Be Still and Know

We are trying our best to slow things down here in the Prendergast house.  This thing called life can move so fast…I mean is 2017 really coming to a close?!   We live in a world that challenges us to go, go, go.  However, Facebook memories constantly pop up reminding me of how little our babies were just a year ago and how quick time passes in the blink of an eye.  Being a girl of efficiency and “I gotta do it all right now” conviction, I often have to check myself and remember my true priorities. One of my favorite bible verses, “Be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10),” is always so grounding for me – an important reminder of who is really in control.  (I even wear a mantra band of this as a daily reminder.)

Brendan and I talk a lot about the specific areas of our lives we could stand to simplify. How would our family benefit if we applied the brakes and slowed down just some of the unnecessary daily hustle?  One area that we’ve really focused on is our fitness routine.  We’ve made a point to maximize our workouts  in a way to make them more efficient and less consuming of our family time.  I’ve realized that burning 300-400 calories in an hour of chronic cardio is way less fulfilling than an hour of playing with my babes at the park. Busting out some quick pull ups at home and then taking a family ‘adventure walk’ brings joy and memories that you’d never make on an elliptical machine – not to mention getting a much better workout. Brendan talked a little about this in his recent Fitbit post, but maybe being still doesn’t always mean not moving, but it can just be about slowing down.   Moving frequently—even at a slow pace—can really be a lot more effective than you might think.  Of course high intensity workouts are essential too, but now we do them in moderation and in ways we enjoy, like my favorite group fitness class or an epic OCR date.  A workout should never feel stressful or burdensome.

I could go on about about other areas we’ve been trying to slow down such as eating, spending, staying up late, etc, but I’ll save those for another day. Nonetheless simplifying makes life so much richer and infinitely more rewarding.  As I prepare for Christmas Day and the start of 2018, I am promising myself that when next December hits I will look back without regret knowing that I took time everyday to be still with my beautiful babies, my sweet husband, my daily health choices, even my trials, and most importantly my blessings.  Wishing all my family and friends a Merry Christmas. I pray you can find moments of silent joy in the coming weeks.

So let me know, what do you do to slow down and be still in this world of go, go, go? Leave a comment below, we’d love to hear from ya!

Rachel