{Day 13}: journaling 101

I was eighteen when I started my first journal. Oh, I had written down other things before that, like starting two or three diaries and never finishing them.

Remember those, with the lock and key on them? Nope. Never could stick with those. 

Instead, I began journaling in earnest in my eighteenth year after going through a deep heartbreak.

I bought a 5 x 7 three ring binder. I found some blue quilted fabric with flowers on it in my mom's sewing stash, and some white eyelet trim. I covered that three ring binder by laying it out on the fabric and cutting carefully around it to make it fit just right. I sewed the eyelet lace and fabric around the binder by hand. 

My first journal. 

I made it mainly for writing my prayers and thoughts down. I wasn't told I "should" do this (then, I likely wouldn't have done it!), or that it would deepen my relationship with God or improve my mental health if I kept a journal. This was something that a little voice inside of me said would be a good idea. I've never looked back. 

Writing down prayers and thoughts has been a life-line for my soul. It's truly been a soul spa that I've turned to on a mostly daily basis to clear the soul clutter, pray or just sort out my feelings.

Often, just sitting down with pen and journal and writing out my emotions on a particular issue, the answer will somehow make itself known to me as I'm writing.  

It's like writing down my thoughts and feelings is the key that unlocks answers to my questions.  Often it is a great catalyst to problem solving.

Writing down my prayers helps me stay focused. It also provides a record of prayers, questions, and problems I needed answers to. I've been able to go back days, months, even years later and see how those things have been answered. And, thankfully, I've been able to see how I've grown and changed over the years as I've learned a few things. :)

Maybe you're saying to yourself, "I just can't journal. I've tried. It's not for me." Maybe, you're right. Maybe this isn't for you. 

What about writing down three things a day that you're grateful for? Even that is a spa for your soul as you take a few moments to focus on the good.

Thanks for joining me today, friends!

~Anne

Today is Day 13 of 31 Days of Soul Spas. I'm so glad you've joined me, or even if you're just popping in to see what this is all about, Welcome! You can head over to my first post in this series to get a list of all Soul Spa posts!

Writing for the month of October with a tribe of writers. We all picked our own topic and they can all be found over at write31days.com.

{Day 12}: faith for your soul

It would be a huge mistake for me to go through all month of Soul Spa posts and not tell you about the Best Soul Spa I've ever had, and it's been a life-long journey.

It began in second grade when I went with a friend to a girls Bible club. I was visiting that day, and the leaders explained to my group about God's love for us and how Jesus died on the cross for our sins and shortcomings. Even at the young age of 8 years old, I knew about Jesus because my parents had taken me to church since I was a little girl.

But, I'd never made my belief in Jesus a personal one. Somehow, I knew I needed to. I needed to receive Jesus' love for myself and tell Him I agreed with Him about the bad things I'd done or thought. (I'm sure the time I had "borrowed" my cousin's Barbie's outfit came to mind.)

That day in 2nd grade, I asked Jesus to come into my life, (my soul) and stay. I told Him I believed in His death on the cross for me. And, I also believed that He had risen from the dead (in real life) about two thousand years ago.

Life didn't magically become perfect for me. Following Jesus doesn't guarantee a perfect life, but it does guarantee He'll always be with us. Always.

I still experienced heartache and wounds. I knew in my heart I was never alone, though. That Jesus was always with me.

I can't even tell you how many times I've gone through a low spot, or even a storm in my life, where God has been with me, strengthening me and giving me grace to get through it. He's restored my broken heart countless times and helped me to forgive time and time again.

God restores my soul.
He satisfies my spiritual thirst and hunger with His love.

His promises are true and trustworthy.
He's proved it in my life over and over again.

Tomorrow, I'll share a way that I deepened my relationship with God when I was eighteen. And, I've never looked back.



Do you have a personal relationship with God? Would you like to?
Have you felt the restoration of soul that the scriptures in this post talk about?

I'd love to hear your story in the comments, or if you have any questions about this step of faith, please ask in the comments or write your email in the comments and I will help in any way I can.

Blessings and love to you, friends,

~Anne

Thanks for joining me for 31 Days of Soul Spas! Today is Day 12! Please go here to see a list of all the posts this month so far! 

This post is part of #write31days for the whole month of October. Check out write31days.com if you are interested to learn more!

{Day 11}: soul space to remember the good

I'm not sure why, but Sundays bring back family memories for me. Especially in the Fall. Memories from growing up.

I grew up on a farm in Nebraska, and on Sundays my family would get up, rush around like crazy people, drive the eight miles into town to go to church. Then, sometimes we'd come home to the roast, potatoes and carrots in the oven for Sunday Dinner, but usually we'd drive somewhere and go out together as a family.

Sundays were lazy days back then. Dad would be watching football, mom did too, and us kids all did our own thing and tried not to pick on each other too much.

My Dad relaxing. Probably on a Sunday afternoon

It's not that I"m a huge football fan, I'm not. But to this day if my husband turns on a game on the weekends, I have this strange sense of peace and comfort.

Hearing the sound of a football game on TV reminds me of my dad sitting in his recliner on Sundays with a cup of coffee in his hand. He was a full-blooded Swede after all.

Dad was a farmer, so he worked long hours during the week and on Saturdays--(sometimes before sun up and usually to sundown), but he always took Sundays off for rest. The Sabbath rest was something Dad made a priority and I admire him for that. I know he needed it, and it set a good example for me as a child.

It does my soul good to recall these memories from my past. 

These good memories. 

I think slowing down my own pace on Sunday allows the mental space to remember the good things.

How about you? Do you take a day a week to rest, or create some mental space for your soul? 

Blessings and soul rest on your Sunday, friends!

~Anne

This post is part of a 31 day series called 31 Days of Soul Spas. I'm linked up with 100's of other bloggers over at write31days.com for the month of October. Each person has picked their own topic to share for 31 days. 

Check out my first post for a list of all of this month's posts! Thanks for joining me on this journey!

{Day 10}: Keeping a curious soul

My husband is one of the most curious people I know, and my young adult children are a close second. My husband has loved libraries since he was a young boy when his mom would take he and his siblings to the book mobile down the street. He would check out a few books, sit down on the grass and read them and then check out different ones before they would go home.

He still loves to read and goes to the library to read the paper and check out books at least once a week, if not more. He reads books about business, innovation, Science Fiction, WWII, presidential biographies and more.

I read books too, but he puts me to shame! (not on purpose, it's just a fact!)

hubby's library run

To be completely fair, though, some books he just reads the first few pages and if it doesn't capture his attention fully, he'll grab another one from his stack. 

His latest library trek was yesterday, and he came home with two Sci Fi, one business book and a book on story telling. 

On my last library visit, I checked out two books I could look through fairly quickly in an evening because I'm doing quite a bit of writing this month :) and I started another online painting course.

my library run

But, I want to keep a curious soul. I want to always be a learner and have an open mind and heart to what is new. This is a process for me. A life long journey.

Curiosity keeps me learning about creativity, my own life, and the lives of others.

How about you? How do you cultivate a curious soul?

Thanks for joining me today on this 10th Day of Soul Spa posts! I hope you are enjoying these and finding things that tend your soul. Check out the first post in the series for a list of all the posts for this month.

Blessings to you!

~Anne

{Day 9}: Your creative soul {Part 2}

"If we want to make meaning, we need to make art. Cook, write, draw, doodle, paint, scrapbook, take pictures, collage, knit, rebuild an engine, 

sculpt, dance, decorate, act, sing--it doesn't matter. 

As long as we're creating, we're cultivating meaning." 

~Brene Brown

As I talked about yesterday in part 1, when we want to unleash our creative souls, we encounter obstacles. Putting pen to paper or brush to canvas (or any creative work) is like having to push a huge boulder of opposition out of the way first. 

It's like a mental and emotional workout to push that opposition out of the way, so the creative spirit can come to the surface and then come out.

"Creativity, which is the expression of our originality, helps us stay mindful that what we bring to the world is completely original and cannot be compared."

~Brene Brown

My self talk growing up was, "Never make mistakes! That way everyone will be happy with you! You must keep everyone happy all the time!"

Loud gremlins that were allowed their way in my mind, heart and soul for too long!

My soul was whispering that it wanted to create, but was afraid to show itself for fear of getting hurt.

I took a Kelly Rae Roberts online mixed media class (kellyraeroberts.com) that has changed that self talk into something more positive.

Kelly Rae had us do journaling (soul work) before even getting the paints out. I was frustrated at first, because I thought, "why not just get started painting?" But, tears surfaced during the journaling session. I think because the soul work touched someplace deep inside of me that needed attention. That place that had been afraid to show itself.

I needed affirmation and encouragement that I was worthy of this work. I was worthy of learning new things on and off the canvas. I was worthy of peeking inside to see what my heart was whispering. The whispers that were longing to be shared with the world.

During journaling for that class, my inner wisdom spoke up and said,

"Enough!"

"Enough of the gremlins shouting you're not good enough!"

"Enough of comparison being a thief to the joy of creating!"

"Enough!"

I remember the day I started to paint. Kelly Rae had us get paint on our hands and smoosh it around on the canvas haphazardly.

I cried.

I couldn't believe the feeling of freedom and permission I felt as I put my fingers in the paint.

The comparison gremlins quieted. The perfection gremlins were silenced.

Suddenly I felt free to let little Anne, the creative girl inside of me, out to play, to explore, to be curious and to have fun.

Painting has released a playful spirit in me and has given me permission to make mistakes, something I've never allowed myself to do.

Creating with words and paint has made those gremlins crumble.

They're shrinking and being silenced by my intentional creativity.

How about you? Is there something that you've always longed to do, but are afraid to try? Have you tried something new to you and felt renewed freedom to be yourself, and a renewed playful spirit (and soul)? 

I'd love to hear from you in the comments!

Blessings to you today, friend!

~Anne

Thanks for stopping by today on the 9th Day of my Soul Spa Series. Please go here for a list of all Soul Spa posts this month! 

Joining up with 100's of bloggers for the month of October. We've each picked a unique topic. It's worth a stop at write31days.com to see what it's all about!

{Day 8}: your creative soul {part 1}

"I'm not very creative" doesn't work. There's no such thing as creative people and non-creative people. There are only people who use their creativity and people who don't.

 Unused creativity doesn't just disappear. It lives within us until it's expressed, neglected to death, or suffocated by resentment and fear." 

~Dr. Brene Brown in The Gifts of Imperfection

This was one of the most freeing things I read in the book The Gifts of Imperfection. There's no such thing as creative people and non-creative people. Hmmm. That was a totally new thought. I no longer had any excuses not to create. Something. Some how.

One day, recently, I sat down and jotted down some of the obstacles I encounter when I think about being creative.  I was surprised to easily come up with a list of about thirteen right off the top of my head. I've narrowed my list to ten.


Top 10 obstacles to creating:

1. feeling "locked up" on the inside
2. time
3. comparison
4. perfectionism
5. "not good enough"
6. fear of what others will think
7. fear of rejection
8. lack of motivation
9. lack of inspiration
10. wondering if any of it matters

Things that go through my head.  What matters anyway? What really matters if I don't create? If I don't write or paint, or decorate my home, what does it matter? What does any of it mean, anyway? (pretty negative stuff, huh?)

It's not that my soul doesn't want to create. It really does! It's just that for so long I was afraid of showing up and being seen. I was caught in the comparison trap that kills creativity. I was also afraid of what my friends and family would think. I was afraid of not being good enough. 

Tomorrow, I want to share Part 2 with you. I want to share what's happened as I've taken some steps to unleash intentional creativity. Hopefully, it will encourage you that you, too, are a creative being and your soul wants to create! 

Here's to learning to let our creative souls soar!

Blessings to you, friend,

~Anne

Thanks for joining me on this 8th day of my Soul Spa series! Check back here for a list of all 31 Days of Soul Spas posts! Or if you'd like to receive each post in your inbox, simply type your email into the box on the sidebar of my blog!

I'm taking part in #write30days, a project with 100's of other bloggers each writing on a topic for the month of October. Head on over to write31days.com to see what it's all about

{Day 7}: flexibility and persistence of soul

Water is patient. Dripping water wears away a stone. Remember that, my child. Remember you are half water. If you can't go through an obstacle, go around it. Water does." ~Margaret Atwood

Just this morning I encountered my own inflexibility. I'm embarrassed to say this, but it was about a tortilla. I'm only going to keep writing because I'm probably safe in thinking this might have happened to someone else. Sometime.


I thought I'd seen it at a grocery store hubby and I had stopped at once, near our house, to pick up something else.

So, right before lunch, I said to myself, "I'm out of those tortillas and I think ____ has them. I'll just hop on over there real quick and pick some up so I can make my favorite quesadilla for lunch!"

But, I got there, and looked all around, found the frozen gluten free section, and no, I'd been mistaken, or they quit carrying it. I think I may have even muttered something under my breath in the store. I was miffed.

I had my mind set on having a quesadilla for lunch. 

I was too hungry at this point to go driving all over town in search of said tortilla.

I got in the car and could feel my neck tensing up (over a tortilla?). 

After backing out of my parking space, I realized I was tense and took a couple of deep breaths and said out loud, "It is what it is." At least I realized I was tense and that I'd better change my attitude before I got a headache over this!

Now that I'm home, and my tummy is full from a lunch of leftover chili, I can reflect on my impatience about the tortilla. 

When I see the above quote, I can realize that I am made of water and I can "go with the flow".

When I remember I am made of water, it gives me hope. Hope because water moves around obstacles. Things like boulders do not intimidate water. Water goes where it wants to. 

It's flexible. 
It flows. 
Smoothly. 
Gracefully. 
Persistent.

It's patient and can wear away a stone. Not overnight, mind you, but over time. Like water, I can change the the way I think about the circumstances surrounding me. With time and practice.

I can be flexible. I can bend and bow without breaking. Sometimes, I don't remember this and sometimes I feel caught. Trapped in times and situations that I feel will break me. 

Note to self, you are made of more strength, gumption and flexibility than you give yourself credit for.

This goes for you, too, friend! We can grow into being more flexible. You are stronger, have more gumption (what exactly is that?) and more flexible that you realize.

Thanks for joining me on this 7th day of Soul Spas! Hop on over here to see a list of all Soul Spa posts so far!

Blessings to you!
~Anne

{Day 6}: do your soul a favor

What do you do when you get offended?


A.  stuff it and pretend it didn't happen, and put on a fake smile

B.  blow up at the person who offended you and have a ton of regret later that      you lost control

C. forgive them

D. stuff it or blow up, but later forgive them. :)



Ever since I can recall, I've worn my heart on my sleeve. The plus side to this is an increased empathy quotient. The downside is with heart on sleeve, heart gets pricked often. 

Sometimes it's just a scrape and sometimes it's a gusher.

What to do?

I've read a lot about forgiveness. What it is and what it isn't. 

It isn't just being a doormat and letting other people run over you all the time and hurt you over and over again.
It isn't forgetting what happened.

But, forgiveness is like taking the stinger out. 
It's for you, the offended, more than for the offender.

It takes the emotional charge out of the memory that hurts.  

Forgiveness, for me, usually happens gradually and not all at once.
It begins with a decision and usually a written or verbal statement (to myself), "I forgive_____________ for __________."

Usually it takes awhile for my feelings to catch up with my decision to forgive. I think this is normal. And, depending on how badly you were hurt, it could take longer.

Someone cuts you off in traffic vs. a deep childhood trauma that changed the trajectory of your life.

Much of what I've learned about forgiveness has come from author, Joyce Meyer, who is also a worldwide speaker and teacher. In one of her talks she talks about how to get over offense. 

She admitted to times where she wanted to get revenge, but knew that wasn't productive, nor healthy for her to do so.

How to get rid of the offense then?

One of the ways she's found is to give a gift to the one who offended her. The thought behind that is, how can you stay angry at someone whom you've given a gift to? 

It has worked for her several times

And, it's worked for me. (that's not the only reason I give gifts though!)

Something in my soul is softened when a gift is given in the place of hurt.

It's like the offense can't stay lodged in my spirit and soul.

Giving leads to forgiving, leads to love, leads to freedom of soul and spirit, 

leads to peace.

Next time you're at one of those gift card kiosks, pick up a couple Starbucks cards. You never know when you might need one to heal the hurt in your soul.

What do you think about this? Have you ever given a gift to one who has hurt you? How do you deal with offense? 

Blessings to you today, friend.

~Anne

P.S. I realize that this may not be the best way to deal with offense for everyone. But, it is certainly a way that has helped me forgive.

Thanks for joining me today for Day 6 of 31 Days of Soul Spas! I'm so glad you did! Hop on over here to see a list of all 31 Days of posts so far!

Joining with 100's of bloggers over at write31days.com for the month of October. Lots of themes to choose from! Head on over there to see for yourself!

{Day 5}: allowing your soul time to transition

We moved last December 2nd.

It's taken 9 months or longer for my soul to accept living in this new house.  (new to us, built in 1948) I've gone back and forth over these nine months, either chastising myself for not decorating the walls more quickly, or being kind to myself in the process of transitioning after fourteen years in our other home.

I've lived with bare walls lots longer than I intended. I also planned to use the decor here that I didn't give away before we moved. Now, not so much. What gives?

It was seven months before anything but a clock went up and eight months before I could even think about more. This move hasn't only meant downsizing many possessions, moving what was left, and moving our bodies to a different address. 

But, my soul also had to make this transition and I think my soul has needed to take it's sweet time. 

Turns out, my soul had to finish up some unfinished "moving" business and has only recently begun to indicate more settledness here. This has been confusing at best, because I love our little home and it's park-like yard, and I wanted to make this move to simplify as much as my husband did.

My soul has needed time to transition.  There's been resistance to work through. Emotions from the past triggered that I've been rather surprised by.

But, I've needed to listen to and pay attention to my soul's whispers and allow it space and time.

How about you? Have you ever had a time where you needed to be patient in transition? To let the movement of your soul catch up with the transition of your body? 

By this, I mean transition in things like moving houses or towns, changing jobs, or starting a family?

Let's allow our souls space and time to transition, even if we don't fully understand why.

And, I'd love to hear your story in the comments!

Thanks for joining in with me on this 5th day of 31 Days of Soul Spas! Click here for a list of all Soul Spa posts! Or, if you'd like to receive each post in your inbox, simply add your email address to the box on the right sidebar!

Blessings to you today!

~Anne

I'm joining 100's of other bloggers for #write31days, where we each pick a theme to write about for the month of October. Head over to write31days.com to find lots of other topics!

{Day 4}: write your story down

I said to my hubby the other day, "I'm excited to do this soul spa series on my blog, but it's all been said before."  He kindly told me, "but, it hasn't been said from your perspective." #warmedmyheart

And so, I write things that have been said over and over again this world over, but I write from my perspective and experiences.

I write down my story. I write down what I know to be true. For me.

Yesterday I wrote about finding my cat, Priscilla, and her babies while I was all alone one day when I was just a small child. That memory has kept bubbling up for awhile now. Almost as if it was calling out to be written down.  

By writing it down, it helps me to recall the emotions I had that day. It helps me to reminisce and remember the joys of my childhood. It helps me to document my yesterdays.

What if we took time to remember our story (stories) by writing them down?
Writing my stories has helped my soul heal. It's helped me gain perspective and strength from my past and my present. 

I'd like to pass that affirmation on to you. 

No matter what you write or create, it may have been said or done before. No matter! 

You are saying or doing it in a way only you could, from your perspective. From your experiences.  

Write your story down. It doesn't have to be a whole memoir's worth. (Although it could be.) 

If a memory from your past keeps bubbling up into your present mind, maybe there's a reason. Maybe by writing down that memory you'll learn something fresh and new from it. 

Whether it's a positive or a negative memory, write it down. Your soul will thank you.

Have you experienced writing your story (stories) down? I'd love to hear from you in the comments!

Thanks for stopping by today, friend!

~Anne


Today is Day 4 in a 31 day series called 31 Days of Soul Spas.  Hop on over to Day 1 to see a list of all Soul Spa posts!

{Day 3}: Solitude--the gift of being alone

I must have been only four or five. My little brother wasn't born till I was six, so I had lots of time to play alone. I played dolls, rummaging around for doll accessories in my "doll clothes box" on the floor of my closet. 

I climbed the cedar tree in my front yard, where the funnest places to sit were thankfully close to the ground where I was safe.

On the day I remember so vividly, though, I roamed out to the old, abandoned chicken house. Only a chicken house in years gone by, the wood now very darkened with age and some holes in the roof where sunlight would peek through. 

I stepped through the doorway into one of those dust filled sunbeams that felt like golden light. The dust particles hung in the air like lace curtains.

Coming from a wooden crate in the center of the chicken house, came the faintest sounds. I climbed up to peer over the edge of the wooden box to find my cat Priscilla looking up at me, surrounded by little mewing balls of fur. 

There they all were, nestled in a bed of straw in a warm, safe place, and I remember feeling like I'd just found the greatest secret treasure on earth. And because I was alone, it was my secret treasure!

I can't help but believe this scene would've played out very differently had I been with anyone else! This was a gift to me, to find my kitty and her babies all by myself.



Maybe I didn't mind playing alone because as an adult, I now know I'm an introvert and require fairly large chunks of time to be alone to recharge.

But, I also believe there are gifts to be found for our souls in solitude for all types of personalities. 

When we take time to be alone 

we can hear our thoughts (maybe this is scary, maybe not), 

we have space to think and dream.  

Our own personal white space.  

So, even if we thrive being in the presence of others, there are benefits, even if for brief periods of time to being alone.

I'm wondering, if we keep our eyes open, what treasures we could find for our souls in the gift of solitude?

Thanks for joining in on Day 3 of 31 Days of Soul Spas! I'm glad you're on this journey with me!  Please see Day 1 for a list of all 31 days of Soul Spa topics.

~Anne

{Day 2}: What is a soul anyway?

For starters, let's define what the word 'soul' means.

soul.

noun.

1. The spiritual or immaterial part of a human being , regarded as immortal.

2.  a person's moral or emotional nature or sense of identity


SYNONYMS: spirit, psyche, (inner) self, inner being, life force, individuality, subconscious


a. an example of your soul is the part of you that makes you who you are and that will live on after your death

b. an example of soul is any person

(definitions from the Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary and Your Dictionary)

I believe every person (every soul) is created in the image of God, our Creator. Each person deserves the care and dignity related to that fact.  

If that's true, then how we treat our souls (ourselves) is of utmost importance and value. What we think of ourselves, and how we look at 'the essence of us' is paramount. 


Have you ever taken the time to think just what your soul is? 

How it needs to be treated?

What it needs to thrive and grow?


I've learned through trial and error some of the things that my soul needs. One of them is solitude. Tomorrow, I'll share a story of how being alone when I was very young (don't worry, I was safely within distance of my mom!) turned out to be a true gift (soul spa) that I'd not ever forget!

Thanks for joining me on this Soul Spa journey!

Blessings,

~Anne


This post is Day 2 in 31 Days of Soul Spas

See Day 1 for a list of all #write31days posts!

31 Days of Soul Spas {Day 1}

I'm linking up with hundreds of bloggers for the month of October for #write31days. Come on over! There are tons of topics to choose from!

I'm not sure about you, but I've been weary lately. Even though I had a vacation at the start of September, I've felt like my soul needed a vacation, even after we got back!

Lots of things contribute to this, I'm sure. It's not just one single thing that makes my soul sound the alarm bell and yell--stop the merry-go-round! I want to get off!

I even got a pedicure last month. A spa for my feet. Soaking in the bubbling water, getting pampered, looking pretty in rose pink polish, my toes felt like they'd been on vacation for about one hour.

But, my soul was still waving the "hey, over here!" flag. My soul hadn't gotten into the bubbly, warm water to soak and renew. 

I decided my soul needed a series of small vacations--soul spas if you will.

Things like rest, play, solitude, balance and more. 

I'd love for you to join me this month, while we get 30 days of soul spas. Respite and renewal for the inner part of us that often doesn't get much attention.

I hope that by the end of October, we're all going to feel a little more relaxed, a little more joyful, and a lot like we've given our souls a bit of spa work. A bit of a mini vacation.

Ahhh...a soul spa. Doesn't that sound nice?


Thanks for joining me!!

Blessings to you as we journey on!

~Anne


This page will serve as the landing page for all 31 day posts.

Day 2: What is a soul anyway?

Day 3: Solitude--the gift of being alone.

Day 4: Write your story down

Day 5: allowing your soul time to transition

Day 6: do your soul a favor

Day 7: flexibility and persistence of soul

Day 8: Your creative soul {part 1}

Day 9: Your creative soul {part 2}

Day 10: Keeping a curious soul

Day 11: Soul space to remember the good

Day 12: Faith for your soul

Day 13: journaling 101