"Takin' Time Out"

Sidetracked – cause (someone) to be distracted from an immediate or important issue.

I am not sure about you but right after the craziness of 4th quarter, three major holidays I have found myself to be a bit sidetracked. It is the beginning of a brand new year and this year marks a new decade there are parts of me saying I should be focused, driven and ready to achieve my goals but other parts of me look outside at the drab, overcast and dreary January day and say hmmm can I just go back to bed? Call it seasonal disorder, being middle age or bottom line it is simply being sidetracked.

I really like the urban dictionary’s definition the best.
To get distracted for a while halfway while you’re doing something else. That pretty much sums it up…life happens So today I choose to begin again…I have poured myself a cup of Ginger Peach tea and encourage you to do the same!

How many of you find yourself sidetracked from time to time? I think we all can relate. I remember when I was a newlywed my mother introduced me to a book called “The Sidetracked Home Executive, from Pigpen to Paridise” Originally published: November 1979 Authors: Pam Young, and Peggy Jones. I loved that book, I spent hours typing on a manual typewriter on 3 by 5 cards the items I would be required to do daily, weekly, monthly, semi-monthly, quarterly and yearly. It was such a great system to get organized and stay organized in my home. The cards were different colors by category and then I added my own personal touch with cute little stickers. I was very faithful for quite a few years using their system it was so fun more like a game. Don’t laugh but it has been almost 40 years and I still have that box of cards in a metal recipe box stashed on a shelf. (Thanks Mom!)

We have moved from 3 by 5 cards, to day planners and now we have smart phones with so many apps helping us get and stay organized it makes my head spin. Some days I like going back to the simple times of paper and a manual system. It seems to be a bit calmer than being attached to the screen, dings and vibration reminders. No wonder I find myself so sidetracked.

This post is also about the times we find ourselves faced with circumstances we weren’t expecting. Perhaps it is an unexpected diagnosis, a phone call your loved one has hit rock bottom, a good friend is facing divorce or separation. A loss in employment, a severe accident or loss of a loved one. Unfortunately we can never know when that curveball is thrown. How are we going to react or better yet respond?

1. Don’t be bitter; be neutral. What happened wasn’t OK, but bitterness will end up hurting you even more than the specific circumstance.

2. Do the things you were told you couldn’t do. If someone said you would never amount to anything, go and prove them wrong. Don’t do it for their attention, and don’t expect them to acknowledge it later. Do it for yourself.

3. Prove yourself wrong. Most people who have been sidetracked have allowed low expectations from someone else to come into their own life somewhere. You don’t need to prove anything to someone else, but prove yourself wrong and learn to set higher expectations.

4. Reevaluate your life. Recovery is always a good time to look at what you’re doing and determine if you are finding fulfillment through it. Did something teach you that life is short? You’re a survivor for a reason, so make it count you won’t always be a victim unless you allow yourself to be.

5. Complete Surrendering to God is the biggest and best decision I could have ever made. “The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭32:8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I heard this week if you are going through Hell just keep on going eventually the days will get brighter and the circumstances will change. I also read that too much sunshine will eventually create a desert so embrace the hard times and be extra thankful for the good times.

When I came up with the slogan “Takin Time Out” it was designed to encourage others, take a break from a hectic schedule and to release my random thoughts on paper. Have you found yourself a bit sidetracked lately? What do you do to get back on track? Perhaps during this time of year maybe you could journal, read a bit more or just sit and be…there is nothing wrong with that! Hope you have a great week until next time…

Quiet – making little or no noise. Carried out discreetly, secretly, or with moderation.

I am almost embarrassed regarding the time that has elapsed since my last post. Yes you might say I have been quiet. Unfortunately I had some personal detours that took me off course for way too long. You might say I took my own advice in Takin Time Out but what I have realized during that time I gave up a part of me to focus on others which was ok but I have had a tugging or nagging in my soul to get back to writing so here we go!

I have struggled to come up with a word to describe my sabbatical from writing and the one word that came to mind was Quiet. I have made no noise in writing or posting my weekly blog. This was the one thing that gave me joy and put my random thoughts into words and into print. What I have learned is it is ok to be quiet, to take a break and there is no limit on how long but once the nagging of your soul and yearning ignites you must Begin Again.

As I sit in my new favorite chair on this cool crisp January morning before the dawning of a new day, sipping on my hot lemon water and earl grey tea it is deathly quiet. I can only hear the brisk light breeze rustling through the broken seal of the window. I absolutely love this time of day…just me and my Lord! Takin Time out reflecting on the past chaotic months we have encountered at work, we call it tax season but for benefits consultants. The unfortunate thing is we can’t file an extension. We have deadlines looming and people depending on us to get it done. I am so thankful for my job and career but this time of year with three major holidays it seems so unfair, I could sit and have a pity party but what good would that do? I realize the busier I am the more I need to carve out the quiet time…takin time out to reset my mind, my heart, my soul and to strategically plan and focus on the tasks at hand. Thank you Lord for the ability to do that.

How about you are you are you taking the necessary time to sit and be still? No matter whether you are an introvert or an extrovert you still need a quiet moment to just breathe, to get centered and just BE! I am not sure how you feel but the older I get the more distractions I find in my every day life. Most folks blame this on social media, technology and I have to agree. I look at my grandchildren and all that is on their plate between school, extracurricular activities, social gatherings but I am not sure they have time to be creative to let their imagination dream and run wild. Lord knows they would not know what to do if they just had to sit in silence. We have TV’s, IPods, IPhones/Androids, games and so many things to keep our minds engaged.

Growing up on the ranch there were times we were without electricity especially during the winter storms thank goodness we had a gas furnace and a fireplace to keep us warm. At night is when I would notice it being even more quiet we would light a carosine lantern and candles. Watching the flicker of the flame was captivating! It seemed so much simpler and I am sure the weight of the world might have been on my parents shoulder. Especially my Dad’s during calving season but as a child I had no worries no concerns I just lived each day in fullness. Oh how I yearn for that day to return.

The Bible is very clear there is “A time to keep silent, and a time to speak” – Ecclesiates 3:7. Being quiet can be a struggle, but it can also be a good virtue to have. The Bible commends those who are able to keep the peace and listen, however, discourages being quiet due to timidness. Through God’s words we can be empowered to speak out for it can lead to great things. Takin Time Out to reflect in his word and be still and listen can be so powerful.

As we have finished another Christmas holiday and rang in a New Year I hope you find some time to be quiet, to sit still and reflect on this past year and actually this past decade. Maybe write yourself a letter of all the things that happened, the good the bad and the ugly, then store it away until next year. I always reflect those thoughts on the first pages of my new yearly journal. I find it interesting to go back and reread the events and reflect on the highs and the lows and similar patterns. Some years are more eventful than others.

As you are Takin Time Out this week may you be aware of your own version of quietness lingering in your heart today, may you trust his vision of your future not because you know exactly where you’re going, but because you trust in the one who goes with you. Please realize the quieter you become the more you can hear! Until next time…embrace the quietness!