Lyli Dunbar's Blog, page 31

Live Healthy

I got crazy angry tonight.

I huffed and puffed, but I did not blow the house down. My face turned crimson as I spewed out condemnation.

I wanted to right a wrong, but I forgot that’s not my job.

I’m here to follow His lead, not push my way through.

When I demand my way, I always end up heaving air until I hyperventilate.

Can you relate? Does this upside-down world ever make you want to reach for an oxygen mask?

Rather than rush ahead in my own strength, I need to slow down and listen for His heartbeat. I need to inhale His wisdom and exhale my pride.

When I surrender the lead to Christ, he nourishes my spirit and equips me with everything I need for healthy living.

Let Christ supply what is lacking in you today. Under the influence of His Spirit, you will be invigorated. You’ll respond in robust love, rather than react with rancor.

Live healthy, friends.

His very breath and blood flow through you and increase your capacity to love.

Healthy breathing is effortless if we allow Him to sustain our every breath.

 

Breathing Exercise:

Read Philippians 2:1-8. God’s love makes a daily difference in your life. How does Paul challenge you to live this out as you move and breathe? Whisper a prayer to the Lover of your Soul asking Him to energize you with His agape strength.

 

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I am sharing “Live Healthy” and joining like-minded sisters at Spiritual Sundays and Faith-Filled Friday.

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The post Live Healthy appeared first on 3-D Lessons for Life.

Resurrection Lives in You

Never forget you are alive in Christ today. On the day that you looked up to heaven and breathed the words Jesus, save me, the very breath of God took up residence in you.

The same power that  raised Christ from the dead lives and breathes in you.

Weary sister, you don’t have to fight for each breath.

When you are gasping for air, He will resuscitate you. Just ask Him to refresh your spirit.

He will respond to your every breathless sigh with fresh strength and vitality.

He will make you come alive again.

Resurrection lives in you.

Jesus said to her, “I am the Resurrection and the Life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”(John: 11:25-26).

Life-giving power is coursing through your veins. 

 

 

Breathing Exercise:

Read Romans 8. Make a list of all the ways God actively works to “clear the air” around you. Note how He responds to your weary moans and groans in vs. 26-28. Then, breathe a prayer of thanks to the Author of Life and Breath as you listen to this resurrection song.

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I am sharing “Resurrection Lives in You” and joining like-minded sisters at Faith-Filled Friday, Fresh Market Friday, and Blessing Counters.

 

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The post Resurrection Lives in You appeared first on 3-D Lessons for Life.

Every Breath You Take

When the world is crashing in, it’s hard to breathe.

And, maybe you aren’t even sure if you want to keep gulping for air.

Sometimes life hits you in the gut. You find yourself in a dark cage where the oxygen is slowly slipping away, and you cannot see an escape route.

Job lost it all. He questioned. He fought. He was human.

It’s okay to struggle. God will meet you in the midst of the abyss.

Sometimes, we learn to breathe more purely when we almost lose our lives.

On the other side, every single breath is a miracle.

Like Job, you can be thankful for three things in the midst of any midnight hour:

Life is a gift: You get to breathe today. God is not finished with you yet. Greater things are yet to come.
You are loved: Your Lover died in your place to make sure that you’d never have to face eternal darkness. Love and light are your eternal destiny.
You are secure: God is your Defender. Like a military sharp shooter, He can see the enemy clearly in the blackest night and eliminate the danger.

Every breath you take is significant to God.

Something to think about…

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Breathing Exercise:

Read Psalm 91. Make a list of all the ways that God protects you from the storm. Breathe the words of this psalm as a prayer to your God.

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I’m sharing “Every Breath You Take” with like-minded friends at Faith-Filled Friday.

 

 

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Have you written something thought-provoking, challenging, encouraging, or inspiring lately? Link it up here! For best results, write the title of your post in the name box.

Shed Excess Weight

I am always running, but I’m  not running smart. Rather than exercising my heart rate, I’m slugging around a backpack stuffed full of worry and doubt.

The excess weight slows me down and steals my joy.

When I choose to exercise my faith and consume a healthy diet of wisdom, I sleep more soundly and breathe in God’s peace.

Are you feeling weighted down, friend? It’s hard to breathe when you are hauling a load of despair.

Shed excess weight.

 

 

Breathing Exercise:

Read Hebrews 12:1-3 and I Timothy 4:6-10. What “focus” will help you to increase your stamina and lighten the loads of legalism and worry?  Ask God to show you how to overcome your lead-footed attitude so that your heart runs more limber.

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I am sharing “Shed Excess Weight” and joining like-minded sisters at Faith-Filled Friday,  Purposeful Faith’s RaRaLinkup, Rich-Faith Rising, andTestimony Tuesday.

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The post Shed Excess Weight appeared first on 3-D Lessons for Life.

Take Deep Breaths

A healthy person takes slow, deliberate breaths. Sadly, research shows that most of us are shallow breathers. Rather than inhale at full capacity, we tense up and barely intake air.

Inadequate inhalation increases stress and is symptomatic of shock and depression.

Life is traumatic. Emotional distress and chronic pain weaken our core. We must learn to listen to our bodies and rhythmically pace our respiration, rather than panic and strain to gulp in air.

If we constantly perceive threats, we will live in a perpetual “fight or flight” mode.

Are you working too hard to breathe? Try this workout:

Stand up: Get your blood flowing and heart pumping.
Reach up: Lift your arms straight up to heaven.
Call out: Raise up a deep sigh. He hears your cry.

Breathe deeply. Trust fully.

He’ll quiet your body and mind and fill you with His power and grace.

 

Breathing Exercise:

Read Psalm 55. Note every way God sustains those who are teetering on the edge of “fight or flight.” Read verse 22 in several different translations. Write out the words on a 3×5 card or post-it note. Slowly inhale this sweet promise of God’s protection until God’s peace oxygenates every cell in your body.

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I am sharing “Take Deep Breaths” and joining like-minded sisters at Faith-Filled and Moments of Hope.

 

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The post Take Deep Breaths appeared first on 3-D Lessons for Life.

5 Ways to be a Missionary without Leaving Your House

 

Over the last 5 years or so, our family has faced a great deal of adversity.  We’ve cared for sick loved ones.  We’ve battled unexpected health issues.  We’ve lost a baby.

Sometimes life is hard.  During seasons of adversity, it’s wise to hunker down at home and slow down the pace of life.  You can’t serve the body well if your home front is bleeding and bruised.

However, that doesn’t mean that your calling to tell the world about Jesus is on hold.  It just means that your battleground has changed.  Instead of going out into the world to reach the lost, your home becomes a display case for God’s glory to shine.  How you respond to adversity may speak the Truth louder than a Gospel tract or sermon.

The world is watching.  How will you use your valley season to spread the Good News?  As you press into Jesus as a family, there will be several opportunities to share….

 

I’d love for you to join me over at Missional Women today.

I’m sharing “5 Ways to Be a Missionary without Leaving Your House.”

To read the rest of this post, join me here.

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The post 5 Ways to be a Missionary without Leaving Your House appeared first on 3-D Lessons for Life.

Practice Proper Breathing

 

I was twelve years old when I learned how to breathe.

Mrs. Rhonda Farver instructed me to put my hand on my upper chest  just below my rib cage. If I was breathing properly, the dome-shaped diaphragm muscle would expand as I inhaled and contract as I exhaled. My chest and shoulders should remain still.

Focused practice taught me to properly use my breathing muscle effectively. This strengthened the stabilization of my core.

Learning to breathe the right way clarifies your thinking, reduces stress, and invigorates your immune system.

How’s your breathing, friend? I must confess that my chest has expanded to enormous proportions lately. I’m breathing in the urgency of today, rather than slowly inhaling God’s strength and peace.

My need to control things leads to shallow breathing. I need to stop inhaling despair and doubt as my shoulders rise in self sufficiency.

Want to practice proper breathing today?

Place your hand in the middle of your chest right on your heart. Close your eyes. Look up to heaven.

Inhale the Holy Spirit. Allow His presence to fill every fiber of your being. Pump God’s Word like blood through your veins. Open up before God. Keep nothing back.

 

 

Breathing Exercise:

Read Psalm 37:1-9 & 31-34. What actions does the psalmist suggest you can practice to improve your living and breathing? Breathe a whispered prayer to the One who is your heartbeat asking Him to help you to be still before Him. Tell Him you want to inhale His peace and strength. Remember to use your heart muscle. Every other inch of you must be still.

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I am sharing “Practice Proper Breathing” and joining like-minded sisters at Give Me Grace and Faith-Filled Friday.

 

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The post Practice Proper Breathing appeared first on 3-D Lessons for Life.

Catch Your Breath

I long to sit quietly at His feet and listen to His heart.

But most days, I am running around like Raggedy Ann with a million things to do.

I miss Him when I wake up late and rush off to work in the morning.

I forget He is close by as I work through my lunch hour to finish one more project.

I fail to notice Him as I unload the dishwasher after dinner for the hundredth time.

I ignore Him as I plop down exhausted on the couch in a comatose state and reach for the remote.

The truth is that I am scared of the quiet.  I am frightened of what He might say.  I fear slowing down.

I live in lack because I refuse to surrender the reigns to the One who holds the keys to abundant life and peace.

Yet, He speaks so tenderly to me.

My child, draw close to My heart and find rest. 

I’m tired of running ragged.  I want to be still and know that He is God.

I want to press in to know Him and spend my time investing in moments that have eternal significance.

I’ve forgotten how to “just breathe” and be.

Are you tried of the endless, crazy hamster wheel of life?   We’ve raced along on an adrenaline-infused rhythm for so long that taking a break seems boring, barren, and baseless.

The enemy loves to get us busy.

When was the last time you “just breathed,” friend?

Let’s take 31 days to slow down and remember that inhaling is a gift of His mercy.

 

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Day One:  Catch Your Breath
Photo Credit

 

I was a woman on a mission. My body lunged forward through the packed hallway pushing passed the horde in a blur of speed.

Jumping left and right, I maneuvered through the maze of people with ease. I knew the way well.

Suddenly, my feet hit a hurdle, and as my legs flailed in midair, my body plummeted down like a torpedo.

I never saw it coming.

I lay on the ground grasping my chest. I could not catch my breath.

Breathe. Breathe. Just breathe.

I’ll never forget that day.

Have you ever had your life thrashed about unexpectedly? Maybe you are struggling to inhale right now.

Friend, I promise you that air will once again fill up your lungs with His praise.

Take time to catch your breath. You can’t get up and run until your heart stops racing.

God will meet you there on the ground and free you from fear. He hears your every moan and groan.

In time, Yahweh God will help you catch your breath.

 

Breathing Exercise:

Read Psalm 34. Note every way that God is attentive to the weary and brokenhearted. Breathe the words of the psalmist as your personal prayer to the God who is the air that you live and breathe.

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I am sharing “Catch Your Breath” and joining like-minded sisters at #write31days, Spiritual Sundays, and Faith-Filled Friday.

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The post Catch Your Breath appeared first on 3-D Lessons for Life.

How to Make a Spiritual U-Turn

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I woke up in the wrong lane this morning.

Okay, I’d theoretically shaken off the slumber in bed a couple of hours earlier…. but at some point, I got in my car fully clothed and was apparently sleep driving. I backed out of the driveway with my eyes open, but my mind was in La-la land.

I floated along in a state of semi-conscious awareness till I reached the end of the block and exited my neighborhood. I should have made a right and kept on driving, but somehow I shuffled 3 lanes to the left and got stuck in a turn lane to nowhere.

That’s when I woke up. How did I get here?

In my mental fog, I must have blindly followed the car in front of me.

Has this ever happened to you? I confess that I often end up lost, and not just when I am sitting behind the wheel of my car.

For example, next week is October. I find myself wondering “How did I end up here?” as the asphalt of months fades in my mental rear-view mirror. Wasn’t this going to be the year where I got my act together? I had goals. I even wrote them down. (Remind me to find those this weekend when I get a free minute.)

Here’s the thing, maybe like me you are feeling a bit turned around and heading in the wrong direction right now. Maybe you’ve gotten distracted and failed to stay in the right lane.

I’ve got good news for you though. God allows U-turns.

How to Make a Spiritual U-Turn

Signal to Stop: Ask God to wake you up and help you to hit a red light in your soul when you are heading in the wrong direction  (I Corinthians 15:33-34, NIV).
Slow Down and Yield: Life is not a competitive NASCAR race. Put on the brakes and pull out the holy road manual. It’s okay if you let people whiz by you while you tune into the GPS in your Spirit. (James 3:13-17, NLT).
Turn Against the Flow of Traffic: Not everyone on the road is heading where you are, and some drivers are on a dead-end highway. A sharp turn in the opposite direction of the oncoming traffic will require you to be brave. Don’t hesitate. Just ask Jesus to take the wheel if you need a little extra help (II Corinthians 7:8-10, MSG).
Keep Your Eyes on the Road: Don’t get distracted. Keep moving forward on the road He’s set before you.  (Proverbs 4:23-27, MSG).

No matter how long you’ve traveled in the wrong direction, you can always turn around. The light of His grace will signal the way. 

 

 

 

 

Something to think about…
I’m sharing “How to Make a Spiritual U-turn” with like-minded friends at Faith-Filled Friday.

 

Have you written something thought-provoking, challenging, encouraging, or inspiring lately? Link it up here! For best results, write the title of your post in the name box.

Overcoming Faith

Years ago, I came across a prayer that captured my need for Christ perfectly. I printed out its words and tacked it to the bulletin board besides my bunk bed in my college dorm room.

“Dear Lord,

So far I’ve done all right.

I haven’t gossipped,

haven’t lost my temper,

haven’t been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or overindulgent.

I’m really glad about that.

But in a few minutes, God,

I’m going to get out of bed.

And from then on,

I’m going to need a lot more help.”

On my own, I am a victim of my selfish humanity. I’m born in sin and a slave to my fleshly passions. No matter how hard I try to live a righteous life, I will always end up defeated and discouraged.

Thankfully, Christ extended His mercy to us all…

I’m sharing “Overcoming Faith”at Love God Greatly.

To read the rest of this post, join me here.

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