Day of Rest

 A few weeks ago, Les and I decided that we were going to try to observe a real Day of Rest. A Sabbath, if you prefer old-school. We're still working out what that means for us, but the basic gist is that we re-arrange our week so that we work on 6 days and save one day (Sunday, for us) for worship, relaxing, being together, serving, spending time with friends (when we find some!), and giving thanks. So the other side of that coin means that we don't go shopping, run errands, pack our day with busy-ness, work on a dissertation (Les), or run frantically through a to-do list (me).

It has only been a couple of weeks, but I'm already kicking myself for not starting this a LONG time ago. Like all grace-full boundaries, a Sabbath is actually really freeing in its restriction. What am I going accomplish this weekend? Whatever I can do in one day. Monday for me, since I am on a Tuesday - Saturday work week. I should really start doing our taxes tonight, shouldn't I? Nope. It'll have to wait until tomorrow. (KCL - I hope tax season has been terrific so far! :) ) We're still on the fence about basic household work like doing dishes and laundry. We've been tackling those questions with a "restfulness" test - Will doing a load of laundry allow me to feel more restful for the rest of the day? If yes, then cool. If it's just a to-do, then leave it until tomorrow. Like I said, we're still working it out.

Today was a beautiful sunny day in Raleigh, so after church, Les and I took AugDog for a long walk around Lake Lynn. It was great. No where to go, nothing pressing to finish when we got home. Just sunshine, flowers, lots of smiling people, and a muddy little lake.



The turtles were enjoying a day of rest too.

I could definitely use a lot more rest in my every day, but one day a week is a good start. I recently heard a speaker at a conference who challenged us to budget our time the same way would would budget our money. Start out tracking your time as you would your spending. And, like a budget, your time budget will reveal where your priorities really lie. So if I say I want to spend more time serving in the community, I have to prioritize it. Or sleep, or exercise, or reconnecting with Chicago friends. I'll find time (or money) for the things that matter most to me. If my time sheet doesn't reflect my real desires and highest priorities, it's time to take a careful look and make some changes. I haven't really done this yet, but I think it's a good idea. For another day. Today, I'm just going to enjoy The Southland in the Springtime.
  

Even the ground cover here blooms.