{Previous Whole Person Posts}

To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work.

Mary Oliver

Focus Areas:

Spiritual:

I’m still plugging along with my Read Through the Bible Chronologically group. Habakkuk was challenging and inspiring. I’m loving the You Version app topical devotions. I went through one on anxiety, fear, and now, I found one for addiction! So good and challenging. I started a memoir, The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating and it’s been a powerful reminder of the value of the small in our life. A woman’s illness brings her life to a standstill and she reflects on life as she watches a 🐌 in his habit next to her bed. Sobering and beautiful. It’s speaking to me spiritually.

Physically:

I’ve been walking a lot and it’s LOVELY. We went hiking as a family recently and it was so nice. I’m working visits to our local state park into our autumn 🍂 homeschool plans. I also want to take my children to play basketball. It was a huge part of my teen/young adult years and I want to share my love of it with them. There’s a court right next to our public library, so we can make a fun afternoon of it. 😄♥️ My food choices aren’t great. I’m committing here *gulp* to go back to the ease and simplicity of what was working before with Bright Line Eating. I may need to get back into a support group.

Mental:

I’ve been LOVING the creative process of collaging pages about favorite reads. I recently did pages for The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova and Klara and the Sun by Kazau Ishiguro. We also got to visit an art 🖼️ museum and that was so mentally refreshing to me. I’ve been doing daily planning with stickers and it’s helpful and keeps me moving forward. I need to focus on creative output to encourage vs just continual passive input from Booktube or even excessive reading. I’ve been loving soaking in poetry by Wordsworth and Mary Oliver. 🥰🍃♥️

Emotional:

Being outdoors is crucial for helping me balance my emotions. I need to start searching thrift stores for a good coat/boots for myself. I’m considering comparing/contrasting Rising Strong by Brene Brown and Own Your Life by Sally Clarkson. Both have interesting, challenging ideas, but one is from a secular standpoint and another faith-based. Would you be interested in this? I sat outdoors one night with a bonfire, the moon, and no media. It was, honestly, the first time I felt really relaxed in I don’t know how long. 😔😌♥️🙏 I’m planning on picking some of my zinnias, black-eyed Susan’s, and Queen’s Lace and making a little bouquets in this pretty glass maple syrup jug and maybe in my owl vase! Just cultivating simple beauty. These things help set the mood for the day. ♥️ I saw Indian Pipe for the first time on our hike and I can’t tell you how much it blessed me!

Servanthood:

I need to really work on my heart here. The true servant gives without expectation of anything in return. ♥️ I hit the Discipline of Service chapter in Richard J. Foster’s book and wowsers, it’s powerful. I really need a reminder in how deeply listening to someone with compassion and sympathy can be the greatest form of service. The Lord Jesus is really helping me dig deep 😬😨🫠👀 in this area.

Verse focus of the Week:

…but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.

Matthew 20:26b – 28 ♥️

How are you, friends? Getting excited about end of summer, early autumn? 🍂🍃♥️📚🐌🍁🌾☕️🌻🧡🤎💛🩵I’d love to hear from you!

Love and peace to you, Amy🩷