In the Moment

It's 8 am on an early September day.  My husband and I exit our home, locking the door behind us, and load up our cooler and bags into the truck, on which is perched our trusty old canoe.  My forehead wrinkles as I scan the expanse above.  Unlike yesterday,  the skies are full of clouds, obscuring most of the blue sky I was hoping for. The tree branches, having been listless for several days under the hot late summer sun, are swaying in the morning breeze. I notice the river in front of our home is looking a little agitated. 

I wonder to myself whether it's a good idea to go canoeing on the river today. After all, today the weather app says thunderstorm warning for 2 pm. The little icon with the cloud, lightning rod, and rain drops disease my mind. Literally dis-ease! I analyze every hour listed on the weather network app. I'm almost feeling obsessive. My husband doesn't seem worried at all. "Promise me we can change our mind if we drive to our starting point and the conditions are too iffy for canoeing".  He nods, continuing to carry our cooler and bag out the door, but I know he's only thinking about leaving soon so our friends don't have to wait for us.

We arrive at our meeting point, and I greet my friend. "Weather's a lot different from yesterday", I say, as  I pull on my hoodie. We both scan the skies. "Yeah, she says, "I wasn't too sure about today. I don't mind a little rain, but I don't want lightning. But Barry says there's nothing to worry about" 

We both laugh. Of course he would say that. Nothing stops Barry!  He sees the fun, not the fear! 

 "And you won't believe what I read in the Psalms this morning", I say. "Psalm 124... the waves will not overwhelm me.. She throws her head back in laughter. "For real?" she asks. I nod several times. 

"See, there's nothing to worry about" says Barry, chuckling. "The Lord will protect us!"

"But I don't want to be caught in a storm!" I respond. 

Isn't that the story of my life! I see the possible dangers, the what-ifs, the problems. Instead, I could focus on  the possibilities and the adventure. 

"I don't want to be a Debbie Downer", says my friend, "but that's better than being a Debbie Down Under!" she adds. We both laugh. We are on the same page. 

The men unload the two kayaks and the canoe and place them on the shoreline. We load up our belongings, don our lifejackets and step carefully into our watercrafts. I settle myself at the front of the canoe and grab my paddle. The air is calm and the clouds that earlier seemed ominous, look quite benign, almost beautiful. We push off from shore and our canoe glides forward.  Reach, dip, pull. Reach, dip, pull. Our adventure begins. 

And what ensues is a day of perfect paddling weather - not too hot, not too cool. Very little wind. About four  drops of rain. Calm waters. Good company. Picturesque scenes.  Several people fishing from their boats. Birds - osprey, eagles, mergansers, geese, herons. And llamas on the river shore! A welcome mid-paddling lunch stop on an isolated sandy beach on the little river island. 

How could I have been that close to considering cancelling our river paddling day? 

I know that God speaks within the details of my everyday life. Today I think he was probably chuckling a little as I read Psalm 124, and also rooting for this woman who spends more time in the past and future than in the present moment. 

Oh, dear child, you are worried about so many things. But there is only one thing needed. 

Awe-full moments

The other day my girlfriend and I headed for the hills nearby to hike the trails. It's a place we often frequent, but as she said, "The views never get old". It's true. I never tire of them and I pause and take in the views, snapping photos (how many photos do I really need?) Pictures never really do the scene justice, though. 

Getting outdoors and into the quiet of trail walking is one way to de-stress, and bring a calmness to often anxious thoughts. And it seems now, more than ever, we would all benefit from activities that calm our nervous system. One of these ways, I have recently read about, is to intentionally experience awe. 

What is awe? It is an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, deep respect,  etc,  produced by something grand, sublime, or extremely powerful. (dictionary.com) It often includes wonder, which is more about seeing something marvelous and asking questions about it.  Awe moves beyond self and makes us feel part of something much bigger than ourselves.

Why is awe good for us? Scientific studies related to neuroplasticity (how the brain can change) show that the sense of awe and wonder one experiences actually helps switch the brain and autonomic nervous system to the parasympathetic branch, which controls the functions needed for healing. These functions include digesting, detoxing, and balancing the immune system.  This means that by viewing awe-inspiring images, the body calms down. Our bodies can actually leave the fear swirl we might feel trapped in.  The more one experiences awe in one day, the more inflammation is reduced. 

Apparently, awe can be experienced in various ways. Intentional walks in beautiful places such as mountains, on beaches, or forest trails, prayer, meditation, lit candles, scents, and even silence cultivate a shift in the brain.  Isn't it amazing how science and biblical wisdom seem to complement each other, rather than oppose? 

I guess it's never a waste of time to linger in a beautiful space and enjoy the experience. With a busy life, that might be a lot harder to do, though! 

When was the last time you were in awe of something? 

~gratefulness in the autumn season~

Although September is my favorite month of the year, October isn't too bad either, especially the first few weeks. As long as there isn't any snow, it gets my vote. It's the time of year when mornings are crisp, grass is still green, leaves are starting to change color, and the skies are mesmerizing.  I am reminded what a beautiful area I live in. 

 I've started walking more regularly again, usually in the morning. I haven't been able to do too much lately due to a lower back injury that has taken some time to heal.  Just twisted the wrong way, I think, and OH. MY! I felt like an invalid.  I  vowed to get outside and walk regularly once I felt better. 

 Getting older means things don't seem to heal up as quickly as they used to. I mean, it's been over a month and I'm finally feeling close to normal! I'm able to lift, squat, do gentle yoga, and walk up and down stairs, even run again. By run, I mean walk/run a couple minutes here and there. I haven't actually RUN for a while, although I have a hankering (could be fleeting) to perhaps work up to a 5 km run again. 

Do you make vows with yourself, too? IF this, that, or the other, THEN I'll blah blah blah. 

I am regularly grateful for my health.  I certainly don't want to take it for granted. As the song says, you don't know what you've got till it's gone. 

Do you love October where you live? 

H is for Hikes and Hills

Little Enzo the Chi may not look up to the task with his short, skinny little legs, but he's actually a really good little hiker. As long as he is walking at our heels, he's a happy little climber. 

Hiking means climbing, hopefully ending with a beautiful view from the top! The journey can sometimes be arduous, boring, even frustrating.  But when we get see the beautiful vista before us, especially in the company of our traveling companions, we think "The pain and work was worth it". 

Such is life. It can be really painful and tiring sometimes. And for some, it is often overwhelming. 

Sometimes the goals and dreams we have involve a lot of hard work. It takes a while before we see the results, but when we have achieved them, we can hopefully look back with gratefulness for the hard things that made us who we are.