Below the surface thoughts to lift you up
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 … More
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.
Biggest win? I am OUT of an 11 day isolation (after COVID if you missed previous post)! Even better, my … More
This true account was written January 5th for a writing prompt suggestion. Today, I am sharing the rest of the … More
The admonition was: what are the distractions—those pesty, noisy, distracting birds you want to chase away, or fun, fanciful, flighty sparks of fire that you want to play with? What are those things that seem harmless, but they are actually keeping you from obeying. From staying. From sitting still.
What is My January Rest? For anyone new, read the next couple of introductory paragraphs. If you know what My … More
Uncovered 