Below the surface thoughts to lift you up
Now that you know the end of the story, I’ll start at the beginning. I was invited to my friend’s house who lives out of town. I rarely see her, but one of the added perks of a road trip is her “girls” eggs. Every time I crack one open, they bring me joy. They’re beautiful, they’re tasty, they’re nutritious, and they make me think of her. You could say I love them!
When we rest from meeting our own needs/wants, it gives someone else a chance to meet them.
What is My January Rest? It is a terrific time for reflection, and not the kind where I wonder who is that person in the mirror. I mean the kind of reflection that acts as a catalyst for beautiful things to grow on the inside so much that they show on the outside.
Moms want a crowded table for Thanksgiving, especially with their children. The song Crowded Table speaks of the heart of moms and I’ve been blessed to be invited to the table of many, when I had no home of my own.
Before I say goodbye to you and this Year’s Rest, I’m including some photos (below) from MJR that I didn’t manage to write about. That was perhaps my biggest failure. I love to share along the way. Next year I’m going to set a schedule and write more briefer posts.
I’ve been keeping something from you. The whole reason I started writing publicly about My January Rest (MJR) was to…
Since I’ve been practicing MJR for over a decade, I was truly surprised by this new Rest Point that I’ll now call slow meals. I have a lot of practicing to do! It is easier to do with friends, less so with my husband, and even more difficult to do on my own. I’ve decided that while every meal need not be an event, taking time to sit, breath, and eat is something I think has value.
I created My January Rest, to refocus my appetite, replenish my budget and re-establish my margins. December’s focus is often on consuming, January refocused by my ‘appetites’ by resting from some things for the month of January.
We’ve recently seen the hateful crowds get carried away: I fear I would have been one in the crowd carried away crying, “Crucify Him!” I pray I would have been like Mary at His feet.
This year had its own specific circumstances. Our overall spending was already down, because we were eating out less, and driving less: my husband worked from home, our daughter schooled remotely. What this meant was that things within our home had already changed substantially. I was cooking more, but I was over-indulging myself more with movies, online games, and eating all that I was cooking. But I also was seeking outside adventures, reading, and studying things that I love.
They remind me of what I believe, when I’ve grown weary of the fight. They remind me to fight, when I’ve grown weary and they remind me that they are there, and that they are not going anywhere. Friendships provide the power to stand firm, let go, aim high, and bow low.
While I have done awesome with not snacking, early on I ate a bit of bacon as I was waiting for supper. No snacking makes this girl hungry, and it was in my mouth before I even thought about it! As time went on, I caught on and I didn’t mindlessly snack, absentmindedly snack, or even sneak snack!
After the storm I walked day after day, and watched the changing landscape, I saw damage, but looked for beauty. Beauty of this broken world points to an unbroken beauty that awaits us.
Beauty always beckons
To the more
Over the years, I stopped shunning or pitching aging apples. Instead I learned to peel and cook them down with a little water and cinnamon. They are naturally sweet: like me, they become sweeter as they age! They turn into a delicious applesauce or, in this case, a topping for steal cut oats! Since I am sugar free this month, they were a much appreciated treat! Appreciated, not pitched.
Uncovered 