12 Tips to Reset Your Sunday

All work and no play is not a healthy way to live. Even if it’s just an hour without your BlackBerry or iPhone, wouldn’t it be nice to not have to worry about what all is going on in THE world, let alone YOURS for just a little while? To take a break from the bill pay reminders, Facebook comments, emails and updates, and just be …. present? Maybe in this hour you begin with a nap, or meditation, playing with your children, or going outside for a walk. Maybe even tackling that project you’ve been putting off. But being present in the moment is sometimes the most valuable asset you have and can give. The best part of it is you just may find out where you really are without having to check in.” Full story at: 12 Tips to Reset Your Sunday.

Expectations



“Lower your expectations of earth. This isn’t heaven, so don’t expect it to be.” Max Lucado via Expect……………………...

Musings during a power outage

Jon Swanson writes:

I walk into the bathroom and turn on the electric switch. Nothing happens. For three days nothing has happened. I know the power is out. I still reach for the switch. Habits are strong.

The computer is off. I walk past my office and look at the screen. It’s still off. I still look.

I think often about wanting time to read and to write. With no access to Internet and no power for television, this would be a perfect opportunity. But I can’t sit still. I can’t let what might happen tomorrow simply happen tomorrow.

It is remarkably easy to blame the rough-running of the neighbor’s generator for the rough-running of my thoughts. And then to generate a low-voltage current of blame that wears down my motor.

It is hot, I suppose, but exercise will make me perspire anyway. And might help alleviate the uncertainty about when the power might come on. Instead, I wait for what might happen. I wait for a day, then another.

It seems that my agenda is more driven by the tools that are working than I thought. I could be working and resting, following the daylight, enjoying the restoration than can come from disconnection. Instead, I am feeling disconnected.

I am grateful for what I am learning about ingratitude during this time. We have water. We have hot water. We have a grill. We can even use the stove (if I light it manually). We have a frenchpress for coffee. Our house wasn’t hit by any trees.

I read from Acts on Sunday morning. I realized that the early church never cancelled services because the electricity was out. It was the right choice for our church on Sunday, but I’m thinking a lot about how much I depend on the wrong energy sources.” via Musings during a power outage. | 300 words a day.

Hmmm. We live in a rural area so when our power goes out, we lose our water too making it even harder to be grateful. Still I love Jon’s perspective…

Six month questions

Jon Swanson writes:

Sunday is July 1. The year is half over. This weekend, then, is a time to review the last 6 months, to check our goals or 3 words, to see if we are making progress.

Here are a bunch of questions to help in that review. But as you look at these questions, you will realize that progress isn’t always related to goals. Sometimes new things happen. Sometimes things change. Sometimes just keeping up with the basics (eating, breathing) is making progress.

Life change is its own set of goals…

  • Did a relationship end? start?
  • Did a family member die?
  • Did a child join the family? struggle? graduate?
  • Did a job change?
  • Did you keep doing the daily work?

Expression

  • Did you write an unplanned poem? a letter? a thank you note? a blog post? a song? a script?
  • Did you read a book? many books?

At least once…

  • Did you say no to an addiction? Can you do it again?
  • Did you change a habit?
  • Did you give someone flowers?
  • Did you choose to stay quiet?
  • Did you wrestle with a major question?
  • Did you apologize?
  • Did you say thank you?
  • Did you keep Sabbath?
  • Did you find solitude?
  • Did you forgive someone?

Looking at things as a farmer would (with thanks to Becky)….

  • Are you ripping out the old plants?
  • Are you between crops?
  • Are you planting?
  • Are you weeding?
  • Are you watering and waiting?
  • Are you harvesting?

Questions for thinking.

  • Did you complete one of last year’s goals? (right goal, wrong year)
  • Did you come back?
  • Did you step out?
  • Did you cry out for help?
  • Did you step back?
  • Did you let go?

Sounding formal…

  • How did you build capacity? Yours? someone else’s? your organization?
  • How have you developed infrastructure?
  • Are you looking forward to the next half of the year?
  • How did a goal change?
  • How did a new goal emerge?
  • Did you realize that your goals weren’t small enough? big enough?

via Six month questions..

Gay pride parade?

Some things never change — my ‘straight’ sons never call either! :-D

The New Yorker via A Sunday morning cartoon. For more: http://nyr.kr/KwizX3.

There Are Good People Out There

Here’s a good story for a Sunday morning…

“The media is filled with stories of “bad” people—people to be feared. By watching the nightly news one would assume that our world is populated by people who would rather hurt than help us; who would go to great lengths to avoid lending a helping hand.
Fortunately, we know better.

My husband and I, along with our twin sons, have spent a total of four years cycling the Americas. We’ve pedaled 27,000 miles in all, including a three-year journey from Alaska to Argentina that spanned fifteen countries.

Wonder how many “bad” people we encountered in three years, 27,000 miles, and fifteen countries? I could count them on one hand.” via There Are Good People Out There [BLOG] « Positively Positive.

Follow the ‘via’ link to read the whole story…

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