I haven’t done one of these 10 point updates for a few months so I figured now is about time. Below you’ll find 10 things from the last few months and how they bring me back to my word of the year.
- I reopened my Etsy store after being closed for over a year. I have inventory that’s been made but never listed and already have had sales. Yay!
- Today is the first day I went out past the walls of my apartment complex in over 4 weeks. Why did I go out? Well my car lease was up on Monday so I went to go purchase a car. The one I already had. I just bought out my lease.
- Toward the end of May, I was planning a trip to Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. It was to be about 10 days but with everything happening, this was not the right time to take the trip it’s currently postponed for a date yet to be determined.
- This one I’m very proud of. I’ve worked out every single day since January first. The goal started to just close my rings on my Apple watch each day which means movement at some point during 12 hours of the day, 30 minutes of exercise and a calorie goal. I’ve closed every single one for over 125 days straight. WOAH.
- In addition to closing my rings each day, I also made a goal to go on a walk every day outside for at least a mile in April which I also did! Some days it was literally just one mile but other days it was a few more.
- I’ve not had any take out or Starbucks or anything food wise from a restaurant in almost 7 weeks. I’ve gotten groceries from Shipt and done a LOT of cooking, as well as supplementing with a Daily Harvest subscription as well as one from Snap Kitchen and Farmbox Direct which is a box of veggies.
- I’ve still continued to read and just finished my 66th book before writing this post. There are days I wish I liked Netflix or Hulu more, but I get so bored so quickly so turn it off and find a book to read.
- This time at home has involved a lot more prayer, quiet time, and reflection than I’ve had in months. It’s been really wonderful and at times really hard. Prayers have changed me and I’ve prayed for change for others. This is something I don’t want to lose.
- I have slept in WAY more than I have in months. My usual morning workout and routine has turned into a late night routine. I’m at heart a night owl so this has been an interesting turn of events after a habit of early AM wakeups.
- I miss nature and trails and hiking. I miss flying and mountains and driving. I miss seeing people I know in person (because I literally have seen 0 people I know in person in 7 weeks). At this point my neighbor who walks each day with his podcast and sunnies, and the new momma who walks with her little babe in the stoller each day, and the oh so many parents to dog owners are the only in person conversations I’ve had.
For me, all of this just reminds me of my word of the year “Empty”. I wrote in my jornal at the beginning of the year that I needed to make less plans. Less vacations. More free evenings and weekends. I needed Sabbath. And rhythms that renew me instead of exhaust me. I didn’t realize exactly what God had in mind when we chatted about those topics but this all leads me back to empty.
I’ve emptied my calendar and have not left the state of Florida in over 4 months. I’ve emptied my evening plans and weekend plans with friends. I’ve emptied my bank ledgers from constantly eating out. I’ve emptied my energy and time into being outside and going for walks and using the Peloton app at home. I’m emptying my cabinet of the Etsy inventory I’ve been keeping for far too long. I’ve emptied what’s in my heart, and my mind into some projects I’m working on which you’ll hear about more in the future. I continue to go back to this phrase “I want to be so empty that the most holy thing can grow in me”.
Here I am. Continuing to empty and I know I’m not done yet. It is good but it’s also painful. It’s tension. And to grow requires that tension. So I’m here, being both pulled and emptied at the same time.
