Do you have an ache in your back or hip?  A body roller may be just what you need.  These guys get deep down into your trigger points.  Its an oxymoron kind of feeling.  It hurts so bad, but feels so yummy.  I love them for my sciatic pain.  Recently, I heard the phrase, “we keep issues in our tissues!”   These rollers can help roll some of those issues out.

click here for more information

I have always thought that “Out of Order” was a peculiar phrase.  As if something is working it’s in order, but if it’s broken something has become out of place.  It’s misaligned.  Is that true for us too?

There are certainly days that are harder than others.  Some days I feel misaligned.  Some days I feel I want to hang an “out of order” sign around my neck.  Maybe the kids could just fend for themselves.  Maybe dinner would magically appear.  Maybe the invisible box that someone is putting around me will mysteriously vanish!  Fat chance!

Thankfully, over the last few years, I have realized my “out of order” days have improved.  This is thanks to all my spiritual teachers reiterating the same thing…LET GO AND LET GOD!  The more I would push and force things to happen, the more of a struggle my life was.  If I were a train, my tracks did not align.   It would all work short term, but then my body and soul would check out and I was in need of an “out of order” sign.  My anxieties would run high and I would begin the internal dialogues that would not stop.  I would be up all night worrying about something that was NO BIG DEAL!   And then I would be mad at myself for losing sleep for the no big deal. The next day I would be cranky because I lost sleep over the no big deal.   So then it was hard to forgive myself because I was cranky and unforgiving because I really wanted sleep.  All to finalize realize, it was NO BIG DEAL!  I could have stopped the whole derailment if I would have changed my initial thought.  So, now, I try to live in the no big deal world.  I try to follow life where it may lead me knowing God has the highest intentions for me.  I don’t mind being a follower because I certainly don’t want to be the bully for pushing things along.  And the more I will Let God lead me, the less “out of order” signs I will need.

My older son and I soloed it to Sunday evening mass….I forgot it was All Souls Day.  I have been going to mass for 14 or so years.  For some reason, I did not recall the ritual of this service.  Maybe they changed it up since the last time I went.  Anyone who lost a loved one in the last year was given a rose to bring up to the alter.  They were greeted by the priest with a warm hug or a loving pat on the back.  Many loved ones were teary eyed.  It made me think of the loss of my grandmother a little over a year ago. (I really do miss her.  There is so many things I wish I could ask her.)  Then the choir chanted all the love one’s names in a prayer.  I remember when I was converting to Catholicism, it was mentioned in passing how when you sing a prayer, it’s like saying it twice. So, it made me happy knowing that all those recently lost loved ones were getting 2 amazing prayers!  I couldn’t help but really think and almost feel that their souls were dancing around the church.  I felt it was a wonderful way to remember the ones we lost.  What a wonderful way to celebrate their life after their passing.

Robb Bell often talks about how the word spirit and breath are often translated into the same word in many languages. More and more this resonates with me.  As long as we have breath, spirit is in us!  When the congregation’s response from the priest saying “the Lord be with you ” was changed from “and also with you”  to “and with your spirit”, it resonated me.  As I become more “awake”,  I recognize the spirit in all living things.  I know there is controversy around it, but I can even feel the spirit in my dog and the birds around me.  I love me some hawk energy!  🙂

I was reading a story the other day about an amazing thing that some friends did to surprise their friend on her birthday.  It required some divine intervention, but it happened for her.  The story made me so happy for the recipient.  I almost felt the group of friends had done it for me.  I genuinely felt her happiness and cried.  I put down my book and immediately went into a short prayer of gratitude.  All I could think to say was “thank you!”  Moments like this is what I think all the gurus talk about when they address the light in me being the light in you.  Realizing we are all really one in spirit, but separate vessels sure does make life a more joyful place.

After a “Life You Want Weekend” with my friend Claudia, I tried to come up with an idea to keep us both motivated to keep the fires a burning!  They always say when you have a partner in an activity, you will be more successful.  Weight Watchers encourages this, right?  Neither of us needed to lose weight, so I tried to be more creative.  I came up with the daily gratitude text.  Each day we text the other a random thing we were grateful for in our day.  We do not have to respond to the text.  Just read it. We each agreed to the challenge and pinky promised.  Whether it’s soft toilet paper, origami turtles, or leftovers in the frig, we are trying to find the little joys in everyday life and work harder at living the life we want.