Friday Freewrite Examen

Two or three things I am grateful for:

1) Kim - she wanted to get together and sit and soak and talk about a decision that she is making. I love my friend. She blesses me so much. We started out our time with a verse from John 8 that has been speaking to her - about Jesus being the light. It was lovely.

2) Classes and coworkers - love everything about my students and my coworkers. Amanda is leaving, and she has been so sweet to work with. It was nice to give her a hug good-bye.

Where did you turn toward God and when did you turn away?

Getting up - Slept in until almost 7am. It wasn't rushed. My time with God wasn't as long, but it was rich and meaningful. I meditated on the paralytic again. This is the THIRD time in two weeks. We meditated on it in missional community, I prayed through it on Pray as You Go, and again for this morning. I have continued to "present the paralytic" in my life before God. Jesus is powerful to heal, and I am believing God for that. 

The rest of the morning - I listened to some Dombey and Sons. Corrected papers. My students are so with it! I only had eight more to correct out of the whole Pilates I class. The assignment is not even due until midnight on Friday, and this was Thursday. So life-giving to grade these papers and get to know these wonderful students. I tried to find my Bender Ball Class notes, but I could not find them in time to review. I got on my bike and taught two fast-paced Disney Day classes. The first class loved them. The second class wanted a Disney soundtrack that was more fast-paced. Said good-bye to Amanda, and I rode my bike back home.

Middle of the day - Ate a good refueling lunch. I cannot remember what I did. Graded more papers and answered emails. 

Afternoon - Kim was late, so I looked up information for a decision that I am making. Our spiritual direction time was so sweet. We both encountered God and had such a sweet realization of his presence with us. So good. I read her the RELEASED and AFFIRMATIONS for the Type Two. It was very good. 

Later - I watched the news and had a snack after Kim left. I ate a nutritious meal of veggies, salmon, and a piece of whole-grain toast. It is so nice to be back on track with my healthy eating. I am thinking that while I worked through the pain of my interaction in December that I overate. I think I put on another five pounds at Christmas and post-Christmas. 

Evening - Geo came home, and he was really tired. He almost pulled over on the way back home. I let him decide about going to missional community. We did go. It was just sharing time. I reacted in my heart to something, but I "caught myself in the act" and went to the bathroom. A couple of RELEASES helped me to acknowledge my feelings. I was fine and realized had I reacted overtly, the evening would have gone a bit differently. That is growth. When I told Geo what had happened in my heart and how I responded, he said he would not have even known. He had the same response to what happened, but I think he more naturally does what I had to go to the bathroom to do. It would have been a desolation in the past. It was a consolation instead. I love growth!

End of the day - We left the missional community, and on the way out M and B gave us a gift certificate to the place we went to on our honeymoon! It was a thank you for doing pre-marriage counseling with them. HOW SWEET. That was definitely a consolation. After talking with Kim about appreciation and it is a good thing for people to do for each other, that was so nice of them. They also told us about a breakthrough that we have been praying for. God is so good! Debrief with George on the way home and then some more talking, but he was tired, and I needed to settle in after a relational evening. I went out and meditated on Jesus going about and healing and telling us we are the salt of the earth and light of the world. That was nice after having some salt and light prayer as a community and also that being how God spoke to me about my job at OSU. I had some centering prayer time with the word LIGHT. Then I could fall asleep.

Regret - I regret having that initial reaction about what happened at MC, but the consolation was around the corner as God prompted me to "catch myself in the act." YAY GOD! I also learned something from how George reacted naturally. Sister Joan says I can always borrow from his Type Nine reaction. I have learned so much from him. 

Most Meaningful - I was going to say my time with Kim, but I would say how I reacted. Lord, what do you want me to know about that? 

"I am with you always. Teaching you to live."

Jesus did not get his feelings hurt when he was rejected by men. He knew there was a higher purpose.

I ask for the grace to see you in the next day. 

I ask for the grace to let more and more of my day be committed to your service and praise. 

I ask for the grace to see you more clearly, love you more dearly, and to follow you more nearly today.

Amen.