Making That Moment

by | Nov 24, 2023 | resources

RESOURCES  (Day 6 of 7)
(Need to start at the beginning? Day 1)

Yesterday was Thanksgiving Day for those of us in the US. Were you able to find a moment of quiet and calm?

I did, but it took some doing. I swear there were people everywhere. 🙂

If you are looking for resources for slowing your life a bit, simplifying, or anything else that will help you find more quiet alone time, I would encourage you to look into the slow living movement or minimalism. There are some extremes in both movements, but there are also a lot of sensible folks who are fashioning lives that work better for them. They’re making time for the important stuff and leaving behind all the crazy.

relaxed couple

I do like Joshua Becker. He’s written a few books, has a blog, and a YouTube channel. The nice thing about his blog is that he mentions other good sources. It’s certainly a very good place to start.


The first of many, I hope. Love a good jigsaw puzzle.

jigsaw puzzle

 

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Image credits – relaxed couple © WavebreakmediaMicro / Adobe Stock, puzzle © Lori / Doing Marriage Well
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Today’s Homework

by | Nov 23, 2023 | second try

SECOND TRY  (Day 5 of 7)
(Need to start at the beginning? Day 1)

Today’s goal: Take a few minutes to be alone and reflect on something sweet – God’s goodness, the beauty of a view, your sleeping pet, your husband’s beautiful eyes, whatever.

sleeping cat

Where in your day can you make time for that? Can you do it right now? Can you soak in the goodness, the quiet, the beauty …?

 

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Image credit © Image by Zsuzsa / Pixabay
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Stop and Think

by | Nov 22, 2023 | road blocks

ROAD BLOCKS  (Day 4 of 7)
(Need to start at the beginning? Day 1)

So what’s keeping us from moments of quiet reflection?

Busyness is surely a hurdle. If you’ve built a busy life, it’s hard to change tempo and slow enough to see the need and make time.

busy husband

One unhealthy perk of busyness is not having the time to deal with the things you are avoiding. Too many things on your plate? You chose what gets addressed and what doesn’t.

Sometimes when I’m sad or hurt, I don’t want a quiet moment until I’m ready to deal with my emotions. There’s no hiding when you’re quiet and alone.

And sometimes, it’s the presence of others that make alone time a bit difficult. I encourage y’all to talk with others and develop a simple boundary or two. Get creative on options.

If you’re struggling with this concept, watch your thoughts when an opportunity for alone time comes along. What are your feelings? Thoughts? Is it easy to slip into or does it make you nervous?

 

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Image credit © kreus / Adobe Stock
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Take a Moment

by | Nov 21, 2023 | first try

FIRST TRY  (Day 3 of 7)
(Need to start at the beginning? Day 1)

Look at your day and find a moment or two where you can be alone and quiet.

I totally get that this is harder in some seasons of life and you may need to fudge it a bit like have your “alone time” when you are nursing in the wee hours of the night.

The idea is to have some time alone without too much distraction and interruption. If you are really struggling with this, you might ask your spouse to run interference for you and then return the favor so you both can have a bit of alone time.

wife enjoying a moment of quiet

What you do with your alone time is unique to you, but I do encourage you to put your tech away. Thank God for His goodness, list three things you are grateful for, or go for a walk. Let this be a time of refreshment and recharge. Points for incorporating some form of beauty. Relax and soak it in.

 

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Your Alone Time

by | Nov 20, 2023 | self-examination

SELF-EXAMINATION  (Day 2 of 7)
(Need to start at the beginning? Day 1) <– Yesterday’s post went out early and incomplete. Here’s the finished post, if you missed it.

Do you have any alone time? How do you use that time? How does it impact how you face life and your various relationships?

… solitude is refreshment for our souls. Naomi Judd

During the green months where I live (Pacific Northwest), I try to start my day in a chair outside with a cup of coffee and my Bible. It’s one of the sweetest ways to start my day. Lots of blue and green and relative quiet (we do have a rooster).

snowy scene

Well, today, we had our first light snow, so now I’ve settled into a warm corner of a loveseat with my cat, coffee, and Bible. Not totally alone, but Paul leaves me to myself and the cat naps, so it’s all good.

That said, without moments of aloneness and quiet, I’d be quite the cranky girl. I need that time to settle into God’s presence and I need moments of quiet and calm to settle my thoughts, get creative, or work through plans.

How about you? What part does alone time play in your world?

 

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Image credit © Lori / Doing Marriage Well
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Times of Quiet

by | Nov 19, 2023 | concept

CONCEPT  (Day 1 of 7)

I was reading from Matthew about the parable of the sower, and it starts out this way.

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea.  Matthew 13:1 ESV

When I read this, I was envisioning the Oregon coast (one of my favorite places) and though I know the sea Jesus was standing by was smaller and calmer, I can see him sitting there resting and soaking up the scene. He had that moment of beauty and calm before the crowd began to gather around him.

lake view

And there are other places in the Gospels where we read about Jesus taking time to be quiet and alone.

Given that this is a holiday week for most of us, let’s talk to God about the need for those quiet moments. Why do we need them? What do we glean from them? What’s so good about times of aloneness? How does it impact how we do life and marriage?

 

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Image credit © 12019 / Pixabay
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