Photo credit: Kathy Steinhardt, Treasure Pics
My name is Margy. I am a wife, mum, grandma, teacher, librarian, avid reader and a grateful living advocate. I am passionate about simple living, upcycling, recycling, sustainability and contemplative spirituality.
I also have a confession to make - I am a recovering perfectionist, achievement driven, workaholic. My family would have laughed twelve years ago if you had said I was going to start a business called Simple Slow Still. My life was anything but that. To give you an idea - I was married with two children in high school, I was working full time, heavily involved with church, community groups and completing a PhD. I look back and think I was mad. I couldn't have done it without my wonderful husband David who always gets a bit of a twitch when I say "I've been thinking..."
I have always been a maker. I remember having a "useful box" in my room full of bits and pieces that I could use to make something. In our 30 years of marriage David and I have always led a pretty frugal life. We live in an old house with a really big yard. We have chooks and a veggie garden. We have never owned a new vehicle. We love going away in our little old, 1987, 13 ½ foot pop-up caravan. I am extremely lucky because David is amazing at fixing things.
My change to a simple, slow, still life began about ten years ago when I read a book by Richard Foster called "Celebration of Discipline”. It introduced me to spiritual disciplines such as simplicity, silence and solitude. From there my thirst for knowledge in this area grew and grew. Since then I have been on an apprenticeship learning to abide in Christ. I have read countless books and blogs on the topic. I love going to a Christian Meditation group once a week and meeting with my spiritual director regularly. Since 2018 I have been leading retreats, facilitating reflection days and various formation and leadership development experiences.
After thirty years of being a primary school teacher, librarian and teacher-librarian I want to share with others how these practices have changed my life by creating space for God to transform me from the inside out leading to a life of joy, peace, gratefulness, contentment and a deeper, richer relationship with God.
I would like to invite you to join me in seeking to live simply, slow down and be still.
Qualifications
I also have a confession to make - I am a recovering perfectionist, achievement driven, workaholic. My family would have laughed twelve years ago if you had said I was going to start a business called Simple Slow Still. My life was anything but that. To give you an idea - I was married with two children in high school, I was working full time, heavily involved with church, community groups and completing a PhD. I look back and think I was mad. I couldn't have done it without my wonderful husband David who always gets a bit of a twitch when I say "I've been thinking..."
I have always been a maker. I remember having a "useful box" in my room full of bits and pieces that I could use to make something. In our 30 years of marriage David and I have always led a pretty frugal life. We live in an old house with a really big yard. We have chooks and a veggie garden. We have never owned a new vehicle. We love going away in our little old, 1987, 13 ½ foot pop-up caravan. I am extremely lucky because David is amazing at fixing things.
My change to a simple, slow, still life began about ten years ago when I read a book by Richard Foster called "Celebration of Discipline”. It introduced me to spiritual disciplines such as simplicity, silence and solitude. From there my thirst for knowledge in this area grew and grew. Since then I have been on an apprenticeship learning to abide in Christ. I have read countless books and blogs on the topic. I love going to a Christian Meditation group once a week and meeting with my spiritual director regularly. Since 2018 I have been leading retreats, facilitating reflection days and various formation and leadership development experiences.
After thirty years of being a primary school teacher, librarian and teacher-librarian I want to share with others how these practices have changed my life by creating space for God to transform me from the inside out leading to a life of joy, peace, gratefulness, contentment and a deeper, richer relationship with God.
I would like to invite you to join me in seeking to live simply, slow down and be still.
Qualifications
- Doctorate in Philosophy - My thesis was about the construction of youth in Australian young adult literature, 1980-2000
- Graduate Diploma of Library and Information Management
- Masters of Children's Literature
- Diploma of Teaching (Primary) with distinction