{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

watering seeds

Linking up today with others at Five Minute Friday, where a tribe of writers write for five minutes straight on a single prompt. No fancy edits, just writing for the fun of it! Hop on over to Kate Motaung's place to find out how to join in! Today's prompt is doubt.



If hope is that thing with feathers that sits within the soul, doubt is the anchor tied to our weary feet that sinks fast and weighs us down more than anything else. 

Hope springs eternal, but doubt kills.

The other morning I was standing at my kitchen sink watering the succulent that is on my window sill, and words formed in my spirit. They were unmistakable. A message from either my soul, or the Divine, I'm not sure which, but the words were almost loud enough for me to hear with my ears.

"Are you watering seeds of doubt, or seeds of faith?"

It was one of those times where I stopped dead in my tracks, with the water glass positioned in mid-air, as I let those words roll around in my head, and make their way the twelve or so inches down to my heart. 

In fact, those words were so profound that I spent the rest of the day thinking about them. I couldn't shake them.

See, lately, with some long standing health issues that don't seem to want to move on out of my life, I've had my doubts at times that I'll ever be without them. 

They seem like a boat anchor tied to my feet, keeping my faith from soaring. Keeping my eyes down low, down at my feet instead of up, up into the grand future that God has planned out for me.

I've decided since that message from the Divine that I need to get my watering can out and give my faith a drink of bright cool water. And refresh my weary soul.




Thanks for stopping by today, friend!
I hope your weary soul is refreshed!

Blessings to you!

~Anne

grounds for celebration

What will you celebrate today? It probably won't be the numbers on the scale or the meals that you planned for the week. It likely won't be the errands you need to run, or the fact that your child had a note sent home from the teacher.

I find that sometimes I need to go on a scavenger hunt to find things to celebrate. I hate to say that, but it's true. Some days are harder than others.

Most days feel insignificant and I feel small. What is there to celebrate in that? 

It's then that the day needs to be reduced down to the smallest possible denominator. 

air
water
body
health
love
eyes
nose
ears
hands
legs...

I know I can celebrate each of these things that have so graciously been given to me. And, most times I don't even think about them, unless one of them doesn't seem to be working properly. Even then, it would be grounds for celebration.

I celebrate you and me. I celebrate life.  I celebrate my family. I celebrate my friends.

Even the ending of good things can be celebrated. The ending of good things makes way for more good things to enter in.

Let's celebrate the small. Let's celebrate each other. Let's celebrate the gifts we've been given.

What are you celebrating today?

Blessings to you today, friend.

~Anne

Thanks for stopping by for Five Minute Friday, where a tribe of writers write for five minutes straight on a given prompt. Stop on over to Kate Motaung's blog to read all about it and join in!! This week's prompt is celebrate.

a psalm of gratitude

healing, wisdom, friends,
courage, creativity, 
family, trust,
healthy self-love, 
boundaries--and more and more are 
all because of Him and all from Him 

forgiveness, cleansing, insight, intuition, knowing, 

all from Him

light, dark, 
each step I take, 
each muscle I move is because of Him

the shadows I make as I walk, 
from Him
the sunlight on my hair--from Him

ears to hear with
eyes to see with
a mouth to taste with
hands to touch with
a nose to smell with

all from Him

a mind to reason with
a heart to love with
arms to hug with
all from Him

legs to keep moving forward
and the will to keep going

all from Him

fresh drink of cool water
food to nourish my body and soul
the bread and the wine
all from Him

fish in the sea
bird in the tree
owl on the branch
snail on the path

all from Him

my head on the pillow
my time to dream
peaceful sleep is from Him

Nothing good in my life exists apart from Him.

"Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow." James 1:17

Blessings to you today, friend!

~Anne

Linking up today with Coffee for Your Heart.