A couple of people have asked me recently what does it mean practically for you to live a quiet life. I actually have been thinking about that all year, but I think I am finally starting to come to some conclusions. This was helpful for me in The Genesee Diary: ...he felt it was crucial for me to find concrete ways to prevent myself from drowning in activities and concerns on my return home. We had often discussed my tendency to become overinvolved, to be carried away by sudden enthusiasm, to accept too many invitations, and to invest too much energy without considering whether or not it was worth it. If I want to maintain a steady prayer life and keep a certain purity of heart in the midst of all my actions, I need to set limits and find ways to say "no" more often. It seems there is my answer. I also get too enthusiastic and don't think things through all of the way. I don't want to say no to so many opportunities. But I am realizing that I have to in order to keep a closer relationship with God. Setting limits is becoming more and more necessary for me. I really don't like limits or rules, but I have found they make my life better. For instance, I must go to bed by 9:30 so that I have the energy the next day to get moving in time to accomplish what I need to and still have my devotional time. I have found I can skip one or maybe two days of devotions, but after that I get stressed, tired, confused, and worthless. That makes the whole day go wrong and then the whole family starts down the same path. For the sake of my family's spiritual health I have to go to bed early. It has become important to me to keep to a structure for the day- not necessarily a timed schedule, but a sequence. In order to form continuity, and to complete tasks, I need to follow that sequence. For instance, the first 2 hours of the day are spent in prayer, devotional reading, meditation, exercise, work, and grooming. That sets the pace for the day. Afternoons have a sequence of cleaning, schooling, preparing dinner, rest, visiting with my husband. Evenings are tied more closely to family- feeding, working outside, sharing a prayer, reading a book together. The sequence can be disrupted by a friend's visit, a trip, a change in schedule, but I am better able to handle that disruption if the morning's 2 hour routine isn't changed and if I follow the rules the other days, like the kitchen must be cleaned before I go to bed. Also an attitude of patience and serenity can make the rush and hurriedness of a changed schedule turn out to be a pleasant shift. Not hurrying to do anything seems to be one of the major ways to remain in a "quiet life mode". I think another thing that I have had to face this year is realizing that the children don't have to be exposed to everything and they don't have to try everything- sports, band, whatever. There is a time to be in a sport, but one is enough. There is a time to try an instrument, but it can not interfere with other priorities. It is hard sometimes to make this decision for your children, especially when you see other families making the choice to play an instrument, take dance, and play sports, as well as be in a play or concert choir. They look ok on the outside, and maybe they are able to do that and be ok on the inside, but it doesn't work for us. My children will not be social outcasts as adults because they can't play the violin, nor will anyone care that they didn't play 3 sports during the fifth grade. Hopefully this decision will make them better children of God. I guess that is where I am so far. A quiet life is one that starts the day with God and quietness, that has a structure or sequence to the days, is slow and patient, and doesn't look to others for comparison.