Shaken, Not Stirred.

We finished our summer on a bang! Or maybe I should say a shake.  Tuesday was the last day of summer for my kids. They came to work with me and were playing in my warehouse when the 5.8 earthquake shook our town. If you're from CA that may not seem that big but we Virginians aint used to that sorda shakin :)

Here's the USGS link for all the specific facts: QUAKE FACTOIDS!

Since that CRAZY event we have had several aftershocks/earthquakes. 6 after shocks and another quake last night to be exact. If you like lists, here's another link: list O Facts :)

I can honestly say that the initial quake was kinda fun...until I realized my children were with me. I must have some sorta "mama bear" 6th sense because I became a different person when the thought of my children entered my mind. My baby girl (10 yrs. old) was really shaken by the event. My son (12 yrs. too cool) was clearly freaked but played it off well.

The Omori's Law of earthquake aftershocks basically states that: After the earthquake, the aftershocks will get less and less in frequency and magnitude for every day that passes thereafter.

I have used this knowledge again and again to ensure my little girl that everything is cool and that the worst has passed. With every aftershock I was able to comfort her with the fact that they were decreasing in frequency and magnitude.

Until last night.

We were woken from a dead sleep by a 4.5 earthquake, not an aftershock. Which really shook her, literally and physically. We all got out of bed and high tailed it outside. Side note: We live in a log home. Because of the way our home is constructed, everything is tied together. SO, If any part of the house moves...the WHOLE house moves. This tends to over state the magnitude of things sometimes.

Once she was awake she could not be consoled. She was shaking, her heart was pounding and did not want to go back inside. Did I mention we were all outside at 1am, half asleep and in our PJ's/skivvies.


I love painting mental pictures :)

Long story short: Omori's Law wasn't cutting it this time.

But there was a law that did work. God's.

God's Law? Yup. God's law.

"The Message" translates vs. 6 & 7 of the ancient letter to the Philippians as follows:
^6-7Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

That part of that scripture came to my mind while sitting on my front porch (almost naked) trying to console my sweet little girl. While daddy's arms may be big and strong, they just weren't strong enough to make all the fear disappear by wrapping her in them. So I prayed for that peace. That peace that can only come from our creator.

eventually she came back inside and she fell back asleep.

Not only did she sleep, but so did I ;) "stirred" by the Prince of Peace.

Road to Recovery =

 
A little over a year ago I felt the Lord urging me to slow down. I had too many irons in the fire. I was wearing too many hats. And yes, I was also burning the candle at both ends. I needed to specifically "focus on my family". That's the answer I heard when praying about my situation.

I found myself involved in so many other things that I didn't have any time for my family. I was working two jobs (with a 40 minute commute between them), Involved at church (elder and pastor) from 3-5 days a week (plus study time), I had a fellowship at my home one night a week AND was processing somewhere between 20-40 lbs of beef jerky every week to sell at the farmers market (which took up my Saturdays). Every minute of every day was filled to the rim with brim.

Not to mention that I slowly found myself in disagreement with most of the teaching/beliefs/points of view in the church. If I don't agree with what my life is devoted to then there is a real riff in the fabric of why I am doing what I'm doing.

So I took a good hard look at everything I was "doing" and started asking God what He wanted me to be doing. I slowly backed out of most of my commitments, knocked down my hours at work, quit making all my delicious jerky and stepped down from my positions at church. And every time I would ask what I should be doing...the response was always that, I was doing it.

Once I started focusing on my family I realized just how neglected it was. Much like an old house that people live in but don't take care of, my life resembled just that. Had I not listened...well, I hate to think of what could of happened. We were dilapidated and had no idea of the impending eviction. All I can say is that I am thankful for that simple word from the Lord.

So now I'm a year out and I finally feel like I'm recovering from the BURNOUT

No, not that kind of burn out, but I thought it appropriate to add a little humor to my whining.

I finally feel as if I can breath. The answer for me was R&R.

The best part about this whole series of events is that now I can actually "do" what I feel called to do. Without "doing" what everyone else wants me to do.

I want to end this by extending some advice that I should have heeded a long time ago.

Put your family 1st.