July: Lazy Rest and Little Guilt

I had so much fun documenting what I learned in June, I thought I’d do it again in July!

Like the month, this post swings from fun to serious and right back again. Hope you can stick with me and share what you learned in the comments below.

Clear Eyes, Full Hearts…

July came on the heels of discouragement and burn-out and a fatigue I couldn’t shake. Only a few days into a brand new month, after a very productive and extremely exhausting day, I found myself curled up on the couch starting a brand new (to me) TV show.

Watching a show commercial-free and back-to-back can make a story more enticing. But when the storyline weaves in some of the very burdens I’ve been pondering in my heart, I’m hooked.

I don’t watch a lot of TV, not because I don’t enjoy some of it, I simply don’t have the time. But this month? I gave myself permission to rest and be lazy and not feel guilty about it.

So, Friday Night Lights? You got me, and I appreciated you….and now I want to move to Texas — and say y’all all. the. time. #thankyouverymuch

Have you seen the show? Tell me you don’t want to move to Texas too. I think I might actually like football now!

Had I watched this show when it first released — and had I  been blogging then — I think this is a show I would’ve blogged about. Each episode gave so much to talk about! Friendship, loyalty, grace, legalism, prejudice, finding who you are — eek! Maybe one day I’ll get around to writing about some of the very distinct things I was challenged by and learned through watching a secular, primetime TV drama!

{Ohhhh, and, I watched the show 6 years late, so I noticed it, but y’all (see, there I go!) did you realize how many FNL actors show up in NBC’s Parenthood? Cracked me up!}

Fitting into Me

This July I realized that I’m finding myself – more than I ever have before – and that sounds so corny and hippie but somehow it’s true.

I’ve always been reflective and introspective, but there’s been something about this past year, this past season, even this past month — I’m recognizing things in myself I never have before and certain pieces of me that have always been blurry are coming into focus. I feel like I’m seeing myself, understanding who God has made me, in ways I never noticed or gave thought to before.

I’m 32 years old, and I’m only now feeling like I’ve found the shape God has called me to be. Now I’m just stretching out the skin, trying to find the right size.

I Want a New Shirt

Speaking of sizes makes me think of clothes, which causes me to lament my pitiful summer wardrobe. Before kids, I was an elementary teacher – which meant working at a day camp all summer or having the freedom to stop by school in my workout clothes or tank tops.

Then I had kids, and we all know how our wardrobe can dwindle when the only clothes shopping we do is for the kids!

Needless to say, when it comes to ninety degree weather, my closet has slim pickings. So I’m depending on StitchFix to come to my rescue! You can read of my love for Stitch Fix here or follow me on Instagram to see what comes in my box.

(Have you signed up for Stitch Fix yet? If not, what are you waiting for?! That’s my referral link, so if you do end up using it to sign up, my wardrobe and I thank you!)

My New Favorite Beverage

I’m a water girl through and through. It’s my go-to thirst quencher, which I suppose is something to be proud of (??).

I don’t drink much pop (or soda, or coke, depending on where you’re from), and I don’t even buy much juice – mostly because I’m part cheapskate and part avoider of all the added sugar (which is kind of paradoxical when you see how much sugar I add to my coffee).

But this July, I learned that I. love. kombucha. — GT’s Organic Raw Kombucha. Citrus flavor to be exact.

For those of you wondering what kombucha is, basically, it’s a fermented tea. {I might not mention that it is grown from a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast.} Sounds gross, I know, but it’s so good and so good for you, too!  I might actually start to brew my own kombucha. We’ll see. Still reading up on that.

Goodbye, July: You were a blessing.

July meant trips to the pool and donuts for breakfast, and watching far too much television. There was life and there was joy and there was freedom and rest. 

There was something about that relenting — giving myself permission to not push, not pressure, not produce — there was healing in this month, and I learned just how much I needed that release.

 

Question for you:

What is something you learned in July?

Or, you know, tell me what you think about some of this other randomness: Friday Night Lights, kombucha, aging, moving to Texas!! What’s on your mind?

 

Linking up with Emily to share what I learned in July.