A Cup Of Tea, Thoughts & Life...

[ The Ladies love their Tea Time to relax and catch up on girl talk!]

Aaah, tea is my first love, it was my comfort zone, and sometimes an aid in allergy/sinus and lung health. [ caffeine in tea and coffee contains Theophylline a substance that can act as a bronchodilator to open the airways to relieve Asthma symptoms such as chest tightness, wheezing and coughing; this is NOT a substitute for taking your asthma meds!]. As a child I was often given mostly strong black tea and sometimes coffee to [aid in] relaxing my airways. I know this is why I associate tea with soothing comfort! :() Cultures all around the world have some kid of tea culture blended into their daily lives. We all know about the English and their devotion to tea throughout their day!

[ Tea nourishes and sustains our pallets and our souls...]

[ Water is the mother of tea, a teapot is the father, and the fire the teacher.

~Chinese proverb ]

I talk of being in stillness throughout this blog, it has woven it's way through my lifestyle, it's burrowing itself into my spirit. As I sit here with a cup of Yogi Cinnamon Vanilla Tea filled with herbs( nettle leaf, schisandra berry) to nourish and support healthy skin, and yummy too, :{} the word Initiative continues to run through my mind.

Initiative: An introductory act or step; leading action

One's personal responsible decision

Serving to set in motion, or initiate; introductory; beginning

[ During Christina's quiet time in her doubts, a quote was put one her heart; So many people live with unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservation, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality, nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit. ~Christopher McCandless ]

[ The one who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. Those who walk alone are likely to find themselves in places on one has ever seen before. ~Albert Einstein ]

These are all definitions for the word initiative, so I started to wonder, can I really scale down slow down and count on these times in stillness to move me forward? Is stillness stifling me, causing me to become stagnate? How am I showing initiative in stillness? As I've spoke of in my blog post on: It's Ok To Slow Down, I continue to be committed to creating a life thats more quality over quantity, less excessive and out of balance, more strongly God led than 'worldly' led. My adopted lifestyle behavior of being led, and not chasing success is still very new and often uncomfortable. As I shift into refreshed behaviors and thought patterns, the flesh part of me wants to resist and often pokes holes leaving just enough room for the 'devil' to seep back into my thought process and send me running back on the trails of overload, overmuch, and overwhelmed.

[ A life Set Apart is set right! ]

So, to answer my own question; Yes, I am absolutely moving forward in stillness, the very act of stillness is taking initiative! Yes, I am serving to set in motion [as the definition states] to create a life built on my beliefs, values, and God's laws. :) Yes going against the grain of society, of worldliness with all of it's misguided, contaminated ways of living is just the initiative I've needed! The flesh will always attempt to trick and convince me that I'm not enough, or not doing what 'they're' doing, that if I continue down this path I won't abide well in modern day society. But, you see...that's just it, I'm realizing and understanding that I don't want or need to. I choose to abide in Christ! "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. ~John 15:4

Stillness affords me the 'separation' I need from current culture, world-brain and self doubt. Stillness is becoming part of my armor in living a life through God's grace. He's gifted me through his Son, a renewal, a reestablishment in a life to be lived set apart from this world and it's ways. God's grace gives me the ability to take 'real initiative' to life lived as his 'worker bee' using my given abilities to create a sweet nectar to share and spread to others so they in turn can do the same...yes, we are all worker bees and that's how God designed it. :{} [ God is the Head Bee in charge :{] ]

[ Black & White pup: "Hey, I've got this, I know what I'm doing! I'll take over from here!" Tan pup: "Umm, ok, if you think so..." Here we go again!" ]

Our world tells us if you're not Top Dog, the Head of the line, then you haven't reached the proper echelon of success, happiness, satisfaction and completeness. God tells us that success is through our obedience and faith to and in him. He desires for us to focus on accomplishing the purposes he's set out for our lives, and one of the pathways to that infinite wisdom and knowledge is to slow down, be Still, listen and learn to allow ourselves to be led.

Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value. ~Albert Einstein

I'm glad I took the time to share my time and tea with you all, :) because thinking it out, reflecting, and taking my time is bringing me right into God's purpose for me. There will always be a refining process, struggles against that process :() and if chosen wisely, a life lived on God's terms. One can only ride those carnival rides so many times before they make you sick,...yes, I'm choosing to bypass those 'carnivals' because I don't like trickery or spinning around aimlessly out of control. I prefer a smoother glentler pace of ride one that has direction and purpose and untold possibilities! I take initiative for for my life and my service to God.

[ It will never rain roses: when we want to have more roses we must plant more trees.

~ George Eliot ]

Iv'e enjoyed this cup of tea as I receive the real 'tea' about living life in a different lane, one where I can stop and smell the roses because I'm no longer speeding past so fast that I don't notice them...

Can't wait till next time for Tea Talk :{}

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