A Year of Living Joyously in Review

     In just a few hours, it will be a new year with new goals.  2011 I strived to live joyously.  I had every good intention to keep a daily list of things that bring me joy.  It fizzled out when I couldn't find a pen or paper.  I thought I'd remember to write it down an the end of the day.  At the end of the day, I only remembered to say a quick prayer before going off to sleep.

     I did, however, look for joy every day.  That was my goal and nothing was going to get in the way of my goal not even the numbness in my hand and arm, not even the migraines, not even the deaths of family friends, not even the recently diagnosed Lyme Disease. I found joy in it all. The joy bubbled out from knowing that in spite of the setbacks, I could still do things. I smiled because I could.  I walked because I could. James 1:2 says "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds."  I counted it all as joy.  Oh, yes, I did!  It wasn't easy. 


     These last few days I've been praying and pondering on my 2012 word.  Receive is my word.  As I read my post on Joy again, I see that God has been working on me so that I was able to open my clenched hands and feel his gift of joy this year.  And for that, I am grateful. 

Simplicity Today

                               

This month I'm taking small steps in simplicity. I had a wonderfully long post on Simplicity Today and the computer froze up while in "saving" mode.  When I returned to the post, it was gone. What was supposed to be simple has become complex.  That's no surprise here.  However, in my quest for keeping things simple, I will not try to rewrite the post.  I'd like to go spend some time with my children who are home from school due to the ice storm.


The ordinary arts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest. - Thomas Moore



Rejoicing in Hope

Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer.
- Romans 12:12

This past weekend, my husband and I went on retreat.  We try to go once a year. The grandparents enjoy spending the weekend with the grandchildren.  The grandchildren enjoy spending the weekend at their grandparents. We enjoy spending time with God, both alone and as a couple.   However, I always feel like the week before the retreat or the weekend getaway is always a trying one.  This past week was no exception with all the snow, meetings to attend and errands to be done.  Add to that the prep work and packing and I was slowly losing that joy.

Rejoice in hope...

Last Tuesday, it snowed.  Roads were a mess.  I made a list of all the things that had to be done for the upcoming weekend.  I also made a list for all the things that had to be done for the March for Life on the Monday after the retreat.  I had to do as much as I could since we'd be getting home on Sunday afternoon.  It left us a short amount of time to pack.
I did the laundry and the older children packed their own bags.  I packed the bags of our three year old. 

Rejoice in hope...

On Wednesday, I had to prepare for a book club meeting.  I packed medicines.  I've learned the hard way that it is necessary to gather cough/cold/fever medicines.  The time you don't pack them, is the time that they will be needed at 3 am.  I filled out  an emergency authorization paper and gathered the insurance cards. 

Rejoice in hope...

On Thursday I made cranberry muffins and brownies for the children to bring to their grandparents.  I made extra for the book club meeting that night.  I also packed extra food so my parents weren't eaten out of their home. 

Rejoice in hope...

On Friday morning, we awoke to snow on the ground.  I packed my bag and went over the list several times. By 2:15 pm, the car was packed with sleeping bags, pillows, back packs, bags of food, art supplies, books, DVDs, and medicines.  We were ready to go to my parents' home. 

After making sure everyone was settled, I headed back home.  I could now really start to think about my time with God and my husband for the next few days.  I turned on the Christian rock station. The tension from the drive up started to melt away. The music had me tapping my hands on the steering wheel.  I turned up the volume and sang. 

Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na
Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na

Waves of mercy, waves of grace

Everywhere I look, I see your face
Your love has captured me
Oh, my God, this love how can it be?

I was singing and rejoicing in the hope of what this weekend would do for my relationship with God and my husband.  By the time I got home, I no longer felt tired but rather, rejuvenated, full of excitement in the hope of strengthening my love for God.  Shortly there after, my husband arrived.  We were ready to start our retreat. Together we rejoiced in the hope of  hearing what God wanted to whisper to our hearts.

What Does "Take Care of Yourself" Mean?

I was recently asked this question. For me, "Take care of yourself" translates into "Love yourself." By that, I mean love yourself as you love your family and friends. 2010 was a long journey of courage. One of the lessons I learned from that journey was to have the courage to love myself. I give so much time, energy and love to others but skimp on things when it comes to myself.

How does one love themself if they don't know how?

I made a list of needs vs. wants to figure out how to take care of me. I have to make sure that I take time for personal prayer in the morning. I "need" that to function properly. I'm also working on eating a bit more healthy and taking vitamins. Exercise is important as well. I respond well to anything outdoors especially cold winter walks. I find them refreshing and uplifting. Often, if I'm by myself, I use this time as additional prayer.

Another need is quiet time in the afternoon for me to recharge. I'm an introvert by nature so spending time with others, especially outside the home, takes a lot of energy. If I don't recharge, I'm grumpy. I try to use that time for something that I enjoy doing like reading.

How do I make it work?

Well, I've been praying about ordering my life so that I feel like I can take care of myself. I've become more focused on how I spend my time and what brings me joy. In doing so, I have to give some things up.

What activities become excluded?

Through this journey, much of my online time has been eliminated. It freed me up to do some of the things on my list that I didn't think possible. That gives me joy.