May Finale
- Bailee Chavez
- May 26, 2024
- 5 min read
Hey blog! Happy last Sunday of May 2024.
I am excited for June and the rest of the summer, and expectant that God will work in great ways :)
Since we last talked, I merged this blog and my podcast, previously called the Live, Learn, Love Podcast.
They now have the same name and are managed by BOTH Breanna and I.
We will share similar content on both, including conversations about faith, health, love, lifestyle, and more.
I love the name Happiest Here because it really reigns true. Breanna and I love living our lives and then having the ability to come back here and share what we have learned with our readers/listeners.
Please follow our combined Instagram page for the podcast and blog!
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This week was graduation for many high schools! It is wild that I have been graduated from high school for three years now. Although I feel like I was just in high school, a quick look at my camera roll reminds me of all that has happened since then.
Some things never change, while others couldn’t be more different.
This season is a sweet reminder that new beginnings exist and that nothing lasts forever.
Trials eventually cease, kids grow up, teachers retire, people move, and life goes on. Despite all the changes that happen each year, God remains the same. I am so thankful for the anchor I have in Him.
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I have 3 ideas I want to discuss this week.
1. Just Because You Think It Doesn't Mean It's True
Praise Jesus that He is sovereign over our thoughts. He is not deterred by our doubtful declarations.
How many times have you declared something as true out of doubt, insecurity, or fear- only to be proven wrong?
Don’t worry, you’re not the only one. I think everyone has done this.
We declare we are not smart.
We declare that we will never find someone to do life with.
We declare our unworthiness.
We declare that things will go badly.
It’s almost as if we are dedicated to our own demise. Thus, it takes intentionality to renew our minds in Christ.
Personally, I find so much peace in knowing that I am not really in charge of things. I make my plans, but it is the Lord who has the final say in determining my steps.
I don’t truly know what I need at times. So, I am so glad to have a Savior that knows every aspect of me and who has GOOD plans for me. No greater gift exists.
2. Fix Your Perspective ASAP
I was reminded of the importance of renewing your mind and returning to Christ ASAP this week while doing the dishes. When loading the dishes into the dishwasher, I always try to get most of the food off of them first.
The easiest way to do this is by rinsing a dish immediately after use. If this isn't done, and the debris has a chance to dry, then it is very difficult to get off and requires scrubbing.
Further, if the dishes are not put in the dishwasher immediately, then the sink can fill up quickly.
Before I know it, the sink is full of dishes with dried debris, which could have altogether been avoided if I had rinsed them and put them in the dishwasher as they were used instead of waiting.
The same can be true of our perspective.
We often let small lies fester in our minds, thinking they are no big deal.
A thought that we aren’t enough, that we are forgotten about, that we don’t have what it takes, or that we are lacking in some way, can quickly spiral out of control if we don’t submit to Christ.
As time passes, these lies can build upon each other like dirty dishes in a sink.
The mess of our minds can be diminished significantly by simply rinsing off the dishes as they come, aka correcting or letting go of counterproductive thoughts as they arise.
Sadie Robertson once said that we often play the game of two truths and a lie in our heads.
For example, two things may be true- such as
You made a grade that was less than you wanted on an exam.
&
2. You didn't schedule in enough study time.
But a lie, such as that you are destined for failure, should not be accepted as a third truth.
When you are upset, practice asking yourself if what you are accepting as truth is actually true or if that is just one way you are interpreting your situation.
The Salutatorian at a graduation I attended this week told the audience that you learn more about yourself amid failure than you do during success. Although I think both failure and success offer ample opportunity for growth, the inevitability and importance of failure cannot be discounted. Failure is just an opportunity for growth in interesting packaging.
3. Keep Climbing
If you know me, you know I don’t particularly enjoy elevator rides. I can ride them, but I’d rather take the stairs- and that’s not just because it provides more physical activity.
It’s because the thought of getting stuck in an elevator makes my skin crawl.
Of course, from time to time, I am forced to practice exposure therapy.
Still, when it is safe and possible, I always opt for the stairs.
One day this semester, while climbing the stairs of my parking garage, I was looking down at my phone. I was so distracted that I completely passed the floor my vehicle was on. I actually wound up at the door of the sixth floor of the parking garage.
I didn’t even know there was a sixth floor! I definitely thought it maxed out at floor 5.
Although I wouldn’t recommend being so inattentive to your surroundings while navigating through a parking garage, this silly story can be translated into a lesson for everyday life.
I think many of us, myself included, make our own journeys more difficult by focusing on every little hurdle [stair step] we will face.
If we could let go of our worries, let more positive thoughts fill our minds, and just keep climbing, I think we might find ourselves at new and unexpected heights.
"If you can't fly, then run. If you can't run, then walk. If you can't walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving."
- Martin Luther King Jr.
This week, remember there are a million better ways to spend your time than on worrying. See ideas here.
Unfortunely, I found myself experiencing a migraine this past week and could not partake in these activities. Luckily, audiobooks, podcasts, and meditation videos exist. This guided meditation was particularly helpful for me this week.
Alabaster Guided Meditation.
This week, I also read the book of Joel and was encouraged by this verse, which prompts believers to submit wholeheartedly to Christ. It doesn't matter how "Christian" we appear on the outside if our hearts aren't truly submitted to Him.
Even now, declares the LORD, return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.
Joel 2:12-13 NIV
Another one of my fav verses this week was:
Breanna will be delivering blog content for the month of June, but you can find me on the podcast!
Listen to our latest episode, where we discuss relationships: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7cbjI8yKQisPx4Ku8qF2Ay?si=dNm3k2-1SiiVkd50NV9vpw&context=spotify%3Ashow%3A51YWVxnEwPCsgZ8kA1gmZc
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