I LOVE LOVE LOVE what I do and my man is thrilled I can do it and get paid. I would much prefer spending time in God’s Word and time in DeDe’s Calendar World planning for the next season than even sleep. And even though we are in the midst of Vacation Bible School and Summer Mini Camps, I can’t wait to begin setting fall plans on the church calendar in ink.
Yet, in the midst of all life’s flurry hurry, I need to put on the brakes and put on some house shoes. I used to think it was my age, but have learned through experience that it is healthy to follow each season of jet-plane activity with a transition season of shuffling through the house in some house shoes.
Time to rest, time to sabbath, time to be still.
I typically mark these times to be patient on my handy-dandy calendar for August and January. Time to be patient with myself and others. 
Not my in-the-zone, over-caffeinated, can’t sleep right now, frantically searching for that blue post-it-note that had the exact thing I am looking for to finish the details on the next thing. Time to patiently wait for God’s direction for the next season.
I used to take a DAWG Day every 6 weeks. A DAWG Day is a Day Alone With God. A day with no electronics, no tv, no movie, no music, no sound except nature, no housework and time in the Word. On one DAWG Day, a precious friend took me on a 7-mile hike around Red Top Mountain: she walked in one direction and I in another holding a scripture scrawled on a scrap piece of paper. Sometimes I’d take an 8-week bible study and take two DAWG days to go through it. I have Cynthia Heald’s “Becoming a Woman Who Loves” on the shelf right now calling my name.
For some reason, when I had little ones running through the house, I wore my house shoes of patience more often. Maybe I took greater advantage of every no-school day, holiday week, and snow day to put on my house shoes and just share life with the ones most important to me. I knew that time was fleeting and the time would come when the house would be quiet for longer stretches. Let me confess here and now that in the furry of trying to prove myself to a new congregation I have not been as faithful to taking my DAWG Days over the last year and a half.
So as I purchase that new school year calendar from Staples and put on my house shoes in August, I will intentionally schedule DAWG Days just like I do everything else. We were made for community, yet we require rest to practice patience with ourselves and with others. My house shoes of patience are a pair of gray TOMS purchased at last fall’s Catalyst Conference. Printed in white all over the fabric? “Carpe Diem”
Psalm 23:2 He leadeth me beside still waters, He restoreth my soul.
DeDeBullReilly 
What a great reminder DeDe that it is just as important to schedule these days as a priority. Thanks for the inspiration.
You have the best ideas. I have just finished a season of huge activity and also great pain and suffering in my personal life. I absolutely love the idea of DAWG days. I do have days where I am so excited that I have nothing to do but work on MY stuff. My garden, my writing, my house, my organizing. I’ve never be too intentional about scheduling those ahead although my plan this summer was to take some days like that, but try to not work. Relax, Breathe. Rather difficult for me I must admit. Love your post!