When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

ephesians 3:14-19 NLT

I’m currently fascinated by trees and their role in His beautiful creation as well as their role in His beautiful biblical story for us. In case you haven’t figured that out by now. Ha!

I recently was able to visit some of the largest trees in the world in Muir Woods, CA, with my hubby. It was jaw-dropping to walk through the gorgeous structures, soaking in His power and majesty in this little version of Eden. Yet I was shocked when we learned that these huge trees have very shallow roots. And the only reason they can survive and grow so tall is due to their location in California, which is mostly free from severe storms and wind. We also noticed their branches were not long or wide at all. The trees appeared to be focused on growing up. So from the outside, these tall beauties appear strong and mighty. (Receiving lots of praise and attention, kind of like our current culture.) But if things were to get tough and crazy in their little world, they’d likely topple down! Crazy, huh?

So that got me thinking about trees with deep roots, and I began a little research. And what I found just made my heart smile. The trees with the deepest roots live in places with more extreme weather, grow slowly, and often grow wide and high rather than just straight up like the ones in Muir Woods. Even in considering a tree, we see His beautiful design and purpose in all things!

In the analogy of our being trees, our Lord desires us to have deep roots and wide branches, resulting from slow, intentional growth. Scripture reveals all this. Just search tree in your Bible. We’re to be planted on a firm foundation, near flowing (or Living) Water, deeply rooted and finding our strength, power, and understanding in His love. Rather than just growing straight up, rising above others, we’re to grow out, reaching others. And our visible height and health aren’t the focus – it’s our root system that reveals our health, wholeness, and holiness.

I’m gonna geek out even more and copy some info below that I got from this webpage. (Like I shared in the last post, I really like knowledge. But let’s apply this to our Tree of Life!)

‘The beauty and utility of trees are unsurpassed. If you live on an oak-lined street you know these are the most coveted neighborhoods.’

‘They act as windbreaks in the winter and shade your house in the summer to drive down energy costs. And they look beautiful while doing it.’

May this be the kind of beauty we pursue and put energy towards – serving, protecting, and loving those around us.

‘You don’t want a tree that’s going to topple over in high winds, which means you do want trees with a robust root system.’

‘Some trees have evolved the ability to grow very deep and robust taproots to find a deeper water table and withstand drought conditions.’

‘Did you know trees can grow their roots through rock? It’s true! Rather than try to grow around a rock, a tree will go right through, over time.’

We’re probably all familiar with the ‘storms of life’. Paul in writing Ephesians 3 knew these storms all too well, which resulted in this wonderful prayer. Francis Chan gave a sermon over this particular passage and repeatedly stated how this is ultimately what we should pray for ourselves, our kids, our spouses, our family and friends . . . that we are DEEPLY ROOTED in His love. We can’t control the storms they will face or the challenges with which they will struggle. So we pray for a root system that goes deep, wide, and through the Rock!

‘The growth of tree roots is all about the search for nutrients and the support of the tree’s canopy.’

‘If either one of these missions fails, the tree is much more likely to die. Large trees have an even more significant substructure: primary roots that are perennial and secondary roots that grow in waves as the canopy is expanding.’

Smiling again because now we’re talking about what the trees soak in and how they are better together! Food is fuel to grow and serve and the support around us impacts our growth and service as well.

‘Trees will show very little visible growth in their first years of life as their taproots are growing down. However, this isn’t all they are doing.’

So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

Galatians 6:9

‘Trees must spend their energy developing a diverse root system.’

Yes. This. This final line is what it’s all about, Friends. We can find our strength and our power and understanding and even our rest in His love (Eph 3:17-18). Let’s put our energy towards pursuing the King and serving His Kingdom. Let’s focus on being deep and wide trees, not tall and thin ones. 🙂

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Ephesians 3:14-19 NLT

As the Lord has been showing us more and more of His good creation and significance of trees (trees, bushes, vines, etc), I’ve been greatly challenged and convicted in my pursuit of the Tree of Life. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were given the option of the Tree of Life or the Tree of Knowledge.

Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden in the east, and there he placed the man he had made. The Lord God made all sorts of trees grow up from the ground—trees that were beautiful and that produced delicious fruit. In the middle of the garden he placed the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

genesis 2:8-9

I love to imagine this original Eden, full of beauty and wonder and fruit and flowers. I’ve been blessed to see gardens and areas of His creation so glorious here on earth. And just like there are present wonders reflecting His beauty, there are even more present wonders around life and knowledge.

The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”

genesis 2:15-17

Our world continues to present the temptations of life and knowledge of good and evil. And just like Adam and Eve in the beginning, we are constantly faced with choices like theirs.

God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”
“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”
The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it.

genesis 3:3-6

Ya’ll, I love to learn. I love to study and gain understanding. I love knowledge. And I love to know good and evil. I’m even quick to judge based upon this knowledge. And I’m afraid I’m not the only one. We have so many resources at the touch of our fingertips constantly. We scroll, we google, we ask Siri and Alexa, we even ask (or tell) through public posts. Knowledge and wisdom are not bad but so easily lead toward self-sufficiency rather than Spirit-led living.

But life! Life in Christ! The life of love, freedom, truth, and grace that He desires is not found in this knowledge. We exhaust ourselves trying to cling to the Tree of Life AND the Tree of Knowledge! We can’t have both. Adam and Eve learned this in the beginning, and we continue to learn this today. Which tree are you nurturing today?

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.

jeremiah 17:7-8 esv

The ultimate Tree of Life can now be found as a cross. A cross that held our Savior and represents the life He gave so we can have an abundant one in Him.

As we’re deeply rooted, abiding in Him, let’s cling to the Tree of Life. His good, gracious, beautiful Tree that bring protection, shelter, provision, strength, and adventure. Let us worship with all that we are – heart, soul, strength, and mind. Stand firm in tree pose and celebrate our life in Christ!

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

ephesians 3:14-19 NLT

Now let’s dive into the biblical use and analogy of trees. As we pray for our roots to grow down into God’s love and keep us strong, there is so much richness and significance as we can now view ourselves as trees! And our roots matter because as Beth Moore states, ‘down is the way up with God’!

The Bible Project provides all kinds of valuable content about the biblical theme of tress, and I’m still personally going through it, having a ways to go. I’ve linked a preview above you can watch. I’ve also read great stuff from Beth Moore and John Eldridge. But here are some points so far . . .

• The Hebrew word for ‘tree’ also encompasses what we call a ‘vine’ and a ‘bush’. So when considering the symbolism of trees, you can also group biblical stories involving a burning bush and vines & branches into this theme.
• In the Old Testament, when a tree in mentioned, it signifies God’s desiring to meet with that person and give a blessing.
• The presence of trees in holy places throughout the bible serve as reminders of God’s desire to connect with people in a new Eden.
• When Jesus came to earth, died on a cross (or tree), and rose again, His sacrifice signified a new Eden, a blessing of new life, and God’s desire to personally connect with us.
• Now as Christ makes His home in our hearts as we trust in Him, our physical bodies serve as the temples and trees of His presence. John Eldridge even refers to meeting Jesus in the Eden of our hearts.

For those who enjoy holding a physical posture to represent their spiritual one, join us in tree pose. And invite Christ into the Eden of your heart through praise and worship.

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

ephesians 3:14-19 NLT

As we continue through our focus on Ephesians 3:14-19, I pray you are finding each phrase of this passage interesting, revealing, challenging, and encouraging. I have read these verses tons of times over my life and yet He still brings new truths to light, especially during our current 40 Days of Faith, Fitness, & Focus.

Today we’re reminded of the power in trust. My daughter has been asking me lots of ‘why’ questions lately about Christ, faith, obedience, worship, and trust. Some questions I honestly don’t know how to appropriately answer. But I do know that trust is connected to all things of faith and freedom. And as this verse states, even Christ’s presence in our heart correlates to our trust in Him.

I don’t at all want to state that His presence is dependent upon our trust because He’s God and He is love and He dwells where He pleases and where He’s invited. But I do know I’m much more aware of His presence when my trust in Him is fully present. Yet in answering my daughter’s questions, I must acknowledge that my trust in God is greatly because of my being aware of His presence and His active work in our lives.

I love this quote image below, simple and profound. We naturally try and strive and do and act. Whether it’s for physical, mental, relational, or professional results, we think it’s all about our effort! But when it comes to trust in God, which is foundational to faith, fitness, and focus, it’s all about what He’s doing.

He is the ONLY One we can put our complete trust in as He never fails. He is the ultimate Gardner who makes things grow and thrive and flourish. There are seasons of winter and pruning, but we can trust in the new life and fruit that He will produce!

Every branch in me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that is may bear more fruit.

John 15:2

As we pray for our roots to grow deep in His love, I also pray His makes His presence known in our lives and our trust grows deeper.

Last post referenced our ‘inner strength’ from a spiritual sense. While our spiritual posture is the most valuable, our physical ‘inner strength’ is critical as well as we move our bodies in love. Our core and hips were designed by God to provide stability, strength, and service to others. For us ladies, this area also is where life itself grows and enters the world! Let’s take care of what the Lord has given us!

You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.

I peter 3:4

Amy, a friend and member of Holy Barre, put this together for her ballet students as a guide to proper posture. Her years of dance, injuries, and therapy have taught her a great deal about the positioning of our bodies. Even non-dancers like me can benefit from what’s below in barre and daily living! Thanks, Amy!

Pelvic Alignment

By Amy Griffith

• rectus abdominis (the “6-pack”)
• pelvic floor muscles

Rectus Abdominis Muscle

The rectus abdominis is the muscle commonly known as the 6-pack muscle. This outermost muscle layer of our four abdominal walls surprisingly has a super important job besides physical attraction when displayed in good lighting…maybe with some body oil. Aaaanyways, when we have knowledge of how it works, we learn that the actual super important job of our 6-pack muscle is that its use helps to align our pelvis directly under our spine.

If you’ve taken dance classes previously or worked out in a class setting at the gym, you might have heard the phrases “pull your abs in” or “pull your abs up”. Of the two actions mentioned in those phrases (in and up), only the 6-pack muscle can perform the action of pulling directly up. This is because, out of the four abdominal layers we have, only the 6-pack muscle has fibers that run vertically. Learning to isolate this muscle’s action of pulling up is probably not a skill for a resume, but finding that kind of specific muscle control will absolutely change how your pelvis and upper body are aligned and supported in movement, turning, or active balancing. With learning to isolate the 6-pack muscle comes an inner understanding of when it’s being correctly engaged.

Using your 6-pack muscle creates pelvic alignment because the bottom of the muscle connects into a cartilage disk that is secured right in-between the two bones that form your pubic bone at the front of your pelvis. For those of you overly enthusiastic dancers-gone-anatomy-nerds like me who want to know all of the scientific names, that cartilage disk is called the pelvic symphysis. Ok, analogy time for how the action of “up” in your 6-pack muscle aligns your pelvis:

• Pelvis = a bowl of water
• Rectus Abdominis (6-pack muscle) = string

Think of your pelvis as a bowl of water that’s tipped forward as it’s sitting on a table, causing the water to spill out the front. If we (for some odd reason) glued the end of a strong string to the forward-tipping side – the cartilage disk – and pulled the string upwards, the bowl would then settle into correct alignment on the table. The image of the tipped-forward bowl is an easy way to visualize the misalignment that most people’s pelvises tend towards naturally settling into, especially when the abdominals are weak.

Newton’s 3^rd Law says that “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction”. When you apply that law to a body with a misaligned pelvis, you can imagine that the upper and lower body are very negatively affected. Think about what happens to just the lower body when this misalignment counterbalance is in play: when the pelvis is tipped forward it causes the thigh bones to turn inward, which causes stress to the knees. This causes you to roll inward onto the arches of your feet to relieve that knee strain, thereby misaligning and stressing your ankles and feet. Add attempts to use external rotation during ballet classes, and you end up a ball of forced tension and pain. Brings to mind the song “Hello darkness, my old friend”… This is the reason it’s so important to know the “whys” to conditioning and using each of our four abdominal walls! Remember, if our “string” – our abdominals – is simply too weak, then our pelvic bowl is going to stay continuously tipped forward to create a constant spillage over the front. If we don’t purposefully train each abdominal layer this will be the state of our pelvis when we’re dancing, walking, standing, going up or down stairs, working out, any time we bend our knees and pick something up, etc. Once you understand how much protection that your abdominals give for your spine and lower body, you can understand how much daily wear and tear is absolutely preventable!

Pelvic Floor Muscle Group

The pelvic floor muscles also help to support pelvic alignment. I call this group of muscles the “hafta pee” muscles, because they are the ones that we have been trained to reflexively use when we really need to go, but end up having to hold it. You can contract, hold, and release them right now; they’re super easy to find and isolate.

Okay get ready for a slight tangent about holding, never gripping. A nice, active thought of hold is always what you want to go for in use of your muscles during any dance class. You never want to think about hard-stop words like “grip” or “clench” for any muscles, including the 6-pack or pelvic floor muscles when using them to keep your pelvis aligned! If muscles around a joint are gripped, that joint’s range of motion is then extremely restricted. For understanding this concept in a ball-and-socket type of joint, make a fist and press it hard into the palm of your other hand. While still pressing hard, try to twist the fist around. Bit uncomfortable, innit? That’s a good example of a why joint can end up with painful grinding, popping, wear-and-tear, etc. Sound familiar, dancers? Like anyone’s hips? If a habit of tension is trained into our muscles and at the same time if you’re attempting to force more range of motion out of those stuck joints, it will eventually lead to or, in extreme cases immediately cause, injuries that will become much more likely the older you get. I know that sounds rather dramatic, but it definitely happens! And now back to our scheduled program, the held-not-gripped “hafta pee” muscles.

So the the pelvic floor muscles we want to think about are inside your pelvis, at the bottom of that (hopefully now, non-spilling) pelvic bowl. The muscles fill in the base of the pelvis in a sort of diamond-ish shape because of the placement of the bones they’re attached to. These points of attachment are the two ischial tuberosities, the pubic bone, and the tail bone. If you sit with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, you can locate your ischial tuberosities (which is just a fancy way to say “butt bones”) by gently rocking side to side. You hopefully already know where your tailbone and pubic bone are. These four bones can therefore be seen as a kind of diamond shape (in green below). Here’s a top-down picture that I’ve titled “Sorry, I drew this with my finger”:

It’s not important to know details about where each of the pelvic floor muscles attach in that diamond shape that’s the bottom of the pelvic bowl, just see them in that diamond-ish shape. Again, see if you can isolate the “hafta pee” muscles, imagining the pelvic floor’s diamond shape contracting into a smaller diamond shape when in use, then widening when relaxed. If you have a strong pelvic floor you can see how a gripped contraction could pull very uncomfortably on the bones they are connected to. This diamond shaped group of muscles has an outermost muscle named what I think is a super fun word to say – pubococcygeus. That particular muscle actually inserts into the same cartilage disk between your pubic bones that your 6-pack muscle inserts into. *and the crowd goes wild like whaaat that’s amazing*

So here comes another analogy, this time for how the 6-pack muscle & pelvic floor muscles work together:

• 6-pack Muscle = your arms (I know, I know, super weird but stick with me)
• Pelvis = a kettlebell
• Pelvic Floor Muscles = someone else’s hands (I SAID stick with me here)

Think of the pelvic floor muscles as helper muscles that support the work your 6-pack muscle is doing for your pelvic alignment. Imagine grabbing a kettlebell to lift and as your arms are raising it, someone’s hands are underneath the kettlebell. Their hands are not necessarily there to do the lifting for your arms, but they’re there with a small amount of pressure to create a strong base of support. See, not as weird as you thought, right? Told you.

Quick Review

So here’s a short synopsis of everything: The common point between your 6-pack muscles and your pelvic floor is a small disk of cartilage that is sandwiched between your pubic bone at the front of your pelvis. When the 6-pack muscle is moving upward, it’s pulling on the cartilage disk. Because that disk is a part of your pubic bone, the whole pelvis shifts into alignment. When the pelvic floor muscles are held, it adds support and strength to that alignment, sharing a small amount of the load with the 6-pack muscle doing most of the actual aligning. Below is yet another finger painting, this time it’s a side view of your pelvis entitled “Sorry I drew with my finger again”:

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

ephesians 3:14-19 NLT

When it comes to food and fitness, our culture puts emphasis on gaining strength and having control. Yet when it comes to freedom in Christ, His emphasis is on celebrating weakness and losing control.

Before we go any further, we have to break through the barriers of self-sufficiency and private struggles. Whether we put our health on the back burner or eat and weigh ourselves in secret, the enemy uses food and fitness to isolate us from each other and from Him. Shame and/or pride settles in on our health and wellness journey, and we move forward on our own. And it’s exhausting . . .

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

But Jesus changes everything! His power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor 12:9-10), and His Spirit will empower us with inner strength (Eph 3:16b)!

So let’s be real and share about our struggles with health and wellness and anything else. We truly are better and stronger together – together with the Spirit and with fellow believers. As we abide in Him and in biblical community, strength and freedom will come!

By Karlie Scharrer, member of Holy Barre and soon-to-be Nutritional Therapy Practitioner

(During the past week and a half, we’ve celebrated and worshipped our Creator, His creation, and His abundant resources. Let’s now apply all that to our idea of food, desiring to align our consumption with His beautiful design. Thanks for sharing, Karlie!)

Just like there is no one size fits all God, there is no one-size-fits all approach when it comes to nutrition. Nutrition is based on the unique bio-individual needs of each person. However, there are some general nutritional guidelines recommend for everyone:

• Consuming whole foods that are as close to how they appear in nature as possible, eating a diverse range of local, seasonal, organic fruits and vegetables, if accessible, soaking and sprouting nuts, seeds, grains, and legumes, when appropriate, to maximize the bioavailability of nutrients, and choosing grass-finished meats, pasture-raised poultry and eggs, and wild caught seafood, if accessible.

• Eating a properly prepared, nutrient dense, whole foods diet provides your body with the building blocks and fuel needed to function properly and maintain health and balance.

“You are a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. No other you has ever existed or will ever exist again. It’s time to care for His creation, His design.”

Revelation Wellness

Early human diets were represented by many different kinds of food from many different locations. Because of the diverse nutrient dense diet that hunter-gatherers had, there were minimal chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Unlike today, those are the most common chronic diseases seen. Even though hundreds of years have passed, we still have the same nutritional needs as did our hunter-gatherer ancestors.

Our bodies work synergistically. From the atoms that make the chemicals our body needs all the way to the organism of You! The ability to maintain a relatively stable internal state that continues despite the outside environment is known as homeostasis. We take our environment in and make ourselves out of it. You literally are what you eat!

I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth

Exodus 9:16

Forget the idea that food exists simply to be consumed. Do not fear food, instead, let’s appreciate the idea that food is foundational and God given to sustain and nourish you so you can spread the Good News!

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Ephesians 3:14-19 NLT

We’re utilizing the New Living Translation for the majority of this focus, and from what I can tell, it’s the only version that uses ‘resources’ here in verse 16 while others say ‘His glorious riches’ and similar phrases. Yet in our world of abundant resources, information, and knowledge, this passage makes me pause and reflect.

We naturally desire the resources and find them valuable. When it comes to health and wellness, we love the resources about food and fitness and diets and trends and exercises. We naturally follow and scroll on social media the influencers who provide the latest information and resources about our areas of interest. We read the quotes and tips about marriage and parenting and friendship. And these can all be helpful!

As long as we remain focused on the One with the ‘glorious, unlimited resources’! As we gather information, let’s bring it back to the Father for reflection. Better yet, let’s acknowledge that the greatest Resource of all in the Spirit active within us. The Spirit can discern and guide and reveal what’s best for us. That’s why He’s mentioned in the following phrase of this scripture passage.

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

1 Cor 10:31

So while you can apply various resources into your daily workouts and your daily food intake, ask the Spirit to reveal what’s best for you each day. All His glorious, unlimited resources are really what you need to know! God Himself will make you holy and whole as well as healthy!

May God Himself, the God who makes
everything holy and whole, make you holy
and whole, put you together-spirit, soul, and
body-and keep you fit for the coming of our
Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called
you is completely dependable.
If He said it. He’ll do it!

I Thes 5:23-24

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

ephesians 3:14-19 NLT

I once read an anonymous statement that has stuck with me and went something like this . . . ‘how can we look in awe at the beauty of the flowers and trees and sky but look in the mirror with disgust or criticism? We are ALL His beautiful creation.’

Ladies, we are all His beautiful creation, created in His image, just as it says in Genesis. And our Heavenly Father describes us as ‘good’. Our original design is ‘very good’. When you look at the original Hebrew translation of ‘good’, it actually means so much more than how we use the word today.

‘Good’, as originally used in Hebrew, translates as beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, fair, in favor, glad, gracious, joyful, kind, loving, merry, most pleasant, pleasure, precious, prosperous, ready, sweet, wealthy, well-favored, and more!

We realize we are broken and live in a fall world, no longer the Eden God originally created. But the Lord continually draws us near in restoration and love. He calls us ‘good’ because are are ‘good’ in Him! We fall to our knees and pray to God and can approach the throne with confidence because of His goodness, not our own.

Since the creation of Adam and Eve, the Lord has desired to bring us back to Eden. Throughout history, He has been working to restore a lost world and bring us back into an intimate relationship with Him. Jesus changed everything and overcame death to bring us back to life.

For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed

romans 8:20

Through this new life, an never-ending life in Christ, we are given the opportunity to live in the free of His goodness and His calling us good. We are given the opportunity to intimately connect with Him in the Edens of our hearts. If you’d like to explore this more, I encourage you to download John Eldridge’s Pause app and go through the 30 Days of Resilience plan.

For now, let’s celebrate our being called ‘good’ – our bodies, our hearts, our minds, and our souls. Yes, we are sinners but we’re also now saints. Let’s move forward in a posture of humility and confidence. Let’s step into that peace and power. Let’s view each other through this truth as well. Let’s seek Eden and look forward to the Heavenly Eden that awaits. When our eyes are fixed on Jesus, our posture radiates Him and true health follows.

So as you worship and workout, focus on who HE says you are! And HE is desiring for us to get back to ‘good’ – holy, healthy, and whole – and believe that we are ‘good’!

How would your thoughts and choices differ if you continually saw yourself as good and His beautiful creation? How can you pass this goodness and beauty on to another today?