I've been going through the book, Bloom Before You're Planted, by Lizabeth Duckworth. (Check out the online study here.) The other morning I spent some time out on the deck reading, praying & thinking. It was quiet - except for lots of bird music :) The chapter on Peace was very good and I'll need to spend some time putting some ideas into practice. Lizbeth gave three practical ideas for nurturing peace:- choose to manage your external world - In order to do this, I am attempting to de-clutter my home. I know that I will feel more at peace internally if things are simplified.
- make room for rest - The idea of rest always appeals to me!! :) Really, though...I need to plan for "constructive" rest. Reading, praying, relaxing, thinking and planning are things that cannot be pushed off time and time again. I need to carve out some time to plan for productive rest.
- cultivate mindfulness - This idea was explained as "not allowing your mind to be so full of to-do lists and inner dialogue that you lose track of your actions."
I'm looking forward to putting these three practical ideas into practice. They are not new & novel ideas, but ones that I need to be reminded of and remember to be mindful of!! 
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I don't think I'll be getting much accomplished. I'm mostly just sitting staring into those big blue eyes!!
