Flourish, Flourish in All Seasons

Rhythms When You Need a Fresh Start. (Say No!)

Happy Spring my friends, the world has officially come out of hiding and the season of growth and hope is HERE! The sunshine and above freezing days are BALM to my soul after this harsh winter.  

While the Magnolia trees bloom and the crocus bud, my calendar is experiencing a new season too. Invitations to events, trips to plan, decisions to make, thousands of seeds to plant, work events, celebrations, and family gatherings. So many good and beautiful things that I have missed dearly over the past year.

While I’m excited to step into Spring, it can also be an overwhelming time of change and new growth. I feel like our world went from Safer at Home to Social Butterflies overnight. All around me I see glimpses of life returning back to “normal, and I don’t want to forget the deeper truth and lessons that I’ve learned from the past year.

So today I’m sharing my first of a new series: Rhythms When You Need a Fresh Start.

Do you feel it too? The desire to clear the calendar and start again. Let’s walk together through what it looks like to sow the seeds of a life of beauty and grace.

May we continue to cultivate a strong NO in our lives so that we can say more life-giving yeses.

Emily P Freeman

The Hardest Place to Start: Just Say No!

I’m a yes girl, recovering people pleaser, and big dreamer. It’s easy for me get excited about new and fun things, say YES to it all, and just as easily get overwhelmed and want to quit it ALL. I’ve learned when those nagging feelings creep in to step back and make a list of what I’ve said Yes to. And then I look at the list through these questions

Does it align with my big picture vision and this actual season?

Each year I make a vision board and set goals using my Powersheets. I usually do this at our cozy cottage in the Winter when I have extra margin. On a snowy December day, all the dreams and ideas seem possible. My head is clear and there is hope for the future.

BUT, when a new season begins (a literal season like Spring or a big life transition). I pause and make sure that my YESES align with my calling and vision. For me personally that is living a life rooted in God’s grace and using my gifts to bring beauty to those around me. Anything that falls outside of that vision is put aside. There are seasons and times for everything but not anything my friend, trust that if God has truly placed that in your heart it will come to be.

Morning quiet reviewing my 2021 vision board.

What are my non-negotiables?

Faith. Community. Margin. Beauty.

Those are the core values on which I live my days, weeks, seasons, and years. The phrase “I can do it all” is just a myth. As my wise friend Lara would say “We can’t do it all and do it all well. But we can choose to cultivate what matters.” In full seasons it looks like tightening my circle to family & a few life-giving friends, getting up early for a yoga class, and making sure I have nourishing food in the fridge (thanks Hungry Root & Daily Harvest!). I begin by filling my time with non-negotiables and then if I have the margin (emotionally and physically) I consider saying Yes to something new.

Is this actually my priority or someone else plan?

As my mamma often says, everyone has the perfect plan for your life. When we dare to say NO (or say the brave & scary YES) we are defining what we want in our lives. Saying NO can feel selfish, but what if we looked at it through a different lens. What if you saying NO actually allowed others to step in and shine. Wouldn’t that be worth it?

Say Yes!

Say NO can be one of the most life-giving tools…but so can saying Yes! When we say NO to something, it ultimately creates space in our life to say YES.  I end my time by creating two lists. One list of things I’m saying NO to in this season and the other that I’m saying YES to. Writing out what you are saying YES to in this next season can give you the confidence to actually do it. 

I’m Saying Yes to….

  • Nourishing meals and snacks.
  • Swim and Sauna.
  • Morning pages & artist dates.
  • Greenhouse therapy.
  • Early morning walks.

I’m Saying No to…

  • Toxic thoughts and “what-if” thinking. (so long anxiety!)
  • Binge watching (or scrolling!)
  • Over-scheduling my evenings.
  • A “quick yes!”
  • Unclear boundaries.
  • Having a perfectly clean kitchen.

Flourish in All Seasons, Goals

These are The Days of…and April Goals

Happy April my friends!

It’s sunny here in the midwest and I’m feeling all the Spring vibes- a fresh start and new season. This year one of my goals is to capture and enjoy the every day, glorious in the mundane. I typically will only record the monumental, big events and if 2020 taught me anything it is that there is beauty in the everyday.

I’ve been doing this by recording in my The Next Right Thing guided journal each Saturday morning. One of my favorite rhythms has been capturing my “These are the days of” list… It’s a chance to reflect on the previous week/month/season and prepare to start fresh. A big part of living well is making time to reflect on where you have been.

Questions to reflect on…

  • What brought you joy?
  • What was beautiful?
  • What was ordinary?
  • What was an regular rhythm?
  • What made you grow?
  • What did you learn?
  • What do you want to remember?

So, before I jump into my April goals I wanted to capture a list of the beauty and joy I lived during the month of March.

These are the Days of…

Soul-care and breathing space.
Puzzles and Yooper Charcuterie
Planting thousands of seeds and hundreds of dahlias (117 and counting)…

Laughter and trying to adjust to DST 😉
The reminder that Spring always breaks through after the Winter.
Of heartache and hope for this world…
Blooms, upon blooms, upon blooms.
Chasing sunshine and adventure.
The First “deck date” of the year…even if I brought a blanket

April Goals

Monthly Action Items

Weekly Rhythms

  • Swim and Sauna (yay for the sauna reopening!!)
  • Weekly Examen
  • Greenhouse therapy
  • Media-Free Monday
  • Walk or Coffee with a friend

Daily Habits

  • Hit steps goal
  • H20 before coffee
  • Write the Word-Gospels

Flourish, Flourish in All Seasons

Fresh Start Spring & Instructions for Life

This past weekend I picked up a Mary Oliver book at Fabeled Bookshop when my mamma and I were on our dream girls trip to Waco, TX. I’ll share more about our amazing trip soon, but today as I was reading slowly through her poetry and writing, these instructions for living life jumped out at me.

Instructions for living a life. Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.

Mary Oliver

I don’t know about you, but so often my weeks are spent living out of habit instead of intention. I wake up, get dressed, eat the same breakfast (two scrambled eggs, toast, and berries), go to work, come home, make dinner or meet up with family/friends, read a book, & go to bed only to start over again the next day. Suddenly it’s Friday and I wonder what in the world I did with my week that was worth telling about.

The days can feel mundane and monotonous if I don’t stop & pay attention. Life is not what happens one day when we “grow up” or “graduate” to the next stage of life. We are experiencing this beautiful and precious gift of life right now.

Each day brings the fresh start to begin anew, be present, and be astonished by the beauty.

  • Crocus peeking through the newly uncovered soil.
  • Robins strutting around in the morning looking for breakfast.
  • Neighbors walking by and stopping to say hello.
  • That particular shade of blue the sky turns only in the Spring.
  • A gentle rain on your roof & knowing that it’s nourishing the ground.
  • The smell of the first BBQ on a 50 degree Saturday in March.

Small and wonder-filled gifts of this season that we miss when we are just going through the motions.

Spring is the season of fresh starts and making time to notice.

The world is shifting and changing in front of our very eyes.

The snow melts and bulbs begin to peek through the soil. Barren trees come alive and bloom with color. The quiet hush of Winter is repreplaced with birdsong. A season of rest and coziness is replaced with the hardwork and hope of Spring.

Part of me wants to stay in my Winter cocoon. But, I know I would miss out on so much goodness if I chose safe & cozy over the fresh energy & new start of Springtime.

There are many good and beautiful things in this Season and yet, even good change can feel uncomfortable.

So my friend, if you find yourself waking up alongside the world around you and eager for a fresh start: stop, breathe, be present, and notice.

This life you are living right now is good, beautiful and true. Choose to see the goodness in this day and embrace the season you are living.

Spring at the Silos

Flourish, Flourish in All Seasons, Goals

A Poem to Inspire and March 2021 Goals

Dust If You Must by Rose Milligan

Dust if you must, but wouldn’t it be better
To paint a picture, or write a letter,
Bake a cake, or plant a seed;
Ponder the difference between want and need?

Dust if you must, but there’s not much time,
With rivers to swim, and mountains to climb;
Music to hear, and books to read;
Friends to cherish, and life to lead.

Dust if you must, but the world’s out there
With the sun in your eyes, and the wind in your hair;
A flutter of snow, a shower of rain,
This day will not come around again.

Dust if you must, but bear in mind,
Old age will come and it’s not kind.
And when you go (and go you must)
You, yourself, will make more dust.

Last weekend I discovered this simple and poignant poem. It’s reminder that as much as I enjoy a beautiful home, I would rather spend my time creating a beautiful life.

And yet, it’s often the little acts of preparation and work that help us prepare well and enjoy a season. Small actions done with intention and consistency free us up to live a life we love.

My goals for this upcoming month center around preparing well for Spring. Spring is a busy time for me with travel plans (finally!), planting all the seeds in the garden, hosting friends for IF: Gathering and so many other fun things.

In order to flourish and truly enjoy this Spring, there are some house-keeping things that help make my life run smoothly. Even as a single woman, I find when I make time on Sundays to prepare healthy meals, tidy up my home, reflect on the week prior, and invest in my physical and emotional health. I’m so much more present with the people in my life.

February 2021 Recap

First Seeds of Spring Planted (and they are growing like wildfires…I mean wildflowers 😉 )
Olivia came to stay and is now taking over my office…there is a new boss lady in town.
I did a closet DEEP DIVE and sold or gave away 5 bags of unwanted items! I feel so much more free.
I gathered with a few friends to celebrate “Galentines Day” and exchange our favorite things.
$2.99 roses were a gift after a long week of illness and cold dreary WI days.

March 2021 Goals

Monthly Action Items:

Plan home gardens

Complete Floret Workshop!

Host If: Gathering at Koselig Cottage

Contentment Challenge Reset

Clean up (2) areas of basement (canning and seasonal home decor)

Soak up MAGNOLIA vacay

Weekly Action Items:

No TV Monday-Saturday!

Share a meal with local community.

Meal prep on Sunday.

Weekly reflection (examen & Next Right Thing Journal).

Faith, Flourish

Grace-Full Rhythms – Lent (and living church calendar)

When you hear the word Lent, what image or experience comes to mind? Formal Ash Wednesday services and foreheads donned with the cross? Friday night fish frys? A season of somber reflection during the depths of Winter? Giving up chocolate or soda or Netflix (gasp!) for 40 days? Lent, I have no idea, Em!

For those (like me!) who didn’t grow up practicing the liturgical calendar, let me share the basics with you. Lent is a season in the liturgical calendar that includes 40 days (excluding Sundays) leading up to Easter. While Lent is not specifically mentioned in scripture, this season is modeled after Jesus’ 40 day fast in the dessert (Matthew 4:1-11).

Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and continues right up until resurrection Sunday. The season is typically marked with fasting, giving or charitable acts, and reflection. While lent is a somber time of reflection and remembrance, it is most importantly an invitation to draw near to our Father.

I’ve always viewed this 40 day season with a mix of relief and curiosity. Relief that I could eat my favorite cadbury mini eggs without guilt and curiosity of what might happen if I too say no to something good for 40 days.

This year, I’ve put some extra thought into my lenten practices (thanks Sacred Ordinary Days!) and desire to enjoy God more instead of just doing things for him or rushing through my quiet time to check it off the list.

Lent is a call to renew a commitment grown dull, perhaps by a life more marked by routine than reflection

Joan Chittster

Whenever I would think or pray about lent, I kept coming back to viewing these 40 days as a retreat and set-apart time investing in my relationship with my heavenly Father. And you know what the number one thing stopping me is…TV (I think Instagram is a close 2nd though!).

I’ve traded the richness of his presence for shallow entertainment. Now, don’t get me wrong I love a good baking competition, historical mini-series, or laugh until you cry comedy. But, my go to during the past few months when I’m tired or lonely or had a long day has been to turn on the TV and just veg out. And friends, as soon as I realised that I knew that one of the hardest and best things I could do for this season is to turn off the TV.

A life that is grace-filled begins with a deep knowledge of who we are in Christ, His beloved children. For me during this lenten season, I want to anchor myself in the knowledge of WHOSE I am.

In true Emily fashion, I made list of 40ish different things that bring LIFE to my days.

Create: water color, knitting, baking…

Connect: family dinner, tea with a friend, bible study, or online class.

Worship: be still, worship music, listen to a sermon, prayer walk..

Rest: take a nap, long baths, hike outside, journal and read…

These are more than just “screen free activities”, but are the rhythms in my life that connect me to my Creator. I want to spend the next 40 days not just living life but to savor a long walk and see the sunset or sketch a little watercolor reflecting on that mornings Psalm so that I see Him more clearly.

My Lenten Practices

Ash Wednesday Bread Making Class by Edible Theology

A Lenten Quiet Day by Black Barn

No NETFLIX or TV (except Saturday dusk to Sunday dusk…my Sabbath)

P.M. Journal and reflection time (Currently reading this book! and it is bring LIFE to my soul!)

Select 2 organizations or individuals to bless during this season.

Flourish, Flourish in All Seasons, Goals

Making Time for Rest & Adventure: January Recap & February Goals

We had an unexpected snow day this past week. A day where the storm rolled in over night dropping inches of fluffy snow. It was magical to wake up to a Winter wonderland and take a few minutes to pause and savor the scene.

But then, the realities of the snowstorm upended my idealic morning. Messy roads, snow removal, slippery driveways, canceled plans, and delayed celebrations. Yes, my day now held extra margin, but it also meant holding plans loosely and letting go of expectations. A theme I’ve been learning on repeat these days.

Winter reminds us that everyone and everything needs some quiet time.

Katrina Mayer

Winter is a time to rest, be still, and quiet our hearts. For me, that conjures up koselig scenes of snuggling up by the fire with a hot cup of tea, cozy blanket, and an inspiring book or magazine.

And while that is LOVELY and a rhythm I savor extra in the Winter, true rest comes not from a single moment but walking daily in rhythm with our Creator.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30

This last month held heartache & hopes deferred. However, the goodness of an easy yoke overflowed in countless mundane moments. When I choose to acknowledge the good gifts alongside the challenging ones, I’m reminded that our Father is at work through every moment of my life.

That is my prayer for you in this season. The you would find rest for your weary soul and recognize the good gifts from your heavenly father.

January 2021 Recap:

Celebrating Epiphany (The Season of Light) by candlelight most mornings.
Skiing for the first time in SO MANY years!
Snowshoe adventures with forever friends
Bundled up walks in the Winter sunshine at Koselig Cottage
Floret 2021 Workshop Launch!
Abundant bowls of honey bells from Tree Ripe Fruit Company
Liv talking over my office…future assistant in the making!

February 2021 Goals:

Monthly Action Items:

Winter Home Declutter (clothes, books, basement, office)

Read: Curated Closet, Beginner’s Pluck, Start with Why, and The Gift of Being Yourself.

Dream day for ECE.com

Plan Home and ZA gardens

Weekly Action Items:

Screen Free Evening

Weekly Examen and Sunday Prep

Yoga/Swim

Salt or Sauna

Floret Workshop Homework

Face to Face with local community

Daily Habits:

Contentment ($ and <3)

Soak up a Psalm

3 Things

Rest/Delight

Faith, Flourish

Grace-Full Rhythms – My Rule of Life 2021

The week between Christmas and New Years I spent time at our family’s cottage in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, we lovingly refer to as Koselig Cottage as it is truly the home of all things cozy. This year, I made time to cozy up in our built in swedish bed with a hot cup of coffee, reflect on 2020, and craft a Rule of Life for this new season.

I shared more about Rule of Life on this post, but as a refresher:

A rule of life is crafted with prayer and discernment and is the trellis we build our days upon.

It comes the very moment you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in. And so on, all day. Standing back from all your natural fussing and frettings; coming in out of the wind.

C.S. Lewis

Your Rule of Life is not another list of “shoulds” or “tasks” or “disciplines”, instead it is grace-filled rhythms that allow you to slow down, quiet the hurry and connect to our Creator.

My rule of life can be broken into a few core areas: Spirit, Body, Mind, Relationships, Home, Work, Resources/Finance. I crafted an intention for each area for 2021 that related to my goals and also rhythms of daily (d), weekly (w), monthly (m), quarterly practices (q), or yearly (y).

A few questions to consider as you ponder creating your own Rule of Life:

When you think about who you want to be, who God Created you to be, what do you choose to give attention to?

What is the current rhythm of your daily, weekly, life? What season are you in?

What brings delight and purpose to your days?

How do you connect with your Creator?

What does it look like to be in relationship with others? How can you live and learn alongside others?

My Rule of Life – 2021

Spirit:

I will live my life fully embracing the natural seasons God created and rhythms of the church calendar.

Grace-Full Rhythms: journal & scripture (d), Sabbath & examen (w), prayer cottage (q)

Body:

I will care for my whole person (mind, body, and soul) without guilt or shame.

Grace-Full Rhythms: Nourishing whole food (d), get outside (d), swim/yoga (w), message or salt room (m)

Mind:

I will prioritize rest & margin especially in intense ministry or personal seasons.

Grace-Full Rhythms: unplug from phone by 8 p.m. (d), read non-fiction (w), grow in community at a conference or class (q)

Relationships:

I will invest in my local community and love my people well (family, neighbors, cousins, co-workers, and friends)

Grace-Full Rhythms: listen & respond with grace (d), face to face (w), family vacation (y)

Home:

I will create a sanctuary of rest & beauty for myself and others who need a safe place to land.

Grace-Full Rhythms: tidy up and savor (d), check-in with neighbors (w), seasonal gathering (q)

Work:

I will step into each situation confident that God’s grace will work in me & show HIS power, not my own.

Grace-Full Rhythms: prioritize people (d), ece.com post (w), team connect (w), celebrate (q) Powersheets (y)

Resources:

I will be generous with my time, talent, and treasure. Sharing of the abundance of what I’ve been given and being wise with the rest.

Grace-Full Rhythms: mint track (d), no-shop sabbath (w), tithe+ (w), contentment challenge (y)

Flourish, Flourish in All Seasons, Goals

A Year of Grit & Grace – 2021 Goals

2021 Anchor Verses:

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Galatians 6:9

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

2 Corinthians 12:9

2021 Yearly Goals:

Embrace the rhythms of the church calendar and spiritual disciplines (daily office, weekly examen, sabbath, rule of life)

I have always been a “planner girl”. Excited to try the newest organization tool and am giddy at the fresh start of a new month, year, or page.

Yet the last few years, I’ve moved to a primarily on-line planner for the ease of having my schedule “on hand at all times.

But this last year with all the uncertainty and change had me craving trying something new. I wanted a planner that was different than I could find at Office Max and cultivated my heart and soul as much as my calendar.

The goal of incorporating the liturgical calendar into my year, lead me to Sacred Ordinary Days. After downloading and LOVING their monthly sample, I took a leap and ordered a hard copy of their yearly planner.

It’s simple, clean, flexible, and centered on what matters most: my relationship with God. I’ve been using it over a month now, and I particularly love the weekly & seasonal examen and Sabbath day page. A consistent reminder each week to check-in with my soul and look back on where I’ve abided in Him or tried to accomplish things on my own.

Nourish my body with whole foods, movement, and soul-care.

I don’t know if you have been feeling it too, but so many of my conversations lately have been centered around feeling the weariness and weight of this world. With everything going on in our country, nation, and community it’s so important to care for our bodies, mind, and soul.

My rhythms have been thrown off track over the last few months and I’m committing to re-establishing healthy habits in 2021.

For me that looks like:

  • simple, nourishing meals packed with plenty of protein
  • enjoying whole, seasonal foods
  • weekly yoga and daily stretching
  • swimming laps at least 2X a week
  • getting outside as much as possible
  • committing to a screen-free evening once a week to journal, read, and rest
Abundant tomato harvest–is it Summer yet?

Courageously speak and write truth.

When I think of a year of grit and grace, I see a year that is full of brave words. That might look like sharing a cup of tea with a friend, taking a walk and asking the hard questions, or sharing what God is teaching me here on this little corner of the web.

This recovering people-pleaser has struggled to find her voice and not just say what others want to hear. However, I’ve learned that with a whole lot of prayer prayer and plenty of God’s grace, it is possible to share words that are brave, true, and full of grace.

A women of gentle grace earns respect.

Proverbs 11:16

Love my family & local community well.

Looking back on my most treasured memories of 2020, they all involved my family and local community. In the year of Safer@Home, I found the joy of local friendships and having my family close.

Time with family at the cottage, gatherings on the deck/porches with friends, Emily’s Safer@Home bake shop, and life group game nights brought a deep joy to my weeks. I tangibly saw a long awaited prayer answered last year and I want to steward this gift well.

Some of the ways I will love my people in 2021 is:

  • continue porch drop off of Emily’s Bakeshop
  • celebrate birthdays and milestones of family and dear friends
  • host outdoor celebrations in each season
  • savor time with family at the cottage
  • send snail mail to friends and family far away

Celebrate and rejoice in each Season.

Working in an agriculture based ministry, I can’t help but see how God wired us for seasons. Winter is a time of Rest, Spring a time of planting, Summer is tending, and Autumn is the harvest.

I’m always learn, process, and grow when I spend time reflecting on God’s creation. This year I want to take it even further to embrace the celebrations/seasons of the church (Advent, Christmastide, Lent, Easter, etc.) AND also the seasons of nature.

One way that I’m walking through the year is joining Lady Farmer’s Almanac. It’s a group of farmer, nature, slow-living, like-hearted ladies with monthly classes, articles, and a book club each season.

This Winter we are focusing on REST and how it looks in our home, closets, use of technology, etc. The class this month shared about creating a “cozy cocoon” space that is full of things you love and a place to just rest and enjoy. To be honest, sometimes my whole house feels this way, but then I see the unwashed dishes or remember that I never sent an e-mail, so my brain clicks into overdrive again. I spent 15 minutes this week to take down my “upstairs Christmas decor” (a small tree and one sign) and refresh for Winter. I cleared off my bedside table and left the fairy lights up for a cozy, restful space.

Updating my bedroom for a cozy, winter cocoon.

Challenge my mind, body, and spirit with new adventures.

“Enockson girls have adventures” is a motto that I share with my sister (and now sweet niece) on a consistent basis. For Christmas I created them each a photo book and short story about how Enockson girl’s have adventures on a daily basis. It’s my biggest hope and prayer for them, to remind them that they are brave, courageous, and kind.

I want to model the adventure-filled life and push myself outside my comfort zone to try hard things. This year it might be cross-country skiing instead of the familiar snowshoe, cooking new recipes, seasonal “bucket list” adventures, reading books outside my usual genre, trying projects, and saying YES even when I’m afraid.

A full life isn’t meant to be lived in our comfort zones. A full and vibrant life is full of mistakes, hard things, joy and LOTS of adventure.

Kicking off 2021 cross country skiing for the 1st time in 10 years!

Grow beautiful blooms at ZA and home.

If you know me even a little bit, you know my love, okay obsession, for flowers. My wardrobe in the Spring consists of 80% floral pieces and a handful of neutrals, my kitchen table always has a bouquet of blooms or potted bulb, and my favorite time of the week at ZA is when we stock the farm cart with blooms for the community.

So, NOBODY was surprised last fall when I decided to participate in Floret Farm Cut-Flower workshop. Erin has been a role model for farmer-florists everywhere and I love how she continues to cultivate beauty and purpose through her IG feed, family and farm.

2021 holds so much possibility for my home gardens and ZA. I can’t wait to see how this goal literally grows over the next 12 months.

A vibrant mid-summer bouquet of blooms.

Cultivate a heart of contentment and give generously.

A heart of generosity and contentment continues to be one of the hardest and humbling goals. I want to be quick to give and be generous with what I’m given, and yet so often I think about my needs before others.

This year I’m joining Nancy Ray for the contentment challenge. Three months of purposely NOT shopping or spending on frivolous things. After the excess of Christmas, it feels refreshing but also reveals how quickly I click “add to cart” or “purchase now” before actually thinking if I need or truly want something. This year I’m joining her again and choosing not to purchase clothing, books, or home decor from January – March.

She recommends having a hobby or habit you want to cultivate and replace the time you would have spent at target or on-line shopping. For me that is watercolor and hiking outside. I want to cut out the habit of pursing the isle of target after a long week and instead go outside and soak up God’s amazing creation.

Flourish, Flourish in All Seasons, Goals

Celebrating the Good of 2020!

This week between Christmas and New Year is one of my favorite times. While we can easily fall into the black hole of not knowing “what day or time it is” and post-christmas sugar high, there is a beauty to a slower pace, with a little of the Christmas sparkle left in it.

I stumbled upon this quote yesterday and it’s the exact sentiment I want to step into the New Year:

“I don’t know exactly what’s next but I’m stepping forward with grit, anchored in grace.”

Julia Graham

When the calendar flips on December 31st at midnight, all the pain and hardship won’t just go away. 2020 has been a year of numerous challenges, growth, and letting go.

Friends, with a little bit of grit, a whole lot of prayer, and big leaps of faith we can step into the fresh start of a new year anchored in His grace.

To me, a life of grace & grit begins by celebrating & marking the challenges, good things, and growth of the previous year.

January

Carlson Lefsefest and Crock Pot Wars! Family Time Pre-COVID
Snowshoe Adventures & Stillness of Winter

February

Snowshoe and Sauna at Koselig Cottage
A Restful Retreat in the Northwoods with Friends

March

Soul-filling time in Sanibel before the world “shut down”. Beach walks, honest prayers, and marvling at God’s amazing creation.

April

First Garden Blooms and last memories with my sweet pup Belle
The Start of “Emily’s Safer@Home Bakeshop” 😉

May

“You Don’t Choose the Lilac Life, The Lilac Life Chooses You.”
An outpouring of love and hope in the form of blooms and beauty.

June

Berry picking and Enockson girl adventures
Enockson trip up to the UP for kayaking, campfires, naps, and “beast” rides.

July

Canning the fruit of the garden!
Kayak Adventures all over WI and The UP!

August

The launch of EmilyCEnockson.com !
Blooms and friends to celebrate 35!

September

Bike rides in the crisp fall air.
The great pumpkin hunt of 2020 at Zachariah’s Acres.

October

Garden blooms, gorgeous weather, and watercolor reminders of truth.
Winterberry harvesting and a Fall getaway with friends.

November

Laughing and playing in the leaves with Livy-Lu. So much joy being an Auntie
The first snow…at Koselig Cottage

December

Powersheet planning and heart to heart chats in the treehouse
Hikes on snowy days and reminders of God’s faithfulness
Flourish in All Seasons

Grace-Full Rhythms: Silence and Solitude

This ENFJ, Enneagram 2W3, Extrovert girl LOVES to process and learn along-side fellow believers. I can often get in the “bad habit” of signing up for to many studies or conferences because I just get excited to dig into Scripture with my people, it’s what sets my heart on fire.

But, the good heart work of listening to our souls begins with cultivating a practise of silence (time spent in quiet) and solitude (time spent alone).

The soul is like a wild animal-tough, resient, resourceful, savvy, self-sufficient. It knows how to survive in hard places. But it is also shy. Just like a wild animal, it seeks safety in the dense underbrush. If we want to see a wild animal, we know that the last thing we should do is go crashing through the woods yelling for it to come out. But if we will walk quietly into the woods, sit patiently by the base of the tree, and fade into our surroundings, the wild animal we seek might put in an appearance.”

Parker Palmer

I’ll never forget my first introduction to the practice of silence and solitude. I was in college attending a discipleship training course put on by the Navigators. Time well spent learning, growing, serving, and deepening our faith with fellow believers in one of my favorite places in Northern Wisconsin.

Towards the end of our time together, we had a 3 hour “Time alone with God” (or TAG as we called it…insert eye-roll here). I was curious and a tiny bit anxious.

We were each told to go find a place alone, apart from anywhere else and just be with God. There were no questions to walk through or topic to cover. Only me, God, my bible, and the great Northwoods.

I found a comfy spot outside (no surprise there!) to read scripture, pray, and listen. I was excited and expectant to what God might reveal to me during that time.

I wish I could tell you I had some great earth-shattering revelation, but my mind would not shut off. I kept thinking, dreaming, and planning. My thoughts ping ponged between ideas and trivial concerns. Before I knew it my time was up and I felt like I never really spent time just being with God. I quickly jotted a few things down to share with my team, but there was not a depth there and the experience felt lacking.

When I look back on that experience, I see a girl with so much to learn but one who truly wanted to “get it right”. And here is the truth my friends. There is no perfect formula or prescription for silence and solitude. It will look different for everyone and it will change in each season.

In the years since my 3 hour TAG, I’ve learned to let go of expectations and just enjoy the time.

Our hearts, minds, body, and souls live at a frantic pace. There is always more to learn, consume, do, intake, or make happen. Our culture thrives and pushes us to be constant consumers or creators. The practice of silence and solitude forces us to put aside our inner voice telling us to “do, go, produce”, and forces us to just be. It humbles us to realize that HE is the ultimate Creator and author of our lives.

Silence and solitude it one of the most life-giving rhythms in my Rule of Life, but it is also one of the most difficult to keep. I live alone, am unmarried, have no children or pets to care for, and yet I struggle to make time for silence and solitude in my days.

When I choose push aside the to-do list, light a candle, and just be still my soul is renewed and my heart recentered on my Creator.

A life that is full of God’s amazing grace begins with quieting our souls to hear our Father. There are countless examples of Jesus stepping away to lonely, quiet, and desolate places to pray alone.

And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.

Matthew 14:23

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.

Mark 1:35

This practice will take time to cultivate in your day. It will feel akward and challenging to begin with. But friend, it will be so so worth it.

I would encourage you to take just 2 minutes today to sit and be still. Turn your phone on airplane mode, get away from people (lock yourself in a closet or bathroom if you need), and be with your Creator.

If you find your mind anxious or full of hurried thoughts, hand them over to your Father. I like to make a practice of beginning my time in silence and solitude with praying out-loud or writing down any concerns, worries, or anxieties that I’ve been carrying.

The tangible act of speaking my concerns help shift my heart and focus into a posture of letting go, and prepare my heart to listen.

I will often light a candle to signal to my soul that it’s time to rest and settle in. When my brain starts tip toeing into overdrive, I take a few breaths and focus on the flickering light.

Friend, God desires to be with us and hear our hearts cry. The one prayer God will always answer with a hearty yes is “Lord, be with me.” After all, during this season of Advent we are reminded that He is our Immanuel, God with us.

Grace Notes:

Tips and resources to help you on a grace-filled journey.

Invitation to Solitude and Silence by Ruth Haley Barton

Pause App by Jon Eldridge

John Mark Comer’s Guide to “Un-Hurry”

Episode #3 “Noise vs. Silence on Jennie Allen