Obviously it is sunny and clear here in Australia, on the Australia Day Long Weekend but I think your discussion of habits and the end of January is a pertinent one, no matter our hemisphere. I have spent the week utterly alone, as husband is in Switzerland and then Minneapolis and enjoying proper cold weather and Iris is with her Mum. I have realised that my Damascus moment is that I am not indispensable and I am very, very tired. God has forced me to rest and this is a new habit, one of more quiet, that he is placing upon me in a Paul-like manner! Lovely words and photos to accompany and I will be printing out the colouring for Iris for next week.
I’m so glad that you’re embracing the rest you’ve been given this week, however much of a struggle that change of direction can be! You’ve had SO MUCH happening this year, and one can only keep the momentum going for so long. I hope this week proves restful and restorative for you!
It was. I had to admit that I desperately needed it and that the world and my family did not stop, or fall apart without me. A good lesson. But my body embraced the rest completely. Thank you.
I was thinking of doing an easy dinner today but venison with port wine sauce sounds too good so thanks a lot (if there's anything we keep our house stocked with, it's venison and port!)
I'm so glad that these thoughts resonated with you, Jill! The fair and foul weather dynamic that comes up during these winter-spring feasts is really worth pondering. How wonderful to know some of these concepts will be tied into your upcoming sermon! I'd love to hear more about your pastoral work sometime, if you're up for sharing!
"In reflecting on this Pauline feast all month, I’ve found myself repeatedly asking: does this habit/behavior take me further down the road to Damascus on my warhorse? Or does it knock me off my horse and turn me around, back toward Jesus?"
Yes and yes and yes. It warms my heart so much to read the ways you have woven church calendar observances with our actual days. I'm right there with you, listening to the nudges from the Holy Spirit. Thank you friend.
Hooray! Looking forward to great things usually means we find bits and pieces of them even amidst the struggles. There’s so much food for thought wrapped up in these old bits of folklore!
Obviously it is sunny and clear here in Australia, on the Australia Day Long Weekend but I think your discussion of habits and the end of January is a pertinent one, no matter our hemisphere. I have spent the week utterly alone, as husband is in Switzerland and then Minneapolis and enjoying proper cold weather and Iris is with her Mum. I have realised that my Damascus moment is that I am not indispensable and I am very, very tired. God has forced me to rest and this is a new habit, one of more quiet, that he is placing upon me in a Paul-like manner! Lovely words and photos to accompany and I will be printing out the colouring for Iris for next week.
I’m so glad that you’re embracing the rest you’ve been given this week, however much of a struggle that change of direction can be! You’ve had SO MUCH happening this year, and one can only keep the momentum going for so long. I hope this week proves restful and restorative for you!
It was. I had to admit that I desperately needed it and that the world and my family did not stop, or fall apart without me. A good lesson. But my body embraced the rest completely. Thank you.
I was thinking of doing an easy dinner today but venison with port wine sauce sounds too good so thanks a lot (if there's anything we keep our house stocked with, it's venison and port!)
It makes me SO HAPPY that your freezer has been waiting for this moment to bring you a proper Conversion of St. Paul dinner! Amazing.
every recipe I'm finding requires currant jelly so here's hoping I can find that at Costco hahaha
Appreciate these reflections! Inspired by the fair and foul weather concepts, and tying some of this into a sermon on 1 Corinthians 15 this Sunday.
I'm so glad that these thoughts resonated with you, Jill! The fair and foul weather dynamic that comes up during these winter-spring feasts is really worth pondering. How wonderful to know some of these concepts will be tied into your upcoming sermon! I'd love to hear more about your pastoral work sometime, if you're up for sharing!
"In reflecting on this Pauline feast all month, I’ve found myself repeatedly asking: does this habit/behavior take me further down the road to Damascus on my warhorse? Or does it knock me off my horse and turn me around, back toward Jesus?"
Yes and yes and yes. It warms my heart so much to read the ways you have woven church calendar observances with our actual days. I'm right there with you, listening to the nudges from the Holy Spirit. Thank you friend.
You're such an inspiration to me as I face all these Damascus moments daily! Miss you, beloved.
I'm pleased to report a bright, sunny day in central Indiana. I look forward to great things this year!
Hooray! Looking forward to great things usually means we find bits and pieces of them even amidst the struggles. There’s so much food for thought wrapped up in these old bits of folklore!