The setting of this Examen is on my deck overlooking my backyard. It is cool at 7:55, but it will heat up to 97 today so I am taking advantage of the deck now.What I am grateful for:
- A day of complete REST yesterday. (I could have maybe prayer walked with Mindy, but I waited for her to initiate that (and we have said after our 30 period that we could keep doing it periodically rather than weekly), and I decided to not go to Nick's going away party on campus (my bike is in the shop until Thursday).
- Getting some "self-preservation" things crossed off my list.
- Walking twice in the cool of the morning and cool of the evening.
- Reading on my deck
- George making me soup for the week
- All the graduation announcements done
Review of Monday
Up early before George. Examen. Lightworks Prayer. Bye to George. Back to bed because felt lousy. Finished prayer and had intercession time for key people groups through the 30 day prayer guide (I learn so much when I pray). Ordered make up for the first time in three years, but the lady from New Jersey was so sweet and friendly. Baked up the rest of the dough from last WEDNESDAY night (Hari Raya celebration and 100% Student attendance). Sorted through papers on a fifteen minute timer. Walked up and around Coronado/Aztec (listened to The Secret Garden). Responded to Sarah request to swap subbing and agonized over her other request. Read Holy Invitations and Eat this Book out on my deck until it got too hot. Got ready to go to the post office to get more stamps and mail the graduation announcements when I realized that I HAD STAMP (could have rode Michael's bike but good to just stay home). Sent Spiritual Exercises to Anne, Terri, and Marty. Swapped out winter clothes for spring/summer clothes (half of them). Got rid of old clothes. Submitted all the grades for Spring Term and published my Canvas courses for Fall term. Watched Amazing Race old season and recorded news. Stretched.
What made me feel most alive and in tune with God's plan?
- Praying the Lightworks 18th Annotation Spiritual Exercises and reading what Tetlow has to say about it. So wise. I love learning from seers like him.
- Reading Eugene Peterson's take on Lectio Divina in Chapter 7 of Eat This Book (took a while to get to the meat of the book though)
- Reading Holy Invitations by Bakke. This is not part of our SOSF Spiritual Direction curriculum, but it is quoted in all the other books. Not sure why it is not. It is very deep and good.
- Reading the above books on my deck! Oh how I love the Spring/Summer. Outside gives me life.
- Not overeating all day. Controlled as I had prayed during my prayer time in the morning. YAY!
- Walk up to Coronado/Aztec before the heat came in.
- Finishing "Self-Preservation" Projects (I am in the basement on this Instinctual Variant on the Enneagram. George almost so. Wondering if we should have a Self-Pres Saturday once a month to work on projects around the house): make up ordered, papers culled, announcements finished, summer clothes to closet, etc. I just need uninterrupted days to do these sorts of things.
- Rest (I would do a project for fifteen minutes and then rest - little by little gets the job done!)
- Grades and Canvas for Fall term DONE! (That was way more than 15 minutes - probably 1 1/2 hours, but I will have so much less to do in the Fall if I have this done now.)
- Saying YES to switching Pilates subbing to Thursday giving me more time to recover from whatever this thing is that I have.
- Stretching so that I have no pain in the QL/Psoas anymore!
What made me feel most dead and not in tune with God's plan?
- Stressing over saying NO to Sarah about subbing for Wednesday when I have a pretty full day until about 3:30. Wanting to please/help is so tricky for me.
- Not answering her because I want her to like me. :( (I did this morning with confidence. I could have SQUEEZED it in to my already busy day, but I need to prepare for my Renovare Book Club that will come that afternoon and Valentina and Pieter are coming in the morning and I have Dial a Book in the midday - it was a good call!)
What about your day was most meaningful? Listen to what God has to say about it. - (Added from James Martin's podcast - I like that question.)
The discipline of work and rest that I had throughout the day. The fact that I enjoyed unpleasant "self-preservation" tasks because I did them in small 15 minute chunks (thank you FlyLady) rather than saying, "I am going to spend all day sorting papers and get it done by tonight.")
God: "My rhythms of grace are easy and my load is light."
I am thinking about having a totally FREE day once a week to do all these things. I tend to wait until the summer to get all these tasks done. These are the self-preservation tasks I hope to do this summer:
- Do something for the deck roof - broken, dirty plexiglass
- Plan our family graduation trip
- Plan our 30th anniversary trip
- Broken lattice of 15+ Years on the storehouse
- Clear dried out branches (they are a fire hazard)
- Take down tree next to deck
- Go through the garage and sort, get rid of, give away
- Assimilate books that Lorraine gave me
- Sell books I am not going to read or will not reread
- Organize papers from TOAG, prayer parties, Renovare, Spiritual Direction training, and Spiritual Exercises
- Make Shutterfly France book
- Order pictures from September 2016 to now
- Catch up Christmas book for 2016, 2017, 2018
- Do a Pilot Praise Pilates Pilot class in my basement
- Make up a Spiritual Direction/Personal Trainer/Pilates website.
- Go through all closets, drawers, kitchen cupboards and cull, clean, and organize.
Ways to show my love for God and others today: Prepare well for the Renovare Book Club knowing that I so disliked the book! This will be a hard one to lead, and I bet you they all liked it, and I am probably the only one who did not. I would prefer to throw the book out the window rather than discuss it! HAHAHAHAHA.
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