Words have been scarce for me this month of December. Maybe Auburn University's triumphant wins left me speechless. Maybe we were busy with chorus concerts and basketball games. While writing typically has a grounding, therapeutic effect for me, personal insight and wisdom was severely limited this month. Writing a grocery list was the extent of my creativity. Fortunately the month peaked with a much needed family reunion in Florida...my first Christmas with my parents in South Florida in nearly 15 years! I vote it becomes a family tradition.
The days prior to our departure however found me feeling rather scattered and anxious. Survival rather than revival was my goal. Survive the onslaught of sugar that seems to creep its way into my kitchen, into my kids' lunches, into my shopping cart. Survive my daughter's seemingly insatiable desire to buy gifts; a continuous taxi service to Kohls, Bath and Body Works, and The Dollar Store. And while her intentions were noble, "I like giving gifts to my friends," somehow she has more friends than I have money. Survive the consumption of inhaling more stuff; survive the apparent superfluous nature of our household; we have so much stuff and yet we continue to acquire more stuff. Whether it is "stuff" in the food pantry, in the freezer, in our closets, basements, garage and storage room; we are competitive "stuffers" in our efforts to add to our bounty.
A few months ago my sister introduced me to Jen Hatmaker; pastor's wife, mother, author, and motivational speaker from Texas who recently wrote the book Seven: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess. At this time of resolutions, good intentions, and goals it seems like a suitable selection for my longstanding Aspen Book Club January meeting. As we resist indulging old habits (excessive shopping, eating, stress etc) and instead re-engage in healthy practices we find purpose in the present moment. So often resolutions seem out of reach, but day by day practice of simple healthy behaviors leads to success. Practice is what allows us to achieve our goals. If your goal is to be a better tennis player...practice tennis. If your goal is to be kinder...practice kindness. If your goal is to commit to a healthier diet...practice eating healthy foods. If your goal is to be more patient...practice patience with your kids, your spouse, or at the post office. If your goal is to be more flexible...practice stretching. My yoga teacher commented this morning that often a resolution seems to have less staying power than simply living in the present moment. What we need in this present moment can be practiced. Resolutions often feel like obligations, a long-term commitment without the ring. Living in the present, living with ease, living with daily practice of our values is a process which leads to long-term success.
Speaking of values...I let mine slide this morning. I have tried to teach my kids to be honest and truthful; develop healthy character traits that demonstrate integrity. All these ideas went out the window last night when I hosted 9 delightful, thirteen year old girls for a slumber party. Since my daughter started attending the charter school, Pathways I have tried to accommodate her many requests for friendly social gatherings. I understand the value of strong friendships and I know it is challenging to maintain them in a new school setting. Although adequately prepared and excited for the event, somehow, once it was in action; the noise levels, the conversations, the phones and videos constantly playing, the cookies, the pizza, the hot chocolate, cheese platters, and marshmallows...it all got to be too much for my occipital lobe to organize. Maybe it was heavy metal poisoning as recently I have been scaring myself with literature outlining the effects of fluoride on my brain from city water and toothpaste and mercury in dental fillings! Whatever the source of my agitation my coping skills were poor. At 12:30pm I gave the official parental warning to stop chatting, yelling, playing as it was time to hit the hay. At 2:30am I was making "shushing" sounds down the basement stairwell and at 3:30a.m. I was gruffly huffing, "GET TO SLEEP!"
Between my husband snoring and coughing and concern about over-sleeping my 7:30am class I "celebrated" New Years Eve a day early! Never was I so happy to venture to the gym in sub-zero temperatures as I was this morning at 6:30. Once at the gym, sleep-walking on an elliptical, I rationalized there was no way I could return to the house until guests had departed and the tornado aftermath was sufficiently remedied. Thus I texted my husband, "I have to teach two classes...not one." Blatant lie...why did I do it...I don't know except I felt overwhelmed! I even told Sarah, the instructor whose class I told my husband I had to teach about my lie. She kind of laughed and agreed the situation must have been extreme for me to hide all morning behind one class and an elliptical trainer! Fortunately, I noticed Yoga One in Cedarburg was offering a 9:30a.m. class and once honestly texting Ron to ensure my strict, parental skills were not needed, he kindly excused me to find my Zen with Kimberly. Thank goodness for a husband that is either oblivious to the discord or relaxed enough to ignore it. My sweet sister-in-law must have felt my angst as she even texted to inquire about the big party...my response..."I abandoned ship!" In addition, thank goodness for a solid yoga practice that brought my heart and head back to earth.
If you feel a bit jumbled, agitated, or stressed with a need to control uncontrollable circumstances, then maybe you would enjoy finding inner peace at the New Year's Eve Candlelight Yoga tonight 6:30-8:30 in Cedarburg with Kimberly.
Between my husband snoring and coughing and concern about over-sleeping my 7:30am class I "celebrated" New Years Eve a day early! Never was I so happy to venture to the gym in sub-zero temperatures as I was this morning at 6:30. Once at the gym, sleep-walking on an elliptical, I rationalized there was no way I could return to the house until guests had departed and the tornado aftermath was sufficiently remedied. Thus I texted my husband, "I have to teach two classes...not one." Blatant lie...why did I do it...I don't know except I felt overwhelmed! I even told Sarah, the instructor whose class I told my husband I had to teach about my lie. She kind of laughed and agreed the situation must have been extreme for me to hide all morning behind one class and an elliptical trainer! Fortunately, I noticed Yoga One in Cedarburg was offering a 9:30a.m. class and once honestly texting Ron to ensure my strict, parental skills were not needed, he kindly excused me to find my Zen with Kimberly. Thank goodness for a husband that is either oblivious to the discord or relaxed enough to ignore it. My sweet sister-in-law must have felt my angst as she even texted to inquire about the big party...my response..."I abandoned ship!" In addition, thank goodness for a solid yoga practice that brought my heart and head back to earth.
If you feel a bit jumbled, agitated, or stressed with a need to control uncontrollable circumstances, then maybe you would enjoy finding inner peace at the New Year's Eve Candlelight Yoga tonight 6:30-8:30 in Cedarburg with Kimberly.
Perhaps Jen Hatmaker's book, 7, will give you clarity in the New Year:
Amazon Review of 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess
American life can be excessive, to say the least. That’s what Jen Hatmaker had to admit after taking in hurricane victims who commented on the extravagance of her family’s upper middle class home. She once considered herself unmotivated by the lure of prosperity, but upon being called “rich” by an undeniably poor child, evidence to the contrary mounted, and a social experiment turned spiritual was born.
7 is the true story of how Jen (along with her husband and her children to varying degrees) took seven months, identified seven areas of excess, and made seven simple choices to fight back against the modern-day diseases of greed, materialism, and overindulgence.
Food. Clothes. Spending. Media. Possessions. Waste. Stress. They would spend thirty days on each topic, boiling it down to the number seven. Only eat seven foods, wear seven articles of clothing, and spend money in seven places. Eliminate use of seven media types, give away seven things each day for one month, adopt seven green habits, and observe “seven sacred pauses.” So, what’s the payoff from living a deeply reduced life? It’s the discovery of a greatly increased God—a call toward Christ-like simplicity and generosity that transcends social experiment to become a radically better existence.
American life can be excessive, to say the least. That’s what Jen Hatmaker had to admit after taking in hurricane victims who commented on the extravagance of her family’s upper middle class home. She once considered herself unmotivated by the lure of prosperity, but upon being called “rich” by an undeniably poor child, evidence to the contrary mounted, and a social experiment turned spiritual was born.
7 is the true story of how Jen (along with her husband and her children to varying degrees) took seven months, identified seven areas of excess, and made seven simple choices to fight back against the modern-day diseases of greed, materialism, and overindulgence.
Food. Clothes. Spending. Media. Possessions. Waste. Stress. They would spend thirty days on each topic, boiling it down to the number seven. Only eat seven foods, wear seven articles of clothing, and spend money in seven places. Eliminate use of seven media types, give away seven things each day for one month, adopt seven green habits, and observe “seven sacred pauses.” So, what’s the payoff from living a deeply reduced life? It’s the discovery of a greatly increased God—a call toward Christ-like simplicity and generosity that transcends social experiment to become a radically better existence.
Another option for those of you looking for spiritual support in your quest for good health, this FREE online bible study sponsored by Proverbs 31.org begins January 16th.
Next Study: Made to Crave Join the next Proverbs 31 Ministries online Bible study, Made to Crave, and you will:
- Break the cycle of "I'll start again on Monday," and feel good about yourself today.
- Stop agonizing over the numbers on the scale and make peace with your body.
- Replace rationalizations that lead to failure with wisdom that leads to victory.
- Reach your healthy goals and grow closer to God in the process.
Finally, I am excited about a new addition to our health community in West Bend. Julianne Hutchcraft, R.N. and Yoga Coach is offering classes at a variety of locations in West Bend, including Pleasant Valley Tennis and Fitness. In addition she teaches at Yoga One in Cedarburg where I first had the positive experience of her skilled cues and warm, easy approach to yoga. She is offering the perfect New Year's workshop on Sunday, January 26th...a cleanse for our home and body! Check her out at her facebook site, Yoga Coach, R.N. to learn more about Julianne.
After not writing for a month, this blog, although long-winded, wraps up my year 2013. Thank you for being a part of my life. Thank you for practicing Pilates. I pray you enjoy special times with family and friends this evening. I pray that 2014 brings to you an abundance of blessings... blessings that exceed a shelf-life...blessings that extend beyond wealth...eternal blessings that reveal themselves through love, children's laughter, nature's beauty, special memories and friends. Thank you for reading.