Living Unhurried #71

Take an unhurried gander at yourself in the mirror - a full length one if possible.

• Is it hard or easy looking at yourself? 
• What do you see? 
• Do you hear internal incriminating voices of judgment? or a sense of pleasure?
• Are your thoughts negative, or positive? 
• What do you wish would be different?

If you are satisfied and grateful, take a moment and thank God for your good health.
If you are dissatisfied, in the presence of a loving God who does not love you more or less based upon your looks/health/feelings toward yourself (Rom. 8: 31-39) - take a moment or two and ask, "Lord, what is my desire beneath my discontentment? What small thing might you invite me toward to love myself?"

For the rest of the week, each time you look into a mirror (rear view, at office, in a dressing room, or while brushing your teeth before bed, etc) thank God for the life He's given you and ask Him to reveal to You how He sees you.

Unhurry Up! Join the Unhurried Revolution!

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Living Unhurried #70

 When others ask you, "How are you?" do you ever respond "tired..."?

You're not alone. According to the Center for Disease Control, "The importance of chronic sleep insufficiency is under-recognized as a public health problem, despite being associated with numerous physical and mental health problems, injury, loss of productivity, and mortality (1,2). Approximately 29% of U.S. adults report sleeping less than 7 hours per night (3) and 50--70 million have chronic sleep and wakefulness disorders (1)." **


Many people's solution is to take a sleeping aid - but one researcher says that the risk from taking sleeping pills 30 times or more a month is not much less than the risk of smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. ***  In fact, it's better to get less sleep than to try and get more with a sleep aid. (Naturally the pharmaceutical companies don't want you to know this as they stand to gain $5 billion off of sleep aid products such as Ambien and Lunesta.)

How might you love yourself and your family by getting a good nights' rest? Here are some ideas:

• Do you have a TV or computer in your bedroom - get rid of it. Researchers say to avoid everything in bed except for sleep and sex - and perhaps a little light reading. 
• Consider praying a "compline" prayer before bedtime. Here are some from the celtic Northumbria community.
• Don't drink caffeine within 6 hours of your bedtime.
• Don't drink too much water either...you know what that does! (But do drink lots of water earlier in the day!)
• Set a time when you will go to bed and get up - did you know that if you did this one thing in life, most everything else would fall into place in living unhurried?
• Do not exercise within 3 hours of going to bed.
• Avoid alcohol before bedtime - though it will knock you out at first, a few hours later, it will wake you up.
• Spend time outdoors - getting a full dose of the outdoors will put your body in line with the natural rhythms of awake hours/day and sleep hours/night.
• Lose weight. Yup, that's right, our extra pounds can affect our breathing rhythms and our sleep habits - and some studies even suggest that our lack of sleep affects our leptin levels (that which suppresses our appetites).

 And yes, you may need a better bed or some sleep aids or some white noise machine to mask the street sounds. But before you shell out the dollars for a new mattress or sleep gadget, ask God to help you take care of yourself and your family by alleviating other causes that might keep you from your beauty rest.

Hopefully the next time someone asks you how you are, you'll be able to say, "I feel energized." or "I'm rested." What would it take for that to be a reality for you?

Unhurry Up! Join the Unhurried Revolution!

www.mysoulrefresh.com

Living Unhurried #69

I am becoming increasingly convinced that my hurriedness is detrimental to every area of my life.

• When I opt for 1500 calories to grab a quick bite to eat (expending only about 15 to order and eat them) I am not loving myself...
• When I impulsively buy the latest gadget that I have not saved up for, I am not loving myself and probably not others...
• When I say, "I'm busy" to others' inquiries about how I'm doing - I am really sending a message that I don't want to spend time with them.  I am not loving them...and I am missing out on the potential to be loved. 
• When I drive two blocks to 7-11 to get a cool drink on a hot day, I miss out on a little 10-15 minutes of walking/praying/brain uncluttering in which I can recenter and reFresh my soul on the way to reFreshing my thirst!

This week's "unhurried" experiences will have to do with our physicality - how can I love myself, God and my family by taking care of my health in little ways? This has been prompted by the need in my own life to care for myself as I engage in the demanding job of caring and ministering to others. I am beginning a lifestyle overhaul (email me if you want to know more)

Today's simple unhurried exercise:
When you have to go to the bathroom at work or home, choose the one farthest away. If you only have one, then take a longer route to it. And while you're on the way, breathe deeply and ask God to reveal to you how you can make little choices to live unhurried and love your body!

In the dialogue between Count Rugin to Prince Humperdink in the Princess Bride, "If you haven't got your health, you haven't got anything."

Unhurry Up - Join the Unhurried Revolution!

 www.mysoulrefresh.com

Some Henri Thoughts to ponder...

Spiritual Courage

Courage is connected with taking risks. Jumping the Grand Canyon on a motorbike, coming over Niagara Falls in a barrel, or crossing the ocean in a rowboat are called courageous acts because people risk their lives by doing these things. But none of these daredevil acts comes from the centre of our being. They all come from the desire to test our physical limits and to become famous and popular.

Spiritual courage is something completely different. It is following the deepest desires of our hearts at the risk of losing fame and popularity. It asks of us the willingness to lose our temporal lives in order to gain eternal life.

from here (also check out www.henrinouwen.org
++++++

What is the deepest desire of your heart?
How might fame or popularity be interfering with you receiving/living into that deepest desire?

www.mysoulrefresh.com

Living Unhurried #68

  

"The things we love tell us what we are." 

- St. Thomas Aquinas

Before bed tonight- think back through your week - what/who have you have loved - either enjoyably or in earnest? 

Then ask God, "What do you want me to pay attention to? How are you inviting me to love you, myself and others more?"



Unhurry up  - Join the Unhurried Revolution!


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Living Unhurried #67

 Vincent Van Gogh's "Noon: Rest From Work" (After Millet)
1889-90; Musée d'Orsay, Paris

"My soul finds rest in God alone

My salvation comes from Him..."

~Psalm 62:1

Rest does not "just happen" - our souls need to "find" it - that seems to indicate that it takes some unhurried and intentional effort to put ourselves in a place where true rest can open our heart, mind, soul, emotion and body to God's loving care. What we find is what we're longing for - our "at-home-ness" with ourselves in God's presence.

• How have you encountered God in the midst of restful moments this past week?
• What keeps you from rest?
• What do you need some "salvation" from - 

• From being overcommitted? 
• From being over loaded with junky foods?
• From not getting enough sleep?
• From compulsions that make you feel guilty if you care for yourself...?
• Financial difficulties from overspending?

How is God inviting you to find rest in Him this week?
How does that make you feel?
How do you want to intentionally respond?

Unhurry up - Join the Unhurried Revolution!

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Living Unhurried #66

Make someone glad they saw you today.

What might that look like? 

• Can you linger a few minutes longer to tell someone how proud you are of them?
• Can you pop by a friends with a bag of groceries or a Safeway gift card...
• Can you mow a neighbor's lawn?
• Ask the grocery store checker what has been a highlight of his/her day...
• Offer to take your single woman friend's car to get an oil change
• Smile, hug, and express your specific gratitude to each member of your present family

Yes - all these things take time...because LOVE and Hurry are incompatible...


Unhurry up - Join the Unhurried Revolution!

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Living Unhurried #65

Take one minute to write this little saying on a post-it note or 3x5 card and place it in frequented and noticeable vicinities: your car dashboard, bathroom mirror, on the inside of your front door, on your computer, or even as a pop up reminder on your iPhone or Google Calendar!

God joins us wherever we are

Just as we are

and only asks us 

To Be Who We Are 

~ Thomas Keating

 Wherever we are - not just physically like at the bank, or parallel parking, or enjoying a microbrew, or laughing at frolicking monkeys at the zoo or worshiping at church...God joins us "wherever" we are emotionally - in sorrow, sickness, health, joy, anger, high productivity or utter laziness. 

The harder question is: Am I free to be Who I Am with God in any location or emotion?

Perhaps each time you see your note this week, stop, take a deep breath, and acknowledge that God is with you - no matter where you are or how you feel. Share whatever feeling you have in the moment with Him. Ask Him to help you be (and become) who you really are as the object of His affection and attention. 

Join the Unhurried Revolution!

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Living Unhurried #64

I love it when friends share "unhurried" nuggets that have blessed them. This just in from Tina...thanks friend...

A Blessing for One Who is Exhausted
by John O'Donohue


When the rhythm of the heart becomes hectic,
Time takes on the strain until it breaks;
Then all the unattended stress falls in
On the mind like an endless, increasing weight,

The light in the mind becomes dim.
Things you could take in your stride before
Now become laborsome events of will.

Weariness invades your spirit.
Gravity begins falling inside you,
Dragging down every bone.

The ride you never valued has gone out.
And you are marooned on unsure ground.
Something within you has closed down;
And you cannot push yourself back to life.

You have been forced to enter empty time.
The desire that drove you has relinquished.
There is nothing else to do now but rest
And patiently learn to receive the self
You have forsaken for the race of days.

At first your thinking will darken
And sadness take over like listless weather.
The flow of unwept tears will frighten you.

You have traveled too fast over false ground;
Now your soul has come to take you back.

Take refuge in your senses, open up
To all the small miracles you rushed through.

Become inclined to watch the way of rain
When it falls slow and free.

Imitate the habit of twilight,
Taking time to open the well of color
That fostered the brightness of day.

Draw alongside the silence of stone
Until its calmness can claim you.
Be excessively gentle with yourself.
Stay clear of those vexed in spirit.
Learn to linger around someone of ease
Who feels they have all the time in the world.

Gradually, you will return to yourself,
Having learned a new respect for your heart
And the joy that dwells far within slow time.

--John O'Donohue, from "To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings"
as posted on http://www.ijourney.org/index.php

Some gentle questions for reflection:

• What words or phrases or metaphors captured your attention either with longing or as conviction?
• Ask God to reveal to you how this connects to your current life circumstances.
• Read the poem again: the ask God, "what are you inviting me toward?"

May you be excessively gentle with yourself today!


Join the Unhurried Revolution!


www.mysoulrefresh.com

Living Unhurried #63 - National Holiday for Living Unhurriedites!

Tomorrow, June 19th, is a really important holiday for Living Unhurried - perhaps the national holiday for those of us Unhurriedites who are a part of the Unhurried revolution!

June 19th is World Sauntering Day. Ain't it grand?

The holiday started in 1970 as a publicity stunt for a luxury hotel in Michigan. But wouldn't it be great if we all celebrated life and loved ones with a day of sauntering - a leisurely, aimless stroll designed for enjoyment? And perhaps we can even throw in some lingering and frolic as well!

And did you know that slow walking actually has some really good health benefits? You can actually burn more calories walking slowly than at regular speed! What a great way to relieve stress on your joints and on your brain!

So go ahead - take a leisurely and attentive stroll through your neighborhood - notice your stressed out neighbors (give them a gentle smile and greeting), the wild shades and textures of nature and the horribly gaudy yard ornaments - walk slowly, breathe deeply, notice the way that air feels as it fills your lungs, or how lovely it is to hold the hand of a friend, child or lover!

So go on out, unhurry up, get your saunter on and be grateful for life!

What did you discover in your day of sauntering?

Join the Unhurried Revolution!

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Living Unhurried #62

Read Psalm 139:1-12 below then take 5 minutes to imagine Jesus "already there waiting" for you in your day.

A David Psalm

 ^1-6 God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand.
   I'm an open book to you;
      even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking.
   You know when I leave and when I get back;
      I'm never out of your sight.
   You know everything I'm going to say
      before I start the first sentence.
   I look behind me and you're there,
      then up ahead and you're there, too—
      your reassuring presence, coming and going.
   This is too much, too wonderful—
      I can't take it all in!

 ^7-12 Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit?
      to be out of your sight?
   If I climb to the sky, you're there!
      If I go underground, you're there!
   If I flew on morning's wings
      to the far western horizon,
   You'd find me in a minute—
      you're already there waiting!
   Then I said to myself, "Oh, he even sees me in the dark!
      At night I'm immersed in the light!"
   It's a fact: darkness isn't dark to you;
      night and day, darkness and light, they're all the same to you.
(From the Message - italics mine)

Take a few deep breaths. Now imagine for a few moments what is yet ahead in your day. It may be something you're looking forward to, or something you dread. If it's true that Jesus is already there waiting and that there's no place you can flee from His presence, then imagine yourself walking into the business meeting, coffee appointment, coming home "alone" or whatever scene rises to the top.

• As you imagine the scene, where do you see Jesus waiting for you? 
• Does he have any words for you? How does he respond to seeing you?
• How do you feel knowing that He is already there waiting?
• How do you want to respond to Him? 
• As you enter your day now, do you feel any differently about what's ahead? How might you keep your eyes pealed for Him throughout the day?

Join the Unhurried Revolution!

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Living Unhurried #61

Small Steps of Love
by Henri Nouwen
 
How can we choose love when we have experienced so little of it? We choose love by taking small steps of love every time there is an opportunity. A smile, a handshake, a word of encouragement, a phone call, a card, an embrace, a kind greeting, a gesture of support, a moment of attention, a helping hand, a present, a financial contribution, a visit ... all these are little steps toward love.

Each step is like a candle burning in the night. It does not take the darkness away, but it guides us through the darkness. When we look back after many small steps of love, we will discover that we have made a long and beautiful journey.

from Henri Nouwen's Online devotional June 15, 2010 http://tiny.cc/h1hwd

So share an unhurried smile, handshake, a helpful hand, a financial contribution, a phone call...and contribute a long, beautiful journey of light in a world of darkness!

Join the Unhurried Revolution!

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Living Unhurried #60

I heard this suggested as a transformation exercise at church last Sat night and thought it'd be a great "unhurried" exercise as well.

What is a Biblical Promise that resounds with your heart? Read or recite that promise before bedtime every night this week. And if you're really courageous, pray for an opportunity to share it with someone else. Be on the lookout!

Don't have one - try one of these (put your cursor over it to get the verse)

• Heb 13:5
• Rom 8: 1
• Rom 8:31-35; 38-39
• Deut 33:12

What's a promise you cling to?

Join the Unhurried Revolution!

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Living Unhurried #59

My nephews' and niece's father (not my brother who is married to their mom) died unexpectedly and tragically this past week. Sadly, none of them ever really got to say what they felt and there was unresolved issues left unreconciled. None of us know what today might bring, so please take 5-10 minutes today to dial up or sit across from a friend, a spouse, your kids, or someone you admire, or perhaps even someone with whom you are estranged, and tell them why they matter. Tell them what they add to your life. Tell them you're grateful. You will not regret such unhurried courage...

Join the Unhurried Revolution!

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Living Unhurried #58

Take 10 minutes at the end of your day to ponder (perhaps even journal) these three questions -

• What has surprised me? (about life, myself, God, others...)
• What has touched me? (where did I feel the greatest emotional connectiveness today?)
• What/Who has inspired me and how do I want to respond to this inspiration?

Find someone else to reflect on these questions with you - and then once a week take some unhurried moments to discuss these (mostly by listening) with your spouse, children, housemates, or friends. Help the one you're listening to to "overhear" what's going on even deeper in their hearts/lives.

Consider adding this to your "Gratitude Journal" every day for a week. What are you learning about yourself? God? Others?

Join the Unhurried Revolution!

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Living Unhurried #57

What can you do everyday to find health and happiness that costs you absolutely nothing?

Be grateful.

Research shows that grateful people, among other things, can boost their immune system, are more likely to attain personal goals, can be more empathetic, and place less importance on material goods and possessions.(http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/labs/emmons/)

By focusing on 3-5 things per day that you are grateful for (health, relationships, having a roof over your head etc.) can boost your health and enjoyment of life. To increase that even more, try sharing what you are grateful for with someone else.

The real challenge might be finding things to be grateful for when you are stuck in traffic or about ready to lose your job or are fighting an illness. In these moments, however, what we truly value seem to rise to the surface.

Today as you are driving home from work or doing errands, think of 3-5 things you are grateful for. Maybe even buy a little notepad to keep in your car to keep a record of gratitude. (naturally don't write it while you are driving - but maybe before you step out of the car to meet your family or friends). OR at the dinner table, share with one another what you are grateful for.

Feel free to leave a few of your thanksgivings in the comments ...

Join the Unhurried Revolution!

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Living Unhurried #56

How ironic - I got cut off in traffic by a guy whose bumper sticker says,

But in turning the phrase into a true Living Unhurried moment, what might you do today to practice unhurried kindness...

• let someone go ahead of you in line;
• hold the door for an entire group of senior citizens entering the store;
• help carry some groceries for your neighbor;
• pick up a bag of groceries for a friend who is struggling financially
• bring a flower to your bank teller;
• write a note of thanks to someone who has blessed you this week;
• complement a co-worker by sharing how they impact (positively) your life
• Smile at the person who just cut you off in traffic - maybe even pray peace for their life.

Keep your eyes pealed for "little" opportunities to impart blessing!

You get the idea - what did you do?

Join the Unhurried Revolution!

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Living Unhurried #55

Think faster is better?

If someone offered you a million dollars or a penny doubled every day for 31 days, which would you take?

A million would be nice, right?
But would you prefer over $1 billion? ($1,073,741,824 to be exact)

Sometimes the little changes and choices made every day to live more unhurriedly, more lovingly, more healthfully and alive to what is in front of you add up. So today, you needn't do something BIG to be unhurried - maybe a few deep breaths at the top of each hour saying "Thank you" to the One who has given you breath.

Revisit the Living Unhurried tips thus far...what one little thing might you do over the next few days that will multiply your ability to be fully present and enjoying the life God's given?

Join the Unhurried Revolution!

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Living Unhurried #54

"Blessed are the poor in spirit..."

Poor/poverty - not a word most of us like whether it is poor in spirit, pocketbook, health, aptitude, or love. When you hear this word, what does it connote? Not even the thesaurus is helpful - pauper, beggar, indigent, penniless, insufficient, inadequate, deficient. Yuck!

Blessed are the poor in spirit...for theirs is the kingdom of heaven...

I admit this verse does not inspire me. It does not make me feel blessed. I think, inherently, that poverty - whether it be vocational, relational, physical with our health, aptitude, spiritual or soulish poverty, I feel vulnerable and that's why I don't like it. Vulnerable, exposed, unprotected. So, like Adam and Eve, I sew fig leaves for myself...

There are two roads when facing an impoverished area of life:

1. Protect, defend and fend for ourselves
2. Let our poverty expose our deepest desires and need for Him...and in that vulnerability, trust.

So I suppose we can be defensive, or we can be intimate. Which way are you living today? Will you be courageous enough, unhurried enough, today to sit before the Lord and talk to Him about the areas of your life where you feel impoverished/vulnerable? Pay attention to how you would rather "defend" or "deny" or "overcome" this vulnerability more than take it to the Lord. What makes you afraid to talk to Him about it?

Close your time by reading Matthew 5:3-5 from the Message:

"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. 

With less of you there is more of God and His rule.

You're blessed when you feel you've lost what's dear to you.

Only then can you be embraced by the one most dear to you

You're blessed when you're content with just who you are - no more, no less

that's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that cannot be bought."

Join the Unhurried Revolution!

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