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.