Reading… I’m loving reading along with the Librivox audio to Jerome K. Jerome’s Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of The Dog) . This is a hilarious Victorian story full of sarcasm and British wit. I’m really enjoying it. I hope to finish it this week so I can attend a Zoom discussion on it.
Noticing…we’ve had a super dry summer, but are having a high humidity wave currently. I love the warmth, but it’s not fun to work in! I’m loving the mixture of yellows and purples on the roadsides. Late summer flowers. ♥️
What are you listening to, reading, watching, and noticing? There is so much wonder! ♥️
Don’t you feel a tug, a yearning to sink down into the silence and solitude of God? Don’t you long for something more? Doesn’t every breath crave a deeper, fuller exposure to his Presence? It is the Discipline of solitude that will open the door. You are welcome to come in and “listen to God’s speech in his wondrous, terrible, gentle, loving, all-embracing silence.”
Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline, p. 109
Focus Areas:
Spiritual ~ I was a bit sluggish this week about REALLY pressing into my quiet times and calming myself down enough to enter in. We came off a wonderful, but exhausting graduation party for my oldest son and it takes me a long time to recover from events. I kept up with my group reading plan, but didn’t deeply meditate and pray/journal as much as I want to. The end of this week has been better and it feels so good to soak in Matthew among other things. My sister reminded me of Pray As You Go app which helps me focus as I begin my prayer times. ♥️
Physical ~ I honestly struggled a bit with getting in the groove with my food. Just grazing and bingeing, even on “healthy” things. Out of exhaustion or anxiety, finding myself feeling hungry in my MIND not legitimately hungry in my stomach. I found that listening to the audiobook of Rezoom by Susan Peirce Thompson or Half of Carla’s YouTube really helped me calm down a bit. Not making or having unhealthy choices in the house really helps me, too. I did get out on my walks with my audiobook. I’m 56% through Klara & the Sun and 😯 it’s thoroughly intriguing. I bought a new tshirt and struggled with the mental battle about my worth because it was a bigger size. 😞 Just be brutally honest here. I am excited to receive it, though, and support my friend’s creative endeavor .
Mental ~ I had so much fun updating my book journal and purging/ organizing my reading stacks. I decided to focus on one particular stack of things I’m reading with others or have wanted to read for a long time. I gave myself permission to set aside books that were too silly, not grabbing my attention, or just weighing me down. I read a few poem’s every day (Oliver, Wordsworth, and Native Nations poems) and it was so nice. I’m super interested in learning about the “Balkans” area after finishing the historical fiction thriller The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova.
Emotional~ I had some hard relational talks this week that were good. I tend to avoid and stuff down which isn’t healthy. I really tried to keep up on some household rhythms and it’s amazing how much that lifts my mood. Just putting a fresh weed 😄 bouquet on a clean dining room table with tablecloth, washing the dishes after each meal, etc. Being outdoors really helped me! I also did a fun video about my favorite things and I wrote two snail mail letters. I’ve been trying to sleep a little in afternoons lately and it’s SO nice. I did get a little Totoro stamp set and some new, darling stickers which was a blessing. Maybe I’ll show them to you next week. Stationary is the way to my heart! 😂💕
I watched “Heidi” performance with two of my children ♥️🌲Shakespeare in the Park (Macbeth) with some friends and three of my children ♥️
Servanthood ~ this was tough this week. I think coming off the graduation party made it extra hard. I want to focus more on the little things I can do for those around me and do them well. Not be so distracted. I was able to do some fun things with others last week and it was wonderful to connect in those big things, but I can see some daily practices I believe Jesus wants me to give more in. ♥️ He is so gracious and faithful to help and strengthen us. I do want to start gratitude journaling again to practice thankfulness and get outside my head. Look for a Joy Journal entry soon, hopefully.
Verse Focus for Coming Week:
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
Matthew 11:28-30
Graduation party leftovers ♥️
How about you? How did your week go? Bless you all! 🌿🌟❣️✨🌙🌻🌧️🍎🥦☕️🌳🌱
For a habit is a delight in itself; poor human nature is conscious of the ease that it is to repeat the doing of anything without effort; and, therefore , the formation of a habit, the gradually lessening sense of effort in a given act, is pleasurable.
Charlotte Mason, Home Education, p. 121
My focus areas:
Spiritual: been really trying to keep up with my YouVersion apps Bible readings with friends. However, I decided I needed a slower soak also, so I began the New Testament this week and wow, it’s been so lovely. Just Jesus’ words. Journaling and meditating on it all. I’m reading a few devotionals and Mary Oliver’s nature poetry has been turning my heart 💜 to my Creator. I’ve been prioritizing spending my quiet time outdoors, too, because it adds so much.
Physical: I was able to get out for a long walk one day and listen to an audiobook. It was wonderful! Hopefully, going again today. I tend to be pretty sedentary, so walks are something I want to make time for. I adjusted my food a lot this week and checked in with my sister each night. I felt very ‘hangry’ at times and journaled etc to help. I’m admittedly seeing a few things that are creeping in that I can’t be moderate in. I will be just taking those out of my diet. I know this seems extreme, but for me, it works. I’m trying something I’m calling BLE Lite (Bright Line Eating), in which I follow the plan closely with a few planned exceptions. I’m definitely easing back in as this program is pretty intense and structured. However, I do think I work better with clear boundaries.
Rezoom: The Powerful Reframe to End-the-Crash-and-Burn Cycle of Food Addiction by Susan Peirce Thompson, p.73p. 74Show up for yourself, Amy, by making nourishing, thoughtful meals.
Mental: I’m trying to chose good books to read and journal/narrate/collage about them. Slowing down to create or discuss calms and soothes my anxiety. I participated in a Zoom book discussion on Anthony Trollope’s The Belton Estate. I can get too introverted and find myself “hiding” and I want to challenge myself and grow, not stagnate. I’m rereading a challenging book about home as a ministry and it’s so good. I’ve been taking naps with my 4 yo occasionally and this makes a huge difference physically, mentally, and emotionally.
For the Family’s Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay Just for fun 🤩- a little tracker with cute symbols! 😄♥️
Emotional: I took off the week from YouTube and it’s been so nice. I’m on a year break from Instagram. I enjoy aspects of social media, but I have to balance these delicately otherwise, I personally find myself anxious, discontent, and not present. Naps, nature, walks, etc all contribute to a more balanced emo 🖤 state for me! 😄 I also did a few creative things this week that filled my cup like collaging, filming book reviews, sending a penpal letter, and writing. I took myself on a coffee date and also picked up a favorite magazine. I want to be careful not to always associate buying things for comfort, because I actually find more genuine peace in the things that cost 💲 NOTHING. However, occasionally, it’s fun to get a special gift. 💝
Servanthood: I won’t be giving a ton of actual real life details here as this is a personal area between me and Jesus, but, I do want to share action steps I want to try. I want to include one or more children in whatever I’m doing around the house, ie – take a child grocery shopping or take walks with kids sometimes, etc. I want to plan some activities to do WITH kids that aren’t work related. The reality of life here with a big family is we are often working together. That’s good, but I also want to do purposeful fun activities occasionally.
Verse Focus for coming week:
…His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.
from 2 Peter 1:3
So, overall, a good week, and I’m hopeful! Planning on checking in next week. Thanks for being here. ❣️❣️❣️ Let me know how you are? Lots of love, Amy 🖤🌲🖤
{What is whole person work, Amy? I’m on a quest for balance in life and ordered affections centered in Colossians 3:2. I’d like to share here occasionally for accountability and community. I share here not only to keep myself accountable, but also that it might encourage you, a moment where we join each other in this journey called life. I separated out some of my personal areas of focus, but I’m aware that all these areas flow together and are in relationship with one another. I’m also aware that there are ebbs and flows to life, but for myself, I need things that are purposeful rhythms and practices. There are some life things that can be “by-the-way”, but a balance of rest and rhythm practices work best for me. You are welcome to join me in any way and with your own areas of focus! ♥️🌿♥️}
I’ve been thinking about my past and what I’d love for the future. I had gotten off track in some health and personal rhythms that help me feel strong and able to serve well. ♥️ I was inspired by Half of Carla’s video to really examine where I’m at, not only with my health, but deep in my heart as well. I love her idea of finding the perfect pot of simmering soup that works for us personally. She’s talking specifically in the video about her weight loss maintenance journey , but it got my wheels turning about all of life areas. What’s simmering in YOUR pot, Amy? Honestly, I didn’t like what I saw. For me, it was reverting to unhealthy eating patterns, too much social media, not enough margin in my schedule, and allowing things here at home to stack up. I was finding myself without enough time to spend on the things I love: deep time with Jesus, on relationships, in nature, nourishing my health, and reading good books. It’s a nice idea that we can do everything in a day, but it’s false. We have to be purposefully pursuing what God has for each of us individually.
My Areas of Focus:
Spiritual 🌿🖤~ My Christian faith is extremely important to me. I practice at it by reading The Holy Bible daily, meditating , praying, and journaling over what I’m reading and hearing. I really want to guard this morning time by not letting YouTube creep into it and by getting to bed early enough the night before so I can get up earlier.
Physical 🌿🖤~ I made some drastic changes to my heath right at the end of 2019 and ended up feeling SO much healthier through the support of some wonderful ladies and a program called Bright Line Eating. Since 2022, I’ve struggled with maintaining that and have played around a lot resulting in steps backward. I’ve been working on treating my sleep issues and eczema naturally, also. So, I’ve a plan made for August to get back slowly and reasonably to health. I’m realizing that I work better in very specific boundaries and accountability.
Mental 🌿🖤~ When practices that I know are beneficial go by the wayside or need reordering, sometimes the mental chatter about my “worth” really ramps up. As a Christian, I believe a lot of this is a spiritual battle, but over the years, I’m beginning to be able identify lies vs. gentle truth about myself. One of the things, I feel like that I haven’t done well during the last few years is getting to the roots of why behind some of my destructive behaviors, especially surrounding food. I’m starting to find the anchors that aid me in this journey ~ slow prayer/Bible, journaling, writing, and being in nature. Having a little margin in my life to process everything is extremely important and helpful, too. I’m learning to face what’s bothering me instead of stuffing it down with excessive food or media consumption. I also need to be learning and growing, not stagnating in social media.
Emotional 🌿🖤~ Knowing that my spiritual, physical, and mental health really effect my emotional place is crucial to my whole person work. All things are in relationship and unbalanced living really takes a toll.
Servanthood 🌿🖤~ The giving of myself by listening, serving, and caring for others is hard for me. It’s not natural. I can become a bit TOO “navel-gaze-y” 😆😉 which this post could be in danger of. 😏🤓🤔 However, we have to aim somewhere or we hit nothing. I feel like I’ve been given SO much that I want to grow in giving back to others out of sheer gratitude. That’s why I use the word ‘practice’ a lot. I’m just practicing the things I want to become. Yes, I’ll never be complete, but prayerfully, I’ll move forward a little bit each day with God’s help.
All this to say, I plan on checking in each week here on my ‘whole person’ project. Just for transparency and accountability. I hope you are encouraged and find hope with me! 🌿🌲♥️🖤📚💌🥰☕️🍓🖋️📓☺️🥰 God’s richest blessings! 🖤🌿🌲🖤🌿☕️
A.M. Pine - Hearth Ridge Reflections 