Saturday Morning Freewrite

Every morning, I recall the previous day in the Prayer of Examen developed by Ignatius of Loyola. So, I thought I would write about my day here instead.

Yesterday, I woke up at 4:40. I thought it would be a good day to fast. I was to do it for the July Praxis Exercise for Renovaré Institute, but I only did 3/4ths of a day, but yesterday I had a FULL FREE FRIDAY. Actually, I am doing a FULL FRIDAY TO FRENCH FEAST FAST because:

1) I love alliterations (everyone knows that about me)
2) I find that I enjoy food SO much more if I have fasted prior to it. The flavors usually pop! So, today is my anniversary, and we are going to Bistro Maison, a French restaurant in McMinnville! 

Yesterday turned out to be a FUN day with God. I didn't necessarily sit and journal and pray the whole day (but I did for much of the morning, but that is what I do every morning). I walked and prayed and also tidied up the house (master closet mess, kitchen, clothing drawers). 

I need to have HOME days at least once a week. I had a few HOME days in early July, but they were taken up with my Women's Fitness Specialist Exam (59/60 by the way) and my Academic and Praxis papers for the Renovaré Institute and were not TOTALLY free days because there was always SOMETHING I hadto do. Yesterday was nothing! Absolutely nothing, and that was so good for my soul. I really am an introvert, and a very responsible, Type II Helper. So, I NEED recharging days totally alone where no one is calling on me for help or counting on me to get something done. (I did CHOSE to call Claire about next year's TOAG and Elizabeth afterward to follow up on the convo, but it was my choice.) 

I pressed the button on Wednesday night for my last Renovaré Institute obligation, and I did a happy dance. The assignments hung over me. It was not necessarily that I didn't like writing papers, but it came to a point where I realized I did not need to be doing papers for what I am already doing and practicing in my life. I see they are a nice accountability tool, but it was not what I wanted or needed to be doing with my limited time. It was always there in the background of what I "should" be doing and too much like having school rather than a something beneficial for my spiritual development. Ack!

So, I pressed the button and let go of the Renovaré Institute. Did I like it? YES! I loved the people who lead it. I loved many of the people who were in my cohort, but it is an online community with face-to-face contact 26 days out of 2 years of the Institute. I want to do life with others on a daily basis rather than online.  It was also mostly review (other than it leading me to the Spiritual Exercises). 

Anywho, after wonderful time with God, I listened to Just Call Me Lopez (see my review) as I puttered around the house and did things I have been putting off for months! FREEDOM to be home and enjoy home. I am so grateful for home! I MOVED all day (another thing that I did not like about the RI - lots of sitting and typing on discussion boards, writing papers, and reading so many books - sit, sit, sit.)

It has been a CLOSURE month on so many things:

1) TEETH TWISTS AND TURNS - 15 year journey through jaw surgery, bone grafts, teeth extractions, implants, and final prosthetic dentistry leading to beautiful smiles for both of our kids.

2) WOMEN's FITNESS SPECIALIST course for NASM

3) ADVANCED PILATES course for Power Pilates

4) TAC TEACHING finally started (process started in December)

5) RENOVARE INSTITUTE YEAR ONE DONE - I did not have to write the final papers for this course since I am stepping out, but I wanted to finish well. So this included Academic and Praxis papers with bibliographies totaling 20 pages, a three page Curriculum for Christlikeness, and a three page Project Prospectus (which I actually carried out in #6). 

I am so proud because I told my spiritual director I probably had another 40 hours of work on my papers, and she encouraged me to curtail that. So, I only spent 20 finishing them up. It helped that I had written the praxis paper as I did the praxis exercises during the Residency and after each monthly assignment. I also entered the references into my word processor as I read them through the last six months. That made referencing and compiling the bibliography quite quick. 

6) TOAG INTERNSHIP #6 concluded with a three day beach retreat. We talked about the Cycle of Grace and did the Prayer of Examen in triads of guys and girls. We also had exit interviews for all six, hiked to Cascade Head, and played games and Frisbee on the beach. 

7) UO NAVIGATOR REUNION - we have been planning since January, and it was so fun to see 61 people show up and be encouraged and blessed. I am still getting notes of thanks a week later. It went from Thursday when I picked Debbie up at the airport to Sunday when I dropped her off. Then Patty and Scott came down from Portland with us until Tuesday. We went out for dinner Sunday night, kayaking down the Willamette on Monday (seeing tons of bald eagles and their chicks learning to fly, ospreys diving for fish, and blue and green herons! They left on Tuesday afternoon. It was six days of Navigator Friend Fun! 

8) Spiritual Exercises in Everyday Life, Portland application completed and sent. (This is the new direction I am turning. I will get training in companioning others starting next July, but I wanted to do this with George and a couple of friends this year. I will also get spiritual direction training that also includes going through these with a group of eight, but the start of that is undetermined.) 

All of that was all in the first 19 days of July!

So yesterday was all the little things that I have neglected while doing this. I want to go back to being at home more and having people in my home. I miss sitting with women and listening to their stories. If I am going to sit, I would rather talk to them face to face rather than through a discussion board online! 

I am sure there is more that I could say, but I am going to get ready for my big DATE anniversary day!