A Letter for April
Dear FIG Friends,
The month of March and the first several days of April I took a pause from social media platforms to give myself a mental reset. I spent the first two hours of the morning not picking up my phone ( a new routine I am continuing ) in order to ask myself lots and lots of self reflective questions. Why you might ask? Well, I think it is important to understand oneself in a deeper way and to be intentional to discern why you do what you do, or don't do. What is the reason behind the things in life that find their way into the daily landscape of our lives.
Beginning each day with my hot cup of tea, journal, and bible in hand filled my heart with new desires of how I want to live life as well as insight of old habits and routines. Some questions that simmered in my mind and heart ….Am I keeping my spirit in agreement with the Lord's spirit? Are my desires aligned with His heart? Am I living the type of life that is full of kindness, compassion, and humility? Knowing what I know about life, liberty and the light of Jesus, what am I to do? What am I pursuing? How am I pursuing it? What do I care most about? What are my deepest commitments? What do I love? What matters most in life? These are questions I don't take lightly. I think they matter because life matters and we all have purpose and giftings and a call to share with others to be an encouragement.
That is my hope. Hope to encourage, hope to be giving with what I have been given. I love to cook, I love to decorate, I love to create, I love people, I love hospitality. I hope to give others hope by sharing the things I love and admire. Hope is a necessity in life. As a noun it is expectation and as a verb it is to expect with confidence. Not giving up because you know something better is coming- things can change. It is a matter of looking at situations and believing in the good, thinking on the positive. It is not allowing the negative to penetrate your heart and mind. It is light in the darkness. It is pushing through uncertainty. It is a choice and an action. I share all of this because we need more hope in life. We need more light. We need more encouragement. We need more people to say I see you and I am here for you.
So, how does one translate all of the above through social media platforms and newsletters? I have no idea. That is a question I have been asking myself for years and years. We live in a consumers world. Everyone is selling something and everyone is buying all kinds of things - I am not just talking about goods and services but ideas and thoughts. All for the sake of human connection. We all need connection. We were created for connection.
One of my greatest longings in life is to create a home where my family and friends feel welcomed and attended to. Where strangers enter and experience peace and joy. I also long for that for you. Where you help others know they have value and you are glad to know them, that you care that they are in your presence. I want to share content that inspires and motivates you as you share life with the ones in your path. I believe it is our longings that tell the truest truths about us. To know someone is to know their longings which is to know their loves. I love to cook, I love to decorate, I love to create , I love people, I love hospitality. I hope to give others ideas to share what they love as I continue to share the things I love and admire.
Blessings to You,
Ash
