Another busy Sunday

So it is another busy Sunday but I decided to take a moment out to write. In the words of the old Negro Spiritual "It's another day's journey and I'm glad." PJ (the four year old) is beside me distracting me so if you suddenly see gibberish on the screen, chalk it up to a preschooler. I try to read my fellow life purpose coach blogs and websites fairly regularly and I am so proud of the work these ladies are doing, particularly my instructor, Kelly Thorne www.ibloom.us and also a wonderful Canadian, Rosalie Garde. http://ministrytowomenlpc.blogspot.com.

My son keeps doing things that he is not supposed to do and when asked why, invariably answers, "I don't know." And we do the same things whether it is about our wellness, habits, or other areas of our lives. Like little PJ, our answers may range from pleading ignorance or go from the ridiculous to the sublime. I always tell PJ that "I don't know is not an acceptable answer for our own personal behavior." What if we held ourselves to that same standard?

The boys

Here are the boys that keep things going. These pictures are over 8 months old now so you’ll have to view my cousin’s blog to see the most recent pics that she took while she was in NC. One picture was taken with my mother spoiling them. The second picture was on Christmas day. These boys make me laugh, cry, run, jump.

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That time of the month

Well, it’s that time of the month. Not for PMS or anything hormonal. The close of the month is invariably hectic for me on my job and it seems like my personal life follows suit, too. For my friends that don’t work, they just don’t get it. They call me at work like I have time to talk. They call me at home and my children are swinging from chandeliers (not really, I don’t have any chandeliers but you get the picture). Why aren’t they working? No they aren’t injured and they aren’t on maternity leave. They don’t have children and are not stay-at-home Moms. I actually don’t understand the rationale, but there are actually people who lay out while they pursue their dream and they hustle and nickel and dime but yet they are in their forties and no closer to their dream. We all have dreams. Most of us work the proverbial day job until the dream becomes a reality.

But I digress. I am supposed to be living life on purpose but lately I have let the activities of life drive me to distraction. I have surrendered to the madness of this flurry of activity instead of submitting my schedule to God. I am mindful of Psalm 32: 8 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” If I follow Jesus’ model, he made time to rest, time to fellowship, and time to minister. Side journeys did not throw him off course. He lived his life on purpose.

That time of the month is not an excuse.

Life…on purpose.

Dare I?

Will you?

Rush

Rush, rush, hurry, hurry might be the lyrics to a Paula Abdul song but today it must be my life’s anthem. Today, I missed my workout because I had to take my one year son to the doctor post-haste to make sure he was current on his immunizations so he could get into a toddler school program. Then, I rushed to work. My co-worker, who in addition to her Fleet Management duties was an aerobic instructor died of a massive heart attack and her funeral is today. But, of course her funeral is the same time as my older son’s pre-school orientation. Then, this also conflicts with the wellness class I teach Thursday nights at church, so I had to cancel it. Everything is such a rush for me.

Labor Day is approaching and I’m glad for a day from work…or should I say, my day job. Because I plan to use that day to catch up on my fundraising for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s team-in-training (I’m training for the Walt Disney World marathon) and for everything else I am so behind on. I’ve always heard the expression “no rest for the weary.” I’m beginning to wonder if the expression is really as my co-worker states “No rest for the wicked!” Have I done something to deserve this?

Here I am with my honored teammate, Harry Rogers. My whole family has gotten into this. My 62 year old mother is running. My cousin Sandy, the world’s greatest photographer http://www.sandyjenetephotography.blogspot.com/ is running with her mother and her son, who will be a junior this year. My sons will be doing the diaper dash and toddler trot. We have started a blog about the three generations of us running. http://3generationsrunning.blogspot.com/ . If you want to give, my Team in Training website is http://pages.teamintraining.org/nce/wdw09/mpattermy6

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Oh well, I know everyone, especially the parents of tots are equally stretched out, so in the words of my pastor, “Stop Complaining!” (www.cmbchurch.com) In two years time, I’ve watched three seemingly healthy and young co-workers die suddenly, unexpectedly, with no previous illness. You just can’t take anything, anyone, any day for granted. I just need to keep in mind Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, …plans to give you hope and a future…” Vs. 13 says You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” It seems that you have to make time to do the seeking. There is purpose behind everything going on. But you can’t see your purpose if you get so caught up in the busyness of life.