Pursuing Peace This Fall

Phyllis Lifestyle 29 Comments

We are in such a joyous time of year. I love fall for so many reasons: hot drinks, the changing of leaves, wearing cozy sweaters…the list goes on. Along with all the joys that fall brings, it also ushers in one of the busiest times of the year. It’s football season, the holidays are coming up, and many things demand our time and attention. In the midst of all this hurry, I have a hard time slowing down, but I know I need to do just that. I need to feel at peace.

Sometimes the things that we need the most can actually be the hardest to make time for. I love putting up my feet, drinking a cup of tea, and reading a good book, but it can be so hard to make time for this rest when there are a million things to do. Here are some ways to try and find moments of peace in your everyday life.

 

Spend time in nature.

Fall is one of my favorite times to be outside. Even if you just take a quick minute to step onto your porch, take a deep breath and enjoy the peace that nature brings.

Unplug.

We don’t often realize how much our lives are consumed by technology. Setting boundaries with technology can look different for each person. This may mean completely putting your phone away or no longer responding to work emails after you get home. When our grandchildren are over at the house, Neal and I put our phones away so that we are able to completely focus on them. It is a simple gesture that makes time together that much more beautiful.

Savor the little moments of joy.

What are the little things that make you smile? Hearing a baby’s laughter, getting a note from a friend, drinking a cup of coffee first thing in the morning– these are just a few things that instantly make my day brighter. Take time to enjoy the little moments, no matter how quick they may be.

 

What do you enjoy most about fall?

Comments 29

  1. As a Louisiana native, I love when the haze of summer lifts and the sky becomes such a brilliant blue, the morning air is crisp, and coffee outside with my hubby is just grand! What a beautiful season…harvest time!

  2. oh so much Carmel Apples had my 1st one , the temps. know holidays are around the corner planning meals for my family the togetherness – know will be decorating for Christmas with Granddaughter before long , and other activities , love reading the holiday books , magazines the music ,

  3. Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. I am an artist painting in oils that so beautifully capture the glow, shimmer and beauty of this lovely season. We cannot thank you enough, Phyllis, for painting such beautiful and peaceful word pictures in your blog and in your magazines – makes it hard for someone like me to top! Life is fast and frenetic, we all need someone like you to remind us that we were put on this earth for a higher calling and to appreciate all our blessings large and small provided by our creator. God Bless.

  4. Thank for your wonderful words of wisdom. I think in this crazy world we all need to be reminded to slow down and enjoy the little, beautiful things. It’s amazing how a “little thing” can turn into a wonderful memory that brings peace and joy over and over.

  5. Thank you. I believe I needed to hear this. I have always thought of Fall as a time of death and sadness. Leaves dying and falling off trees is so sad to me. I need to look at it as if the trees are just talking a good long nap. And after a busy Summer, if I can just slow down and enjoy what the Season has to offer, I might just enjoy it. It is a beautiful time of year in East Tennessee.

  6. Staying in the moment and finding a reason to be grateful about all things are goals for me. After the gratitude set in, true joy and a wonderful sense of peace takes over. I love that feeling and strive to gain it daily, so hard in this busy, complicated world. Blessings!

  7. Thank you for this! It was just what I needed to have appear in my inbox this week. Finding peace in the midst of this crazily busy season is a constant quest of mine.

    I aspecislly need to unplug more – I work from home which means it is just that much harder to turn all my devices off. But it’s time to! Especially over the weekend!

    Here’s to everyone finding more peace. Always. And more joy.

    ~Hannah

  8. To Ruth and again all these special ladies I thank you for your most encouraging words!! Today I will try hard to bring s smile and some peace to a friend or neighbor. I will find the “peace within” …..

    And thank you again Phyllis for through your magazines and this blog you have connected me to these wonderful and amazing women….and you.

    God bless you all and have a delightful Sunday!

  9. What a delicious treat to read all these beautiful posts and be touched by the heart of so many women who feel much like I do….who love God, the natural world around us, family, friends, hearth and home and who are willing to speak of it. Our peace, I believe, comes from within and doesn’t depend so much on the exterior things of this world although I love a good cup of fresh brewed tea and a “good book”, often the Bible, as much as the next person. I would challenge each of us to live as tho’ we WERE the peace in our little corner of the world and to try to make it peaceful for someone near us. When I had children at home and my husband was living and going off for the day, I would feel that it was my gift to them if I could send them out into the world with a peaceful morning on their mind and heart. It worked for me too…..I loved doing that and now when I stay overnight with my daughter, she often does that for me. She brings my tea to my bedroom and cooks my breakfast and does not want me to turn my hand to anything before I leave. What a gift she is giving me. I relish every moment of it and tell her so. May you each dear one enjoy God’s beautiful painting of Fall on this earth and be thankful to your Creator that He made you to enjoy these “little” but important things.

  10. Thanks for sharing.I love fall.The sunset is so beautiful and the shadows low.As a child I loved October knowing Halloween is near followed ny Thanksgiving in November.
    family and friends are so important.

  11. I could not be more excited about welcoming Fall this year, especially after the very long, hot summer. Memories from childhood in the woods near my home bring me back to adventurous play and thoughtful walks, crunching leaves under my feet, the feel of the crisp air, the softness of sweaters and knee socks. Someone was always burning wood in a fireplace, a delicious smell, and little animals scurried about as they prepared for winter… so delightful to a child, and to the child within us. Blessings to all this Autumn. May it help to soothe a rather raucous world.

  12. It is always a good idea to take a bit of time to be enchanted by the beauty around us. I live in New England and this time of the year it is just glorious. God has given us many wonderful gifts in nature, and people . I am most thankful for these gifts.

  13. I just have to say thank you to you, Phyllis, and your beautiful magazines!

    And… Thank you to all you amazing ladies and your Autumn thoughts today.

    You always move me and brighten my day. I thank God for all of you…. People I have never met but feel I know so well!

  14. While my husband reads the morning papers, I go for a 35 minute walk in our neighborhood. I have a chance to pray and talk to God. Every day I see the changing of seasons, the leaves turning color and it’s getting chilly too, and it feels good. Pass by fellow neighbors a warm “Hi” its a good feeling and I feel I have so much to be thankful for. Sometimes a cup of coffee with a neighbor who needs some friendship time and I’m thankful to be there when a friend is in need. Back home and time to fix a nice breakfast for hubby. This morning I played a piano CD with the song “Autumn Leaves” on it, as the say life is good and I’m thankful for this harvest season….Carmel

  15. Phyllis, et.al., such lovely thoughts and images are evoked by your words. Cool crisp air; leaf “showers”; walks in our woods; morning midst over the lake; golden-toned chrysanthemums; a cup of Constant Comment or Lady Grey and time alone or shared with family and those close friends who are family. Praying for peace for each of us…

  16. Picking, packing and putting Summer in storage and bringing out Fall – pumpkins, mums, sweaters, cider. All my senses are soaking up Fall!

  17. Always, that first cuppa tea during my Morning Prayer, followed by Bible study. That’s year round. During the fall, I often take my work (I’m a writer, retired journalist, but still writing) outside to my courtyard where I may sit with the sun on my back and the garden in early fall before me. I enjoy pumpkins of various shapes and colors – not just the pie orange – an old quilt or blanket on the front porch Luytens bench with a couple of pillows, perhaps a basket of brown pine cones collected as they fall. The Victoria magazines inspire me, as well. Then there is the lovely quiet November to anticipate before slipping into Advent.

  18. I want to quote one of my heros, Dr. Guy Sayles, retired minister of First Baptist Church of Asheville. He is living with Multiple Mylemoia and professor at two universities and guest minister at many churches. Not really retired. Quote: “Sometimes the healthiest, holiest, and most productive things we can do are to meander in the healing mercy of God’s creation, to rest in God’s luxuriant love, to laugh and play in God’s joy, and to sleep in the mother-like arms of God.” I want to turn off my phone and computer also and spend some time enjoying the things that really matter. Thank you Phyllis. The fall magazines are amazing.

  19. I love to enjoy the beautiful weather and do some leaf peeping while sitting in a local park with a cup of hot cider or tea. I will also meditate outside where nature inspires me. The event in Fall I look forward to most is going apple picking in Connecticut. We arrive early while the orchard is still fairly quiet and savor the fresh air and mountain views. They also sell cider donuts made fresh at the farmstand, so delicious! Then it’s on to the local cider mill followed by pumpkin picking.

  20. Peace!! That is what we all strive for! Peace in our world, peace in our communities, peace……

    We may not have control ofball the above but we can effect them. We can begin, exactly as you so beautifully say…. By putting electronics on hold for family…. Being present that’s the key! Peace comes in the smile of grandchildren, the beauty of flowers, the roll of the waves at the ocean, the beauty of the sailboat on a lake, the blue of the mountains before the sunrise.::: or simply a cup of tea in front of the fireplace!

    Just to look at your magazines and the wonderful pictures takes my mind away, even for a a short time. And as always, thank you for that …peace.

  21. The photo took my breath away and immediately I thought-this is where I want to be and then I read your advice. Nature, enjoying the simple things in life-that is where I want to be. Thank you for the inspiration and of course a cup of tea and Victoria magazine is nice to unwind!

  22. I enjoy all the same things you do Phyllis. In the fall, maybe because it’s so busy with events, antique buying trips to Europe, and holidays, I try to sit down in front of the fire for just 20 minutes every afternoon for a cup of tea, and to read a good book, or look through one of your beautiful magazines for calm and inspiration in my day.

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