Fueling Up For The Fall

09/10/19 • 37 min

If you are like us, your fall calendar looks daunting! Dates filling up your schedule quickly can often leave us scrambling for air until we suddenly hit Christmas Break and wonder where the year went. In an effort to play “the long game” and steward a busy season well, we discuss our plan of attack to keep us fueled through a busy fall and reveal errors we have made in the past and learned from. You’ll leave this episode with some helpful pointers on not burning out but also the encouragement Scripture gives us to manage all our days well. SHOW NOTES - Signs of stress may not be any sort of breakdown, but when we find ourselves in a deficit it can show in our day to day lives, especially in doing the hard work of loving others. [Psa 127:2] - "It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep." Keys to Staying Fueled: Rhythms [Psa 90:12] - "So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. Disciplines - There's so much good that comes from the meat of Scripture and dependence of prayer. Build it into your daily rhythms. Sleep [Psa 4:8] - "In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." - Sleep is an act of faith. In it, we trust His hands and His work - not our own. “No" [Luke 10] - Martha was anxious and too busy by doing "good things." - Staying fueled can mean saying "no" to things that are good and God-honoring to prioritize the better and best. "Yes" - There's just times you need someone to talk to, someone to bear the load with. Say, “yes” to help, to accountability, to community. What We Are Loving: Daniel: Soups for fall weather. Heather: Sleep...particularly my new “granny bedtime.”

Find Us Here:

Daniel www.danielritchie.org

Twitter || Facebook ||Instagram

Heather Instagram

Find Us Here:

Daniel www.danielritchie.org

Twitter || Facebook ||Instagram

Heather Instagram

Previous Episode

Doing The Hard Work of Loving Well

Loving people sounds easy but is actually very hard! We break this broad topic down by covering the 3 main areas we ought to practice loving others better: loving those close to us, those far from us and in our church community. For most of us, one of those is harder than the others. Whatever category you fall in, there is hope and a challenge for every one of us to push forward in loving people better. Loving as Christ loved. SHOW NOTES

3 Different Perspectives: - Cultural Perspective - How are they treating me (self-focused) - Personal Perspective - What is easiest for me (lazy loving) - Godly Perspective - How am I treating them? (Others focused)

Loving those close to me -Ephesians 5 - we ought to love those in our families so well as to not create blemish, to present them as Christ presents us to God. -Sometimes to love others well we have to make sure we are managing our own stress well. (Sleep, exercise, time away, a hobby, etc.) - [Matthew 7:12] - “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." - Know how your fam wants to be loved and pursue them in that w/o being asked - This is a way to be like Christ to your family.

Loving those far away - Acknowledge them. A "hello", head nod, eye contact. Treat them like the image bearer they are. - Be willing to engage in unexpected conversation. That's eye-opening in a disengaged world. - Live with the hope that you have so that you have the chance to speak of the hope you have. [1 Peter 3:15] - "but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,"

Loving those in gospel community - Vulnerability is crucial. The community can't bear burdens you won't lay down. [Galatians 6:2] - "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." - Accountability matters. The world doesn't seek out hard conversations apart from social media. Truth in love. - Be present. You can't love who you don't know. What we are loving this week: Daniel - Headphones Heather - Enjoying morning walks around my neighborhood.

Next Episode

The Power of Home

As everyone wants to start talking about fall and soon after, the holidays, we recognize much of that revolves around the home. Homes come in all shapes and sizes, inhabited by singles, roommates, large and small families, empty nesters and more. But we all call a place “home” and today we unearth the power that home holds for us and others. Home is far more profound than simply the place we lay our head at night.

WHAT IS HOME? -We believe the act of coming home is the closest taste of heaven we get this side of eternity.

“I think homesickness is a holy desire because we were meant to be at home, to be profoundly loved and deeply known, to belong to a people and a place where our story can unfold nourished by beauty, formed by goodness, rooted in love.” - Sally Clarkson, The Lifegiving Home

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart,” Ecclesiastes 3:11

“There is a dignity gained in loving oneself (we are to love our neighbors as ourselves) in the proper way. There is a psychological need met in surrounding oneself with beauty in the right way. There is expression that can be fulfilling even if other eyes do not see it and other voices do not say ‘thank you.’” - Edith Schaeffer The Hidden Art of Homemaking

SO WHAT DOES HOME LOOK LIKE FOR YOU? - Define what home means for you. Not from a tv show, Pinterest or a magazine. - Homes have doors - to let in and shut out. What/who are you opening your home to? What are you shutting out?

WHAT ARE PRACTICAL WAYS TO BRING BEAUTY IN ONE’S HOME? - Paint!! You can change almost ANYTHING quickly and cheaply with paint! - Nature. Seasonal decorating is great but don’t feel the need to compete. Keep it simple. - Refer to the 5 senses. How can you use them all to create an experience you desire for yourself and others within your home? - Just get going...start with the thing that bugs you the most in your home. - Ask how you can use your home to bless another today.

WHAT WE ARE LOVING THIS WEEK: Daniel - The Lowe Post Podcast

Heather - chrislovesjulia.com and younghouselove.com

Find Us Here:

Daniel www.danielritchie.org

Twitter || Facebook ||Instagram

Heather Instagram

Have a great week! Be Kind!