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Day 2by Susan Gaddis
Copyright 2016 by Susan GaddisAll rights reserved
5 Days of Soul Care
Introduction to DAY 2 1
Moment of Truth 2
My Story 3
The Activity 4
Your Turn 6
The Bonus 7
Closing Words & Hugs 8
Copyright 2016 by Susan Gaddis - All Rights Reserved - www.susangaddis.net Reboot Into Joy is designed to come alongside any medication or doctor's advice you're receiving, not replace it.
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Joyous: an adjective meaning "full or characterized by joy" Boy, wouldn't I like that to be my legacy! Helen Keller put it this way, "Joy is the holy fire that keeps our purpose warm and our intelligence aglow." And Henri Nouwen, one of my favorite authors, said, "Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day." You're CHOOSING joy today. You signed up for Reboot Into Joy: 5 Days of Soul Care because you want to experience joy and be known as a joyful person. You opened this eBook because you want to choose joy every day. You just need a little help in HOW to do that. Yesterday you put the bookends for your day in place. Today we're going to sprinkle short, soul breaks throughout your day. So find a quiet place for a few minutes of soul care. Make it cozy. Provide a cup of tea or coffee for yourself and your favorite quilt & pillow. Light a scented candle if you want to. OR... Sit in the car while you wait for the kids to get out of school or while you're parked in a parking lot when you're out running errands
Copyright 2016 by Susan Gaddis - All Rights Reserved - www.susangaddis.net Reboot Into Joy is designed to come alongside any medication or doctor's advice you're receiving, not replace it.
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without the kids. Turn the radio off, turn your phone to vibrate, and lock your doors. Ready? Good. Deep breath. Exhale slowly. Now we can begin.
A Moment of Truth Wouldn't it be wonderful if your life could be one awesome, supernatural experience in the Lord's presence? But that's not how life works. Someday, yes. But not now. In this life you need to use what are traditionally called spiritual disciplines to refresh your joy and sense God's presence. BUT "disciplines" don't sound real attractive when your soul is depleted of joy. So let's NOT call them spiritual disciplines. Instead we'll call them spirit rituals. And let's tweak them a little bit to make them easy peasy... and fun. Ever notice how the word "spiritual" contains the word "ritual?" By putting little soul care rituals into place each day, you stay connected to Jesus, and your joy remains strong.
Copyright 2016 by Susan Gaddis - All Rights Reserved - www.susangaddis.net Reboot Into Joy is designed to come alongside any medication or doctor's advice you're receiving, not replace it.
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My Story Raising six kids in a busy pastor's home wasn't exactly restful. Especially when trying to write a book, homeschool, cook, clean, get three kids to soccer practice at three different locations starting all at the same time, AND lead a women's Bible study—plus 89 other church duties. I'd rise before the family at 5:00 and write for two hours. Then get breakfast on the table and launch into homeschooling and afternoon activities. By dinnertime my sanity was often in question. I'd find myself sitting on the couch in the living room letting the chaos swirl around me, as I stared out the window, and thought of ... nothing. It felt really, really good. Soon the last 10 minutes of my early morning writing schedule became my sit-on-the-couch, drink-my-coffee, stare-out-the-window-in-silence, and-think-of-nothing time. This morning "silent stare" ritual quieted my soul, and I felt joyful. Often I called it my "musing time," because the quiet opened up a place for reflection and conversations with Jesus.
Copyright 2016 by Susan Gaddis - All Rights Reserved - www.susangaddis.net Reboot Into Joy is designed to come alongside any medication or doctor's advice you're receiving, not replace it.
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Over time I added more silent stares into my day. Now you'll find me doing it off and on throughout the day for two to ten minutes at a time. Even in the grocery store parking lot. It centers me. Peace and joy have a place to meet without competing with all the noise in my life. And the peaceful joy can then follow me into the next portion of my day. (Though my kids have yet to learn that this is a spirit ritual. They think I'm exhibiting signs of early dementia.)
The Activity Throughout Christian history people have practiced times of silence for reflection and prayer. I'm thinkin' you already know how to pray, and you probably understand something of reflection. So today, we're going to focus on silence (or silent stares) as an activity for soul care. Yes, I know your life may be filled with noise you can't turn off: the kids, the busy street outside your house, noisy neighbors, or your snoring spouse.
Copyright 2016 by Susan Gaddis - All Rights Reserved - www.susangaddis.net Reboot Into Joy is designed to come alongside any medication or doctor's advice you're receiving, not replace it.
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But silence is important for your physical and spiritual health. It calms your soul. Scientists have discovered that 2 hours of silence per day can prompt cell development in the hippocampus region of the brain, the part associated with memory, learning, and emotion. (Read about it here.) I'm not asking you to find 2 hours of silence hiding somewhere in your hectic life, though that would be nice. Instead, you're going to look for moments of silence to sprinkle throughout your day... ...whenever and wherever you can find a place for them. Like short pauses between folding laundry and paying bills. Why? Because studies have found that 2 minutes of silence is even more relaxing than listening to "relaxing" music! You have time for this. Instead of turning on your phone to check your social media, turn your phone off. Instead of ruminating over the latest drama in your life, turn your thoughts to a quiet hush. Sit in silence and casually stare at something lovely. Like the tree outside your window or your cat curled up in the sunshine. Or the folded laundry. Let your thoughts rest in the lap of Jesus.
Copyright 2016 by Susan Gaddis - All Rights Reserved - www.susangaddis.net Reboot Into Joy is designed to come alongside any medication or doctor's advice you're receiving, not replace it.
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Don't think about what you should or shouldn't be doing. Just relax and enjoy the silence. Enjoy being quiet with Jesus. Just rest in His presence. Your Turn This is super simple. Sit in silence and casually stare at something lovely for at least three minutes. Imagine Jesus sitting next to you enjoying the silence with you. Let gentle thoughts walk through your mind. Not the things you have to do or the negative thoughts that might invade your privacy, just gentle thinking. After two or more minutes you can stop and re-enter the world. See. That wasn't hard, was it? Now add several more silent stares into your day whenever you switch from one thing to another. Just don't do it while you're driving or talking to your boss or getting something out of the refrigerator. (Teenagers gaze at the inside of a refrigerator for long periods of time, not you. The cold is not good for your health.)
Copyright 2016 by Susan Gaddis - All Rights Reserved - www.susangaddis.net Reboot Into Joy is designed to come alongside any medication or doctor's advice you're receiving, not replace it.
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To be eligible to win a prize at the end of our 5 days together, post a photo or sentence of your silent stare location (your couch, desk, parked car, etc.) on our private Reboot Into Joy Facebook group or on Instagram (with the hashtag #rebootintojoy and tag me: soul_legacies). And, hey, if you're not into social media, just email me your photo or sentence at [email protected] and I'll drop you in the Prizes hat — the one from which I'll draw out 3 names at the end of our 5 days. Let's do this! You've got your Fight Song and Gratitude Musings bookending your day. Now you've got some silent stares to add to the mix. You're well on your way to finding joy saturating your life. Tomorrow we'll add another soul care ritual to your day. Easy peasy, I promise. Now, on to your bonus.... The Bonus Finding it hard to focus on something that doesn't distract you? Look through this Gallery until you find an image that you can stare at peacefully. Need a little help muting the noises that interrupt your silent stares? Try THIS.
Copyright 2016 by Susan Gaddis - All Rights Reserved - www.susangaddis.net Reboot Into Joy is designed to come alongside any medication or doctor's advice you're receiving, not replace it.
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Ahaaaaa. Nice.
Closing Words and Hugs Take a deep breath. Exhale. Smile. You're doing GREAT! Give yourself a hug and get on with your day. I'll connect with you in the morning. Big hug,
Susan
