cff SERENITY AMIDST CHAOS | Simple and Serene Living

SERENITY AMIDST CHAOS

Friday, April 22, 2022

 Simple Pleasures #36

Life seems very chaotic these days.

The last few weeks have been very stressful for me and sometimes it feels that finding serenity amidst all of the chaos and uncertainty can be almost impossible. 

blowing curtain



Then something happens, just like a shaft of light and a soft breeze through a window, that puts everything into perspective. 

I realized that I could choose to focus on the darkness of the room I was living in, or on the sliver of light and the healing breeze.

Easter Sunday with my family helped me to put things in perspective.

Surrounded by the love of my family I realized that I could choose to enjoy that moment and each moment that followed. 

lavender in jar



There was no miracle healing of my pain, but I realized that stress was certainly not helping, and when I saw the neurologist on Wednesday my pain had lessened. 

I agreed to fill a prescription for a pain killer and keep it on hand just in case I need it and I will be getting an MRI in May and an MRA in June.

We can't pretend that the world isn't chaotic, but we can choose how we respond to the chaos. 

a field of flowers

I am someone who lives on a fixed income, and stretching my dollars during this time of inflation is very difficult, but I am focusing on creative ways of doing that. 

When things start to feel overwhelming I take time to sit and meditate. 

I am also taking time to do more of the things I enjoy like reading, walking, and enjoying my cozy home.

I am not completely shutting out the chaos of the world, because I believe it is important to know what is going on, but I am focusing on it much less.

It is possible to find serenity amidst the chaos.

Simple Inspiration

serenity is not peace from the storm but peace amidst the storm

Lovely Reads

tea and reading

Getting To Serenity: 10 daily habits for inner peace

How To Find Peace: seven simple techniques to find serenity



The Ultimate Self Care Ideas List: 50 ways to boost your wellness


This Week's Gluten-Free Recipe

I am a biscuit girl from way back, but since going gluten-free I have been having a hard time finding an easy recipe for gluten-free biscuits. 

This recipe made my heart sing.

easy gluten-free biscuits

I love that it only requires four ingredients and five minutes of prep time. 

I now see biscuits with strawberry jam, biscuits and gravy, and ham biscuits in my future. 

YUM!! Feeling more serene already.

Catching Up

You may have noticed that I have cut back to two posts a week. It is less stressful for me and less stress is what I am all about.

Here are some past posts you may enjoy.





What I'm Reading

Reading has always been such a joy for me and now that I am relaxing and settling back into it I am pulling some books out of my stack of unread books.

My daughter Cary gave me this book at Christmas and I am so happy to finally get started on it.

Call Your Daughter Home book


It’s 1924 in Branchville, South Carolina, and Gertrude, a mother of four, must make an unconscionable decision to keep her daughters safe.
Retta, who works for the Coles family, comes to Gertrude’s aid by watching her children, despite the gossip it causes in her community. Annie, the matriarch of the influential Coles family, offers Gertrude employment at her sewing circle while facing problems of her own at home.

These three women seemingly have nothing in common, yet as they unite to stand up to injustices that have long plagued their small town, they find strength in the bond that ties women together. Told in the pitch-perfect voices of Gertrude, Retta, and Annie, 
Call Your Daughter Home is an emotional, timeless story about the power of family, community, and ferocity of motherhood.

Shopping









Comments

  1. Love that flamingo beach bag, Laura. Hope that your weekend is pain-free.

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  2. Prayers and positive thoughts for you. I'm so glad you re-located and are close to family now. One of my stress relievers is gratitude. We have so much to be thankful for, and I count my Bloggers as a real blessing as I try to cope with pain, old age, etc....Hope you continue to improve, and thank you for your virtual friendship.

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  3. Great post Laura. I am so happy that you had your family to enjoy Easter and find joy in the time spent. When you are in pain it is so hard sometimes to get to a better place. Hoping the weekend will be better. xoxo Kris

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  4. Such a nice post Laura. I have been feeling stressed lately too.. and really don't know why. I just feel kind of aggitated about everything! I need to step back, calm down, and realize that the things stressing me out are small things.. and not to let them take over my life! I know pain is a HUGE stressor.. have been through alot the past many years, with back and neck problems.. but it seems to come and go thank God. I hope and pray your pain gets better.. just knowing I have some mild pain pills "there" helps me to feel more relaxed.. as I know if I really need one, I have it. But I seem to never use them. They are a non-narcotic but do work fairly well. They are my security net I guess, as very rarely ever take one. Using EFT (emotional freedom techniques - tapping) and meditation (like you said) really helps, as stress does cause more pain. Take care and have a nice weekend.... Marilyn

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  5. So happy you were with the family fir Easter. I hope your pain lessons

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  6. Glad you are able to find some ways to achieve some inner peace. Never underestimate the power of a good biscuit to help reduce stress! :)

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  7. So glad you were able to be with your family for Easter, Laura. I know how much you enjoy being with them and they sound like such a sweet support sytem too. I can't wait to try the biscuit recipe you foud and to check out all your cozy home tips and meditation tips as well. It's a huge blessing to be able to have mutiple tools in your mental wellness toolbox. Big hugs and praying your pain and stress lessens with each day, CoCo

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