When Everything Felt Empty, He Whispered, “This is What I’m Like”
Taking a break from our normal routine to share a few stories from trips we’ve taken—for all of us missing our usual vacations. The first time we went to the Finger Lakes in New York, they were having a drought. Tony is a gifted landscape photographer, and planned to shoot the dramatic Taughannock Falls. Only when we got there, it was only a trickle. The waterfall looked like a leaky faucet. It had all but dried up. The sight of water dripping down the side of the rock face is deeply embedded in my memory. At the time, it felt [...]
On Exploring Tuscany & Five Life Changing Facts About Self Care
For the next few weeks, I am re-sharing a few stories from trips we’ve taken, for all those of us who are missing travel terribly. It was a Tuesday, and we were in Tuscany.* We had driven over an hour to the small medieval city of Montalcino known most for its Brunello wine. Only the last thing on my mind was wine tasting or the way the sun warmly reflected off its streets made of stone. I had to pee. We’d found parking in a lot below the wall of Montalcino which meant we had to climb the steep hill [...]
How to Find Focus In the Middle of a Pandemic
Friends, we’ve reached the end of August. Though much of this year has been spent at home, social distancing, it’s hard to believe how quickly it’s passing. I don’t know about you, but I usually plan projects, trips, and events to help pass the time. Only this year is proving that time moves independently from all activity. Today, we’re closing out this month’s conversation about building routines, by talking about something we often don’t account for: How hard it is to build routines when you can’t focus. So much has happened this year that it’s been difficult for any [...]
Why Sleep Matters More Than We Think & How To Get More Of It
A few years ago, I was listening to photographer, Chase Jarvis, interview Ariana Huffington about her book, The Sleep Revolution. She began by detailing why sleep became such an important and personal crusade for her. She said it all started when she, herself, had a physical and emotional breakdown after consistently not getting enough sleep. And she spoke these words, that I haven’t been able to get out of my head: “Right now, we take better care of our smart phones than we do of ourselves. Like I bet everyone…right now knows how much battery remains on their smart phones—if [...]
How to Create Time When There Seems Like There is None
When I left my full-time job in youth ministry, suddenly, I didn’t have to be anywhere. I had so much free time. No one was expecting me to be showered, dressed, and ready to go by nine in the morning. Or by eleven in the morning for that matter. Needless to say, I discovered quite quickly, I needed a routine. Until I found my next career, I needed a place to be. Or at least, I needed a purpose to fulfill each day, beyond doing laundry or grocery shopping. For some part of each week, I wanted to do something [...]
The Real Secret to Creating A Sense of Balance In Your Life
Baking bread is one of my favorite creative endeavors. Kneading dough is therapeutic. And the smell of bread baking in the oven is heavenly. Only, when I first began learning how to make bread, it wasn’t great. In fact, I wouldn’t use the words “therapeutic” or “heavenly” to describe my experience. Honestly, using the words “melt down,” would be more accurate. At least, if we’re talking about the day I tried to make Challah bread to bring to a friend’s house for Easter. Yes, I had ignored the cardinal rule—never try a new recipe on anyone other than your family—but [...]
