by Tari Faris, @FarisTari
It is that time of year again. My kids start school on Monday and my summer leisure shifts into hustle and to-do lists. I have always found August and September a little more stressful getting back into the school schedule and then adding in writing and conference.
And this year, I am throwing in a book deadline into the mix as well as the launch of my debut novel. Wow!
Will life ever slow down?
Let’s face it. NO, it won’t.
But we can learn to find rest in the midst of the busy. But to do that, I think you need to figure out what gives you rest. Each of us is unique so assuming that we all find it the same way seems ridiculous.
I am not speaking of sleep, although that is important. I am talking about the unwinding-deep-breath-tension-releasing rest. I used to think it was escaping into binging Netflix or a good book. And while those aren’t always bad they don’t often recharge as much as they numb out.
Every summer I escape to Michigan for a few weeks as well as camping somewhere with the family. And as I soaked it all in this summer, I began to take inventory of what gave me rest. Because if I knew what recharged me, then I could tap into that knowledge more than just during the summer. Was it Michigan? No, because I found rest camping too. I found rest riding in the car for hours staring out the window. I found rest driving through the country side of Michigan through the hills where the trees meet in a canopy over the road (absolute favorite).
I finally came to the conclusion that for me I find real rest in three ways: free thought, nature, and time with God.
By free thought, I mean taking a few minutes to just let my mind wander in quiet. Sometimes to stories, sometimes to unsolved problems, sometimes to food but all done in quiet with little sensory input.
I used to hate taking a long time to fall asleep but now I see it as a time of rest before my sleep as my mind process the day.
Nature is difficult for me. I live in a suburb with lots of houses and getting away to nature isn’t that easy. But after reflecting how much it renews me over the summer, I have decided that maybe I need to make it a part of my Saturday. Find a way to get into nature and refresh.
Third and finally, (and actually primarily) taking time with God. That daily time keeps my focus off me and on Him.
So, have you thought about what brings you rest? I would highly encourage taking the time to figure it out. Because life never seems to slow down. We must learn to find rest in the midst of it all.
What Secrets Are Hiding Behind the Doors of this Small Town?
Real estate agent Hannah Thornton loves the historic community of Heritage, Michigan. Unfortunately, selling houses is not one of her fortes. She sees each house and the larger town of Heritage as something to be valued, not sold-off to the highest bidder. When a business mogul arrives in town determined to exploit the land and build a new strip mall, Hannah is determined to stop him from bulldozing her town’s past. At first no one supports her efforts—not even her best friend, Luke. Can Hannah help the town of Heritage see that true value lies in the things you cannot put a price tag on?
Even though Luke Johnson has grown up in Heritage as a foster child, he never truly felt like he belonged. Anxious to earn his place in the town and in Hannah’s heart, Luke applies for the job of assistant fire chief. But Luke does not anticipate the interview process to unearth secrets from his past he has kept carefully hidden. Will the pain of being honest be worth the risk? Can he pull down the walls he’s erected around his bruised heart?
Tari Faris has been writing fiction for thirteen years but has been creating fiction in her head as long as she can remember. She signed with Revell for her debut novel – You Belong with Me – which will be released in September 2019. She is represented by Wendy Lawton at Books & Such Literary Management and is a member of ACFW and My Book Therapy. She was the 2017 Genesis winner, 2016 Genesis finalist, and 2014 Genesis finalist. In addition to her writing, she also work for My Book Therapy as a special project manager and blog coordinator for LearnHowToWriteANovel.com . When she is not writing or working, she spends time with her amazing husband and kids. In her free time, she loves coffee, rock hounding with her husband and kids, and distracting herself from housework. You can connect with her at www.tarifaris.com