#go-go-go

[momentsbeforemass]

Doing

Growing up farming, I couldn’t wait until I was old enough to drive the grain trucks to the elevator.

The trucks were nothing special. Just a couple of two-ton trucks that were old enough to drive themselves. And then some.

When I was learning to drive them, I had a few bumps on the way. Especially learning to shift gears when the trucks were loaded.

The first time I got a loaded truck up to speed on the state road, it happened. I was shifting into high gear. And missed.

I had the gear shift where it needed to be (or so I thought). I let the clutch out. And…nothing.

I was losing speed fast. But the engine was racing. Because I still had my foot on the gas. Eyes wide. Going “what do I do now?”

For a lot of us, the sudden switch to work-at-home/avoid-people/stay-at-home with the coronavirus can feel like that.

We’re used to running hard, going fast. Barely keeping up with all of the things that we have to do.

All of sudden, we’re not. We’re not going anywhere. But the engine’s still racing. Because we’ve still got our foot on the gas.

All of our usual go-go-go, do-do-do? Isn’t happening. And we’re saying to ourselves, “what do I do now?”

Here’s a thought.

Take your foot off the gas.

You’ve been given a reprieve from the usual go-go-go, do-do-do.

Follow the wisdom of today’s readings. Use this season to create a new normal. One that’s grounded in your relationship with God.

One that sets you up to be the person God that made you to be, that sets you up to be happy. How?

Make your new normal one that starts each day with God.

Start simple. With a quiet moment.

For prayer. To read your Bible.

And just to be with God.

It’s the only way to stop being a human doing.

And to start being a human being.

Today’s Readings

[naturalhealthgodsway]

Finding Rest in the Mayhem: It Started with Stop Lights. . .

It had been another seemingly non-stop day. The kids had been dropped off to the daycare, I'd attended my day's classes at college, we had shopping to do, dinner to eat and then heading out the door to Wee College and choir. I was in the middle of a divorce situation so the lawyer called while I was trying to do homework, and then Mom called as I was making dinner.

I remember telling her I felt as if I couldn't do this. My kids were 4 and 6 by this time, my son was in part-time kindergarten, so he had to be picked up during the shopping errands. My days felt non-stop and I was venting to Mom on the phone. Her response? Look for the tiny moments when you can rest. When you're out driving, take those 30 seconds at the stop light to take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Back then, traffic where I live was tamer than where I'd come from, so this more easily stepped into. But even in today's busier and far crazier traffic, those 30 seconds are still available to grab a moment and let out a sigh. I got so used to grabbing those seconds at stop lights, that whenever I get behind someone inching their way to the intersection precisely so they don't have to stop, I get irritated. I NEED those times even now that my kids are grown. Back in 2010, my health began to noticeably deteriorate to the point where I was taking my first-ever mental health absences from work. We wouldn't know till 2013 that I had developed adrenal fatigue through a near-mental breakdown when I fled my ex, 20+years of eating a low-fat diet to avoid gall stones and surgery, and how busy I liked to keep myself in general. I am a bit of a work-a-holic and sometimes have white-glove tendencies as well. I had to let go of the white-glove tendencies to raise my kids without going mad or sending myself to hospital. 2013 arrived and I realized I had to drastically slow down the pace. I couldn't even work properly at that point. Once again, those stop lights were extremely important to me. We need to find those moments when we can sigh, close our eyes a moment, and regroup. There are various ways to do this, and stop lights were an important step in the mindset shift for me. How have you learned to find those snippets of rest? Read the full article

[hathaway-hayes]

Our Vagrant

I stumble upon a body, Still, and with a simple breath – Expansion, compression, Expansion, extend, Felt out with only the tip of a Quiet naked toe. Etched and ether, I’ve left to fetch water, Desired, by the one in bed. And I try to live, not unlike herself, Just live, exist, let alone, To save, the night or new in between. The only chasm, A chaos come one, other and Lonely little night; A solace cracked circus, As we’ve a Vagrant, Crumpled like refuse Atop the carcass of a car. Seeming crippled, Like the bullet-riddled brother I Never knew, the refuge remains, On floors neither broken nor bothered; He’s perfect completion, When he can’t write, He can’t read, and he can’t do much. He simply breathes – in and out, Pan-ultimate in expression. It’s  ethereal, and antithesis, Opposite my will to end; He doesn’t want, doesn’t need, Doesn’t dream, and doesn’t feed, He’s ecstatic but never to show. And perhaps and perhaps and perhaps, Just perhaps, this stillness christened “Content,” Makes him all the more wiser – Wiser than her, wiser than I, Wiser than every soul that’d ever forget, With only a will to continue, as is, And never a wish to be.

*Note - She offered me some advice, "just sit," and I did.

[itlldoagain]

In honor or Project Runway's 13th season, the the "Tim Gunnisms" I could find. 

[kuyabrooother]

Ang sarap sarap lang nung feeling na may nagch-cheer sayo.

Hahahaha. Ang sweet kasi bakit ba! Hahahaha.

[talesofnorth]

And now, seeing how you all are hooked up with this crossover, you should go and check Emma's blog, because she makes amazing stuff, including Kahlan/Morgana gifs :D

[whychester]