Every morning when I awaken and sneak down the stairs, (I make myself get up early because I do not survive well without time alone to sit, awaken into the day and get my heart centered.)
I light my fire, and candles around the room and put on some music from my favorite Pandora channel. No, it is not a party and I am not having a group over–this is for me.
I find that if I could sacrifice my life at the moment for a cause–to die suddenly for rescuing someone on the spot or be killed for my faith, it seems noble and I think I am willing.
But it is the long haul, the day after day, faithfulness, the years and months and days of mundane that rattle my spirit. I am not naturally a sit still and work hard type. And so, to survive the mundane better with some grace, I have learned to place small pleasures in my day. It brings me pleasure to sit in an early morning, dark room with candlelight and music and a fire shimmering. It also brings pleasure to my children to be in beauty and color.
It is why I have cultivated a one woman tea time in the afternoons and take some time to do something that I like–from reading a favorite magazine or book or watching a 15 minute clip from a movie while munching a piece of dark, salted almond chocolate.
When my children were driving me crazy from being inside for too long, I would sometimes stop what we were doing and load them into the car and take them all to Barnes and Noble or another such bookstore or to a park or somewhere for hot chocolate or the goodwill store to spend $2 apiece or a garden shop or to the Focus on the Family Whit’s end, or somewhere they could run and explore, hiking nature trails, just so that I could breathe.
God never said life had to be boring to be good.
In the spring, I would finagle a way to go on the road. I would offer to speak in different places for staying in homes in order to explore historical homes and cities, listen to books on tapes in the car and to give me and my sweet ones a break from the mundane.
I am a bit wild at heart and sitting still for too long, for years and months could tempt me to crater.
God slowly showed me that I am responsible to craft a life in which I can last long term with joy and pleasure of my own crafting along the way, so that I can maintain the ideals I have established for myself.
And in the midst of living an interesting life–my children have also become crafters of beauty and pleasure.
There is so much mundane, so many challenges, so much stress, that I finally learned, a wise woman takes responsibility for her own long term well-being so that she may stay the course and live well in the midst of daily ideals.
A tiny bit of investment of my time and creativity brings me days of little pleasures, as I enjoy the places of life I have crafted for the well being and life of my own soul.
It is not a luxury, it is a necessity. After all, God is the one who made color, beauty, music, stories, food and pleasure. It is in incarnating His fullness that my life can be lived well.
(A little corner of pleasure–the dishes I just inherited from my mom; candle sticks from a friend wrapped with little berries from the craft store, a heart gift from a friend, and a framed calligraphy quote from my little team of leaders here in Monument. Just seeing this little table each morning and lighting my candles gives me a tiny pleasure and memory of loved ones.)
And so, today, I commend you to do at least one thing that brings a little pleasure to your soul and to celebrate life just a little as that will also bring pleasure to a God who loves to see us celebrating His reality.
How about you? What are some of your little pleasures?
i want to come & sit by your fire in the morning. i promise to be quiet, a natural introvert–I am. such loveliness!
blessings!
amy
So good Sally! So much food for thought. I want to be filled with His life which is the best advertisement for following the Lord. I’m not really sure how to find a nice quiet place to rest, reflect and enjoy. Sometimes it’s in front of the computer looking for something to encourage me in my walk. Oh, I wish we were neighbours!
I am new to your blog, but I wanted to say thank you. I struggle with feeling guilty about needing time alone and indulging myself with it a little bit each day. But, I do better as a mom and a wife when I do it. I really appreciate this post. And now I am off to find some dark chocolate chips…
It’s true isn’t it – we can so easily feel guilty for this. But as Sally says God made all the lovely, beautiful, inspiring things….and for us to enjoy in abundance! Much better 15 minutes on effective indulgence that helps you sing through the rest of the day than hours staring into space or feeling sad and frustrated because of too much mundane.
I hope you enjoyed those chocolate chips!!
For me, I love a really hot coffee and some quiet time, or a good book, some knitting, or a film I can lose myself in if I have a little longer!
Thank you for this wonderful reminder. It is so important to take care of the well being of our spirit. I love lighting candles and having quiet time. You tea seat is just lovely!
Many Blessings-
Shari
I am in a home full of boys/men but they have all learned that I like and need beauty. They frequently ask for the candle to be lit for breakfast, lunch and dinner and admire beautiful things. I like to think that not only am I feeding my soul but that I am teaching my men-in-training that beauty is to be admired and that they will one day share that with their own families. Thank you for reminding me to take the time today!
Thank you for this. It’s right on time, today, for me.
For me it is long walks with the dogs on a country road watching them explore and be delighted at the same things over and over again and enjoying Gods beauty. Working in my gardens, reading by the fire, and yes listening to music while I’m going through my morning routine and drinking tea is in there but the sitting still part, that’s a challenge in my home!
Perhaps I need to add more beauty!
Thank you so much for this post, and this encouragement. I needed to hear this today.
Wow! This was so refreshing! I have been feeling so “mundane” for a while now! Change in attitude truly begins with a fresh perspective and a change in atmosphere (or demographics)!!
I wish I could see you again at the CA conference, but alas, the mundane, routine of life takes precedence this time. I hope all who hear you and meet you will see the love of Jesus.
Have a beautiful day in your beautiful surroundings!
I am also “a bit wild at heart” so…I understand the need to create little pockets of adventure, creativity, and beauty amidst the mundane.
Thank you for writing this.
I absolutely love this post. Beautiful! It is so YOU.
Friday I was exhausted from a lot to do combined with a sinus infection so I took the time to have coffee with a friend. On the way home, I stopped by my favorite antique mall to just walk through and peruse the beautiful items. I like “vintage” and I found a couple lovelies for just dollars.
I love how Edith Schaeffer said in her books that if anyone’s home should show beauty, it is the home of a Christian.
I am so grateful for you posting this today. I have been criticized recently for having a clean home while still having little ones…and for actually being showered and dressed with hair and make-up on every day! While sacrificing for your children is a necessity of motherhood, I have found that I am a much better daughter of the King, wife, and mother when I am able to take care of myself (and my home) as well…more ready to take on the day and its challenges. Of course there are negative extremes in any case, but I don’t think it’s wrong to take some time out for yourself so that you can keep going! So thank you for sharing!
The day before yesterday, in the library I saw your book of The Mission of Motherhood( the Chinese translation version, I am Chinese!), I borrowed it. I have read a part of the book, haha, it’s good, I like reading this book. Thank you! So I searched the information of the writer on the net, and then I found this website, I like your articles, great! Your room is beautiful and clean, haha, I like the candle sticks and the dishes. Best wishes to you!
Sally, I have three children 10 and under, am married to a pastor, and homeschool, so sometimes a few minutes is all I can get–so I save your posts for my afternoons when I can read them and let your message seep into my heart! They always recharge me for the evening!
Also: very early devotion times every morning, reading in the bathtub late at night, knitting next to my husband while he watches TV after the kids are in bed, drinking hot tea and eating dark chocolate. Sneaking in a rare nap next to the cat, and sometimes it’s just going to Target all by myself to drink a Starbucks coffee and wander the aisles with no agenda! It’s the little things at this stage in life
(I’m sorry my comments are always so long–I guess I need a real-life bosom friend I can share these thoughts with!)
Oh Sally, God has truly given you a gift. This is yet another encouraging post of something I needed to read. I have given up almost everything for my family. I really think I needed to in fact, to learn to die to self. But now I don’t even remember how to get dressed in the morning and look presentable. My poor husband. My poor kids have to think it is normal for moms to wear PJs for days on end. And me? I don’t even look in the mirror anymore. I don’t even have my own home right now (we live with my parents as my husband is unemployed), so I find myself sinking deeper and deeper into indentity-less existence. Thank you for reminding me God created me an individual who loves adventure and that it’s not bad to desire that.
Oh Sally what a lovely post and such wisdom you are passing onto other women. Even when it seems like a freight train ran through my home unloading lego bricks and laundry piles as it passed through I have my little corners of loveliness as you do and what a difference they have made in my life. It may be only a lace cloth, framed photos and a tiny oil lamp embellished with roses but somehow it feeds my soul and its need for beauty. It’s sometimes the tasks of everyday life that can overwhelm us – the ones we consider mundane such as washing dishes or ironing but even little touches of beauty crafted for a task can make a big difference to how we tackle it and how we perceive it. So I iron in my hallway next to a table that holds framed photos of family. I listen to music as I iron – it calms me and I pray for the person each item belongs to. A task I used to loathe now ministers to me and blesses my family.
Thank you, Sally. I really appreciate (and wrestle with) the balance of two significant things you highlight here: the discipline of establishing the little routines that make room for growth and longevity, and the freedom to embrace spontaneity and deviate from the plan. I find I have long pendulum swings: a full week running around, a week at home to re-establish routine. I think the daily rhythms that create beauty and a place for my heart to be still – the picture you painted here, might be a game changer.
You remind me a lot of myself, which is good because it helps provide a gauge over the long-term! I love the little pleasure of waking before everyone to a clean, dim room with fire going and soft music playing, while sipping my coffee and doing my devotion. This is a necessity and I look forward to it every morning. I really enjoy my time in the afternoons, which I must be more flexible with, but it gets me through the rest of the day.
Wonderful post! We have many of the same pleasures! I love to take drives in the country, walk, coffee-scented candles, woodstoves, books, ect. I love taking little breaks to experience the blessings the Lord has provided.
Beautiful and so peaceful I think I would wake up early too.
This is so inspiring! Each one of us can have a pleasant area in our home that brings us quiet joy.
Hi Sally,
I’ve bee reading you for a few months now and have never commented, but this post spoke to me so much today, like the many others.
Just yesterday I was battling guilty feelings for wanting to decorate my home and just think creatively about how to do that, which of course involved lots of Pinterest surfing and design web site searching! When I talked to my husband about it, he was happy for me and said it was good to do those things! I realize now that since we’re made in His image, of course we’d be creative as a part of that! I also need to remember that we have been set free by Christ, so there doesn’t even need to be guilt when we actually DO mess up…just a little acknowledgement and repentance…and all is well again.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! What a blessing from the Lord this was today!
Meghan
This is so inspiring. I love the ideas you bring that lead us to freedom to be creative. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your encouragement to moms at home.
I would appreciate your thoughts on finding items that bring beauty and joy without being at another person’s (child, mother, family’s) expense. We as Americans tend to be naive about where our ‘things’ come from, overseas especially. A dear young missionary-friend explained to us that coffee, cocoa/chocolate, clothing, and cut flowers (the 4 C’s) are the highest industries of slave labor (children as well as adults). I’m wrestling with this as I balance budget, beauty, and conscience.
Thank you again for your example of love, beauty, and ministry to our children.
Jenn, have you looked into fair-trade chocolate and coffee? Where I live, the natural food stores (stores like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods) carry fair-trade food items. I’ve purchased flowers from local farmers at the farmer’s market in the spring/summer months as well. Just some ideas I’ve come up with as I’ve wrestled with what you spoke of.
So pretty! Makes me want to sit on a sofa in that very room, open up my bible and “feel” His presence. I too, love one little spot in my home that just makes me grateful and feel at peace. I usually wait for everyone’s quiet time and then I go to that spot and read. A fresh cup of coffee on a crisp and cold day would add to my delight!
God bless you today!
I love you, Sally. You really are such a beautiful person. Just read this today. Inspired, convicted, breathless…
Sally, your posts (and especially this one) have a wonderful way of setting me free. Thank you so much!
Sally, the title of this post made me laugh. And I so agree with you…no mundane! This is such a *good* word for mamas. A word that has been pushed down for too long and I thank you for saying it. Mamas must fill themselves up first to fill up others. Thank you.
I love you, wish I could come to your conference this year. Will you ever have a conference in the UK? I recently moved here. I so enjoyed it last year in Dallas……
Hi Sally, I don’t know if you read and respond to these, but what are your favorite Pandora channels? Thanks!
I”m visiting from the blog “Muthering Heights and Other Senseless Sensibility. This is a beautiful article…and I love that you add bits of beauty to your everyday
Love and hugs form the ocean shores of California, Heather 