Seven Sacred Pauses is the first book I completed for 2015.  I really enjoyed this book.  It is a handbook written by a woman who lives in a monastery.  It is an ancient tradition of monks to stop their busy work schedule 7 times a day to pause and reflect on God.

“Living mindfully is the art of living awake and ready to embrace the gift of the present moment.”

I long to live with intentionality.  I love to be present in the moment.  I want to stop washing dishes and look my sweet angels in the eyes when they talk to me.  A parenting mentor once told me that the dishes will always be there but they won’t always ask you to come play with them.

It is an “ancient tradition of inviting people to move through the day remembering their Source of Life.”

“Throughout the hours of the day, whenever you feel stressed and overwhelmed, instead of pushing yourself to work harder and faster, remember to pause.”  Exactly what God has been teaching me during these last 6 months that have been stressful.

“It is all about remembrance- remembrance of God and of good.  Each morning as I look out my window I want to be awake enough to say, Today I will remember to a pause.”

“… our cultural poverty is indeed our ignorance of the value of silence, mindfulness, conscious reflection, rest and sleep.”

“Pre-industrial people were more comfortable with in this place of darkness and silence.  As we grow away from the age of silence and darkness, we may need to ask ourselves if this “growing away from” is partially responsible for a loss of soul in today’s world.  When I go into households in which every room has a TV blaring, often with no one listening, I sense acutely that something is absent in many people’s daily lives and they don’t even notice the absence.  …..there might be a lost gift waiting to be found.”

I have found the silence and solitude and pausing to reflect has been such an incredible gift to my life.

This handbook has tools to guide you through the 7 times.  Do I do all these every day?  Not at all but when I even remember to pause for one or a few a day- it is sooooo good for my soul.  Like right now I watch the orange glow of the pines in my backyard and it is magical.  I gotta go experience it.