Monica Wilkinson is a new friend and fellow homeschooling mom and author who is
also pursuing a slower, more simple life. I have been loving her new book,
Slow Lane: the Beautiful Art of Slowing Down.
She also shares her written words at The Homespun Heart.
I asked her if she would share some of her wise, inspiring words with us.
I know you will enjoy this encouragement to slow down.
also pursuing a slower, more simple life. I have been loving her new book,
Slow Lane: the Beautiful Art of Slowing Down.
She also shares her written words at The Homespun Heart.
I asked her if she would share some of her wise, inspiring words with us.
I know you will enjoy this encouragement to slow down.
Slow.
Take a deep breath. Doesn't that feel better?
What comes to your mind when you hear the word slow? For many in our culture slow is a very negative word - the world around us glorifies fast, hurry and busy! For others slow may feel unreachable as we continue on in the days set before us faster than we had hoped for.
My journey to slow began several years ago when my children reached the age where opportunities opened up before them. No, they did not become teenagers, year by year they were reaching the age of four. Yes, four. Have you noticed how many options open up to our little sweets when they turn the tender age of four?
These options were all good things in our case, but my heart began racing even before we had signed up for a single one. This caused me to take a hard look at our life and what we wanted out of the next years we had with them under our roof. And God brought to mind the word - slow.
That is where my journey of slow began, but it really became so much more. I spent the next several years digging deep into studying this idea of slowing down both in my heart and in our schedule. I studied many Bible passages looking for God's example of slow and implemented a Slow Day in our home. And then I put all of this into a book that came out in August.
My book includes lots of Bible study, photos, personal journaling questions and ideas from our home for slow. I have also put together some fun freebies for you to enjoy! Most of all, I pray it engages your heart in finding peace in Christ and in His Word. Sometimes we simply cannot help if our day is busy - things fall into our laps at the last minute and we may feel behind before we even begin. But we can make choices in how we walk through our days and over time learn to make choices that eliminate the stress of hurry and rush.
One of my favorite sections in the book is Slowing Stress: Resting in Him; here is a little excerpt for you today:
Take a deep breath. Doesn't that feel better?
What comes to your mind when you hear the word slow? For many in our culture slow is a very negative word - the world around us glorifies fast, hurry and busy! For others slow may feel unreachable as we continue on in the days set before us faster than we had hoped for.
My journey to slow began several years ago when my children reached the age where opportunities opened up before them. No, they did not become teenagers, year by year they were reaching the age of four. Yes, four. Have you noticed how many options open up to our little sweets when they turn the tender age of four?
These options were all good things in our case, but my heart began racing even before we had signed up for a single one. This caused me to take a hard look at our life and what we wanted out of the next years we had with them under our roof. And God brought to mind the word - slow.
That is where my journey of slow began, but it really became so much more. I spent the next several years digging deep into studying this idea of slowing down both in my heart and in our schedule. I studied many Bible passages looking for God's example of slow and implemented a Slow Day in our home. And then I put all of this into a book that came out in August.
My book includes lots of Bible study, photos, personal journaling questions and ideas from our home for slow. I have also put together some fun freebies for you to enjoy! Most of all, I pray it engages your heart in finding peace in Christ and in His Word. Sometimes we simply cannot help if our day is busy - things fall into our laps at the last minute and we may feel behind before we even begin. But we can make choices in how we walk through our days and over time learn to make choices that eliminate the stress of hurry and rush.
One of my favorite sections in the book is Slowing Stress: Resting in Him; here is a little excerpt for you today:
Choosing Slow Instead of Stress
I woke up one morning with a lengthy list ahead of me for the day; it was one of those days where I was overwhelmed before it started. Instead of jumping up and getting going, I found myself sort of paralyzed by the hurry and hustle that was waiting. I browsed Instagram and read a couple of blogs and found myself lost in the inspiration of beautiful moments of life. Beautiful photography does that to me—it draws me in and beckons me to join in. And it is restful and soothing just as hurry rushes in and steals those things. I decided to notice the beauty around me and love on those in my home instead of getting tense and hurrying them along to more productivity.
Just doing simple homey things like fixing breakfast and tending my garden and praying fed my spirit and blessed my home much more than marking things off my to-do list. Truthfully, our morning went much more smoothly and I got more done than I could have imagined two hours earlier. I chose peace instead of fast-paced.
It wasn't even a really decisive move; it was gradual and felt more like choosing to breathe instead of suffocate. And suddenly the things waiting for my day felt much more manageable than heavy.
Taking one step at a time...
Taking time to notice that I loved seeing my enamelware dishes in the drying rack waiting to be put away. Taking the time to try a new recipe for my daughter Emily. To cut flowers lingering on hydrangea bushes. Time to set a pretty table.
Do I have time? Yes and no, but I only get this amount of time once for today. I don't want to spend it in stress and with tension. I want to choose slow. How often do I have this crisis of decision? I want to choose slow, and yet stress creeps in so very easily and is quite bossy in taking over frequently.
As I have remembered time and time again, I will never ever regret that I took time to cut flowers and lovingly make and serve breakfast with beauty. Even on this side of things, I am pretty certain that I will regret choosing hurry or allowing stress to take over my day.
Dear friend, I know you have a busy day ahead. There are so many things vying for our attention and time. I pray that today you will be able to find the beautiful side of slow in the midst of the mission God has given you, allow Him to guide and equip, and seek ways to slow in the middle of everyday life.
Thanks so much for allowing me to visit here - it's been a pleasure!
Thanks so much for allowing me to visit here - it's been a pleasure!
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