starting – P.I.M & PINK

Good morning, P.I.M PALS! (🌸o^-^o)/ ☀️

Welcome to today’s blog post about starting your morning with God. ☁️☀️☁️

Picture by Selene Washington on pimandpink.com

How you start your morning is so important, reader, because it sets the tone for the rest of your day. ☀️

In the Bible, God instructs us, His children, to seek His Kingdom first and that everything else will be given to us, as it says in Matthew 6:33 (NIV). We should apply this verse with each new day by seeking God in the morning when we wake. ☁️☀️☁️

There are many ways for us, as Christians, to seek God. Thankfully, we can turn to the Word of God for instruction on how to seek Him in the morning. I will list some of these scriptures along with aspects of my morning routine, which I hope will inspire you to develop your own. ✨

Every morning, I like to spend quiet time with God to remind myself of His presence, which gives me clarity and peace throughout the day. I start this quiet time by first speaking to God in prayer and thanking Him for another morning and praising His name, because as Psalm 92:1 (ESV) says, it is good to give thanks to the Lord and to praise the name of the O Most High. ‬‬🙏☀️

After giving thanks and praise, I follow Psalm 5:3 (NIV) which states, “In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly”. Based on this Scripture verse, I lay my requests before God and ask of Him many things, such as protection over myself, my family, and others, guidance and wisdom for the day, provision for those in need, etc. I also rebuke Satan and ask God for protection from the enemy, and I ask God for discernment of any and all demonic attacks.

Also, to prevent myself from doubting and getting anxious about what I already gave and confessed to God in prayer, I remind myself of the Scripture verse, Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV), which says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Additionally, I also remind myself of the Scripture verse, Isaiah 26:3 (ESV) which says, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” 🤍

After praying, I start reading the Bible, God’s Holy Word, which is alive and active, and it is described to be sharper than any double-edged sword, and is a discerner of the human heart (Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)). And based on that, reader, I truly do feel like the Bible is piercing into my soul and spirit as I read it, but it is also a “spiritual food” that I am feeding myself, which is described to be sweeter than honey (Psalm 119:103 (KJV)). It is essential to meditate on God’s Word, not just in the morning but also throughout the day and at night, because doing so will enable us to prosper, like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, bearing fruit in its season, as it says in the Scripture verse, Psalm 1:2-3 (NASB). 🍯🌳✨

Many times though, reading the Bible, God’s Holy Word, each morning can feel like a chore or an obligation, which can cause us to eventually be hesitant to read it each morning. However, when you come to understand that when reading the Bible, the Word of God, you are not just reading, but also spending time with God, you will find yourself longing for more of the Word of God, and it will feel less like an obligation and will be something you look forward to. After all, once you have tasted the Word of God, you will see that the Lord is good, as it says in the Scripture verse, Psalm 34:8 (NIV). ☀️✨

In addition to reading the Bible, I like to read other books and daily devotionals that are written by Christian authors. These Christian books that I own are filled with the author sharing their life experiences with God as well as Scripture verses that serve as very refreshing reminders that help motivate and encourage me throughout the day. 📚✨

Following my daily devotionals, I like to spend time praising and worshipping God in song and dance, with and without music in the morning. I do as it says in Psalm 59:16 (NIV), “But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.” 🎶💕

Next, I like to write down and speak positive and uplifting affirmations based on Scripture verses in the Bible. As it says in Proverbs 18:20-21 (NIV), “From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled; with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied. The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” ✍🏼🗣️✨

Finally, in times where God gives me inspiration and wisdom regarding my blog and any other aspect of my life, I write down any instruction He gives me, and I make it a point to fulfill that instruction. So, whether it is a blog you run, a book that you are writing, or a sermon that you are going to preach, reader, God will give you the right words to write and speak. After all, God authored the Bible by divinely inspiring several prophets/authors who were led by the Holy Spirit within them to write His Holy Word while still retaining their own manner of speaking and unique styles (2 Timothy 3:16 (NIV)) / (2 Peter 1:21 (NIV)). But to receive such instruction, reader, you have to have an ear to hear God, and be ready to listen to His instructions. As it says in Isaiah 50:4-5 (NIV), “The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed. The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears; I have not been rebellious, I have not turned away.” Additionally, Proverbs 16:3 (NIV) also says, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.”👂✨

I must say, reader, that during and after spending quality quiet time with God in the morning and intentionally rooting myself in Christ, I truly feel so light, secure, joyful, healed, and at peace, as if all of the burdens that once laid heavy on me has now been removed by God Himself and His presence. Furthermore, I have grown more confident in the Lord, and I know that if I should face any trials, He will be there with me throughout them. As Jesus, the Son of God, said it Himself in Matthew 11:28 (NIV), “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” ✨

I challenge you, reader, to look to the Lord and His strength and seek His face in prayer and in song, not just in the morning, but throughout the day, as it says in 1 Chronicles 16:11 (NIV). Just remembering to thank God for waking you up in the morning is already a great and beautiful first step to start every day. And if you have a Bible (that may or may not be collecting dust), I encourage you to start reading it and not take it for granted because God’s Word is a gift, and it is described to be a lamp for your feet, a light on your path, as it says in Psalm 119:105 (NIV) in the Bible. 🦶✨

I can honestly tell you from personal experience, reader, that starting my day with God everyday really has positively impacted me mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, and I believe that it will do the same for you too. For one, you will get to know God, your Father in Heaven, more, who loves you so much, as well as His Son, Jesus, who gave Himself for you and all of us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good, as it says in Titus 2:14 (NIV). And speaking of being a child of God who is eager to do good works, by spending quiet time with God in the day and night, you will become stronger and clear on who you are in Christ as well as what you are called to do in Christ. As it says in Psalm 143:8 (NIV), “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.” ☀️🤍

Overall, reader, if and when you choose to draw near to God, I promise you that He will draw near to you, as it says in James 4:8 (ESV). ✨

☁️☀️☁️

Thank you so much for reading! I hope that you found this post to be valuable, and if it resonated with you, feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section down below, for I would love to hear from you! You can also share this post with a friend who may need to read it as well. 🤗

Also, make sure to like and subscribe to my blog, P.IM & PINK, so you do not miss out on new blog posts, videos, and content in the future! ✨

For more content, you can follow my blog, P.I.M & PINK, on the social media accounts listed down below:

☀️ Official Pinterest – P.I.M & PINK

☀️ Official Instagram – P.I.M & PINK

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by P.I.M & PINK™️ (@pimandpink_blog_official)

☀️ Official Twitter – P.I.M & PINK

May God satisfy you in the morning with His unfailing love, reader, so that you may sing for joy and be glad all your days, as it says in Psalm 90:14 (NIV). May God bless you and protect you, and I pray that you are safe and healthy always. 🙏🤍🎶

Your P.I.M PAL,

Selene

Hi P.I.M PALS,

Welcome to today’s blog post about becoming a late bloomer.

Firstly, what does it mean to be a late bloomer?

A late bloomer is someone who fulfills their potential much later in life. Meaning they have gifts and talents that go unseen for a while until recognized later than expected.

Therefore, I want to share with you a little story about how I became a late bloomer with something I always wanted to try when I was little but started much later in life.

Once upon a time, when I was a little girl, I wanted to try ballet. But the fear of looking like a giraffe is what held me back from trying it.🦒 🩰

Photo and Artwork by Selene Washington

I thought that I would look awkward or taller than all the other girls in the ballet class, even though I was very petite in reality.

Every time my family and I passed by a ballet class, my parents asked me if I wanted to try it. But I always expressed my concern to them about looking like a giraffe. My parents tried to convince me otherwise, but they understood my feelings and did not force me to do ballet.

As time went by, life went on, and I kept getting older, I started to feel like ballet was more and more a lost cause to try out, and I could only blame myself for pushing it off constantly.

It was not until the age of 16 I had enough of holding back my desire to learn ballet. It took watching several ballet shows and recitals to inspire and motivate me so much that I talked it over with my parents, and we decided on a dance school for me.

Knowing myself, I wanted to go to the most prestigious ballet school in my state to be excellent in ballet. But since I was just a beginner, I was convinced by my family that it would be best for me to go to a dance school that would be less strict on me. Therefore, we decided that I would go that route but only temporarily.

I then went shopping for dancewear for the first time, which was fun. Also, we made a stop at the library, where I found a book all by itself in the corner of the bottom shelf called “Classical Ballet Technique” by Gretchen Warren. It was the only one left, and I truly felt like this book was calling me. It gave me hope, and I often used it as a reference to self-teach myself ballet on my own time.

After much discussion, my family and I decided that I would start with two ballet classes every week on Monday and Tuesday and then gradually add more along the way if I wanted to. That way, I could balance both ballet and school without getting overwhelmed. And the days I was not going to ballet class, I was working on my turnout at home, which is the rotating of the hips causing the feet to turn outward. It is a very important part of classical ballet technique that needs to be mastered. But I had to do it within reason because I was just a beginner who was not that flexible. Therefore, I had to be patient with myself as I was learning these new ballet exercises. 😐

On the day of my first ballet class, my family and I rushed there to get on time. Luckily, my ballet bun was still neat in place in the car. I felt so nervous and unprepared, even though I was more than prepared.

Once I entered the ballet class, I saw girls much shorter in height and younger in age. Therefore, I immediately thought that I would become that imaginary giraffe ballerina. Did I feel awkward? I sure did! 😅👍

Despite having butterflies in my stomach, I was excited and loved my first ballet class. I truly already felt like a ballerina because ballet was no longer imaginary for me. After my first class, I felt motivated to continue taking classes at the dance school and practicing my ballet at home. 💕

As I began to take classes, the golden question from many of the girls was, “How old are you?” I tried to back out of this question every time because I felt embarrassed about my age. I just hoped that my age or height would not matter, but that would be hard to ignore when I felt like I was the “giraffe ballerina” in the class.🦒 🩰

The girls were shocked when I told them, “I JUST turned 16.” As you can see, I made sure to emphasize the word just since it was true. I was 15 not too long ago ( still old ). The girls were surprised because they thought that I was younger than I was.

But after they knew my age, they still embraced me. Some of the girls were very sweet and very wise for their age. They talked with me all of the time and helped me whenever I asked them for help. Meanwhile, other girls just stared at me, which was kind of awkward. 👀

After a few months went by, the first recital was coming up, and I was going to be a part of it! It was a dream come true, and we were preparing a ballet choreography for one of my favorite songs. I was going to get a beautiful costume and everything. I got so nervous and excited about it all at once.

But for the most part, I thought that a recital was too soon for me because there was still a lot I needed to learn. Therefore, it was my personal choice to not participate in the recital but to continue to learn and improve my ballet skills.

Eventually, I left the dance school for a variety of reasons. But even after I left, I continued to teach myself ballet at home. I have made ballet a part of my daily life and it has inspired me in many other ways than just dancing. I aspire to glorify God with anything I do relating to ballet because He is the One who gave me this desire in the first place. 🩰 💕

Therefore, I am glad that I went ahead and started ballet, even if it was when I was 16. But when I look back, 16 was not that old to start ballet like I exaggerated it to be.

In fact, what I found very helpful and inspiring was looking up to ballerinas who started late like myself and still became successful, rather than compare myself to ballerinas who started ballet at a very young age. Therefore, my tip would be to look up to other late bloomers in your field of interest who have started like you but still became successful.

I hope that this story of my experience encourages you to step out in faith to live and pursue your dreams. Do something that brings you enjoyment, and do not be afraid to be the giraffe in the room. 🦒

Here are three scripture verses that I want to give you to help battle feelings of fear and comparison.

Deuteronomy 31:6, which says, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”

2 Timothy 1:7, which says, “For God has not given us the spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”

And lastly, Galatians 6:4, which says, “Let each person prove and examine his own work, and then he can take pride in himself alone, and not compare himself to someone else.”

So to all my late bloomers, you must know that age does not matter to God. What matters to God is that you acknowledge the desires He has placed in your heart and glorify Him in everything that you do.✨

So, what is your dream?

Are you a late bloomer?

I hope you found this to be valuable, and if it resonated with you, I would love to hear your thoughts!

Also, make sure to like and subscribe to my blog so you can be notified of new blog posts and content!

Your P.I.M PAL,

Selene