Ruts part 2

rut/rət/

Noun:

A long deep track made by the repeated passage of the wheels of vehicles. An annual period of sexual activity in deer and some other mammals, during which the males fight each other for access to the females.

The ruts I want to talk about fit definition number 1. he he he

Thinking about ruts and how to get out of them.  First off...not all ruts are bad, well...if they don't control you; if you can crawl out of them at will. But, that's probably why it is called a rut, because you can't get out of it easily, without making a conscience effort. So, I'm guessing that the most important part would be awareness.  Always analyzing your life and seeing where things are out of control or too excessive.  So for myself I need to figure out what my ruts are. What mindless activities do I have in my life?  Do they help me, hurt me or just plainly waste the time that God has given me.

By definition, a rut is made by....YOU!  If we make them, can't we unmake them?  I would think so.  If you fell in a rut along side the road, you would never get out if you just kept walking in the rut, now would you?  So the only logical thing to do would be to put some effort into it and go against the grain. So, why is that so hard?

Back to mindfulness.  I think we, or I, do things without thinking, because we couldn't possibly think about every action that we are going to do along with everything else we need to think about.  So, in order to get out of a rut, or break a habit, we must make the effort to "think".  And most of our lives do not lend themselves to that much leisure time.

My solution:  THINK, in advance.  Since I'm a creature of habit, of patterns, of ruts...I will make new, better ruts.  Plan them out ahead of time and THINK about them in advance.

Will I get around to it?  Who knows!  I may just get stuck in a planning rut. :)

Define Insanity

They say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing, but expecting different results.  So, I guess I'm insane!  I have trouble with change.  I'm a pattern person.  That sounds so much better than being stuck in a rut.  Ha, well..I suppose they are very much the same.  Whether it's a good rut or a bad, they are both comfortable for me. I do pretty well climbing out of the rut when I first get up, when I'm all refreshed for the day.  But fatigue...is my enemy.  Fatigue tells me to stop working so hard, I deserve a break.  When I'm tired, I just move in the rut.  So...how do I change those bad habits that make me fat or lazy etc?  If I knew that, I wouldn't be insane. :)  Maybe someone out there can tell me what they do?  I guess what I need to do is think about the ruts that need to be changed, into good ruts.  But not just think, actually make a plan for when I'm tired and a little brain dead.  What do you think?  Think that will work?  I know this is short, but I'm tired and in my evening rut. He He

Our times are in His hand...

Tis the Season

The older I get the more I notice how much STUFF we have and...how much more STUFF we want, as a society.  We have tons more that we did 20 or so years ago, but....we still want more.  Kids have more toys, adults have more toys!  We have bigger houses, more cars and take vacations on planes instead of in a trailer.  And yet...we are not content.


The Internet has added a whole other arena of creating wants.  Kids no longer have to wait for parents to go shopping, they can do it from home.  Creating lusts for all the world has to offer. Every year at this time, we are bombarded with ads, coupons and specials.  All, so we can go out and buy more but, is more...the answer?


I've had less in my life and I have had more, but neither one is what has brought me true joy, contentment.  Some of my most creative days, were when I was poorer.  On the other hand, having more money was really nice. I enjoyed not worrying about paying bills.  But I was both happy and sad, tired and stressed, etc.  Spiders make webs in mansions as well as shacks.


Wanting not only includes material things, but relationships, fame and even substances.  All which we crave to fill ourselves...to make us happy.


Look around you, at wealthy people, at the famous at people who used substances to bring peace and contentment to their hearts.  Does it work?  Ha...of course not.  


Define contentment: "Contentment" seems realistically defined as "enjoyment of whatever may be desired." That definition is realistic because the more contented an individual or community becomes the less extreme so more acceptable their desires will be. 


Contentment is not about what you HAVE but what your WANT.


Are you content?  If not, then your desires are wrong.  Ha, bold statement I know, but...it's not mine.  I'm just repeating it.  Psalms 37:4 says: Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.


When I was a new Christian I believed that God would give me all that I desired if I delighted in him.  I soon realized that was not what this verse meant.  Let me say it simply...If we find our delight in God...our desires will change.  We will no longer desire with lust new material things, relationships or substances to fulfill us.  God will fulfill us.  It's not that we can't have what we desire...we just desire the wrong things. 


I wrote a drama once that depicted a young girl.  She was lonely and thought a relationship would make her happy.  She got a boyfriend, but... that didn't fulfill her.  So she got married and then of course...she was not content.  So she had a baby.  Ugh...well we all know married people and parents that are still lonely, still wanting, still not content.  We all see rich people who are miserable.  So, we know that what this world has to offer...does not fill us up. These are the desires that leave us empty! 


This is a great time of year to ask yourself...What do you desire?  Are you content?  The things of this world can be wonderful, exciting and fulfilling, but they can never feed the eternal soul that God created.  

Ugh!

My truck has a trunk door that closes with a push of a button.
However, I chose to close it manually. Right on my head!

After going through my usual pain language of ouchshhhhhes, I received
a text message from my husband proclaiming his love and wishing me a
wonderful day.

I returned his text with a very thankful response because of the
traumatic occurrence I had just suffered through. To which he
replied...

Should have used the blonde's close button.

:O

If you give a blonde a Neti Pot...

I have had a cold for over a week and still have the headache, congestion etc.  Don't believe I have an infection, but thought that I would try the Neti Pot thing that everyone brags about.

First mistake...thinking that I could do it myself without buying a Neti Pot or solution.  I filled up a squirt bottle with lukewarm water and a pinch of salt. Leaned over the sink and began what I thought would be a simple task.

As I squirted the salt water through one nostril, the first thing that I felt was stinging!  I jumped around doing the "o" dance.  You know, where you hold the ailing body part and dance around saying "oh, oh, oh!"  After composing myself I began again.  This time it shot down my throat.  I had read not to swallow, but to blow it back out my nose.  Blowing back out my nose caused more stinging, more dancing and consequently choking from the solution running down my throat.  Not to mention running down the front of me and on to the floor. The choking then caused me to get asthma. So, I'm blowing, sucking, swallowing, coughing and wheezing...along with the dance.

Wiped my nose, used my inhaler and went to work...with a headache, leaky nose and the "Original Neti Pot" on my grocery list.

No Cold Medicine Required

So you got my back

My father lent me a hand

A cat got my tongue

Someone is pulling my leg

Someone else is twisting my arm

My Mom has her eye on me

But I do have a good head on my shoulders

Even though it might be half way up a gift horse's mouth

But here are my concerns

If I get a leg up and everyone is pulling the other one, then I land on my non existent back, cuz you got it.

Although I have eyes for Richie...I have 3 now, thanks to Mom

Not to mention that with 3 hands, I have lots of choices which one to give a "hand out".

The other two will be on the keyboard trying to communicate since

The cat got my tongue

Oh wait, one arm is being twisted   o nooooooos!

This isn't a very attractive look on my good head sitting on my shoulders

Moral:  Next time someone says they got your back....retrieve it and run!

Oh I know...this will all go in one ear... and out the other





Dedicated to my Mom's cliches and my Dad's kookie way of taking things literal.  Love you!