Just Breathe

Life has gotten in the way of my blog over the past several months and to be honest, many of my days are focused on just trying to catch my breath. 


Okay, Bri just dumped a bottle of shampoo on the carpet.  Try not to get angry.

Just Breathe. 

What?  Austyn wants a snack and we just finished lunch 10 minutes ago.  Try not to get annoyed.

Just Breathe.

Rylie's begging to go to the pool again, but bringing a 1 year old with to the pool isn't my idea of fun.  Try not to be exhausted already.

Just Breathe.


While much of my breathing focuses on trying to get a handle on myself so I don't go off the deep end, today I read about a different breathing technique.  This one is powerful...a life-changer.  It's breathing in the Holy Spirit.

In his book Not a Fan, Kyle Idleman shares about a spiritual breathing exercise he learned that helps him to always keep in step with the Spirit.  I love good solid advice, especially spiritually speaking, so I thought I would share his words today.  (Side note: One of my pet peeves is reading a self-help type book telling you everything you should be doing without any practical advice on how to actually get it done!!)  Here is Idleman's advice...


"The teaching of Bill Bright helped me learn to become a follower who is filled with the Spirit.  He teaches a spiritual exercise called "Spiritual Breathing." The basic idea is that you live with a moment by moment awareness of the Spirit until walking in the Spirit becomes as natural - as habitual - as breathing.  It's just part of who you are.  Here's how it works; the moment you become aware of sin in your life you exhale.  When you exhale, you breathe out and repent of your sin. Repentance becomes a natural response and clears out space in our hearts for the Spirit to fill us.  So the moment you are prideful, jealous, lustful, harsh, selfish, impatient, you exhale and repent of your sin....

And then you inhale.  When you inhale you breathe in and pray to be filled with the Spirit and you surrender control over to him.  As you practice this spiritual breathing it teaches you to keep in step with the Spirit.  Followers live with a continual awareness of the Spirit's presence and a constant prayer to be filled with his power."


I'm thinking if I focus on this breathing technique instead of deep breathing to cool off my temper, I might actually get somewhere :).