Hello, blog friends! It has been a while since I’ve written anything on these pages. The reason primarily is because I’ve moved my writing to my newsletter Courage & Candor on Substack. When I started out blogging, I loved it but I am no web designer and frankly, I have spent just as much time customizing this site as I was writing on it. So I’ve had about enough of that! I just want to write, so subscribe to Courage & Candor here.

With that said, I plan to not entirely neglect this site, it still serves a purpose. I hope to create resourceful content every so often that include things like reading lists, book reviews, lists of spiritual formation apps, new spiritual practices, and any other resources that may help you stay connected to Jesus and to your callings.

Till those blogs start rolling out, here are five things that are saving my life right now:

Time blocking

I know this sounds super admin-y (if I may create a new word) but honestly, take your to-do list and block out time on your calendar to get that stuff done. The best practice for time blocking is 2-hour blocks but each person is different, so if that is too much, start with 45 minutes. Trust me, it will help!

Daily Office Podcast

Over the last five years, I have been drifting away from my evangelical roots and leaning more toward other traditions. Anglicanism is one that I have desired to explore but haven’t quite made the leap. So before I jump, I have been listening to The Daily Office podcast and absolutely love it! I appreciate the daily rhythms of praise and confession and tons of scripture! It is about 20 minutes a day and I often listen to it as I get ready in the morning.

Evening Hammock Time

We recently changed the landscape of our backyard to be more dog and butterfly friendly which means our yard is full of flowers and herbs! My husband then lovingly purchased a hammock for my birthday and set it up in front of a flower patch. Now I spend my time unwinding from my work day watching for butterflies while Ingrid, our German shepherd, sits beside me to watch for squirrels. It feels meditative. Sometimes I read, and sometimes I sit and stare up at the sky. Either way, it’s feeding my soul right now! Here is the cute hammock and stand he got me.

Artist Way Summer Group

Working full-time and being in graduate school left very little room for my creativity. Now that I am graduated, I am able to lean more into writing and my creative callings. So this summer, I finally was able to gather a few other creatives to go through The Artist Way by Julie Cameron. This is a very spiritual book about recovering and nurturing our creative selves and it is exactly what I need after five years of intellectual dynamics. My Artist Dates so far have been me perusing the kid’s craft aisle – it’s been a lot of fun!

Started counseling again

I began seeing my counselor again to process the residual grief of choosing childlessness after many years of failed infertility treatments. I didn’t realize how much I needed this until I exploded on a friend who just had a baby. Yikes! It felt like a bag of salt on a very open wound. My counselor and I have only met a couple of times but I already feel the benefits of taking time out to sit with my pain in an empathetic space. Grief is sneaky and has an uncanny ability to hide in irritation, sadness, and the munchies. I am still learning how to recognize its presence and practice self-compassion in the midst of it.

Those are just a few things that are saving my life right now. 

What is saving your life? Comment below!

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Post photo by Jordan Bauer on Unsplash