Tuesday, February 4, 2014

random reflections after a busy summer

Beach shoesHere I am, sitting down to write, and how strange it feels! The kids are back at school, but the year hasn't yet settled into shape.

We've had a bustling summer. Dusty trips to the zoo and damp trips home from the pool.

School books and shoes and pencils and calculators bought and - mostly - labelled.

Jogging along the beach with my daughter, a 10-year-old discovering he loves boogie boarding, my three sons inventing endless games.

The school holidays have left me feeling like I do at the end of a jog: sweaty and hot and tired, but also, somehow, satisfied and rested.

I did have one chance to draw breath. For two precious days, I went away with close friends and we did what women do: took our lives apart, examined them, and put them back together.

It seemed to me that my life is like a tree with too many branches. Some need to be cut out so others can grow more strongly. Two branches in particular need pruning:
  • ministry in church and uni - over the next year or so, I'd like to narrow my focus to one area, not several
  • writing - I might need to do less of some kinds, so I have time for others ...
... and that's where you come in. I know you love my online meanderings, because you've told me so. But, for the moment, I think they'll have to go.

Last year my son was very sick. He didn't have great holidays, and I'll be caring for him this year. There are few hours in the day when I'm just me, with time to make a home and see people and do my own stuff.

One of the things I want to do over the next 5 or 10 years - God willing - is write. Blog posts, articles, seminars. Maybe even a book or two. But to do that, you need to make time to get your backside on a chair and write, regularly and often.

I think 2014 might be a year for laying foundations to build on. Here are some of the oddly-shaped stones I'd like to put in place:
  • declutter our house
  • set up a writing space
  • learn New Testament Greek
  • keep jogging
  • read lots of books
  • start a new training day for women at our church
  • re-design this blog (with the help of a friend).

We do what we can with the time God gives us. I love caring for our family. I want to keep pouring time and energy into other people too. But I've also discovered that I love to write - and people tell me to keep at it - so here we are.

It's good to be back writing again, even if it's just this post.

8 comments:

Jenny said...

Lovely to hear from you Jean! Glad you had a nice break. Keep writing. We need more of it out there.

Unknown said...

What is involved with the new training day for women at church?

Jean said...

hmmm, Dena ... not sure yet ... but it's gonna be great! ;)

Actually, it's just women from two little churches getting together and doing something Equip-like but much smaller.

Should be fun! I hope ...

Jess Green said...

I love reading what you write! Oooooh, I book sounds exciting!

I like decluttering - want some help?? I would love to spend some time together doing that :)

Jean said...

Oh, Jess, I love you. Of course you can help! :)

Karen said...

Welcome back, Jean! I'm sad to hear online meanderings won't be back this year but looking forward to lots of book reviews and a new blog design. Glad that you'll still be writing for all your online friends :)

Fiona Cheng said...

You do write really well Jean and it's rare and we need it so go for it! And you think well so thanks for sharing your thoughts with us, encouraging us to live deliberate Christian lives amidst the kaos.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for your wise words Jean. In particular I love your book recommendations and the way you are so real about life and the conflicts of what to do with ones time that will be Godly, where we are care for our husbands our families and others.....( and even ourselves!!!) xx