Holden Beach 2020 {noticing creation}

 The first few weeks of school I felt like some sort of coach, floating through the house with my master schedule helping to make sure that the kids all were getting to their 31 unique class meeting start times without too much trouble.  The first few days were something like a train wreck mixed with a dumpster fire with several showing up late and a few times missing completely...not to mention checking in at the dentist's office.  

Thankfully they all have the personal management skills required to read and follow their individually printed schedules and within two weeks no longer needed me to check in pretty much minute by minute.  Getting them all to that point gave me some flexibility while at the beach.  And that flexibility looked like everyone settling into a class (or Ian into work) and me getting out of the house.

This Covid season has freshly reminded me of just how important it is to have good mental space.  

One thing I've struggled with is feeling very "out of control" when it comes to my schedule.  The kids occasionally lull me into a sense of being able to dictate what my day looks like, and then we'll have a day when someone is too tired, their blood sugar is too low or they are just feeling the weight of the pandemic world and they begin to ravel at the seams.  For me that looks like doing nothing I had intended to do with my day and playing teacher, counselor and maybe even physician until the crisis has passed.

So it's been tricky to try to commit to big projects, instead focusing on getting small things done in short blasts of time.  And not knowing if I'll even get those blocks of time to myself tricks me mentally into not setting goals of things to accomplish.

  

Which means I'm often looking at a 30 minute chunk of time wondering what I'll do.  And feeling that 30 minutes isn't enough to do anything meaningful.  

Back to the good mental space...

I've found one of the most effective ways for me to be in a good mental space is to take at least 30 minutes...the earlier in the day the better...and walk.  I don't listen to music or podcasts, not that there's anything wrong with those.  

Rather I try to tune out the human noise and use my senses to appreciate the handiwork of our Creator.  

The beach is pretty much my favorite place to do just that...

The smell of the salty breeze as it clears the skies, pushing away the heavier smell of rain.

The relentless pounding of the waves, sometimes rough and wild, sometimes gentle and calming.

The feel of sand, sometimes smooth, sometimes textured, sometimes fluffy, sometimes squeaky, but always there...the individual grains so tiny to begin to fathom but as a collective the foundation of a beach experience...between my toes.

The hues of pinks in the sky...

...and the bright vision of sunlight breaking through the clouds.  Reminders that just as the sun comes after the rain that His mercies are new every morning.

Savoring the taste of my morning coffee as I walk to the end of our boardwalk, stop, and take it all in.

I am so very thankful for a week of reminders that even though the world seems out of control, there is indeed still good to experience if I can slow down enough to let my creator speak to my soul.

[Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.] ~ Psalm 34:8 NIV