I've been reading some blogs on simplicity lately and it inspired me. I've been feeling the pull towards living with less lately and these blogs were like some sort of mental lip balm. I feel better having read and been inspired to live a less-cluttered life with more time for what's important to me.
http://www.bemorewithless.com/
http://www.welivesimply.info/ (good family stuff in here)
I am deeply intrigued by people like this:
http://www.missminimalist.com/
Some questions I have for myself (and you if you'd like to answer them!):
What do I want to make more time for?
What does "living simply" mean to me?
Because what I think I'm finding out is that it's about mental and physical clutter. Having too much around you and being too busy or thinking about too many things (which I tend to do).
One thing I'd most definitely like to do is reduce the clothing items I own. I've already reduced what I wear to a 3" section of our closet and haven't really noticed much of a difference. I pretty much wear the same thing over and over and over. At some points, I will wear the same t-shirt for 3 days in a row if I haven't left the house (usually happens during the snow storms).
Some interesting ideas I read about as for clothing:
One woman suggested having something like this dress in her wardrobe, so it would function as several dresses.
The One Dress looks like another way to reduce the number of dresses you'd need in your wardrobe, and is way cool.
And what about this version of the infinity dress? Or the convertible top?
All of these items begs the questions: How many clothes do we need? What of self-expression in clothing choices? How much of a hold does the fashion industry have on me/you?
I'm sure there will be more about this later. I'm out for now!
Showing posts with label Reflection. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reflection. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Me Time
I have the most wonderful husband in the world, who understands that I need at least a few hours to myself each week to do whatever I dang well please. In the past I would run errands, but this didn't leave me refreshed. So, recently I've been going to a local coffee shop and reading, journaling, and trying not to eavesdrop on the person next to me (I'm easily distracted). I've started to look forward to my "date with me" each week. It's been truly wonderful, reflective, and rejuvenating.
Life
Who among me feels the stress of the pace of our society? That never settle, over-committed, shop till you drop, never say die mentality. It's very American, isn't it? Something we've always prided ourselves in. We're a nation made of people who can do anything, dang it! But what is this doing to us? The relationships we value most?
My husband is a pediatric resident in his last year, which means our life has been terribly inconsistent. Each month, for the past 7 years, his schedule has changed. So the schedule for the family changes. And his time-commitments in each rotation increases or decreases along with the responsibilities.
No one warned me how much this would affect our family. How much it would affect me.
Yesterday, my husband collapsed on the bed following a 30 hour shift in the NICU. Eventually he woke and over a Valentine dinner (he lovingly prepared for me), he told me about twins born at 25 weeks into a 40 week pregnancy. Wee babies, designed by a loving Father, arrived in the world too soon. Each child is now laying in the NICU, ill-equipped to breathe as their lungs pulsate with electronic breaths that cannot be taken on their own.
How thankful it made me for two term pregnancies and for my two beautiful healthy girls. Thankful for a caring husband who works tirelessly in the hospital and in his home to care for the people God put in his life. Gratitude is good for the soul.
Lately I've been thinking more about what it means to "slow down." To care for the things of our home in a timely manner, so that I don't face stress because I have to rush to be done with them. To sit and reflect in order to process the good God is doing in my life. To get lost staring out my window at the snow or the sun or the sky. To relax.
My husband is a pediatric resident in his last year, which means our life has been terribly inconsistent. Each month, for the past 7 years, his schedule has changed. So the schedule for the family changes. And his time-commitments in each rotation increases or decreases along with the responsibilities.
No one warned me how much this would affect our family. How much it would affect me.
Yesterday, my husband collapsed on the bed following a 30 hour shift in the NICU. Eventually he woke and over a Valentine dinner (he lovingly prepared for me), he told me about twins born at 25 weeks into a 40 week pregnancy. Wee babies, designed by a loving Father, arrived in the world too soon. Each child is now laying in the NICU, ill-equipped to breathe as their lungs pulsate with electronic breaths that cannot be taken on their own.
How thankful it made me for two term pregnancies and for my two beautiful healthy girls. Thankful for a caring husband who works tirelessly in the hospital and in his home to care for the people God put in his life. Gratitude is good for the soul.
Lately I've been thinking more about what it means to "slow down." To care for the things of our home in a timely manner, so that I don't face stress because I have to rush to be done with them. To sit and reflect in order to process the good God is doing in my life. To get lost staring out my window at the snow or the sun or the sky. To relax.
LOOK at this photography!Monday, December 20, 2010
Busy Bee
Back when I was in college, a very well-meaning person that I respected once told me "if he can't make us bad, he'll make us busy." Well I took this to heart, dang it. I tried off and on to stop being so dang busy, with very little success. So I just kept on being busy and feeling guilty for it. This had been going off and on for about 6 years or so.
About a year ago, the familiar twinge of dissatisfaction with my "busy" trait had resurfaced and I had been feeling convicted. When I was praying about this one day, God spoke to me and very clearly told me: I made you this way. And it was like a switch had been flipped and I felt free from the guilt that I had associated with being busy. I was relieved, to say the least.
So. I quit worrying so much about being busy and set about enjoying it. And do you know what I did with this new found freedom of mine? I started doing more stuff.
Hm...
Somehow, it just made sense to me that I could release myself to DO more because God had set me free from feeling guilty for doing so much. Go whole hog, you know?
And what do you think happened? Yep, I got tired! And started feeling guilty (and frustrated) for doing so much that I made myself tired. Haha. Anyone seeing the irony here? Ah! I totally abused something God meant for good. I had eaten too much ice cream at the ice cream truck. Geez. Thankfully, God loves me too much to just zap me off the planet.
This happens to me often, actually. I get all excited about sewing something or reading a new book (two things I've actually been doing the past few weeks that have been wearing me out, hah). Then I dive in 100% and forget about cooking, cleaning the house, and sometimes grocery shopping for a few days or a week. Then when I finish whatever I was working on, or at least take a break from it, I resurface and realize I need to cook dinner but there are no groceries. Ack. What's a busy girl to do?
When I get like this, I know what my treatment is. To sit at the feet of Jesus and listen, reflect, and unwind my tightly-wound self. It's my therapy. Saying things like: Why do I do this? Why do I like being busy? It separates me from God, I know this. But why did He make me this way only to allow it to separate me from him? Ugh. I must be thick or something, but I just keep struggling with this.
Anywho. I just decided to dump it out there on the internet for all to see. One day I will have clarity about this and I will probably share it. Until then...
About a year ago, the familiar twinge of dissatisfaction with my "busy" trait had resurfaced and I had been feeling convicted. When I was praying about this one day, God spoke to me and very clearly told me: I made you this way. And it was like a switch had been flipped and I felt free from the guilt that I had associated with being busy. I was relieved, to say the least.
So. I quit worrying so much about being busy and set about enjoying it. And do you know what I did with this new found freedom of mine? I started doing more stuff.
Hm...
Somehow, it just made sense to me that I could release myself to DO more because God had set me free from feeling guilty for doing so much. Go whole hog, you know?
And what do you think happened? Yep, I got tired! And started feeling guilty (and frustrated) for doing so much that I made myself tired. Haha. Anyone seeing the irony here? Ah! I totally abused something God meant for good. I had eaten too much ice cream at the ice cream truck. Geez. Thankfully, God loves me too much to just zap me off the planet.
This happens to me often, actually. I get all excited about sewing something or reading a new book (two things I've actually been doing the past few weeks that have been wearing me out, hah). Then I dive in 100% and forget about cooking, cleaning the house, and sometimes grocery shopping for a few days or a week. Then when I finish whatever I was working on, or at least take a break from it, I resurface and realize I need to cook dinner but there are no groceries. Ack. What's a busy girl to do?
When I get like this, I know what my treatment is. To sit at the feet of Jesus and listen, reflect, and unwind my tightly-wound self. It's my therapy. Saying things like: Why do I do this? Why do I like being busy? It separates me from God, I know this. But why did He make me this way only to allow it to separate me from him? Ugh. I must be thick or something, but I just keep struggling with this.
Anywho. I just decided to dump it out there on the internet for all to see. One day I will have clarity about this and I will probably share it. Until then...
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Reflection
An unexamined life is not worth living.
-Socrates
I've been doing a LOT of thinking lately. As much as I have enjoyed cleaning out my home for the past 3 weeks, I've been slowing down. I'm reaching a point where I have to either sell an item on craigslist or think about if I really want to get rid of something (china?). So there have been several days where me and the girls have been enjoying a slower pace.
For me this means taking time to reflect. It's been wonderful. Spending time in the hammock (yes, even with the girlies)... talking walks with the girls... focusing on Jesus and listening to what he wants for me... visiting with Ellie (my 3 year old)... gazing at the clouds as they move across the sky...
Very refreshing.
Why don't you try it?
-Socrates
I've been doing a LOT of thinking lately. As much as I have enjoyed cleaning out my home for the past 3 weeks, I've been slowing down. I'm reaching a point where I have to either sell an item on craigslist or think about if I really want to get rid of something (china?). So there have been several days where me and the girls have been enjoying a slower pace.
For me this means taking time to reflect. It's been wonderful. Spending time in the hammock (yes, even with the girlies)... talking walks with the girls... focusing on Jesus and listening to what he wants for me... visiting with Ellie (my 3 year old)... gazing at the clouds as they move across the sky...
Very refreshing.
Why don't you try it?
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