Daughter, Rise & Shine

Hearing birds chirp and the sound of Sunday morning traffic spilling through my patio door, I can’t help but be grateful for all God has done, what He is currently doing, and all that is to come. I realize that I can’t get all that God has for me or step into full my potential without deciding to rise and shine.

These little words I heard just about every morning when my Mother would wake me up for school. Although I don’t have her soothing voice as my alarm clock anymore, I still decide to rise and shine.

Rising is deciding to wake up every morning with a gratitude for life, even on the gloomiest of days, and deciding to see the beauty in it even if it is just getting another day here.

See, I try to rise and shine with a gratitude for the birds I hear chirping, or the way the morning sun shines through my windows into my living room. These little things fill my heart with much joy and remind me that I am still here and still have a lot more living to do.

Next, I decide to Shine Daily even when I am running behind schedule, stressed about some class work, trying to meet a deadline, or my dog just had an accident on my favorite rug. Still in those moments I decide to smile, because even the mundane tasks of our daily life have beauty in them.

I know the schedule is meant to keep me on track for my goals.

I know the class is meant to get me into a masters program.

I know the deadline is made so I will actually do it, and I know the little accident on my rug is a wake up call to pay a little more attention to my dog and not to forget his potty times.

Rising and Shining is deciding to embrace the words of scripture “...I came to give life and give it more abundantly”. We have an abundance of life in Jesus Christ, but living in constant fear, anxiety, and turmoil limits us to all the beauty around us. Decide to get out of your own head, speak words of faith, and daily choose to rise and shine.

Today, I pray you decide to Rise & Shine by not dimming down your light, embracing the beauty all around, and loving the people God has blessed you with.

Embrace all of you, Daughter, it is time to Rise & Shine!

Weekly Scripture

"The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy: I have come that you may have life and have it more abundantly".

John 10:10