Serenity Now!

Peace . . . Peace . . . Peace . . .

Remember the waves, the ocean lapping up on the sand. (or the quiet of the bay side of the island, as this picture is.)

And drown out the sounds of bickering children.

There have been several references to finding rest in the midst of turmoil lately. I need it. I need to find rest when I can't control my surroundings. I need to hold my temper when I am being yelled at by a little seven-year-old. Why do I let her get to me, and why in the world am I yelling back?

Yoga is a perfect example of this. You find a resting spot in a stretching moment. And if there is too much stretching, you pull back a little and rest there. If you just focus on the resting, the breathing, you can hold yourself firm in funny positions! But in each funny place you find yourself, there is a rest. Your body is working, but your mind is resting. I don't know a whole lot about yoga, but I have hung onto this idea and thought about it a lot lately. It made a hymn come to mind: There is a Place of Quiet Rest. The next line is "near to the Heart of God." I know that yoga comes out of eastern philosophy, but this idea is something I think is expressed in Christian thoughts, and also in the Psalms.

The kids are so weird. Today seems so over-dramatized, and I guess I can chalk it up to tiredness from coming back from camp. Or maybe they are disappointed in the "real" life here at home. I think J and B made friends this week. ( I am contemplating just using initials for the kids! I am trying that on for size.) B is already talking about an 8-yr-old who she hopes will be in her cabin next year when I go with her. She wanted to write several girls' addresses in her address book on Saturday night. (They came home Sat. afternoon.) J had a boy call him on Saturday night to guide him to his Star Trek website. A fellow trekkie! How exciting! And this guy was older than J (L didn't realize he was a teen, but J said he was.) J even made friends with a girl, which I really find exciting. I have had my doubts that he would ever be able to get along with the opposite sex.

The both of those kids have come home acting older. J especially. There are certain phrases and attitudes that just seem older. For better or worse! I relish the thought of J acting older and being less whiny (because I can only handle one child that whines, and B has this covered). On the other hand, he is so mouthy, I don't know what to do with him. Today, I have taken a whole dollar, one quarter at a time, from J for his language (stupid, moron,idiot, etc.). They both know that the quarters are going in a jar for me to spend on whatever I want----and it is a CD. Something wonderful for my ears, to counteract the horrible words I am not putting up with.