Self Care Tips from a Amateur

Y'all. This is a tough topic for me. The thing is, I'm not good at self care.

But I do believe taking care of our bodies and minds is truly important (though so often neglected.) It is vital to be good stewards of our bodies. Therefore, today, I bring you Self Care Tips from a Amateur (me!)

1. Breathe 

Just. Breathe.
When you feel the stress coming on, take a moment and do some deep breathing. Hold it in for four seconds, then blow air out for four seconds. There are so many benefits to deep breathing but one of them is it lowers your blood pressure and decreases stress.

2. Positive thoughts

Thoughts are so important to mental health. Thoughts--what we allow into our minds--can either make us or break us. When we allow negative thoughts to take us captive, we will become angry and depressed. But if we turn our thoughts around, we have the ability to also turn our frown upside down. It's all in how we look at things.

With positive thinking, "I hate doing the dishes," turns into, "I glad for the ability to wash dishes, and I'm glad for the food that was eaten off these dishes, and I'm glad for the health that the food provided my family."

You get the point. And I think everyone already knows how good positive thoughts can effect us. So why is it so hard to actually practice? I don't know, but I do know that the more we practice positive thoughts, the more we will get accustomed to thinking in positive ways instead of falling into the negative thought patterns.

3. Workout

Not only are you caring for your body when you workout, but you are also channeling some energy into something that will make you feel productive and so much stronger!
But workout the smart way, don't go and hurt your body by trying to lift too much. Work your way up to your goals. And if you need any workout advice, comment below!

4. Shower

Just take a shower. (Preferably after your workout...) Keeping a clean appearance is not only great for the people who are around you, but also one of the best forms of self care!

5. Eat your greens & stay hydrated 

What we put into our bodies as fuel is extremely important. My family has found this out the hard way, and eating a healthy lifestyles has been the ultimate struggle of hopping on and off the healthy eating "wagon."

Greens, berries, and grains are some of the amazing power foods for heart health.
It's recommended 2 cups raw greens, or 1 cup cooked for a daily serving. Recommended 1/2 cup fresh or frozen berries, or 1/4 cup dried for a daily serving.

Also, drink your water! It's recommended that you get half of your body weight in ounces.

(Remember, self care is loving yourself enough to take care of your health.)

6. Take free time

When I was a kid, I'd make detailed schedules for my day (most likely, they never got fully completed because my time slots were pretty non flexible, lol.) But, I'd always put "free time" after my schoolwork was done.
And now, I realize that "free time" is actually a great form of self care. Throughout your busy day, give yourself a recess every once in awhile. Take 15, 30, or 60 minutes of just plain free time. Give yourself a break. Set your timer and do whatever you like doing in free time, then get back to work. Free time allows you to recharge for the remainder of you day.

7. Declutter your space

Trust me, you'll feel so much better! And you'll sleep better too! Tidy the house, clean your bathroom, make your bed, sweep the floor, all the while rocking out to some oldies while you do so! Keeping your living space free from clutter is a huge task, but one that is worth it once things are put in order. It's best to take time each day and do something to declutter. Otherwise, it can get overwhelming.

8. Do something fun

Sometimes, you just need to do something that is fun. Something that makes you excited. Something that brings you happiness. Pamper yourself. Do something creative.
If all you do is work, work, work. That is not good self care at all...

9. Fresh air

Get outside. Do yourself a favor and get some Vitamin D. Soak up that sunshine and breath in that fresh air. Go for a walk, get the mail, go for a four wheeler ride, explore the woods. Garden, mow the lawn, play volleyball. Just do something that requires you to go outside and enjoy nature!

10. Read your Bible

I'm awful at this form of self care. But just because I'm awful at this, doesn't mean I can't try my best to get better at reading my Bible. Make time for Bible reading (and not just reading, but studying) because that connection you make with Jesus is going to get you through your day.

How do you care for yourself? Do you have any more Self Care tips to add to my list? Comment below with one thing you like to do in your "free time"!

Many Blessings,

Brooklyne Elysse

Dare to be a Daniel

Dare to be a Daniel

Dare to be a Daniel, dare to stand alone. Dare to have a purpose firm and dare to make it known.

Being bold in your belief is hard, especially when you are the minority. In order for us to dare to be a Daniel, we have to stand up for what we believe in. Even if we feel like we want to follow the rest of the majority and blend in. I struggle with this a lot because I don't like to stand out and be different, but the Bible calls us to be just that.

Lets take a look at the life of Daniel.

Daniel and his friends first showed their courage when they would not eat the Kings delicacies. Daniel stood up for what he believed in and eventually asked for a test. Daniel 1:12-14 “‘Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance be examined before you, and the appearance of the young men who eat the portion of the king’s delicacies; and as you see fit, so deal with your servants.’ So he consented with them in this matter, and tested them ten days.”

After the ten day test Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego appeared so much more healthier than the other young men. Because Daniel obeyed God rather than men, God blessed them. Daniel 1:17 “As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature an wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.”

A time later when king Nebuchadnezzar had a dream, he called his wise men to him because he needed a interpretation. But he wanted them to tell him his dream and none of them could, so he began to kill all of his wise men. When Daniel heard of this, he went to the king and asked for time. And what did Daniel do with the time he was given? He went to his friends and they all prayed. They asked God for mercy and understanding.

God heard their fervent prayers, and through a night vision, gave Daniel the interpretation of the kings dream. All the while, giving God the glory for the interpretation. Daniel told the king both his dream and its meaning. (I encourage you to read Daniel 1 and 2 for the whole story!)

So what makes these four brave men stand out among the rest? Well, for starters, they stood  firm in their belief, despite the temptations and challenges. And another thing is, they had a strong connection with the Lord. They prayed fervently, and had faith in God. They trusted His will in their lives. They were faithful servants. And because of this, God blessed them and made a way for them.

That’s pretty amazing, am I right?! I don’t think I would have had the willpower, the trust, and the strength, to do what they did. But they didn’t crumble under the pressure. They didn't compromise their belief just to “fit in.” And that, my friend, is something we must strive to do in our daily lives and in the decisions we make moment by moment.

So I encouraged you (and myself) to stand firm in what you believe. Stand firm in the truth of the Bible.

Dare to be a Daniel. Even if that means standing alone.

How are some ways you dare to be a Daniel? Tell me in the comments below! 

Warning Signs

Just as we put our jet skis into the clear water, it started to rain. 

Not just any rain but rather, big fat droplets falling in a rapid down pour. I was freezing, circling my jet ski, waiting for my sister who was having troubles starting the one that she was on. My little sister held on tightly to my life jacket, all the while, we all were wondering who in the world thought that this was a fun idea. Finally my older sister was able to start her jet ski, and we took off, with hopes that the rain and storm would blow over soon. 

We were trying out a new lake that had really pretty scenery, that is, if we were able to see it through the pelting rain. I squinted through the hail-like water droplets, goosebumps on my arms and legs. We were trying to find the beach where we could wait out the storm, but we didn’t know where exactly where it was located. We had a ways to go. 

We stopped out in the middle of the lake. We were all not having fun. That’s when my sister noticed my hair, and I saw her hair. Even though our hair was in braids, both of our wispy’s and loose strands were standing strait up! Like if you were to have rubbed a ballon on our heads, and the static makes the hair stand strait up. We all knew what that meant. We were out in the middle of water, in a storm. We didn’t see any visible lightning, but knew we were in serious danger of getting struck by it. 

So, what do we do now?!? 

First of all, we didn’t have many options. We had to get to the beach and get off the water! We could barely see what we thought was the beach, so we headed for it as fast as we could. The rain stung, but the urgency to get off the water was the only thing that mattered. I prayed, and I prayed hard. 

We made it to the beach, and pulled our jet skis up far enough onto the sand so that they wouldn’t float away. We safely made it to the RV where we told our scary adventure to our parents. It was one of those moments when we knew our angels were with us and watching out for us!

You know, I can’t help but think what would have happened if we hadn’t payed close attention to the warning signs we were given. If we would have stayed out on the water and waited for the storm to pass.

There are warning labels and caution signs everywhere. Whether it be driving on the road, or on a child’s play toy. And we must take these signs seriously for our own good. 

Do you think God has given us warning signs? How about when He told or more like warned, Adam and Eve NOT to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Genesis 2:16,17 

“And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

Every warning sign comes with a consequence. If we wouldn’t have listened to our warning sign of our hair standing strait up, our consequence could have been getting struck by lightning. For a driver who didn’t heed the speed limit sign around a tight curve, that consequences might result in rolling the car. For a parent who did not heed the sticker on a small toy, the consequence might be for their child to choke on it. For Adam and Eve, since they did not heed the warning of God, their consequence resulted in death. 

Don’t be fooled by the looks of things. We didn't see the lighting, but that doesn't mean it wasn’t there. A driver might think that the turn wasn’t very sharp, but he wouldn’t have known until he was right upon it. A parent might read the warning label as a silly suggestion, but that doesn’t mean their child will not want to stick it in their mouth. Adam and Eve saw that the fruit looked good, and were tricked by Satan to not listen to God’s warning. 

There are lots of warnings in the bible that we should NOT ignore. One big one for me is, to get ready for Jesus to come again. He is coming quickly! And we need to be ready when he comes. We don’t want to fall asleep (Matthew 25:1-13). 

We need to share this good news, because we have been chosen to be his hands and feet. Even if we are a very small part, even if we are his fingers and toes, if we are doing all that we know how, if we are striving to be His light, then we have done our part. 

And aren’t fingers and toes very important?! We might feel like we are so small and feel as if we don’t make an impact, but as long as we are following God’s direction, we ARE making a impact. Even the smallest of sparks, can still light a forest fire! 

So, summing up. Listen to the warnings around you. And most of all, take heed to God’s instructions and warnings in the Bible. 

Jesus is coming again! Lets do our part and shine our light! 

We were able to go back out on the water when the storm blew over. It turned out to be a very fun day! Here are some pictures I took...!

Have you ever been in a scary situation that you knew your angels helped you out of? Do you think warning labels are important? Have you ever gone jet skiing? What is one thing that you are thankful for today, right this second? 

Lets talk about it in the comments below! ;D

Happiness vs. Joy

Happiness 

Written by Brooklyne 

A feeling

That makes you

Hold in your breath

A feeling

That makes you

Feel butterflies 

A feeling

That makes you

Smile, non-stop 

A feeling 

That makes you

Sing like crazy

A feeling

That makes you 

Dance, just because

A feeling

That only lasts

But a moment 

Joy

Written by Brooklyne 

A mindset 

That keeps you

Thankful for life

A mindset 

That keeps your

Heart, filled with love

A mindset

That keeps your 

Smile, joyful

A mindset 

That keeps you 

Singing throughout

A mindset 

That keeps you

Dancing in rain

A mindset

That only One

Can bestow it 

A mindset

That only you 

Can choose to keep

A mindset

That will last you 

A whole lifetime! 

The feeling of happiness can last for a season

vs.

The mindset of joy can last for years to come

Happiness depends on your circumstance 

Joy is seen no matter you circumstances

Choose joy! 

Philippians 4:4

"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!" 

➳✩➳✩➳✩

How have you been joyful this August? What is the difference between happiness and joy to you? Lets talk in the comments! :D