Sparkle With Self-Forgetfulness

by | Oct 5, 2021 | The SundayMonday Tuesday Archives

I still so vividly remember Jennifer Fulwiler’s talk at SEEK 2014 in Nashville, and especially the words above. She talked about how easy it is to get wrapped up in what other people think of us, so much so that we can find ourselves distracted from reality because we’re so committed to creating a persona that pleases and impresses everyone around us.

Her antidote to this phenomenon? “Sparkle with self-forgetfulness.”

I’ve reflected on this phrase many times, but it’s been top of mind over these past few weeks as I meet so many new people every day and, naturally, want them to like me. I want to build friendships, I want to get to know people, but (honestly) I also want them to like me back.

And what at first seems like a pretty harmless desire can mutate into an all-consuming task. “What did they think of my outfit?” “Did I just laugh too loudly?” “I hope they got my joke!” “Was that a little too sassy, could I have hurt their feelings?”

Almost overnight my experiences of meeting new people went from joy and peace to anxiety and fear. I didn’t want to be too much or too little or really too much of anything. And THAT is the enemy’s game!

When we focus on ourselves, we lose sight of the role the Lord is asking us to play in His story. We stop making the jokes, we stop wearing our favorite out-there shoes. We hold back because we’re afraid of being judged, left behind, and not accepted.

And if we shrink, the enemy wins.

So how do we combat this? We sparkle with self-forgetfulness. We run to Jesus and ask Him to love us and make His love known to us. We focus on being present and on reflecting the Lord’s light to those around us. And – most importantly – we trust that the Lord sees all things, and even if we’re misunderstood by someone else, He knows our intentions and our hearts.

How do you sparkle with self-forgetfulness? Reply below and let me know!

In Christ,

Jane

What we’re loving lately (on the blog and beyond!)

Encounter Jesus in the Chosen by Renee Reneau

“When I watched the episodes of The Chosen, these memories and emotions came flooding back to me. I felt the immensely personal love Jesus has for me and my heart exploded with gratitude. You may not have as visceral of a reaction as I did, but I can promise the show is worth the watch—at least worth giving the first episode a try!” Renee’s experience of encountering Jesus in a new way while watching The Chosen series is so inspiring – go read the article, and then go watch the show if you haven’t already!

LuLa Rich Documentary on Amazon Prime


This four-part documentary is INSANE and as someone who is fascinated by MLMs (multi-level marketing companies), I binged the whole thing this weekend. It follows the meteoric rise and catastrophic fall of LulaRoe, a retail clothing MLM that required women to spend upwards of $5000 to onboard and begin selling. If you’re looking for something super wild to watch, I highly recommend this!

 

Liturgical Living with Gabriela R. A. Doyle

October is the Month of the Holy Rosary and a beautiful opportunity to reconnect with this sacred form of prayer. Did you know that the Rosary means “Crown of Roses?” According to our Lady, each “Hail Mary” presents our Blessed Mother with a rose, and a full rosary weaves them together into a majestic crown or spiritual bouquet. If you’ve struggled with praying the rosary in the past due to its repetition, I love this new way of looking at it: consider the prayer as a form of saying “I love you.” After all, how many times per day do you tell your family and friends this? (Source).

Let’s bust another myth while we’re at it: although we offer the rosary to Mary, it is in fact centered around Jesus. Since each decade of the rosary follows Christ’s life, it is a way to meditate on his sacrifices, joys, and sorrows, while walking with the Blessed Mother and considering his journey from her perspective–she who knew him better than anyone. The rosary typically takes about 15-18 minutes to pray, but can still feel a bit daunting. If you’re not sure where to start, look to your calendar. Pray the Joyful Mysteries on Monday and Saturday, the Sorrowful Mysteries on Tuesday and Friday, the Glorious Mysteries on Wednesday and Sunday, and the Luminous Mysteries on Thursday.

In honor of this month, I’ll be sharing more facts about the rosary and practical tips to pray it, and we’ll also cover saints with special devotions to Mary and the rosary and our #Monthly Miracle later on. This week’s challenge is to pray a nature rosary. I adore this idea from Be a Heart Design! As you soak in the gorgeous fall weather and feel the air start to chill, take a nature walk and bring a basket and string with you. Along the way, collect interesting items you see, whether they’re pretty rocks, twigs, flower petals, etc. When you’ve found a good place to stop, lay the string on the ground in a circle (or just draw it in the dirt). Then lay your items along the hoop, placing one down for each prayer you say as your nature rosary takes shape. We’d love to see your pictures, so please tag @thesundaymonday_ and @beaheartdesign when you’re done!

Intentions for This Week

For those struggling at work. For those seeking peace and purpose. For anyone who feels lonely.

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Jane Kennedy

Jane Kennedy

Jane was born in Australia, raised in California, and is overjoyed to now call NYC home. She graduated from UCSB with degrees in Political Science and Communication and spent the past two years working in criminal justice reform. She is currently an MBA student at NYU Stern, focusing on entrepreneurship and strategy.

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