Inspirational Author
+Jeanne Takenaka @JeanneTakenaka
My life’s been humming with a constant undercurrent of stress. I’ve said before that these past few months have had a lot going on in them. Lots of unexpected things to handle. Many moments of drama to work through with the boys, neighbors, and others.
And they’ve left me in this state where there’s no stillness. As I spent some time with the Lord last week, Psalm 125 stopped me. Verse one says:
+Jeanne Takenaka @JeanneTakenaka
Five Minute Friday prompt this week is—SLOW. This largely unedited “rough draft” form of writing stretches this perfectionist, in the best of ways. I write for five minutes on a given topic. If you’re interested in learning more about 5-Minute Fridays, check out our hostess, Kate Motaung’s site. Or, click on the link at the bottom of this post. As you read my simpler Friday posts, I hope you’ll join in the conversation!
SLOW
These past thirty days have held constant motion. Frenetic, Unstopping. Stress.
After hubs left on his last trip in January, I discovered our son needed surgery. I already had a surgery scheduled for me. The other son was working on a National History Day project . . . with lots of prodding from mama.
So many unexpected things coming up, sapping my energy. My focus.
Sleep wasn’t coming.
Stress.
Even since hubs has gotten back, it’s been surgeries, follow up appointments, and dealing with illness. Unexpected things happening that needed to be handled.
Those things needing to be dealt with have stolen my margin time. Time I normally use to replenish my soul.
And here I am, near the end of February, hungering for a little bit of slow.
I yearn to slow down the frenetic pace of life. To simply breathe in a day that has nothing planned outside the four walls of my home.
The freedom to let down and lean into Jesus’ presence.
God didn’t create us to run on crazy all the time. There are seasons, but it shouldn’t become a lifestyle.
My crazy hasn’t become a lifestyle yet. And my crazy is calm compared to some, I know this.
I’m seeing the need to rebuild margin into my days . . .
. . . To give myself permission to do the things I enjoy.
Even at the expense of getting something ‘urgent’ done.
God encourages us to remember that He’s got this. He’s got a handle on everything that’s happening in my life. Our lives.
He’s not taken by surprise when unexpected things pop into our days.
He’s not sitting in shock and worrying about how these situations will be handled.
He’s encouraging us to look to Him and to remember that we can be still. We can come into his presence, be still, and remember that He is indeed God.
He wants us to invite Him into the crazy. To listen to His guidance.
To do this, we must slow down a little so we can hear His voice.
What about you? When you’re running in the crazy-mode, how do you slow down? What’s been the biggest help for you when you’re in a crazy season?
I’m linking up with Kate Motaung’s Heading Home Five Minute Friday—Slow
+Jeanne Takenaka @JeanneTakenaka
The other day, I was reading in Numbers 11 . You may know the story . . . the one about how the Israelites were tired of manna. They wanted meat, doggone it. And why couldn’t they just be in Egypt, where the food was free, and there was variety?
Never mind the fact that they were slaves, treated cruelly by the Egyptians. But they had good food!
Continue reading “Complain: When Provision Looks Different Than We Expected”
+Jeanne Takenaka @JeanneTakenaka
Five Minute Friday prompt this week is—WEAK. This largely unedited “rough draft” form of writing stretches this perfectionist, in the best of ways. I write for five minutes on a given topic. If you’re interested in learning more about 5-Minute Fridays, check out our hostess, Kate Motaung’s site. Or, click on the link at the bottom of this post. As you read my simpler Friday posts, I hope you’ll join in the conversation!
WEAK
It’s been coming on for the past few months. Weeks of unending demands on my energy, my time, and my spirit have sapped strength right out of me.
Traveling, two surgeries (one for a son and one for me) two days apart, and life still doesn’t stop for recovery. Though my hubs has been wonderful.
I feel weak. I’m doing my best to do the important things . . .
Spending time with God.
Praying.
Exercising (kind of).
Eating right.
Trying (and I emphasize trying) to get enough sleep.
Things keep sabotaging my best-laid plans to do it all right.
I am so very weak.
God seems to be using this season in my life to draw me closer to Himself. We can do our best to take care of ourselves—all of ourselves—but that doesn’t guarantee we’ll walk through every season strong.
Some seasons are too demanding. We can’t face them in our own strength. Only with the help of Jesus.
When we can admit our weakness to the Lord, then He can strengthen us with His power, His love, His energy.
These are a few things I’m learning in my season of weakness:
It is true. When we are weak, and we walk with Jesus, then we are truly strong.
What about you? What has helped you through seasons of weakness? When has God met you in that weak place in a very real way?
I’m linking up with Kate Motaung’s Heading Home Five Minute Friday—WEAK
+Jeanne Takenaka @JeanneTakenaka
From the time I became aware of what Valentine’s Day represented, I struggled with it. Who could struggle with true love, right?
Except, I wasn’t one of the girls who received Candy-grams in junior high. I wasn’t one of the girls who ever—ever—had a date to the Valentine’s dance. In my mind, I wasn’t pretty enough, or popular enough, or anything enough.
+Jeanne Takenaka @JeanneTakenaka
My husband’s job has required a number of longer business trips over the past few years. Navigating our separations has been its own journey for our family. He must witness some of the struggles from afar. I walk out the emotional turmoil and busy schedules on the home front.
Maintaining our home, driving the boys to and from school, appointments, football practice, band rehearsals, Boy Scouts . . . All of these fill our days and weeks.
Continue reading “Marriage: The Importance of Staying Connected”
+Jeanne Takenaka @JeanneTakenaka
Five Minute Friday prompt this week is—BREATHE. This largely unedited “rough draft” form of writing stretches this perfectionist, in the best of ways. I write for five minutes on a given topic. If you’re interested in learning more about 5-Minute Fridays, check out our hostess, Kate Motaung’s site. Or, click on the link at the bottom of this post. As you read my simpler Friday posts, I hope you’ll join in the conversation!
BREATHE
When I saw tonight’s word, it just opened up a space in my heart. After a busy, busy month, I am having to remember how to breathe. So, here’s tonight’s offering:
I’ve been breathing in short shallow breaths as if my soul has forgotten how to inhale deeply.
After two very busy, totally nonstop months, my lungs are trying to remember what it’s like to just breathe deep.
It’s easy to settle for the shallow when that’s all I can focus on. Hubs’ travels, a little bit of sickness. A few minor health procedures coming up.
Some days I can’t even poke my head above the ocean of the to-do list and look around at the beauty in my world. Too many appointments to get to.
Boys assignments to check up on.
House things to take care of.
God wants us to breathe deep.
I’m trying to be intentional about breathing. This is the only way the deep breaths will come.
I can rush through my day, focused on the urgent . . .
or I can slow down even if just for a few minutes and focus on the necessary.
The urgent…it will always be there.
The housework.
The homework.
The phone calls.
Emails.
The necessary? This is the better thing.
My spirit craves those still moments with Jesus.
Sometimes I can’t stop the busyness that finds its way into my days.
But I can control how I respond to it.
Do all things have to be done today?
Maybe not.
At the beginning of each day, I need to be breathing in God’s living Word. I need to be breathing out praise to Him.
I may not get an hour with Him. I may not even get thirty minutes with Him.
But, I need to BE with Him. Daily. No interruptions.
It’s only as I spend time with Jesus that I am able to do more than suck in the shallow.
It’s only when my heart is still before Him that I can soak in the necessary.
That I can embrace and cling to His presence with me in my days.
It’s when I take time to breathe in His truth, His encouragement, His love that I am able to choose deep breaths during the rest of my day.
What about you? How do you slow down to breathe during the busy days? What reminds you to slow down long enough to breathe deeply?
I’m linking up with Kate Motaung’s Heading Home Five Minute Friday—Breathe
Jeanne Takenaka 