Taking the bumpy road

It's been a blissful morning... I was up early enough to sit on the porch with Asia and wait for his ride, (he's car-less now, remember.) I played with the dog, read all my 'daily blogs', went for a bike ride with S. and E. to buy milk and yogurt for smoothies, made the smoothies, (Blueberry/Banana - YUM!) and now have a few minutes to post while the kids do their chores before we start Bible Time.

Been thinking a lot about cycles in life lately. You know those life phases we go through? Sometimes you're in a groove and things run smoothly for a time, and then we hit a rough spot... I've been around long enough to know that the rough spots are all part of the cycle - that they pass, and I'll find my way back into the groove.

I've been in a bit of a rough patch this past year... it hasn't been anything overwhelming, but it's there. The ride is a bit bumpier than usual.

Lots of things contribute to it...

• Asia's mid-life angst.
• The leaving of the ex-church.
• Accepting the slow pace of settling into the new church.
• Noticing how big the kids are getting. And realizing if they're getting so big, I must be getting older too...
• Finding my body change in less-than-positive ways, even though nothing has changed about my eating habits and exercise routines.
• The upcoming job change and added travel to Asia's routine.
• Experiencing the fading of old friendships.
• Wondering what to do with myself now that all three kids are going to be in school full-time.
• Recognizing that lots of the convictions I clung to for years were based on people's ideas, not God's... and learning to relax about a lot of things. Things that caused my heart to be judgemental and harsh for many years. I'm learning to love. And confessing years of pride and hurtful attitudes. It's tough to come to grips with a lot of it.

It all adds up to feeling a little off kilter.

Unbalanced.

In a funk.

It's not necessarily a bad thing to be off kilter. It forces me to recognize my dependence on God - the only fully constant, unchanging factor in my life.

And it makes me cling to the Promises I know to be true.

So there you go.

I think a week at the beach is just what I need.

Thank goodness I get to go there on Saturday...

Love you, my bloggy friends...