Rest | Paula Wiseman

Needing Recharged

After Wednesday, and the end of NaNoWriMo, I'm mentally exhausted. 54,000 words in 30 days. (74,000 in 40 days.) I'm not sure I could string 3 creative words together today. It's a good tired, though. A satisfied tired. This was a tremendous book. I learned so much from it, and it touched me deeply. Perhaps more than any of the others. It was meant to be. I look forward to sharing to with you.

It's so very easy in our culture to pour ourselves out and never take the opportunity to recharge. I'm looking forward to the next few weeks leading up to Christmas when I can regroup, reconnect and relax. Then with my fingers, eyes and brain recharged, we'll be ready to tackle major edits on the first book in a new series.

So I have a few questions for you-

How do you know when you need a break?

How do you recharge?

Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. Psalm 116:7

Filed Under: Living Tagged With: NaNoWriMo, Psalms, rest, Word count

A Break

By Paula

And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. Mark 6:31

Occasionally, the well runs dry.

Over the past few weeks, I've noticed it's harder to get my posts written. I'm not studying like I should. Scenes in my current project are more difficult to lay out. I'm sleeping fewer hours and wrangling more with headaches. Slowly it dawned on me, I need a break.

So over the next couple of weeks as we transition from school to summer, I'm going to take a blogging break. Now if you don't have a photographic memory, you may not notice. I'll have some encore posts on my regular blogging days so there will still be content for you. Then that first full week of June, I'll be back, renewed and refreshed.

Thank you for understanding.

Do you need a break? What keeps you from taking one?

Filed Under: Living Tagged With: blogging, Gospel of Mark, Mark, rest

Exhaustion

By Paula

We have a running ‘joke’ at my house- If I’m awake, I’m sleepy. It comes from perpetually getting up too early and staying up too late. I honestly try to get eight hours of sleep and most nights I hit it pretty close, but I think my body needs nine or so. My alarm is set for 4:40 (yeah, I know) so I’m right there with my littlest one, ready for bed at, oh, 8:30. Ah 8:30. It’s usually 10 or so before I get to sleep. So I operate at constant sleep deficit.

I get spiritually exhausted too. There’s so much stuff to do in order to ‘do’ church, it’s easy to forego rest. If you forego rest long enough, you burn out. Believe me, I’ve been there.

Here’s what I learned and changed.

1. If it doesn’t bring joy, I avoid it. Jesus promised His yoke was easy and His burden light. If I’m dreading some activity or if a ministry is sucking the life out of me, it needs to go.

2. There is no limit to what could or even should be done, but I am limited.

3. I need to minister, but I also need be ministered to, although not necessarily in equal measure. We had a fellowship not long ago, and I just had to show up. I hadn’t helped plan it or put it together. I just got to enjoy it. That was so refreshing. One of those every now and then is a real boost!

4. Two words – “Good enough”. This is freedom from perfectionism. I try to do the best I can with everything, but sometimes you have to cut yourself some slack.

Back to physical rest- Tomorrow’s my day to sleep in. Maybe I can catch up.

too tired We have a running ‘joke’ at my house- If I’m awake, I’m sleepy. It comes from perpetually getting up too early and staying up too late. I honestly try to get eight hours of sleep and most nights I hit it pretty close, but I think my body needs nine or so. My alarm is set for 4:40 (yeah, I know) so I’m right there with my littlest one, ready for bed at, oh, 8:30. Ah 8:30. I wish. It’s usually 10 or so before I get to sleep, so I operate at constant sleep deficit.

I get spiritually exhausted too. There’s so much stuff to do in order to ‘do’ church, it’s easy to forgo spiritual rest. If you forgo rest long enough, you burn out. Believe me, I’ve been there. I don’t think that’s what God ever intends for us.

Here’s what I’m learning and changing.

1. If it doesn’t bring joy, I avoid it. Jesus promised His yoke was easy and His burden light. If I’m dreading some activity or if a ministry is sucking the life out of me, it needs to go.

2. There is no limit to what could or even should be done, but I am limited.

4. Two words – “Good enough”. This is freedom from perfectionism. I try to do the best I can with everything, but sometimes you have to cut yourself some slack.

Filed Under: Authenticity Challenge Tagged With: exhaustion, rest