Mountaintop Pondering

Last week we had two family vacations, I was sick with a cold, and we had a wonderful week.  While on our campout up in the moutaintops, I took time to really ponder my life and simplify.

We hiked 3 miles up to a lake and 3 miles back down.  And during the hike I breathed in the surrounding nature and communed with my Heavenly Father.  Together, we simplified and realigned priorities, and created a schedule for the upcoming school year.  And then, several times during the hike, a light drizzle would fall from the sunny heavens, and it seemed to me to be a confirmation to the ideas I was receiving.

Now today I begin again to live a new routine.  Until last week, I dreaded the thought of changing up my schedule every so often.  It seemed that just when I'd construct one, life would change and I would have to start all over.  I wondered when, if ever, I would find the perfect routine.  But during my simplification process last week, the Spirit whispered a truth that has changed my paradigm:

"It's okay that I have to realign priorities and develop new routines/rhythms.  I did this in school each year, each semester, trimester, and quarter.  Life is constantly changing.  I have faith that the Lord will help me create an excellent way each time I have to adjust."

You see, it doesn't mean that the routine was wrong, when it comes time to change.  Life will always flow and change as the times and seasons do.  There is no one perfect routine.  One must be constructed again and again, and if done with the help of the Spirit, every routine can be perfect.  Now I know that I have found the perfect routine...at least for now.  And someday, life will cause me to tweak certain parts of the schedule, and maybe overhaul completely, but for now, it's perfect.


Happy Challenge:

Evaluate your routine or rhythm.  Ask the Lord if your life is going in the direction He wills.  Adjust priorities, if necessary, and create or tweak your routine until it fits the plan the Lord has for your life in this season.

Escape.

Sometimes we just need an escape.  The demands and pressures of the day fill us up and leave us empty.  Worry consumes us.  Our to-do list seems daunting.  Little ones cry out for attention and love.  Our patience sometimes wears thin.  What is a mother, or anyone, to do?  In the rush around of the daily busyness, we ride round and round a never-ending Ferris wheel.  We long for they day when we can get off, for we believe that in a few weeks, or months, or even years, our life will slow down and will be "back to normal."

But does this ever really happen?  In my personal experience, the answer is rarely, if ever.  New circumstances arrive just as old ones disappear, and there will always be problems and busyness to attend to.  But we can't keep going round and round on the Ferris wheel forever without a break.  Everyday life is enough to make one quite dizzy.

But, there is an answer.  And it's rather simple.

We need to slow.  We need to pause for an interlude of time.  We need to savor.

Have you ever noticed that when riding a Ferris wheel, it stops every so often to let new people on?  At times I have been annoyed at the frequent stops, or even a little terrified when we stop at the highest point.  But in this analogy, these stops are necessary and can be so rewarding.

Of course an escape to a quiet island would be ideal.  But realistic? No.  It's important to take a small vacation somewhere, at sometime during the year.  But oftentimes we feel that this annual vacation isn't enough to meet the demands of the daily. 

Sometimes we can get away for just a day on the weekend for an outing to the mountains, to the beach, a lake, a picnic at the park, or a walk in the countryside.  These small pauses bring serenity and new perspective so we are ready to meet the next week's challenges.  But even these seem few and far between when the grind of work and family life wear us down.

Sleep is another vital pause-button to the equation.  But even nighttime can feel so far away when it's 9:30 in the morning and we are already running on low.

But there is a way we can take an escape, a mental vacation, at any time or place.  Simply retreat to the bedroom, the bathroom, the backyard, or another place of peace.  Close your eyes, focus on your breath, and picture in your mind's eye, a place of peace and tranquility.  It can be the same place every time, or the scene can change from time to time depending on your mood.  For a long while, mine has been a quiet forest with fresh air and the scent of pine needles.  Now it's to the ocean I retreat to hear the waves and sit on the rocks.

Imagine every detail, the sounds, and the smells, the feel of the ground on your bare feet...it's a wonderful way to escape, even if it is for only two minutes.

These mental escapes take little time, but our brain can't decipher too well between the real and imagined.  The peace and tranquility bestowed upon you in your small retreat will carry with you throughout your day...it's an amazing way to stop at the top of the Ferris wheel and view the world around you with fresh wonder...


Happy Challenge:

Retreat today.  Even if it is only for two short minutes.  Go on an imagined vacation to a pristine, tranquil place and let your spirit, mind, and body be invigorated...



image via pinterest