5 Reasons being inconsistent is throwing you off balance.

"My Lord, my glorious Father- come into this moment and give me the words to write. Lead those who need to read this to be inspired and come to you in submission. Let eyes that need to see, see and minds be filled with wisdom and discernment as they read through this passage. Lord, search out my own in-consistency and remove it, replacing with a steady mindset that does not falter instead led only by your truth and keeping my eyes upward not on the world and its definition of what I should be doing. Lord help those who read to take this as fuel to feed them and nurture them to grow closer to you and remove the pressures of this life from them. Fill them with peace and joy and understanding today Lord. Amen."

Consistency. What is there to be consistent about? We live in a world that is nothing but consistency, right? Go to work, pay your bills, sleep, eat, repeat.

Typically, this could hold true, based on the definition on a surface level. We don't want surface level living-or surviving though. Walking through life stumbling over our own feet feeling lifeless and just trying to get through the day. Surviving. God doesn't call us to just survive. He wants us to be blessed while we live. "For I know the plans I have toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11)

Consistency can also be compared to steadiness- OR "The quality of being controlled, not faltering or wavering." Who can we look back and see does not falter, does not waiver, and does not fall away from His promises? "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them." (Hebrews 13:8)

In the short time Jesus was here before sacrificing Himself for our sins, He lived consistently. He did not just float about, waiting for things to unfold. He was purposeful in what He did- so let's talk about five reasons why your inconsistency is throwing you off balance.

• Inconsistency can cause you to rush around without purpose or value. How often do you roll out of bed in a rush without a plan of what to do? (Don't worry, I'm in the same boat. I just did that this morning.) Why is this a problem? Why does this cause you to stumble? Without a plan or expectation for ourselves in the morning, we rise with a mentality to just get going. A "where's my coffee" mentality and needing to rush out the door. Emotions start out high. Value and purpose start out low.
  

  God has a plan, a purpose, and a method in all He does- why not follow the one who created it all?

  
  

• If you are not taking the needed time to spend and be purposeful in building your relationship with God (spending time in prayer and your Bible) you are not picking up your sword (His truth) and remembering to put on your armor. Relationships take effort. They take purposeful action to grow, or they "grow" stagnant and in worst case- "fall away."

  
  

• An isolated and inconsistent Christian is one who is easily available for enemy attack. Your armor is not only the armor described in Ephesians-but your very relationship with GOD. He highlights what cracks and dings in our armor may need repair. When you choose to spend time with Him and are consistent in that relationship, His peace has the ability to flow freely, the Holy Spirit leading and pulling out things that need to be changed.

  
  

• When we are inconsistent, we subconsciously close ourselves off to the gift of God Himself. We want our heart open (to Him) our mind seeking His face at all times, and our hands reaching up in praise. If you find yourself more excited about things of this world (Football or sports is a huge one that comes to mind) Then I would highly advise dedicating more time to the Lord and building your relationship.

  
  

• When we are inconsistent (if you're anything like me) you fall into a trap of eyes on the world, feel agitated more quickly, and also fall OUT of a habit of prayer. In one of my previous posts, I talk about the importance of Prayer as a "First Response" are you a First Responder? How can we avidly choose prayer first over complaining and lashing out when we are inconsistent in our own importance of our relationship? Prayer is POWER its a GIFT from Him, the one who paid it all-and inconsistency can lead to (at least for myself) a shame in praying ANYTHING let alone asking God to forgive me time and time again.

  
  

  Regardless of where you stand, whether we are talking about a relationship with God or inconsistency in your own life- these habits are leading to 5 main sources of "imbalance" in your life.

  1. Rush without a plan

  2. Not properly equipping ourselves

  3. Not properly protecting ourselves

  4. Close ourselves off/iron minded and not open to Wisdom

  5. (This is technically three bonus ones lol) Eyes focused where they shouldn't be, Agitation for lack of direction, and Prayer/God pushing to the backburner.)

  
  

  WHEN YOU ARE INCONSISTENT IN YOUR LIFE (ALL PARTS- HEALTH, FITNESS, CLEANING, ORGANIZING, EATING, GOD, ETC.) YOUR CUP IS NOT BEING FILLED! "THAT WE SHOULD NO LONGER BE CHILDREN, TOSSED TO AND FRO AND CARRIED ABOUT WITH EVERY WIND OF DOCTRINE, BY THE TRICKERY OF MEN, IN THE CUNNING CRAFTINESS OF DECEITFUL PLOTTING!" (Ephesians 4:14)

  
  

  How is God asking you to take a step in Faith today and be more consistent in your life? What is ONE small change you can make today to be more consistent? Remember- one step is STILL a step forward.

  
  

  
  

  

  
  

  Lets remove the complication of sourdough!

  
  

  Remember to take a moment to pray over and into your ingredients and the blessing of being able to create something to feed your family! This is a higher hydration recipe with high protein because we are replacing the water with bone broth! You WILL need a scale!

Ingredients:

• 260 grams of bone broth (I get chicken) You can also easily make your own!

• 500 grams flour (despite what everyone says, whether bread flour or regular, you will make a delicious loaf. Use what you have!)

• 18 grams of salt

• 100 grams of bubbly starter (you want it just after its peak when it has begun to fall, this is when I have gaged is the perfect time to make a loaf.)

Directions:

Start by warming your bone broth (if from the pantry you're fine and don't have to warm) if from the fridge put in the microwave or on the stove for a few minutes.

Combine starter and bone broth till the starter dissolves. If you do not have a bread whisk, just use a fork! I used that for a year before I had a bread whisk.

Start adding in your flour and mix together. You will mix till it forms a shaggy dough. (it will be clumpy and potentially sticky. Cover and let sit in a partially warm place in your house for an hour.

This is when you will be starting your "stretch and pulls" we will be doing three of these. Start from one side of the bowl, wet your fingers just a bit, dig your fingers into the dough and pull it up stretching it out before flipping it onto the top. Do this till you have made your way around all "four corners" of the bowl. Cover and let rest for thirty more minutes.

Repeat two more times, letting the dough rest for thirty minutes between.

let it bulk ferment in your oven for 8-10 hours, or till it has almost doubled in size.

At this time, you have two choices- If you don't want a super sour taste, you can bake immediately. You would shape into a ball and place in a Dutch oven or oven safe loaf pan or bowl. Score in a cross or along the side to get a nice "ear." (Bake at 400 degrees for thirty minutes COVERED, and fifteen minutes uncovered or till your loaf has a middle temperature of at least 210 degrees.)

If you do want that classic tangy sourdough taste, you will shape, place in a covered bowl, and wrap in plastic wrap. Place int the fridge for at least 12 hours before baking the same as above.

Wait for it to cool before slicing and enjoy!!