Katrina

I was going to write about another anchor point today, but something else was on my heart. Yesterday morning, as I struggled to wake up and have some quiet time in the Scriptures, one verse stood out like a candle in a dark room.

Who but God goes up to Heaven and comes back down? Who holds the wind in His fists? Who wraps up the oceans in His cloak? Who has created the whole wide world? What is His name - and His Son's name? Tell me if you know! ~Proverbs 30:4

My eyes fell on two lines... Who holds the wind in His fists... who wraps the oceans in His cloak.

For two days I've been watching the devastating footage of Katrina's aftermath, especially in New Orleans, where I use to live - where I still have so many friends - where my own sister lives and works. And this verse was comforting.



It is God who holds the wind in His fists and wraps the oceans in His cloak. Nothing happens that He doesn't know about.














New Orleans: Photo by Michael Ainsworth / DMN
(The home in the middle has "HELP" on the roof)

My family is fine, although we think my sister's apartment is completely underwater. I cringe when I think of the things she's likely lost.

Those winds and waters destroyed many homes, tooks many lives, and left many without jobs or much security to come back to. But if I turn an angry face towards God as the culprit...

then i've forgotten a very important thing about God :: HE IS GOD.

Instead, i'll choose to thank Him for sparing so many lives, and I'll look for Him to work His good into this tragedy. In the mean time, He is teaching me about how big He is... and how easily I become attached to my small material possesions that weren't really mine to begin with.

Sleep

Sleep.

What a peaceful word. Even the sound of it is soothing. Say it with me… sleeeeep. Nice, huh?

What’s not so nice is ME when I don’t’ get enough of it! Jeffrey can always tell when I’m fatigued. It’s not so much the dark circles or lack of energy that give it away. It’s more the short, edgy responses I give that let him know I’m in desperate need of rest. I think women today are in desperate need of rest.

I don’t remember a day in my life my mother didn’t get up before everyone and go to bed after everyone.

But in juggling our duties as wife, mother, professional, etc., many of us are doing ourselves – and our families – a disservice by not getting the sleep God designed our bodies to need.

Our beauty-sleep, so to speak.

So, here’s the first “anchor point” we’ll work on. From what I’ve read – and I have read a lot – I’ve learned it’s not only important how much sleep we get, but when we get that sleep.

When I was little, at least once a year we visited my grandparents in Ruston, Louisiana, where my grandpa was a peach farmer. He and my grandma would get up really early, and begin the day’s work. But by late evening, they were ready to wind down for bed-time. As it turns out, my grandparents were pretty wise, whether they knew it or not.

Experts believe that the more hours of sleep you can get before midnight, the better off you’ll be*. In fact, I’ve read in more than one source that one hour of sleep before midnight is equivalent to four hours of sleep afterwards.

So whoever said “Early to bed early to rise…” well they were on to something.

Don’t skip this anchor point. I know we have loads to do (literally, there’s a load of laundry sitting right beside me, waiting to be washed), but look at it this way: if you were chronically ill, you’d take the necessary steps to get well. Place that importance on your sleep routine, and you could help keep your immune system and heart healthy, your hormones in check, and headaches, stomach aches, back aches and cancer risk at bay.

So go to bed early tonight – and sleep tight!


* Information in this post was found in The Maker’s Diet, by Jordan S. Rubin, and in “A Better Bedtime”, an article by Melanie Haiken, Natural Health Magazine, February 2005

Anchors Away

I have a new job. Well, sort of. I’m working for a couple in our church. They have 2 kids, and leave for work early in the morning, so my job is to get Andrew (first grade) and Rachel (Kindergarten) ready for school (i.e. dressed, breakfast, teeth and hair brushed, bed made) and then out the door. I drive them less than a mile down the road to the local elementary school, and then drive less than a mile back to my apartment. So if you really want to call this work, then I have a new job, and I LOVE it!

This first week has been so interesting that I suspect my new occupation will be fuel for many future Blog entries!

One of the benefits of this work is that I’m done by 8:00am! That, as you’ve probably guessed, leads me to the downside of the job – I’m up by 5:30 in the morning.

I’m talking, not even dawn! No sun in sight! iNo sol en el cielo!
(What? I live in Texas.)

As my mom can attest, I’m not very good at waking up, so this has been a challenge for me. One my husband, I’m sure, loves to watch me overcome. Now I’m the one coming back to the bedroom to wake him up before I leave the house.

Well, in order to be successful in my new endeavor of being an early riser, I’ve had to change my routine a bit. Correction. I’ve had to establish a routine. I have to be in bed by 11:00 (I’m working towards 10:00) so that I’ve had enough sleep when my alarm goes off. (Granted, I never feel like I’ve had enough sleep.)

So, this ‘getting into to a routine’ reminded me of something I learned when I was studying towards a masters’ degree in counseling. Dr. Coyle, one excellent professor and therapist, taught us what he uses with nearly all his clients – anchor points.

These facets – sleep, exercise, diet, routine, and prayer – help “anchor” someone whose life may feel like it’s spinning out of control. Hey, everybody feels that way sometimes. So, I decided it was time to think about these anchor points again, and for the next few entries, I’ll give some attention to each.

For today, though, I think you’ve had enough to read. See you tomorrow.

A Spoonful

There's a new commercial out that I particularly like. I think it's a Special-K ad - there's an animated figure with a giant spoon... Can you change your future with a spoon? The line i like goes something like this...

Every day we make choices. We decide to say "I'm hungry." Or mmmm... pizza!!!"


Now I don't think Special-K's going to change my life. I'm not even convinced that it's particularly good for me. But I laugh to myself every time I hear that commercial because it's so true! We actually can make choices every day that will change our future for the better. Once again, this reminds me of a Proverb I read recently that applies to so many areas of life. But this morning, I'm going to plug it in here.

"Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Don't get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil." ~ Proverbs 4:25-27

The footnote in my study Bible really draws out the wisdom of this Proverb:

"Concentrate on those desires that will keep us on the right path. Make sure your affections lead you in the right direction. Put boundaries on your desires: don't go after everything you see. Look straight ahead, keep your eyes fixed on your goal, and don't get sidetracked on detours that lead to sin."

Wow, if I put this in terms of living a healthy life - eating right and disciplining my body in the way that pleases God - then I've got wisdom here that will really help me succeed! Read that last paragraph again - it will really get you motivated!

All About Me

So, earlier today, I was driving around, getting errands done, and the usual preparations for Wednesday night church. In the Hazleton household, we have one car - a classic 1986 Camry that's been running since my parents bought it new when I was 12 years old. Now, as 20-year-old cars are want to do, this one is beginning to give out, and one symptom of that is the faulty air-conditioning.

Oh, the air works... when it's say 80 degrees outside. That's great... for someone who lives in Canada! But here in the south, we haven't seen 80 degrees since Christmas. So, as usual, the air-conditioning quit working again today, as I was driving around town. And, as usual, I began to pray - really hard - that it would start working again.

After a while, I began to whine to God... why? I just want a little refrigerated air... why? You know the drill.

In the middle of my tirade, sitting at a stop-sign, i looked up to see an ambulance parked at an apartment complex, with it's lights twirling. I was distracted for a moment, thinking of what tragedy might have occurred that required emergency medical attention.
Then, as if God spoke direct to my heart, I heard...

Someone is having a worse day than you.

Hm. Suddenly being a little hot and sweaty didn't seem so bad. Thank God He is so patient when I forget that it's not all about me!