Posted on by almondbutterbabe

Experiencing Autumn

I love seasonal changes. It is the perfect balance between newness and vitality and stability. The seasons come over and over but each time a new one begins it feels fresh and new.

If any of my readers are Myers-Briggs personality junkies like I am, I will admit that I’m an INFJ. We are the introverts who often function as extroverts, the dreamers with our heads in the clouds, the worriers, the ones reading everyone in the room and ignoring our inner self. Our five senses are often underused.

My husband is an ESTP. They’re the comedians and people persons of the world. Think Jim Carey and take it down a few notches and you have my husband. The great thing about him is he will take a morning walk with his oatmeal, not caring a bit who sees him, to breathe in the fresh air, look at the trees, and chat with anyone who comes by. He often stops mid-sentence in awe of creation.

This year I’m trying to think in those same terms. Fall is my favorite season and I adore the weather and blue skies of October. There is nothing else like it to me. So I’m trying to slow down and experience it. Here are a few things I’ve done:

  • Tried new recipes with fall flavors
  • Slowed down during my meals, really tasting my food
  • Eaten outside
  • Taken walks to new places
  • Watched new-to-me movies with my kids…mostly to experience their laughter and joy
  • Traveled
  • Read books that had fall settings
  • Changed up my fitness routine

Are you a person who experiences life or is so busy in your mind and with your hands that days slip by without notice? Share with me your tips and tricks for really experiencing the here and now.

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Posted on by almondbutterbabe

Your Word for the Day is…Selah

Selah

 

I’m a grammar girl and word nerd. I love learning in general and specifically about words and history. So when I came across the word “Selah” in my Bible study the first time, I had to dig in!

This word is written in Hebrew in the Old Testament. What does it mean? Scholars aren’t really sure! It’s used over 70 times in the Bible…and all but three of them are in the Psalms. (The other three uses are in the book called Habakkuk, for inquiring minds). The most widely agreed upon interpretation is that it’s a call to praise, or stop and ponder what you have just read.

Pause. Think. Ponder. Praise. What if we lived our lives intentionally doing that?

I am angry and about to spout off to my child. Instead…Selah. Pause. Think. And see what the best thing to say is in this situation.

I’m about to spend money on something, or eat something, just because I’m feeling restless, sad, or frustrated. Instead…Selah. Pause. And think, what am I really feeling and what void am I trying to fill?

My day is busy and I don’t have time to breathe or think. How about…Selah. Pause, inwardly, and give thanks that I have the energy to make it through my day. That I am blessed with family, or friends, or good things to eat, the ability to face any challenge that comes my way, and on and on.

I’m exhausted at the end of the day or tempted to start my day by hitting the ground running. But instead…Selah. I pause for a moment or two, breathe deeply, whisper a prayer,  meditate a second, etc.

Let’s make a pact to build some “Selah Seconds” into our day. Pause, breathe, smile, think, and just be. Life is too precious to miss it by being “busy”.

Selah.