MOVE
Definition: go in a specified direction or manner; change position. Change or cause to change from one state, opinion, sphere, or activity to another.
As I sit here in the still silence of the pre-dawning of a new day, sipping on my warm cup of Earl Gray tea with a couple drops of stevia…I breathe in deeply and let it out slowly. I love this time of day, no one else is up except my adorable chocolate lab Sage, staring at me from her bed. The birds haven’t even awoken I only hear the ticking of the clock, the motor on the refrigerator and the air conditioner kicking on.
As I am “Takin Time Out” wondering what word we should talk about this week? MOVE or MOVING came to mind, we seem to have done our fair share this year and yet we are still living at the same address! LOL…This is the time of year college bound kids head off to college; some are MOVING into their dorm or apartment and begin living on their own for the first time. Others are returning from summer break. Many parents are what we refer to as empty nester which requires a major adjustment in life. What once were demands of homework, sporting events, piles of laundry, extracurricular activities and meal planning suddenly becomes no more.
I remember my first major MOVE from Southeast Colorado to Amarillo, TX. My Dad said why not just take the bare necessities since you are not sure how long you are going to stay. I said ok but a carload, a truck and trailer later we began to laugh, my things were what made my home and to me that was the bare necessities. Several MOVES later some of those things are not so important. It is more about makin memories and enjoying one another. Now don’t get me wrong I still like décor and certain things as they still make a house a home. However, if it no longer brings me joy and is weighing me down I am ready to release it and let it go; hoping someone else will find some joy in having it.
This year our daughter and son-in-law bought their first home and we helped them MOVE in. It was a very exciting, spending time rearranging the furniture, hanging home décor and drapes. I began lining the shelves in the kitchen and bathroom with contact paper, when my son-in-law asked what I was doing and I explained this is what my mother and grandmother have always done. It helps protect the shelves and is easier to keep clean due to spills you can usually just wipe it down or replace it over time. I had to chuckle to myself…it is funny how we pass quirky little things down from generation to generation. A couple weeks after their MOVE, our Aunt MOVED from a four bedroom house to a three bedroom house, she indicated she was downsizing. It took us three weekends in a row driving from Dallas to Houston to help get her home improvements completed and settled in to make it feel like home. We loved every minute of our time together. The next month our oldest daughter and son-in-law decided to remodel their kitchen. So we boxed up their things and MOVED the appliances out so they could begin demolition. Hopefully this week the remodel will be complete and we can lay some more contact paper on their shelves. LOL.
I recently changed offices MOVING from room down the hall and around the corner to a new office space. It meant clearing out my desk, MOVING the computer and the décor I have to make it feel like my space. It was a bit overwhelming but yet refreshing at the same time.
My husband has a job out of town and he rented an apartment where he will be living during the week and come home on the weekends. So guess what that meant yet another MOVE and more contact paper to lay. I selected furniture and home goods from our home that would fit into his new place. We MOVED him into his 3rd floor apartment which makes it nice no one living above him and he has vaulted ceilings. Plus it is a good exercise program going up and down three flights of stairs.
As I look around my home it is a little sparse but I am excited, it is a good opportunity to purge, clean and guess what I am going to replace and lay new contact paper on my shelves and drawers. LOL. Yes, MOVING is part of life. I have read where it takes 21 days to change or break a habit. So I have given myself the next 21 days to get-r-done and make some positive changes at home. Cleaning out closest, cabinets, drawers and in some cases even rooms, I am excited! Less is More, I am ready to begin again and lighten my load.
Life is all about continuous change and progress. For each of us the ability to MOVE forward and to achieve all God has created us to attain we must not hold on too tightly to the past. All that will do is prevent us from reaching our full potential. We must eliminate other people’s opinion, feeling we have to have an explanation for everything, do not set expectations of others too high, no regrets from past mistakes…we must learn from them and MOVE on. Do not dwell on heartbreak, do not hold grudges, quite making excuses, overcome insecurity, avoid the drama and let’s not forget to be thankful for what we have. Too often we focus more on the negative rather than the positive. I read a quote recently that makes sense; “MOVE On! It’s just a chapter in the past. But don’t close the book, just turn the page.” I know for many the hardest part of MOVING forward is not looking back and just turning the page.
I encourage those of you who find it hard to MOVE on to read this verse daily as encouragement. Philippians 3:12-14 “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Let him take the lead.
Have you ever considered all the things we use daily that have MOVING parts? Take a look around your home, your car, what activities you encounter day in and day out. We have MOVING sidewalks, MOVING trains, tractors, trucks and more. Those with small children know for sure as the toddlers and children seem to never stop. They are the energizer bunnies. We are always on the MOVE but not always in the right way.
Probably the most important MOVEMENT is MOVING our bodies for those of us who can! We need to maintain some form of physical exercise daily. Setting up a routine in taking long walks or a jog will keep us healthy and happy. Perhaps take the stairs vs the elevator at work if you can. Park your car a little further out in the parking lot vs finding the closest spot near the door and specifically schedule time outdoors; perhaps pulling weeds, gardening or walking your pets. I encourage all of us to be a hill seeker, I know most of us avoid hills especially if we are riding a bike but really when you get to thinking about it what is so great about flat? Flat tires, flat hair not so good especially living in Texas and flat returns. Life truly happens on the hills, it gives us opportunities to prove to ourselves that we are stronger than we ever imagined.
I recently read modern Americans are the most sedentary people in world history. We sit nearly all day in our homes, cars, and offices – all before lying in bed for hours every night sleeping. I call it the sitting disease. I know for a fact it can cause weight gain and other chronic illnesses. The American Cancer Society ran a study from 1993 to 2006 and found that sitting six or more hours a day, compared to three or fewer, dramatically increased the odds of dying early of a preventable condition like heart disease. So while you are “Takin Time Out” this week you might want to think about how you can MOVE a little more. Until next time my friend remember MOVING your mind first and the body will follow! Let’s MOVE more to be the hill seekers, MOVERS and shakers…
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