“Remember to breathe. It is after all, the secret of life.”
― Gregory Maguire
Hi guys!
Today marks our fourth and final installment of The Coffey Break Guided Meditation Series. This video is all about letting go of the past and tapping into our full potential to uncover our best selves.
Just like we need to clean and nourish our bodies every day, we also need to fill our minds and hearts with positive reinforcements of our best selves daily. There are several hindrances that try to keep us from living life to the fullest potential that God has for us: broken relationships, self-doubt, past pains and hurts, life’s challenges and circumstances, the list goes on…
What I really appreciate about having a time of prayer, meditation, and devotion is the intentional space it creates for daily renewal. Whether that time is first thing in the morning, before bed, or on a lunch break, taking the time to reset and remind ourselves of who we are, that our lives have a purpose, and that we have the potential to do great things is extremely necessary in a world that constantly bombards us with seemingly more bad than good at times.
I really hope you guys have enjoyed this series. It has been such a blessing to me, and before we close out, I’d like to send an extra special thank you to my dear friend Biko Gray for his role in this project. Your voice was such a gift to this series.
See below for the video to this week’s meditation.
Happy Sunday! So confession, as much as I dislike the idea of falling into the pack… man oh man is that the case when it comes to home decor haha. When I moved into our townhouse in Houston, I was so sure that my room would be a carbon copy of my favorite minimalistic spaces on Pinterest; however, to my surprise, that wasn’t at all the case. One section got the look, my desk. The rest of my room was a smooth blend of vintage charm and warm gold tones.
Looking back, it shouldn’t have been all that surprising now that I think about it. My personal style is a reflection of whatever vibe I’m looking to channel that day and I have the wardrobe to match. When cornered, I think it can be best described as urban chic, and I think the same can be said of my design sense.
Regardless of the actual outcome of my future New York space, I’m having a field day scrolling through Pinterest, pinning my favorites, and dreaming of a day I’ll have a place to call my own here in the city.
Until then, here’s a peek into the swoon-worthy spaces holding me over in the meantime. Enjoy!
Have a favorite spaces board? Share in the comments below. I’d love to check it out! 🙂
So, a while back, I made the declaration to my little sister, Madison, that I was going to do a blog challenge. I didn’t quite know how long I wanted to do it. I wasn’t sure of the theme. All I knew is that life will pass you by if you aren’t intentional about taking it by the reigns.
2016 has been a big year. A really big year. And I’m still trying to wrap my head around it all. That’s where this challenge comes in. This season -the last 4+years- has been such a rollercoaster. With that in mind, I knew I wanted to be intentional about capturing the last moments of this amazing year.
December has always been special to me, and my reason for loving it so much is simple. It’s an indisputable close of something. So much of my current life is influenced by all these different variables –subject to change. Not December. December 31st marks the close of a year. That it’s over. So whether you killed it all year long, are still holding out for a breakthrough, or a mix of both, its onset signifies that last ditch effort to make the play, hit that home run, set goals, dream big, you name it.
Speaking of big dreams, on October 8th, I packed up my suitcase (the silver bullet), carry-on, purse, and backpack, to job search here in New York City (still so weird seeing that haha). I could go on and on about the story behind that, but I think I’ll save the full version for a Coffey Break Chat.
NY or bust!
Long story short, the transition has not been glamorous haha I’m forever grateful to my wonderful family friends for adopting me, love you Bill + Debra! And my August people Warren, Christa, and Josias, for literally absorbing me into their lives in such a loving, genuine way.
Being broke is not fun. Living out of suitcase is not fun. Being unemployed is not fun. (dramatic face emoji) I had totally forgotten about the toll job searching takes on your emotions and self-esteem. Not to mention, that the irony of it all, is that you can’t just drop the search in pursuit other feel good alternatives. The goal is to get a job. You have to keep going until you get something, it’s just that simple.
I just don’t know how in the world I could have made through this time without you guys…
My confession is that I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I was hoping for the red-carpet experience. I knew it would be challenging, but it’s nearly impossible to anticipate the reality of moving away from everything you know and love without actually experiencing it.
That’s where faith and trusting the vision come in. During my second week, I made the commitment to myself that I would limit my focus to the day ahead of me. That I would make the most of that specific day. That I would be present, and fight the urge to consider anything beyond two weeks out –and that was only if it was absolutely necessary.
A default in my nature is that I have a tendency of being so forward thinking that I can’t ever be fully present. I’d argue however that that mindset welcomes the God moments. There’s something so freeing about surrendering, and saying Your will be done. Where do we go from here day in and day out?
It’s so crazy to look back and see that somehow I’ve actually hit all these little milestones in this short period of time. I know it couldn’t have happened without His divine intervention in my life, and I’ve got stories to tell! haha
Join me over the next few weeks, as I roll out a smorgasbord of reflections, favorite finds, vlogs, and archived content (my cute way of saying content I should have published a long time ago haha)
These train stations 💕 You know that feeling when you’re about to flip, and you catch yourself because you’re like, hold on wait, this is a trap. Something good is about to come of this 😅 Please, let something good come of this haha
The cherry on top of yesterday’s craziness was that I had not just one, but two, @uber drivers, cancel my rides. After a 5 hour ride from NYC, the last thing you want is to spend another hour in the side of the road, in an unfamiliar city, trying to explain your location to someone who doesn’t speak English well. I could feel myself getting more and more mad. Like I was maxing out. I had all these bags, and in that movement, I thanked God for Christopher Ballew.
A few weeks back, he planted a seed that has stayed with me through every step of this clumsy transition –Embrace The Detour. I remembered his advice about 20 seconds before entering into the main concourse… Guys, Union Station is beautiful, like amazingly beautiful, and in that moment, I could literally feel all the tension leave my shoulders. I was like this is it. This is why. I was so hellbent on getting into a car and making it to my destination that I would have missed out on this moment. I call them the moments that freeze you in time. Some are the feel good kind. Some hurt like crazy. But nonetheless, they slow you down just long enough to be fully present. Take it all in. And feel everything that’s happening in such a dreamy way.
I’ve been using The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson as my devotional for years now, and his stories of how God has opened door after door have been such an inspiration.
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For years now, I’ve created this mental image of what Union Station looked like, and in retrospect, if either of those first two rides had worked out picking me up from the parking garage, I would have missed out on that reminder of God’s awesome faithfulness to Mark, and the simple truth that He makes no mistakes. He’s in our corner working it out, even when if it doesn’t seem like it.
This move has not been an easy one. It’s been wonderful, but it hasn’t been easy. It has actually been a huge challenge and an even bigger test of my faith, resiliency, and ability to commit to believing in the vision I see for myself day in and day out.
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Sometimes, we’re moving too fast to have a chance to take it all in. Build a life you’ll love, yes, but the key is remembering to actually enjoy it. The funniest part about it all (not haha funny) was that I had the opportunity to pass on job search advice to my driver who was a recent grad and had just immigrated here from Cuba.
*I also told him that if he really is tired of the cold, is looking for warm and friendly people, and good food, Houston’s the move. You don’t have to be miserable and in despair. Control what you can. It’s so interesting how the feeling of being stuck can convince us that there aren’t any other options.
Trust the timing of your life. I’m seeing more and more that so much of what happens “to us” is more about how God is going to use us. The journey is just as beautiful as the destination. Happy Saturday guys ✌🏿️😋 Xoxo -Chels
Hi guys, I simply can’t believe the year is almost over… After a month of getting settled (I have the most amazing adoptive families 😪) It’s time refocus and get back on track.
There’s no way to anticipate the curveballs coming for us from day to day. Some come at you so unexpectedly that time completely slows down until you realize you’re standing or sitting there, frozen, trying to process whatever just happened. Others require a lightning fast response to handle the situation without time to think or even process anything.
Regardless of the type of curveball; prayer, my devotional, and time of meditation have been such an essential part of setting the tone going into each day. There’s no question whether or not it serves as an anchor when a full-blown storm rolls in, and I notice a distinct difference when I don’t have time or make time to find my center at the beginning of the day.
I always jokingly say this, but being a grown up is hard, really hard and we have protect our minds and hearts as best as we can from the things that come to knock us off our feet. Never underestimate how much of a difference it can make mentallly, emotionally, and spiritually to start each day with intention.
*And be on the lookout to encourage someone else? We never know what other people are going through and you just might be the very person someone needs to make it through the day.
Sending so much love y’all’s way. Hope it’s a great one ❤️ Xoxo -Chels
