My Peaceful Place

I discovered something today. . .

that I can have a peaceful place in the midst of noise and chaos. I loved escaping to this wonderful place this morning. You may want to try it.

Have you ever had a hectic morning? I did today.

I was trying so hard to be calm and happy and kind this morning. And it was going pretty well actually. . . and then we started our first day of school.

This homeschool routine of ours should not be hectic, except that I have a toddler and an infant who like to be in the center of things, and boisterous at that. So, to help calm things down, I decided that I was going to start "blanket time" with Luke while the big kids worked on their writing. He was beside himself excited!

We were going to build with Legos on the blanket for fifteen minutes, so off we went to find a blanket and pull the Lego tub out of the playroom and set up shop near the kitchen table. {I wanted to be close by to help the others if they had any questions.}

Well, here comes Chase! He immediately stands in the middle of us and begins to claim all of Luke's Lego animals which caused great concern and stress, of course. In the midst of this commotion, Ashton finishes his work (it took us a while to get our blanket) and asks to join us. Within seconds, he's making very loud noises with the Legos and flying them all around. Then Amberlyn was stumped with a question about her lesson. I call her to me so I can look over it with her without leaving the blanket. Ten minutes later, I realize our blanket time got lost in the fray and commotion of what everyone else needed.

{Thankfully, I'm a quick student. Tomorrow, Chase gets playpen time with his own toys while Luke and I have blanket time--alone.}

Our minister said yesterday, busyness brings strife and your best requires rest (I was taking notes, David!). This really struck home with me.

Busyness brings strife--my best requires rest. . . boy, that's true!

I knew that I didn't want to snap at my kids or get angry, so as I was in the middle of grading Joshua's lesson-- and after the fifteenth chaotic interruption when I could feel my blood beginning to boil-- I just bowed my head slightly and closed my eyes and focused for a minute on the Lord's peace.

I meditated on His wonderful goodness and breathed deeply of His calm for just a minute or so, but it was more than enough to center me again and restore my peace.

Try it sometime. You may just rediscover your peaceful place, too.

Exercise in the Morning

My sweet husband sent me to my mom's to be pampered for a couple of days. It feels like a mini-vacation when I have the luxury of healthy, home-cooked meals served to me and all the time to read that my heart can desire and long, hot soaks in a very clean tub. Sigh. . . heaven.

While draped over the couch reading, I discovered a Consumer Reports article on health do's and don'ts that I found very interesting. One of them is on a topic I've blogged about here before--good rest.

The DO "tip" is that morning exercise can improve your chances of sleeping like a baby by 70%. In contrast, evening exercise can trigger stimulating hormones that can hinder a deep, restful sleep.

So, maybe hitting the floor running isn't such a bad thing after all.

Sleep Like a Baby!

Several of you have asked what I do to get good rest at night. That has honestly been a challenge for the past. . . ummm. . . say. . . 18 months. Chase still nurses some during the night, so I haven't gotten a full night's sleep in quite awhile. But the sacrifice of sleep is worth the peace of mind of knowing that he's getting a good start on life with his mama's milk.

But when I sleep, I generally sleep well. I have two favorite tools for good rest: a quality mattress and magnesium.

A few years ago, Paul and I saved our pennies and our tax return and bought a Tempur-Pedic mattress. We love it! We were able to find a barely-used one at a great price, so we snatched it up. It was such a great mattress during my pregnancies when everything begins to hurt in those last couple months, making it so difficult to get comfortable in any position. So, I believe a quality mattress can make a huge difference.

My second favorite tool for sleeping well is magnesium. There are days when my muscles get so tight from stress that rest is a far-off dream for me. So, I pull out my Cell Wellness Restorer and pour 8-10 capfuls into a hot bath and soak for 15-30 minutes. These precious few minutes are so relaxing in and of themselves. I love to read, so I'll bring a book or magazine to the bath and read. The Cell Wellness Restorer is so relaxing that I often drift off to sleep right there in the bath! When I finally get up and go to bed, I sleep like a baby.

If you don't have time for a hot bath, you can slather the Cell Wellness Restorer right onto your skin. Just be careful not to spread it over any open cuts because it is made of sea salts. You know the magnesium is soaking into your skin if it itches or tingles. That means it's working to bring you closer to a good night's rest. The itchy feeling goes away pretty quickly, but you can avoid it if you sprinkle a little water on your skin before you apply the Cell Wellness. Can you tell I love this stuff? It's good for so many things. Magnesium is such a blessed mineral.

Chamomile is a relaxing herb. You can drink it as a tea before bed. It's always good to slow down and have a cup of tea anyway. And in a pinch, when nothing else seems to work, I take a Pantothenic Acid (in pill form from the health food store). One of these pills goes a long way in relaxing your muscles, so you don't want to overdo this one. But it is safe enough that I was able to take it during pregnancy and while nursing.

Now, with all of these great remedies mentioned, my all-time favorite way to relax is to rest daily in the Lord. Nothing else compares to the peace and calm I experience when I am in His presence. I love to rise before my family (this is very hard to do these days) and spend time reading my Bible and praying and just being with the Lord. He so gently reminds me that I don't need to spend my days spinning my wheels and running here and yon. Often, He will show me the important things to get done that day and all the bizillion things I can let go of. His schedule for me is always so much simpler and more relaxing than mine! When I am faithful to resting daily in the Lord, I begin to crave it, and this helps me to continue to run to that time even when all the excuses are running through my head not to get up. Realize, though, I have not arrived in this area. I struggle to rest daily. But it is by far the BEST way to relax. :-)