Down Time

Lately, I've been enjoying a very un-busy August. And it's splendid. There's still work to do, but it's not urgent. There's nowhere I have to be. I don't allow myself to think anymore about the fact that it's a month where my business brings in almost no money. (I remind myself, "Remember, it's like this every year in January, February, July, and August -- at least. And you prepared for this. It's all good!") Pushing all that aside that fear (that all who are self employed can relate to) gives me time to not only work on "big picture" projects (which I enjoy), but also gives me time to just enjoy being. More housework gets done. I spend more time with the kids. I've read three -- almost four -- books in the past week. It's so nice. I'm doing my very best to enjoy it before the busy season arrives -- where nearly every weekend is spoken for from late September to mid-November. As I get older, I'm learning to accept (even enjoy) the ebb and flow of life, to take the seasons as they come...

Ecclesiastes 3 

 1   There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:

²     a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot, 
³     a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
⁴     a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
⁵     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
⁶     a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
⁷     a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
⁸     a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.

⁹ What do workers gain from their toil? ¹⁰ I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. ¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. ¹² I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.¹³ That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.