What Are You Doing to Renew and Recharge?
What are you doing to renew and recharge yourself? I’ve found that I’m a lot like a phone I used to have. It worked fine as long as I charged it every night and kept a power cord with me at all times. It just wouldn’t hold a charge!
Every year I renew and refresh my commitments. I end the year with a time of reflection, trying to determine the state of my present and then reminding myself of the preferred future I see in the distance. And then I assemble a set of practices that I think will start me on the right trajectory and keep me moving in the right direction.
I’m sure your pattern is similar.
These are my current daily practices:
- Using The Blue Book: A Devotional Guide for Every Season of Your Life by Jim Branch. With a full years worth of daily readings and practices, this has been a very good addition to my morning.
- Reading one chapter of Matthew, Mark, Luke or John each morning. I began the year with the intention to spend the whole year reading the Gospels.
- Journaling every day. I record the date and what I’ve read on the top line. I write a paragraph or two reflecting on what happened yesterday, reflecting on both the blessings and the challenges spiritually and relationally. I actually start my entry with “Yesterday I …” Next, I write out my prayer thanking God for yesterday and seeking help to do the things I need to do to clean up any messes or in pursuit of spiritual power.
- Listening to an audio book while walking in addition to several helpful podcasts.
What are your daily practices? You can click here to jump into the conversation.
For further reading:
- 5 Commitments for This Small Group Pastor
- Start with the End in Mind
- Quotebook: Arriving at the Preferred Future
Image by Tez Goodyear