Is God Still On Your Back Burner?

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” (Matthew 6:33) When Jesus said this, He was making it very clear that God should be our number one priority above everything else. At times, people find themselves battling various trials and tribulations in life, wondering where God is and how they even got there. But, they don’t realize that some of those challenges didn’t come as a test from God; rather, they were the result of a misaligned relationship with God. We are all guilty of doing things our own way, and then asking God to get on board afterwards—that’s not how God works fam. To live a life surrendered to Him means letting Him guide you. But in order for God to guide you, you have to hear Him clearly. So tell me, what is drowning out God’s voice in your life?

Family Always Knows What’s Right … Right?

The family bond is something that is not easily broken. Our families are our real Day 1s and have been with us since the beginning. I know they may get on your nerves and stress you at times, but the fact that they are your family will never change. However, just because they are your family doesn’t mean their input in different areas of your life is always for your benefit, and it doesn’t mean you are obligated to take it. They may have good intentions but that doesn’t always mean they are right. I mean, to be honest, there are some things in your personal life your family doesn’t need to know (e.g., when you have a disagreement with your partner). “But, how do I know when it’s okay and when it’s not?” Well, that’s where I come in!

Do You Have a Job or Does Your Job Have You?

Before I start talking about the much needed boundaries around your job, I encourage you to read the first part of this series about setting boundaries with yourself. It sets the tone for the entire series, and if you can’t set a boundary with yourself and stick to it, you’ll find it quite difficult to place them in other areas of your life. *insert Druski meme* “But hey, that’s just me.”

Now, let’s talk about the place that helps you keep the lights on at home—your job. For a place that we spend so much of our life in, you’d think that it would be a place you enjoy showing up to each day. But alas, jobs have drained the life out of many people. You find it increasingly more challenging with each passing day to show up and give your best because, in many cases, they are taking more out of you than they’re giving (you know, kind of like that toxic ex you haven’t let go of). Understand this—your job may pay you, but they don’t own you. And we are going to discuss how to make sure they know that, too.

Boundaries Start with You

Boundaries. Cambridge Dictionary defines it as, “a real or imagined line that marks the edge or limit of something.” I like this definition because it emphasizes that boundaries aren’t just about dividing continents, school districts and bodies of water; it is also about the boundaries of things we can’t physically see. Boundaries are critical in maintaining peace of mind, avoiding being taken advantage of, ensuring people don’t meddle in private areas of your life and protecting the people and things that matter most to you. Boundaries aren’t just for yourself either—they should be set with your job, your friendly relationships, your family and parents and your romantic relationships. But to start this Boundaries series off right, I need to first focus on setting boundaries with yourself.

No One Has Forever

We all have loved ones - family, friends, partners, the list goes on. And I’m sure we believe that they all know we love and care about them very much. But how do we know for sure? How do we show that? How do we remind those we care about that they matter to us and that we truly cherish them? Surely, it doesn’t require doing something every moment of their lives to make sure it stays fresh in their minds. And it shouldn’t. However, throughout this season of the pandemic, it has become abundantly clear that the time we have left with them is limited. So, it becomes our duty and responsibility to ensure we use the time we do have to show those we love how much they mean to us. And the crazy thing is that as much as we remind ourselves of this fact and see people losing loved ones a bit more often than we’d like, we still don’t take it seriously. Hence, the motivation behind this post – to list reasons why we should make time for those we care about while they are still here with us.

Why Settle?

It’s such a liberating feeling to be with someone that makes you happy. It’s even more exhilarating to think that person is your soulmate, or the person you were destined to be with. You invest a great deal of time, effort and money into them, as well as sacrifice for them, in hopes of this being the relationship that lasts forever. Sometimes we become so consumed in it that we begin to overlook signs that maybe we are in over our heads. Maybe it starts with small habits they exhibit that starts ticking you off more than it used to. You say, “Nobody’s perfect.” Then, maybe you begin to realize the arguing happens a little more often, and usually goes unresolved. So you might say, “Every relationship has its troubles.” The list of the little things people tend to ignore in relationships goes on and on. We become blind to the truth that’s right in front of us; the truth that maybe, just maybe, we aren’t with our future wife, or husband. But how does one really determine this?