Living Twice

Is it too late to wish you all a Merry Christmas? I think not. After all, the 12 Days of Christmas started yesterday and ends on January 6th! So, with that thought, I do hope you all have experienced some moments of joy and gratefulness in this Christmas season thus far. I plan to leave our tree up at least until the new year. How about you? 

With the end of the year approaching so quickly, it always brings with it questions: 

Should I quit blogging? 

Should I restart blogging? 

Should I change my blog name? 

Should I change my theme? 

Should I change my header? my font? my colors? .. and on, and on....

Truthfully, I ask myself these questions several times throughout the year. In response to those questions, the answers are as follows: 

no

yes

yes

not really

yes and no... some changes... I do like change! I used to rearrange my living room furniture all the time, but since we purchased a corner sectional several years ago, I've been quite limited. I can still rearrange my blog as often as I wish, though. I realize it's really a way of procrastinating, but we'll deal with that issue later. ;) 

I've thought often of changing my blog name The View From Here. I've tired of it and hunted more meaningful titles. But I simply could not decide. Until today.  I believe I may have found it. 

The idea of A Life Lived Twice comes from Natalie Goldberg's book Writing Down the Bones. 

Writers live twice. They go along with their regular life, are as fast as anyone in the grocery store, crossing the street, getting dressed for work in the morning. But there's another part of them that they have been training. The one that lives everything a second time. That sits down and sees their life again and goes over it. 

                                                                                   Natalie Goldberg 

I think that's why I can't help but think oh, I could write about that when I'm going about my business. I'm so addicted to that thought, that even though I may not blog for months at a time, I still THINK about it. Maybe it's just me. 

So, that's my plan for 2022-- continue to blog (often haphazardly). I think writing is a healthy pastime, whether it's journaling, blogging, or personal essays.  As well, I'm hoping that my writings may at times inspire, entertain, provoke, or simply make you feel that you are not alone. I so enjoy others' blogs for those reasons! 

Here's to continued writing, friends! 

Photo by Florian Klauer on Unsplash

 

Looking Back to Look Ahead

I was spending a bit of time the other day unravelling a mess of yarn. Somehow a neat ball of yarn had become one mass of knots!  So, I sat there meditatively working through it, undoing knots, pulling yarn through here and there, winding it until it was ready to be turned into something purposeful. 

This new skein of yarn has so much potential. What is it going to become? How am I going to engage with it? I think back to the knitting projects I've completed, the ones I never finished, the ones I frogged several times because I kept failing at it, and the ones I was proud of. And then I plan ahead and consider what projects I'd like to spend my time on. Which ones will be gifts? Which will be for me? What will they become?  How will I react to messes I'll encounter?

That mess of yarn reminded me of the year we have just come out of. So many times, I didn't know which way was up, which way was out! What to believe? What to do? What not to do? Who to listen to? My emotions ran the gamut from despair to hope, and everything in between. That was 2020. I want to learn from these last 12 months and enter 2021 with peace, purpose and expectancy. 

And to do that, I must first look back. Only then can I look ahead; how else will I  know where I am? 

What worked for me this year? 

What didn't?

What will I change? 

What will I continue to do? 

These can be heavy questions, but I'd suggest just starting with one thing. 

This past year was the first year I've ever used a bullet journal. This isn't a fancy schmancy expensive journal, just a basic hardcover, lined, spiral notebook. I bought it at a dollar store, and by trial and error, I created categories that work for me. This is an example of something I'm taking with me into 2021. Definitely! 

This past year I also let disagreements and disengagement fester much too long. I've realized life is too short to hold onto negativity. And so, by the grace of God, I'm letting that habit die (or wrestling it to the ground!)  One day at a time!  This is an example of something I am NOT taking with me into 2021. 

Would you like to share what you're taking with you or leaving behind in 2021? 

New Year, New Word, More Me

So, the Christmas season has officially come and gone. Ordinary Time begins.

 The  remnants of my decorations include the pointsettia plants I received, which are still thriving. I usually let them hang around until  they drop off their leaves once and for all from lack of watering ;)  As well, I have some greenery in our planters outside, which bring beauty to an otherwise drab looking entrance. In the spring I'll deal with those! I do keep up some indoor winter decor until the spring season arrives. I enjoy having a little seasonal decor in my home.

Along with the new year comes thoughts of a new word or phrase for the year. I've pondered this for a while and have decided that my OneWord this year will be community. I feel that that word encompasses a lot. For me, it represents my intention to  get outside of my head more often (hello Enneagram 5!) and put some more action behind my thoughts and ideas. I'm going to keep a journal of all the ways that I have participated in 'community' in 2019. Will it change my life for the better? Will I become more of who God created me to be? We shall see. I don't want a NEW ME, I want to be MORE ME. And of course, that sometimes means making uncomfortable choices. Leaving the security of the comfort zone and stepping out. Small ways and small steps count!

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

Do you have a focus for 2019?

~setting intentions~

Yes, it seems my blogging has been put on the back burner of my life lately. Funny, it's something that is really hard to give up. Even when I'm not blogging, my mind files experiences into the blogging category for future reference! Does that happen to you? But I know that most times I forget about it and nothing gets written down. 

Hoping to be a little more regular in updating this blog in the next while. That doesn't sound very intentional, does it? 

The Year That Was

Here we are... looking out over a vast space with no idea what is going to transpire in the next twelve months. Every year is like that.

I guess you could also say it's like being handed an unopened gift, but one that can only be examined one little bit at a time. No tearing and ripping into it.  Not until the end of the year are we able to look back and give an opinion on the year that was.

The year that was...
As I was journalling one day, I wrote an entry called Life and Death in 2017. Because it really was the year of life and death. Literally and figuratively. To sum it up,  it was a VERY HARD YEAR. And yet, it held some of the biggest joys of my life, too. Life is like that.

Truth be told, when it's hard, we really find out what we really believe and where we really put our trust and hope. We find out how important our community is. We are thankful for little things. We keep telling ourselves the truth. We take less for granted and we hold more tightly to things we value (and they're not really usually things). We know how fleeting life is. We only have today. Who knows what tomorrow brings?

My 'mantra' for 2017 was "Always, we begin again". It was so apt for me. I'm going to take that into 2018 as well, because I think it's a life saver. We can't look back and dwell on regrets or missteps. Yes, we can learn, but in the end, we begin again. Take what we've learned and move ahead. Begin again.

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

Next post: One Word 2018

Book Review: Breaking Busy

Author, speaker, blogger, wife,  mom of five boys, and the executive director of Propel Women,  Alli Worthington probably has something to say about breaking busy--how to find peace & purpose in a world of crazy!

My list of 'how I spend my time' is nothing like hers, but still I figured I could  glean some helpful hints here. Even in my relatively quiet life, I could learn a thing or two about peace and purpose.
Breaking Busy contains practical advice on how to get one's life back under control, how to find out what really gives you purpose, help with decision making, how to determine best ways to communicate with others (there are so many options these days!), how to fight the tyranny of the urgent, and much more.

The section on determining time wasters was one of my favorite parts of this book. Social media alone can sap hours of your day, leaving you asking 'what did I really accomplish? ' Do you really know how many hours of your day are frittered away without you even realizing it? Worthington suggests keeping a time diary. She offers several free downloadable resources at her website. Once you have that information, follow her advice to make some changes, if necessary.

I'm not a huge social media person, but I was a little shocked at how much time I spend looking at my phone or being distracted on my computer. Ouch.

There is really nothing earth shattering here in this book, but it's honest, upbeat, positive, encouraging, and will even make you chuckle. It will encourage you to pursue God's best in a world that sends other messages! And it's a quick read. Recommended to share with someone who might need a little balance and direction in her life.

Thanks to BookLookBloggers for this free book sent to me in exchange for an honest review.

I read. I listen. I waffle.

So, I am working on my book stack, but for some strange reason, now that I've banned myself from purchasing any new books this year, I am going crazy finding books to borrow! It's like I can't help being rebellious, even to myself! Can you say sabotage?

I am going to have to be ruthless with my self-imposed book stack and weed out the ones I hoped I'd like, but are dropping further down the pile, because I'm losing interest?  Maybe I don't want to read them as badly as I thought I did.

Currently (from the book stack) I am reading Farewell Four Waters and it is riveting. It's a contemporary novel based on real experiences of a female aid worker living in Afghanistan. I'm only about 1/3 of the way, and the tension is constantly building. Have you ever experienced reading a book that feels like you're watching a movie? That's my experience here. Looking forward to the evening, so I can continue reading!

I really enjoy listening to podcasts, having quite a few on the go, and will almost always listen to them when I'm driving here and there, or when I'm making supper or sitting down for a length of time. Sometimes I even listen to them when I'm doing mindless work (the joys of working from home).

I used to listen to Moody's Midday Connection radio program faithfully, but that was cancelled this past Spring, after many years (at the time I was supremely bummed about it) but I've found other podcasts to replace it. Well, maybe replaced isn't the right word. I loved that program a lot. Not surprisingly, though, life goes on and I've found some gems to keep me going. Sometimes I listen for a while, then delete, find another one, and so on and so on..

A few of my current favorites: 

One of Midday's former hosts has her own podcast now called Faith Conversations. A great place to start if you're looking for honest, relevant interviews and topics. Focused more on - how shall I say this -- women in midlife? But not exclusively. There are so many podcasts for women and by women in their 20's and 30's (and I do love those, too!)  but it's nice to find one geared to a little older demographic.

Sorta Awesome - I've only been listening for a little while, but this podcast is just plain fun and uplifting, too! Each episode the hosts and guests share their 'awesome of the week', which is always interesting. Maybe it was a book, an experience, a recipe, a movie.. anything really.. It's like listening in on a fun, interesting conversation every time.

What Should I Read Next? with Anne Bogel (Modern Mrs. Darcy)
Anne Bogel interviews guests about what they like to read and then suggests more they might like as well. A great way to find a good book! This is a brand spanking new podcast and I love it. I have already put a few recommended books on hold at the library.

Not that I'm ever going to read all the books on my 'want to read' list, but oh well.

Switched on Pop - I just happened to hear about this podcast via another one and had to check it out. It is fascinating, although I'm very selective about which episode I listen to. A musicologist and his co-host talk about musical artists and 'dissect' their popular songs to explain why they work and how the message of the song is conveyed through the music. I'm not a musician by any stretch (play a little piano and guitar), but I have always listened to  and enjoyed a variety of music genres and this just meets a need in me to know WHY something works as well as it does. So far my favorites have been on Adele and Taylor Swift.

Do you listen to podcasts? Which do you recommend?