In the spotlight

Our Daily Bread
Being an extrovert means that I can get a lot of energy from being around or in front of people.  It seems like I have been on stage or singing since I was a child.  It seems like many things I do end up in the spotlight even when I don't intend them to be!

There are so many folks that will never be in the spotlight though it seems they deserve to be for all their godly works!  Many times we don't understand all the things they did until they leave us in one way or another.  It is good for us to say a word of encouragement to each person we know when we recognize these things.  I spoke to a busy lady at my church last year to thank her for all the things she did.  She was always there to help and do whatever needed to be done for the church and for God!  She looked so surprised that someone actually noticed!

Lord, help us encourage and lift up others as part of our ways to serve you!

Wellness Wednesday
5 Goals For Improving Your Wellness In 2014
With a brand new year right in front of us, it's time to go out with the old and in with the new when it comes to our emotional wellness. Adopting better happiness habits right away can set up the rest of your year for more inner zen.

We asked our Twitter and Facebook communities what their 2014 wellness resolutions were, whether it was dedicating more time to mindfulness or just practicing a little more positivity. Check out the responses below and tell us in the comments what wellness improvements you hope to make next year.

Meditate more often.
Have plans to also get healthy in 2014? Meditation has been proven to improve your immune system, lower blood pressure, help with binge eating and relieve stress. Sounds like the perfect way to accomplish two goals at once!

Practice more optimism.
Adopting an optimistic outlook can have great impact on your overall physical and emotional well-being. Optimists have healthier hearts, regulate their emotions better and are at a lower risk for strokes.

Stay present in the moment.
Cultivating gratitude and staying present in the moment are both positive emotional wellness attributes. Grateful people tend to be happier and even exercise more than those who don't express thanks on a daily basis.

Start an at-home yoga practice.
Practicing yoga has numerous health benefits -- and you can start reaping them from the day you begin. Yogis have a lower risk of heart disease, improved brain function, lower blood pressure and increased flexibility (just to name a few).

Spend less time online.
Disconnecting from your phone or computer for a while may seem scary, but it can actually help improve your quality of life. Studies have shown Facebook can cause loneliness and technology may even be hurting our ability to make eye contact. Sounds like a good enough reason to unplug!

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Revivals greatest enemy is Pride, and the only bride Revival will walk down the isle with is Humility. Humility will deny herself the right of self gratification rather than turn away from God to fulfill her own pleasures, and she will not allow herself to receive the praise that should go to another (especially the Lord). Finally, she will rush to renounce herself, rather than sitting quietly when her Lord is robed of His glory. Oh, Father, we are so unlike her, but may we meet her so that we may walk down the isle to Revival and true Christlikeness? from  Jonathan Edwards on Humility in Religious Affections