Rest. It’s a word that has been stirring in my quiet time waters for quite a few months now. Showing up in the form of cross-references and unexpected convictions. You know the feeling – that heaviness that comes with knowing that you know you need to do something. Even though not doing it isn’t necessarily sin. But doing it is marked obedience.
I settled into a new routine last month. One that was rooted in a difficult decision to stay. While all my favorite NAPCP photography friends gathered at the Ritz Carlton in Georgia for their annual retreat (one that I haven’t missed since their first in Napa in 2010), I chose to stay home.
I turned down the speaking engagement. And the opportunity to mentor. And chose to stay home.
I read a quote a handful of weeks prior that resonated deeply. It marked the beginning of God whispering the word that would be my theme for 2016:
[Tweet “if you want to bring happiness to the whole world, go home and love your family”]
Last year alone, I flew nearly 60,000 miles. Granted, I live on an island. So those miles add up quick. But out of half a dozen off-island trips, Josh was only with me on ONE.
Traveling is my happy place. It’s my love language. And my favorite man has encouraged me to do my favorite thing for a very long time. For the last eight years, I have averaged a trip somewhere every ten weeks. And I was happy as a clam with that routine. But this year? It’s time to settle in. And to stay home. And to learn to say no and to realize it’s ok to miss out and to understand that the business will still grow if I’m not constantly making new connections in other places that aren’t my home.
This year, I will travel more with my husband than without him. And when we are home, we will be doing a lot of this:
It’s a funny thing – learning how to rest. When adventure awaits and there’s no reason to not throttle forward toward the direction of your dream. Or when children demand so much time that the idea of rest (or even thinking of chasing a dream) seems impossible – at least for the next ten years. As women created to live and breathe in an increasingly impatient, go-after-it generation where hustle is habit and empires are envied, what does it really, truly look like to rest in Him? To rest on Him? To rest patiently and eagerly?
In a world of “yes” and a culture of “now”, let’s slow it down and step into it together.
[Tweet “#restisthenewhustle”]
This month, I invite you to rest with me. Resetting the habit of hustle. And the jam-packed schedule. And the hurried brain and the can’t-quite-keep-up-anxiety. To find time for Him. Whether you’re resting from the travel that represents so many other things like I am. Or you’re resting from striving. Or worry. Or overthinking. Whether you’re resting from a dream, or resting from the daily frayed mom-exhaustion that has threatened to become your identity. Let’s rest together.
And to kick off this new study, I have little treasures for you: beautiful FREE reminders to wallpaper your desktop or iphone. Subtle reminders to slow down and rest throughout your day in three different designs:
To use Desktop Wallpaper:
Click on the link of the design style you prefer, then click the magnifying glass to enlarge the image. Save it to your computer, then set it as your desktop wallpaper.
To use iPhone Wallpaper + Lock Screen:
Tap on the link of the design style you prefer. Tap the square+arrow icon then tap “Save Image”. Go to Settings then Wallpaper and tap “Choose a New Wallpaper”. Tap on your Camera Roll, select the image, and tap “Set” (indicating if you want to set the Lock Screen, the Home Screen, or both).
I am so excited for this study! In December last year, I decided that 2016 would be the year I learned to rest. I finally graduated with my degree in December and have no reason to keep my mind constantly running. Seeing this just reassures me that I have chosen my focus correctly!