How to *not* Unravel
What does it feel like when you’re running around trying to finish projects all while simultaneously being a wife/girlfriend, mother, daughter, and best friend? Two words: A lot. It can be exhausting trying to get from one day to the next without unraveling. What does it feel like when, in the midst of all that, someone sees you struggling and reaches out a helping hand? One word: Amazing!
A personal relationship with God can feel a lot like someone reaching out a helping hand in the midst of our struggles. In Matthew 11:29, 30, God invites you to take His yoke, which is lighter than your burdens, and find rest for your souls. What an amazing invitation!
Having a personal relationship with God makes our lives better. It gives us peace even in the most stressful situations. Having financial struggles? God can help you with that. Struggling with your mental or physical health? God, through His word, can help you with that too. There is no burden, no struggle, nothing that you can face that is too big for God to handle.
The best part? He wants to do all that for you! God wants to set you free from anything that seeks to tie you down. Rumors, bills, relationships, whatever it is that tries to steal your joy is a weapon that God wants to destroy. True freedom in this life, true freedom to experience peace, safety, joy, and abundance, comes only through a personal relationship with God. John 8:36 tells us that, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
Why would He even care about setting you free? Why would He want you to go beyond having knowledge of Him to having a relationship with Him? Because He created you. He created you to love you, free you and guide you through your purpose. You can find confidence in the promise of Jeremiah 29:11 where He tells you, “I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
God shows up for His children. He is faithful, and His mercies are unending. No matter what you have done, His love is unconditional and 100% yours. Start building a personal relationship with Him today.
Why do we call it stretch and not Christian yoga?
“Oh, I can’t wait to come to your Christian yoga classes!” We appreciate the sentiment, but that’s not what the TrustLoveKnow Studio is doing.
The Studio incorporates the stretches that are typically found in yoga/pilates/dance/gymnastics classes, and combines it with Christian worship, prayer, Biblical meditation, and journaling. The physical and physiological benefits of stretching, meditation, and journaling are consistent amongst most faith communities and we are glad to provide a Christ-centered container to focus on a few of these at a time.
Yoga was specifically founded in India and is anchored in Hindu and Buddhist practices. Yoga is not limited to only asana (yoga poses). It is an entire spiritual and cultural lifestyle comprising many different components (8-limb path). There are specific chants and movements that one can do in order to open up channels of your mind, body, and soul. However, it is our belief in the Christian faith that we should beware of worshiping other gods (whether gods of other faiths or idolizing physical beings and ideas), and we should be aware of opening our spirits up to anything that is not aligned with our faith. So with that in mind, we respect the yoga practice and all that it does for people, and we take care of our spiritual wellness by keeping it Christ-centered. It is also worth mentioning, we have strong beliefs about co-opting and appropriation, so we credit yoga practitioners with our class structure while making the distinction between the yoga practice and our TrustLoveKnow practice. It is about the heart and the mind, and we encourage you to use the reflective opportunity to fix your eyes on Jesus and His Word.
I, the founder, am writing this first blog post after feeling a strong conviction to re-evaluate my relationship with yoga. I’d been an instructor and practitioner for years, many of which allowed me to forge lots of beautiful relationships with people. Then I was called to start TrustLoveKnow | The Christian Wellness Company. It tested my faith and obedience. But when we obey, we know we are in the will of God and He will take care of our needs. We can expect peace that passes all understanding and a feeling of alignment. Nothing compares. So the next time you talk to us about our wellness company, and specifically The Studio classes, do us a favor and call it TrustLoveKnow stretch class, not Christian yoga.
What is God calling you to do today?
