Intentional Living
So what to do with all this summer time? I know there will be tons of playdates, and lots of sand and water time. I'm hoping to work on my garden up at L'Abri, where they have generously given me a small plot amidst their large one. I'm a terrible gardener - no green in my thumb at all, but I so appreciate fresh produce, and the lessons it can teach both me and the kids. My work at the school should slow down (I hope and pray), so that I can begin to focus once again on the things that are important to me.
The blog from SouleMama a few days ago really struck a chord (I wrote about it here). A friend and I have started discussing ways to turn this into an intentional summer - and hopefully rest of our lives too. It is so easy to get caught up in life - in responding to what goes on around us, in rushing to and fro to keep everyone (in and out of our family) happy, in seeing great ideas on the blog of someone we admire, and thinking we need to start doing that ourselves.
And it takes time to figure out what we DO want to be intentional about, which is the biggest reason I think I don't live that way. I would have to call a screeching halt to life as I know it to really make a life change. But with the help of a friend to keep me accountable, I think I can work on making small changes. Baby steps, as Bob would put it, baby steps to living the kind of life I want to live, the kind of life I want my family to enjoy.
My first step this week was to spend a few minutes actually thinking about it. We went away last weekend and talked at length about how where we spend our money speaks more to what we value than what we just think we value. It was informative, but thinking about how I spend my time even more so. I've begun a journal just for thinking through these things - what we value and why, how to live by those values.
Baby Step - I love bringing cheer to a friend. I used to write notes and send little positive thoughts out all the time. Since having kids, almost never. So yesterday, after a lovely afternoon of tea and Mary Kay shopping, I wrote my friend a note. Nothing huge, just a few lines about how much I value her in my life. It felt really good.
Keep posted - maybe I will come up with an "Intentional Thursday" blog of my baby steps. And if you've got any ideas... I love those.
The blog from SouleMama a few days ago really struck a chord (I wrote about it here). A friend and I have started discussing ways to turn this into an intentional summer - and hopefully rest of our lives too. It is so easy to get caught up in life - in responding to what goes on around us, in rushing to and fro to keep everyone (in and out of our family) happy, in seeing great ideas on the blog of someone we admire, and thinking we need to start doing that ourselves.
And it takes time to figure out what we DO want to be intentional about, which is the biggest reason I think I don't live that way. I would have to call a screeching halt to life as I know it to really make a life change. But with the help of a friend to keep me accountable, I think I can work on making small changes. Baby steps, as Bob would put it, baby steps to living the kind of life I want to live, the kind of life I want my family to enjoy.
My first step this week was to spend a few minutes actually thinking about it. We went away last weekend and talked at length about how where we spend our money speaks more to what we value than what we just think we value. It was informative, but thinking about how I spend my time even more so. I've begun a journal just for thinking through these things - what we value and why, how to live by those values.
Baby Step - I love bringing cheer to a friend. I used to write notes and send little positive thoughts out all the time. Since having kids, almost never. So yesterday, after a lovely afternoon of tea and Mary Kay shopping, I wrote my friend a note. Nothing huge, just a few lines about how much I value her in my life. It felt really good.
Keep posted - maybe I will come up with an "Intentional Thursday" blog of my baby steps. And if you've got any ideas... I love those.
posted by Jennifer | 12:48 p.m.
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