The persistent rain, the changing color of the leaves, the darker mornings, and the fact that I’ve had to dig out the sweaters and shove the tank tops to back of my closet leave me with the feeling that summer is officially, officially OVER. It was such a good summer, full of sunshine and margaritas and long runs along Lake Washington. Sad to see it end, but I’m ready to see what this next season holds. I look forward to fall as a time to enjoy the warmth of our home, to curl up on the couch with Shane on a rainy Sunday afternoon, to pull out my knitting needles and search for inspiration in my basket full of yarn. The changing of seasons can have such an impact on my daily routine, on my interests and activities. And so as I’m entering this period of transition, I’m trying to be intentional about change in asking myself, “What do I really want my day-to-day to look like?” Shane and I have often talked about what kind of rhythms we want our lives to have – what are the things that we want to ingrain into our schedule and routine? And we’ve often (always) fallen short of setting these rhythms into place. But as I mentioned, I’m in the mood for change, and so now is as good a time as any to implement these hopes and goals. I’m going to go out on a limb here, and say that in fall of 2009, I will:
*Share a home-cooked meal with Shane at the dinner table at least four nights a week (this one is a double-bonus – improve my cooking skills and get some much needed regular ‘how-you-doin’ time with my husband). This one has proven to be incredibly difficult, with work and work-outs and weekly commitments, but if we really try, we can make this happen. And yes, I have come to terms with the fact that pouring milk over a bowl of cereal does not count as a ‘home-cooked meal’.
*Get together with the amazing girlfriends I’ve been blessed with in Seattle much more regularly. Schedules are busy, so get-togethers are tricky, but I’d love to connect with at least a couple ladies every week.
*Dedicate time every day (could be five minutes, could be an hour) to conversing with God. Might be in the form of prayer, might be in the form of study, but whatever it is, it will be time that I spend specifically focused on growing in my relationship with Him.
The list could go on, but I’m going to limit myself to focusing on these three vitally important things. Change is hard, but it can be so good.
