Rest, Relax & Enjoy

Welcome to the first glorious Monday of July! I hope these words find you happy and well.

I’m in the middle of my summer break and am enjoying every moment of the calm which comes with slower days and fewer commitments.

If you’re in the United States, I hope you're able to take some calming deep breaths and reflect on the many freedoms and opportunities we share as a nation. It's my wish that your festivities are safe and happy as we celebrate the founding of our nation’s birth.

To the rest of you fine folks, I also wish you well. It takes each and every one of us to make our world a better place and I'm glad you're in it. Now for today’s blog—

Last fall life around my house took on some new dimensions. I was swamped with work, stressors were high, and change ran amok. It became apparent that I had to give certain activities, this blog being one of them, a rest. Such is life at times, the push and pull of progress requires us to lose some things in order to gain others.

My hangup? Like so many of you, rest does NOT come easy for me. I like busy. I thrive on doing all the things. Yet, I’m no machine. With the rising rigors of change, I began to feel the strain because I ignored my needs, refused the breaks, and didn't take enough time for calm. Eventually, I uttered those cringe-worthy words, “I cannot go on like this anymore.”

Full stop. Time to reevaluate.

In the quiet of surrender was a truth I'd simply ignored — with stillness comes peace, clarity of purpose, and renewed vigor.

The life path God has placed me on involves giving my best each day while turning the hows and whats over to His care and provision. Most often this means taking life one moment, event, and day at a time. When I get wound up about all the comings and goings, I need to recenter, slow my breathing, and find some time to relax. This course of action is essential to a life of spiritual and mental well-being. Respite matters.

So, dear readers, take the time to rest, relax & enjoy all the providence your life has blessed you with. And remember what the good book says—

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand…

Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)

AFFIRMATION: Today I will breathe the free air, quiet my mind and relax my body. I will choose to pause the busyness of my day-to-day and reach out to my Higher Power for peace, guidance, and restoration.

-From the Fire Ring Blog, Vol. 2, No. 1