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I'll be honest, it's been tough. I'm having a hard time relaxing. I used to relax, refresh, renew and recharge by hitting the gym. I'd blast the music in my ears and the world would disappear as I did my squats, bench press and curls. I'd focus on the movements of my traps, my lats and my triceps. I'd focus on my stance and on my technique. Nothing else existed outside of that room. Nothing. I set up my heavy bag in the back yard and later in the garage on a stand. I'd go at it. Just me and the bag. Nothing else. Just me and the bag. And the world disappeared. I was able to find that moment where I could just exist and refresh, renew and recharge for the day and be ready for battle...er, work.

But over the last two months, this hasn't happened. I'm going stir crazy to tell the truth. I haven't been able to get that recharge I so need to keep on keeping on. I'm not able to get that moment where nothing else exists. The physical activity hurt my lungs and left me short of breath. I wasn't resting to get better like I was supposed to.

It was suggested to find something else. Something that can still take my mind away and be able to renew, refresh and recharge without the intense physical activity. I have an old dusty guitar that was given to us my my in-laws back in '03. I dusted it off. Popped in Guitar for Dummies and have been torturing my fingers since.

It's harder than I thought. My left hand hurts and gets cramped. My finger tips are getting all tingly and weird sometimes. My fingers just don't know how to fing, as if my phalanges on my left hand never realized that, yes, they too would eventually work one day.

I was told that it takes time. It takes time for the fingers to develop the callouses needed to play. The pain is the muscles in the fingers learning something new. The pain and the callouses, though they hurt and tingle now, will make the music come out more clearer here soon.

I also have to remind myself that when I picked up weight lifting in high school, I was sore for days on end. It hurt. And when I started using my heavy bag, I could only go a few minutes at a time.

And so, I solider on. I'm gonna cowboy up and I'm gonna find a way to get relaxed. I don't think I've worked this hard to relax in a while.

What about you, how do you refresh, renew and relax? How have you had to change things up or at all?

Refresh, Refocus, Renew

Refresh. Refocus. Renew. I came across these words this last Sunday morning at church and it struck me. These words come from the daily devotional called Today (http://thisistoday.net). As I looked at these words, I started thinking about how I can do just that--refresh, refocus, renew. And then I realized, I'm working on that right now. When I first started exercising, I did so for my health. When I first started lifting again, I did so for my health. But then I started realizing that lifting did something for me. It helped me recharge, it helped me take a step back and allow myself some time away from everything else. It gives me the opportunity to refresh, refocus and renew.

After looking at these words, I started thinking about other ways I take time to refresh, refocus and renew. Lately, I've been doing devotions from the Today devotional but also from reading through the book of Matthew in the Bible. It's been a time to step back and focus on who God is. To focus on what God is doing in my life. To refresh and refocus on what Jesus has done for me and how I want to be more like Him in every way.

One of the things I'm starting to see is this: God takes care of me. He takes care of His people. I know in my heart and deep in my soul that God has called me to be a follower of Jesus, to be one who preaches His word. To be one to live my life in a way that helps others live more like Jesus as well. But He won't let me do this alone and he won't let me burn out. He has given support through people I know and through a small daily devotional called Today. He also helps me find a way to stay healthy and to help me refresh, refocus, renew.

How are ways you can take time during your week to refresh, refocus and renew?