YOGA

It has taken me four days, but I officially love yoga.

With the whole crazy fast heartbeat thing, the doctor recommended me moving and trying to e a s e myself into exercise. No cardio until we figure out what's going on. The hubs suggested yoga - not only for strength and toning, but as a stress release too. After [briefly] hating it for the last three days I can now say that I am thoroughly enjoying it. It's giving me time to unwind after work and supper. I've slept better. I've been more aware of my movements throughout the day. I'm focusing on how I shift my weight and how my posture is during activities because I know that although it feels strange now and takes some adjustment, it will eventually become natural. It's better for my body in the long run. 

I've thought about this quite a bit and it can easily be compared to how we study our Bibles and meditate on the things of God. Between yoga and church lately, the word meditate has come up quite frequently. It's something I don't do enough in any aspect of my life. I have many scattered thoughts but not near enough serious concentration on each thought. I'm one of those people who will start several projects and will work on bits and pieces at different times. I like to multitask. I like to be busy. Papaw Jim always says he 'piddles around' and I'd like to think that I'm similar in that respect. My parents both have always been busy and active doing things. They never seemed rushed, but were always engaged in something. Mom with a quilt project [or something else involving crafty things] and dad in the garage or in the woods. 

If you honestly sit down and think about what takes place during an average day in your life, you'll find that you pretty much go on autopilot. It's habit for me to wake up at 6, browse the internet/TV, eat breakfast, go to work at 7, come home for lunch around 12, let Molly out, go back to work until 5[ish here lately], I come home, get supper ready, relax for supper to settle, do yoga, sit down and study/write, take a shower, then go to bed. If it's church night, it comes before yoga in the list. 

My days aren't exciting by any means. They're routine and habit, but not exciting. I feel that we often treat meditating on God's word the same as we do our day. We feel that praying, reading, and going to church are just what we are supposed to do as Christians. We have lost our zeal and our excitement for being in God's word. It's easy to do - trust me - I'm the queen of starting strong and never finishing things. When's the last time you just sat down with God's word and were excited about what he was going to show you? Psalm 1:2 says "But his delight [is] in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night." Getting in God's word should make us happy! We should delight in it! I'm afraid we lose the joy of studying [not reading] in our daily routines. We just add it to our daily checklist and move on through. I challenge each one of us [me included] to find our happy place in studying God's word. I promise that if you find something that interests you whether it's a passage describing the life of a prophet, a particular word in Hebrew, a certain subject (such as forgiveness or gratitude), or my favorite - history/geography, you'll begin making connections with other scriptures as you go. I remember studying for a lesson one time in the book of James where he asks if a fountain can bring forth fresh and salty water. I spent almost 2 hours in God's word without realizing it and studied springs and fountains. The fountain in James led to a study on Abraham and the well at Beersheba - a passage I wasn't familiar with at the time. 

Learning new things makes me happy - keeps me excited and interested. I want to never lose delight in studying the scriptures. I want to meditate on the scriptures like I've been doing for my yoga time. I tune everything else out and focus for that set amount of time on relaxing my body. I want to tune the rest of the world out and get alone with God and really hear what he has to say to me. Find a time for you when you can do the same, then let's talk about it with each other! (maybe that can be the subject of the next blog...that's a whole different ballgame)