sleep

by

Energy

So many

have responded-

Energy

is striking

a  reflection

that

I share

in hopes

of re-energizing

and taking care

for each who read.

Sometimes

when I am

tired,

I realize

this weariness

is the result

of having given

my energy

to others,

usually

lovingly.

Then,

what

I need

is to give

myself

quiet to restore.

There are different

ways

to recover from

fatigue.

For me,

it isn’t always

a matter

of needing

more sleep,

but having

enough time

to read,

to think,

to meditate,

or just sit

in a comfortable chair.

Watching

the patterns of

leaves

blowing in the wind,

listening to

chattering birds,

feeling

a cool breeze

or the warmth

of the sun-

all have restorative

power.

For me,

physically,

emotionally,

overstimulated,

at a crossroads,

I have

learned to welcome

the

tiredness

as

a protective gift.

How do you

feel

in this moment,

today?

by

Recovery

It is important

to take things

slowly

and allow

recovery to happen

at its own rate.

There are no

magic formulas

for healing

physical,

emotional,

and spiritual wounds.

Healing occurs

on

its own schedule.

Sometimes

recovery

can be traced

in measurable milestones,

and other times,

it occurs

quietly

in the dark.

by

Spirit Storage

Spirit Storage is the name of

an acupuncture point

on the upper chest.

At a time

When I was challenged

on many fronts

to share my energy,

this acupuncture term

reminded me

to pay attention

to my reserves

of spirit.

My personal image of

Spirit Storage

took a new form

when a dear friend gave me

a gold, beaded journal.

This beautiful book

is a reminder

that my store of spirit energy

is a

precious resource.

The best way

of keeping track

of my

store of spiritual energy

is meditation.

In the quiet,

I ask myself

if I need to

replenish my spirit supply.

Sometimes,

I realize that

I have not been aware

that my

spirit energy

is low.

Living Lines           livinglinesreflections.com

by

A Grief Observed

C.S. Lewis

In grief

nothing ‘stays put.’

One

keeps

emerging

from a phase,

but

it always

recurs.

Round and round.

Everything repeats.

Am I

going in circles,

or

dare

I hope

I am

on a

spiral?

But

if a spiral,

am I

going

up

or

down it?

by

More Understanding

Soul and body,

I suggest,

react

sympathetically

upon each other;

a change

in the state of the

soul produces

a change

in the shape

of the body,

and conversely:

a change in the

shape of the body

produces

a change in

the state of the soul.

Surprise!

Aristotle,

Physiognomics, c.350 B.C.E.

Aristotle’s theory is

much quoted today.

It is humbling

to think

that the

ancient Greeks

framed questions

that still preoccupy us

more than 23 centuries later.

It is exciting too,

because over the

past two decades,

scientists

have acquired

powerful

new imaging tools

that are

revolutionizing

our understanding

of the connection

between

body and mind.

by

Turning the Sound Down

When you feel

life is too intense,

imagine it as

a TV soap opera.

Turn the sound down

until it seems manageable

or mute the sound

and read the text.

It reads

differently

than it sounds.

What is

going on

in your life

may seem

less dramatic.

Sometimes

we can’t

eliminate

the drama

in our lives,

but we can

turn the volume down.

Do you have

ways

that help

you ?

by

Being Available Or Not

Living in a 24-7 world

Turning off

Tuning out

Electronically

and

in Person

can be a challenge.

Expectations

may be

to be

Always Available.

Some sleep

with their phones

at their bedside.

For emergencies

only?

Always

for some.

To spend time

in person

is another expectation

entirely.

Some insist

taking some of

another’s time

in person.

Surely

there are people

we want to spend time with

face to face,

eye to eye.

How can we

prioritize and choose

who we spend

real time

with?

Insisting

that time to be together

is necessary,

do you feel

like you must make an excuse?

Can you just

indicate that

it is not possible?

A cartoon

shows a man on the phone

saying

“No Thursday’s out.

How about never

-is that good for you?”

If you are laughing

and nodding your head,

think how you can modify

managing and prioritizing

your time and availability.

Perhaps

your

inner voice is

saying to you

that your excuse is

“I am going to be

contemplating

my navel!

by

Healing From the Inside Out

Wounds that heal superficially need deeper healing.

Sometimes the wound needs to be reopened to heal completely.

A friend, a nurse, helped a patient with a compound-fracture wound

that had become infected after the scar had formed.

She described how she cleaned the reopened wound daily.

Gradually, the festering cleared up and

the new healthy layers grew and sealed the wound.

My friend’s ministries are a good metaphor for treating

psychological pain and emotional wounds.

These wounds develop

a scab, then a scar, but may not heal deeply.

Some time later, sometimes more than once,

these wounds need to be reopened.

This reopening is very painful, but creates an

environment for deeper healing.

I have thought of this metaphor many times and experienced the reopening of emotional wounds that needed to heal more deeply. At transition times in our lives, body and spirit call out for a more intense exposure of our pain. Once the pain has been faced, we can grow and thrive again.

Living Lines 270

by

Bittersweet

Bittersweet.