"Takin' Time Out"

Definition: A fastening made by tying a piece of string, rope, or something similar.  A tangled mass in something such as hair.

 

Whew, what another hectic and busy week.  I am sitting here at my computer staring into the big screen while sipping on a delicious cup of Spiced Orange Tea, my stomach is in KNOTS and I have a stress KNOT in my shoulder area pondering what all I have to do.  How do I untie or untangle these KNOTS?  I really work at trying to find balance and making a true commitment to my motto in “TAKIN TIME OUT!”  Lately it just seems to be a bit more challenging than others.  Can you relate?  I find myself entangled in the crazy cycle and uphill battle of life.  So many demands so little time.  That is when my body becomes weary and my mind sometimes starts to think negative thoughts…I find myself focused on the destination instead of enjoy this journey.  I am crossing that one more thing off my “To Do List” instead of appreciating the ability to have so many things to do.

 

This past weekend, I was sorting through some papers and doing some reorganizing when I ran across a beautiful poem, it is perfect for this

Week’s blog on – “KNOTS!”

 

 

 

This simple little prayer says so much.  The mind is so powerful and our thoughts and words we recite in our head day in and day out truly control the results we produce.

 

Let’s envision for a moment, a large pile of rubber bands, maybe shoestrings or better yet yarn.  To make it more fun each one is a variety of vibrant colors.  Each strand is a different element in our life, such as family, job, home, health, friends, commitments, etc.  They are all lying in a big ole pile and as we go through our journey in life they become jumbled up and some begin to get entangled with another and they have created a KNOT.  Those KNOTS may be problems or challenges and it is going to take time and effort to untie those KNOTS.  Time and effort you may be wishing you were spending on something else but life throws you curve balls along the way and you must focus on those KNOTS for the time being.  Sometimes it feels those KNOTS are tied so tightly and you are not making any progress but really you are, it takes time patience, focus and commitment to not give up.  We live in such a fast paced instant gratification world that we don’t like to wait on much but these challenges or KNOTS may have a mind of their own.  The KNOTS may not all be yours it maybe someone else’s and you have ended up entangled in their KNOT and not always by your choice, but you must learn to share in the experience.

 

Please be patient as I try to explain…maybe this is a little character lesson but I remember a storybook by Carl Sommer’s on “Tied Up In KNOTS”.

Here is a quick summary Benny and Sally don’t mind doing their farm chores and caring for their mules, but they absolutely refuse to share.  Their mules, Bossy and Stiffy, imitate their owners’ selfish ways by stubbornly refusing to let anyone else ride them, and fussing whenever they work together doing farm work.

Dad needs to teach the mules a lesson.  He ties them together which forces them to learn to cooperate in order to eat.  After much struggling, the mules learn to work together and teach their owners Benny and Sally that sharing brings happiness.  This delightful story shows importance of cooperation, tolerance and respect.

So maybe all those KNOTS in life, the struggles, the challenges, the difficulties are there for a reason to teach us something and for me personally to depend more on God.  To depend on his perfect will and timing!  Especially when you are entangled with someone else, you are there to uplift, to help to encourage and maybe not to untie the KNOT but create a stronger bond.  I love all the different types of KNOTS you can tie depending on the use.  KNOTS attached to a rope, connect to slings, secure tents, or create an anchor for boats and big ship liners.  Like the force in our galaxy, KNOTS surround us protect us and can bind us together.  Even in the most unbearable situations.

 

This last weekend we had the privilege in attending a beautiful wedding of our cousins, the couple were married by the justice of the peace two years ago but they both dreamed of that fairytale wedding, so they scrimped, saved and planned for this special day when they formally could tie the KNOT in front of their friends and family. It was absolutely beautiful, the pastor shared the scripture found in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: if either of them falls down, one can help the other up.  But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.  Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.  But how can one keep warm alone?  Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.  A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.  The 3 strands stand for man, woman and God.  I absolutely believe this to be true for any marriage to succeed.  I am wishing them both much happiness and a blissful solid marriage.

We have a little Irish heritage and I have always been fascinated by the Celtic Art and the beautiful KNOTS they portray.  Celtic KNOT: a symbol of love and eternity, with no beginning and no end.  It is also known as the mystic KNOT, or the endless KNOT.  Have you had the privilege to really look at how spellbinding their art truly is?  Take a look at just a few of these.  Can you find the beginning or the end?

Celtic art developed into a higher art form with the arrival of Christianity in 450 A.D. The Christians have long used art as a propaganda tool. From illustrated manuscripts to Michelangelo’s paintings in the Sistine Chapel, art has been a key medium for conveying God, the Holy Trinity and the connection between the earthly and heavenly realms. While visiting Ireland a few years back we had the opportunity to see on of the most famous work from this tradition.  The Celtic manuscript, the illustrious Book of Kells from the sixth century whose pages are decorated with Celtic art and KNOTS. The interlacing, continuous design is the symbol of the interconnectedness and continuity of life.  It also represents eternity and was simply amazing!

 

As a boy scout you have to learn six basic KNOTS to earn your merit badge.  There are the square KNOTS, bowline, sheet bend, clove hitch, two half hitches, and the taut-line hitch.  Thank goodness for my husband, I personally was amazed when I first got married we seemed to move every six months and he could pack a truck and tie some fancy KNOTS with a rope to secure our belongings.  Those were crazy times but I loved every moment and memory!

 

It is fall and I love to wear scarves depending on my mood may depend on the type of KNOT I use to secure the scarf around my neck.  It is an art if I say so myself.  I prefer a more loose fit and not too close to my neck or I feel as if I am being choked.  As I am typing I think about my adorable cousin and how cute she always looks in her scarf, but to take her real life experience please be careful while cooking with an open flame, the scarf gets too close it catches on fire.  Yes, true story she caught her scarf on fire…so number one lesson you can’t be too cute and cook at the same time! LOL…  I think back when my girls were smaller and learning to tie a perfect little square KNOT on the back of their dress.  My hubby wasn’t home, my son was going out and planning to wear a tie but neither one of us remembered how to tie one.  Thank goodness for YouTube…they walk you through step by step and walla he had it down and lookin good!

 

How many remember the TV series “KNOTS Landing” or the movie “NOTTING Hill”?  I remember as a child we went to California and visited “KNOTTS Berry Farm”, they always had the best jelly and jam.

 

Well I best wrap it up for this week.  I love blogging and releasing these crazy thoughts and things that ramble in my head.  The KNOT in my stomach has gone away, therapy pure therapy.  I hope you enjoy “Takin Time Out” this week and maybe you can learn to tie some fancy KNOTS or relax and release those stress KNOTS you may be carrying around as well.  Reread the simple KNOTS Prayer and know God can help you do amazing things with your life….release all those could NOTS, would NOTS and should NOTS that bind your life until next time my friend…Let’s ENJOY life a little bit more…

 

 

 

 

 

 

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