LEARNING TO LIVE A SIMPLE LIFE FOCUSED ON JESUS.
Hi, I’m Bethany Griggs!
I love helping weary, Christian women find spiritual and physical rest and prioritize their time without over-complicating things and increasing stress.
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30
Are you weary and a bit overwhelmed by life today? You’re not alone. Life can be hectic — but there is rest even in the midst of a long to-do list or challenging life circumstances.
Maybe you feel stuck in the cycles of life. Washing the same dishes. Working on the same projects. Checking one more thing off the never-ending to-do list. You’re always trying to get ahead, yet never getting everything done it seems you should be doing, and even more importantly, never taking the time to really rest.
It doesn’t have to be this way, friend! Not only that, it’s not supposed to be this way. Yes, we all have responsibilities and mundane, repetitive tasks to do. But God also calls us to rest. He wants us to rest in Him spiritually even as we work, mentally in what we think about as we go about our day, and physically at times as well.
“Rest is a weapon given to us by God. The enemy hates
it because he wants us to be stressed and occupied.”
— Ellizabeth Elliott
I’m not naturally an organized person — just ask my family. They can verify! In fact, as a child, I left such a wake of paper scraps that there was a time I couldn’t use scissors without permission. Paper scraps still follow me to this day, though hopefully most of them end up in the trashcan pretty quickly.
No, organization and having a good handle on managing my time and keeping a balance do not come naturally to me. I like keeping very busy and feeling like I’m accomplishing a lot of things, and that drive has often hindered me in getting the rest I needed and prioritizing my time with Jesus.
When I was in my mid-twenties, my life changed dramatically. I received a chronic illness diagnosis. My energy disappeared and left me on the couch instead of up and around accomplishing things.
This time was hard, but it was also good for me. God has taught me a lot of lessons and helped me to look at things through a different lens. Do I have it all down? No. I need reminders and God’s grace displayed daily in my life as much as anyone.
My health has somewhat improved since that point, but resting is no longer optional for me. And when you have very limited energy, you are more likely to think twice (or five times) about how you spend it.
One of the problems with many time management and simple living methods is that they are focused on us, rather than on the Lord. Why we prioritize our lives is even more important than how we do it.
I would love to share with you some of the lessons of simple living, time management, and prioritizing the things that matter that the Lord has taught me over the years and continues to show and remind me of!
Spiritual Rest
There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
Hebrews 4:9
Physical Rest
And [Jesus] said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.
Mark 6:31
Mental Rest
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Isaiah 26:3
A Personal Snapshot of My Life
- Traveling is one of my hobbies. I’ve been blessed to be able to visit all the lower 48 states and 15 countries.
- I’m left-handed.
- I love the colors lavender and light blue.
- I graduated with a degree in Elementary Ed and a minor in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. I’ve taught online lessons to students around the world.
- I enjoy tatting, a lacemaking craft made by tying knots.
- I write both fiction and non-fiction, and love being able to point people to Jesus through both.
Posts to Get You Started On Your Simple Living Journey!
How Can We Connect?
Sign up for the planner challenge, and you will also be added to the email list! You can expect to hear from me most Mondays with encouragement on this simple living journey with Jesus!