Simplicity

I want to live simply and somewhere in the mess of work, school and life I somehow lost sight of that. I got sucked into the materialistic wants of this world... I started focusing on things like attire, accessories, electronics... you name it I wanted it.

But that is not the life I want to lead, I want to love and be loved. I want to spend time in moments with friends and family. I want less so that I can worry less, and love more.

This type of thinking I believe is counter cultural. Because even the "cool" hipster kids who portray this image of "I don't care" spend lots of money on their appearance so that they can appear the way they do.

A life of simplicity in which you live with the things you need and not the things that are being pushed on you by advertisements or movie stars is what I am after.

I don't need fancy restaurants or the coolest shoes, I just need God, family, friends, and good food.

Rest

I have a type A personality, I want things done... and I want them done right. Which is definitely not a bad thing. But then I lose sight of rest, and for someone like me I don't want to take a rest because I feel like I'm losing time! Like I need to go,go,go, now,now,now.

Recently I have been challenged by several different groups of friend on the concept of rest. Initially my thought was that I don't have time to rest, I have so much to do etc. But I believe that God has been speaking into these moments of busyness and unrealistic expectations and asking me to take a rest.

So what does it mean to rest? I thought rest was watching TV and just laying in bed ( and don't get me wrong those can totally be rest) but I found that for me that didn't feel like rest, that felt like mush.

I have learned that rest varies for different people, and no matter what we will never all agree on what rest is and how rest looks. I have been reading the book " Creating a Discipleship Culture" which has help shape my idea of rest.

For Amanda Miro this is what rest is:

Rest is a time of abiding and being at peace with your mind, and soul. It is a time where there are no deadlines no activities planned just a time of being. For me rest looks like sitting outside reading a book, or having a no pressure day where I have no plans and can just be. It looks like just enjoying moments and time.

As followers of Christ we are called to bear fruit. The book relates first-century grape growing to our need for rest. In the first century, grapes had to grow for 3 years before being allowed to bear fruit. If the vine grew grapes before the 3 years was up then they would cut back the grapes and allow for the vine to grow.

The questions is "If fruit bearing is not coming naturally in our lives could it be that we have not spent the proper season abiding?"

"From abiding we grow, from growing, we bear fruit, from being fruit we are cut back. Abide, grow, bear fruit, prune, abide... repeat. "

What does rest look like for you? How will you abide?

Mrs. Miro