Thumbs up

Wow, if I believed in karma, which I do not, I would say I was having a bad karma day. The fundamental teaching of karma goes like this: `for every event that occurs, there will follow another event whose existence was caused by the first and this second event will be pleasant or unpleasant according as its cause was skillful or unskillful.' In my world, we refer to those as consequences, which can be good or bad. Today, I can't win for losing! There is a multitude of colloquialisms I could spout but for the sake of simplicity (I'm intimidated by fate now) suffice it to say I am not functioning at my usual standard today. All efforts to get back on track after a full two weeks of being unbalanced have failed for one reason or another. I resolved today was the day I would regain some semblance of control in my life once more. Ha!

My usual routine is an early rising, Bible reading/study, write the blog, have a quick breakfast, and then work on the book. This carries me through to lunch or beyond depending on how productive the writing is going. As I mentioned, all efforts to return to my normal routine now that all my houseguest have gone has failed miserably. Since I was very unproductive this morning, I decided I might need a new routine, shake things up a bit and approach it with a fresh perspective.

I did do my Bible reading before I headed out to the garden once light enough to see and harvested what I could. God, fresh air, and nature: what more could you ask for? I incorporated my stretching and walking after that in hopes of regrouping a bit. Feeling energized I made a healthy breakfast of a veggie omelet made with summer squash, onions, garlic and hot peppers. Hmmm. Feels as if I'm off to a good start. Rather than my usual post-breakfast cup of coffee, I filled my cobalt blue goblet full of fresh water; this is a resuscitated effort to drink more. Motivated by aesthetics, I found I am more likely to drink water from that pretty glass over anything else. I was cutting a key lime to squeeze into my water when I sliced my thumb with the knife. As you might guess, the cut instantly filled with limejuice. This felt like fire and I instinctively stuck my thumb in my mouth; the thumb with hot pepper juice on it. Now my thumb and mouth burned!

Here I sit with a bandaged thumb, no Christian blog written, not a word on the book and it is almost 10am. I feel like I need a nap, B12 shot, and a far away vacation. Due to the thumb incident, I do not know if the attempted new routine would have provided a more productive me for writing or be a great big flop. I'll try again tomorrow I guess. For now, I'm taking my throbbing thumb to the guest room. We will curl up in the bed under the net canopy; soaking in the ambiance of the room I enjoy so much with its warm Mediterranean colors and smells. If a nap happens to come my way, I will embrace it with open arms. I will meditate to cleanse my mind and quiet my soul. I have found repeating 'Jesus' to myself over and over calms me just as He calmed the raging sea. Tomorrow, I will open my eyes and take comfort in knowing God is still in control and the sun will dawn as it always does. A new day, fresh start and new mercies; I need them all.