rest

What a lovely several months it has been since I last sat down to write and converse with you all. Our boys have finished another school year, we made it through multiple holidays with joy, and the summer is upon us! How is your summer going? Is it full of lazy and relaxing days, or is the pace too much? I find myself somewhere in between. We have had very busy weeks lately, punctuated with days of rest as we are able to squeeze them in. But I find that the Lord always provides what we need.

This summer I am reading several good books, and I find that to be such a welcome respite when my mind and calendar can threaten to overwhelm me. (Scroll to the bottom to see the complete list of what I am reading/ have finished lately)…One book in particular, The Nature of Rest, by Eryn Lynum, has been encouraging to discuss with friends, as we all seek to live in a Sabbath mindset. From hummingbirds and fairy shrimp, to the rhythms of the sun and moon, we have found that God is all around us if we take a moment to abide in him, particularly by enjoying his handiwork in creation. How are you spending the quiet moments of your day? Here are a few other ways I am squeezing in some “Sabbath moments” as I go. (These are not affiliate links…)

LindyWell Pilates has been such a blessing to me, as well as short morning walks. I find that even 15-20 min of moving my body reaps great dividends.

Dwell Audio Bible – the short daily devotion is so good for a mid-morning pick me up! I usually try to read a little more of a lengthy devo in the early mornings, but when I didn’t sleep well, and the kids wake before I do, listening to this together over breakfast is such a good thing too.

Verse card affirmations – I have a few different pretty verse cards to look over, but a free one from Ann Voskamp is a favorite. I have been writing the full verses out on the back and popping these in my purse or by my morning reading chair to go over.

Daily pauses – John Eldredge has a great app for this, but sneaking quiet moments throughout the day in a closet, popping out on the patio for a few minutes while the boys rest in the afternoon, or by the kitchen sink is such a treat. Connecting with the Father is always the best part(s) of my day!

Day one app – I have kept up with this for several years, though not as much as I’d like this past year. However, I do try to record my thoughts and a few pictures several times a month. Daily would be even better! Keeping track regularly of my gratitude is life-changing and set the stage for a healthy marriage for us.

Family Life radio – This has been such a gift to me in my quest to be on my phone less! We have an old Tivoli radio, and thankfully a local Family life station that I can enjoy while I work in the kitchen.

As promised, my list of books:

-The Meaning of Marriage

-Switch on Your Brain

-Count the Night by Stars (finished this quickly, as it was sooo good!)

-Discipline that Connects with Your Child’s Heart

-Just Mercy

-At Home in Mitford (another fiction book I’m enjoying before bed)

What I’m reading with the kids:

-The Green Ember

-The Railway Children

-Genesis : Herein is Love, vol.1 – by Nancy Ganz

Have a great day in the Lord!

Time has marched on, and I find myself here again, with a few quiet moments to reflect. It’s amazing how fast time flies. It’s a very full time of year, as the calendar turns to September, and school schedules and fall activities kick into gear. Yet, I find myself with a relatively quiet schedule ahead. It is much needed. I’ve prayed for this season and sensed it would come in time. Many of us have seen major shifts in our lives in the post-COVID years, and I am no different. It’s taken a toll on all of us, probably for you as well. Yet, I am surprised and discouraged to see that most everywhere, life keeps buzzing on at full speed.

I’ll share a quick example. Lately, I’ve been really focusing on listening better and asking questions to our boys when conflict arises at home. One of us pulls them into our lap (this won’t last forever, so we are trying to enjoy it while we can!), and asks, “What’s going on? What are you feeling right now? Can you tell me what just happened?” As they speak with often tear-stained faces, I sense the love of the Father who does the same for me. So, let me speak tenderly here in this space, hopefully with the love of the Father coming from my words. I don’t know that I’m an authority on this topic in any way, but I have learned some things the hard way. I have pushed myself too hard and faced difficult consequences. But I am still learning, still trying to lean into my Father and learn from Him and wiser men and women who have gone before us.

Can I whisper into the crazy-busy schedules I see around me, “What’s going on?” I hear how families rarely have dinner together, how we are running from one activity to the next, how we don’t have time for basic self-care needs like sleep and exercise to be met. I can only assess what is going on in my own heart when my life starts spinning out of control, because I have certainly been there. I won’t make quick judgements from the other side of a screen. This season of rest has seemed almost mandatory for me, however. I have faced some health issues in the last couple of years off and on, and though not critical, they have made normal life quite difficult at times. But do we have to wait until that is the case in our lives before we slow down?

I’d like to offer a simple challenge and encouragement here, as the school year begins, to carve out some time with the Lord and a trusted friend or spouse, to ask some hard questions. Why are we all so busy? Is all we are doing really necessary? Is there really no way to find some margin on our calendars? Walk with Jesus a while through the New Testament and see how he ordered his life. He had regular seasons of both full days and quiet times away. And He always held situations up to His Father for approval. I have to ask myself, “am I doing that?” It can be so hard as a busy homeschooling mom and pastor’s wife to find 20 minutes of quiet in the day to be alone with God. I still do fight for that time, and some days it is longer or shorter, but I’m finding moments as I go through the day to be just as profitable for my soul. The truth is, Our Daddy will find us if we are seeking Him, no matter the time of day, no matter how long or short we have to call out to Him.

I want to leave you with a permission slip to rest. Remember (for those of us who attended a brick-and-mortar school) those coveted “hall passes?” It can be hard to pull away from activities that seem expected, what may feel like an obligation, or even good things that would be hard to let go of. Very few of us can step away completely from things that weigh down our schedules, things that perhaps we can’t let go of. We all still have meals to prepare, dishes and laundry to do. But I suspect that somewhere on your calendar, there is a place your Father could be highlighting in this next season, a place that could be His. It could be a new creative endeavor that would feed your soul, starting a regular date night or night with friends, a new prayer habit, or simply time to go on a daily walk. The Lord calls us all to abide in Him, to lay aside the cares of the world as we are able, and draw near. Praying we all can take some small steps in that direction for our own good, for the sake of our families, but most of all because we serve a gracious Father who died so that we could be free.

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me… These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” John 15: 4, 11

Tag: rest

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