Homegrown Hospitality

Documented Faith September 2019: FREEDOM

As you read this and throughout the following month, I am going to refer to MY freedom experiences. I have been growing increasing aware of the fact that too many times I have said "should" to you and I am not here to tell you what you should or shouldn't do. My sole purpose here, online, on social media and in real life is to inspire, encourage and hopefully, creatively influence you in a positive way.

Think about that for a moment.

If the world would stop telling us what we should or shouldn't do or better yet, if we stopped listening to what the world says and more of what God says, we'd be in better shape, just sayin.

So for the past handful of years, have been working on my physical, mental, spiritual and relational roots aggressively. At the same time I have been equally working on death to self.  It sounds contradictory but it is exactly what needed to be done and it ain't over. It takes constant practice and will continue to while I am alive. It is part of living in a broken world. 

Less of me equals more of Him and the more I see Him, the more I see of me.

Think about that for a moment.

Here's the tricky part: The more focus I put on doing or not doing something, the more the enemy sees it as an invitation to be included. Thing is, he is not invited or welcome. the enemy does not want me to seek, experience or feel freedom so he will continue to try and arm wrestle me.  Again, it is part of living in a broken world.

That part won't change BUT the way I react and respond to it has. 

That is FREEDOM.

Freedom to be the person God created me to be

Freedom FROM me, free of me. 

So let's talk about FREEDOM.

Just because we have the "right" to do something does not mean we should. The freedom I am talking about is the "ability to live as one should, not as one pleases" and that is not in alignment with our world today.  While we have the "right" to do something, I am getting into the habit of asking myself first: "Is this beneficial?"

To download this weeks Documented Faith PDF, click here: Download DF2019 week 36

 

 

Arm Wrestle Match With Anxiety

This past weekend I experienced an anxiety attack. It has been almost two years since having one and the thing about anxiety is that you just never know where, when or why it shows up.  

I want to be clear that I am sharing this simply because:

• I want to encourage you if you deal with anxiety
• remind you of some things to remember when going through something like this
• and a few things to try not to say to people who may be experiencing anxiety

Please keep in mind that this is my story and every anxiety experience is different. Many will not understand, some will be confused on the "why" few will relate and that is okay. 

My Story

We had been invited to attend an event that was going to be outdoors with friends that we have known my entire life including my own family. This is the part that will confuse people, even myself, but I am explaining it the way it occurred. 

I had not committed to attending because I am not a fan of "peopley events."

I know that sounds very selfish and/or self-centered because it is not about me, but please hear me when I say it is not intentional.  I do not choose to feel anxiety over what can be a very simple thing. I am the same way about restaurants, malls, airports, and really any place that holds a lot of people and quite honestly, sometimes medication and prayer are not enough.

Now again, I am not going to try to explain the "why" because I simply don't know why and because it is very hard (or impossible) to put into words the thoughts anxiety cause. What I am going to do is share the "tools" I pulled out of my tool box for probably the first time.  Again, just sharing my situation so that it may encourage someone who deals with junk like this.

Here's the "pinball machine" (rational and irrational) dialog that went on in my head:

• "I don't want to go but I don't want to have to explain why I don't want to go so I should just go" 
• "It's not about me, it's about seeing everyone else but I don't want to see anyone right now, but because I don't want to, I should"
• "Okay, I will go"

So I get up and get the clothes out that I am going to wear.  Just getting the clothes out puts 10 bricks on my chest and the only thing I can do is breathe, but barely.

• "So I am not going" 
• Then I cry.
• I cry because I feel this way and I cry because I don't want to feel this way and I cry because I don't know why I feel this way
• I remind myself that I do not have to understand it and that I need to lean into it but all I really want to do is go to sleep. Maybe if I take a nap I will feel better but I can sleep because again, I can hardly breathe.
• "I don't have to go"  If they knew I was going through all of the mental armwrestling, they would say "oh my gosh, it's okay just stay home"
• "Lean into it.
• "Remember that these thoughts and feelings are temporary."
• "Remember what you know"

Then I ask my very patient & understanding husband "Can you tell me what to do?" (which is the wrong question for me to ask) and he says "I can tell you what I think you should do" (all the while knowing He can't make the decision for me which is the right response) and so I get up and try to distract my thoughts by watering the lawn and work on just breathing.

THIS IS A HUGE THING: BREATHING. You would not think so, but it is and helps remedy situations by just focussing on breathing. 

WELCOME TO ANXIETY

So back to the inner dialog:

• "Just don't go, we should go, I don't want to go, it's not about me"
• "Just make a decision"
• "We aren't going"

and I send a text to my mom and sister saying we aren't going and I apologize for feeling this way and not knowing why.  OH FOR THE LOVE OF PETE THIS IS EXHAUSTING.

This is when I leaned into what I know: 

• Stop thinking (because you are not thinking rationally)
• One step at a time.
• Just get up and take a step. 
• Show up (which is really hard after the mental arm wrestle you just went through)
• Don't forget what you know. Jesus is right there with you.

So I got up, got ready, got in the car and we went.  For me, in the moment, it was like climbing the high dive, walking out to the end of the diving board, holding my breath and jumping. 

But I did it.

You can too.

Just one breath and one step at a time.

Remember what you know.

REVELATION WELLNESS MEET-UP

I invite you to join me live this Saturday morning, June 22nd from 7am - 10am PST from the comfort of your own home for a Revelation Wellness Meet-Up.  This is an opportunity to learn more about THE POWER OF OUR WORDS, to engage in worship, Biblical teaching, and joyful movement. Come join me as we renew our HOPE, increase our FAITH get filled with God’s LOVE, and learn about the power of our WORDS.

Via Zoom we will workout, do a Bible study and have some good ol' community together. This is going to be approximately a three hour event and you are welcome to join me the entire time or come in and out as your schedule allows...and IT IS FREE.

ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS REGISTER HERE
To get prepared for Saturdays online event, you will need the following:

• a pen and paper
• your Bible
• a bottle of water and maybe a small snack
• put on your workout clothes
• grab some drumsticks, wooden spoons or two sticks you can beat together
• and just log on at 7:00 am PST.
  We begin with a welcome from me, a 30 minute workout by Alisa Keeton, a 1 hour Bible study and some conversation. We will wrap it up with a Be Still & Be Loved by Alisa

Once you register,  link to the Zoom page will be automatically emailed to you.

I hope to see you on Saturday morning!

Pivot

We are at the doorstep of the 1/2 way mark of 2019 and I am writing to share about a few things.

First, a word that keeps coming up in my life.

The word is PIVOT.

I actually journaled about it last October as I finished up my Revelation Wellness Instructor Training and was preparing to go on an intensive retreat.

What I wrote was this:

 

PIVOT..the end of our own strength can be the turning point to discover the power and might of God.

 

Since then, I have been obedient (sorta) at being still and waiting. Trusting and knowing full well that God is always going to provide but trying to wiggle out of the dang straight jacket I felt I had on.

 

My wiggling didn't help.

 

It may not have been apparent to you but I have completely slowed down in all creative aspects of my life and business. The only way to explain it is like when you have had the flu and you think you feel better so you get up to take a shower and you end up back in bed.

I'd try to doodle, stitch, paint or really anything and nope.

It wasn't there.

I'd try again and again, nothing.

I have not been able to describe what was happening but knew it was God working on me.

I felt it 100%.

 

The word Pivot came up again in something I saw on Instagram Monday, May 20. I wrote:

 

PIVOT: change course instead of quitting. Refine/improve something by making small changes in particular, make an idea, theory or method more subtle or accurate.

 

ALL OF THIS HAS BEEN HARD and honestly a little scary and frustrating because I just was unsure of where this was all going. I felt like a boat that was securely anchored(faith) but tied to a dock (fear) and going nowhere until a few weeks ago when just a few words were spoken over me. Someone reminded me of something I forgot to remember.

 

THREE LITTLE WORDS.

 

I am able.

 

and so are you.

 

Let's cut the rope that is holding us to the dock.

Let's Get Ready For a Summer of Stitching

It's "Let's Get Ready For Summer Stitching" sale time!

 

I am working on a brand new "Mixed & Stitched 2019 Online Workshop" and I want you to get ready to stitch with me so I marked down last summers online workshop in hopes that you will get out those old boxes of embroidery thread, grab your scraps and prepare for a summer of stitching.

 

This is a self-paced, instant access Online Workshop for the rest of your life online workshop. This means, you can access and create at any time and work at your own pace forevvveeerrrr and it is on sale NOW for $25.00!

In this workshop I take you through how to use a machine to sew scraps together to create what I call "Mixed & Stitched" Fabric. You will learn a new word: STITCHABILITY and I show you how to look at fabric in a new way (sorry, not sorry!)

THE VIDEO LESSONS:

• Go through how I use a machine to sew my scraps together to create what I call Mixed & Stitched Fabric
• Learn a new word: STITCHABILITY and how to look at fabric in a new way
• Fabric Collaging
• Adding Stitches
• Creating a cover for your Journaling Bible, Binder or Journal
• Creating Fabric Rainbows

Here is the most asked question: 

Q: Do I have to make a cover for a Journaling Bible?

A: NOPE! You can make covers for anything that already has a cover. A tiny little composition book (see photo below) a journaling Bible, a Binder..whatever!

WORKSHOP SPECIFICS: 

• Registration sale price is $35.00.New Sale Price  $25.00

• This workshop is divided into video lessons.  All videos are posted to Vimeo with password protection.
• All workshop & video access information will be emailed to you immediately after registration.  All content is ready for you to access and work at your own pace.
• In addition to the video lessons there are be step by step visuals and written commentary with links to preferred fabric stores.
• Supplies needed: Iron & ironing board, sewing machine, ruled, rotary cutter or scissors, thread, patterned fabric scraps, embroidery floss & needles, wool/wool blend felt
• No refunds offered on any online workshops.

 Registration Price $35.00  On sale now for $25.00. Register Here