My Mind in March
- Bailee Chavez
- Mar 17, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: Mar 17, 2024
Happy Sunday! It’s my turn to cover the blog for the month of March, but I see I have already missed 2 weeks haha. Actually I considered my posts for NEDA as part of my March contribution, so maybe I just missed one week!
Nevertheless, I am here today, and that is all that matters. Today wraps up spring break (my last SB of undergrad) and marks the I beginning of the end of the spring semester.
This semester has been the busiest academic term yet, and life has a looked a lot like cycling through assignments for each of my classes, prioritizing what’s most pressing, and leaving whatever material can’t get covered / assignments that can’t get a lot of attention in the Lord’s hands. He really has provided so far in so many ways!
Of course, though, despite my busy schedule, the Lord’s soft whispers to my heart never leave. Here are some ideas that He’s put on my heart lately.
After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
1 Kings 19:12
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To try to compensate for our sin and shortcomings by withholding pleasure is saying that what Jesus did on the cross wasn’t enough. When tempted to self-punish through self-loathing, self-neglect, or self-harm, it’s important to ask ourselves why Jesus died on the cross. To take away our sins !!! When we try to compensate for our mistakes through unhealthy behaviors instead of moving forward, we are wasting our time trying to earn our own righteousness. What can wash away our sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9
Comparison has no place in our life when we accept that iron is meant to sharpen iron. You cannot thrive alone & neither can anyone else. We are meant to help each other.
Also, you cannot expect two people to be the same. Everyone has a different set of God-given responsibilities, and our wins will look different. One person's win may be spending the day doing homework, while another person's win may look like going out with friends. Likewise, one person's win may be being content with going on a walk for exercise, while another person’s win may be completing an intense workout. We restrict each other's growth when we want each other to be the same. I think Breanna and I are a great example of how two people can be so similar but also so different.
For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:12
Focus on what God has placed in front of you right now rather than listening to the opinions of others. Life is so interesting because in one environment you will be made to believe you aren’t doing enough. while in another you will be told you’re doing too much. If you allow yourself to be influenced by either groups too much, you will constantly be changing and conforming to please others instead of pleasing God. You know what God has put in front of you to steward. I pray you have the strength to be diligent in your obedience to God's plan, even if nobody else understands it.
So that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
Ephesians 4:14
Although the parental relationship in this world mirrors the way in which the Lord cares for us, His care even supersedes the love a parent has for their child. You are free to come to Him in your less than perfect mood- flaws and fears exposed. Even the best parents don’t scratch the surface of who God is for us.
On the topic of parenting... when considering your own habits and behaviors- if you wouldn’t want something for your future daughter or son, then God likely wouldn’t want it for you. This notion has helped me navigate what deserves my attention recently.
If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
Matthew 7:11
You can worry, or you can worship. This is quite a niche example, but definitely something that comes up while being a twin and helps to paint a picture of my point. Being a twin, especially twins that have very similar characteristics from a bird's eye view, can raise concern over if the right people will be able to tell us apart. Instead of worrying about this though, we can rejoice that God is going to show up for us individually and that our differences, though faint to some, will be clear as day to the right people. This will be true in terms of our future careers, future spouses, and future opportunities.
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
1 Peter 5:6
The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes
Proverbs 21:1
A loss can be a win.
The show The Bachelor actually highlighted this to me. On the show, although there are many girls hoping to leave with a ring on their finger, only one ultimately wins and ends up in engaged. However, one of the girls not chosen will have the opportunity to be the Bachelorette in the next season. This is what happened to Charity Lawson. Charity could have seen her lack of engagement at the end of The Bachelor as a major loss, but instead she perserved. Her initial loss led to her becoming the next Bachelorette, finding her husband, being on Dancing with Stars, and I’m sure a host of other opportunities.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
Romans 8:28
Our perception of ourselves only influences our day, not another person’s. People don’t know our biggest insecurities if we don’t wear them on our sleeve. Don’t self sabotage. Accept where you would like to grow and commit to not letting your insecurities make you miss a beat. You are in charge of what influences you. Don’t be your own worst enemy. Healthy relationships flow from a right relationship with God and with yourself.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:30-21
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Content I’ve been loving lately :
Food Psych Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0GS2IhAsxrGXi4rfBP3nNh?si=TCJcVYQwSM2fAHxQY-uyjA
ImmaEatThatBlog:
The Sloane Elizabeth Show: https://open.spotify.com/show/7hQARWPhwuwfDZBAMXm9Eg?si=DSfJkI_sS1ahozDxNiXseA
Latest Call Her Holy Episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Ujzah6iS6LCvQFTLzvePx?si=K6hzwWv-QACxMxbHv1nVAQ
Music by Livingston:
My Podcast 🤭:
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