Day Thirty-One- Look Up

I love my smartphone! I love all of the conveniences it affords me. Rapid communication. Instant information. Beautiful photos. Music. Fun games. Social media. I can easily spend hours just doing stuff on my phone.

I’m not the only one. Everywhere I go I see people looking at their devices. While shopping, exercising, eating, waiting, walking (dangerous), and even driving (highly dangerous). People are looking at their devices while they are out at dinner together. During concerts, birthday parties, school functions, church, sporting events. We are addicted to our devices!

Today I am recommending an intervention that will greatly improve your ability to embrace life.

Look up.

That’s it. Just look up. Give your full attention to the world. Look at people when they are talking to you and really listen. Pay attention to where you are going. Notice the little things you encounter as you go about your day. Focus on what is actually happening in the moment rather than always trying to capture it in a picture or video. We are so obsessed with recording the moment that we don’t always enjoy or appreciate the moment. Watch life happen organically, with your eyes, rather than through a screen.

Look up.

Today is the last day of the Write 31 Days challenge! Many thanks to all of you who have gone on this journey with me. It has been my pleasure to share with you some of the lessons I’ve learned about simply embracing life. Now that this challenge is coming to a close, I won’t be posting every day. But I will be here a couple of times a week with some more thoughts on life. As we head into November, I will be sharing some ideas on embracing life during the holiday season. I hope that you will join me!

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Day Thirty- A Sunday Scripture

Day Twenty-Nine- Be Mindful

Day Twenty-Eight- Find Your Fresh Friday

It's Friday!!! We made it through another week! Time to find your fresh. 

It is a rainy day here in my neck of the woods, so here are some suggestions for what to do on a cold, wet day:

Enjoy a cup of your favorite fresh, hot beverage.

Try a fresh way of problem-solving.

Choose a fresh medium and create something: write a haiku, doodle a cartoon, paint a pumpkin, knit a coffee cup cozy, sculpt with playdoh. Exercise your right brain!

Buy a fresh houseplant.

Listen to a new music station. Find some fresh tunes.

Choose a fresh show to binge-watch this weekend. Don't forget to make some fresh popcorn to enjoy!

Treat yourself to a slice of pumpkin pie topped with fresh whipped cream.

Light a fire and curl up with your favorite book. Look for a fresh take on an old classic.

Enjoy a cup of fresh, hot soup. Pair it with a piece of fresh bread.

Put on your raincoat and boots, grab an umbrella, and take a walk in the rain. Breathe in all of that freshness!

Whatever you do, take a little time to find your fresh!

Day Twenty-Seven- Savor this Season

Do you ever feel like you’re being pushed into the next season before the current one is even over? Christmas decorations on display in September. Swimsuit shopping in January. Back-to-school ads at the beginning of summer vacation. Social media posts from your friends who start the countdown to fall in July. We are surrounded with messages that encourage us to anticipate the next season.

While there is wisdom in planning ahead, sometimes we spend so much time thinking about the next season that we miss the one we are in. So, here are my top reasons for 

embracing your current season of life: 

Haste makes waste. 

When we try to rush, we often make mistakes. If we slow down and live with intention, then we won’t miss out. No regrets! Take time to enjoy the big and the little moments. The little moments often bring the most joy.

Seasons do not last forever. 

The only constant we have is change. Sometimes the change is instant. Sometimes it is quite slow and subtle. Sometimes it is by choice. And sometimes the change comes because of a circumstance beyond our control. Whatever season you are in- easy, hard, short, long, good, bad- it will eventually come to an end and you will transition into another season. Better to end a season with a heart full of gratitude and contentment rather than anger and bitterness. 

Right now is the moment that matters.

Yesterday is gone. We are not promised tomorrow. All we have is this present moment. Don’t get so lost in the past or the future that you can’t enjoy or appreciate the right now. Each season has its own beauty, blessings, lessons, and experiences. Lean in to this time. Every day is a gift, that’s why it’s called the present! (I couldn’t resist.)

Life is a journey, not a destination. 

As soon as we think we have "arrived," there is always something new. Each ending is a new beginning. Just as in nature, our lives have a continuous flow. An on-going cycle. A rhythm. Plant, grow, harvest, rest. If we can learn to embrace the rhythm, to work with it rather than against it, we will find more contentment. More peace. More joy.

Resist the temptation to always anticipate and take some time to savor this season.

Day Twenty-Six- Take a Leap of Faith

Each of us has that safe, cozy place in our lives we call our “comfort zone.” We already know the routine, we know our role, and we know how to meet the expectations there. It’s easy and we are successful in that place. 

Unfortunately, comfort zones are not places where we can grow. There is no challenge, nothing new to learn or experience. If we want to grow, we have got to step out of our comfort zone. Meet new people, try new things, have new experiences.

Growing isn’t always a comfortable process. Trusting God and walking in obedience to His leading can really stretch us sometimes. Stepping out of that comfort zone can be scary, but God is faithful to help us in our journey.

Be bold!

Be brave!

Take chances!

Carpe diem!

 

My brave daughter Hope getting out of her comfort zone!

Take a leap of faith right out of your comfort zone and embrace life!