113 | Embracing + Releasing

As the weather has turned colder here in the Upper Midwest, I’ve been honoring my urge to nest.⁣

⁣It feels different this time. Maybe the momentum gained from finally tackling our garage project has given us a boost of energy to finish other projects. That’s part of it, but I think the bigger difference is me.⁣

⁣For the first time in forever, my mindset isn’t about fixing—fixing the space so that I can fix me. This time it is about embracing and releasing. As I have been embracing this new season of vocational discovery and a healthier, healed, and more centered version of myself, it’s easier to release the things, beliefs, and mindsets that no longer serve.⁣

⁣I recently redid my office. It was fine before. It was fine for doing ministry work from home during the pandemic. It was fine for this year of renewal and discernment. It was fine, until it wasn’t.⁣

⁣I started making changes to address functional issues. I wanted to put away the things that tend to pile up, especially paper, books, and small bits of tech equipment. Inspired by an Young House Love project, I built a bigger desk with more storage. I ordered bookshelves. As I emptied the space and moved things around, I realized the sofa wasn’t going to fit where I had planned for it to go—it was too deep to fit with the larger desk. It no longer fit—literally or metaphorically. I released the couch. I also released the belief that because it was fine, it had to stay.⁣

⁣Embracing and releasing work in tandem. As I embrace who I am at my core as a beloved child of God and who I am becoming, I am better able to release the things of me that are no longer true or vital. As I release the things that no longer serve, I make space to embrace what is life-giving and life-enhancing in this season. The result is that I feel like I’ve come home to myself. The nesting is simply bringing this to life in our home. ⁣

⁣Reflection Questions

🪴 What are you embracing in this season?⁣

🪴 What are you releasing!⁣