How to Breathe

“…the years are beginning to feel as if they’re slipping through my fingers. I want to live them and show my children how to live them as well.”

Do any of the rest of you thrive under a routine? This is the point in the summer when we’re feeling it—the desperate need for more structure. The kids are getting restless, and this mama is getting tired of mediating fights over the remote and couch blankets and snacks. (Can I get an “Amen”?) How many of you are hanging on by a thread waiting for school to start back? Anyone? Really though, this summer has been a celebration of slow fun. I soaked up time with my family and navigated working from home with my kids present (along with one very unruly golden retriever). There were days it was a hot mess! But we made it, and honestly, it was so sweet.

August just seems to usher in an opportunity for a reset. As a teacher, I always felt it was a chance to start over and set some good goals and rhythms. This year, I feel like I need this more than ever. We cleaned out our house for a rummage sale this summer, and it felt so good to rid our home of clutter. But now it feels like the perfect time to clean up in other ways.

If we aren’t careful, we let life run us, don’t we? We allow busyness to set in, and we forget how to breathe. I’ve thought about and prayed about rest this summer, and I’m still processing it all. But one thing I’ve concluded is that we don’t get enough of it. Not in the Sabbath sense. Rest is holy. It’s intentional and sacrificial. And we don’t do it very well.

I wanted to share five rhythms I am going to put in place this year. I’m not an expert on this, but I do know that the years are beginning to feel as if they’re slipping through my fingers. I want to live them and show my children how to live them as well. So, here’s the plan:

1.     Workout before kids wake up

This one may not appear to be a spiritual issue, but I am convinced it is. This year hasn’t been a good one for my physical health. I haven’t prioritized it, and this has to change. (another post on this soon). I find that when I neglect my physical health, my spiritual health is affected as well. And this just reinforces that the Lord truly does care about our entire being—body, mind, and spirit. I plan to wake up before the kids and get my workout done for the day. If not, I’ll allow it to slip by me.

2.     Quiet Time

After getting the kids out the door each morning, I’ll spend intentional time in God’s Word before I start work. My work involves spending time in Scripture, and it’s such a privilege and honor. But there’s no substitute for studying the Word simply to feed my soul and to know God more intimately. Again, if I don’t do this early in the day, it will get pushed aside. I want to encourage you—this is the most important part of your day. Establishing an uninterrupted time with the Lord will do more for your relationship with Him than anything else. I’m linking some great devotionals and reading plans that may help you get started! :-)

3.     Intentional Prayer

If I’m honest, this is probably my weakest spiritual discipline. I want to build in time to turn everything off and pray. I plan to incorporate this into my quiet time, but my hope is that it will spill over into the rest of my day. I want my conversation with the Lord to be ongoing. And doing this will help me to have discernment for the next one.

4.     I’ll say “No” more often

Can I be honest? This is a hard one for me. I struggle with the impulse of saying “yes” to every ministry opportunity which comes my way. And if I add a “yes” on top of family responsibilities, then true rest is out of the question. Y’all know what this leads to: burnout, guilt, and exhaustion. Burnout from stretching myself too thin; guilt for letting time with my family become hurried and surface-level; exhaustion both physically and spiritually. Culture celebrates and elevates busyness, but it isn’t worth the toll. It isn’t worth the simple minutes I lose with my husband and children. I want to cultivate a different family atmosphere—one in which we move a little more slowly and experience more simplicity. So, this is going to require that I say “no.” And it’s okay for you to say it as well.

5.     Laying Down the Phone

This is a new rhythm I am most excited about. My husband and I are going to lay our phones down each evening starting at 5:00 until bedtime. No mindless scrolling. No consuming what other people choose to post of their lives instead of living our own. I am more convinced than ever that our phones are changing us. They’re stealing time we can never get back. They’re monopolizing our attention. I don’t want what my kids remember of our evenings together to be me holding a phone in my hands.

I hope you’ll join me in setting some healthy patterns for this school year. We can do this! I know God wants us to live abundantly. I know He wants us to breathe deeply. I trust there is a better way than what culture dictates is normal, and I’m seeking the better way.  

The year-long reading I’m using! —> the Bible in a Year

Another year-long plan —> Bible Recap

Paul David Tripp —> New Morning Mercies