Fall Into Winter’s Rest

Friday night’s storm launched a sneak attack on our part of the country. It wasn’t that we hadn’t heard that a storm was brewing, but we weren’t supposed to get as much snow as we did and the storm wasn’t supposed to blow on for as long as it did. Presence surpassed prediction. Saturday was a windy, wintery, soul assaulting mess! I ran a quick errand and quickly realized I should have suited up more appropriately for the weather. I wasn’t prepared, yet, for what was happening. By the looks of this fall tree, still adorned with its autumn beauty, neither was it.

Fall beauty

Sunday brought stillness and sun. Gratefully, the sun exposed the beauty that the storm left behind. My friend said, “fall into winter.” She saw and photographed the same spectacular trees I had, the day before.

Fall into winter

Freshly inspired by the fresh, new snow, I wanted to write this post Sunday. Sometimes I wonder how many writers whine about not writing and how many go ahead and write about it; case in point here. That is one of the many interesting dynamics of writing; the timing. There are many good ideas that come and go due to a lack of time. I am fairly sure I am implementing a throw back Thursday post party for any bloggers that want to join me.

When I took a walk around these trees, one thing besides their obvious beauty, was that winter signals a time to rest. It’s nature’s way of forcing the point. Living in the Midwest brings dramatic changes in the seasons that I like. Winter is God’s way of reminding me to slow down and savor life. Near the end of winter, everything in me and in the ground is crying out to burst forth with the approach of spring. But we are not done with winter’s rest yet!

Plastered

With the first snow comes our family tradition of Snow Pancakes and with the reality of winter literally in my face, it signals another tradition, My January Rest. My January Rest is really why I wanted to write this post. So I stopped whining and started writing; it is good therapy. MJR is fulfilling and especially fun when I have company. Interested in joining me? What is it you might ask?

For years I have had a New Year’s tradition I wish to share with anyone who wants a fresh way of refocusing their values at the beginning of a new year. Years ago, I became disgusted with the decadence of December. While I wanted it to be about the most important things, Love and Relationships, it seemed to rotate around indulging–overeating, overspending, and overdoing! Sadly, all-the-while waistlines, debt, and stress increased, satisfaction dissipated.

That is why I created My January Rest, to refocus my appetite, replenish my budget and re-establish my margins.

While December’s focus was on getting, January’s focus is on giving.  Giving up for the purpose of refocusing my “appetites” by “refraining or resting from” some things for the month of January.

You can go to My January Rest to see examples of how I have accomplished this and in January, follow along with my fun, challenges, and confessions.

How about you? Are you interested in joining in and having your own My January Rest? Those of us that have done it the last few years, realize that the practices changed the rest of our year in an enriching way.

Winter calls to us to rest

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