The Realization that Changed My Life
Why “Pendulum” Living is God’s Design
The following essay is the third reflection for our July focus on the spiritual practice of Simplicity. Read more here about our exploration of the spiritual disciplines in 2025 through creative and reflective writing.
By Amber Brandt
How much data can the human brain process in one day? According to a Venngage article by Danesh Ramuthi, it’s 74 gigabytes, a volume equivalent to approximately 100,000 words, or the size of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. While it’s no secret that absorbing this amount of data affects us, how often do we encounter a piece of information that fundamentally changes the way we live?
I can think of just a handful of times that’s happened in my life – and one of them came from encountering the following take on the creation story.
There’s a comfortable cadence to the Genesis 1 account of creation. Every day, God creates something new and calls it good. On the sixth day, after He’s separated the land from the water and created every other living thing, God forms man and woman and calls them very good. Then, Chapter 2:1-3 begins, “And so the whole universe was completed. By the seventh day, God finished what He had been doing and stopped working. He blessed the seventh day and set it apart as a special day because that day He had completed His creation and stopped working.” While this passage emphasizes the end of God’s work week, it’s also important to note that it means man’s first day on the planet was one of rest.
God designed humans to work out of our rest, not to work so hard that we collapse into it.
The Bible teacher who first shared this perspective with me referred to it as “Pendulum vs. Slingshot Living.” God’s design for humans is a healthy, steady rhythm of work and rest – moving gracefully back and forth between the two like a pendulum. When we’re well-rested and living within proper priorities, we work with greater purpose and clarity. But when the rhythm gets out of whack, we end up living like a slingshot instead.
Slingshot living is reactive; it’s constantly putting out fires and jumping at any “good” opportunity without exercising much discernment or counting the real cost. It’s when we overwork and overextend ourselves so far that we snap, collapsing into recovery mode. But recovery isn’t true rest; it’s simply lying low long enough to return to baseline. Slingshot living is not fulfilling or sustainable, and it causes us to sacrifice precious time and energy on things that are not worthwhile. It simply isn’t God’s best for us.
So, how do we break the cycle? How do we move from slingshot living to the wholeness and simplicity of the pendulum? By aligning our lives with what’s most important. Pendulum living begins when we adopt God’s priorities and identify the personal values that make us come alive. When we understand what’s important to God and how He uniquely created us to navigate the world, we gain a fresh perspective on discerning the right things to say yes to and no to, determining how best to allocate our time, money, and energy, and stewarding our capacity well. As author Annie Dillard said, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives…” Pendulum living helps us spend our days moving in the right direction.
The thing beneath the thing
Living in alignment with our values is key to maintaining a sustainable pace and keeping our priorities in order. When we are clear about what we want our lives to be about, it’s easier to see what we should commit to and what we should cut from our lives. In this process, we may also discover areas where we’ve lived according to the world’s values. But God is ever-gracious and ready to help us discern how to become more aligned with what He values.
When I began the work of identifying the core values unique to me, it felt overwhelming. I was delighted by so many things that I thought there couldn’t possibly be a value attached to every single one. But there was!
When we distill down to what makes something personally life-giving, there are often just 3-5 core values connected to everything in our lives, even if they appear completely disconnected on the surface. If we can identify the "thing beneath the thing," or the animating energy that's flowing beneath them, we can identify what makes it valuable to us. By examining our lives, we can notice patterns that reveal what makes us feel fulfilled and joyful and identify our underlying values. And when we know what these values are, we can embrace them more fully.
Here are three examples of what values-based living could look like in practice:
Robin identified a personal value of hospitality but realized she doesn’t invite people over as often as she would like because her dining table can’t accommodate anyone beyond her family (and this always makes her sad). To move into greater alignment with this value, Robin could prioritize purchasing a new dining set or creating an outside space where she would have more room to host. She could also explore ways of showing hospitality outside the home in her community.
Steve was offered a promotion at work. He knew it would require longer hours, and he valued spending time with his family in the evenings. Even though the promotion offered better pay, he realized this opportunity was a no-brainer. His values helped him see that saying “yes” to the new role would require saying “no” to his bigger value of family togetherness. This wasn’t a tough decision for Steve, though, because his priorities were aligned with God’s, and he could trust that God would bring another opportunity at a better time. His kids would only be small once, and Steve knew he wanted to make the most of the time they had.
Scrolling through Instagram, Lauren came across a woman sharing photos of a new quilt she had just completed. Something inside Lauren ached a little because she used to enjoy quilting as well. Quilting quieted her mind, and she loved sharing the finished products with family and friends. “I wonder why I stopped doing that?” she thought, “I really wish I could do it again.” Lauren didn’t have much extra capacity, so she took a look at her calendar in light of her values and considered whether there was something she could eliminate to create more margin for quilting again. Ultimately, Lauren knew quilting was connected to her value of Creativity, so she was open to exploring other fulfilling ways she could express that value beyond quilting that could also fit comfortably into her life.
Two important things to note about uncovering values:
Sometimes a value may seem frivolous when they’re connected to a hobby. . But anytime something feels life-giving, it’s an indication that we should lean into it with curiosity. If we can identify the motivating energy underlying that activity, we can find numerous ways to express that value in a meaningful way.
We will always have obligations to juggle and competing demands on our time, but being rooted in our values can help us navigate them effectively. Values-based living keeps life “simple” even when things get busy.
Embracing the Pendulum
Over the past decade, my husband and I have adjusted our lives to align more closely with our values, and this shift has fundamentally changed the way we live. We’re clearer on the work that is ours to do and experience more meaning, simplicity, and fulfillment from saying better yesses. Sure, things still get out of balance from time to time, but when we feel the chaos closing in, we’re much better at returning to what is most important and adjusting accordingly.
God’s design for mankind has always been a healthy, sustainable rhythm. It’s how we thrive and remain effective in all He’s called us to. Our values keep us grounded in God’s will and help us make a more meaningful impact in the world.
If you’re craving a more sustainable pace where you can comfortably transition from rest to work and experience deeper fulfillment, the following questions can help you uncover and articulate your personal or shared family values.
This is not only the first step toward making better decisions, achieving greater simplicity, and enjoying a healthier rhythm – it will help you see more clearly how God has uniquely designed you to impact your world.
What were you doing the last time you felt alive and fulfilled?
Who were you with? Can you name the thing beneath the thing?
What sparks emotion or a weight of importance to you?
What are you currently unable to do and really miss?
What frustrates/drains you and why?
Can you be honest with yourself about how you feel?
What is the unique work you feel God has created you to do?
From the Genesis story, we learn that humans are the crowning achievement of God’s creation, the only beings He called very good. In fact, Ephesians 2:10 calls us His “masterpiece,” designed with beautiful layers to uncover. This scripture goes on to remind us that He has created us anew in Christ Jesus to do the good things He prepared for us. When we do the work of identifying our values and aligning our priorities with His, we will experience His simplicity, fulfillment, and joy and live more fully into the good things He has prepared for us.
Amber Brandt is a StoryBrand certified copywriter and The Coziness Consultant. She’s passionate about helping families create spaces that reflect their values, and live cozier, more intentional lives. Amber’s been featured in Better Homes & Gardens, Apartment Therapy, and Parade Magazine. She writes and speaks about faith, family, and everything cozy.
WOMEN OF COLOR MENTORSHIP
Applications are officially open all month!
Are you a Christian woman of color called to write, speak, or communicate your faith?
At Redbud Writers Guild, one of our values is to equip and amplify the voices of women of color in writing and publishing. Now in its third year, our Women of Color Mentoring Program offers a unique space for growth, connection, and professional development within a safe and supportive community.
Applications close July 31.
Mentorship runs August 29, 2025—June 30, 2026.
SAVE THE DATE - upcoming webinar
Be Not Afraid of Using Video to Convey Your Ideas with Julie McElmurry
Thursday, July 24 10:00am PT / 1:00pm ET
A picture is worth a thousand words and videos are 24 pictures per second, so let's use it!
Everyone thinks they sound nasally when they hear their voice on video and most people don't like looking at themselves on video. These are not interesting reasons for you to refuse to use this tool to share your ideas.
In this webinar, you'll learn the basics of setting up a camera and lighting-no special tools required. You'll be challenged to create your first five videos to get you unstuck.
This webinar is free for Redbud Writers Guild members (no need to register), $15 for non-members. All proceeds go to support our Women of Color Mentoring Program.
Recordings will be sent to everyone who is registered.
About our presenter:
Julie McElmurry found a way to share the stories of misrepresented women-through the power of video. If cloistered nuns can get comfortable with a camera in their face, so can you! Let's stop being afraid of these tools and learn them as a way to share our original ideas and to engage with the world around us. Julie has completed 7 short documentaries about nuns (www.nonfictional.org) and has worked with many documentary filmmakers to help them get "unstuck."
P.S. Know someone who would be encouraged by this post, or be a good fit for our WOC mentorship program, or benefit from this upcoming webinar? Forward this to them today!
Don’t forget to visit our guild website here for a full list of our members and their written work, and connect with us on Facebook and Instagram so you never miss an update on our guild and our members.
LOVE THIS! My husband and I have been talking a lot about our core values recently as we've moved into a season of empty nesting. I love your questions!
What a powerful visual this is, and one that, as I read your post, I could feel my body swing through. Thanks for this push closer to intentional living.