Hi Sweet Friend,

Have you been in a season of trial? Does it seem like you’re being hit left and right? You might feel the dizzying effect of life stressors and would appreciate some tips on how to practice Biblical Self-Care. My hope is that I can uplift you through some of my personal experiences.

In the next few emails, I will encourage you with simple steps of Biblical Self-Care as you navigate this tough season;

#1 It’s ok to take a step back & rest in the Lord.

You may have noticed a visible absence from my social media and email notifications recently. That’s for good reason. Our family has been battered with some unexpected hits in the last several months. My husband lost his job, my single sister and her two young girls moved into our 488sqft RV, we all got Covid, and one of my sons eloped unanticipatedly. We had to cancel all of our summer plans and readjust to our new normal. Whatever that was!

Falling apart may have been an acceptable reaction, but not one that would yield results. I didn’t have the answers, and neither did my husband. We were left feeling directionless and overwhelmed. After a few days of shell shock and bouts of depression, we thought we needed to take conventional wisdom and logical action steps that paved a new path in the right direction. What we discovered was conventional wisdom wasn't the kind of wisdom we needed and, no action was action. Let me explain;

When we are slammed with trials, many go in one of two directions, complete frenzy or utter despair.

But what does God want us to do?

Rest.

Rest may seem counterintuitive, but in reality, it is Biblical. It’s not the kind of rest we may be tempted to participate in. You know, the curl up into a ball, pull the sheets over your head, and wait for the storm to pass kind of rest? Nope, Biblical rest is described in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

There are key instructions in this verse that I underlined. The first is “Come to me.” Such a simple invitation leads to the next course of action… “Learn from me.” If we are too busy in our despair or utter frenzy, we miss the simplicity of His instructions. Not only does He want us to come to Him, but He also wants us to learn from Him. To make the invitation even more alluring, He reminds us that in the harshness of our circumstances, He is gentle and humble in heart, ready and willing to embrace us at our lowest point. Ummmmm....YES PLEASE!

Coming to Him is an invitation into His arms where you can rest as He teaches you. He does this through the Holy Spirit. As you read your Bible, you will find yourself learning from Him in an intimate and personal way. The frenzy and anguish dissipate as He leads you through the storm. Its not that the storm goes away; it’s that the storm doesn’t take you under. You trust Him.

Remember Jesus’ invitation to Peter to walk on water? In Matthew 14:25, “Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

We are Peter right now taking that step of faith out onto the water in the middle of the storm. He is asking us to not be afraid, don’t take our eyes off of Him and trust that He has us. He is truly the son of God.

So friend, it’s okay to take a step back in whatever necessary means you have to to get your eyes fixated on God amid the storm. Do what He instructs, go to Him, and put yourself in a position of rest from fear while you learn from Him. That may mean taking a temporary hiatus from social media, fasting, and cutting back on things that have been a distraction from your spending time with the Lord. Ultimately, my husband and I don’t have the answers to the hardships we are experiencing. We don’t know what to do, but God does. Our eyes are fixated on Him; we trust Him with our lives AND our future. Whatever that is!

Enjoy this Biblical Self-Care tip and take in this season of rest while you grow and learn from God.

TIP: Follow Him. Rest. Learn. Grow.

He will take your hand and lead you through this.

Love, Bethannah xoxo

BIG NEWS!

You can now find my products in two new AR Workshops in California, including Coronado &San Marcos! ​

Make sure when you stop in to do one of their fun summer projects, you let them know Bethannah sent you! They have awesome summer camps going now that you won't want your kids to miss! xoxo

Find me on Instagram @lovebethannah (I'll be back on soon. I am thankful for the rest and I'm excited to get back to encouraging you and share all that God is teaching me during this challenging season).