It’s so easy to be caught up in doing. We measure ourselves by our output or lack of it. We so easily judge others by what they do—how much they do and the effectiveness of what they do. We feel “so guilty” when we don’t live up to expectations: God’s, […]
rest
15 posts
Rigid rule-keeping can feed anxiety and perfectionism. But choosing relationship, grace, and mercy brings true healing over legalism. A Sabbath brings us to a deep rest. In the little country town where I live, we have a volunteer fire brigade. At times we hear the fire siren wail, and […]
Discover the life-changing power of Sabbath rest. Learn how to stop the busy traffic of life, plan ahead, and fill your cup today. Keep the Sabbath and the Sabbath keeps you. I live right next to a beautiful beach. Kawakawa Bay is very tidal, and at low tide it […]
The soul can get completely drained, but what restores the soul? What can bring it back to life? Three things: people, places, and practices. Quick answer: Psalm 23 says the Shepherd “restores my soul.” In everyday life, that restoration usually comes through three P’s: life-giving people, restorative places, and soul-filling […]
We can easily go from one year to the next, but before you start the year, you need to stop the year. Stop it well. As I write this, it’s the middle of the most interesting week of the year. It’s the week between Christmas and New Year. Here in […]
It’s a breakdown, a mental health breakdown, and it’s happened again, but there is a way to recover, and it’s something you can achieve. The end result was exhaustion. They were empty of life and totally drained. So it was no wonder they were depressed and simply wanted to die. […]
You’re tired, drained, but you can’t find a simple way to restore. So maybe it’s time to cease and savor delight in the little moments. It had been a tough week—full-on giving out. People, work, tasks, energy-draining memories all want a piece of the energy pie. What was leftover were […]
There is a gentle approach to how the heart and mind can change. Instead of the force of a flood, it’s a refreshing rain. Let’s learn to absorb the goodness. There is something very special to me about a nice soft rain shower in the middle of a dry summer. […]
Being kind to yourself means noticing the inner critic that tells you “you’re not enough” or “you should try harder” — and choosing rest and grace instead of pushing harder. It’s not self-indulgence; it’s recognizing your human limits and trusting that you don’t have to earn your worth. Rest, understood […]
Our brains can be so busy that it can feel like a concussion, but we can help the brain recover by finding some still waters to rest next by. When I wrote the first draft of this post, I was sitting next to a small stream. There wasn’t much water […]