The Holy Spirit — God’s Gift of Presence to Us.
God’s gift to us through the Holy Spirit is presence. In John 20:17 — “Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God. Mary Magdalen went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord” — and that he had said these things to her.”
… Jesus appears to the disciples in verse 21 and says “Peace be with you, As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” … verse 22 … And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
Then he appeared to Thomas. Thomas wanted to physically feel Jesus.
Then in chapter 21 Jesus appears to the seven disciples when they are fishing.
And then in Luke’s account, he shares about that time on the road to Emmaus when Jesus was walking with his followers and they were telling him what had been happening. I love that after they had been with Jesus all day and not knowing, they described this by saying “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” (24:13-35)
John 14:18 says I will not leave you. I will come to you.
“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. “
John 16:7 – Jesus said that his leaving is better for us. For our benefit.
“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
12“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
If you feel alone and if you desire to be close to Christ know that you have something better than what the first century followers of Jesus had. You have the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.
Fashion — The Word Presence in the Fashion Industry
When was the last time you lived with a friend of yours who would help bounce fashion ideas off? Man I miss that. I grew up sharing a room with my sister and I really did enjoy having a roommate who loved fashion like I do and was a hairstylist. SO fun. Honestly, I think that’s why these daily morning and night routines that we’ve had an overwhelming amount of — they are so much fun!
I remember when my roommate told me “hey if you wear something that you like but others don’t you have to remember to not take it personal and own your style”
That was a game changer for me.
Seriously I think roommates or close friends can feel like therapy sometimes. Women really do bond over beauty products, fashion, and hair.
The word presence in fashion is very interesting. Instead of this word describing the act of being together, it is actually used many times as in standing out. There are articles on “how to grow your executive presence” or “how to pull off executive style with effortless presence”… or “How to make your stage presence memorable with fantastic fashion”…
I just think this shows that fashion, although it can be a great connection point and a way to bond — it really is used in many ways to compete or pit women against each other or to stand out.
I do think that this shows that fashion does help those who are not noticed or may be disregarded can give a voice. And we can cover that at somepoint but I think this is a great reminder to use fashion as connection points and not a way to compete against eachother.
Here’s some tips to take up space or have presence through fashion:
From the Wall Street Journal tips for having presence and dressing like a leader.
- One nice outfit can go a long way on business travel
- Jackets are what people remember
- No matter your level, maintain a professional appearance.
- It’s not how much money you spend on your clothing. “It’s about putting yourself together so you look professional,”
- Distinguish yourself with color
- Look to fashion startups for designer discounts and access to brands you might not get locally
- Add small touches of style to a comfortable and pragmatic work wardrobe
- If you look good, you’ll feel good.
- Start with small style changes. – Drop the fear
There you have it. Be confident and work towards connection not competition when using fashion to create presence.
Therapy — Practicing the Healing Power of Presence
The power of presence. I had a lot of people close to me pass away at a young age. I thought about how to really help and support someone who is going through the passing away of a grandparent or friend probably before most people. That’s just my story. I experienced the power of presence when a friend of mine passed away. Having a hard time processing what happened to my friend, I could not decide if I was going to the funeral or not. I didn’t know how to ask the people in my life to go with me. I really had a hard time even planning ahead. So I remember a friend of mine just last minute decided to go with me. I’ll never forget about that. I don’t think we really talked much. Honestly I don’t remember.
But I just want to encourage you that if you are going through a hard season. Depression, loss… whatever it is please please invite people into your life. Don’t shut others out. You probably have people in your life who love you and want to support you. I want that for you.
Sometimes we shut others out and do not reap the benefits of the power of presence because we’ve been let down before or we are afraid of being rejected. I hear that.
If you know of someone who is going through a hard time — I think about moms who have their hands full. Sometimes you have to invite yourself into their space. Don’t underestimate you just being there. You don’t have to talk much or ask questions or fix anything.
Here’s a few tips for being a positive powerful presence in other’s lives:
- Being self-aware. You have to first know how you are feeling and make sure you are in a giving mindset.
- Find out what you’d like others to experience when they are around you. Do you want someone to feel hopeful, encouraged, or calm?
- Reassess how you view those you encounter. There was a study in 156 countries about respect being the best way to create a positive feeling between two people. What positive attributes do you see or appreciate about the person you are sitting with?
- Be curious. What is the feeling behind what your friend is saying? How is this affecting your friend’s day to day? What does this say about your friend’s resilience and character?
There’s so many support groups out there too. For like everything!
And if you don’t have anyone in your life who you can experience that with you can find a counselor. It is amazing how powerful it is to sit with another person and just be heard.
If you are interested in mindset coaching I am currently certified as a mindset coaching and would love to do a session with you. I am not a licensed therapist yet buuutttt I am so close. So if you have goals you’d like to work on let’s do it!
Go to hannahlynnmiller.com/mindset-coaching and we can schedule an appointment today.
