”Instead of forgetting or running from my own smallness, what if I chose instead to look it in the face, to settles down into the place where I am, to notice what is happening around me on my ordinary days? What if these small moments are the very portal into experiencing the kingdom of God?”

-Emily P. Freeman, Simply Tuesday, p.29

I wish I could bottle up the feeling of watching trees drift and sway in a cool fall breeze.

It’s a slow calm, but also a waiting, participatory, anticipatory calm.

Somehow it leaves me happy to wait. Happy to slow and feel the breeze on my face and take my time getting to the next place.

When the weather breaks and the breezes turn cool I relish the chance to wear sweaters and go on walks. I love the patterns wet leaves print onto the sidewalk which stay long after the leaves are gone. I love the crunch of dry leaves, the scent of autumn and the colors that sing of old being soon reborn.

It is beautiful season. It invites you out of yourself and your chosen seclusion in air conditioned spaces and into the parlance of the whims of the weather: the rattling leaves, the chill in the air, bright sunshine and occasional raindrop.

I want to invite the lingering slowness of walking on a breezy day into my life a little more. Maybe taking an extra moment enjoying a scent or a landscape, sneaking nap instead of accomplishing. or reading stories instead of the to-do list.

For the sake of my hurried soul I need to slow.

At this point, as I recover from birth, I am being forced into a modicum of slow already, but embracing it fully is a whole different story.

May we all find the ability to slow this week.

May we take a long deep breath of this Saturday. Filling our lungs, and heart, and soul with the feeling of calm that comes with less agenda and more time. May we carry that feeling of restful slow into next week’s busyness and drama as we learn to embrace the soul calm that is our inheritance in Jesus.

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Enjoy your Saturday, friends.

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For us, in our journey to Soul Calm:

Friends’ 31 days series that I feel need to live side by side with mine. The vision is there. Read on:

Ashley Hales: Letters to Weary Women

Esther Emery: writing on “simple tasks and restful spirituality.“

Chara Donahue: 31 Days of Prayers

Jamie’s instagram challenge: #MysticAutumn

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As part of the #write31days challenge, I am blogging everyday this October on the theme of Soul Calm. I want to take the dust of the day and sift it through my fingers. I want to see beauty, drink peace, and rest in calm assurance. Let the dust drift away, seen and unseen, beautiful, maybe, but not mine to keep. I hope it blesses you. You can find the collection of Soul Calm posts here:

Find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads!

((In case you were wondering: This series is largely inspired by Emily P. Freeman’s book : Simply Tuesday: Small-Moment Living in a Fast-Moving World. I highly recommend it if you’ve not read it yet.))