Squeeze the Life Out of It

That's right, squeeze the life out of it -- life!

Greetings friends, family, heritage makers and those of you who stumble onto my ramblings. Yes, I am still here, but have not been at the blog for a while. Why? I guess because I have been squeezing a bit of late. Health-wise I have been battling to get my white counts up (very slow progress over the last month - but progress.) The shingles lesions will create greater compassion, empathy and more efficient scratching. The doctors can't tell me when or even if that will go away. I have tried chili pepper ointment, crushed aspirins in lotion, different anti-depressants (not because I am depressed mind you) and anti-seizure meds and a host of other things. Nothing seems to work as well as my sweetheart's TLC (don't tell her that and I won't tell her if the sting and itch goes away).

Anyway, I am loving the extension and the challenge of my life in health, happiness, business, time and faith. I am learning to squeeze more effectively. One of the great lessons I am learning about squeezing life is that it takes less effort, not more. It takes more pause than busyness. It takes more of serving than being served. And it takes vigilant intentionality to avoid being swept away in the rush of everyone else's busyness, urgency, fear, uncertainty, greed and guilt.

Busyness seems to be produced when we rush to be right about things we may have little or no control over, at least that has been so in my experience. Yep, that is a confession. Urgency is usually, not always, but too often, the result of letting things of a lower priority, but higher desire, rob the priority and time of things of a higher, and usually more lasting priority. Fear is simply the absence, avoidance or the abandonment of faith. Faith is the principle and influence that moves us to action to do right rather than to be right. And it comes from an understanding of and a commitment to a higher power that is able to and willing to secure us in making right decisions and doing right things. That is the basis of righteousness - the quantity and the quality of being correct - in all things.

In these times we are all uncertain of the next shoe to drop and crisis to face. All must turn our heads up to dispel fear and the uncertainty of today's challenges and to find assurance of tomorrow's peace. As we do, we bring that peace and light forward into the present -- for ourselves and others.

Greed is the evidence of faithlessness as well as selfishness. It is evidence that a person feels that they must get as much as they can as fast as they can because there is not enough of it (whatever it is) nor enough time to get it and that only they can, by their device, get it because no one else will see that they get their fair share of it. I have discovered that greed is like dehydrated water. It simply never satisfies thirst. Perhaps that is why we are encouraged to hunger and "thirst" after righteousness. Because as we do, we find it most satisfying, healing and enriching.

Guilt is interesting, mine and yours. I am guilty of so many things, most of which have occurred when I was greedy or fearful or just too darn busy. I have been able to unburden myself from some of those things and I am working to uncover and unload as many more as I can in whatever time I have left. I probably will not get through the list, but perhaps I will yet more fully get out from under the load as I more fully discover and use His yoke. When I do, I breathe more easily and I am less greedy, urgent, uncertain and busy. I have found that it is true - His yoke lightens and lightens my load. I recommend it.

May you too find peace in this season of gratefulness by unburdening your hearts and minds and intentionally determining not to contribute to nor be swept away in the drift of busyness.

Happy Heritage Making and Thanksgiving!

Onward and Upward

Love Doug