the way that we may consume food that truly satisfies the soul. Thank you that we are not alone and that you will help us to live fully awake in You.

In the beautiful name, 

Jesus - The Way, The Truth and The Life   


By the way - found the car keys.

They were not in my purse after all - I left them in my coat pocket.

Crisis averted.


I would love to hear about any spiritual disciplines that you might be exploring throughout this year together with Christ.  Feel free to subscribe at the top of the page to have posts sent directly to your inbox or leave a comment so we can encourage one another along the way.


Let us cultivate the seeds that nourish our interior castle.
May we be attentive to the unfolding of the beauty of our Beloved so that we may live every day overflowing with the fullness of Christ.


Thank you for stopping by and making this Castle your home.

  





Comments

  1. The spiritual discipline I'm meditating on is Practicing the Presence of God, per Brother Lawrence. Did you know that there is a modern translation of the book and it costs less than $4 to download the e-version of it to a Kindle. We are on the same path and I am feeling the difference.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much - I had no idea that there was a modern translation. Brother Lawrence has been one of favourites!

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