I rest my mind by reading. I read all kinds of things from scripture to books on psychology, business and science. But when I\u2019m really exhausted, and empty, I read poetry. I\u2019ve always loved it \u2014\u00a0it can open worlds for you. My favorite poets are Keats, Shelley, Byron, Wordsworth, Blake\u2026I\u2019m drawn to the school of English Romantic Poetry. Here\u2019s one I love that\u2019s actually about rest.<\/p>\n
Mike Adkins, Senior Pastor<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cThe Day is Done\u201d<\/p>\n
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The day is done, and the darkness<\/em><\/p>\n Falls from the wings of Night,<\/em><\/p>\n As a feather is wafted downward<\/em><\/p>\n From an eagle in his flight.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I see the lights of the village<\/em><\/p>\n Gleam through the rain and the mist,<\/em><\/p>\n And a feeling of sadness comes o\u2019er me<\/em><\/p>\n That my soul cannot resist:<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n A feeling of sadness and longing,<\/em><\/p>\n That is not akin to pain,<\/em><\/p>\n And resembles sorrow only<\/em><\/p>\n As the mist resembles the rain.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Come, read to me some poem,<\/em><\/p>\n Some simple and heartfelt lay,<\/em><\/p>\n That shall soothe this restless feeling,<\/em><\/p>\n And banish the thoughts of day.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Not from the grand old masters,<\/em><\/p>\n Not from the bards sublime,<\/em><\/p>\n Whose distant footsteps echo<\/em><\/p>\n Through the corridors of Time.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n For, like strains of martial music,<\/em><\/p>\n Their mighty thoughts suggest<\/em><\/p>\n Life\u2019s endless toil and endeavor;<\/em><\/p>\n And to-night I long for rest.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Read from some humbler poet,<\/em><\/p>\n Whose songs gushed from his heart,<\/em><\/p>\n As showers from the clouds of summer,<\/em><\/p>\n Or tears from the eyelids start;<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Who, through long days of labor,<\/em><\/p>\n And nights devoid of ease,<\/em><\/p>\n Still heard in his soul the music<\/em><\/p>\n Of wonderful melodies.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Such songs have power to quiet<\/em><\/p>\n The restless pulse of care,<\/em><\/p>\n And come like the benediction<\/em><\/p>\n That follows after prayer.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Then read from the treasured volume<\/em><\/p>\n The poem of thy choice,<\/em><\/p>\n And lend to the rhyme of the poet<\/em><\/p>\n The beauty of thy voice.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n And the night shall be filled with music,<\/em><\/p>\n And the cares, that infest the day,<\/em><\/p>\n Shall fold their tents, like the Arabs,<\/em><\/p>\n And as silently steal away.<\/em><\/p>\n When I need to reset during a busy season, sometimes I take a 20-minute nap, sometimes I read a magazine, or sometimes I grab a coffee and just go for a drive alone (especially at Christmas, when there are lights to see!). But if I\u2019m really in a place of overwhelm, I quiet my mind most quickly by quieting my environment from the noise of clutter or distraction. I listen to an encouraging podcast or calming music while I slowly and methodically restore order to my kitchen, office, or bedroom \u2014 whatever needs it most. My mind untangles itself as my surroundings do, and God often speaks clearly here while I work with my hands to restore spaces and things to beauty.<\/p>\n Kelly Adkins, Experience Director<\/i><\/p>\n For me, the holidays can feel overwhelming. It seems there are so many expectations from family and friends, not to mention the ones I place on myself. I find that if I don\u2019t invest the time to map out the holidays in advance the weeks feel stressful and when they are over regret replaces joy. A few years back, I realized I simply need to sit down with a calendar and block out the important dates and events before they happen. Prepare for the chaos and somehow it becomes less chaotic. Annually repeat those you and your family enjoy, look for new opportunities to try, and then keep it simple. You don\u2019t have to do everything, but if you can find the events and traditions that work, you will have an endless supply of memories and joy to look back on through the years.<\/p>\n Rick Garrett, Executive Pastor\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n There\u2019s a difference between feeling exhausted and feeling depleted. When I\u2019m exhausted, I just need to sleep. But when I\u2019m depleted, I need to find a way to shut my brain off. That\u2019s why I love going to the gym. When I\u2019m engaging in a high intensity workout, I can\u2019t think about anything else, and it\u2019s extremely refreshing for my mind. If you\u2019re someone who gets in your own head a lot, being active can be very restful. It doesn\u2019t have to be the gym. We often go outside for family walks or to hit a volleyball around and everyone comes back inside calmer.<\/p>\n Clint Harrison, Oviedo Campus Pastor<\/i><\/p>\n As a parent, I spend a lot of my time during the holidays trying to figure out what would be fun experiences I could share with my kids. But oftentimes that turns me into Clark Griswold and then at the end of the day rather than spending quality time with my kids we\u2019ve just checked another holiday event off the list. Which of course leaves us all feeling drained rather than refreshed. So one thing that\u2019s most refreshing to me during this season is spending time really connecting with my kids in a way that\u2019s unique to them. So instead of telling them what I want us to do together, I stop and ask how they want to spend time together. Those moments always leave me and all of us feeling more refreshed and connected.<\/p>\n Grant Nixon, Winter Garden Campus Pastor<\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I recently learned at a leadership conference that if I\u2019m going to finish the<\/i> race well \u2026 and<\/i> upright (not crawling toward the finish line), rest must include weekly rhythms of refueling too. So what fills me up\/inspires me to get back to the grind? Creativity \u2014 especially in the kitchen. Like an episode of Chopped<\/i>, can I fling open my basket (pantry doors), see what ingredients I have, and create something wonderfully delicious? When my mind is busy concocting and my hands are preoccupied with measuring, mixing and more, there is no other option but to relax!<\/p>\n T Munroe, Communications Director<\/i>[\/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”Small Line” line_alignment=”center” line_thickness=”2″ divider_color=”accent-color” animate=”yes”][vc_column_text]\n [vc_row type=”full_width_content” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none” gradient_type=”default” shape_type=””][vc_column column_padding=”padding-10-percent” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":109950,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[92,23,98,99,46,107],"tags":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-109948","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-anxiety-stress","8":"category-christian-life","9":"category-grace-church","10":"category-holidays","11":"category-magazine","12":"category-staff-favorites"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nRESTORE YOUR SPACE<\/h4>\n
COMBAT THE CHAOS WITH TRADITION<\/h4>\n
GET ACTIVE TO GET OUT OF YOUR HEAD<\/h4>\n
ASK FOR INPUT<\/h4>\n
CHALLENGE YOUR CREATIVITY<\/h4>\n
Looking for a place to call home? We\u2019d love to meet you! Click here<\/a> to introduce yourself and learn more about Grace Church, or click here<\/a> to find a campus near you.<\/h4>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"