The title of today’s blog may have a familiar ring to you. If so, it’s probably because in 1971 McDonald’s adopted it as their slogan. The fact of the matter is you don’t just deserve a break from cooking to reward yourself with a McDonald’s hamburger, you deserve a break from the daily grind of life!

The demands and rigors of life cause us to put our personal and sometimes spiritual needs on the back burner, and before we realize it, we’re “burned out”. We know what must be done on a daily / weekly basis, and without even thinking we go into auto pilot and even overdrive to get it done! But the fact is that we are not machines. Even if we were, machines break down after a time if they are not properly monitored and serviced. It is not always possible to steal away and take a 7 day cruise or fly away to an island resort. However, the need for rest and recuperation from all our demands is absolutely necessary. Even if you are not experiencing feelings of being overwhelmed or overextended, taking a well-deserved break is definitely a proactive safeguard.

I received a text this morning from one of my mentees who has taken a week’s break to go away for a break. She reached out to let me know that God has been speaking so clearly to her during her time away and she is feeling VICTORIOUS!

I feel it is important for me to bring the importance of your overall wellbeing to your attention. It is not selfish to take care of YOU! One of the teaching tools I use in my classes is that we need to adopt the same policy for our lives that airlines announce just before takeoff. In the event of a potential loss of cabin pressure, you must affix your oxygen mask first and then assist anyone around you who may need help. In other words, you have to make sure you’re strong enough first before you can help others.

In about five weeks, April 17 – 19, Esther by Design is hosting the 13th Annual Women’s Retreat in Wilmington, OH. Women from far and near are gathering to “retreat” from their normal activities and demands to refuel, rejoice, reflect, and reorganize themselves personally, spiritually, and emotionally. The timing is perfect as Spring is approaching; to put the cold and darkness of Winter behind us and focus on the newness and beauty of life! Sometimes it is hard to focus on the potentiality of what can be and what God has before us because we are so burdened by what we have been carrying. There are women coming that have literally been longing for this time away for months; those that have experienced this awesome gathering before, and those who simply realize they need something like this! May I suggest that you give strong consideration to joining us. Sometimes you do not recognize how badly you need something until you actually take advantage of the opportunity. I invite you to be my guest at this year’s Retreat. Our theme for this year is, Worship Him . . . In The Beauty of Holiness. The Esther by Design team is making all things ready to give all our attendees the royal treatment that you so richly deserve. Although this is a women’s event, the Friday evening service at 7:30 P.M. and the Sunday morning culmination service at 11:00 A.M. is open to EVERYONE and both services are free of charge. Registration is open and can be accessed with full details at www.estherbydesign.org. I really hope to see you there . . .

YOU DESRVE A BREAK TODAY!

Source: First Lady Denise