Tag Archives: Vacation

Mornings of Vacation

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This morning was glorious and right now, mid-afternoon, I’m still in its glow. I rose when God told me, got dressed and worked out like He said, and talked to Him on my bike and in the sunshine on my front porch. This is my time with Him, my mornings of vacation, a phrase He gave me when I lamented my life no longer being my own.

When I was a young mother, still trying to find my way, the Lord spoke this concept to me so motherhood wouldn’t overwhelm me. As a career woman making a good wage I was used to being able to vacation whenever I was in the mood. With a husband but no children I still was able to freely get away. My baby changed that and I resented that. But one morning on a family trip for a friend’s wedding, I slipped away to a garden on a local college campus, and among the pond teeming with fish, the potpourri of plants, flowers and grass and the warm breeze that felt like it would forever last, I felt free; I was at peace. I felt like I was on vacation. This morning, away from the baby and daily grind, I was alone with God, Him supplying me rest, helping me be my very best, for that day. Then He told me this vacation wasn’t just for this day, but for all my days. These would be my mornings of vacation.

Busy women, particularly those recovering from strong black womanhood, have to have mornings of vacation. Your time doesn’t have to be in the day and maybe your retreat won’t be in some home corner space, but you must create your mornings of vacation whatever the time of day. Decompress, by yourself, everyday so you can stay in the place where God needs you to be. We have to be good for Kingdom work on our jobs, in our homes, and when we’re alone needing to hear from God what He wants to work out in us.

Schedule what would be your day, everyday, to have your mornings of vacation. We all need a getaway, even if for just a few moments in our own home.

My One Thousand Gifts List

#711-720
The quiet morning
The crisp air
Direction for friendship
Another view of God’s longsuffering with us
Getting a blog post while gardening
Juicing
Completing Joshua’s science prroject
Flynn cooking chicken
Completing an interview for a magazine
Going Beyond receiving Your First Year of Motherhood

Friday Feature: Round Up Six

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I have been doing a Fourth Friday Round Up but featured a wonderful story last week to round out the month. Because of that I offer you today the First Friday Round Up, stories from around the web that I believe are a good complement to the natural healing stories I have featured on Friday over the past month:

  • To lose weight without drugs and other crash diets, check out suggestions from health and fitness coach and columnist Kimberly Garrison here, here and here.
  • Make sure you take a vacation and when you do make sure you don’t feel awful afterwards because you’ve blown your diet. Read here what Max Goldberg suggests about preparing to eat while on vacation. Though his focus is on eating organic while on vacation, I believe his tips are helpful to all of us who are conscious about what we eat.
  • Though vacations with children often feel more like work, you can ease your anxiety with tips from Natural News found here.

Vacation Tribute

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For leisurely mornings and late-day breakfasts
Traveling roads of grass-feeding cows and streaked-clouded skies
Feeding giraffes and following red panda, other world animals, in our state’s backyard
For restaurants with vegetarian fare, swimming pools, play and rest
Time and talk with friends
Exchanging light-hearted banter, running dreams and plans past one another
Walking bodies, busily and lazily, at our choosing
Double-features at home and away
Long, late talks touching tummies and hearts
Melted ice cream on hands and cement porches
Laughing loud and hard at made up dances and other antics
The five of us, sometimes just two, cuddled up, snuggling real good
For this, our vacation, I am thankful.

My One Thousand Gifts List

#191-200
Early morning time with Nate enjoying his company
Being able to return Joshua’s clothes to JCPenny
Nate initiating playing with matching color and shape cards
Taking children to the library
Joshua finishing homework before 4:30 p.m.
Seein the children’s joy at being at the library
Sweet fellowship with God
Nate loving fruit
Nate wanting to mingle with the older children at the library
Flynn buying chicken so I didn’t have to cook dinner

Time Off

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Break (Noun)—1) something that interrupts the pattern of a thing, causing it to come to a complete halt; 2) a change in direction; 3) a period off from activity; and 4) a vacation, among several other definitions.

“Unplug from the matrix,” my husband, Flynn, tells me when I haven’t eaten, forgot to take my vitamins or no longer hear children crying for my attention. My computer and cell phone distract me, are my constant news networks, social sources, fund suppliers, the way I can be a writer for hire in the comfort of my home and on the run. But with a husband, three children, five disciples, several mentors and increased ministry and writing opportunities, my home became more hectic and my runs more of a hassle. In the midst of this June fray I know that Flynn’s daily matrix comments led to this “suggestion” that I take a break from blogging in July. As you know, I sort of took a break, like the one in number two above, but not like numbers one and three like my hubby would have liked. But even with reposting blogs and writing new introductions (and one new blog, I just couldn’t help myself), that was a pivotal break. First and foremost I learned that I did need a break. I’ll share with you next time the list of insights I got while on my break.

Until then, take it easy if you can’t take a break.

Copyright 2010 by Rhonda J. Smith