Learn, Learn, Learn #2

     The previous post listed the nine different intelligences identified by Harvard professor Howard Gardner. He suggests each of us has a comfortable way of learning new material if it's presented in line with our "intelligence".

In case you forgot, they are:

Naturalist/Musical/Logical-Mathematical/Existential/Interpersonal/Bodily-Kinesthetic/Linguistic/Intra-personal/Spacial

What About the Rich and Famous?

     A fun activity is to consider famous people and plug them into one of these categories. Obvious ones are:

Michael Jordan

Yo-yo Ma

Dr. Phil

Frank Lloyd Wright

Bill Gates

Dalai Lama

Maya Angelou

Jane Goodman

     I hope you took the online quiz that helped identify your personal learning preferences. Remember, you probably have more than one. It's fascinating to learn how our brain works and how it affects our lives.

Your Devotional Life

We can apply these learning styles to our study of God and his Word. Identify your favorite way of learning and then apply it to your walk with God. Where do you feel closest to him?

• hiking up a mountain trail
• listening to the Bible or Christian books on tape
• delving into a passage using commentaries and concordances to help you (even going to the Hebrew and Greek translations)
• serving in a hands-on mission experience
• participating in Christian music

     You get the point. God created you with specific learning styles and abilities. Alter your study of God to your style. It will not only be effective, it will be enjoyable and worshipful. The Creator wants to reveal himself to you in ways that are natural for you--a good fit.

    Now, get back to class, whether it's indoors or out.

Learn, Learn, Learn #1

Allow me to get a little academic today:

     Howard Gardner, noted Harvard Professor in the Graduate School of Education, developed the theory of Multiple Intelligences. He determined our brains demonstrate many areas of intelligence but are usually dominated by one or two. He labeled them Intelligences and is quick to point out they are not learning styles. The difference is highly academic and he writes about it in an article for the Washington Post.

     For our purposes, here are the nine intelligences he identifies, and it's helpful to me, regardless of what the good professor says, to think of them as "the best way we learn": (See if you can see yourself in one or two of these categories.)

Nine Types of Intelligences

By Howard Gardner

1. Naturalist Intelligence (Nature Smart)

Designates the human ability to discriminate among living things (plants, animals) as well as sensitivity to other features of the natural world (clouds, rock configurations). Think chef or botanist. 

2. Musical Intelligence (Musical Smart)

Musical intelligence is the capacity to discern pitch, rhythm, timbre, and tone.  This intelligence enables us to recognize, create, reproduce, and reflect on music, as demonstrated by composers, conductors, musicians, vocalist, and sensitive listeners. They are usually quite aware of sounds others may miss.

3. Logical-Mathematical Intelligence (Number/Reasoning Smart)

Logical-mathematical intelligence is the ability to calculate, quantify, consider propositions and hypotheses, and carry out complete mathematical operations.  It enables us to perceive relationships and connections and to use abstract, symbolic thought; sequential reasoning skills; and inductive and deductive thinking patterns.  Detectives, scientists, and mathematicians fall into this category.

4. Existential Intelligence

Sensitivity and capacity to tackle deep questions about human existence, such as the meaning of life, why do we die, and how did we get here.

5. Interpersonal Intelligence (People Smart)

Interpersonal intelligence is the ability to understand and interact effectively with others. It involves effective verbal and nonverbal communication, the ability to note distinctions among others, sensitivity to the moods and temperaments of others, and the ability to entertain multiple perspectives. Educators, sales people, counselors, and political leaders are probably strong in this area.

6. Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence (Body Smart)

Bodily kinesthetic intelligence is the capacity to manipulate objects and use a variety of physical skills.  This intelligence also involves a sense of timing and the perfection of skills through mind–body union.  Athletes, dancers, surgeons, and craftspeople exhibit well-developed bodily-kinesthetic intelligence.

7. Linguistic Intelligence (Word Smart)

Linguistic intelligence is the ability to think in words and to use language to express and appreciate complex meanings.  Linguistic intelligence allows us to understand the order and meaning of words and to apply meta-linguistic skills to reflect on our use of language. Teachers, writers, lawyers, and poets fall into this category

8. Intra-personal Intelligence (Self Smart)

Intra-personal intelligence is the capacity to understand oneself and one’s thoughts and feelings, and to use such knowledge in planning and directioning one’s life.  Intra-personal intelligence involves not only an appreciation of the self, but also of the human condition.

9. Spatial Intelligence (Picture Smart)

Spatial intelligence is the ability to think in three dimensions.  Core capacities include mental imagery, spatial reasoning, image manipulation, graphic and artistic skills, and an active imagination. Architects, sculptors, and designers share this intelligence. 

(Summarized from: Overview of the Multiple Intelligences Theory.  Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and Thomas Armstrong.com)

Now for the fun part... 

  

     Plug yourself in. Where do you fit? You can take a simple on-line quiz to determine your personal learning style at http://psychology.about.com/library/quiz/bl-mi-quiz.htm.

     Once you identify the way you learn, it's easy to see why certain subjects were easy for you while you struggled in others. It might explain the difficulties and successes you experienced in the classroom. It also might help you in relating to your child in assisting with homework or in selecting teachers. And...it may help you understand your spouse. What a promise.

Next Post:  Using these Intelligences in Your Devotional Life 

 

 (Using the social media buttons below, share this info with a friend who might benefit from learning about these nine intelligences. Perhaps you know a parent who is struggling with homework battles each evening.)

   

Grow in God's Classroom

     School, for some, brings up painful memories. For others, time spent in school was a delight. For a few, it may have been an escape from an embattled home life. I suppose the majority of students merely tolerate the whole idea of education. It is their job and they are expected to do their best.

     Be honest. What kind of a student were you?

Eager-beaver, Over-achiever
Reluctant Learner
Challenged
Middle of the Row Silent Sam
Class Clown
Plodder-Diligent Worker
Do-just-enough-to-pass Pupil
Front Row Student

     The good news is we all are God's students and there is a special seat for each of us in his classroom. Best news of all, he is the Master Teacher. He meets us where we are and gently pulls us toward him--even if we're in the very back row, resisting his tug. The key is to be teachable. Are we willing to listen, trust, and learn?

     The Bible is God's textbook and has answers and advice on whatever a human being might need to know. How happy it makes me to turn to this book, the Word of God, for anything occurring in my life. Reading scripture, no matter what version or medium used--e-book, tablet, phone, wrist computer, eye glasses computer, or even a book with real pages--enriches lives.

     Are the lessons tough? You bet. Incredibly tough sometimes. Do they produce results? Yes, if I am attuned. Too often I must repeat the lessons until I finally get the message. The bottom line is God always will be involved in my life and I feel privileged he loves me enough to show me who he is.

Favorite Students

     During my career teaching high school English, my favorite student was the one who walked into the classroom on Day One and muttered, "I hate English!" I would smile, knowing that student was my target. If I could reach him or her, I would have the whole class in tow. Planning lessons to engage a reluctant student made for a fun classroom experience. It didn't always work but sometimes magic happened and when it did, angels clapped!

     You are one of God's favorite students. Stay teachable.

Next Post:  Identify YOUR Personal Learning Style

 

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Faith and Bumper Stickers

     Years ago a colleague reported for jury duty and was surprised at one of the questions a lawyer threw at the prospective jurors:  "What bumper stickers do you have on your car?"

     At first she was puzzled but, the more she thought about it, the more she realized what we slap on the bumpers and windows of our cars often reveals our attitude about a lot of things. Bumper sticker decals speak to our faith, our political persuasion, our taste in music, our membership in organizations, our cynicism, how well our children are doing in school, and even the number of people in our families. If we have no bumper stickers, that, too, might say something about us. It was an interesting way to whittle down the jurors to the lawyer's satisfaction.

     Bumper stickers can be fun. The last two posts have been rather serious so it's time to get a little silly.

Here are bumper stickers I'd like to see:

Survival:

Cut Me Some Slack

 I'm Doing the Best I Can

 Bad Hair Day--So What!

 Perfection is Overrated

Children:

You Need How Many Cupcakes, When?

Play More and Clean Less

 Go Fly a Kite--No, Really. Go Have Fun!

 Reading with a Child Rocks

 The Worry Train has Left the Station!

Perseverance:

Move Aside, I'm Comin' Through!

Don't Mess with Me Today

 I'm Going to Pursue This 'Til It Dies or I Die!

Aging:

Retirement:  It's Nice to Have the Time to Be Busy

Message to Retirees:  Stay out of the Stores on Weekends!

Where was I Going with that Thought?

What Did I Come Into This Room For?

 When You Die, All Your Treasures Go In A Yard Sale

Don't Ask How I Am, Ask What I'm Doing

Miscellaneous:

I'm Multi-Lingual:  I Can Smile in 7 Languages

Success Re-defined = Contentment

Goal:  To Be the Best I'm Capable of Being

Garbage In, Garbage Out

You Might Wanna Try De-daf

Faith:

Heaven Looks Better All the Time

The World Needs God

Love Conquers Most Things. God's Love Conquers All

My Favorite Bumper Sticker:

Eternal Life is God's Idea of Success

     The Bible has bumper stickers. It's called the book of Proverbs. I always smile when I read that book because it conjures up a mental image of an old Grandpa or Grandma rocking on a front porch, sharing wisdom with a group of youngsters seated at their feet. And, yes, they're smoking corn cob pipes. The Old Testament book of Proverbs is God having a little fun. He distills wisdom clothed in marvelous Jewish humor.

     Ann Zwemer, former missionary nurse in India and a dear friend, has been legally blind for the past ten years. However, that hasn't kept her from publishing a book titled, Just a Moment! Daily Reflections for Thinkers. The book is formatted in large print with two reflections per page so readers who are sight-impaired can enjoy it. Behind each is a world of wisdom gained from her walk with God.

Your Turn...

      Now it's your turn. Today, whenever your family gathers together, see if you can make a list of possible bumper stickers that reflect your family's philosophy or belief system. Be creative and have fun. The kids will probably come up with some winners.

If you come up with some good bumper stickers, publish them on the Comments page so we all can get a chuckle.

(If you enjoy reading these blog posts, feel free to share them through the social media buttons at the bottom of this page.)

God Speaks in the Valleys

     Here is the lovely view from my front porch.

     It's called Ludden Mountain and it has a secret:  there are two American flags up there, one on each peak. No one knows how or why they got there. There are no hiking trails, just rugged terrain and a steep climb. I can't imagine what it took to get those flags to the top and standing strong--strong enough to withstand our powerful dust storms.

     You can see the flags on a very clear day only if you know where to look. Binoculars or the zoom on a camera help. The mystery intrigues me. Who? When? Why? Most of all, how?

     This is a small mountain, nothing like the rugged peaks and valleys of Colorado, the Pacific Northwest, or Canada. But, it's my mountain. I appreciate it every day whether I'm on the porch, biking through the neighborhood, or driving into the subdivision. I enjoy it in the extreme summer heat, in the pleasant winter months, and especially during the rare desert thunderstorms. I really like my mountain.

     Mountains and valleys pretty accurately describe life for all of us. When all is well in our lives, we love being on the peak, feeling like we can conquer the world. Inevitably we descend into a valley of some sorts caused by, well, everything from health to relationships to...whatever. It's life and it's common to everyone.

Here are a few quotes from one of my favorite authors, Oswald Chambers:

"We are built for the valley, for the ordinary stuff we are in, and that is where we have to prove our mettle."

"The mount is not meant to teach us anything, it is meant to make us something."

"...but it is in the valley that we have to live for the glory of God."

                                   (from My Utmost for his Highest, Oswald Chambers, Discovery House Publishers)

Here's a suggestion

     Find some graph paper (the old-fashioned kind from 5th grade math) and chart your life events. Put some sort of scale along the side, and along the bottom list important memories from the time you were very young to the present. Put dots in appropriate places, indicating the level of sadness or happiness of each event. When you're done, connect the dots and you should have a mountain range on your paper. It's interesting what we remember--incidents might seem inconsequential but if you remember them, they're obviously important. Take a look at your mountain range and ask if it reflects your life accurately.

     Now, take a different color pen and map out your faithwalk, your closeness to God. Superimpose this over your life events. You'll have times when you were close to God or far away from God or maybe even questioning his existence. You should now have two mountain ranges, one on top of the other.
What do you see? When I first did this I discovered, not surprisingly, I was closest to God in the valleys of my life--the times that were the toughest. (See blog post from September 28, "The Mighty Saguaro" http://sueraatjes.blogspot.com/2014_09_01_archive.html) Isn't that amazing and uplifting? The surprising revelation for me was that I was farthest away from God while a student at a Christian college. Go figure.

     Now for a third line. Make a thick red line running straight through your two overlapping mountain ranges. Yep. That's God's love and direction in your life. He's always there, always has been, and always will be. Whether we're on mountaintops or valleys the steadfast love of God is ever-present and available.

"Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal." (Isaiah 26: 4)

     For each of you, my readers, I pray your mountaintops are more prevalent than your valleys. In your valleys, may you feel God's presence, strength, and love.

You can put the crayons away now!

 

     Oh, and that mystery on my mountain? I think it's best left unsolved. I've formulated many stories in my head about how and why those flags are up there. Finding out the true scoop would spoil the fun.

(Notice the sidebar for Bible Study Resources to the right. I will continue to add links to various sites to help you in your study of the scriptures.) 

Sadness Meditation

   (Companion Piece to the Previous Post - actually, the Antithesis of the Previous Post) 

 

Happy, the newest song rage, is everywhere:  from Pharrell Williams to Despicable Me 2 to Ms. America singing it while trying to figure out what to do with a red, plastic cup. I don't get it but the audience and pageant judges loved it.

 

What I do get is the song Julie Andrews sang in Sound of Music:  "These are a Few of My Favorite Things." Then there was the one a group of children sang in South Pacific:  "Happy Thoughts" (keeping thinkin' happy thoughts...).

Happy is good but sometimes it can mask reality and that's not always healthy. Emotional pain can seem unbearable. How do we deal with it?

• we stoically "guts it out"
• we stuff the denied feelings deep inside and smile at the world.
• we stay so busy we can't think about whatever is plaguing us.

 
 These coping skills are common and usually automatic. It is a "one foot in front of the other" existence that spells survival.

Meditate on Sadness?

Recently, I read about Sadness Meditation. Essentially it is taking a time out to feel sad and allow yourself to acknowledge your emotional pain. You own it, accept it, and then move forward.

The suggestion is to find a time and place for privacy, and then center your thoughts on your feelings. Breathe slowly and become aware of what is sad or painful in your life. Once your pain bottoms out, then is the time to nurture yourself. Sometimes the only way out of pain is to walk through it and survive.

Loss produces grief. It can be loss of a person, a relationship, a lifestyle, possessions, or the result of a major change in your life. To grieve successfully, we must walk through the various stages identified years ago by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross in her 1969 book, On Death and Dying. The five stages are:  denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. Walking through these five stages during a sadness meditation might be beneficial.

King David of Israel:

David, in his many psalms in the Old Testament, practiced this. He expresses so many emotions in his beautiful poetry we could nick-name him, "Roller Coaster David." He is honest about his feelings, and that benefits us because we take solace in his writing. He dealt with the same joys and sorrows we experience--and he wasn't afraid to voice them.

David begins some of his psalms by venting his outrage, anger, worry, or discomfort to God. Yes, venting to God! It's an o.k. thing. Here are some examples:

"Why, O Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?" (Psalm 10: 1)

"Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold....I am worn out calling for help;..." (Psalm 69: 1-2)

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?"(Psalm 22:1-Crucifixion Psalm quoted by Jesus)  

David knew the Creator could handle him spewing out feelings, the ugly ones alongside the good ones. We, too, can come to God with our negative emotions--our true feelings.

But....there's always a "but" to David's venting psalms. After emptying himself of his raw emotion, he acknowledges God's sovereignty and praises him. Check out this psalm and see if you can identify David's pattern:

Psalm 13

¹ How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?
    How long will you hide your face from me?
² How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
    and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
    How long will my enemy triumph over me?

³ Look on me and answer, Lord my God.
    Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
⁴ and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
    and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

⁵ But I trust in your unfailing love;
    my heart rejoices in your salvation.
⁶ I will sing the Lord’s praise,
    for he has been good to me.

David always ends by praising God, and that is therapeutic--an excellent mental health habit. Following David's example keeps us from wallowing in our sorrow, enjoying a pity party. It lifts us up from despair onto the high plain of praise and gratitude.

Results?

1. We identify and own our negative feelings--all parts of our humanity.
2. We empty ourselves of draining emotions.
3. God fills our empty hearts with his love and comfort.
4. We survive and develop a strength we never knew we had.
5. We reach out to others with compassion.
6. For me, I feel understood by God and that's huge.

David would get the value of a Sadness Meditation. If you're hurting, try it and see if it leads to healing. Be sure to end with something uplifting from the Psalms or another Bible passage.

If you know someone who might benefit from the suggestion of a Sadness Meditation, share this with them through the social media buttons below. Then pray for them.


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Remember:  David went from despair to joy through the avenue of praise !

 

You CAN Have a Happy Day!

We have lots of rabbits in Arizona. They're usually quite lean and have big ears--not as big as jackrabbits' ears but bigger than the bunnies from my Midwestern childhood. I love to see them hopping through the neighborhood. Quite often they're fodder for coyotes so it's a delight to see one running instead of hanging out of the jaws of a slobbering wild animal.

On my morning bike rides I often see the little hoppers, and when I do, I know it will be a good day. They make me smile as they dart across a yard and take refuge in a big bush. One day I saw five--five!--on one ride and I was ecstatic. "I'm gonna have a 5-bunny day!" I announced to my puzzled husband. He doesn't quite get my excitement.

Where has all the excitement gone?

When was the last time you truly got excited over something seemingly insignificant? I hope it's not as far back as childhood. The news is bleak, the world's a mess, our lives are topsy-turvy, and relationships are tough. Are we jaded? Where has joy over the little things in life gone?

I get so excited over bunnies because they momentarily take me away from the yuck in the world. Life is tough and yuck is all around. We need respite, even if just for an instant.

I know what you're thinking:  "Get your head out of the sand, Ms. Pollyanna." Well, no. I don't do that anymore. I've been there and all I got was a mouthful of grit. Once I cleaned the sand out of my teeth, the issue, situation, or problem still existed. However, I do think attitude and paying attention to serendipities can pick up any day--even the most awful.

My love for bunnies comes from my childhood in the country. We raised rabbits and often I would sit in their pen, stroke their soft fur, and watch their noses twitch as they ate food out of my hand. Of course, there was the time I unknowingly ate my pet rabbit (they told me she died of old age). I sure enjoyed that "new" meat my mom served (they told me it was veal). Years later, when the family thought I could handle it, they 'fessed up. Hmm, maybe I'm still not old enough to handle that one.

I digress and I'm getting gross. I started out with a coyote eating rabbits, and ended up with me eating one. The point I want to make is, look around you this week for little things that make you smile:  a hot-air balloon, a kitten, a child playing, or a squirrel running through your yard. Notice things and let them perk up even the most mundane, sad, difficult day.

I thought long and hard about how to make this blog post spiritual--you know, to go with the title, "Grow with God." Actually, the food chain is quite spiritual because God created it and set us up to rule over it:

"Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.'" (Genesis 1: 26)

He added meat to mankind's vegetarian diet after Noah and his clan descended from the ark, walked on dry ground, and built an altar to worship God:

"The fear and dread of you [Noah] will fall upon all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air, upon every creature that moves along the ground,and upon all the fish of the sea; they are given into your hands. Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything." (Genesis 9: 2-3)

Guess that gives the coyote and me permission to eat rabbits. But that's not the point. What about taking joy in everyday observances? The closest I could come is from the 47th Psalm. You can read it in the translation of your choice by clicking on the link below.

This wonderful praise psalm celebrates the universal reign of God, and is recognized in both the Jewish and Christian churches. It is used in the synagogue liturgy for Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year festival), and it is used by Christians to celebrate the ascension of Christ. Read it and be blessed.

"Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. How awesome is the Lord Most High, the great King over all the earth!...." (Psalm 47)

Wouldn't it be wonderful to see all the nations clapping their hands and shouting to God with cries of joy?

Read Psalm 47 from this link and have a 5-Bunny week!

www.BibleGateway.com

(Enter Psalm 47 in the search box and select a translation or paraphrase of your choice.)

A Special Call

 
Ring. Ring.
"Hey, Friend, It's for you. God's calling."
Are you answering?

What in nature calls you to God? Is it the sea?

 Oswald Chambers in his classic devotional, My Utmost for his Highest (Discovery House Publishers, 1935), writes:  "The call of God is like the call of the sea, no one hears it but the one who has the nature of the sea in him....His call is to be in comradeship with Himself for His own purposes,..."

California Coastline

Is it the mountains?

 Fall in the Sierra Nevada Mountains                      (photo courtesy Dan Raatjes)

Perhaps it's canyons or a serene snowy woods or a ladybug sitting on a bright green leaf. What about a magnificent spider web glistening in the sun or thundering water falls?

For me, it's trees--their trunks, bark, branches, and especially their leaves. Years ago my thoughtful sister mailed me 30 colorful fall leaves from the woods of my childhood home in Ohio. They are very special to me. I laminated them and bring them out every year at the start of Fall. This year some are taped to the bathroom mirror, and some are scattered on a table top. They give me the warm fuzzies because I grew up amid a forest of shaggy bark hickory trees. (I almost hyperventilated when I first saw the California redwoods.)

What Speaks to You?

Pinpoint what in nature speaks to your soul, helps you breathe a little more deeply and smile. What makes your shoulders relax and keeps you from checking your phone for messages? When you identify "your thing," that's God calling you.

The Apostle Paul writes to the believers in Rome that no one, not even someone who never has read a Bible, has an excuse not to know God. Why? "...because the whole created world reveals him." (Study notes to Romans 1: 20, NIV)

The verse reads like this:  "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." (Romans 1: 20) Then Paul goes on to excoriate people who choose to live in godlessness and wickedness.

Just as the sea, mountains, snow, etc. call us to believe in God, he calls us to a relationship with him. He didn't create the world and then send us spinning off into the universe to survive on our own. He desires fellowship with us. When we worship him or spend time with him, he delights in it. I have to believe he smiles. I know he sings:

"The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." (Zephaniah 3: 17)

Call to Action:  find a beautiful photo of a favorite scene in God's creation that pulls on you. Put it in a prominent place if it's a hard copy or display it digitally as a background on your desktop or phone. Let it be a reminder God is pulling you toward himself and he delights in your company.

God's calling. Are you answering?

Red-Eyed Leaf Frog of Costa Rica (rana ojos rojos)

Perks of a Personal Retreat

     "Calgon, Calgon, take me away!" So goes an old commercial for a product promising a soothing, soft-water soak in a tub. No bubbles, just soft water. The Calgon commercial isn't around anymore but the need to get away is.

     Wouldn't you like to step outside your daily grind of work/home/family/community/church responsibilities? Vacations, mini-vacations, stay-cations, and getaways are valuable to our mental health and we must incorporate them into our busy lives. However, these include a lot of other people.

     I'd like to propose a spiritual retreat, enjoyed in solitude and focused on prayer and Bible study. I know, I know. You barely have time to breathe let alone go traipsing off to meditate. Trust me, it can be pulled off.

     When my four children were young my life was scheduled to the max. I was deeply involved in Christian leadership in my church; I supported a husband establishing his own business by hosting dinner parties for his clients' families; together we entertained many large groups in our home for church events; and I served as air traffic controller to the kids' sports, school, church, and friends schedules. Ours was the house where neighborhood children gathered so there were many skirmishes to settle. Our children worked paper routes and the route station was in our garage, meaning more skirmishes. In addition, I was trying to establish myself as a free-lance writer. (I did my best work while the gang was engrossed in Sesame Street or the Electric Company.)

     In spite of a bursting calendar, once a year I carved out a weekend retreat for myself. It took planning to avoid important family events, and it required cajoling to convince an equally busy husband to cover the home front. I left the family with a full refrigerator, a few casseroles, and clean laundry. "This relaxing getaway thing is a lot of work!" I thought.

     For my spiritual retreats I drove up north to the mountains of Arizona because pine trees speak to me. I reserved a room in rustic Bed and Breakfasts--one time a little cabin in the woods and another a lower floor apartment overlooking the Mogollon Rim, a spectacular range of mountains.

     I took my books, my Bible, a new yellow legal pad, lots of pens, and even a small electronic typewriter that printed out documents on thermal paper (PCs hadn't been invented). 

     The Bed and Breakfasts were safe, comfortable, and provided the solitude I craved. The amenities:

• Nearby trails for long walks
• Pot-bellied stove or fireplace in the rooms 
• Breakfasts to die for 
• Antique-y little towns to explore when I needed a break

     My activities were sleeping, reading, watching television late into the night, writing, Bible study, prayer, walking in the fresh air--all the things I wanted to do but couldn't while immersed in daily responsibilities.

Alternatives to a Week End...

     Is this too much for your life? You can't get away for an entire weekend? Try a one day or even half-day escape. Visit sites around your community, sites that are relatively quiet and afford alone time. Make sure you're safe and comfortable so your day is relaxing, allowing you to commune with God.

     Visit a local park, restaurant, book store, or library. Maybe there are some churches in your community that keep their doors open for quiet worship. Perhaps you need something physical to help you unwind like a strenuous bike ride or a long run or kayaking on a lake. Be sure to include time for rest and meditation.

     Phoenix is home to two very nice Retreat Centers. One is the Franciscan Renewal Center, or the Casa as it's known locally (http://www.thecasa.org/index.php). The Casa offers organized retreats but also welcomes visitors who wish to enjoy personal spiritual times of renewal. The grounds are beautiful and very restful. The other is Canaan in the Desert run by the Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary in the U.S.A. (http://www.canaaninthedesert.com/). Time spent in their prayer garden fosters relaxation and inspiration. Even if your hometown doesn't have such resources, it does have lovely parks that allow visitors to enjoy nature.

     My home church has a large hill in the middle of its property. The church turned this construction nightmare into a blessing by creating a trail to the top where there is a cross, an empty tomb, and a bench. Along the path are stations of prayer, focusing on the Lord's Prayer. It's a very worshipful trek to make in solitude.

What to Do?

 

     Read, breathe, rest, study your Bible, pray, listen for God's direction, make important decisions, or set goals (see Post from August 12). Whatever you do, don't allow guilt to interfere, and get rid of the need to be productive. Turn off your phone and tell your family to call only if there's an emergency. Let work know you're incommunicado for the day.

     Step out of your responsibilities and commune with God. Receive his direction or his healing balm for your frazzled lifestyle. You will return stronger, healthier, and happier. Your Mental Health Day becomes so much more when you plan it to be a Spiritual Health Day. It's better than soaking in a tub full of soft water.