Category: faith

Spend too much time on social media? Me too

faith, Health

READ WITH CARE. A tweet thread of mine you can read provides context to this post.

Please read this full post as it is full of stats that are incredibly important to your well-being in addition to your children and young athletes. You don’t have to rely on social media for getting your message and brand out there if your business is rooted in the Lord. He will make a way for you to share your message and generate business through His provisions. Be willing to trust Him 100% and prioritize your relationship with Him before reaching for your phone.  We all have a special assignment from God. By spending too much time online or being busy scrolling or posting you could be missing your true calling from God. Our joy, hope, and fulfillment are found in Him.

God creates every person for a specific assignment on earth; to do good works ordained before you are created. Eph 2:10: For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them

If you read it till the end it is worth it. Please be sure to share with someone else you know who is in need of a social media check. The Lord has been convicting me for a while to reduce my social media use and sharing of content to focus on Him. In addition to writing my Devotions with Wendi book and Performance Nutrition Playbook with a goal to be written end of this year.

Just a note I authored this “Social Media Fasting” blog in June of 2022. It is now January 2023 and I find myself in a space where I am willing to focus on my faith and be present with the Lord instead of on social media. Posting has been a great way to promote my business, brand, and content through graphics and tweets. I find myself in a season where social media is taking away from my life instead of adding. I am not worried about helping folks or providing quality content as you can see it all in my newsletter which you can subscribe to for free.

Enjoy this blog post on social media fasting. The only type of fasting I truly recommend.

SOCIAL MEDIA FASTING

The average daily usage of social media is roughly 4 hours and 27 minutes. Can you believe that? To be honest I am surprised it’s not closer to five hours. Many people are chronically scrolling social media looking for the next oxytocin fix. Many like myself have used social media to help grow businesses, connect with others around the world, and share content to create awareness of services and more. Personally, I could go without Facebook and Instagram,  but I do enjoy Twitter. I am not here to bash social media as I think it can be a powerful tool to connect with people. That was before everything became incredibly political, cruel, and distasteful online. Many of you who have worked with me, hired me for a presentation, or consulted me for coaching likely met me through Twitter. While Twitter is an awesome platform that has allowed me to share sports nutrition resources, and healthy lifestyle tips, and engage with brilliant minds to further learn it has become counterproductive. Don’t get me wrong, I am so grateful for Twitter and the following that has even been a positive platform to filter information I follow but also share the Gospel.

I have found all social media to be toxic to my mental health lately. I find myself consumed with reading and following so many different things at once online it’s like my brain is on overdrive. I have found myself reading fewer books, doing fewer things outside without my phone, and even just feeling stressed about having to constantly post content to help someone, or answer their direct message in the IG chat let alone blog for my website. I know I am not alone in this feeling. I built a great deal of my business (est in 2019) online well before the 2020 pandemic.  Twitter has continued to help me get my healthy tips and sports nutrition guidance out there that has helped me connect with so many.

It is kind of radical to think about stepping away from Twitter or Instagram, but I believe God needs me to do so for the best interest of my relationship with God, understanding His personal assignment of my life, as well as my physical and mental health. I help a lot of people and I love doing it. But my tank feels depleted because many of these folks are not actual clients they are just people who want to drop in my DMs and rant about how much help they need and ask questions but are unwilling to partner. Then get upset when I refuse to help them further for free.  Many folks invest in our services and appreciate the content but then the others seem to be so much louder and it is becoming too much. As I  have said , if satan can’t make you bad he will make you busy. I don’t want to be busy I always want to be productive. My book needs to get done and I want to be present in my life for the people who truly matter, my family and close friends. Not a total stranger who wants to take advantage of me and my kindness. So yes, it is time for a break.

Moderation does not work when someone is “addicted” to something. I am not saying I am addicted to social media, but I would say social media is disrupting my sleep, well-being, connection with God, and building meaningful relationships in real life. I do not care how many followers I have or if I build the best content or have the most liked info graphs. I care about helping people using my God-given skills, abilities, and passion which includes spreading the Gospel. I have even created a personal IG to help share the gospel and daily devotionals. This is a great way to spread God’s word but again being online is time-consuming and depleting my tank. Maybe that’s just me but have you ever just paused for a minute and asked yourself, “how did I get here?”

I always start my morning with a devotional. This was a habit I built over the last 1.5 years…but lately it has been getting shorter and less meaningful as biz ramps up and content is being requested.  I always encourage clients to also reach for their bible before checking email or anything. Start and end your day with God not social media. I’m so consumed with trying to post the best content on social media and help as many as I can that I am not helping myself.  I have also been comparing my professional platform to others who have been in the game 20+ years longer than me and it makes me feel like a failure. I know I am not a failure and that I am driven and running my own race but as of lately the noise is loud. Many may feel shocked to read that I struggle with the same battles they do but my source of help is Jesus. However, social media is sometimes louder and more destructive because I have allowed it to be.  Social media never really used to impact me until I learned how self-sabotaging and distracting it is.  Even if I am scrolling devotionals on Instagram, it is holding me back from creating real meaningful relationships offline.

So, I asked myself a very important question. Perhaps you would want to ask yourself an important question too. Do the “benefits” of social media use outweigh the drawbacks? How is this serving me? Does it negatively affect my relationship with God?  There are plenty of benefits to social media use for business and connection but lately, I have acknowledged the benefits no longer outweigh the negatives at this present time. I don’t want to live online, and I most certainly don’t want the media to control my mindset or mood. The narrative is so negative and full of gloom and doom. There’s a whole world out there to experience and you don’t have to document it online. Work hard but also work to unplug like I will be doing. Please read on for some jolting statistics.

  • Social media and electronics can interfere with circadian rhythms according to the Sleep Foundation.
  • According to studies social media is making both adults and teens unhappy. There’s a link between social media and depression according to the Child Mind Institute. Several studies indicate teenage and young adult users who spend the most time on Instagram, Facebook and other platforms were shown to have 13 to 66% higher rate of depression than those who spent the least time. A 2017 study investigating over a half million eight through 12th graders found that both depressive symptoms increased by 33 percent along with suicide rates for girls increased by 65%.
  • Another study evaluated a national sample of young adults aged 19-32 illustrating a correlation between time spent on social media and perceived social isolation. Results indicated those on social media had greater feelings of isolation which can induce anxiety, depression, and concerns of even body image.

There are plenty of statistics available on social media use that is linked with weight gain, depression, disease, suicide, and more. I encourage you to check out the statistics. Our youth and adult population are at risk for any of the ailments. I want to publicly share and post that I will be taking a fast from social media. I have this beautiful website I invested a lot of resources and time into that is full of blogs, nutrition services, recipes, and ways for us to connect. I am not worried about missing out on anything. I have worked hard in my years as a dietitian and health practitioner earning credentials and great experience that enables me the great privilege to help you, your family, and young athlete.

I know what you are thinking, “how long will you fast for?” If it takes to feel like I am 100% putting my faith first and enjoying the things I used to truly enjoy before the pandemic hit. Nature, camping, hiking, taking actual vacations and unplugging without fear of “missing out”. Life is short, and it would be a darn shame to waste it living on some device working to please people who don’t care about you. Seriously, if someone wants to talk to you or me they can pick up the phone and call, write a letter, or dare we say go visit in person. Politics fear-mongering, misinformation, and evil have really corrupted social media. I am sick of it and it is making me sick. No, I am not depressed but I am a firm believer in being proactive in one’s health. I do not want to become depressed, nor do I want to be robbed of my joy or time which is exactly what social media has been doing lately. Maybe it is not like that for you so rock on. However, for me, I want to experience life free from social media sin.

A social media fast can offer the restoration of my mind, body, and spirit needs. I am not the only one who thinks so. In fact, many clinical psychologists agree, “social media fasts can increase positivity, decrease anxiety, and assuage feelings of depression.” -Carla Marie Manly, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and author of Joy From Fear.

Here are my tips to unplug and take a break from social media:

  1. Make a schedule of what time of the day you will unplug. I.e., no social media from 7 pm-9 am. I would encourage more than that or take specific breaks to limit use and screen time.
  2. Use do not disturb. Taking a break from notifications using the great features on your phone. This can even include silencing calls. I do this during my workday, and it has really helped me stay focused. (Remove all notifications from apps and place on a different screen or put in a folder on your phone)
  3. Leave your “work phone” at work. For many this is impossible as we run our own businesses and the work never ends. However, you can again unplug using a schedule and outline boundaries with your clients and followers that you are not reachable at set hours. This will also limit the screen time and phone access.

You may not think social media or phone use bothers or disrupts your life then again, cool. However, studies show that 3 in 4 Americans spend 3 or more hours daily looking at a screen. Maybe you don’t want to unplug for a period of time but I do encourage you to evaluate your screen time and social media use. Is it affecting your relationships with others? Do you feel like you’re always having to post? Do you feel compelled to constantly check your phone for notifications, updates, or what is going on in the news? Maybe try unplugging for a few days or even a few weeks.

I have been giving out free content for years and many have been appreciative of that, but others have demonstrated a lack of respect and demand I help them for free. My hope and identity are found in Christ. I find myself very turned off by social media at the moment and it is taking energy, time, and value away from my life so that is why I will stick with posting in my newsletter, website, and videos periodically. If you want our help you can enroll in our coaching services, and hire me for team talks, speaking engagements, corporate wellness, and partnerships.

I am not going away from social media I am just simply taking a break. The fact that I feel I have to announce that is exactly why I need the break. Social media is a tool and it is getting in the way of my relationship with the Lord and true purpose. I am not worried about losing business by not being as active online because I know that God’s will can’t be stopped. We do good work and have good things to say each day in helping folks and athletes of all ages. I encourage you to take time away from social media if you find yourself picking up your phone before reading your bible. Christian or not social media is not a good use of our time, energy, or God-given talents.

We look forward to serving you with high value coaching and content as we have since day one.

 

God bless,

 

Wendi

Be Bold in Your Faith

Christian, faith, Health

“Blessed are those who believe without seeing.” John 20:29

Buckle up as I vulnerably share a neat interaction that led to me meeting a new friend and fellow believer! Just a quick note that I have previously authored four Christian-focused blogs on my website. Not many people will read the blogs as most people come to my page for nutrition, health, and fitness but for that one person who may be lifted up by my sharing the gospel or my Christian faith is well worth the time spent writing this up. Writing is also therapeutic. Anyway, on with it…

 

You must be bold with your faith because you never know who is inspired to turn closer to Jesus and away from satan by you vocalizing your love for Christ. “many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:14)

 

Last Thursday at my local YMCA in TN I hit the treadmill to warm up before lifting. When I finished and turned to clean my treadmill and depart for the weights, I saw a man with an awesome t-shirt advocating for science which I obviously appreciated. The man’s t-shirt read, “science does not care about your feelings.” That is a cool shirt and I love that shirt because I am an evidence-based dietitian. This man and I had a great 2–3-minute conversation near the treadmills about how science matters so much for both of our professions. I asked his name, and I will never forget it but for sake of ann9ominty I will leave it out of this blog but you can believe I am praying for him.

The man expressed he holds a Ph.D. In chemistry.  He learned I was an RDN and said, “you do have a lot of science courses in your training as well.” Yes, we most certainly do! We got on the topic of faith somehow as most people who are so into science often lack a belief in Jesus Christ. The man expressed he was a non-believer. He said, “you can’t prove Jesus is real and said the bible was just some unproven book.” My heart sank but I respect others’ opinions especially since I was a former non-believer who said God did not exist in my days before I became a true follower of Christ in 2012.

The man was shocked to learn I was a Christian and very strong in my faith as a follower. He asked, “why do you believe in something you can’t prove miss science-based dietitian?” I said with conviction and enthusiasm, “Great question but here’s the deal since you asked. I can’t see the wind or the heat but I can feel it. I can certainly feel the hot temps and as a result lots of dry grass and crops. I can also see the trees moving and I know that is the wind even though I can’t see it there is a byproduct of those things we “can’t see”.  Just like how Christ works miracles we can’t see the moving parts but we can see the result. A child from my hometown surviving a freak accident in the water he should have died but was revived by the Lord. Many other miracles have happened in my life that I could not see Jesus but I am alive because of Him and that is why I stand firm in my faith.

We walk by faith, not by sight. I look around and see miracles even though I can’t tangibly see Jesus. That is what true faith is.

 

I did also interject that the bible is not a book of stories but it is the biography of Jesus. There is also physical evidence of Roman crucifixions that Jesus described in the New Testament.  Furthermore, I know God is with me even when I can’t “see Him” I can most certainly feel Him and I see the miracles He works all around us. I told the man Jesus loved Him and I will pray He comes to know the Lord someday because it makes things so much easier. It is also comforting knowing earth is not our home and that heaven is. He asked me what was in heaven? I expressed I am not sure but I know for certain there is no death, disease, hate, war, racism, or sin, and we celebrate with our King in paradise without any worries, unlike on earth. It is our eternal home and that gives me hope in this broken world. Jesus is coming back and I would rather spend my entire life trusting and following His guidance and find out He does not exist than get to the end of my life without following Him only to learn of His existence when He comes back. The man argued I could not prove of Jesus or of His return and I said that is okay. It is not my job to push you to do anything.

I used to be a nonbeliever too. I just want you to know that Jesus loves you and when you are ready or willing He wants to have a relationship with you. I said as a non-believer I hated it when people pushed God on me. I won’t ever push faith on anyone but if a firefighter pulled you out of a burning building you would want to share that with the world praising them and thanking them because of how joyful you are That is exactly what I have felt since accepting Jesus as my savior in 2012. He saved me and I can’t keep quiet about that. I am a sinner who needs a savior and He makes my life better. The man actually told me to be quiet and to leave him alone. For you as a follower of mine on social media or a stranger coming to my page you will learn I am so outgoing I am not offended by someone telling me no. You also know how kind I am and that him saying this did not hurt me because a women next door overheard us.. She was an 82-year-old woman who was almost in tears listening to me talk about Jesus. She asked me about my faith and testimonial, and we bonded over how good God is. She said she could feel and see the Holy Spirit as she peered into the room to witness this conversation. I literally had no intention of talking to the guy behind me in the gym but somehow we had a dialogue that prompted me to feel God more than ever.

 

Had I not had that conversation with that man I would not have met my new friend Julia who has a grandson that is studying nutrition at the University of Tennessee. She said her grandson needs some mentorship so here we are. I made a new friend who said my faith encouraged her and her words of affirmation helped me see how important the work I do as a RDN is even when I feel like it isn’t. Julia and I exchanged contact information and she will be joining the women’s bible study group that I am starting with a new friend. She said it’s hard to run a business in these times and gave me some good wisdom on ignoring the enemy who is trying to distract and bring me down from helping people. Julia was shocked to learn that I am only 31 YO and reminded me the Lord has beautiful plans for my future as a dietitian and thought leader. She also said she would pray for the prosperity of my business during these hard times. God is good. We are at spiritual warfare right now and if you stay quiet because you are afraid to offend someone sharing the gospel you need to ask for God to give you the courage.

 

So, Christians, be bold in your faith you never know who is listening or watching. It is not our job to convert people to following Christ, but it is our job to not be fearful of sharing our love for Jesus and what He has done for us. We are ambassadors of heaven. This is a vulnerable blog expressing how important it is to encourage one another in faith and to be kind living a life that is centered on Christ. Thank you for reading this. Thank you for following my pages and investing in our business. I also appreciate all of the messages, mail, and random notes I get about how bold I am in my faith and how it inspires others. That means more than you know. Especially as a non-believer, I can’t express how much God has helped me reach this point in life to work and help so many other people.

 

God is good. God defeated satan. Keep your eyes on the Lord and the blessings ahead. Please follow my personal IG devotions with wendi page. For those that want to attend the local women’s bible study in Brentwood, TN please send me an email so we can give you the details to join us.

Soft reminder last summer I posted my blog, “The Sixty Dollar Effect “ in which I share how God-provisions if you’re willing to trust Him. Please go read it along with Jesus Does Not Need a Perfect You but a Health You, because that’s what my life’s purpose is for.

My purpose is to serve God and glorify Him which I do through my work as a dietitian, speaker, and writer. I help men and women live healthier lives along with our youth so that they can be healthy ambassadors of heaven. We all play a role in Kingdom work.

“For I am the Lord your God, who upholds your right hand, Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you. ” Luke 12:22 God has made miracles out of some major messes in my life that would have broken me had I not had God as my foundation. When we are in need we have two choices, turn away from God or turn towards God.  Turning towards God means spending time in solitude with Him, reading the bible, and attending worship instead of trying to be self-sufficient.

If you’re interested in a daily devotional, Please be sure to follow my personal IG account Devotions with Wendi

Your sister in Christ,

Wendi A. Irlbeck

 

Put your Faith First, Food and Fitness Second This New Year

Christian, faith, Health

“In 2022 I will lose weight, I will exercise weekly, I will give up soda, I will eat more veggies, start meditating, going to yoga, gain financial control, work on being more patient, improve my relationships with my family, grow my business, quit smoking, or try a new healthy hobby?” Do any of these goals sound familiar to you? Yes, me too!  Even as a dietitian and entrepreneur of course I have business aspirations and personal goals I want to achieve with better systems in place for the new year. The most common resolutions for US adults heading into 2021 were doing more exercise (50%), losing weight (48%), saving more money (44%), improving diet (39%), and pursuing a career ambition (21%). These are neat statistics, right? I agree, But what about your faith and relationship with Jesus?

Before you think to yourself, “Wendi thinks she is perfect and all she cares about is nutrition and fitness” that could not be further from the truth. I am as imperfect as they come. Which is just the type of human God needs most. God uses broken and ordinary people like me who come from many failures, challenges, heartbreaks, and adversity to inspire faith and a desire to seek God. I used to be an atheist and a non-believer. I was self-sufficient and believed that if I wanted to achieve something it would be because of me and only me. What a lost and exhausted soul I was. Sure, I accomplished things but with God leading me we have accomplished more, and it’s brought me more joy than words can articulate. Hopefully, I have not lost you. The New Year brings inspiration to “improve yourself”. This is why I am writing this personal blog. I need to prioritize my faith more than what I have been and I am guessing you do too.

The earthly struggle

For the last 16 months, God has been working on my heart, mind, body, and spirit more than ever. I will be honest, my faith has wavered at times.  When I feel overwhelmed with my business, relocating states, sorting through loss of loved ones, trying to salvage personal time but also time to worship and be the best daughter and ambassador of heaven I can be. I have gotten caught up with earthly concerns which are silly because they are all temporary. I bet you can relate to your personal, professional, and financial goals. Trying to hustle for a new car, a new promotion at work, building relationships in your professional network, paying off debt, or upgrading to the next and greatest gadgets that distract you from time with God. Social media, email, ect are all distracting us.

My inability to prioritize my daily devotional time with God is limiting my potential for joy and fulfillment. Likely yours too if you’re not making your faith a priority at the start and end of your day. If we want to grow closer to God we must continue seeking Him and learning about him which requires daily exercise. Much like strengthening your body and muscle, you must put in the work with intent.

If satan can’t make you “bad” he will make you “busy”

When you feel tired, run-down, and it never seems like it is enough or you’re on the hamster wheel without feeling like you’re ever getting ahead or experiencing the fruits of your labor. There’s a saying I have, “not today satan.” In fact, I have this saying as a small decal on my car and a t-shirt with this statement. It works for a while but ultimately it does not treat the underlying origin of frustration which is my inability to prioritize my faith properly. Satan has the same bag of tricks that he knows exactly how to integrate and distract me and you from building a better relationship with God. Check your life, how does satan distract you? Keep in mind that satan is not going to throw some ugly monster in your life that is scary. Satan will disguise the sin as something “desirable” but we ultimately know it isn’t good for us like God knows. That could be binge-watching Netflix, drinking alcohol in excess, choosing to talk negatively to your loved ones, neglecting your health, making poor financial choices, or falling victim to addictions that offer temporary comfort but lasting pain and pressure on your life.

Satan knows us by our sin, but Jesus knows us by our name

Satan has done this by throwing me extra projects, and more business, and satan knows I am a people pleaser that struggles to say, “no”. I am working on healthy boundaries with work and personal life which I urge you to do as well. Especially for my type of folks out there. Being busy does mean you are productive. Being busy can rob you of your joy, purpose, enjoyment, and using the best of your God-given talents and abilities.

“Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this.”

-Psalm 37:5

I love helping people so much that I did not leave enough time in my weekly schedule for me to properly rest, compartmentalize, and decompress. In the last few months, some Sundays have come and gone where I either attended church online or attended physically but was not there mentally. Sitting in church thinking about the “to-do” list is overwhelming while simultaneously feeling guilty that you aren’t giving thanks to God for giving your life. After all, my business, life, home, and possessions belong to Him.

Prioritize powering up your day with Jesus

Many know I encourage my clients and athletes too, “power up with protein and produce” but really it should include Jesus as well. If you don’t start your day with God, and your faith cup is depleted and you have nothing to keep you going let alone charge the day when the enemy challenges you. We aren’t meant to do life on our own or to be self-sufficient. Otherwise, we wouldn’t need God. Which I most certainly do and I know you do too. He created us with strengths and limitations that require us to depend on Him. Without God, I would not be here nor would Nutrition with Wendi.

Soft reminder last summer I posted my blog, “The Sixty Dollar Effect “ in which I share how God provisions if you’re willing to trust Him. Please go read it along with Jesus Does Not Need a Perfect You but a Health You, because that’s what my life’s purpose is for.

My purpose is to serve God and glorify Him which I do through my work as a dietitian, speaker, and writer. I help men and women live healthier lives along with our youth so that they can be healthy ambassadors of heaven. We all play a role in Kingdom work.

“For I am the Lord your God, who upholds your right hand, Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you. ” Luke 12:22

God has made miracles out of some major messes in my life that would have broken me had I not had God as my foundation. When we are in need we have two choices, turn away from God or turn towards God.  Turning towards God means spending time in solitude with Him, reading the bible, and attending worship instead of trying to be self-sufficient.

Having a faith like Mary and the story of Christmas always grounds me. The birth of Jesus is such an incredible story that should inspire our faith and desire to grow with Jesus. If a very pregnant Mary and Joseph could travel 90 miles to Bethlehem in extreme temps, and unpaved paths we should be able to carve out some time in our schedules using our comfortable forms of transportation to hear God’s word! Am I right?  In all honesty, some days I don’t want to attend church in person. I want to stay home and rest up from a busy week.

Which is the point of this entire blog and new year’s resolution talk. By putting faith first, we have a secret weapon or ultimate health hack to success and true joy. Our joy is found in our faithful relationship with God and his sovereignty, not the earthly possessions of the world that will someday disintegrate like the “perfect body or “best food journal”. Put faith first with food and fitness to follow.

 

Set your eyes on heavenly things because the best is yet to come

If you’re a Christian, you understand someday the entire earth will be decimated. Yes, that means all the “stuff” and comfort luxuries we stress over like homes, fancy cars, and prized possessions will be burnt and gone. I’m not saying don’t work hard and provide a comfortable and secure living situation for your family, but I am providing perspective here that earth is temporary, but heaven is eternal. Put your faith first and stop letting earthly stressors get the best of you. And of this truly matters you’re not beating the aging process this will all be decimated at some point. The best is yet to come.

Thieves don’t announce when they are about to rob a home do, they? No, that would be silly. Jesus won’t be announcing His arrival either. So, avoid looking down and focusing on earthly temporary prizes and possessions. Instead, look up and prioritize your faith and understanding that heaven offers eternal joy, a haven free of sin, free of disease, stress, anxiety, and blessings beyond imagination in our forever home. Don’t kill yourself or your spirit building an earthly life but fail to build a relationship with God. The best is yet to come. If you’re a Christian you should feel comfort, peace of mind, and hope knowing God is going to come and bring us home. We must be ready with our eyes open looking up with an eternal mindset on heaven. You don’t want to be caught looking for pennies on earth when God is offering jewels in heaven.

Prioritize spending time in God’s word

Set an alarm each morning to wake up and spend 5 to 10 minutes with God in His word before you start your day. Which I refer to as taking your spiritual vitamins. After all, God is the one who knows exactly what is going to happen, and who is going to be part of your day whether that be personally or professionally. It seems a little silly we run around every morning tackling our to-do list without consulting the man in charge of that list. I used to be this person who would arrogantly start my day without God, and it wouldn’t be as joyful or meaningful. Until I began doing my daily devotional about a year ago. It’s all about building a habit and being consistent. Start with a few times per week or a minute per day but you must start. Much like finding time to make a proper breakfast and other meals. Make time for your spiritual vitamins which are found in consuming God’s word daily. God uses ordinary people like me and you to do His special work. Ordinary people can do extraordinary things.

Having a strong relationship with Jesus by prioritizing faith first is the ultimate life and health hack that I encourage you to prioritize as we ring in 2022. God is not interested in your performance, but He is interested in your heart. Don’t “do more” this upcoming year. Instead, focus on rest and time with God.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” -Matthew 11:28-30

This was a very personable blog. The more I grow in my faith, experience as a dietitian and business owner the more I feel convicted to acknowledge God and the value of seeking/growing a relationship with Him. If I can help just one person grow in their faith or seek God with this vulnerable post of encouragement it was well worth it. Go to church and make time for God.

If you’re interested in a daily devotional, Please be sure to follow my personal IG account Devotions with Wendi

Your sister in Christ,

Wendi A. Irlbeck