Soul Stirrers

I love a good makeover show, and "Tim Gunn's Guide to Style" is my current favorite. One of Tim's admonitions to his makeover subjects is to look for clothes (whether new or already residing in their closets) that are "soul stirrers". In other words, clothes that evoke some emotion (preferably good) in the wearer, clothes that you are drawn to and actually want to wear more than once.

I shudder to think of the time and money I've spent in my adult life on clothes that are not "soul stirring". All too often I've purchased clothes that were on sale or a great bargain or that were an impulse buy, worn them once or twice, and promptly regulated them to the back of my closet. Talk about a waste. Granted, there are some necessities--such as tank tops or a pair of khakis--that are more utilitarian and less passion-provoking. But I am learning the art of developing a wardrobe that has fewer items overall but more pieces that I really love, and therefore will wear more often.

This talk of "soul stirring" clothes has gotten me thinking about the rest of my life, particularly in relation to my extracurricular activities. There are certain activities--such as cleaning the toilets or grocery shopping--that are decidedly NOT soul stirrers, but that are necessities nonetheless. However, I currently do have a great deal of free time beyond work and chores. I'm asking myself, what am I doing with that free time that is really feeding my spirit, that is challenging my mind and body, exercising my creativity, evoking passion--i.e., stirring my soul?

That is not to say that I need to make sure that I spend all of my free time only engaging in activities that have a deep, serious purpose. I think there's a time to veg out and watch reality TV or flip through magazines. But I don't want that to be the main activity of my free time. I suppose it's like having a balanced diet--a little junk food now and then is okay, but when it's the main source of nutrition, the body gets out of whack and the health suffers.

So I'm trying to make more time for doing that things that really feed my body, mind and soul, and spend less time camped out in front of the TV. It sounds good in theory, but when I come home after a long day of work more often than not I just want to flip on the TV and veg out for the night. It's a challenge to resist the urge to take the easy way out and spend too much time in mindless activity when it feels like my mind's been challenged all day. But it definitely makes for a healthier life when I do.

Seasonal Silence

For the few of you who check out my blog on a regular basis, you may have noticed that it's been a while since I posted anything. I don't have a particular reason for not writing other than the fact that I haven't felt inspired lately. Not that everything I post is "inspired" or profound by any stretch of the imagination; however, I want to use this blog primarily to stretch my writing muscles, and they seem to be in a state of slight atrophy at the moment.

Normally I'd feel frustrated over the lack of creativity, but I'm cognizant of the fact that this time of silence is just a season. It too shall past. I don't think I've been drained of all creativity. As Ecclesiastes 3 says, there is a season for everything, and I think that applies to periods of writing as well. For now, I am patiently trusting that God will soon begin again to lay thoughts on my heart to share with my readers, and that this time of silence is not purposeless.

There is great peace and joy in realizing that everything God allows us to do--including not doing the things we may prefer to do--is for a reason and is part of His master plan.