I’m heading into the slow season.

The books and resources I’ve had the joy of publishing cycle through seasons of interest and sales.

The Lunchbox LOL series takes the spotlight in the summer for back-to-school, Jesse Tree for Advent, Bible in a Year for Christmas/New Year, and now Jesus Tree for Lent.

There’s about 3 months of the year that are super-quiet in terms of answering questions, tracking sales, and reviewing feedback.

The slow season.

I love to take this time to reflect on the creating/publishing year behind me and look ahead to the year in front of me.

And try to be realistic about where I’m at and what I CAN add in the coming months.

Because sometimes it feels like there’s a million ideas swirling around in my head and my heart.

I try to listen for the familiar sounds of the ideas that have been swirling for more than one season. Some have been around for more than a decade of seasons. Still waiting for their time, not yet knowing if they will ever have a time to shine.

As each new slow season enters into my life it gets much easier to recognize it for what it is. To Know its purpose.

I used to rush ahead to the next thing, and the next, and the next. Always more. Chaos. Never taking a break.

Breaks are healthy. If used wisely they make you more productive, more focused, more confident in moving ahead once the break is over.

Rest.

So important.

I listen for the whispers of God’s wisdom as I enter the slow season of 2018.

I wait to Know about a Master’s program that I CAN actually see fitting into my life. The application is in and now I just hope for a positive response.

My family still needs much care, availability, and flexibility as we head into finishing up the first school year after major transition. Still hard, but better. Still unfamiliar, but becoming normal. Still treading so lightly in some areas, but each step becoming more sure.

I think it will get easier once the warm weather returns. I think it will get easier once a whole school year is behind us. I think it will get easier once we’ve packed in a few more months of good memories in our new space. I think it will get easier once the actual one-year milestone comes around in late August. Still a ways to go. Getting there.

In the meantime, what do I see in the slow season? Not alot of new, actually. I see some revisions after a couple of years of feedback on certain resources. I see enjoying what’s been accomplished.

Beyond that I see a focus on some necessary home projects in our new space (which I’d love to blog about 🙂 )

I see discovering more of our new city and surrounding areas.

I see visiting friends and family.

I see meeting new people.

I see things becoming more familiar and more normal.

Looking forward to the slow season. Hoping it brings more peace and more certainty and an increasing sense of Knowing to listen for God’s voice in my every-days.