Rambling Thoughts

It's Monday morning and I've been awake for half an hour or so.

Usually I write these Monday posts at some point on the weekend, so they're all ready to go, long before I wake.

I was too tired last night to accomplish that.  It was the last thing on my list, and I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

So I'm writing now, propped on pillows, still semi-reclined in bed.

This is one of those Monday's when I don't have anything burning to say.  No story from the deep internal moments of my life.  No half rant, half exposition of my thoughts on something I've learned at school, and why I can't quite agree with it.  Today there's just my slightly sleepy ramblings.

I'm thinking about how much I appreciated the quiet of the weekend.  How much I enjoyed the silent spaces that I sat in, even when I filled those silent spaces with work.

I'm thinking about my body, and long-term health goals.  About the moments when I see little bits of progress towards those goals.  About the ways that I am working to change my thinking, to make these goals long term habits, and not about short term gain.

I'm thinking about the fact that life threw major bumps at me last week, all in twenty-four hours.  Major financial challenges, the emergency hospitalization of a couple people very close to me, all while I was battling illness.  I'm thinking that I'm proud of how I handled those 24 hours.  That I'm thankful for the friend who let me rant a bit in the midst of them, and the friends who hugged me and prayed with me at house church.  I'm thinking about how the way I would have weathered this a year ago would have been different, and how I see immense healing and growth in the way I handled it now.  And I'm proud of that, and thankful for it.  I'm thinking about how it reflects my word for last year "heal" and my word for this year "still" in that I see healing in my response, and I was able to hold onto that internal peace and stillness even amidst the tossing of life's waves.

I'm thinking that there is always something to think about, and that I'm thankful for a Monday ahead of me with very few scheduled commitments, and lots of space - even space from school work, since I accomplished most of the homework and reading for this week already, and don't have to devote more than an hour or two of today to it.

I'm thinking that slightly sleep thankfulness and exploring rambling thoughts feels like the perfect way to begin this day.  And so, I'm off to crawl out of bed and begin it in earnest!

Daily 5 - Year 3, Day 176

Today's Daily 5:

1. Sleeping in
2. an email inbox at zero
3. baking muffins (love having time alone in the kitchen - tried a new low calorie banana chocolate chip recipe and they taste great)
4. a new USB hub for my laptop, that works great, and supports the peripherals I need when I'm working at home
5. a turkey and cranberry sandwich on rye
6. the combination of chocolate and hazelnut
7. the Starbucks cup with a straw that I bought a while back, and use for drinking water when I'm working at home
8. plowing through large chunks of the assigned readings for the coming week, and studying for a quiz that's happening on Tuesday
9. seeing a bit more progress in a goal to move towards greater health
10. being able to watch television shows for free online

Daily 5 - Year 3, Day 175

Today's Daily 5:

1. sleeping in
2. fruit bread
3. a long hot bath
4. making a bit of progress on homework for next week
5. a turkey and havarti pannini with cranberry sauce

Daily 5 - Year 3, Day 174

Today's Daily 5:

1. slightly better news about some challenging financial situations
2. a midterm that went quite smoothly
3. bus drivers who turn the heat on (especially after experiencing one who didn't again)
4. a room to do group work in that had the necessary technology AND windows with a view, rather than the usual claustrophobic, cement walled, windowless rooms
5. news that mom was released from the hospital
6. coming home to a quiet evening
7. encouraging texts from a couple of classmates, assuring me they're praying for some of the crazy that has shown up in my life the last 24 hours or so
8. chocolate
9. the smell and feel of freshly washed sheets
10. catching a bit of a concert my friend Karla was playing on a livestream online

Friday Reflections, February 10, 2012

Today's Friday Reflection comes from The Brave Girls Club, which sends out (almost) daily emails that are so encouraging.  When I opened this email this morning, I knew it would be the perfect thing to share with you here today:


Dear Extraordinary Girl,


Something wonderful that happens to us as we are paying more attention to our souls...and that might not seem like such a wonderful thing.....is the day that we get flat out, undeniably SICK AND TIRED of the way things are.


If you find yourself in this place, lovely friend, take heart and know that this is the catalyst for deep and meaningful change and for the resolve it will take to get from where you don't want to be to exactly where you want to be, and never go back.


There must come a day when ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, when all of the excuses finally lose their power. There must come a day when things are so far from the path that feels like yours that you will do anything to get on the right path. THIS is a very good day, a day that deserves a thankful heart and serious consideration, attention and some of your undivided time.


So if you are sick and tired of the way things are, this is the doorway to the way things are meant to be. We must step out of what we don't want to be able to step into what we do want. It is SO WORTH IT.


Keep going, beautiful girl. You are going to get there. You are going to be ok. Everything is going to work out and this will be worth every tear you cry, every mile you walk, every hurdle you overcome.


You are so very loved.
xoxo




A message from your friends at the Brave Girls Club - www.bravegirlsclub.com