Contemplations of a Mommy "Monk"

It's been a month - 32 days since the Safe at Home order was first issued in Wisconsin and 44 days since school has been closed.  It's about this time that we need to remember to count our blessings and look for all the things to be thankful for and I'm going to try to find 32: 1.  It's been wonderful to be outside in the mornings with my beautiful Bella.  She lights up my day! 2.  Bailey and Jingle, the other two furry friends in our home also are a blessing. 3.  Morning coffee 4.  Peepers chirping each night and chickadees singing in the mornings 5.  Good books - I just finished Becoming by Michelle Obama and Educated   by Tara Westover 6.  Praise and worship music (Rend Collective does socially distant worship every week) 7.  Family time playing cards, board games, spike ball, etc 8. Baking and creating delicious beauty 9. Dusted off the espresso maker and finally figured out how to froth the milk 10....

On my many trips to the outdoors this week (you can't go anywhere else), I noticed that my daffodils were starting to sprout.  That's one thing I love about perennials - even though they've died off in the fall, they will grow new again each spring.  They are a beautiful visual of God's seasonal purposes and the value of a long winter's rest.  This whole coronavirus situation has got me thinking about growth.  There are lots of different kinds of growth.  Some growth is cyclical like my daffodils, hyacinths and brown eyed susans.  Death and rebirth reoccur regularly throughout the cycle of each plant's life.  Sometimes it feels like that in my spiritual life too.  I go through spiritually dry seasons where reading the Bible is a laborious task and nothing seems to awaken my soul.  And then I find myself thirsting for the Word, finding new insights daily, hearing God's voice on a regular basis as I seek Him each morning.   On the ...

28  “Come to me,  all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.   29  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,  for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.   30  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Have you ever noticed how dogs and cats can just lay down in the middle of the day, multiple times a day and fall sound asleep?  God made them with internal clocks that need breaks and sleep and truth be told, God made us with the same rhythms in our bodies.  We need rest and that's why God created the Sabbath.  God values our work but He tells us to rest from it one day out of seven, to set aside time for Him, for reflection, for quiet, for family.  I think He knew that we could get wrapped up in our work and never put it down and that if we weren't commanded to stop, sit down and rest, we would just try to keep going like the Energizer bunny.  But no matter how energ...