I have this tradition that when I am turning another year older, I write about my last day of being _______________ (what my age is).

It is something that I have done over a number of years.

I love looking back and seeing how my year has been.

I love reflecting on my year.

I take the time to write in my journal, this is so important for me.

I am so grateful that I have another year to experience life.

Another year to make a difference.

I love writing and journaling, I love being creative.

I really do.

Tomorrow is my birthday and I am looking forward to celebrating it.

Yes, I will be going to work and I am grateful that I have a job to go to.

I am grateful to spend it with amazing people.

How do you celebrate your birthday?

I would love to hear from you.

Today is my last day for school holidays, tomorrow I am back at work and I am so looking forward to seeing everyone.

I really am.

I love holidays, I used to have a job where I didn’t take holidays and now in my role as a primary school Chaplain, I have holidays.

I am required to take holidays.

I love holidays, it is really important to take breaks and rest.

I am reflecting on these holidays and although they were not how I planned to spend them, I enjoyed them.

If you have been reading my blog, you would know that I hurt my foot and was required to rest.

I love how when I went to the Doctors, I said to him my foot is just bruised, he looked at me and said it is very badly bruised.

I really couldn’t do a lot of the things on my list, that I had planned.

That is okay, I can still do them over the next few weeks and weekends. There is still time.

Sometimes you just need to embrace the moment and listen to your body.

There are time when you need to listen to the professionals.

I have had time to just be and to sit and relax, I have had time to pray and believe.

I have had time to be creative, to blog, to write and to watch Netflix.

I have had time to be grateful.

Would I like these holidays to be different?

Maybe.

I am hopeful.

Will share more soon.

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I love random acts of kindness; I love giving to others.

I really do.

I have a lovely neighbour where I live that will leave on my doorstep a lovely bowl of salad, every now and then.

She left me one a few weeks ago, which was such a blessing.

You see she didn’t know what my day had involved.

She didn’t know what such a blessing seeing a lovely bowl of salad on my doorstep meant to me at that time.

I was so grateful, I really was.

Last week I had my youngest niece stay with me and I told her about my lovely neighbour who had left me a bowl of salad.

I said to my niece I want to give something to my neighbour that left me some salad.

I love being with my niece and showing her about kindness and how we can encourage others.

I had ordered online some clothing and I had ordered an extra hat.

I said to my niece lets write a note, let’s leave the hat and the bowl.

My niece wrote a note to my neighbour encouraging her.

We then went to my neighbour’s house with the bowl, hat and the note and placed it at her front door.

We snuck up ever so quietly.

I did not realise that my niece had knocked on the door.

We had placed the items near the front door and then ran.

I love random acts of kindness.

My niece said shall we see if she has found it?

We snuck out and had a look and the items were still there.

The next day when my niece woke up, she said let’s go and check?

We snuck out and looked around at my neighbour’s front door and the items where gone.

The look on my niece’s face was priceless, she was so excited.

I want to be a role model for niece and show her how to help others.

I want her to know that she can make a difference.

What is a random act of kindness that you can do today?

I would love to hear from you.

This week I have been reflecting on rediscovering me, I have had time to reflect.

This holiday is not how I would have planned it, I have about 18 things to do on my to do list.

I have achieved about 8 things on my list which is surprising.

Things you can do while in a moonboot.

My role is a primary school Chaplain and I love what I get to do, I really do.

I work with amazing teams and I am grateful for this.

My days are very full and I love what I get to do, I really do.

I am so grateful for a job where I can make a difference.

I wanted to achieve so much this holiday but I have been forced to rest, I have been forced to take life a bit more slowly.

I have been forced to spend time at home.

What is a girl to do, when she is supposed to be resting her foot?

Well.

I have been able to pray and seek God during this time, I have been able to listen to amazing women and men of God speak into my life.

I have been able to write more, who knew.

I have been able to take the time to be creative.

I have been embracing this time and, in a way, I am grateful for it.

Today is day six in my moon boot, I have been thinking about what I am grateful for.

We can always have a pity party of one and focus on all the things that we can’t do. Yes, I have been guilty of this a few times.

I can wallow in the negative moments and park there for a while.

I have even camped out in my pity party for a few days (sometimes months).

Yes, I am being vulnerable here.

What if we turned it around, what if we focused on what we are grateful for?

What would that feel like, what would it look like?

Today I am grateful for-

• Pray
• On-line prayer
• On-line church
• School holidays
• Taking time to rest
• My moonboot
• Great health care
• Being able to have the time to rest
• Friends
• Having the time to write
• Having the time to be creative
• Discovering creative ideas
• Family
• Reading
• A home to recover in
• A car
• That it is my left foot and I can still drive my car

What is something that you are grateful for today?

Let’s encourage one another.

Let’s cheer each other on.

Will talk soon.

When You Are Forced to Rest

Today I am forced to rest, I am on school holidays.

I don’t know about you but I find it difficult to rest to just sit in the moment.

I find it difficult to just relax.

I really do.

It has taken me a long time to realise that it is okay to just sit and be in the moment.

I have had to learn this on purpose.

I have always been an on-the-go women.

Today I find myself day 3 in a moon boot, I have bruised my foot and needed to rest.

I am required to rest.

The Doctor has recommended me to rest.

Now I am a person who is on the go, who lives life to the full and pushes herself to be all she can.

Today I am required to take it easy, I am required to just rest, I am required to allow myself to heal.

Why do we find it so difficult to rest?

Why is it that we need permission to rest?

Why do we feel guilty when we just sit and rest?

Resting and looking after ourselves is self-care.

Self-care is really important and we need to invest in it, we really do.

Today I am challenged to remind myself that I am an important woman and that I deserve to rest.

What are you reminding yourself about today?

What do you need to do for yourself today?

I would love to hear from you.

You are worthy, valued and loved.

You really are.

Let’s be kind to ourselves.

We have got this.