January manna

Hello! Apart from my creative goals for 2018, I haven't made a list of resolutions for the year. I'm not sure I'm going to, but that hasn't stopped me from practicing a few new healthy behaviors. I hesitate to call these behaviors resolutions, because in fact, they are just things that I feel my body and heart need right now.

First, I'm attempting to get back into a nearly daily yoga practice (with grace/rest for work days). I've done "30 days of yoga" in the past and quite loved the accountability of it, but with flu season and the craziness ensuing at the hospital, it's not realistic to practice yoga on work nights, at least not as a rule. But I'm thinking generally more yoga and a few walks in the sunshine every week will do wonders for how I feel physically.

Secondly, we've decided to "clean up" our diet a bit by minimizing dairy, sugar, and grains, and focusing on fermented and probiotic-rich foods. I've been taking a probiotic for awhile now, and I want to resume homemade yogurt- and sauerkraut-making. There are two cabbages in the fridge calling my name to be made into sauerkraut ;) As such, I'll need to do more cooking out of necessity, which will be good for our bodies and our grocery budget.

And then beyond that, it's same old Andrea. I enjoy "fresh starts" and such, but I also like to identify behaviors that I'd like to continue in the new year. In a lot of ways, January doesn't feel like a new start, but rather a continuing-on, as I bring December's attitude with me into the new year. Practically, I intend to continue bullet journalling. My bullet journal is as utilitarian as they come, but it's is highly functional for me, in a way a planner has never been. And, if enough people are interested, I could wrote a little post about my minimalist bullet journaling and how I use it.

Okay, so apart from the practical stuff, I've been hat-knitting and watching The Crown with Nicholas and drinking tea in the evenings and working and diffusing essential oils and enjoying the star light decoration and crocheted snowflakes we left up, as a "winter decorations" because I love them so.

Other things I've been up to:

• Baby babbling
• puppy snuggling
• knitting at coffee shops (before the decision to cut back on dairy)
• noticing sunsets
• reading again!!
• researching gut health
• googling "where to buy bone broth in Austin"
• eating butternut pancakes (SO good)
• getting a headache from sugar detox (too much of that stuff is bad news, my goodness)
• getting my hair cut (8" off! It looks super short to me, but I realize it's still considered "long hair.") However you classify it, I love it.
• learning how to use the Instant Pot
• finishing my Treehouse Hat

And this quote, from These High, Green Hills by Jan Karon, keeps running and running through my mind:

He had read again this morning about the wilderness trek of the Isrealites and the way God miraculously provided their needs. Manna every day, and all they had to do was gather it.

I keep thinking about that. What is the manna in my life? The daily provision that I can go out and gather? In a season of waiting, in a season of sameness, God provides the new, every day. And all I have to do is gather it. If I claim to trust Him with my eternity, certainly I can trust Him with my week, my month, and my year.