Labor Day

It is currently 76 outside and it's also labor day.  My checklist is entirely too long for me to actually finish.  So instead of taking all day to do work that I will not actually finish, I will take today to relax and get a little bit of work done. It IS a holiday after all.

This morning started off productive. I read for one of my classes, did my devotion, started laundry.... All of my plans went out the window though when Roni and I decided to open the windows.  The weather is SO nice outside, and it makes me want to really take in the beauty of it.  Seriously.  There is a reason God commanded us to have a Day of Rest.  I don't do this often enough.  My weekends are just as full as the rest of my week.

I know that a lack of rest results in burn-out.  I also know that I will NEVER completely finish my checklist, there will always be something else to do.  So, it isn't like taking time to rest keeps me from finishing something.  In fact, it gives me the desire TO finish more things because I am not so worn out. Rest brings nothing but good things.  Why do I not take the time to do it?

Well, I am today.

I'm not behind.

I'm not slacking.  I'm not stressed. I'm not tired.


This is not just wishful thinking.

This is also not true.

It's somewhere in the middle.


Everyone has a go-to answer for the "how are you" question.  For some it's "good" or "eh."  For some it's "Blessed and highly favored!"  My answer in High School was always "I'm tired."or "I'm busy." It got to the point that people assumed I was tired and assumed I was busy.  I would walk in and people would ask me how tired I was.  Or greet me with, "Hey! You look tired...."  Who wants to be greeted with that??  There would be days when I was wide awake, but I was accused me of being tired because I had given "tired" as an answer so many times.  There were times when I was actually free, but people assumed I had a packed schedule.

Being told you're tired makes you more tired...

Being told you have too much to do makes you feel like you can't get anything done.

So I finally decided to change my answer.

The only problem is that I, unknowingly, replaced it with an answer that's worse. "I'm behind." or "I need to practice more." or "I have too many things on my to-do list."  It's not necessarily what my actual short answer is when someone asks how I am; but, the conversation always ends up on how behind I am on practice, or school stuff, ect. ect.  It stresses me out.

So, I'm changing my answer.  Again.  This is important as I start my last semester of classes.  As I prepare for my Senior-recital (to which all of you should come).  I WILL NOT stress out about a lack of practice.  I will not stress out about not finishing homework.  I will not stress out about not preparing enough for small group.

I will not stress out.  And I really hope no one asks me how stressed out I am.

Do you ever use stress as a conversation starter?  It's easy isn't it?  I think that will be the most difficult thing about "not being stressed."  What will people talk to me about?!  I don't have an answer for "what are you doing after you graduate?"  So the conversation might die pretty quickly...  Oh well.  I need to work on people skills and coming up with good conversation anyway.

Now, the important thing in all of this is the reason I'm not stressing out.  I won't stress out because I WILL be productive.  The less time I spend stressing over the lack of, could be time that I could be making up for the lack of.  No getting so overwhelmed that I can't start.

Now for the music. :)

I told someone that the next song I would put up would be in English.  Well, .... I lied.