Living a Balanced Life

We live in a life of extremes.

Extreme sports, extreme homes, extreme food.

There's a new TV show called "Extreme Couponing." I watched several episodes. While I admired the participants amazing results it saddened me. I wish these people would spend those coupon clipping hours on a few more relationally important things. I mean, how much free deodorant can one person or family use?

It seems as if we're expected to live our lives in an all or nothing attitude.
Push, strive, succeed.
All work no play.
All play no work.

No wonder most of us live on autopilot as we frantically attempt to please someone or no one. It's too much (or too little?).

I believe that most of us rush off headlong into one of these pursuits despite our friends, family and church telling us to cool it and chill out.

Somehow it doesn't seem right to be just...satisfied. We're supposed to want more.
Do more.

Be more.

Yet the opposite is true; we're not supposed to hyperfocus on only one aspect of living. True health and vitality is composed of variety in our lives that result in balance.

Balance of rest, work, play, relationships, fun, sunshine, God, giving and receiving. Leave any component out and we're at risk of spinning out of whack.
Keep it up and we'll eventually WHACK into something.

It's hard work to rest, be content and concentrate on the right priorities. But trying to recover from imbalance is even harder.

I challenge you to invest time in people, places, and things.

TV provides all sports channels, all shopping channels, all cooking channels but
ultimately, we control the remote.

The same is true for real life.

Balance includes and involves involvement; it lets people in and lets you get off the hamster wheel of over-achievement.

If you're going to strive, strive on making your life as healthy as possible. None of this extreme stuff is ultimately going to have meaning.

After all, when your life is over, you can't take all those coupons with you.

His Eye is on the Sparrow

A new family has taken residence at my residence.

A bird family.

Don't ask me what kind of bird; it has wings. And a beak.

And a nest firmly built in the eaves of my front porch.

Now this bird family is very interesting to me. I've watched this bird househunt a few weeks ago. Obviously she(?) wasn't happy with pre-existing homes so she decided to build one herself.

It's quite stylish, if I say so myself.
At least it's in a great neighborhood.

I've admired the focus with which this bird has gathered her materials and firmly attached them to this very narrow expanse of wood nailed overhead. I doubt there was much that could have deterred her from her task.

Now it seems as if the 'significant other' bird has arrived. Again, I'm not bird savvy so I don't know the common behaviors of this particular species of bird.

But I have noticed that they view us as an irritant; anything that disrupts their apparent plans for this nest ticks them off royally. They are not nonverbal birds.

While my human self sits on the front porch enjoying the weather, these chirpy critters make it clear I am simply not to have my way. I'm to surrender my own perch in favor of them having theirs.

They aren't aware of the actions I've taken to assure their safety; the chairs I've moved so our cats can't climb them to get at the nest or the different path we try to take so they aren't disturbed.

During a storm I've kept my eye on them but they don't know they have a protector.
I've watched for predators and been ready to shoo any danger away.I've been thinking about them quite a bit. For some reason it's important to me that they survive and thrive.

I've taken the role of protector and these scrawny bird-legged birds don't even know it.

No matter.

I'll continue my vigilance as long as this clan resides here. My nest is their nest.

So...
I go back to my own life and the similarities between these bird-brains and my own bird-brain.
How likely it is that the Head of the home I've chosen to dwell in watches over me.
How He moves some things out of my path so I'm protected. He keeps a vigilant eye on my comings and goings. He probably enjoys hearing my chirps too.

He's thrilled I've chosen to abide in his abode.

So...
Perhaps the next time I'm so focused on building and planning for the future I'll think of this birdie brood. I also have a Protector who is watching over me with care and delight.

I need to be more respectful of what God does in my life. I must learn to accept that my Protector watches over me, keeping me from some harm I might never see.

Hopefully I'll keep my scolding squawks to myself.

Stuff and Nonsense

It seems to me that most of us are either getting new stuff or getting rid of old stuff. But it's all stuff, after all.

Early in my marriage, I spent lots of mental energy wishing I had and trying to get.

Now that I'm older I find I'm clearing out and giving away.

Don't get me wrong- I like stuff. I like looking at it and I like using it.

But after while it seems as if all the stuff I've ever worked for and acquired over the years is, truly, only stuff.

Last week my dear daughter Kari decided to have a garage sale. So many of us say we don't have anything to sell or don't have the time to sort through the stuff we have in order to get rid of it.

Such was not the case here. We eagerly dug through and enthusiastically donated item after item for the sale.
It surprised me to realize how few possessions were really sentimental or useful to the family. Yet most items were acquired a piece at a time, if not deliberately, then purposely welcomed into our home.

Looking at this stuff spread out on tables for the garage sale, I realized that none of those things held any meaning for us.
How when we decided to sell them we cut all emotional ties with them.
And they became stuff.

The sale went well; it was fun to watch each buyer leave happily with some of my former stuff. I was glad to see my stuff become their new prize.

But it challenged me to be mindful of the next stuff I bring into the house.
Or into my mind.
Or into my heart.

It's vital we keep perspective on what we find valuable.
And what is just stuff.

Power of the Will

One thing you've probably noticed if you've been following my blog is that I enjoy laughing at myself.

I laugh at you, too, but you don't know that.

Anyway, what I think is really funny is how many excuses/reasons I have for explaining my actions. Depending on my own viewpoint I can reason away (aka excuse)anything.

If I want to do something I'll find a reason (It's the RIGHT thing to do, I want to show my support, etc.).

If I don't want to do it I'll find a reason (I don't 'feel led,' I'm overbooked, I'd be in the way...).

But today is a great example of overcoming true obstacles (I might have broken my toe yesterday falling over something- is 'puffy purple' a medical term?)

Earlier today Don and I found ourselves excitedly riding our bikes together on the Katy Trail. Against 20+ mph winds. Me with a severely bruised toe.

I found a way and managed to overcome real roadblocks. (Don didn't: apparently while I wasn't looking he turned his wheels wrong, took a ditch, and fell headlong over his handlebars. I saw him climbing back onto his bike after his tumble but was unfazed since he tends to fall down a lot).

So...

My will managed to ignore physical pain so I could do what I wanted to do. My stubbornness said those real obstacles weren't big enough to stop me.

My will pushed my thoughts beyond what I thought I could do; I actually forgot for a while that I had aches, pains, and pressing responsibilities.

My thoughts focused outward rather than inward.

So while I nurse my aches and pains (and Don's embarrassment)I'm energized by the ability God has given me to use the power of my will to enjoy life.

But boy, will I ever remember my limitations when I try to get out of bed tomorrow.

Especially if I don't WANT to get up.

In Honor of April Fools Day

I love pranks.

Not the pranks viewed on tv reality shows that delight in frightening or embarassing folks. I can't even watch those because it makes me uncomfortable. No one wants to be made to look foolish.

No, I love the pranks that push the envelope a little but show forethought and a little preparation. Like the old pink flamingos in the yard trick. And the forking the lawn trick. I think tp-ing the office is cute. I once saw an entire house wrapped in cellophane but there might have been a deeper reason for that...

A friend of mine once got into my office and replaced all my pictures with photos of her and her husband on a cruise. Her in a bathing suit. My shelf suddenly had sex manuals and viagra samples displayed on it. One time same friend took an unflattering photo I had given her (of me after having fallen asleep among some chocolate chips-indescribable) and had them made into Christmas cards.

THAT took planning!

When my best friend turned 40 I had an old grade school photo of her published in the local newspaper. We dressed up as grannies one year for our bosses' birthday; each patient brought him a sympathy card.

My most favorite prank occurred when my kids were in high school: One evening my son Ryan went to his car to fetch something. In a flash he was back inside laughing hysterically. "I've been PRANKED!" We all rushed outside to see the carnage; it was memorable.

While we were all inside the house that evening, someone had come up to our driveway, taped off a pattern on Ryan's hand-me-down car (blue 1992 Acclaim) and spray painted a fluorescent orange racing stripe along the hood, top, and trunk and added #7 to the side. We never realized it was happening.

Years later we learned that the culprit was a band-mate of Ryan's. It was awesome.

Ryan drove that car proudly for years afterwards.

The spirit of fun made the prank a good one. The display of good humor while shaking up normalcy a bit is almost flattering; I mean, only someone who really knew us would take the time to plan and follow through on something like that.

So on this April Fool's Day, think about someone you like, know, and want to kid a little. Grab the flamingos, cellophane, balloons, photos, spray paint (sparingly) toilet paper, plastic forks.

Then get out there and 'bless' somebody.