Rest, blessed rest!

The GG booth

It was a busy September. Can you believe it's October already? I spent Saturday at the Allegheny Green & Innovation Festival with my daughters and grandkids. I can't tell you how much I appreciate Bethany and Jessica and the work they put in to making Green Grandma a success. It's not just about me, folks. Without the support of my daughters and my husband, GG wouldn't exist. Period. And I certainly would not be able to do things like all day festivals by myself. There were times on Saturday when all 3 of us would be talking to various people. Bethany would be explaining the various types of cloth diapers we had on display while Jessica would be extolling the virtues of the Diva Cup. I would be explaining what no pooing was or signing a book. And, of course, we were all luring people into the booth to sign up to win a basket of Hyland's products or a size 1 or 2 Diva Cup. Not to mention emptying the bottle cap collection bin as it filled up over and over. Thanks to everyone who brought their caps, especially the girl scout troop who kept emptying bags into the bin! We gathered well over 1,000 caps for recycling! It was a long, yet satisfying day.

Great prizes... thanks to Hyland's and Diva Cup

Some favorite products

Multi Healing Balm samples, GlassDharma straws, VF books, and diapers from Bethany's stash!

My husband and I stopped for dinner on the way home, as I didn't have a chance to eat all afternoon (it was that busy!). Halfway through our meal, my body started to rebel against the many hours of standing. As my fibromyalgia flared, I wanted nothing more than to climb into a hot tub, and then into bed, which is exactly what I did. I ended up sleeping a total of 15 hours, with a couple waking hours in between the hours of blissful rest. I was clearly exhausted.

So I spent the last day of September resting. My husband got up early and headed out for the day with his oldest brother and I skipped church to rest my body, mind and spirit. Stress can really pound you, even if it's good stress. Busyness can knock you down. Diseases like fibromyalgia and Epstein Barr Virus Syndrome (both of which I have) can render you useless, unless you listen to your body's cues, and slow down. I hated missing Sunday School and worship, but I can't tell you how much better I felt when I got out of bed at 11 a.m., instead of 8. 

Having the house to myself was another blessing. I took a hot shower, made breakfast, built a fire in the fireplace and lounged on the couch and read. Ahhh. If it wasn't a Sunday, I would not have allowed myself that luxury. I would have headed into my office after breakfast and I would have pounded away at the keyboard. But it was Sunday, and because of my commitment to honor the Sabbath, I had the opportunity to truly enjoy the day. 

Bill's been doing a lot of the cooking lately, because I'm always so busy, so I spent some time in the kitchen preparing dinner. I've missed that. After he came home, we sat in front of the fire and played cards for hours as the smell of dinner cooking in the slow cooker permeated the air. Then we ate while watching a Hallmark movie. It was truly a delightful day and evening and I awoke today feeling rested, well, and blessed.

Are you burning the candle at both ends? Do you feel as if you simply don't have time to take a break? Consider the Sabbath. God asked us to rest once a week for a reason... because He loves us and knows what's best.

Sharing my Sabbath experience with you,

Hana

If you're not familiar with The Sabbath Experiment, please visit this blog post.