Can I Pause and Reset [Episode 71 With Lisa-Jo Baker]

A few years ago, I ran away from home. My friends, Paula and Joan, ran away with me.

We rented a pontoon boat and loaded it down with snacks, sunscreen, books, towels, water, and ice. We barely pulled away from the dock before we plopped our tired selves on those hot, clammy cushions.

When we hold the weight of glory in our minds, it will renew the day-to-day. [Click to Tweet]

Joan was the captain, and she steered us into that blue water far from the less-than-smooth-sailing we call our lives! It was a party in slow motion … three frazzled women out boating!

So, there we were … slathered with sunscreen, decked out in our comfortable, practical Lands’ End swimsuits, collapsed on the warm sticky seats of the pontoon like we had just come out of battle.

Oh, friend, we were tired. Worn out.

You see, even fulfilled women get fatigued. Even happy women feel haggard.

So, we ran away from home for a day on the lake because we needed to pause and reset.

Maybe you’ve never run away for the day, but you can relate. Do you ever find yourself in the middle of your ordinary life needing to renew your perspective, reset your priorities, or review what matters?

If that’s you, today on the 4:13 Podcast, KC and I talk about how you can pause and reset. And author, Lisa-Jo Baker, joins us and helps you know exactly how to do that.

There’s no such thing as ordinary people. Every person you encounter has an eternal existence. [Click to Tweet]

Lisa-Jo is a former attorney, long-time community manager at (In)Courage, author of several books including The Middle Matters: Why That (Extra)Ordinary Life Looks Really Good on You, and champion of women everywhere. She’s the co-host of her very own podcast called, Out of the Ordinary. Lisa-Jo lives just outside of Washington, D.C., with her husband of over 20 years and their three kids.

You’re going to love this conversation! It was recorded live at a women’s event where Lisa-Jo and I had tea with several hundred of our closest friends. So pull up a chair and have tea with us. There’s room at the table for you!

2 Ways You Can Pause and Reset

  1. Realize the Kingdom of Heaven is now. Lisa-Jo talks about how the middle seasons of our lives can sometimes feel boring and mundane. She says, “You’re not at the exciting beginning. You’re not at the successful end. You’re in the middle. Every day feels the same, and it’s easy to downgrade that when it comes to significance.”

    But, Lisa-Jo shares, if Jesus said the Kingdom of Heaven is now, you can believe that literally. When you do, it’s easier to accept that what you do on earth has an eternal bearing. So, the next time you are tempted to believe the moments of your life don’t matter, realize that’s a lie from the enemy. Every moment doesn’t have to be exceptional or “viral” to be significant.

  2. Feed your mind and soul the right diet. While Lisa-Jo says she loves a good Netflix-binge, her brain needs more than Netflix has to offer. The same is true for you. So, Lisa-Jo feeds herself content—such as the podcast, Ask NT Wright Anything, and books by C.S. Lewis—that focus on how the eternal is now.

    She says that being reminded that everyone has an eternal existence helps her in those moments when she’s annoyed at her husband or children or at the Internet. Your content may be different from Lisa-Jo’s, but you too can feed your mind and soul things that keep you focused on eternity. And, of course, Scripture is the best content to feed yourself. My favorite way to do this is with the Bible app, Dwell.

Friend, when you hold the weight of glory in your mind, it will renew your day-to-day.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 says, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

So, no matter what you face or how you feel today, you can pause and reset through Christ who strengthens you.

Related Resources

Books and More by Jennifer Rothschild

More from Lisa-Jo Baker

Links Mentioned in This Episode

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