Home Sweet Life: Day 5 - Daily Nature Time

There is one thing we used to do that I really want to get back to this school year - Daily Nature Time! We used to take time almost every day to go outside. Sometimes we would sit on a blanket under the tree and read a book. Some days we would take a picnic lunch to the park. Sometimes when the weather was really, really bad, we would just sit and draw pictures of whatever fruit we had on hand.

I think our girls need this daily time of refreshing back in their lives - I know I do! Our lives have been busy recently. I don't like busy. I like full, satisfied, fulfilling, even overflowing, but not busy.

Making daily nature time a priority forces us to stop going and focus on just being. Stop going 40 places a week and start being Mama again. I'm writing this for myself, but you're welcome to keep reading along!

Has there ever been a time when I regretted spending too much time in nature? Perhaps once or twice when we got sunburnt like lobsters. But, for the most part, I've been saddened by not spending enough time outdoors. It takes effort, especially in the winter.

The thing is, all of life takes effort. Why not spend our efforts on the things we value most? If I want our family to spend daily time enjoying and appreciating the wonderful world that God has created, then I had better get myself in gear and make it happen!

I've already been taking steps to make this foray a success. I've lightened the load of things I commit to doing outside of the home. I've told my boss that there is a strict limit to how many hours I can work each week. I've been unsubscribing myself from a lot of emails recently - those ones I never read anymore...and I've subscribed to just a few new ones. Those few new ones are those that encourage me to spend time outside. The girls have been helping me take care of the yard and gardens so they stay manageable. Small steps in the right direction.

Last night we went to bed early, then got up just before midnight to watch the Perseid meteor shower for about an hour. This morning I was a little tired, but it was worth it! I don't want to just exist, I want to live. I want to appreciate the beauty of nature around me. I want our family to focus on the Creator Who gives us all we need for life and Godliness.

The one thing I want to do better at this year - Daily Nature Time - is an attainable goal.

What do you want to do better this year? Leave a comment and let's inspire one another!