"Takin' Time Out"

Definition of Escape: 

Verb:  Break free from confinement or control

Synonyms:  Flee – run away- evade – get away – elude – avoid

It is the end of August in Texas and the heat of the summer and humidity is in full swing.  Funny as a kid I never really paid attention to the temperature.  I couldn’t wait to get outside and enjoy my adventures and next ESCAPE.  I lived in the country in southeast Colorado on a ranch, my Grandpa Jack loved the farming aspect and my Dad’s pure passion were the animals.  We had Hereford cattle, Quarter horses, a dog and quite a few chickens.  Life was great as a kid and I have fond memories and deep country roots even though I live in the BIG City now!

 Call me crazy but there was always something to do on the ranch, from looking for snakes in the rafters of the barn, to killing little innocent mice in the grain bins with a hoe, shooting birds or rabbits with my BB gun.  Riding my go cart as fast as I could down the dirt roads or chasing and racing my cousin, Rob on his mini bike.  One of the most memorable summers was when an old mother cat moved in with a litter of 7 kittens.  She had one little black and white kitten, I named Sylvester, she despised him for some reason (he did seem to meow allot louder and more often than the others).  She would move the litter quite often and always leave Sylvester behind.  I would look and look until I found them and bring Sylvester back to reunite with his brothers and sisters.  Mamma Cat did this several times and I loved the game of hide and seek.

I still find myself yearning for the simple games in life and little escapes throughout the day or week whether it is, sipping on a great cup of hot mint tea at the dawning of a new day, listening to my favorite radio station or podcast on the way to work, taking an hour at lunch to find a quiet spot to eat or sit in the park and watch the nature around me come to life!  How often do you truly take time to ESCAPE (takin timeout) and enjoy God’s beautiful creation and find the goodness life has to offer?  You know Jesus had a tendency to Escape one scripture that comes to mind is found in Matthew 14:23 “After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself (he escaped) to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.” (NASV) 

I challenge you this week to start carving a time out whether it is a little bit each day or a little longer period throughout the week.  ESCAPE to someplace that speaks to your soul, to sit quietly, listen and breathe.  How often these days do you really take a deep inhale not a shallow breath but one that comes deep from the belly, let your belly swell up hold it and exhale slowly.  Wait a minute…STOP what you are doing right now and let’s do it together. BREATHE IN SLOWLY 2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10 HOLD IT 2.3.4.5.6.7.8 and EXHALE 2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10! WOW try it one more time … how does it feel?  AMAZING I hope, it brings clarity to your mind, calmness to your nerves, I always feel a bit more centered.  It gives my body more oxygen and now that I am in the Halftime of life I really need it. LOL

During one of our coaching conference calls with Michele, I was on the phone in a parking lot in the middle of Dallas with lots of trees and I looked up in amazement there was the most beautiful red headed woodpecker on the tall pine tree…I could have reached out my window and touched it he was that close.  Beautiful, absolutely beautiful!  Michele quickly said can you hang on wait just a minute…a few seconds she returned and read me an Indian Bird Totem of what the woodpecker means, it was so profound I have to share with you, it still gives me goose bumps as I am typing this:

·         “A woodpecker teaches us how to connect with the earth and how to ground ourselves in nature, shows rhythm, fertility, earth’s heartbeat, increase of mental/physical activities the beat of life.  Aids in the ability to find a deeper meaning and hidden qualities of patterns and coincidences.  Are you drumming and creating your own beat?  Woodpecker will show you to accomplish this safely by awakening new mental faculties he teaches to balance the spiritual and mental aspects with the physical world of harmony.  Woodpecker shows tenacity, patience and a straight forward action to accomplish this.  Listen carefully…the drumming sound peck – peck – peck of a woodpecker!  Can you hear it???”

God showed up right there in the presence of the big city, asphalt parking lot during my little time of ESCAPE.   Simply amazing!

ESCAPE…Ford Motor Company even thought it to be a great word they named one of their SUV’s after it. LOL…

I hope you will find time real soon to Escape, breathe…and truly enjoy takin your time out!

 I Hope Happiness abides until the next time…………………..

 

Quote: 

“Music is a great natural high and a great natural escape.” – Shania Twain

“I believe one has to escape oneself to discover oneself.” – Rabih Alameddine