Every time I start to get overwhelmed, I am reminded to rest.  And yet, my initial response is that I have too much to do to rest.  You know the drill.  The kids, the job, the house, the family, the friends, the church, the place you volunteer down the road, or even the shelter downtown - they ALL need you!

Guess what?  They do need you!  Without you, there will be no one to fold the laundry, help with homework, kiss the boo-boos, build friendships, give to the church, or volunteer in the community.  But, here is the big news flash!  You don't have to do it all at once and you aren't expected to do it all when you are exhausted.

We need rest.  God designed us to rest.  The Creator even rested.  God tells us that the Creator will give us rest!  So, why do we think that we are special and we do not need to rest?  If you are guilty of forgetting to rest and take care of yourself, you are not alone.  This has been a skill set I have been working on for quite some time.  What is interesting is that many of us simply don't know where to start.  Most of us have not been modeled rest or taught well how to rest by our society.

So, I'm sharing some small changes I've made to incorporate rest in my life and hope that by sharing my list it may help you to expand your list.  Read it through, get some ideas and get some rest!  

• Hang windchimes on your deck, patio or outside your front door for a calming reminder.
• Get away alone or with your significant other.  Vacations are great.  But, let's be honest...if you have children, you are more exhausted after vacation than you were before you left.  If a full day or weekend is impossible, ask a friend to help help with the kid(s) and get away for a few hours.
• Take a bath.  Add a few drops of lavender oil.
• Ask for help with the laundry, the house, etc.
• Steep a cup of hot tea.
• Move.  Do some yoga, dance alone or with the kids or take a walk.
• Sit still.  Yes, just sit there for 5 minutes and do nothing (don't even think about checking your phone)!
• Listen.  Go outside and enjoy the sounds of the leaves falling, the birds or the crickets.
• If you have easy access to the internet (which I assume you do if you are reading this), download the Pandora app on your computer or phone and add a classical station or some music from Deuter.
• Think.  Journal or read.
• Breathe deeply.  Most of us don't breathe deeply.  Use your diaphragm and breathe into your entire being.
• Eliminate noise.  Turn off the radio, television or even that Pandora station if you're simply feeling like you may explode due to over-stimulation.
• Unplug.  Turn off the alerts on your phone and computer and resist the urge to check in to see what you may have just missed.
• Go to bed!  Yes, this may sound pretty simple but it is proven that our bodies need sleep to refuel.
• Get a hobby and discover what you love.  Learn to knit, sew, play an instrument, paint or take pictures.  Doing something can be restful and rejuvenating, if you are doing it to rest rather than keep busy!  I am finding that I like to re-purpose old things for new uses, it is fun and inexpensive!

You may think that it is impossible to get away with God and find rest in today's society with all that is resting on your shoulders.  But, it really is possible.  And, in the long run, you may just find you are more productive. Or, you may find that the less important things in life just fall right off your list.  What gives you rest?

I'm signing off to go stretch and then sleep while the dishes await!  Happy rest!

An area of my life that I’ve been working on in the last few years is simplicity.  I need more simplicity, from my closet to my daily bible study routine and even those nifty tools in the kitchen.  I struggle with falling victim to gadgets and gizmos that claim to make my life easier.   However, when I realize that a new gizmo only requires another washing and space to be stored, I’ve learned that I have fallen prey to missing out on the benefits of simplicity.

There really is a lot to be said for simplicity.  I still struggle with the concept of simplicity, but I see the benefits and am beginning to understand them more clearly.  One thing that really struck me during my trips to these historic churches was the beautiful simplicity of St. George’s Church.  The wooden floors, the simple paned windows and the practicality of the wine-glass pulpit remind me that over the years, the efforts toward simplicity have remained a priority in this building. 

My first impression of the pulpit was that it seemed of great importance in the sanctuary.  It appeared to be overwhelming and I had no desire to preach my assignments from that location!  But, as I settled into the space and heard sermon after sermon sitting in this simply beautiful room I began to see the pulpit in a different way.  Not until I ascended the stairs and began to speak did I realize that this pulpit was indeed a humbling place.  I was surprised that my voice carried throughout the room without too much effort.  And, to see the names behind me on the wall of the pastors who preached God’s word hundreds of years before in this same space was very humbling.  Yes, there have been changes and renovations.  But, Freeborn Garrettson and other founding fathers of our Methodist movement spoke in that very room.  And, while I do not know the complete details of the life of Freeborn Garrettson, I understand he was a radical in his day.  I wish we could hear the words of wisdom that may have been shared in that very room hundreds of years ago.  I can only imagine words were spoken in that room that encouraged a life of piety that Garrison is known for encouraging and supporting.  And, while a life of piety may seem far from simple, I’m thinking it may be a little deceiving like the wine-glass pulpit. 

A life of piety may seem overwhelming and larger than life.  But, once you step into living a life of piety, it too is humbling and your voice carries louder than ever before.  I think that piety may have a negative connotation because if you think of becoming pious, that is often defined as devoutly religious.  Instead, I view a life of piety as John Wesley did by living life through the means of grace.  A life of piety is the attitude that your entire life takes on.  A life of piety is heart religion.

Is your life a prayer?  Are you striving for constant communion with him or simply looking to fill up on Sundays?  As we open up our lives to constant communion with God, our relationships often deepen as we become more aware of his constant communion with us.  A pious life is a whole life committed to following God and I believe that the less distractions we have in our life, the more simply we can see God’s work and call on our lives.  And, when you begin to see God’s work in your life, you are often humbled.

There have been many aspects on my journey toward finding personal health.  But, a large part of strengthening my physical health has included adding lots more fresh produce.  I have only recently gained a great appreciation for the healing properties of food.  God made delicious and glorious foods for us to enjoy.  The  Creator did not make the processed foods that our brains beg us to crave on a regular basis (me too!).  

Last year, my family made the commitment to sign up for a local CSA (community supported agriculture).  My Dad always had a wonderful garden growing up and there were summers in my teen years that I think I survived off his homemade salsa.  And, while I know tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, peppers and herbs.  That is where my gardening knowledge ceases.  Plus, we like to camp and I'm still traveling some for school.  So, it makes it hard to commit to caring for a "big garden".  In our little "square foot garden", my 8-year old son and I have planted cherry and roma tomatoes, red and orange bell peppers, chives, cilantro, basil, rosemary, stevia, spearmint and parsley.  I'm finding that the herbs really are a plus.  They require very little upkeep and are a wonderful addition to our home cooking (I am not a chef, but I am learning to love "good for me" food and herbs help simple recipes taste great).  Our garden requires little maintenance and should produce a decent harvest.

However, I wanted more variety out of my produce and the grocery store chains just don't compare with fresh, local food (I promise).  So, back to the CSA...my first reaction to considering purchasing a CSA was that it was "too expensive".  Secondly, I was afraid we wouldn't "like it all".  Third, I wasn't sure I would know "what to do with some of the things". 

Interestingly enough, none of those objections were fair.  We have learned so much in this process.  First of all, we spend less at the grocery store than we used to (even with the upfront cost of the CSA).  We eat what we have and it is usually delicious (there was once a blue hubbard squash recipe that was not our favorite, but the dog did not let it go to waste!).   This simplicity of eating what we have helps menu planning and grocery store anxiety and gets us back to basics and closer to simplicity.  We eat what we have.  And, it is good good good for you.  I find that I do like vegetables that I had previously "turned my nose up at" and my husband and son are finding they like a lot of new things too.  Because local, organic and fresh produce tastes really good!  Kale chips rock!  You can do a LOT with sweet potatoes.  And, good greens could change your world!  The CSA we are a part of provides recipes and the internet is a gold mine when I'm unsure of what to create with what we have on hand.   Plus, the CSA that we are a part of provides us with yummy recipes.  All of my excuses were unfair and proved to be untrue.

So, I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of this season's first box.  We have signed up for a half share and so we get a box every other week from Delvin Farms.  Our box yesterday included some amazing strawberries (those are almost gone and won't last 24 hours), squash, sweet potatoes, romaine lettuce, kale, collard greens, green onions and broccoli.   I can't get our son to eat strawberries from the grocery store but he was eating these straight out of the box before we ever got home and washed them.  We had a salad last night.  I plan to make kale chips and a broccoli salad today.  We'll grill squash this weekend.  Yes, it takes time to prepare these foods and I do not always love being in the kitchen.  But, I realize this is a vital aspect to my family's overall health.  And, I've been reminded recently by illness that when I do not put forth the time to fuel my body and stay well, I have to find the time to recover from being sick.

Consider the goodness that gardening, visiting your farmer's market or joining a CSA could do for your body, mind and spirit.  I am working to compile a list of local resources for CSAs, Farmer's Markets and other community opportunities for local food in middle Tennessee.  If you have links, post them here or feel free to send them directly to me via email.  You will find the resources I've already compiled on this site under the local resources tab.  Also, my friend, Jen,  plans to blog regularly with photos and recipes from her CSA share.  So, get inspired and take the chance to enjoy the goodness that God's gift of fruits and vegetables can bring to your body, mind and spirit.  It really is a miracle that I crave kale chips these days over potato chips!  Give it a try and your body, mind and spirit may just thank you!

Then God said, "I now give to you all the plants on the earth that yield seeds and all the trees whose fruit produces its seeds within it. These will be your food."

- Genesis 1:29 (CEB)