We're taking a few weeks off from the Writer's Life series. Since the middle of 2014 is almost here (how is this possible??), I'm using the remaining days to stay inspired.
I'm a big fan of Pinterest. I don't use it for any purpose other than to relax. All the pretty pins, the motivational quotes, the house ideas, the yummy food photos, and funny fails ease my tension. Last night I clicked on my inspiration board--surprise, surprise, it inspired me!
Many of the pins on this board are quotes. Others are art, or cardinals, or even my own photos. The picture above is one I took in Saugatuck, MI last summer. We ate outside at a little seafood joint, and it was wonderful!
Another of my favorite pins? The one below because it led me to Rachel Wojo's fabulous site! She is your go-to gal for Christian inspiration, let me tell you. :)
I often go back to her "30 Inspirational Bible Verses" post. It's just what I need when I'm discouraged or worried.
One of my goals this summer is to spend a few lazy hours on my porch each week. Sipping tea, flipping through a magazine, reading a great book, or just watching the birds. All are good for my soul!
Do you have any inspiration triggers? I'd love to hear them!
Have a terrific day!!
Showing posts with label relaxation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label relaxation. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Monday, December 17, 2012
Mixed Feelings? One Minute Vacay: Dec. 17
The preparations heat up, and for many, Christmas is eagerly anticipated, but for others, mixed feelings throw a thick, gray cloud cover over the month.
Let's face it--not everyone enjoys the holidays. There are hearts that rip open every December. The onslaught of merry music sounds shrill, the endless Christmas miracles on television movies don't help, and there's a vague feeling of, shouldn't I be enjoying this more?
I understand. I've been there. Christmas usually brings me joy, but I've had years where I've gone through the motions, not quite knowing why the cheer skipped me that season.
Christmas magnifies how we feel life should be as opposed to how it really is.
So many people deal with broken families, sad memories of past Christmases, loneliness, tragedies, and depression. My heart goes out to all who want that "perfect Christmas" but for circumstances beyond their control, must settle for getting through Christmas.
Today's one-minute vacation is this:
It's okay to have mixed feelings.
It's okay to cringe at happy Christmas letters.
It's okay to not want to throw another five bucks into the charity-of-the-week collection at work.
It's okay to get McDonald's for dinner because you're too tired to make a meal.
It's okay to buy store-bought cookies.
It's okay to turn off the made-for-television Christmas movies and watch horror films.
It's okay not to donate a dollar as you check-out at stores.
It's okay to jam to sad songs instead of the Christmas music station.
It's okay to tell yourself "it's just 24 hours," when you're dreading a strained-extended family Christmas party.
It's okay to buy two boxes of chocolates for yourself.
It's okay to skip gift-wrapping and buy gift bags for every present.
It's okay if your kids get on your nerves within three hours of being out of school for Christmas vacation.
It's okay.
We do not live in a perfect world. It's full of sin and pain and hard things.
It's also full of people who want to help, who truly care, whose heart breaks at the thought of anyone being sad or alone at Christmas.
Let's not be too hard on ourselves this time of year.
It's okay.
Do you struggle with mixed feelings this time of year? How do you deal with them?
Have a fabulous Monday!
Let's face it--not everyone enjoys the holidays. There are hearts that rip open every December. The onslaught of merry music sounds shrill, the endless Christmas miracles on television movies don't help, and there's a vague feeling of, shouldn't I be enjoying this more?
I understand. I've been there. Christmas usually brings me joy, but I've had years where I've gone through the motions, not quite knowing why the cheer skipped me that season.
Christmas magnifies how we feel life should be as opposed to how it really is.
So many people deal with broken families, sad memories of past Christmases, loneliness, tragedies, and depression. My heart goes out to all who want that "perfect Christmas" but for circumstances beyond their control, must settle for getting through Christmas.
Today's one-minute vacation is this:
It's okay to have mixed feelings.
It's okay to cringe at happy Christmas letters.
It's okay to not want to throw another five bucks into the charity-of-the-week collection at work.
It's okay to get McDonald's for dinner because you're too tired to make a meal.
It's okay to buy store-bought cookies.
It's okay to turn off the made-for-television Christmas movies and watch horror films.
It's okay not to donate a dollar as you check-out at stores.
It's okay to jam to sad songs instead of the Christmas music station.
It's okay to tell yourself "it's just 24 hours," when you're dreading a strained-extended family Christmas party.
It's okay to buy two boxes of chocolates for yourself.
It's okay to skip gift-wrapping and buy gift bags for every present.
It's okay if your kids get on your nerves within three hours of being out of school for Christmas vacation.
It's okay.
We do not live in a perfect world. It's full of sin and pain and hard things.
It's also full of people who want to help, who truly care, whose heart breaks at the thought of anyone being sad or alone at Christmas.
Let's not be too hard on ourselves this time of year.
It's okay.
Do you struggle with mixed feelings this time of year? How do you deal with them?
Have a fabulous Monday!
Friday, December 14, 2012
Fudge! One-Minute Vacay: Dec. 14
I've been craving the sweet stuff, the Christmas cookies, the boxes of Hershey's Pot O Gold, and yes, the fudge! Fudge!!
My aunt made me my own small tupperware of her delightful fudge one year for Christmas, and it was one of the best gifts ever! I try to make at least one batch each Christmas season, and whenever I do, I think of my aunt. :)
For me, the sweetest one-minute vacations usually involve memories of family and treats.
Now, I realize not everyone loves fudge the way I do, so here is a lovely slice of chocolate cake instead.
And if you don't like chocolate, how about sugar cookies?
Thanks so much for sharing a fudgy minute with m. Lindsay Harrel is hosting me today at her blog! We're talking about Secret Santas, and I'll bet you'll never guess what I do about them. Stop by and find out! :)
Do you like fudge? What's your favorite Christmas treat?
Have a wonderful weekend!!
My aunt made me my own small tupperware of her delightful fudge one year for Christmas, and it was one of the best gifts ever! I try to make at least one batch each Christmas season, and whenever I do, I think of my aunt. :)
For me, the sweetest one-minute vacations usually involve memories of family and treats.
Now, I realize not everyone loves fudge the way I do, so here is a lovely slice of chocolate cake instead.
And if you don't like chocolate, how about sugar cookies?
Thanks so much for sharing a fudgy minute with m. Lindsay Harrel is hosting me today at her blog! We're talking about Secret Santas, and I'll bet you'll never guess what I do about them. Stop by and find out! :)
Do you like fudge? What's your favorite Christmas treat?
Have a wonderful weekend!!
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Paris! One Minute Vacay: Dec. 5
Today's one minute vacation is sponsored by Paris. :)
I've never been to Paris, but I've watched plenty of movies featuring the gorgeous city, and I love books set there too. Ernest Hemingway brought 1920's Paris to life for me in his set of memoirs, A Moveable Feast. And Woody Allen's film, Midnight in Paris, while not my favorite story-wise, features beautiful sets of, you guessed it, Paris!
Ooo, this looks cold but delightful! To spend a day or seven in the Louvre? Yes, sign me up!
I would LOVE to see the Eiffel Tower at Christmastime. Lucky for me, someone did and took a picture! I feel as if I'm the one staring up at that incredible structure.
Paris wouldn't be complete without coffee and pastries. Drink up!
I don't know about you, but staring at these lovely Paris scenes makes me a little nicer, a little more relaxed, and ready to tackle my Wednesday.
Have you been to Paris? Share the details!
Have a wonderful day!
I've never been to Paris, but I've watched plenty of movies featuring the gorgeous city, and I love books set there too. Ernest Hemingway brought 1920's Paris to life for me in his set of memoirs, A Moveable Feast. And Woody Allen's film, Midnight in Paris, while not my favorite story-wise, features beautiful sets of, you guessed it, Paris!
Ooo, this looks cold but delightful! To spend a day or seven in the Louvre? Yes, sign me up!
I would LOVE to see the Eiffel Tower at Christmastime. Lucky for me, someone did and took a picture! I feel as if I'm the one staring up at that incredible structure.
Paris wouldn't be complete without coffee and pastries. Drink up!
I don't know about you, but staring at these lovely Paris scenes makes me a little nicer, a little more relaxed, and ready to tackle my Wednesday.
Have you been to Paris? Share the details!
Have a wonderful day!
Monday, December 12, 2011
The Gift I Want But Hate to Admit
So now that December is sprinting by faster than a hungry cheetah in the African Savanah, let's talk presents. Not for other people, oh no, presents for ourselves! Maybe you don't have a secret, fantasy gift you try not to acknowledge.
I do. It feels shameful, wrong to want this, and I've done my best to conceal it, but it's bursting to come out. The gift I really want but would never admit?
Twenty-four hours all alone with no agenda.
Yeah. That's right. I want to be completely selfish without interruption for an entire day.
I imagine it would go something like this...
1. Sleep in super late and actually wake up feeling refreshed. (This hasn't happened in fourteen years--the waking up feeling refreshed part.)
2. Breakfast--french toast, bacon, and a pot of hot coffee with my favorite creamer--would somehow appear on a tray before me.
3. After the breakfast plates magically disappear, I would snuggle the down comforter around me, enjoying a pajama-clad moment, then I would pick from a selection of novels I've been dying to read. The next three hours would pass in a blurry-eyed fictional world until more food--soda and chocolate included--arrived.
4. To give my eyes a rest, I might catch a marathon of House Hunters, and I will yell "Pick number 2," at the screen until they do indeed pick house two.
5. More reading will follow. Then a chick flick. Or an epic fantasy flick. Then a delicious dinner. And another book.
You can see how this goes. What can I say? I miss having big chunks of time to read. When I was young, we lived in the country and my mother set strict limits on how much television we could watch. So I spent much of my free time either playing with my big sister or reading.
All of those uninterrupted hours didn't appeal as much to me then as they do now. I mean, the thought of reading a book straight through? So tempting! I usually have to read novels two to three chapters at a time because of our busy schedules.
So now you know. A full day of nothing sounds like the perfect gift!
Do you ever fantasize about being completely selfish for 24 hours?
Enjoy your Monday!
I do. It feels shameful, wrong to want this, and I've done my best to conceal it, but it's bursting to come out. The gift I really want but would never admit?
Twenty-four hours all alone with no agenda.
Yeah. That's right. I want to be completely selfish without interruption for an entire day.
I imagine it would go something like this...
1. Sleep in super late and actually wake up feeling refreshed. (This hasn't happened in fourteen years--the waking up feeling refreshed part.)
2. Breakfast--french toast, bacon, and a pot of hot coffee with my favorite creamer--would somehow appear on a tray before me.
3. After the breakfast plates magically disappear, I would snuggle the down comforter around me, enjoying a pajama-clad moment, then I would pick from a selection of novels I've been dying to read. The next three hours would pass in a blurry-eyed fictional world until more food--soda and chocolate included--arrived.
4. To give my eyes a rest, I might catch a marathon of House Hunters, and I will yell "Pick number 2," at the screen until they do indeed pick house two.
5. More reading will follow. Then a chick flick. Or an epic fantasy flick. Then a delicious dinner. And another book.
You can see how this goes. What can I say? I miss having big chunks of time to read. When I was young, we lived in the country and my mother set strict limits on how much television we could watch. So I spent much of my free time either playing with my big sister or reading.
All of those uninterrupted hours didn't appeal as much to me then as they do now. I mean, the thought of reading a book straight through? So tempting! I usually have to read novels two to three chapters at a time because of our busy schedules.
So now you know. A full day of nothing sounds like the perfect gift!
Do you ever fantasize about being completely selfish for 24 hours?
Enjoy your Monday!
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