How to Slow Down, Survive and Thrive

Quiet time at the beach

“Create a place in your home…at your work…in your heart…where you can go for quiet and recollection. You deserve it.” -- Linus Mundy, Slow-down Therapy

We certainly cannot be reminded too much about the importance of slowing down in this hectic world of ours with its go here, go there, do this, do that mentality. Many experts in stress will tell us if we want to improve our lives,

we need to turn the “noise” down in our heads on a regular basis. It’s the best place to begin a more peaceful life.

In decades past, no one needed to tap us on the shoulder and tell us to sit down and catch our breath. True, the world was a busy place, especially for women who were largely responsible for keeping a home running smoothly all the while feeding, clothing, and bathing five, eight, or even ten children! How they did this is a mystery to us.

Children had regular (and early) bedtimes, the house was finally quiet, and moms then had a chance to catch up with their own thoughts for a change. It was a time to reflect, read, and ruminate. And no one had to force this issue. Of course, two or three generations ago there were no computers, tablets, cell phones, or smart TVs. The world was a quieter place without the noise of Xboxes, Nintendo, or an internet search for the best PC games.

Seven Ideas to Work With

Travel to our extreme world now in 2020. We can all probably agree there are so many ways to rearrange our single-again lives and enjoy the benefits of slowing down. The question is how. Do we have kids to take care of? Yes, some do. Do we have jobs to go to? Yes, some do. This isn’t a fairy-tale story of Cinderella and we are not saying it isn’t hard to be single again. Quite the contrary.

So how do we slow down, survive, and better yet, thrive well as superwomen? First, we must stop pretending our lives are the same as before divorce, death of a spouse, or the harsh reality of struggling as a single mom. They aren’t and that’s a good thing or will be eventually after a necessary period of grief and readjustment we all go through. Really, we promise. Secondly, the time comes when we suddenly realize we have the freedom to organize our lives exactly as we wish. There is no person we have to check-in with or get permission from.

“Notice the sun and the moon as they rise and set. They are remarkable for their steady pattern of movement, not their speed.” -- Linus Mundy, Slow-down Therapy

To get more specific on the How portion of this real-life story, we offer seven ideas, suggestions, and questions to work with even though we know each one of us have a unique life unlike any other. Think about these and add or subtract wherever appropriate.

1. What is the one thing that needs changing immediately? Work on answers.
2. Stress is a killer. Find one peaceful moment each day to recharge.
3. We can ask a friend, family, or neighbor for help and support.
4. What hobby or career have we always wanted to begin?
5. Experiment with “fasting” from TV, Facebook, or Twitter for several days.
6. Stay healthy. For energy start walking around the block or at the gym.
7. Join a women’s Bible study group during the week.         

Who Created All This Beauty?

Here’s a thought: why did God spend time to create our beautiful physical world? Was He required to make 7,500 varieties of apples in the world? Or 4 million different species of flowers? No, He wasn't. As we see it, He simply delighted in variety, detail, and beauty. And how about people? Oh, my! How He loves each one of us no matter where we are or what we are doing to love the life He gave us. Let’s not waste it and then wonder where all our days went.

“Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. …So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can” (Ecclesiastes 3:11a-12 NLT).

Thanksgiving Day Poetry

Hear the Earth Sing!

Thanksgiving is obviously about family and friends celebrating what they are thankful for in their lives. We have a God in heaven who watches over us. Yes, even in our distress, He is always with us. So today, let’s just take our eyes off ourselves and thank the One who sends angels to guard us. Can you just hear the earth singing? 

Psalm 96, The Message

Sing God a brand-new song! Earth and everyone in it, sing!

Sing to God--worship God!

Shout the news of his victory from sea to sea,

Take the news of his glory to the lost,

News of his wonders to one and all!

For God is great, and worth a thousand Hallelujahs.

His terrible beauty makes the gods look cheap;

Pagan gods are mere tatters and rags.  

God made the heavens--Royal splendor radiates from him,

The Beauty of God!

A powerful beauty sets him apart.

Bravo, God, Bravo!

Everyone join in the great shout: Encore!

In awe before the beauty, in awe before the might.

Bring gifts and celebrate,

Bow before the beauty of God,

Then to your knees--everyone worship!

Get out the message--God Rules!

He put the world on a firm foundation;

He treats everyone fair and square.

Let’s hear it from Sky,

With Earth joining in,

And a huge round of applause from Sea.

Let Wilderness turn cartwheels,

Animals, come dance,

Put every tree of the forest in the choir--

 

An extravaganza before God as he comes,

As he comes to set everything right on earth,

Set everything right, treat everyone fair.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL FROM FRESH START MOMENTUM!

Your Surroundings Matter: How Can You Care for Them?

No winter on this beach!

It's not uncommon in today's world for families to frequently move from one city to another. Mainly it's for a new job, retirement, a change in marital status, military requirements, or the urge for a better climate, especially after experiencing a severe winter! And, did you know there are new cities cropping up every year? The U.S. Census in 2013 alone reported 17 new cities anywhere from Sandy Point, Texas, with a population of 200 to Jurupa Valley, California, with almost 100,000 residents. It seems you have endless choices!

No matter where you live, you probably have one common desire and that is to live among the beauty of the land/area you possess. That can mean different things to different people. Some will purchase a dream home in the mountains, valleys, or plains or on a beach, some are more than happy to live in a city condo close to work, or an apartment where yard work is non-existent. There are as many places to live as there are people! 

And wherever you might lay your head at night, when you awake you will see natural beauty all around you. It could be your yard with fragrant pink and yellow rose bushes, swaying palm trees that line your street, tall pine trees with that distinctive smell, or a lush neighborhood park. You are truly blessed with your surroundings if you spend time each day to look for them. 

Become a Good Neighbor
Of course, with all these blessings come responsibilities to care for whatever you possibly can. In your neighborhood, no one wants to see a yard that is never attended and left in shambles with weeds and trash. When you take pleasure in caring for your own property, you make a good neighbor. Plants can give food, trees give shade, and both can give you pleasure, but only if you cultivate them. 

In today's world, too many trees are destroyed needlessly both locally and including acres of them in the rain forests. Doesn't have anything to do with you? Why should you care? Answer this first: do you use any of these rain forest products:

Rain-forest Ginger

Bananas, citrus, avocados, nuts, or spices like vanilla and ginger
Coffee, tea, or cocoa
Cosmetics, cleaning products, or detergents
Medicine for rheumatism, diabetes, or heart conditions

Many of these consumables, if not most, come from rain forests and are among hundreds of everyday products! In addition, they stabilize world climate (including the oxygen we breathe), provide a home to plants and animals, and protect against floods, droughts, and erosion among many other uses. Information about this subject can fill hundreds of books. If you are interested in more, visit www.rain-forest-alliance.org

Today, April 22nd is Earth Day 2019. A day set aside to think about the world and how you can help keep it beautiful. It started way back in 1970 with this statement:

"At the time, Americans were slurping leaded gas through massive V8 sedans. Industry belched out smoke and sludge with little fear of legal consequences or bad press. Air pollution was commonly accepted as the smell of prosperity. “Environment” was a word that appeared more often in spelling bees than on the evening news." [www.earthday.org]

Where Did the World Begin?
Thankfully, the world has greatly improved because of efforts made by many, many people who care about it. It is, however, an ongoing struggle, so don't give up! Start in your own little part of the world especially now that you have a new beginning. For now, just think about where did this beautiful world begin in the first place? The answer will help you understand your part in maintaining it. 

One of the biggest lies in history is that this universe began with some kind of "big bang" episode. Don't worry, we are not debating this inexhaustible subject right now. Just keep this little experiment in mind as food for thought: start at any point in the cosmos and step by step, keep moving backward in your mind asking/answering at each point, And where did ____(living creatures, sun, moon, stars, land, seas, sky, water, darkness, and light) come from? Eventually, you'll have your answer.

In the Beginning

Start with the five most important words on today's subject: 
"In the beginning God created..." (Genesis 1:1 NLT). 

There is the answer. Simple. Of course, if you don't believe this five-word statement, then you can open the Bible on the first page and keep reading in the first chapter. It's pretty amazing!

Moving on to the second chapter, there are a few more true statements covering the subject question, Where did the world begin? "And the Lord God planted all sorts of trees in the garden--beautiful trees that produced delicious fruit" (Genesis 2:9a NLT).        

"The Lord placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and care for it" (Genesis 2:15 NLT). And in our world, yes, women are also expected to take care of their "garden" wherever that may be!

If we keep reading in Genesis Chapters 6, 7, 8, and 9, we read about Noah and the Great Flood. Afterward, God spoke to him about taking care of all the earth and its creatures. It is a good lesson that God still expects us to continue today.  

So there it is in a nutshell. God created the world and He expects us to take very good care of it. Period.   

"The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him. For he laid the earth's foundation on the seas and built it on the ocean depths" (Psalm 24:1-2 NLT).