Poking the Coals of my Blog
It's been most of a week since I posted, and when I did post, it was only about blog tweaks - not very deep or meaningful.
I've attempted to post a couple times this week, but found myself writing mainly about how stressed I've been - not at all what I want to post about here. So, since my blog isn't really 'on fire' right now, I thought I'd give its hot coals a poke - this post - to keep things alive. As soon as I receive a good log to put on the fire to bring it back up - a post from a deeper place - I'll be sure to do that.
A couple nuggets have slipped in to my thought processes through all this stress, though. The other day a phrase from a (in some places classic) Quaker song came to me: walk in the Light, wherever you may be. I found myself picturing myself from an inward place walking in the Light, walking with a constant, conscious ear to the Nudgings of the Spirit (something I attempt to do all the time). I found myself wondering, what will I be called to do next? A question I know not the answer to, but it will come when it comes. I do try to keep a constant ear out for Nudgings and leadings, even if I'm doing something seemingly spirit-less (I mentioned something like this in a post, Where's the Spirit in This?). I strive to always walk in the Light.
I'm also trying to slow down just a little bit, eventhough time is short before I leave for college (and there's SO much to do before then!). My inability to focus enough to post something meaningful is a clear sign (to me) that I'm not slowing down enough to listen. There are times when I'm just not feeling called to post, but there are times when I'm not stopping to listen, and this is one of those times when I'm just not stopping for long enough to hear. Despite the fact that I feel like I don't have time to slow down, I'm taking it a little easier for the next couple days as I make the brief transition back home. No matter how insane my life is, I need to squeeze out some slow-down time to re-evaluate my circumstances and take time to listen more closely to guidance of the Spirit. This squeezing of time, in and of itself, can be a frustrating thing - squeezing time for calming down often causes me more stress, and thus prevents me from calming down.. a balance is to be found, and I'm working toward finding it.
That's all for now, Friends, as it's incredibly late and I have a dire need to get more sleep.
Love and Light,
Claire
I've attempted to post a couple times this week, but found myself writing mainly about how stressed I've been - not at all what I want to post about here. So, since my blog isn't really 'on fire' right now, I thought I'd give its hot coals a poke - this post - to keep things alive. As soon as I receive a good log to put on the fire to bring it back up - a post from a deeper place - I'll be sure to do that.
A couple nuggets have slipped in to my thought processes through all this stress, though. The other day a phrase from a (in some places classic) Quaker song came to me: walk in the Light, wherever you may be. I found myself picturing myself from an inward place walking in the Light, walking with a constant, conscious ear to the Nudgings of the Spirit (something I attempt to do all the time). I found myself wondering, what will I be called to do next? A question I know not the answer to, but it will come when it comes. I do try to keep a constant ear out for Nudgings and leadings, even if I'm doing something seemingly spirit-less (I mentioned something like this in a post, Where's the Spirit in This?). I strive to always walk in the Light.
I'm also trying to slow down just a little bit, eventhough time is short before I leave for college (and there's SO much to do before then!). My inability to focus enough to post something meaningful is a clear sign (to me) that I'm not slowing down enough to listen. There are times when I'm just not feeling called to post, but there are times when I'm not stopping to listen, and this is one of those times when I'm just not stopping for long enough to hear. Despite the fact that I feel like I don't have time to slow down, I'm taking it a little easier for the next couple days as I make the brief transition back home. No matter how insane my life is, I need to squeeze out some slow-down time to re-evaluate my circumstances and take time to listen more closely to guidance of the Spirit. This squeezing of time, in and of itself, can be a frustrating thing - squeezing time for calming down often causes me more stress, and thus prevents me from calming down.. a balance is to be found, and I'm working toward finding it.
That's all for now, Friends, as it's incredibly late and I have a dire need to get more sleep.
Love and Light,
Claire
posted by Claire at 1:08 AM
4 Comments:
Thanks for "checking on the fire," Claire. Bidden or unbidden, God is with you, as you know. Trust your timing; all shall be well.
Blessings,
Liz, The Good Raised Up
Sleep is good. In fact, I find that if I get enough sleep, I get more done when I am awake, and when I don't get enough sleep, everything seems like a crisis.
One of the best advices I ever heard about meeting for worship went something like this: If you normally drink coffee in the morning, have your usual cup or three before meeting. If you normally eat breakfast, eat. But don't read the newspaper or listen to the radio before meeting. Go to the bathroom beforehand. If you have a cold, find your tissues and unwrap your cough drop ahead of time.
In other words, take care of your body including your brain so that you will be able to still your outward parts and not waste too much time fretting about them.
I suppose the same is true for any kind of listening time. Do I sound too much like a mom? The original advices were not from a parental person, in case that matters.
Thanks for the comments!
Yes, yes, sleep is so vital, and I'm sure has more of an impact on my day that I bother to recognize, however I've just been terrible at going to bed at a reasonable hour, getting steadily worse as the summer has progressed.
I'm not overly concerned yet, though. I'm sure with the start of the school year it will regulate itself as necessary.. (hm. that sounds unrealistic, come to think of it) or at least, I'll survive.
Love and Light,
Claire
The best thing that happened to me in college, academically speaking, was that I lucked into a roommate who had real study habits. I basically coasted through high school, being smart enough to do well enough at my small school. But if I hadn't met Karen, I'd have been academic toast in college. Living with her helped me spend a lot more of my evenings reading and writing (no blogs in those days)and basically doing my homework. What a concept.
Another friend of mine, that I met much later when we were both new parents, credits her commitment to sleep with helping her survive her serious college drug habits.
My new parenting life, though, is what has cemented my abiding trust in sleep to make all things better. It amazes me how much more patience and creativity I have when I have gone to bed at a reasonable hour the night before (and stayed there long enough to make a difference).
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