Posts by Bethany Wilkes
Release for Full Life
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How do you live your life? Does what you believe make a difference in how you make decisions? Does it reflect who you are? What are you holding on to? What do you need to release? Are you living life to the fullest? Or are you missing out on something more fulfilling? This week I was reading the part in James that talks about faith and deeds.
In the book of James in the New Testament of the Bible, James 2:18-24,26 says “‘You have faith; I have deeds’. Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.…
Read MoreRelease Control
picture from elev8.hellobeautiful.com Why do I struggle with control? Why do I try to hold on to it so tight? Why do I act like I can’t let go? Do I live by its my way or the highway mentality? Am I that stubborn? Am I that much of a control freak?
What I have realized is my problem is that I don’t trust God enough. If I did, I would let him be in control. If I trusted He is who He says He is, if I trusted his way, trusted his sovereignty, I would let him be in control. If I am working so hard to take control, that must be because I think I can do it better. Which is way off. God doesn’t even need me. He loves me. But he doesn’t need me. I get the blessing of being a part of His family and His plan when I join His team. What happens when a player tries to take control of the game without listening to the coach? It never goes well does it? The coach knows what they are doing and has the best interest of the players at heart. So we can’t take the control that isn’t meant to be ours. We have to trust the coach.
In the Bible there are countless stories of people trying to take things into their own control rather than trusting God. It is obvious when there is a big catastrophe or a larger consequence for actions of taking control. But what about the little ways? What about the small things we have in our own lives that we think God doesn’t see. Or we think he doesn’t care about. He wants everything. He is God. Wouldn’t you rather have the God of the universe in …
Read MoreRevival: Going through a Storm
Image from http://wallpapers.7savers.com/before-the-storm-wallpapers_7196_1600x1200.jpg
Alot of things have been going on in life lately. I haven’t been directly experiencing anything too crazy… except for normal life, which in a sense, always has its fair share of chaos. But I have been witnessing many storms happening to people very close to me. And because of the way I am wired up, I feel very deeply for the circumstance, the pain, the fear, the doubt, whatever emotion is joining that experience. I want to help, I want to be there for the people, I want to lend a helping hand. But in these certain situations, the distance is a little too far to stop by and drop in to help. So it leaves me feeling a little helpless. Which in reality, it is not my fault if I cannot be there to chip in. It is a blessing to love to serve and love to help out, but I can’t take that to a whole other level of obligation. If I believe God’s power is as mighty and powerful as God’s word and the truth I believe says it is, I have to believe in that power in situations where I feel helpless also. Ultimately I have nothing to give in and of my own power. My own strength, my own love for people, and my own servants heart belongs to the Lord. So out of a position of gratitude, honor, and praise to the Lord I can sometimes be of help to people. But I forget sometimes the best thing I can do is pray. Pray for them, pray with them, pray about them… Prayer is powerful.
How do I find peace in this chaos?
So if God is the perfect peace in the storms of the Bible, he can also be …
Read MoreRemembering…
This weekend we celebrate Memorial Day. Now we all might not have lost someone in war who is close to us or that we know of that has lost their life. We may not even know anyone that has fought in a war or served our country. But we can celebrate the day. We can still celebrate those lives. We can all share in the pride of our country. We can share in what it feels like to experience freedom. We can share in the gratitude and the respect for the people who have served, the families who have lost loved ones, the sacrifices that have been made.
So this memorial day. Celebrate. Remember. Think of those who have lost loved ones. Think about our country. Think about those that are serving right now. Remember our fallen heroes. Remember the men and women that went to serve. The ones who have won our independence. Don’t take what they have done for granted. Celebrate them. Remember them. And live with the gratitude of living in a free country. People had to make sacrifices. Be thankful for their strength. Be thankful for their endurance. Live thankful.
“Thus, the men and women we honor this Memorial Day are all those who have served this nation from its founding 239 years ago–since the Revolutionary War, we have lost 1,010,485 men and women in combat–as well as all those who defend us now against the threat of global terrorism.” (Dilenschneider, Robert; Huffington Post) As with the motto from September 11, Never Forget. Kids today didn’t live through September 11. They don’t know yet what our country means, what our freedom stands for. Never forget. Never forget by talking about it and remembering it. Talk about our Founding Fathers. Talk about the struggle of war. …
Read MoreAthletes PACK-N-GO when you are on the go!
One thing to the next. Always on the go. You barely have enough time to squeeze a run in let alone think about packing a lunch. That is why the pack-it is perfect to throw some easy pack-n-go snacks in an already frozen lunchbag. As an athlete, a fit-mom, a busybody, a gym rat… you always want to have some easy ready things on the go. If you keep moving, you will get hungry. Burning all those calories, you need to refuel. So it’s time to get a system to replenish your body with our pack-n-go snacks. (Which you can get this list by clicking here). One thing I always run into when packing snacks is most things I love, melt, or get hot before I have time to eat them. That is why the Pack-it is perfect. You can throw bars in there, fruit, water, etc. and my snacks do not get hot.
Why healthy snacks? Because taking care of your body matters. What you put in your body gives you energy, affects your mood, your productivity, your stress level, your self confidence, your life span, and the people around you. Eating healthy takes awareness and a little bit of planning. But it is possible. Your just have to think through the combination of different food groups that gets you everything you need in one healthy snack or meal. Eating fruit will give you a quick energy boost, but won’t sustain you. Eating carbs, protein, and fat at the same time in one snack or meal, gives you a balance. If you are on the go and don’t have much time, it is best if you find snacks that you like that have each one of those components. And it is important to fuel your body before you …
Read MoreMother’s Day DIY
This past weekend at a shower we all hosted, we did a DIY mug activity. It worked out great! We all got to make a mug for the bride (so she could have a set of mugs) and a mug for ourselves. It was so much fun to be able to be creative and make a gift! Here is two examples of what we made:
But what a perfect gift to make for Mother’s Day! You can make them for mom’s, grandma’s, friends that are moms, soon to be moms! You can even have kids help! (Ideas below on our pinterest page) It is a fun way to bless someone, and the gift will actually get used! Everyone uses mugs. Even if you don’t like coffee or tea… maybe ice cream??
What do you need:
- Oil Based Sharpies
- White ceramic mugs (These can be purchased at Dollar Stores)
- A Design
- An Oven
- Optional: Stencils/ Stickers
picture from http://blog.brika.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/brika-sharpie-mugs2.jpg
Directions:
- Think of your design
- Use the sharpies to put the design on the mug
- Bake the mug in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
- Turn the oven off and let the mug cool in the oven.
- Present your beautiful DIY gift!!
Check out some of our Pinterest Ideas and Mother’s Day Quotes if you want to make your own!
- If you think my hands are full you should see my heart
- To the world you are a mother but to your family you are the world
- You have my whole heart for my whole life
- I know what love is because of you
If you want to make some later here are the supplies on Amazon:
Sharpie Paint Marker Medium Point Oil Based All 15 Color Set
Sharpie Oil-Based Medium Point Paint Markers, 5 Fashion Colored Markers (1770459)
White …
Revive your Shopping! Mother’s Day Gift Idea
Are you in need of the perfect Mother’s Day gift? Have you been searching and searching for something to make this year’s gift different than the others? Maybe something wouldn’t be expected. Maybe a gift that keeps on giving. Well I have just the idea for you! How about an opportunity to REVIVE your shopping by checking out Groupon’s Sam’s Club offer?
Photos from Samclubs.com & Groupon.com
Sam’s Club GROUPON Offer
$45 for a Sam’s Club Membership Package (69% Off!) which includes ALL of the following.
- One-Year Sam’s Plus Membership (A $100 Value)
- $20 Gift Card
- Three Fresh Food Vouchers
- One Rotisserie Chicken
- Italian Rose Fresh Salsa (48 oz.)
- Eight Gourmet Cupcakes
Here is the link again if you want to check it out: http://www.groupon.com/
BENEFITS OF SAM’S CLUB:
- Great Prices
- Sam’s Club has Cash Rewards, a new program that provides $10 in Cash Rewards for every $500 spent on qualifying pre-tax purchases
- Self Checkout
- Click n Pull: Shop online and then drive up to the store to pick up your order
- Great Diaper prices (It is Mother’s Day soon right?)
- Different item selection
- Always clean
- Nice Shopping experience and friendly employees
- Load coupons onto card
- Plus member discounts: early shopping hours, more savings & discounts. Check it out here
- Best priced products: frozen food, paper products, some meat and produce
BENEFITS OF THE GROUPON
- One year membership for $45… ENOUGH SAID! That is a whole year worth of savings for under $50. Now I would say that is a gift that keeps on giving!
I know that some of you will be reading this and you will say, oh, well I already have Costco, or I go with …
Read MoreRevived in Action
Revived in Action
You know the moment… That one where you have been waiting for something to happen. You are hoping that someone else will make the effort. Someone else will plan, someone else will do, someone else will act. But you wait and wait, and it doesn’t happen. Getting together doesn’t happen. That phone call never comes. The days come and go. And that hope of whatever it is starts to dwindle away.
But the doubts creep in. Those feelings of should I do it? Could I do it? Is that all I’ve been waiting for? For me to get enough courage just to do it myself. Guess what. If you are having those feelings, that is probably exactly right. Just Do it. Call the friend, plan an outing, say you are sorry, confront an issue, go out of the way to reach out. Plan a party, clean your house, eat healthier, create good habits, and find joy in the little things. Take charge of your life. Stop waiting for someone else to do it, because, it will never happen. Go for it, take a risk, do something extraordinary. Ordinary breeds ordinary. Extraordinary comes from pushing the limts, being uncomfortable, and listening to those nudges that say “go for it”. As the saying goes, if you don’t do it, no one else will. And it’s true. We are all thinking the same thing. So bite the bullet, don’t let anything hold you back and whatever it is that is tugging at your heart or filling your mind, find the confidence, the time, or the purpose in going the extra mile or being intentional about your life. You have today to choose. So choose life, choose joy, and choose grace in the privilege to make a choice.
What have you …
Read MoreRevived Community
We were created to be in community with others. Whether it’s friends, co workers, aquaintances, family, etc., we weren’t meant to do this life alone. I think that is why we get that ache of feeling like we are missing something when we are alone, when we are trying to fight battles on our own, or when we isolate ourselves from the people around us. We have a real and genuine need and desire to be surrounded by people. People encourage you, people challenge you, people love you, people accept you, and people even sometimes rub you the wrong way. …
Read MoreRevived Lifestyle
Image from http://www.genpink.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/cinderella-havecourage.jpg
A few days ago we celebrated Easter. It was a day to celebrate Christ’s journey. To celebrate the new life filled with grace and truth that we can receive in Him. To live in the miracle of His resurrection. Leading up to Easter, many people enter the season of lent, either giving up something, or adding something new to their routine. Lent lasts for forty days. But why do we just take this time to focus on these things the forty days leading up to Easter. Why aren’t we continually doing an assessment of ourselves and our lives that we are always looking for ways we can grow and change. I don’t want to just live in a season of lent. I want to live a lifestyle of continual growth. I want to take what has been learned in lent or some season of growth and incorporate it into my normal life. Not just change things for a season.
I saw Cinderella this past weekend. (It is a great movie by the way) But Cinderella lived by the motto “Have courage and be kind.” That one simple statement impacted and changed her whole life. Her thoughts, actions, relationships, all came down to that one thing. What if we lived our lives this way. What if we had one motto that could impact everything. What would yours be? I think for me, I would want to Live Abundantly. I want to love abundantly, laugh abundantly, enjoy abundantly, and experience life to the fullest. And not just to live this one day but to live it every day.
To revive oneself is to “regain life, consciousness, or strength.” It is to “restore to life or consciousness and to give new strength or energy to.” I want to live a …
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