This week saw us taking a trip to Brussels in Belgium, to meet with colleagues working in International Ministry throughout Europe. People serving in Germany, Switzerland, France, Belgium and Sweden formed our group this year and we took time together to talk, worship, listen and enjoy each other as well as the city of Brussels.
- Listening to an experienced Pastor talk about listening for God’s calling in his life was just what I needed to hear this week.
- Hearing from those in such similar, yet such different church environments was insightful in so many ways.
- Leading worship and worshiping with friends and colleagues touched my heart.
- Seeing the good works, enthusiasm and inclusivity of this church, which experiences significant turnover due to its location in the very International City of Brussels, was deeply encouraging.
- Being able to talk openly, take a step back and breathe was more helpful than I could have imagined.
In fact, it is clear to me that this week was just what I needed.
Thank you colleagues.
Thank you Brussels.
Brussels: A City Of Contrasts.
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All Photos © 2016 Anita & Benjamin Tatlow
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that I don’t really like February. January? January I like: A month filled with good intentions, positive thoughts and a curious excitement as you look unknowingly towards the potential that the new year holds.
It is a month full of feelings that I want to capture and keep. I want to wake up everyday and be excited at the possibilities of what that new days holds.
If you’ve seen the Disney Pixar Movie ‘Inside Out’, basically, I want to be the character Joy. Everyday. (But I will admit that I am definitely much closer to her co-stars Disgust, Anger, Fear and sometimes even Sadness than I am to Joy.) And, if you haven’t seen this movie – you must. It’s like therapy…in a Disney movie! Great stuff.
So in light of this revelation (and in my effort to be more like Joy), I have made 3 simple adjustments to my life in an attempt to simplify, create positivity and keep me looking & moving forward:
1. Exercise in the morning
No excuses. Whether I feel like it or not. In fact, when I don’t feel like it, that is when I need it the most. So I do. (Yoga mostly… And maybe I’ll squeeze in a weekly run… But either way, I make sure I do it.)
2. Set reasonable goals for each day
This is especially important on the days when I work from home. I start by writing a to-do list for the day, stick it on my fridge and cross off each task as I work my way through it. Inevitably, the tasks do vary in size – some big and some small – and as I was recently inspired to acknowledge even the simple things, I make sure I do acknowledge and celebrate the completion of them all.
3. Turn off push notifications (and avoid checking my email).
Working to the point of burnout is just no fun at all. So now, when I am not working, I don’t. This is easier said than done, especially when you care about what you do (that would be most of us, I hope). But now I intentionally put work aside and enjoy my downtime. Guilt-free.
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So there you have it. Just 3 small changes… but gradually and remarkably I have begun to feel more like Joy…
January has closed its doors.
February is welcome now… slightly warmer than its winter cousin (for now at least)…
But let us not forget January:
When doors were pushed.
Steps were taken. Just baby steps and tiny movements.
But movements all the same.
And now February is here.
And answers lie around the next corner.
Answers which I do not hold they key to…not yet.
But I do hold onto hope.
I let it surround my heart.
Build me up. Inspire me. Encourage me.
I try to hold onto faith as well as hope… and hope that both don’t slip away through my fingers.
Welcome February.
Help me to jump beyond my baby steps. And take the leap you want me to.
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All Photos © 2016 Anita & Benjamin Tatlow
