Friday Five: Intentionality

It's a busy season and our minds get caught up in lots of different things (a shiny new baby, in my case). We all know that especially during this time of year we have to be intentional about the things that are important or we can lose them. What are five things you try to be intentional about, whether it be for this season specifically or in general?   


This is the challenge this week over at RevGalBlogPal and it's a great one.  Rather timely too as I've been trying to recommit myself to some things that I've let go, and to rethink how/why I do other things. Here's my list:


1.  Both my husband and I are trying much harder to DE-CLUTTER our home.  We are packrats and we are sloppy.  When you combine those traits with long work weeks, a dash of laziness, and a home with few closets, you can get chaos.  We're also sentimental so we keep things, like a rock one of  our kids painted in kindergarten to look like Frankenstein (but of course we can't remember which son, and neither can either of the kids!)  And we're thrifty so we don't like to throw away things that might come in handy SOMEDAY.  We are trying to spend at least a few minutes of every weekend to really think about the multitude of things that fill our shelves and drawers and corners, and why we are keeping it. 


2.  I am trying to slow down when I can -- to do ONE task well, rather than 2 or 3 without thought.


3.  I am making sure that I take at least a few minutes everyday to just sit and breath, paying attention to the tension in my body and the intentional relaxation of those taut places.


4.  For Advent, I have been lighting the Advent wreath and using a devotional reading.  


5. Exercise.  It's something I've let slip, and I'm the worse for it.  I don't feel as well, my body isn't working as well, and the scale isn't working in my favor.  Life has gotten so crazy that it's been very easy to skip my classes.  I'm trying to find other ways to get exercise in if I can't make class.


6.  And an extra:  A dear aunt on my mother's side recently passed away.  During her last few months, as we realized she was slipping away, I started recognizing easy it is to let family connections slip, especially when they don't live nearby.  I've re-established contact with some cousins and an aunt whom I haven't seen in years.  They are all that's left on my father's side of the family, and I've realized that I want to keep that connection.  So I've been emailing them regularly and I've talked to my aunt a couple  of times.  I've also tried to email/talk with my own siblings at least once a week.  None of us live close by so it's easy to forget to talk them.  Suddenly it's been a month, and then two . . . NO more.