A "These are the Days of..." Post

Hello, Sweet Readers!

I dipped my toe back into the Blogging World last month with my return to participating in the Five Minute Friday community.  I had hoped to find an easy rhythm finding myself back in the saddle again. But we know, ... don't we? I mean - we know now that - at least in this season -  any kind of 'easy rhythm' seems really difficult to find!

So - nearly a whole month went by with no routine, no clear schedule, no priority laid out to get me back in this chair... tapping at these keys, waiting to see/read/hear what He has to say.  You see, I've explained it before but sitting in this spot, praying for words and then being willing to type when He begins speaking to my heart: It's more for me than it is for you! 

Oh, you are welcome here... welcome to any nuggets of truth or insight or wisdom, of course!  But the 'easy rhythm' I'm truly longing for is simply the reconnecting of spending time with Him, expectantly waiting to hear! (Maybe you are longing for something similar, too?). 

With the arrival of a new month, hope is stirring yet again and I am following His lead... heeding to the beckoning of His call... and I am willing and I believe (--Lord, help my unbelief!) that He has something for us in this season that will only come as we pursue Him with a single vision and a tenacity that - to be honest - has waned for many including myself. Maybe we grew weary... even though we know the verse that tells us not to... maybe doubt crept in - or maybe life just crowded Him out. Whatever the reason or excise... here's to pressing in again and pursuing His Presence together in this space yet again!

Let's get to the process of beginning again... and leaning in to hear what God is saying in this season, at this time!

For today - as I am slowly walking back into this practice, let's revisit an old favorite way of keeping track and writing things down! This discipline of making a list had me at Hello! (I mean - right?). Emily P Freeman talks about making a list to help her stay present and acknowledge all that a season is holding. I loved it so much that I started to put it into practice!  In fact, when I didn't write ONE SINGLE ESSAY/POST/JOURNAL ENTRY for all of whatever year Covid was new and everywhere... (2020? 2021?) - every month, I wrote a list! I'm so grateful to have those written in my journal!

So today - to catch up on what this Season is holding for me... I will make a list:

"THERE ARE THE DAYS OF..."

Jan/Feb 2023

*        Cozy Evenings spent at Home, stirring up Gratefulness for ALL the way God takes care of us.

*        Real Estate Broker Licensing Course/Studying (Before work, After work, on the weekends, too!)

*        Midnight Hour Intercessions - Being Wide Awake at 3am, praying for our Nation and our world, as well as for our friends and family!

*        15(ish) Hours a week of working for me (and 40 for Dave!)

*        Car Searching - After God told me EXACTLY what to look for and buy... I have always prayed and asked the Lord to guide us in this process. He is always faithful in giving clues... this time He gave make and model, & color... plus a preferred year? (Guys... apparently He has opinions and He knows what He wants to bless us with! But it's made it hard because we simply cannot find it! So we trust His timing, too!)

*        Dipping Toes Back into Ministry! We have been attending a church for over a year now... there are many things we love about it. Of course - when you have Tasted and Seen... well - we miss what once was but we are following His lead and I believe He is calling and positioning a remnant back into church life - back into community... and My Honey is on the Worship Team and we are both on the Prayer Team, and a couple of months ago we started up a once a month Prayer and Worship night. It's intimate - not just because the numbers are small... we believe God will grow it - but it is intimate in nature... it is a set-aside time to come and sit with the Lord... to soak in His Presence and worship together, alone.  To pray, together, alone. And then to come together and share in prayer or praise, what God is doing! It's pretty much our jam. Even if it was just us and Jesus - we'd love it and do it still!

*        Traveling to see my Sissy about once a month!  So thankful for this season of healing and for having the time and ability to get some face-to-face time with her. (My other sister is a bit farther away so I don't get to see her as often! I DID just get to spend the weekend with her though - and that, too, was such a gift!)

*        Dinner Dates with the Parsleys about twice a month! Long time friends... we raised our kids together and we vacation together and we have lived life together - the highs and the lows - and now we are grandparents together and caring for aging parents and -- we have a bit of time and money and we do not take for granted covenant friendships that have stood the test of time! What a blessing!

*        Shorter "Long Days" with Lil' Miss! I have been blessed to be a hands-on Mimi... I used to get her four days a week when her Mama was taking classes... then three days a week when she was working from home... then two days a week when she was starting preschool... and now - just ONE Day a week as we get her ready for kindergarten. (Kindergarten already? Can you even...?!)  She always referred to Wednesdays as long days because I got to keep her all day! The other days were half days before I had to go in to work! But Wednesdays - those are set aside for Lil' Miss! However, she has preschool in the mornings so I pick her up after that and we hang out until dinner time.  I love that she still calls it our Long Day - even though it's not all day anymore!

*        Remembering Self-Care, Soul-Care, and Sabbath Rest! (Why do we keep forgetting the importance, power, and value of these things?)

*        Getting back into Writing/Blogging - baby steps back into the practice and discipline of it!

*        Stress at/from work due to learning - yet again - a whole new platform! (--while also learning/studying for my license.)

*        Mom & Dad still living next door! (And Mom, probably nearing the end of her Driving era!)

*        Podcasting with Lori every week - for almost a year already!!? (Made to Pray podcast)

*        Podcasting NOT every week - but still doing it - with Kayelyn. (Changing Our Minds podcast - in Season 5, I think?)        

*        Telegram/Rumble as my main News Source, plus the "return'' of Twitter, and Several 'Conspiracies' becoming Truth (at a somewhat alarming rate.)

*        The "FULLNESS of TIME" -- what the Lord spoke over 2023! Signs of it, all around!

*        Considering a pet again... maybe! A Cat or smallish Dog... Cats are easier - but Dave is allergic... the desire may pass because as much as we have loved pets in the past - we have loved not having them, too!

...These are the Days of...

*        Lil' Miss and FaceTime video chats, playdates with the Ingle Girls, playing Eye Spy, doing Puzzles, making Art, playing Board games, etc.

*        FB Messenger Chat Threads and long-ongoing conversations about all the things! 

*        Voxer Talks & Prayer Times with Jenn, Andrea, and Sheryl & Syl!

*        Longing for Spring and Sunshine and Warmer Weather!

*        Changing into PJs EARLY at night - staying cozy and cuddling on the couch.

*        Less Essential Oil Diffusing and a return of Lighting actual Candles again!

*        Frankincense rubbed on my knees - amazing results!!! (Seriously! Did you guys know about this?)

*        Side Gigs in Photography again... Bridal Shower, Family Portraits, New Baby... 

*        GRATEFULNESS for FB Memories... the hard ones and the blessed and happy ones! Man - for all the Facebook is and is not - I am truly grateful for those memories that pop up!

***

As always, I encourage you to take this idea and make your own "These are the Days of..." list! Whether it is just a bullet point list, or you go into detail - your Future You will be oh so grateful that you took just a few moments to jot down a list of what this season holds for you on a normal, every/any day basis!  I try to do this about once a quarter in my journal. It's a quick easy way to capture what your daily life looked like! 

Until next time, which will most definitely be sooner than March!

Let's remember to keep doing what we know to do! Let's purpose to: