It feels like I have been living in a fog of busyness for much of this year.
At the beginning of the year, I was on book deadline. Shortly after turning in my manuscript, I got pregnant. With the pregnancy came extreme morning sickness – the kind that almost landed me in the hospital for dehydration. Then my oldest started kindergarten and my husband Matthew released his first book in four years.
Whew! Needless to say, I’m tired.
With August ending and fall waving hello, I have been thinking a lot about renewal. What are the ways that I renew my mind, body and soul as the year enters her final few months?
Perhaps, you too have had a crazy year, and can relate to the need to renew?
Here’s how I plan to do it.
Reconnect with friends: We are not meant to do life alone. Yet, I have felt quite lonely during this season. I haven’t been as intentional in nurturing my friendships as I have in the past. Moreover, I think my busyness has pushed some friends away. To fix this, I’m planning a girlfriends get together, lots of lunch and dinner dates, etc. I also have a stack of cards to send to friends far away to let them that I love them and that they are on my mind.
Reinvigorate my creativity: While I have sort of kept up with Project Life, I have a litany of crafts that I am aching to make. Sewing projects, Christmas crafts, home DIY and so much more. Nothing fuels me like crafting, and I am excited to dig into my art supplies and get busy creating.
Read good books: I have a huge stack of good books on my nightstand, calling me to their pages. Fiction and non-fiction, the words all inspire me in different ways. Matthew often says I am happier when I am reading a book, and he is right. I want to get back into my habit of reading nightly before bed.
Reconvene with the Father: This is probably the biggest one. During this busy season, my quiet time and prayer life have suffered. I am intentionally focusing on recommitting myself to pursuing the Lord in a more meaningful way. Mornings are starting with the quiet whisper of the Father through his words, devotionals and prayer. I am reminded of the words in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” My soul needs this.
This list might seem simple, but renewal isn’t meant to be complicated. If you have been in a season of busyness, think about how you can make time to care for yourself and be renewed.
What does your soul need?
Let’s come together in the comments to share struggles with busyness and what works best when you need to renew. We are better together.
Leave a Comment
Jessica,
My struggle is that when I pour, and I literally mean pour, myself into the things that I am busy with, I then get frustrated when I don’t see the results I want to see. I then get tired and cranky and am basically of no good use to anyone. I need to learn that I can put all my best human efforts into something, and then I need to rest in Him. Your post this morning made me realize just how much I need that rest!! I need to just be still for awhile and that’s okay. Thank you!
Blessings,
Bev
Yes, rest is definitely okay! 🙂
Busy, busy, busy is all my life has been. Working close to full time plus one school child and two preschoolers balancing it all is hard. I have decided to focus on my health, eat well, exercise, get enough rest and connect with my maker. Repair and nurture my relationship with God that’s what I am doing:) I love that verse and needed to hear it this evening:)
Yes, balance is hard, but fighting for it AND making time for you are critical.
My struggle is letting my to-do list overwhelm and control me to the point where I find myself trying to control everything around me. It is when I notice this, that I realize I need to be still with God and trust Him that He is more than capable of leading my life… And I rest in His peace knowing that He truly can handle all of my mess!
Me too Kristen! My to-do list presents itself as a “Have” to – do list sometimes and nobody better get between me and it! All week long I’ve been greeted with this verse in various devotions and sights I visit in the mornings… I really need to unload my baggage and concentrate on what matters the most- Jesus. My soul needs Jesus in the worst way– all day long. But my body has to have it’s needs met as well- exercise and sunshine and good food and good friends- so that my emotions don’t get the best of me and throw me off balance!
I think control is something many women fight. You are not alone!
Thank you for helping me to become aware of this. I HAVE been in a giant fog, after my Mother’s death in January, tending to the estate, selling the house I grew up in, then finding out my darling little dog has cancer–and I live alone, so he has been a great source of comfort to me.
Your ministry is a blessing to me. I will start my healing by getting back into the Bible and soaking up God’s word…..
Sandy,
I don’t know you, but your words deeply touch me. I’m so very sorry about the loss of your beloved mother. I can’t imagine how hard this must be for you. i did lose my father seven years ago . . . so that is the one glimpse I have into your grief. One thing that renewed my soul during my grieving over Daddy was writing poetry and journaling. I have always drawn close to God in my journal, but my sadness was so engulfing that at first, I needed a smaller “container” into which to pour whelming grief. Poetry is a smaller vessel. When I was ready, God prompted me to flood my sorrow onto the pages of my journal, and He used these cries to Him to bring healing and revival of soul
I am also so sorry about your little furry companion, and will pray that your dog will be ok.
In His Love,
Lynn
PS I just happened to think that another source of healing for me was to do collages. At first, I didn’t even have words that expressed my soul. As God led me to beautiful, healing images that I cut or tore and glued down, He gave me a picture that He was gluing my broken heart back together again into a beautiful mosaic of His love. I can’t tell you how therapeutic this was.
{{{HUGS}}} Sandy. I don’t know if your mother’s passing was unexpected, or if she’d been ill, but either way, it’s hard. My mother died in 1995 very unexpectedly, and I was just lost in grief for about a year. My father died in 2012 after a battle with Parkinson’s, and the grief was still there, but different – not as overwhelming, because I knew he was free and whole and no longer suffering. I’m praying for you to find comfort and healing.
(((Hugs))) my sister. I understand your grief. My mother passed in 2009 after a 2-year battle with dementia and sundowners. It was a relief for me not to watch her linger on.
Your words hit me and I want to pray for you now! I pray that God will comfort you during this time and give you His love, peace and contentment. May you feel His arms surrounding you giving you hugs for security.
Perhaps taking a long walk in the woods or any where outside and listen to soothing Praise and Worship music!
I pray you find relief as you are dealing with mom’s death and possibly the death of a good friend!
Blessing & many hugs!!
Right now it’s not necessarily busyness, but the lack of truly productive work that’s hurting me. I’ve been unemployed for seven months. I’m working part-time from home, but it doesn’t pay the bills, and I find myself in more and more of a fog. I feel like I’m losing part of my identity, I’m making no progress on the job search front, I don’t have a clear direction as to whether God wants me back working out of the home full-time, doing something different from home, or what, and I can see how people can easily get depressed by extended unemployment. Each of my boys has their own issues they’re struggling with in school, I know my husband wishes he made more money so that we didn’t feel the loss of my job so brutally, finances are a huge concern right now, and it’s really difficult for me to see a way through and motivate myself to keep going, keep trying, keep praying until the right door opens in His time.
I have been there. Financial stress is terrible. Praying for peace and direction for you today.
Thanks for this Jessica. I am at the other end of your spectrum. While you have one waiting to be born, I have one flying the nest…this Saturday! At the same time, Branching Out in Faith, my prayer app, was just released in the App Store. Aaaaand, I’m starting two new jobs in a week. What have I done?!? I’m overwhelmed (to say the least) and doubting. For me, I think the answer is to start rising again early, early, in the quiet hours and have time with my Father. I know that I am relying too much on me and not enough on Him. Thank you for this reminder to restore & renew ourselves in our busiest seasons.
When I rise early and have quiet before a busy day, I am a better version of myself. Praying for you.
Hey everyone, my life is a little complicated, I moved abroad this year to start university in another country( just turned 18) everything is so different, the language , the places, the university…
And my sister decided that we should live with her boyfriend, but my mom doesn´t knows it. I am getting overwhelmed because my entire life seems just such a mess, and everything is getting so confusing.
I miss my house, my friends, my family, I miss how everybody in my city was Christian, and it was easy to talk about God.
I believe my Daddy have a plan, and that´s why He sent me here, but is really hard to trust
Praying for you during this season. I want to also encourage you to talk with your mom about your situation. I know she will want to walk with you and guide you.
This is so good. Thank you for these suggestions on how to “renew.”
I plan on being intentional with every single one of them! 🙂
I recommend the book “Sabbath” by Wayne Mueller. Reminds to truly take time for Sabbath. Wish I would have been introduced to this book a long time ago!
Yes, that is one of my favorite books! We actually did it for Bloom a few years ago.
Thank u for your reminders; they are just what I asked for this morning and His answer is to think of what needs to be nurtured foundationally and is buried under all I heap onto my plate.
Have a blessed day! Please keep on writing because I need your light to write myself!
Jessica this is so very true – I’ve had to hit the “renew” button several times but one particular time coming out of a very dark place. It is a valuable and needful thing to do. Great pointers too!
I have been struggling to put my late summer angst into words this week. Your words said it. Overcome with a very busy summer with little or no free parking spaces, I enter the fall season unprepared for things I am usually ready for. Your list of steps just were like a breath of fresh air. I have adopted the headings… Reinvigorating Creativity: signed up for a painting class. Reading Good Books: I have caved this summer during down times and just watched movies or tv. My stack of books is calling loud and clear. Thanks for the push to listen to them! Convene with My Lord: This is the one thing I HAVE done this summer and will continue to carve out that wonderful still morning time. A Cup of Tea and Thee! Thanks for your motivating, refocusing words.
I’m thankful that they resonated with you!
I’ve been in Beth Moore’s study, Breaking Free. In Lesson 8 (I think) she points out from I Corinthians 16:12, Paul had been urging Apollos to go on a trip with some others, but it says that Apollos was “quite unwilling.” She went on about how convincing someone like Paul must have been but, even so, Apollos was quite unwilling. She made us say it over and over, “I’m quite unwilling.” And encouraged us to repeat as necessary when we are asked to do things that don’t line up with what we believe God has called us to. I am going to try and remember it and it is a good lesson for all of us, I’m sure.
Although my reasons for business are different, I definitely relate to where you are! I need to be more intentional to get back on track. This post helps me do that! Thank you!
I feel like I’m finally coming out of a fog from a super busy, stressful year. Put my dad into assisted living. He then had medication issues that landed him in hospital and rehab. Back at assisted living he was ok and liking it. During that time I worked a stressful job I dreaded & my hubby nearly lost his job.
Now my dad has fallen 3 times in June and once in August that landed him in ER and hospital for 1 day. The week before my vacation. AAGH! We go see PCP Monday and heart doc on Tuesday.
To rejuvenate I listen to Pandora Praise and Worship music, pray and took 1 week off work and am at the beach just relaxing with no worries for now.
Prayers for everyone here! May God bless you all and help you find the rest and rejuvenation you need!!
My soul craves rest and renewal. Thank you for your great thoughts on this. I just put my previously homeschooled children into school because I am burnt out on life. I just need to be.