Comments on: A Clearing Season http://blaineonline.org/2009/03/a-clearing-season/ Site updates in progress. Check back frequently. Thu, 16 Apr 2009 02:21:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Kathleen Weber http://blaineonline.org/2009/03/a-clearing-season/comment-page-1/#comment-41 Kathleen Weber Sat, 14 Mar 2009 03:36:26 +0000 http://blaineonline.org/2009/03/a-clearing-season/#comment-41 I think your reflections are wonderful. I'm picking up on your last 2 sentences here, but I find that writing, journaling, can be really helpful. I go in waves of trying to journal on a weekly or multiple times a week basis. And I always find that writing my thoughts down helps me out - just to organize my thoughts, see really what I'm thinking, and explore how to respond. The page is always a safe place to put forth my fears and worries as well as my hopes and joyw. I often think that just thinking things is good enough (I get lazy and don't want to write) but it is not the same at all. So, if you are a journal-er, I'd invite you to continue with that practice during lent and explore these thoughts more. Or if you are not, grab some paper and give it a try. I think your reflections are wonderful. I’m picking up on your last 2 sentences here, but I find that writing, journaling, can be really helpful. I go in waves of trying to journal on a weekly or multiple times a week basis. And I always find that writing my thoughts down helps me out – just to organize my thoughts, see really what I’m thinking, and explore how to respond. The page is always a safe place to put forth my fears and worries as well as my hopes and joyw. I often think that just thinking things is good enough (I get lazy and don’t want to write) but it is not the same at all.

So, if you are a journal-er, I’d invite you to continue with that practice during lent and explore these thoughts more. Or if you are not, grab some paper and give it a try.

]]> By: Patty http://blaineonline.org/2009/03/a-clearing-season/comment-page-1/#comment-40 Patty Sat, 14 Mar 2009 02:06:15 +0000 http://blaineonline.org/2009/03/a-clearing-season/#comment-40 It has been difficult to make myself sit down and focus lately and even more difficult to come up with something to do for lent. I know it's a time designated for me to actually commit to something because I don't seem to ever find time to do it, but I don't want to make it an excuse to only do it for Lent. I feel that Lent is supposed to be a time for me to start something to improve myself as an individual and after the period is over continuously practice it otherwise I find it meaningless. It's very hard to be as graceful as Sarah Parsons describes. First off, being at home makes it difficult to focus especially since I live close to family, church, friends, work, city life. These are distractions and keep me from "focusing" on myself, relaxing and sharing. I know what my priorities are but they don't all get fulfilled at the right times. Sometimes I wonder if what I choose to prioritize in life is right for me, for my mood, for my life, for my personality at the moment. Then if I can't prioritize I find myself racing and sometimes getting lost in it, while trying to get a number of things done simultaneously and then stressing out about them. I feel like the only way I even have time to rend my heart is if I go on vacation or leave town because that is the only way to be stress-free. I can leave everything behind because I can't worry about what's not in front of me. Time, however, is always limited. Secondly, so much is demanded of me in order to do well: at work, being there for family and friends, wanting to leave work on time because it's nice outside. It seems that work and other chores keep me from doing what I want to do to just relax and have some quiet time because stress always gets in the way. I've been told that I don't manage it well and it does get me in trouble sometimes. I want to get everything done but can't sometimes. Often I will feel restless until they are completed. I find myself start cleaning when I do get stressed. I don't want that to be the only way I can relieve myself from the world when I'm stressed out. Someday I hope to find a way to relieve my stress well and be happy about it, but for now, maybe the best thing to do is write. Something as small as this can actually make quite a difference as I did try that one day and by the time I finished, I think I felt better inside. I still haven't discovered what that means but maybe I will someday. It has been difficult to make myself sit down and focus lately and even more difficult to come up with something to do for lent. I know it’s a time designated for me to actually commit to something because I don’t seem to ever find time to do it, but I don’t want to make it an excuse to only do it for Lent. I feel that Lent is supposed to be a time for me to start something to improve myself as an individual and after the period is over continuously practice it otherwise I find it meaningless.

It’s very hard to be as graceful as Sarah Parsons describes.

First off, being at home makes it difficult to focus especially since I live close to family, church, friends, work, city life. These are distractions and keep me from “focusing” on myself, relaxing and sharing. I know what my priorities are but they don’t all get fulfilled at the right times. Sometimes I wonder if what I choose to prioritize in life is right for me, for my mood, for my life, for my personality at the moment. Then if I can’t prioritize I find myself racing and sometimes getting lost in it, while trying to get a number of things done simultaneously and then stressing out about them.

I feel like the only way I even have time to rend my heart is if I go on vacation or leave town because that is the only way to be stress-free. I can leave everything behind because I can’t worry about what’s not in front of me. Time, however, is always limited.

Secondly, so much is demanded of me in order to do well: at work, being there for family and friends, wanting to leave work on time because it’s nice outside. It seems that work and other chores keep me from doing what I want to do to just relax and have some quiet time because stress always gets in the way. I’ve been told that I don’t manage it well and it does get me in trouble sometimes. I want to get everything done but can’t sometimes. Often I will feel restless until they are completed. I find myself start cleaning when I do get stressed. I don’t want that to be the only way I can relieve myself from the world when I’m stressed out. Someday I hope to find a way to relieve my stress well and be happy about it, but for now, maybe the best thing to do is write. Something as small as this can actually make quite a difference as I did try that one day and by the time I finished, I think I felt better inside. I still haven’t discovered what that means but maybe I will someday.

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