Mind-Clutter

My mind has been majorly cluttered!

For some of April and most of May when I've tried to sit down to read, write, pray, think... My mind just goes 100 mph in several directions at one time.

This whole mind-clutter thing didn't alarm me at first. I figured it would pass when I wrote to-do lists and starting packing and accomplishing tasks, but in fact it has only gotten worse, even to the point of impairing basic decision-making skills on a few occasions.

On Sunday afternoon I decided to take control of the situation. Though I "needed" to work out, do some packing, finish a few assignments for a class... I grabbed my ipod and sunglasses, LEFT MY PHONE at home and headed outside.

I walked to the river and found a sunny seat by the kayak course. I got as comfortable as a girl can be while sitting on rocks, leaned back onto a boulder and just breathed. At times I focused on the words of the worship music I was listening to. Other times I focused on breathing deeply. I focused on the goodness of God and recalled moments of tangible faithfulness this year. I focused on everything EXCEPT the to-do list that has been looming over my head. I took my time. I went home and accomplished more in 2 hours than I had for days before.

On Monday evening I set out for more de-cluttering time and found a shady, grassy area by a quieter part of the river. I did take the phone this time (So I could listen to some Gospel choir music on Pandora) and captured this scene:

He leads me beside the quiet waters, He refreshes my soul. (Psalm 23, TNIV)

Have you ever experienced moderate to severe mind-clutter? How did you banish it? :)

*megan

sometimes I forget...

Sometimes I forget to stand in awe...

Yesterday I was driving my 24.7 mile drive to work. After the first mile the entire drive is in the country. Farms, farms & more farms. It was one of many recent misty, cold days and I was feeling more-than-a-little bitter about that.

I looked at the clouds and thought, "Wow, there are so many of them!" And in that very moment my bitter crankiness subsided. I remembered how I stood so much in awe of the sky and its Maker when I moved to Indiana in 2005.

Growing up in New Jersey I didn't see much sky except for at the beach (I could see Philadelphia's skyline from an upstairs bedroom window, however, which is pretty cool!). I was rarely in an open space with no buildings or trees. (Yes, I said trees. Lest you think there are only cities and buildings in South Jersey, I must clarify that there are also many trees! The Pine Barrens are part of the 1.1 million acre Pinelands National Reserve. Trees [and ticks] abound.)

But wide open spaces... miles and miles of sky... these were a rare scene.

When I moved to Indiana I became a little obsessed with the hugeness of the country sky. Sunsets were more brilliant; thunderstorms were more thrilling; even a cloudy sky was simply breathtaking. Daytime skies were beautiful, but nighttime skies were over-the-top dazzling! A clear night under the stars in a place with very little light pollution is uh-maze-ing!

But sometime between then and now I forgot to stand in awe. I didn’t even realize it until I noted the sheer size of the cloud blanket I was driving under. I immediately praised God for His creativity and for its breathtaking beauty. Next I began to sing “Cowboy Take Me Away.” Don’t judge me.

My challenge to you is to take delight in something beautiful in today.

Embrace the wind.

Examine your fingerprints.

Stand in wonder of the vast sky.

Delight in your good-lookin' spouse.

Give your kids an extra-tight squeeze.

Be captivated by the intricacy of a flower.

Smile as the sun kisses your skin with its rays.

Heck, enjoy the scent of your grass as you mow!

All of creation was hand-crafted by God, and I’m sure He wouldn’t mind getting props for it!

*megan

Take A Hike!

I enjoyed everyone's participation on the adventure poll! Here's the results:

47% of you chose hiking as your adventure-of-choice.

Skydiving came in second place (23%).

Terrifying.

I don't think I would ever sky dive unless someone else's life depended on it (If MY life depended on it, I'd likely choose death closer to the ground). I am pretty sure I don't have it in me. I am not much of a thrill-seeker to begin with and I'm afraid of heights. Bad combination. Honestly I'm a little anxious just writing about this, so I'm going to stop now.

I like hiking and I'm glad it was the number one pick. There is something so wonderful about being out in nature, the artwork of God. To those who care to listen and observe, God reveals His divine nature through the complexity of creation:

For ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature and attributes, that is, His eternal power and divinity, have been made intelligible and clearly discernible in and through the things that have been made (His handiworks). So [men] are without excuse [altogether without any defense or justification]. -Romans 1:20 (AMP)

Creation is not divine, but God's divine fingerprints are certainly all over nature. If you doubt His existence, take a hike. Literally.

Seek and you will find...

*megan

Outdoor adventures...

I've decided to add a weekly poll to my blog (well... we'll see if I can keep up with it weekly!) and write a little blurb about the results on Fridays.

This week's question is about outdoor adventures!

I take a lot of heat for being a "city girl" residing in a small town in Iowa, but city girl or not I do have a deep appreciation for the great outdoors! I have gone fishing with a home-made fishing poll & hot dogs as bait (and I take MY OWN fish off the hook thank you very much). I enjoy rafting, canoeing, boats of all kinds and tubing too! I have hiked mountains in New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Arizona and California and have slept under the stars at Lake Tahoe. I have swam under waterfalls and explored caves, gotten muddy and loved it. I'm far from strong and I am an expert at none of the above, still I cannot help but love outdoor adventures!

I'll admit I like wearing makeup and fixing my hair and wearing heels and other "girly things". I like coffee shops and art museums and shopping and music festivals and other "city things". But I've got a bit of adventure woven into my DNA, too. I think we all do - it's just easy to let it lie dormant in our fast-paced, work-oriented culture.

Hope your adventurous spirit has been stirred today! Don't forget to vote on the poll at the top of the page!

*megan

I said I wanna touch the earth, I wanna break it in my hands

I wanna grow something wild and unruly

-Dixie Chicks