Hello July and welcome rest and restoration, redefining, and refining! I know that was a mouthful and totally unexpected for July. I mean it’s summer, right? We are suppose to be jet skiing, vacationing, out and about in the world! Yes, yes we are. But we also need to constantly give equal amount of attention to our rest and restoration.

Rest and Restoration is not just for the heat of the summer we may be feeling but, it is also because of the energies surrounding else. We all live in this world and this world is the outside energy that affects our inside energy. We must be aware and on alert. Not in an obsessive, fearful way but in an observant, introspective, and prayerful way. When we experience these feelings or emotions, the big ones, we must take time to retreat. Not because of defeat but to recover and and to charge up our strength so that we can persevere and make progress for the remaining six months of the year. If there is anything or anyone that you don’t have to waste your energy or time on, DON’T!

Seems to be quite a bit of re-alignment this month as well. Re-defining to others who you are after your transformation and reminding them that you are not the same seems to be the theme. And even reminding yourself that you are no longer the person that loses it each time things don’t go your way. It may come as a shock to you when things fall apart and you don’t. At least not as much as you used to anyway. “Oh, yeah, I am not that guy anymore” or “Oh yeah, let me reel this attitude back in, I am not that woman anymore” is what you may say to yourself.

And for some of us there will be some refining.

Refine verb

remove impurities or unwanted elements from (a substance), typically as part of an industrial process.

This will be a spiritual refining month. I think of fire refining something but, it could be water. Either way, something needs to be purified within us. This is day one of my sabbatical and I thought for some perfectly sane reason I would simply not attend church on Sundays this month. I thought the only thing on my agenda was to see what it is like to worship God in Spirit and in Truth. Turns out, it’s NOT going to be as simple for me as I thought it was. There will be some refining going on. I do not like the thought of it. And maybe if you are one of the “blessed” ones encountering some form of refinement, my wisdom tells me to tell us to shift our thinking about it and accept the “industrial” process of it. After all, imagine all the thing we eat or have that if not refined would be a danger to us. See it as protection, growth, and the shaping of the more authentic, transformed, evolved you. Purification in a positive, glorious way. You will be lighter and able to “do your spiritual work or calling” much better. Heck, you will just be better and feel better, too.

~Nikki