Monday Fifteen Freewrite

I am going to try and do a freewrite every day this week (famous last words - I don't know how many times I have said this and never followed through - freewrites are fun, but I move on to other things and forget that I had made that pledge, but I have a lower activity week than normal - so maybe).

I have switched back over to Chrome. I used Firefox on the ship, and I noticed how much quicker everything was. I think Edge is just so slow. I also like that Chrome runs seamlessly with Blogger. 

I am up to 1952 posts on this blog. I have been writing in it since 2004. So let's do the math. That is only about 130 a year. There were many weeks where I did not write anything. 

I am trying to decide whether I will lead one of my Boise Spiritual Direction Cohort people through the 18th annotation of the Spiritual Exercises. I wonder if that would be awkward for both us since we are peers in the same cohort. I really like this person. Still praying about this. I would have to rework the 19th annotation that I wrote last year, but that might be really nice. I think the 19th can be pretty overwhelming for people. 

Yesterday was a testament to the growth that God has done in me. It could have been stressful when our friends had not gotten tickets for the Thanksgiving Dinner for internationals, and the other friend that I had invited needed to leave just one hour and fifteen minutes into the time at the dinner. I just was not stressed at all. My Type Two personality can get stressed if I cannot meet everyone's needs, and I didn't even try to. I made no commitment to leave the event early for the other friend, and George went early to ask about whether our friends could come without tickets, and it all worked out beautifully for everyone. The event coordinators said, "BRING THEM!" The friend who wanted to leave early seemed to have a GREAT time and didn't indicate that she wanted to leave. She had no other engagement. She just wanted to study. So I didn't stress that 6:15 came around, and I needed to leave (even though our other friends had just gotten there (an hour late). I just had a grand time. 

I think the lower stress has really had an effect on my back too. I was telling Dr. Myers that until I had my leg break, I did not realize how much tension I carried in the mid to lower back. I did not want a repeat of what happened to me last time I had to be in bed for a long time (2009), and I just consciously thought about relaxing that part of my back. Letting it all go. I really carry it from the Quadratus Lumborum to the Glutes. I tense all of that up. I do not release it. I just release it now, and I do not have that "string" of pain on the left side of my back anymore. I think it was a compensation I learned long ago because I have that shorter leg on the left side. So YAY me. Less stress and less pain make Carol a very happy girl. 

So this morning, I meditated in Romans 8 (my "nervous breakdown" chapter), and GOD FREELY GIVING US ALL THINGS really jumped out at me. George and I both noticed that we came back into our environment and the stress of our kids both being out of a job just hurled over us like a wave. We both acknowledged it on our walk and then released it. God will freely give us all things. So I prayed more about that this morning. I am praying our boys have an overwhelming love for the Lord. They have an overwhelming realization of his presence in their life. I am at peace about this transition that they are both going through. Go FREELY gives. So I am praying they receive whatever he has for them this day.

This week is slow. I need to talk to Nicole about meeting. I need to take the Resistance Training Exam. I need to get my website set up for the next term. I need to start doing resistance training again myself. (I had a dream about leading a Pilates class, and I need to do that too.) I need to set up a time to meet with Elizabeth, Anne, and Kim too. I want to see Nan. I think I am going to try to do face to face time with more people.

And I need to move on with my day because my 15 is over.