Tag: challenges

Barefoot Devotions

It’s A Soul Fight

Hannah B.

Have you ever wondered why you did something particular as though you were on autopilot?  You have done this every day for the past five years and you do it without thinking about it, without acknowledging it.  But what happens when you intently start thinking about your everyday actions, encounters with others, habits, and thoughts?

This my friends is how you begin to change your mindset! Read up.

You thoughtfully and meticulously think about what you are thinking, how you are feeling, and physical actions you do without thinking about it. Then you analyze what you discover and make a conscious effort to change this behavior pattern.

I have been on a journey edifying my mind, life, and actions.  I simply want to be my best self – in my mind, heart, and spirit.  The LORD has laid it upon my heart to do such things and by His grace, love, and mercy – I will identify the areas that have been pushed under the rug so to speak and we (Jesus & I) will accomplish them according to His purpose and plan.

Sounds easy right? Well, it’s not. Sorry, y’all.

It’s hard.  It’s ugly.  It’s surprising!

Here are a few things I was surprised about: 

  • Every morning I hit the snooze button for 55 minutes until I actually got up.  The LORD opened my eyes to how many minutes I wasted.

My solution: I am going to get an actual alarm clock and set it up on the other side of the room.

  • I always checked my phone after getting out of bed.  It was the first thing I did for a good ten minutes.  All my notifications from Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Email were checked and cleared.  But I didn’t accomplish anything of any real importance.

My solution: I’m fighting the flesh to keep my phone out of sight in the morning and turned on silent!

  • FACEBOOK: This app is TERRIBLE.  I spent countless minutes that seem to turn into an hour strolling through the same posts. Why would I do this to myself and the day the LORD has given me?

My solution: I logged out of Facebook and only have access to the Facebook Page manager app for my blog Facebook page.  It’s quite nice.  I actually forgot my Facebook password and had to reset it.  You can laugh, it’s okay.

  • Do you know that I make coffee 95% asleep? It’s okay. I didn’t either but I guess it’s one of those you have done so long, you just do it without having to think about it.

My solution: I’m still trying to figure that one it.

With this extra time, I have been spending so much more time praying and reading the Bible. When the urge to scroll Facebook came on, I read the Bible. It’s truly been an amazing experience!

Here is what I want to share with you:

The flesh wants to disconnect us from our life source but the soul desires to connect to our life source.  We have to say no to our flesh constantly throughout every day.  It’s saying no to social media, to that cookie, to that thought you shouldn’t have, to whatever takes your eyes off of what is good.

It’s a soul fight.

Why do we have to fight the flesh so much? It’s exhausting! My answers:

1. God wants us to choose Him every day. He wants us to desire Him and cultivate the relationship with Him.  He wants us to make choices that point toward Him.  Otherwise, we wouldn’t have free will to make choices we desire to make.

2. The enemy knows that we are weak to the desires of the world and uses the flesh to distract us.

In our choices, especially when the choice points to Jesus, He is with us. He doesn’t leave us. He doesn’t forsake us.  He gives us strength. He gives us everything we need to overcome whatever life throws our way.

When we acknowledge that His ways are better and we decide to pick up our cross and follow Him, He rewards us in our discomfort. I don’t mean that you will be given every desire of your heart but what I mean is that you will be given the needs of your soul. For example, peace, joy when the world tells you to be sad, hope when the world tells you it isn’t going to happen, and faith!

Jesus did the hard part. He just wants us to crucify our fleshy desires and follow Him.

And He still rewards us. He still gives us peace, reassurance, and love through every moment we face.

Start by committing to Him. Pray. Ask. Seek and you will find.

My favorite thing this past week has been praying this simple prayer:

Heavenly Father, Your ways are higher and far better than mine. You know my needs before I do, you know what troubles my heart even when I can not speak the words. I am seeking you and your desire for me and the word you want to give me.”

I will open my Bible to a random page and read what I find.

You might be surprised when you look down on the page.

Keep up the soul fight, y’all!

Xoxo,

Hannah B.

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Barefoot Devotions

Lessons From A Mustard Stained Shirt

Hannah B.

It never fails that when I sit down to eat, I make a mess.  It will end up on my shirt, pants, shoes (yes, I said my shoes because you never know!), and smeared on my face.  Hey, maybe even in my hair!  Sounds so graceful, huh? That’s me full of grace on the inside but not on the outside.  I will meticulously plan my steps so that I do not stumble when I am walking.  If I get ahead of myself without caution, there is bound to be an accident.

Like today when I spilled mustard on my shirt.  I hurriedly wiped the mustard off of my shirt causing it to smear into a bigger mess that needed detailed attention to be cleaned and removed from the fabric.  As I told my friend Valerie about the mess I just created, together we were able to talk out the way this mustard stain could be a positive analogy.  This, my friend, is why it is so so so good to surround yourself with God-fearing Christian friends that project you forward by being encouraging and supporting you to be your best self!

Back to the mustard mess so I can get to the good news about this fresh stain!  I could have cursed the day, let this mustard stain ruin my day, and take away from the joy of enjoying the day God has given me.  I could have been mad all day about this glob of mustard that has ruined my shirt.  Although there was an event that happened that was less than desirable, it happened and there is not one single thing  I can do to change the fact that I am wearing (and smelling) mustard on my shirt.  Until I can soak my shirt in oxy clean, it is stained and it is smelly.

Why not move on to the next best option? It is better than ruining your day, wouldn’t you agree? Perhaps in your quirky accidents, circumstances, and trials, there is something to learn, something that is almost buried under the surface.  Even though it may be right in front of your eyes, you are blinded by your fleshly eyes and are not looking with your spiritual eyes.  There is something good in every day, in every trial, and every accident – quirky or not.

Often times we find ourselves running ahead of God, hastily making decisions based on emotions and our current circumstances.  Decisions based on quick impulse especially without the guidance of the Holy Spirit can lead to a mess.  You may find yourself trying to scrub the mess with all your might but you realize the stain is spreading.  The mess is bigger than you anticipated. You find yourself wondering, “How did I get in this mess and how will I get out?”  A mess that started because you hastily ran ahead of God and decided to act on the now of your emotions and feelings regarding the circumstance.  The only lifeline you have out of this tangled mess is Jesus.  He died for your sins and for your tangled mess that cannot be untangled by human hands.  It’s a call for your complete surrender to Him.

 

Lessons Learned From The Holler:

  • Attitudes can make your day or ruin your day. It’s your CHOICE!
  • Perspective can change your outlook on any situation. Look for the good!
  • Don’t let circumstances get the best of your emotions.
  • Good spirit-filled friends are crucial to your continued growth.
  • Stay close to God so that He can set your paths straight.
  • Whatever your tangled mess, Jesus can untangle it for HIS and YOUR ultimate good for a greater purpose than you could ever imagine!
  • Ultimately, Jesus can wash our stains as white as snow.  He will wash them as white as snow – if you choose Him!

Oh! And! God’s grace is SUFFICIENT for you!

 

Thank God for mustard stained shirts.

Take that devil. You can’t ruin my day!

My eyes are on Jesus. Where are yours?

John 10:10 | The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

 

Proverbs 17:22 | A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

 

Proverbs 3: 5-6 | Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Xoxo,

Hannah B.

P.S. If you enjoyed this lesson from the holler, be sure to subscribe to stay up to date with all our stories and share on your social media feeds! Leave some love below and share what is on your mind.

 

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

 

Barefoot Devotions

Shattering Glass House Christianity and The Double Life Of A Christian

Hannah B.

We have all experienced Glass House Christianity at some point in our lives. What makes this term so tragic is that most of the time people who do not believe in Christianity have first hand experienced a Glass House Christian.

Examples resulting in Glass House Christianity:

• Gossiping – Talking about a person when they are not around.

• A do as I say, not as I do Christian aka hypocrite.

• Judging – Condemning someone for their past and present decisions, what they wear, etc.

• Pushy Christians – Pushing their belief on to you and ignoring the free will God gave.

• Christians without compassion.

John 8:7

When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”

The effects of this form of Christianity is detrimental to nonbelievers and new Christians because it corrupts the reputation of Jesus. When we classify ourselves as a Christian and do not act as Jesus would have us, we show the world who Jesus really isn’t. We show the world He is a liar, a thief, a gossip, a slanderer, and as someone who lacks compassion and condemns.

Matthew 7:5

You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

But we should know better, we know who Jesus is because we have heard the good news. We have experienced His redeeming grace and have accepted Him into our lives as our savior. Somewhere along the way we have lost sight of Him, we have allowed our rules and regulations to take over and decide who is right or wrong and how we will treat them. After all, Jesus did associate with prostitutes, tax collectors, and sinners.

Mark 2:17 On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Jesus himself said “sinners are called” and we should be like Christ in their midst loving them regardless of our differences. We are all human and sinners in need of the same blood to redeem us. We all struggle in this life and the last thing we need is to be torn down.

Steps to shattering your glass house:

• Pray and ask for forgiveness

• Read and spend time IN your Bible – this is how you will learn God’s heart. IN: To be enclosed, engrossed and wrapped up deep in God’s living and breathing word.

• Stop doing what you have been convicted of and start acting out of love toward ALL people. We all fall short but we have to get back up, try again and do better.

• Continue to pray and talk with Jesus

• Offer grace as you have been offered and forgiven of your sins.

1 John 4:20

If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.

Disclaimer: I am far from perfect and struggle with the flesh and sins as much as any Christian does. I write this out of pure conviction and the need to share with others. As I know I have not shown the love of Christ to other people and have turned people away from knowing the joy of having a relationship with Jesus Christ. Father, forgive me and for each person out there that I have turned away, I pray that somewhere along their path they made their way back to you.

I welcome your feedback and comments. Let me know if I can pray or love on you.

Xoxo,

Hannah B.

 

Barefoot Devotions

Not Forgotten

barinmysoul

It always amazes me how distracted we can get on a daily basis and forget how far we have come in life. We do our day to day things and have our day to day issues.  Could be a stressful day with work and kids and so much to do and so little time to do it.  Or I just got paid and now I have no money.

Recently, I was watching a documentary on the Oklahoma City building bombing that sadly happened back in 1995.  I remembered that I had written in my journal just a few short days afterwards about how I had felt about it.  I ran upstairs and grabbed my journal out of my suitcase full of all my teenage memories.  Which is pretty fitting considering I moved around a lot as a child.  My parents were divorced and I found myself going back and forth between the both of them.

So, I started reading my journal which only consisted of a few months from that year. I must have remembered the old saying “don’t print anything on paper that you wouldn’t want broadcasted on the front page of a newspaper” Lol. As I was reading, I couldn’t stop.  All these memories that I had blocked out.  I was such a depressed and lonely teenage girl.  I wanted to reach into that journal and hug her and tell her everything would turn out okay.  My day to day journaling consisted of boy trouble, abuse, feelings of suicide and loneliness.I had wanted to have a closer relationship with Jesus but I found myself drowning in depression and anger.

I do remember times of shaking my fists and screaming out to God to take me out of this world.  To make all this go away.  To save me.  I had no mentor back then. No woman to show me what a life for a girl is supposed to be like.  I lived with my father and my 2 brothers most of the time.  I longed for someone to see into my soul how tormented I was.  I suppose I didn’t know how to articulate any of that at the time.  I only knew how to yell and fight and defend myself.  I only knew how to express how angry and sad I was.  I got myself into quite a bit of trouble. Drugs, alcohol, premarital sex. I stopped caring about myself.

I don’t actually remember much of the details of that time; even the events I wrote about, but I do remember making my mind up at some point that I was going to look forward to the future and hold onto that last thread of hope that God was real and what I’ve learned my whole life was true and that Jesus loved me and hadn’t forgotten me.

Now, as I look around at my beautiful house and the peace in this house I see how God did deliver me.  I have wonderful children.  I didn’t do too much in my life in the right order but God still blessed me none the less.  God saw through my soul and saw my pain and He delivered me.  He set me on solid ground.  I may have messed up in so many ways but being the Sovereign God He is; picked me up, dusted me off and pushed me forward.  What an amazing mighty God we serve. And the thing is, I may have just been reminded of  some of the pain I went through growing up and some of the awful things that were said to me or done to me but I’m also reminded that I am blessed and I survived. That I was saved and He did hear my cries and I was delivered from all of it.  I don’t have to feel sad about it anymore. I don’t have to be angry.  I can forgive and I am forgiven.

The annoyances that happen in my day to day are nothing compared to what The Lord God brought me out of so many years ago.

Looking back I don’t even recognize that girl in that journal.  I know that God has transformed me.  He has worked on my heart and has mended all my little holes and patched all those rips and tears.  There may be scars but they are no longer wounds.

If you are going through a time in your life where you feel like nobody could possibly understand what you are going through or you feel like you are alone; I am a living testament that you are never alone.  God does hear you and even if you don’t see his work yet, He is working on your behalf.  It is always in the right time.

He knows perfectly and strategically where you are at in your grief or your anger or your sadness.  He knows what you need and when you need it. He knows when you are open and ready to receive it. When you can lay it all down and get on your knees and recognize that He does have your back you are ready to receive it.

If you don’t have a mentor or somebody to reach out to that will listen and pray for you or pray with you, I encourage you to get out your bible and pray.  I encourage you to find a bible based church to go to and do not isolate yourself. Reach out to other people or your pastor and ask them to pray with you.  You are loved and you are never forgotten.

Luke 12:7- “But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows”.

Valerie C.

Barin my Soul

The How To Series

The How To Series Challenge: Forgiving In Action

Hannah B.

Have you had time to let How To Forgive When You’re Angry sink in?

If you haven’t had a chance to read it, here is the link: https://barefootinaholler.wordpress.com/2018/02/08/how-to-forgive-when-youre-angry-2/

It’s my prayer that you received what you needed to fill your soul with goodness and you heard what God needed you to hear. Since forgiving is such an essential part of life, I have an experiment for you.

Ok, so I know you’re thinking what in the world does she want me to do?

Lent is coming up and instead of giving up chocolate or your favorite t.v. series, I want you to give up talking and/or thinking negativelyabout that one person who you need to forgive, you are trying to forgive but the hurt it still there or that person who for whatever reason you just don’t like. When the thoughts creep into your mind or you are just dying to talk about it…. I want you to pray for that person every time.

Part of the forgiving process requires us to pray for the person who hurt us. Yes, you read that right. You need to pray for that person.

Lent starts February 14th and will end on March 29th. This will give you a few days to pray about doing this and to prepare. Set reminders in your calendar. I will send out emails or text you myself (please ask me, seriously) but let’s do this! If you feel like you need support, find our group Facebook page. Let’s melt walls around our hearts and let’s watch what God does! I want you to add this to your story and I want to hear what God does for you & your person during this time.

Xoxo,

Hannah B. (2)