Month: February 2021

When It’s Time To Act

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Earlier this week we bought a new washer and drier.  The repair man told us that the bearings on our old washer had gone out, and we’d be better off getting a new washer versus replacing this one.  Initially, we were thinking we’d hold off getting a replacement until May, which would align well with a home improvement project we have scheduled.  However, after the machine continued to get worse, we decided the best option would be to replace it now, on our own timeline.

My wife and I both agreed that as long as we kept using the rapidly deteriorating machine, we ran an ever-increasing risk of it failing in the middle of a load of wash.  I don’t know what your experience has been, but appliance failures never seem to occur at a convenient time, and they usually generate unneeded stress and inconvenience.  Especially if we knew in advance that a failure was imminent.

We decided that, since we knew we needed to replace the washer, we should do it on a timeframe that is convenient for us versus letting the machine dictate a less convenient timeframe via a massive failure.

I think there are a lot of things in life that we can address on our own timeframe, versus waiting for a failure to determine our timeframe for taking corrective action.  These things can range from appliance replacements to adopting a healthier lifestyle to maintaining relationships and beyond. 

Let’s be aware of the areas in our lives where we can take action to mitigate unnecessary risks and damage, versus waiting for things to blow up before they get our attention.  And when we become aware of these areas, let’s actually take the necessary action when it’s time to act.

A Short Thought On Dependence

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Health-related issues, like doctor appointments with potential for bad news, are way outside of my comfort zone.  As a result, they are strong motivators that causes me to draw near to God.  In the days leading up to a doctor appoint of any kind, I get heavily dependent on God for peace, comfort, guidance, and a favorable outcome.  His presences is very comforting to me.

What I’m currently trying to focus on is maintaining a continued daily dependence on God.  It’s easy to be dependent on Him when I’m facing a challenge, but I also want to be dependent on Him, even when things are going well.

If I can depend on him during challenges, shouldn’t I also depend on Him during the good times as well?

I Don’t Even Miss It

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Our house has been feeling rather full, in a cluttered since lately, so a couple of weekends ago, my wife and I went through several closets and rooms and got rid of stuff we no longer use.  It was amazing how much stuff we had that fell into that category! What’s even more interesting is that I don’t even miss a single thing I got rid of.

What I do enjoy, much more than the exiled stuff, is the free space I have in rooms, closets, bookshelves, and cabinets.  There’s such a calming feeling when every inch of a bookshelf isn’t stuffed full of books I’ll likely never read again.  Likewise, a closet with much available space is much more fun to interact with than one that’s jammed full of unused clothing that obscures the clothes I actually do wear.

It’s hard to believe that a carload full of stuff taken to Goodwill can have such a positive impact on my surroundings.

Are there any items you know you’ll no longer use that you need to get rid of or give to someone else who can use them?  If so, I encourage you to do it as soon as possible.  Not only will you enjoy interacting with your newly uncluttered space, you will most likely not even miss the times you get rid of.

It’s Funny Out There

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While I was eating breakfast on Thursday morning, I was also listening to an audio book titled, The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, And More Creative.  It’s very interesting and has me excited to get out side and go for a hike! 

At about 7:20 AM, I was listening to the author talk about the impacts of noise pollution and how our quite places in the world are rapidly diminishing when I heard a loud noise outside our house.  At first, I thought it was a life flight helicopter, so I peeked out the window to catch a glimpse.  It turned out not to be a helicopter, but rather a street sweeper making a rather early pass up and down our street.  While I do appreciate a clean street, 7:20 AM seems like a little early!

I laughed out loud at the irony going on right outside my house.  How funny that a loud street cleaner would be going by at the same time I was listening to a chapter about the negative impacts of noise pollution.  It was a fun note to start my morning on.

There are a lot of funny things going on in the world.  And by “funny” I mean the “HAHA” type of funny like a streetsweeper going by at the very moment I’m being warned of the dangers of noise pollution.  While it seems easy to notice things that frustrate or offend us, I would challenge us to instead keep an eye open for all the humor and funny things that are going on around us instead.  Noticing them is sure to bring a smile to your face, and that’s a great accessory to greet the day with.