Do you have peace?

We're almost done with the first quarter of 2013! It's incredible the way time flies...don't you remember the long and lazy days of a childhood summer? I remember days so long it felt like a week, but not in the bad way that days feel long as an adult. Those days didn't feel long because they were frustrating or tiresome or hard, but because the wonder they held was endless. From the first morning swim to catching lightning bugs at night while your parents' voices floated through the backyard. Peace. Long days felt like wonder-filled peace.

I don't want to look back on 2013 as a blur, well, as much as I have control over that. I want to live it with purpose and passion. I want it filled with fewer things and more memories. I want to be bored and I want to have at least a few wonder-filled, endless days.

To do that, I have to look at what is working in my life and what is, more to the point, not working. Being a quarter into the year gives me a good look back, but tons of time left. It's the perfect time for reevaluating and realigning my goals, expectations, and also look at the patterns I may have fallen into unintentionally.

So, for a quarter year check-up...let's ask some questions.

1. What has been life-giving to you so far this year?
2. What has drained you?
3. Do you feel like the rhythm of your weeks is working for you?
4. Could you cut anything out that is unnecessary?
5. Are you making time for the Lord? For really listening to the still.small.voice? That may look different for different people. How does that look for you?
6. Do you see any commonalities when you look at what has brought you great joy and a lot of life so far in 2013? Can you add more like that?
7. When you look at what drains you, can you stop doing it or at least change the way you do it? If you hate doing email, could you check it when you're most energized? Or check it less frequently? If you hate bringing snacks to Sunday School, could you see if you could give money to a friend and have them do it (only if THEY love that sort of thing!).
8. How can you bring a healthy and hopeful rhythm to your week?