COVID 19 ENCOURAGEMENT EPISODE 01

Hi this is Chris Benjamin view director for the Salvation Army sound just we want to take this opportunity to share some additional messages of encouragement from some of our hosts from shows like 24th of life in a heartbeat. We just pay the abuser an extra blessing to you. If they are prescient with the fact that I want to take out a couple of minutes and 18 checking with everybody to see how my doing.

As we find this near-normal on the flipside of coping 19 pandemic. I've been on a steep learning curve this week as we adjust around my face to sayings that are rapidly changing. In our everyday lives.

Things that we took for granted like grocery shopping, going to work, going to school, being with friends worshiping together with our Jesus family, all of that is now they put on the table and is all rearranged and upside down and that in and of itself, even if I'm not directly affected. At this point by the virus causes a lot of turmoil and in the midst of this past week and 1/2 or so I have come to realize a few things that I want to share with you. First off is life a normal and the sooner I can wrap my mind around that better because as long as I try to keep things as normal as possible.

I bind myself to my old ways of doing things that just don't fit in the current season that I'm. For example, you see I am here in my car. I have not gone anywhere in front of my house but having been in the house in four walls with my family and my kids and in all. You know what, I can't leave to go hang out with friends, a little coffee shop.

I just want to practice a social distancing. So here in my car and I started doing this for a few minutes every day when I take a little break. I have some quiet time to myself where I am able to quiet my thoughts quiet my heart and I find it really helpful because after five or 10 minutes.

When I go back into be engages.

My family, I am a bit of a better letter Heather to them and does not something I normally would've done before. In fact, it seemed kind of silly, but it seemed a little crazy, but it fits now with this situation I find myself so the first thing I'm learning is likely normal and that's okay and so why don't I find even abnormal ways to make the life I'm living right now manageable, even if it seems silly if it works I go for second me. I have learned this past week and I know the Lord to teach me how to go easy on myself so I have this desire to maintain as much normalcy as possible, especially for the sake of my kids and the folks that are in our care. But in doing that. Sometimes I hold myself to unrealistic expectations. Maybe that's where you're at two so I'm going to go easy on myself. That means the things the standards that expectations that I used to have for my day for my productivity for how I spent my time and how I spent my energy to let those expectations going to be really openhanded with and instead I go easy and that no I press so I go easy on myself but I press into the things that I do want to be about in these days and maybe that looks different than what is ever look like before, because the way I can spend my time.

The way I can spend my energy the way I can spend my money all those things are different now.

So what do I want to do. I go easy on myself, but pressing how can I press into some nutritional goals and make food from scratch and dig out those recipes that my grandma taught me an industry since my family how can I press into those educational goals and get to some online classes.

Since everything is online now anyways as you practice social distancing. How can I meet those goals and how can I maybe do some things that are good for myself like it's a great time to get back into a regular sleep cycle where I'm getting a really good nights full night sleep or taking my vitamins or whatever the I regimen that I've been trying to implement for so long, but it just seemed to grasp his life had so many moving parts.

Now might be the time to go easy on myself but depressing. The third thing that comes to mind that the Lord is bringing to the forefront of my attention is that when I practice a social distancing, and while I keep myself and my family and my neighbors in my community safe. Some really well describe practices from the World Health Organization from my local Department of Health. I can do those things. But I can't replace connection and since I can't be with people face-to-face.

I definitely want to be intentional about connecting with people in any way possible. And so today I dug out all my notecards and I'm like okay I'm in the right people. Some handwritten notes which is something I've always loved to do anyways. But it's just gotten away from me in a busy lifestyle. Also many retail people on social media, you know, I feel like on those social media platforms are exploding with people doing devotionals and worship services and Bible studies and all this kind of stuff which is fantastic and I definitely love engaging with that but I don't want that to replace touching base of people that I need to sing in my everyday and just like you. Okay, ensuring that the more I met some people will respond back. Some people might take a time or two just to connect but that's okay because connections matter so I am these days learning that life a normal and it's okay to go easy on myself but also the press and that connections are important when you learning in these days. What is God teaching you in the midst of this I okay because you're so praying for you.

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