Happy Spring friends! Boy am I glad to finally say that it is spring, even if there is still snow outside! As I mentioned in my post about surviving the winter, I just knew that this winter was going to be a rough one. And while it didn’t turn out to be too bad when it came to how the weather was, it was definitely a tough one when it came to my mood. I always have a hard time staying positive and happy after winter drags on for months. This winter was no exception.

So now that it is finally spring and will hopefully be warming up soon, I wanted to write a post about how to refresh for spring. And while I understand that probably most of my readers actually don’t live in New Jersey, you can “reset” and do these things anytime! These are great things to do if you feel like your life just needs a bit of change or refreshing. 😉

5 Ways To Refresh For Spring

1 | Deep Clean Your House

You saw this one coming right, haha. They don’t call it spring cleaning for nothing. There’s just something about when the weather starts warming up that makes you just want to clean everything. But even if you don’t feel like doing it, I highly suggest it because once everything is clean you will feel so much better. Now’s a good time to get to that big project, like cleaning out the pantry, that you’ve been meaning to get to all winter.

2 | Hop Back On The Healthy Eating Train

Now is the perfect time to clean up your diet if you’re anything like me and went a little crazy during the winter months. Since it’s getting warm again, there should be an even better selection of yummy fruits and veggies too. Maybe go so far as to challenge yourself to 30 days of clean eating to really reset how you’re feeling. (Might I even suggest Whole 30? I was thinking of maybe doing this with my husband soon.) Nothing makes me feel quite as good as eating healthy, nutritious food does!

3 | Refresh Your Wardrobe

While you’re doing your deep cleaning, make sure to go through your clothes as well. Donate clothes that you haven’t worn in over a year and make room for some new ones that will make you feel even better about yourself. Even if you only go out and buy two new tops, I’m positive this small change will help you feel good about yourself.

4 | Get Your Nails Done

I always feel more pulled together when my nails look great. Getting a manicure and pedicure are great ways to feel more confident and comfortable in your own skin. It’s perfect timing too because pretty soon you’ll be wearing flip-flops and open-toed shoes! This is actually one of my favorite self-care tips.

5 | Join a Gym or Start a Fitness Routine

I don’t know about you guys, but the cold weather makes me never want to leave the house, especially not to go to the gym! Once it starts warming up though it’s a great time to get back to those New Year’s resolutions of working out. 😉 Or if you’re not the gym type, there are so many awesome workouts on YouTube that you can do from the comfort of your own home (and they’re free!). What more could we ask for. My husband and I have been doing Yoga With Adriene’s 30 day challenge.

I’m confident that if we do all of these things (or at least a few), that we will definitely feel refreshed for spring. I am planning on doing as many as I can.

\\I’d love to know, how do you refresh for spring?

Since I am posting a lot more lately, I want to be intentional about what exactly I’m writing about. I could easily turn this into just another blog about what I think people want to read about. But that’s not why I started this blog. I started this blog in hopes to bring light to what a great Savior we have, and share about what I am learning from him or just what he is doing in my life. With that being said, I am going to make it a point to write a devotional type post/what God is teaching me at least once a week.

A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
– Isaiah 42:3-4

These verses were first introduced to me at a conference that I went to a few years ago, and they completely opened my eyes to who God is in a way that I had never seen him before. I am currently reading through the bible from start to finish, and have been for the past year and a half or so. I am in the book of Isaiah now and just read these verses the other day and it reminded me of the truth that I learned years ago at that conference.

That truth is that we have a gentle God. That is such an awesome truth to me and one that I need someone to remind me of daily. I don’t know about you, but when I think of God, gentle is never one of the first adjectives I use to describe him. But it’s true, our God is a God of love and mercy and according to this verse, gentleness.

This part of Isaiah is what is known as one of The Servant Songs, according to the pastor that preached on this the night of the conference that I’m writing about. It is a series of verses that are prophesying about Jesus and it is amazing the analogy that Isaiah used. “A bruised reed, he will not break; a smoldering wick, he will not snuff out”. I had no idea what a reed looked like, never mind a bruised reed until the pastor explained this to us what this was, so let me do the same.

This is what a “bruised reed” looks like. In other words, it is something that is very fragile. Something that is very easily broken. And the same goes for a smoldering wick. A smoldering wick can very easily be blown out. These two illustrations are of two very fragile, easily broken things. And the parallel between them and our Savior is that he will not break or put out these things. What an amazing truth.

Have you ever felt like you were just hanging on by a thread? Like if just one more little thing happens that you might just completely fall apart? In those moments, this verse shows us that God accepts you as you are. When it feels like the whole world is against us, but we keep telling ourselves we need to be more, do more, try harder. These verses show us that those thoughts or feelings are not of God. He is a tender God who is gentle to those who are feeling defeated. And more than that, he is a God who will build you back up and care for you in those times where you feel broken or bruised.

So if this is you now, go to God with your feelings. Spill them at his feet. Express to him how you feel and why. Ask him for strength to do what you know is right. Remind yourself that we have a gentle Savior. He does not expect more of you. Be gentle with yourself.

And maybe this isn’t you at this time. But maybe you remember what it feels like to be a bruised reed. In this case I think it’s important for us to be gentle to those around us because there is destined to be someone who does feel like a bruised reed that we know, and we now have the opportunity to act like our Savior and bring about his peace to those who need it. Be gentle to those around you.

If you are interested in hearing more about this, the night of the conference that I am talking about can be watched here. Tim Henderson is a great speaker and goes into so much more detail.