While I was up north for the full week last month, I took time to work on the Fall Into Freedom worksheets I downloaded from Jess Connolly. Like the PowerSheets I work through every month, this is another tool I incorporated into my quiet time with the Lord to help me prepare for an intentional and purposeful season ahead. Today I thought I’d share what the Lord spoke to my heart and what I intend to focus on as I continue to abide in freedom this fall.
[PICK THREE WORDS]
The three words that I want to describe this season when it’s all said and done are ABUNDANCE, COZINESS, and PASSION.
Abundance because fall is a season of blessing and harvest. Coziness because fall is a season of settling back into the routine of home after summer, and snuggling under blankets and getting comfy next to the fire while watching football (or taking a nap). Passion because fall is a great time to draw close to God, the hubby, family and friends; and because there are some events this season that I know are going to fire me up for the year ahead!
[BEFORE IT BEGINS]
The first thing to do before the season officially begins is to sit down with the hubby and discuss all that fall holds for us with home, work, family, and friends. It’s important for us to communicate and be on the same page as much as possible before we dive head first into this busy season.
A couple of other things I’d like to do before the start of fall is continue to make the most of the time left at the lake by enjoying as many weekends as I can there prior to closing for the year. I really want to see the colors change and have a few more bonfires and take a couple of sunset cruises on the boat before the season ends. I also will be wrapping up work travels, especially in the northern region, and preparing for the new fiscal year to begin. And there are a couple of things I want to do at home before we entertain family and friends for the holidays again this year; mostly cleaning out / purging stuff from our storage spaces to make the necessary things easily accessible and easy to put away when it’s all said and done.
[ASK HIM WHERE TO GO]
In getting quiet with the Lord, I heard Him speak a lot of things to my heart about where He wants me to focus things this season. These are the things I wrote down …
- Go deeper with Him in His Word, prayer, and worship.
- Revel in my ‘daughter-ness’ – soak in my identity in Him – and understand how this changes everything. Fully embrace the truth that I am loved. I am free. I am enough. And I have all that I need in Him.
- Godly submission in my marriage. Let go of my fierce independence and ‘need for control’ and let Ken be the leader of this family.
- Connect with the people, places, and things that draw me closer to God and His will for my life.
[WHAT’S YOUR LAND]
When I thought about the land the Lord has given to me, so many “places” came to mind – home (the lake included), the areas I travel to and visit on a monthly basis, the places I will travel to in the coming months to see family and friends, and my social media / platforms.
But the more I thought about it and asked God specifically about where He wants me to focus my energy and attention, I felt Him say, “home.” Home is literally where the heart is; it is the hubby and I’s landing-place, our personal sanctuary. It is a gathering space where we welcome family and friends to come and rest. It is also my primary workplace. It is where I spend the majority of my time, and where the things that truly matter are cultivated, and therefore deems the primary place for me to pour into in this season.
I want my home to be a place of flourishing and thriving. I want it to be a place of contentment, peace, joy, and where Ken and I are building a legacy for our loved ones.
[IT’S TIME TO SAY NO]
Things I’m saying ‘no’ to this fall …
- Social Media from 5:00 – 8:00 each night (or longer). I intend to put the phone on the charger (stepping away from the distractions) and be present in whatever activity I’m doing and with the people closest to me in the evenings.
- Television / Netflix/ HBO GO to pass the time. Cut out unnecessary noise and time-wasters and do things that fire me up – read, write, go for a walk or run, work on creative projects.
- Anything that doesn’t bring peace or fruit, as these things present themselves through invitation, etc. I cannot do ALL THE THINGS. God, marriage, home. If it doesn’t fit into those things, then I’m saying ‘no.’
[WHAT DO YOU EXPECT]
Life, hope, and truth I’m preaching to myself in prep for the coming season …
I expect that God knows me, sees me, hears me, and will be faithful in working all things out for my good and His glory.
I expect that as I let go of my own expectations and let Him take the lead in my life, that He will write a better story than I could ever write on my own.
I expect that there are beautiful blessings to be found in this season and that as I choose to see myself as blessed, I will indeed be blessed.
I expect that God will bring me to the other side of the growing pains I’ve experienced this past year and that He is making everything like new, setting the course for a future that has direction and purpose in His name.
[RHYTHMS]
The rhythms that bring me everyday abundance …
- Waking up to spend time with Jesus and enjoying a big, hot mug of coffee.
- Exercise 5 to 6 times per week (cardio and strength workouts).
- Eating a solid breakfast every morning.
- Grocery shop once/week (on a lunch hour if possible) to avoid taking up other time on the week / weekends to do this.
- Cook and eat at home as much as possible.
- Post on this platform on Wednesdays.
- Social media free time from 5:00 – 8:00 every night.
- Put on pjs, wash face, apply and diffuse oils, and read before bed.
So there you have it – my continued journey to health, wholeness, and ultimately living in freedom in this season and this year. I don’t expect perfection in any of these things, and it’s not about striving for these things, but rather, it’s about making progress and going after the things God has made clear to me as of the utmost importance and to put my energy and focus on in this time.