Pursuing Slow Time

I'm about to be 35 years old and I thrive in the city...
This year I started an adventure in getting to know Lanelle - might sound silly but I wonder if you know who you really are... I found some interesting places where I was clashing with myself. I discovered some deep longings and passions that were pretty important to me, more important than I had been letting on... As a working mom with three amazing daughters, I began to recognize the necessity of slowing down so I do not crash completely ...

I began to call one thing I was longing for "slow time" ... I've concluded that my short term trips to India probably sparked this in me... or kindled embers that had been there all along...

The center point in life is Christ, and living free with Him... Here's my attempt at defining the ring around the center of this longing in my soul -

Emily, Asia, and Copper

time to really breathe
time to cook a meal
time for joy and laughter
time for adventure
time to prepare healthy lunches
time to read and really rest
time to pray
time to be flexible
time for the people around me
time to talk and drink a cup of coffee with friends... with strangers..

Introducing my version of slow time.

At work, I answer the phone all day. At  home, I leave the ringers off.
Leave a message, send a text, I will get back to you. It may be in 1 minute, or 30... though... no hard feelings? It all depends upon what I'm doing at the moment... playing blackjack, wandering with the dogs, or even napping - smile

Email. . . still my favorite communication tool when I'm in "work mode" - I took two days off work last week and it was the strangest sensation not to have email to work through all day. I love the clarity email provides in project management! However, I'm learning that I have to distinguish between project management and life...Never thought I would say that!

I've deactivated facebook for good. In some ways I feel like my friends are leaving me in the dust - but in all honesty, the dust is actually a nice place, once I got to know it again! It seems I had forgotten how to live MY life, and was striving to live life with everyone else!

I have fallen "a little in love" with Pinterest; I'm beginning to accept myself and find the things I like are lovely. I like to remember them, and Pinterest helps a LOT! And you know, while its a social site, its nothing at all like facebook or myspace..trust me.

Eliminating some of the collected clutter from the past 15 years of marriage has made our space much more of a home and much less of a monster (where is that one paper again, from November of 2000? OH, right where we put it!)

I was able to practice slow time this past weekend ... I was flexible enough to meet friends, to rest, and to pack for the upcoming move... I still got much accomplished.. but much life was lived as well. and it was very very good!