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Rest: A Five Minute Friday post (and pausing Thankful Thursday)
Intention to write and sitting to put words down are two different things. I had planned to write my usual Thankful Thursday post this week. Then I woke up on Friday and it wasn’t done. I thought about doing it late for this week but can’t bring myself to do it. This shows me that I need a rest from it. Writing has been taking a back seat for me of late, at least public writing has. The inspiration isn’t flowing. I realise that the rest I am taking is not actually restoring me or inspiring me. I get so frustrated with myself at the end of the day when…
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Thankful Thursday
This week has felt heavy and dragging. I have been struggling to write a Thankful Thursday post when all I see looking back is the hard. I am reminded that gratitude is a discipline that I need to work on. If I want to see the good in my life, I have to be intentional and focus in. It may have taken me all day to come up with this list, but it is worth it despite what my feelings may say in the moment. I have finished writing all my reports for my class that are due in this week. I know all teachers can relate to the relief…
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Thankful Thursday
Life has a habit of throwing up the unexpected. I sit here with an ice pack on my lower back following someone rear ending my car yesterday. Given that I have a history of a traumatic car accident, this could have sent me into a tail spin. It hasn’t and for that I am thankful. I am thankful that my daughter was not in the car at the time. I am thankful for how calm and accepting I have remained. I am thankful for insurance. Today I had the privilege of visiting another MOPS group to share my heart and experiences of noticing goodness. Despite being an introvert, I really…
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Thankful Thursday
Mostly this week, I am thankful for cold and flu medication, sleep ins thanks to my hubby and asthma medications. As that list may indicate, I am not well this week. In the midst of illness, there are still things to be grateful for. Unexpected private swimming lesson for my daughter after everyone else didn’t show. She has come so far in her swimming this year and loves it so much. Fun at Issy’s kindy open day where I was able to spend time with other parents. That doesn’t happen too often as I am usually rushing off to work. A friend who generously made and sent a package of…
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What I Learned in May
May was a jam-packed month for me and left little time for reflection. I have felt behind and only just succeeding in juggling the many responsibilities, to dos and heart pursuits. Are you like me and still occasionally (or more often) write 2015 in dates? It’s like a part of my brain hasn’t caught up to the fact that we are in 2016. Has the middle of the year caught you by surprise too? I genuinely started to write “What I Learned in March” as that feels far more suitable! In the midst of this busyness and season of stretching, I have had some deep revelations about myself, taken some…
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Who is cheering you on to become the best you?
Today in MOPS we looked at friendship. I was quite emotional watching the DVD and talking through what that looks like in our lives. Friendship, true deep, soul-connecting friendship has always been really difficult for me for reasons that I feel I am only now beginning to understand. I am blessed to have a few really close friends now who are my “home team” as Shauna Niequist puts it. This has taken a really long time for me to develop. These are the women who cheer me on and encourage me to take the steps of faith and development that I have over the past few years. They have cheered…
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Thankful Thursday
Time to hard stop and have eyes to see the good things in my life this week. We have reached the final Thankful Thursday in May and life feels as if it is running on fast forward right now. I am taking these moments to allow my soul to breathe as I push the pause button. A sick daughter may seem an unusual thing to be thankful for (and I’m certainly not too grateful for the very little sleep!) It did allow me to have an extra day at home with her this week with divine cuddles on the couch while watching a movie together. I was reminded again how…
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Thankful Thursday
The gratitude that takes centre stage for me this week is for the life and health of my daughter. One evening this week, we were in our back room tidying up before bed when a wasp got stuck under her t-shirt and stung her seven times before I could get her top off. She was in excruciating pain and I was so worried that she may be allergic as she had never been stung before. A tense evening of monitoring her closely and applying first aid ensued. We got her to bed later covered in welts but drowsy from antihistamines and pain killers. We fully expected her to be up…
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Thankful Thursday
This week has been full and, at times, has felt overwhelming (or maybe it was only my expectations of myself that were overwhelming). I have many things to be grateful for this week: The decision that has been looming over me and constantly playing in the back of my mind has been made. I may have felt a little ill as I said yes but have a peace that it is the right call. Unfortunately, my cruelty must be ongoing as details cannot be shared as yet. The encouragement of colleagues on a bad day. I love the company I work for and the people I get to work with.…
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Thankful Thursday
It’s that time of the week again. Time to stop and reflect back on all the little and big moments that I am thankful for in my week. As happens so often, our sermons at church have been linking in beautifully with what we have been looking at in MOPS this year. The current series on “The Table” has contained so many of the same truths and encouragement to celebrate, to be relational in the way we seek to share the gospel and to rest. You can listen to the podcasts here. The spontaneous moments when my daughter makes up songs about how much she loves talking to God or prays.…
Encouragement for women in leadership
