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Friday, February 18, 2011

Savoring the Sip of Simple Moments

It’s the comfort of slipping my feet into purple fuzzy socks.

It’s a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie pleasantly teasing my taste buds.

It’s the excitement of God working through the low murmuring of prayers at our ladies fellowship.

Do you remember the last time you stopped and quietly celebrated the little moments? Or does life always seem to throw you a curve-ball and you end up passing them by with little thought? That’s how it always happens with me anyway. My heart beats at a constant rate of heightened anxiety because I am constantly rushing from one thing to another. I have to get “one more thing done” before I go to work. I just have to “finish up this project” before I go to bed. The housework never ends, the to-do list continues to grow, and my mind never stops analyzing!

You know when the day-to-day events plunge you through life faster than an amusement park ride, something has to change. It must. Or you and I will never learn to slow down enough to enjoy the journey. 

So how do we “make time” to enjoy our little blip on eternity’s radar screen?

  • Take a few moments in the morning for yourself. I am a classic snooze-button-hitter. I am not a morning person, and the only words I can manage to mumble at 7am are “5 more minutes?” Then I end up rushing around trying to get ready for work, and the morning becomes hectic and stressful. But if I make myself get out of bed when I set my alarm, I have enough time to eat a leisurely breakfast, catch up on my morning Fox & Friends, and spend a few minutes in prayer.
  • Limit your To-Do list to a maximum of 2 or 3 items per day. I always have a mile-long to-do list. But to keep myself from feeling overwhelmed, I pick two things I want to accomplish for that day and I get them done! Then when my husband wants to go on a date, or we end up spending an evening over at our family’s house, I am not constantly thinking of the “never-ending list”. I am savoring the time I have with the people I love the most.
  • Start a “Thankfulness Journal”. The author of “One Thousand Gifts” was dared to think of one thousand things she was thankful for and it became her lifeline. I know when I personally start writing down even ten things for which I’m thankful, my attitude cannot help but change. Big moments or small, you will find a smile working its way into your face as you begin thanking God for His various gifts.
It is through the simplest moments where we find the greatest and most enjoyable treasures. We just have to slow down enough to find them.

3 comments:

Harold H Comings said...

This is a tremendous "take away" post. Thanks, Kalyn. It speaks to several needs in my own life. So far, I think the only one I'm implementing the morning thing. But, as you know, I love mornings...maybe because no one else does ;-) They're mine...ALL MINE !!! :-D The job list thing will take some significant effort on my part. I was about to say...I'll put that on my list of things to do today. Sigh. I appreciate both you and your insights. Thanks, again.

Dimond Dan said...

Thanks for those great ideas Kalyn...love reading your posts!

KalynBrooke said...

I don't always implement the to-do list thing. My planner is full of post-its and lists as we speak. Something more to work toward!

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