Behind The Butter

Slowing Down

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A few days ago, I got a text from my husband that said, “Can we enter a season of rest soon?”

Rest. It sounds so nice, huh? While initially I was like, rest? Why would we need a season of rest? Our lives are fine! Busy = happy! lalalala. But then I sat back and thought about it. The idea of rest. It’s so important, but something we push to the back burner. As I sit here and think back on the past year of our lives the only word that can really come to my mind fully is BUSY. It looks something like this:

My book comes out. Go on a book tour across the Southern US. Get home. Get engaged. Immediately start planning wedding. Start planning honeymoon. Start my Noonday business. Get married. Immediately go on honeymoon. Get home. Pick up as many freelance projects as I can to pay off wedding debt. No sleep/more work. Set up our house. Take a week off because a friend passes away. Prepare for trip to Africa. Go to Africa. Entertain people in our house. Parties-parties-parties. Always offering to host everyone. More freelance projects. More Noonday shows. Prepare for Influence conference. Fly to Indy and speak at Influence Conference while Adam runs the A/V. Get home. Get really, really sick. Finally accept that rest is good.

As soon as our wheels touched down in Indianapolis last week, I got SICK. Like, massive sinus infection/ couldn’t breathe/ could hardly lift my head. I don’t know how I managed to get that sick but I did. Every cell in me felt totally exhausted. I powered through the weekend, gave the talk I had been preparing for four months now and got home on Sunday {note to self: do not fly with a sinus infection because your ears will become blocked…mine still are, almost a week later}. It’s like my body was finally telling me to just take a chill pill. Telling. Not asking.

I’m not saying I work this high powered job and I’m certainly not complaining. I know how blessed I am to get to make my own hours and work from home doing what I love. That’s not what this is about. This is about me asking {mainly myself} when did we start glorifying “busy” so much? When did busy start equaling happy?

I want to slow down and savor this season in my life, not pass it by with the blink of a eye because I was too focused on filling the calendar. This is a very sweet season for us right now and I want to embrace it. I want to hold onto every little moment I can during this newlywed time when we wrap ourselves in blankets, sit on the porch and laugh about moments from our honeymoon. I want to share a pizza and a bottle of wine and not constantly scroll through my phone for Instagram updates — like I’m actually missing something because I’m enjoying a date with my husband. I want to invest in my local community even more than I have invested in my online one. I want to take long walks with friends and enjoy the moment rather than planning in the back of mind the next thing on the list. To-do lists are great but I don’t want my days to be defined by them.

So yes, I respond to that text. Yes, we can enter a season of rest. No more accepting projects we aren’t super passionate about. No more racing from one thing to the next. No more on the computer till 3am.  No more cell phones out during dinner dates. And yes to laughter, novels, dinner parties and church friends. Yes to spontaneous weekends away, to fresh flowers once a week, to less time on the computer, to working in our garden. Yes to learning when to say no and being okay with it.

Happy weekend, sweet friends!

 

 

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  • Jen, a priorfatgirl
    October 4, 2013 at 9:38 am

    Rest. Relax. That is what we all need. To re-center ourselves with what really matters 🙂 Best wishes, Jenna!

  • Annalisa
    October 4, 2013 at 9:41 am

    I love this! Our society really does glorify being busy. I feel that people think the more busy one is, the more important/popular/successful you are. Of course it’s nice to have things to do and places to go, but yes, we need balance, thank you for the reminder. I hope you feel better soon!

  • Kelli H (Made in Sonoma)
    October 4, 2013 at 9:44 am

    Great post, Jenna. I couldn’t agree more! Rest up!

  • Shannon D'J
    October 4, 2013 at 9:46 am

    I love this post, Jenna. Rest is so incredibly important that it was the subject of a sermon at my church a couple weeks ago! Being married without kids is a really special period of life and should be restful. Although my husband and I are busy trying to get our business off the ground, we recognize that this is a time we need to invest in each other and enjoy the simple things in life. Enjoy this time with Adam. Rest together.

  • Jenn S
    October 4, 2013 at 9:50 am

    I really needed that. Thank you. The cell phone is a hard one. Why am I on Facebook or Instagram when I have my two young babies with me???

  • deva
    October 4, 2013 at 9:50 am

    YES to all of this. Our time the past two years has been non-stop and hopefully SOON we can stop and rest and relax, but it will still be busy busy busy for a while.

  • Dana
    October 4, 2013 at 9:54 am

    Such a great post! Rest up and get well fast! I like the word NO. It’s to the point and refreshing. 😉

  • Robyn @thereallife_RD
    October 4, 2013 at 9:57 am

    this is such a refreshing post!
    “when did we start glorifying busy?”
    a very wise lady once asked me “if you can’t fill ‘all the things’ into a day without killing yourself than maybe you’re doing everything YOU want to do, not was GOD is calling you to do.”

    have a relaxing weekend 🙂

    • Robyn @thereallife_RD
      October 4, 2013 at 9:58 am

      ahh meant “fit” not fill and “not what GOD”
      …oh man, I need to obviously SLOW down

  • Michelle
    October 4, 2013 at 9:58 am

    Loved this post. Literally read it not realizing my day planner was sitting in my lap. Ha. Guess I needed a reminder to close it up – it’s just so darn easy to get wrapped up in all the busy-ness!

  • Ali O
    October 4, 2013 at 9:59 am

    I often feel like this too. Everyone is so busy being busy that they miss all the little things that make life special. I am just as guilty. But lately, I’ve been thinking about slowing down and savoring the little things. Perhaps it’s because I am pregnant with our first baby (now half way through and I can’t believe that it’s already half gone!)…or perhaps it’s this season of Fall too that has made me think of slowing down and enjoying, since I know that winter (and snow) is soon to follow. It’s good that we have little reminders of this (even though it stinks yours seemed to be that you got sick!). Hope you & Adam have lots of time to snuggle with each other & a glass of wine.

  • Julia
    October 4, 2013 at 10:00 am

    Amen, girl. I think a season of rest is fitting as we enter autumn, as well! 🙂

  • Maggie J
    October 4, 2013 at 10:05 am

    Word! Slowing down is very important. My husband and I are on year two of marriage, but have a baby on the way. We keep on talking about having these big date night outs because we still can, but find the movie on the couch and dinner in the dining room without distractions to be the best. Just focus on you (and him).

    As for the ears – a friend told me this idea. It may be a placebo effect, but it works for me. Get a good quality peppermint essential oil (I like doterra) and rub a couple drops into your earlobes, top to bottom. The bright scent somehow works its way in through the ears. I guess “ear, nose and throat” are all connected via doctor’s specialty. I guess it can work for essential oil, too.

    Get well!

  • Kim
    October 4, 2013 at 10:10 am

    Yes. This is right where I am, too. Especially the part about investing in community and slowing down enough to be present. It’s a constant message God is sharing with me. You’ve taken the words right out of my mouth. Here’s to a season of rest and being present and noticing the small things.

  • Traci
    October 4, 2013 at 10:14 am

    I love the way he worded that! A season of rest. Necessary every once in a while.

  • Laurel
    October 4, 2013 at 10:16 am

    Such a great reminder.

  • Alycia
    October 4, 2013 at 10:21 am

    What a lovely post for a Friday. I needed to hear this! I am a ‘yes’ person as well and I love how you ended your post with being able to say ‘no’ and be OK with it! Enjoy this precious newly-wed time; it is so special.

  • Suzanne de Cornelia
    October 4, 2013 at 10:35 am

    I raced around a lot too for a long time, and now ask myself would this be something I’d do on the proverbial last day.

    Maybe get PH strips at the Pharmacy to ensure your system is alkaline vs acid which =disease. Infections grow from lots of sugar/flour and create a petri dish for disease. I just blogged about this as many don’t realize how dangerous corporate food is…esp the cumulative impact. http://www.suzannedecornelia.com/2013/10/will-lu-petit-beurre-biscuits-give-you.html

  • Amanda L.
    October 4, 2013 at 10:39 am

    While I have enjoyed reading all your posts, this is the one which has resonated with me the most. It took me a long time to realize that “busy” and “fully booked” do not equal “happiness”, “success”, yada yada. I found that slowing down made my life infinitely more rewarding. Thankfully I realized this before I retired, so the transition to not being employed was easy – I did not feel, like many new retirees, that I was missing anything, even though I had enjoyed my work. As a society, we have become far too preoccupied with being “busy” and need to be reminded that living more simply and slowly is better, gives us more time to focus on what is important, and life as such is much more fulfilling. Thank you for sharing your thoughts so eloquently 🙂

  • Laura@FoodSnobSTL
    October 4, 2013 at 10:48 am

    Amen. Amen. Amen. We glorify busyness WAY too much.

  • Lucinda
    October 4, 2013 at 10:48 am

    What a lovely mindset. I’ve been feeling abit overwhelmed and “spread thin” lately so your post is a timely and appropriate one. Thanks so much for continuing to share and inspire. Enjoy the Season!

    http://currenttempo.blogspot.com

  • Julia Kent @ The Domestic Blonde
    October 4, 2013 at 10:51 am

    I come from a family who takes on too much. My mother and father are two of the busiest people I’ve ever met. I seem to have inherited this attitude – I say yes to everything, often taking on leadership roles. The problem is (like my parents), I love everything that I do. But every now and then we need to be reminded to slow down. Just a bit. Thank you for this beautiful reminder! xo

  • Averie @ Averie Cooks
    October 4, 2013 at 10:53 am

    Ohmygosh. I feel like I needed to read this post. And re-read it like 10 more times. Good for you, Jenna. I am so happy for you. And I need to do this, too. I hope that life slows down to a more comfortable pace for you and good for you for realizing that you want to (almost have to) do this 🙂

  • Claire
    October 4, 2013 at 10:54 am

    I read a quote recently that changed my perspective on this topic: “We are called to work. We are called to rest. One without the other is disobedience to God.” Enjoy your weekend!!

  • Niki
    October 4, 2013 at 10:56 am

    Rest is so very important in overall health, it is just hard to remember that sometimes with so much on our plates. I hope you enjoy the season!

  • Gaby
    October 4, 2013 at 10:58 am

    could not agree more regarding the glorification of buys people. i myself have fallen into this trap and strive to find balance. NYT ran a great article about this a few years back: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/30/the-busy-trap/ highly recommended read!

  • Lauren
    October 4, 2013 at 10:59 am

    Great post! Enjoy this special time with your new husband!

  • Katie @ Talk Less, Say More
    October 4, 2013 at 11:02 am

    A season of rest…that sounds wonderful!! Enjoy it! 🙂

  • Amanda @ Once Upon a Recipe
    October 4, 2013 at 11:06 am

    A season of rest – I like it. Your husband is a smart man!
    I think it’s also important to realize that rest doesn’t equal laziness, which some people (including myself) seem to think. I think that taking time to relax and enjoy actually makes us more productive when we’re working. Happy weekend, Jenna.

  • Heather
    October 4, 2013 at 11:14 am

    Just YES. I love this. We are in desperate need of rest from so many things right now as well; I’ll be praying for you guys!

  • Chrissy
    October 4, 2013 at 11:14 am

    I was just thinking that this morning. We were married in August and it has been crazy busy ever since. I don’t want to lose the ‘newly-wed’ period. 🙂
    Take care

  • emily
    October 4, 2013 at 11:23 am

    Ha love this! Well said!

  • K
    October 4, 2013 at 11:24 am

    Great post! What freelance projects do you do?

  • erin @hooleywithaz
    October 4, 2013 at 11:27 am

    i needed a reminder about this. it’s so important…and i have a feeling i could be getting a similar text from my husband at any moment.

  • Gail
    October 4, 2013 at 11:32 am

    When I fly – I always use earplanes – i used to get ear/sinus infections every time i flew – no more – you can buy anywhere – Target, Drugstores, Amazon – never fly without them – Hope you feel better.

  • Joelle ( on a pink typewriter)
    October 4, 2013 at 11:42 am

    Love this – I can totally relate right now… Or always, really. I need to learn to stop saying yes to things unless I really, really want to do them, and to learn to disconnect.

  • sherri
    October 4, 2013 at 11:43 am

    amen!

  • Emily J
    October 4, 2013 at 11:49 am

    Great post. I just got married last weekend and feel the need to keep working harder and longer and staying busy to pay off our debt and plan our upcoming honeymoon when really what I should be doing is RESTING. I relate to everything you said and I’m joining along with you in this season of rest. Thanks for the great words.

  • Katie
    October 4, 2013 at 11:52 am

    Oh WOW! This was music to my ears! Have a wonderful weekend!!! 🙂

  • Michelle @ A Healthy Mrs
    October 4, 2013 at 12:00 pm

    Great reminder, great post.

    Have a wonderful weekend!

  • Sarah
    October 4, 2013 at 12:02 pm

    Those were supposed to be hearts. Stupid iPad.

  • Kimberly
    October 4, 2013 at 12:15 pm

    Yes!! My husband and I realized this a few months ago and had a conversation about the word busy. We agreed that we now hate that word. Count how many times a day someone says they are busy. It drives me nuts now. I never want to be that person that meets family and friends and that’s the first response I give them about my life/day.

  • Alysa (InspiredRD)
    October 4, 2013 at 12:22 pm

    Yes yes yes and yes. I am always amazed when I start to think about how best to express my feelings and I stumble upon someone else expressing them perfectly. Rest is good. Rest is good.

  • Amber @ Mommy's Me Time
    October 4, 2013 at 12:57 pm

    Amen! Thank you for this. The Lord has been trying to get a hold of me in this area too. A friend recently recommended the book Crazy Busy to me, and I’ve been really blessed and challenged by it. Here’s a link if you haven’t checked it out already! 🙂
    http://crazybusybook.com/

  • Sheena
    October 4, 2013 at 1:14 pm

    Hi Jenna,
    Check out this article form the NY Times last year called “The ‘Busy’ Trap” I think you’ll appreciate it 🙂

    http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/30/the-busy-trap/?_r=0

  • dixya| food, pleasure, and health
    October 4, 2013 at 1:28 pm

    wonderful reminder dear – im always on the go and takes a toll on so many levels .

  • Kristy
    October 4, 2013 at 1:54 pm

    Amen! Well said. We can all take lessons from your experience and words. Don’t wait until you are ill before you realize how much your body needs a break, listen to your body- it is always talking to you! Can you tell I am a yoga instructor.. this article is a great reminder. THANK YOU!!

  • Brooke
    October 4, 2013 at 2:31 pm

    This is something that I’ve been thinking about SO much lately. Why are we obsessed with running full speed? What happened to the concept of the stroll? So yes. Just yes.

  • Lisa @ Garnish with Lemon
    October 4, 2013 at 3:03 pm

    Love this! So hard to do, but oh, so important! Have a fabulous weekend!

  • Julianna @ Julianna Bananna
    October 4, 2013 at 3:08 pm

    i absolutely love this! rest is so important and when you’re always busy it’s a great reminder to stop & slow down. 🙂

  • padma
    October 4, 2013 at 3:09 pm

    this sounds like a terrific idea. Wish I could partake in something like this. Unfortunately, I’ve about several more weeks of insane stress from studying for med school exams. Then maybe I can just unwind and relax. Thanks for the idea! 🙂

  • Danielle
    October 4, 2013 at 3:29 pm

    Yes, yes, yes. Happy weekend to you, Jenna! xo

  • Katie @peacebeme
    October 4, 2013 at 3:38 pm

    Someone once said that we can only find sustained contentment when we can be okay with sitting quietly by ourselves (ie. when we can rest and be okay with it). This is something I’ve learned in the last year. I think we all think we need to be busy because we are afraid of just being quiet with our thoughts on some level. So go for it Jenna. Enjoy this newlywed time. I got married in June 2012 and I know I am enjoying mine!

  • Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat
    October 4, 2013 at 3:42 pm

    Oh Jenna, this was so beautifully put. And judging by the other comments (whose thought I’m about to echo), much needed by many. When I look back each month, I can’t believe how fast the time has gone. I am my own worst enemy when it comes to making my life busy, and while on one hand I do it because I want to live it to the fullest, I know how important it is to slow down too. Like you said, after a while, our bodies stop asking and start telling. Thanks for posting this today. I hope you enjoy at least one nice date night with Adam this weekend, and manage to get plenty of unplugged, un-busy time. 🙂

  • judith scott
    October 4, 2013 at 3:51 pm

    I couldn’t agree more. Our American society values being busy so much, equates it with being happy and successful…not!
    Having just returned from 3 weeks in South East Asia, I can tell you I found some of the happiest people I have ever seen, especially in Cambodia. These people live in poverty, but just sitting, talking , eating and hammock lying look to be their most popular pursuits, and all are enjoyed with genuine smiles.
    Hate to quote a cliche but “Stop and smell the roses” was never more appropriate.
    And, yes, Jenna, your last year would have killed many lesser humans, however you have come through with your typical style and grace.
    Congratulations on all your wonderful achievements, now I’m glad you are taking the time to savor them.

  • olviya
    October 4, 2013 at 4:49 pm

    This is so beautiful Jenna! It’s something I’ve been working on this past year as well. Rest is SO important, and so is slowing down. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Blessings to you in this new season.

  • Hannah@TalesFromTheLastFrontier
    October 4, 2013 at 5:05 pm

    I loved this post! My life lately feels like this between teaching, coaching, traveling, prepping for winter, and just living. A “season of rest” sounds downright amazing. Thanks for sharing this inspiration 🙂

  • Emilee
    October 4, 2013 at 5:33 pm

    Love this post! I’m not a big commenter but I am a long time reader and really enjoy how your blog has transformed over the years. Most importantly, I love the fact that you use your platform to share your faith. 🙂

  • Lori S H
    October 4, 2013 at 5:45 pm

    Wow! I just love this! It speaks to me on so many levels. Carpe diem! REST is good. Don’t let it slip away.

  • Alison @ Daily Moves and Grooves
    October 4, 2013 at 5:50 pm

    I am also one to glorify busy-ness at times. That might be the reason for my bouts of insomnia actually–it can be so hard for me to just relax. Rest up, Jenna! Leave the other things to the Lord 🙂
    Also, I participated in Jeff Goins’ Slow Down Challenge, a simple 5 day challenge that helped me to notice the little things, be more thankful, and well…slow down. I think you would love it! http://goinswriter.com/slow-down/

  • Nicole
    October 4, 2013 at 6:17 pm

    Amen. There is so much glorification of busy in our lives when all we really need is to stop and relax.

  • Gemma
    October 4, 2013 at 7:09 pm

    This is exactly what I needed to hear today – thank you!

  • Tara
    October 4, 2013 at 7:34 pm

    You are so lucky you don’t have a real 9-5 job! I had Lyme disease this summer and was not able to take a day off. I hear you on the needing rest! Enjoy your rest!

  • Zainab @ Blahnik Baker
    October 4, 2013 at 8:14 pm

    This is a great post! I’ve spent this first year of our marriage super busy and let it all pass me by regretfully. And as we celebrated our first anniversary, I realized that I need to slow down. A month later, I’ve still not made any real effort to. I needed to hear this. Thanks 🙂

  • Jess
    October 4, 2013 at 8:29 pm

    Love, love, love this!

  • Carrie
    October 4, 2013 at 8:40 pm

    This made me sigh a big sigh of relief! Rest is so important. More important than social media, blogs and instagram. Thanks for the great reminder.

  • Emily
    October 4, 2013 at 9:20 pm

    Everyone needs a little self-care, more often than we want to admit. Rest up, girl!

  • Jess Joy
    October 4, 2013 at 11:09 pm

    Lov

  • Jess Joy
    October 4, 2013 at 11:10 pm

    Love this Jenna! May God richly bless this time of rest and connecting with community!

  • Jenn
    October 4, 2013 at 11:16 pm

    Ps 46:10. “Be still and know that I am God.” Wow, how hard is this for us? (And I mean ME!). Thank you for reminding us!

  • Jodea @ chillichocolatelove.com
    October 5, 2013 at 1:48 am

    This could be written for my boyfriend and I. Love it.

  • Julie
    October 5, 2013 at 6:40 am

    Awesome post! I have been feeling this way for some time. I made a choice just recently to say “no” more and put up boundaries.

    I am in school online part time, and work 3 part time jobs. I am married with one daughter. Balancing everything is hard enough. But making sure that my family is a priority is important, even though every thing I am doing is for the sole purpose of helping my family in the long run. However, if were to all end tomorrow, the long run doesn’t really matter. Today does. Thank you for this beautiful reminder!

  • Nicole
    October 5, 2013 at 8:52 am

    I will simply say, thank you for writing this. Enjoy some relaxation with your love. 🙂

  • Heather M
    October 5, 2013 at 8:53 am

    Hi Jenna! I was recently listening to a speaker that came to our church and he said something that really hit me hard. He said the acronym for busy is B-burdened U-under S-satan’s Y-yoke. Wow, so true as the busier I am “living” my life the less focus I have on what is truly important! Hope you have a restful weekend!

  • nora
    October 5, 2013 at 10:00 am

    Slowing down and enjoying is good!
    If you ever have to fly again with sink/ear problems… buy Some Earplanes and they will keep the pressure stabilized in your ears. You put them in before the flight and take them out when you hit cruising height. The, before the descent, take them out and you will have no problems with your ears. They have been most helpful for me. I have no affiliation with the company, just a dedicated Earplane fan!

  • Hilary
    October 5, 2013 at 10:35 am

    This is exactly what I needed to hear! Great post! You are my favorite blogger 🙂 enjoy the season of rest!

  • stevie
    October 5, 2013 at 4:09 pm

    I loved this, thank you!

  • Molly
    October 5, 2013 at 8:24 pm

    Take care of yourself! 🙂

  • Coty and Mariah
    October 5, 2013 at 8:30 pm

    Appreciate this post greatly. It’s so easy to get caught up in our everyday lives, that busy feels like it should be the norm. Thanks for this!

  • Kelsey @ Ramblings of Change
    October 5, 2013 at 9:45 pm

    You have inspired me to approach my year after my undergrad in this way – in a way of slowing down to enjoy life. Since I could start working, I’ve always had a job (which isn’t a bad thing). Halfway through that time, I started college and STILL was working about 20 hours a week while taking 14-17 credits. Life has just seemed so busy the past 3.5 years and has left me feeling burnout during my last semester. I want to have a year for me and to focus on the career path I truly want.

    Again, thank you for this inspirational post. It made my heart sing. =)

  • Katina
    October 6, 2013 at 3:33 am

    Right on sister. Love it. Enjoyed reading this and needed to hear it. Rest is so good.

  • Cotille
    October 6, 2013 at 6:34 am

    LOVE this.

  • Laura
    October 6, 2013 at 8:03 am

    Just reading about your year is exhausting! Slowing down is definitely a good thing. Relax and enjoy the season Jenna!Good luck 🙂

    Can’t wait to see the fall-inspired recipes you have planned too!

  • Emily
    October 6, 2013 at 8:49 am

    Love this post, need to do the same!

  • Emily
    October 6, 2013 at 1:36 pm

    Very, very excited for you. 🙂 Enjoy it; it goes by very quickly!

  • Melissa
    October 6, 2013 at 5:02 pm

    What a perfect post to read this Sunday afternoon! This is my busy season at work two more weeks and then back to normal, but then throw in a new website launch and planning a February wedding! But yesterday my fiancée and I just we’re lazy on the couch enjoying just watching tv and relaxing. I think it was one of the first times in awhile that we had no plans just a day to us! I like the sound of a season to rest, we always find ourselves saying yes, yes, yes some weeks are packed with dinner dates and work engagements, I think I will take the season to rest as a time for him and I to have our date nights and evenings to enjoy. The holidays are just around the corner and friends and family will get us during that time.

  • Dunja
    October 7, 2013 at 2:20 am

    Really great post. It is exactly what I feel at the moment. My last 9 months were a very big whirlwind which changed my life completely. And now I want nothing more than rest and come down to watch in my new future. I feel so exhausted. Last christmas I was engeged tomy boyfriend after our 8 year relationship. Four months later were broken up…All me hopes and wishes for our future were gone and I stood in a country were I never want to be. But I decided to stay and start a new life in a new city for my own. I skipped the gone relationtinship, years of joy and pain and my broken heart out of my mind and learn to live again. And in a time of a complete chaos, between packing cases and decisions of seperate properties I have found a guy who is completly that kind of man what I was always wanting for me. I am looking forward what will happen in the nearly future. But I need the rest…my mind and my body…to be ready for this new part. But he feels to me like the missing link…I think you know what I mean.

    Enjoy the season of rest!!!

    • Sue
      October 9, 2013 at 10:08 am

      Just wanted to say “yay you!” Too many people keep looking at the shut door and you did exactly what you should do with a situation like that: rocked it.

  • Honey Glazed Crockpot Chicken Adobo - Pinch of Yum
    October 7, 2013 at 5:19 am

    […] as a parting thought, I recently read a really great post by blogger Jenna –> Eat Live Run about slowing down. Like sloooowwwwwwwing down. I’m looking at you, distracted multi-tasking […]

  • Ruth
    October 7, 2013 at 6:27 am

    Thanks for this great reminder!

  • Monique @ Burpeestobubbly
    October 7, 2013 at 6:56 am

    I’ve been facing this same battle for a while now; always saying yes, always putting other people first. I said “no” to subbing a clas before mine last week, not because I was busy and couldn’t do it, but because I didn’t WANT to do it. I felt guilty at first, terribly guilty, but after? I felt great. I live off of busy=happy, but it’s so not true most of the time!

  • Shawna
    October 7, 2013 at 7:09 am

    I love this post and everything about how you wrote it, and it entirely resonates with me right now. I have been feeling God tugging at me to start resting more these past few weeks and to take some of the craziness of my plate, and it’s so nice to hear this perspective on relishing every moment and giving into a time of rest. Thanks for sharing this, and enjoy your couple time. 🙂

  • Over a cup of tea… | The Domestic Blonde
    October 7, 2013 at 8:03 am

    […] over a cup of tea this morning, I’d mention something else I read last week – this blog post on “A Season of Rest”. It hit home. I come from a family who takes on too much. My mother and father are two of the […]

  • Olivia
    October 7, 2013 at 8:06 am

    Love, love, love this post. Great timing. 🙂 I feel like long, busy days and weeks make time fly by — which isn’t always a good thing. Rest is definitely something most of us don’t do enough of!

  • Meagan @ A Zesty Bite
    October 7, 2013 at 8:16 am

    This post applies to so many and I can attest it does to me too. Our body definitely gives us a sign when it has had enough.

  • Colleen
    October 7, 2013 at 8:51 am

    We are slowing down too. We experienced the death of my grandmother, a very unorganized baby sitter, entry to kindergarten, a whirlwind summer full of trips and caregiving for my father. Now, we are home more and did what we’ve wanted to do for months – adopted a dog from the Humane Society. I hope your break does not mean you’ll be gone from blogging long 🙂

  • Adrianna from A Cozy Kitchen
    October 7, 2013 at 10:07 am

    Agreed. This season has just started and it’s already kicking my behind. I feel like most people don’t know that freelance life is constant work! I feel like I’m never not working or there’s always that feeling that I could be working. So yes, season of rest.

  • Christina
    October 7, 2013 at 11:41 am

    My fiance and I are feeling the same way this week and took Sunday ‘off’ to do absolutely nothing. We just bought a house in May and have been doing repairs in addition to wedding planning. Home repairs and wedding planning are NO JOKE – both take a LOT of effort, thinking, processing, communicating, doing. My honeymoon can’t come soon enough, haha!

  • Chrissy
    October 7, 2013 at 1:00 pm

    Great thoughts on rest, Jenna! I have always been a busy body, and CONSTANTLY find myself needing find and create that season of rest. Often when reading the Bible and going through devotionals, I am reminded that it is good to rest in Him.

  • Kimberly
    October 7, 2013 at 2:58 pm

    I love this so much! Only recently I have learned the value of rest. Before that I would always feel like I was cheating if I was resting and would feel guilty I wasn’t doing something “productive.” But we all need time to recharge in order to do our best work! Lately, my fiancé and I have cut back on expenses in order to save for a house and it has helped us slow down a lot. We now have many, many TV marathon nights instead of keeping up an intense social schedule, and it has been awesome!

  • sachi
    October 7, 2013 at 2:59 pm

    Love. Love. Love. Kudos to you.

  • Kim
    October 8, 2013 at 6:02 am

    What a great reminder. I’m a newlywed as well (just got back from our honeymoon, in fact), and there is SO MUCH to do. Even though most of it is stuff we’d like to do, I want to do the exact same thing: just enjoy this season and enjoy that my husband doesn’t have to go home at 10:00 every night.

  • MichelleSuzette
    October 8, 2013 at 7:47 am

    Ahh Jenna. This is exactly what I needed to read this morning. I’m only a couple years in and corporate America is already killing me. I’m in a bible study right now called “Wonderstruck” by Margaret Feinberg. and our chapter this week is on rest. Just enjoying today and really resting. It is incredible how many wonderstruck moments we miss because of our busyness. After a weekend on Bald Head Island, I am resolving to gaze at the stars, to turn off the computer and tv and read more, to take more walks and to spend more time with the people I love. Thanks for this post! Cheers to a much needed season of rest. 🙂

  • Maria
    October 8, 2013 at 10:02 am

    After what felt like the busiest summer with something on my agenda almost every weekend since may 1, I decided to take the month of September off and it was the best decision I could have made! It was nice not to have any obligations and just sleep the weekend away! Sometimes we need personal days/weeks/month from ourselves!

  • alli
    October 9, 2013 at 12:47 pm

    oh, i love this. so, so true. {i love your thoughts about enjoying the newlywed time- it’s so dear and life goes way too fast} xo

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  • Christa
    October 11, 2013 at 10:25 am

    Would love to see a garden update soon. Enjoy the slower pace though! Rest is so necessary

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  • Sarah
    October 20, 2013 at 4:57 pm

    Yes. Just yes. I’ve had to ask myself so many times lately, what am I missing? When I’m walking engrossed in my phone…who am I not seeing, what is God trying to show me in the little moments? And I love the part about saying no to things unless you are absolutely passionate about them! Thanks you for this!

  • Aggie
    October 20, 2013 at 9:21 pm

    Yes…just yes. While having a newborn is not necessarily restful, I’m trying to adjust my mindset to be ok with just being home with a newborn right now vs running around, being busy and all that. It’s hard to slow down sometimes but totally needed…

    Hope you’re well Jenna! xo

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