Protect Your Peace and Know Your Best is Good Enough

Go the EXTRA mile!

You're on vacation but you give the EXTRA effort and check in periodically.

Don't just come to the gym for scheduled classes, do EXTRA credit on your own time!

How about some EXTRA help?

Do any of these sound familiar?  All of these reflect EXTRAs in my life over the past several weeks. 

The extra mile was Google Maps having a brain cramp that was resolved by pulling into a parking lot, closing out and restarting the map to get me back home.  Regarding the extra effort while on vacation, I will not rehash what you can read in these blog posts Choosing Health over Wealth and When Job Stress Becomes too Heavy to Carry. The Extra credit workouts at the gym started this past week.  I completed two out of three.

By Friday evening, I felt like I'd been hit by a truck; not a little pickup but a semi with a double-trailer.  I opted to turn off my alarm for Saturday morning. When I woke up on Saturday, I had a fever and swollen glands. I decided to lay low and just putter around the house.  I folded some laundry left from Friday and tidied up clutter. 

By Saturday evening, I was still feeling lousy so I let my girl friends at the Lewis Center AA group know that I wouldn't be at Sunday's meeting.  I turned off my alarm again.  When I woke on Sunday, I was feeling a little better but grateful I wasn't going anywhere although I would miss seeing the girls and going for our coffee after the meeting.

On Sunday, I saw this image.

This really hit home.  I was so worried about disappointing my customers that I worked during parts of my last vacation.  I don't want to disappoint the coaches at Steadfast so let's put in extra workouts despite my body saying "shouldn't you consider some extra rest?"  

I see my OB this coming week for my annual appointment.  I think it's time that we discuss some extra help for me.  By "extra help," I mean possible hormone replacement or whatever she might recommend to help me in my perimenopause journey.  It might sound funny that "itchy and bitchy" describe how I've felt for the last month but it's actually the truth.  My ears itch so horribly that I've irritated them.  My mood has frankly been foul or "bitchy." Not all of it is my husband being well, my husband or my coworkers being themselves.  I do think some of it could be hormonal. 

It is also time that I start putting myself first instead of putting myself last.  Will I disappoint people with decisions that I make?  Sure, I probably will but don't I deserve to be happier, well-rested, and less stressed?  I think so.

Resources:

Image from BuddismPage

Previous blog posts about perimenopause:

Coping with Perimenopause

How to Support a Friend going through Menopause

Why Am I Always Tired?

Live in the Present: Trusting God with Tomorrow

There’s a quiet peace that comes when we stop trying to control what hasn’t happened yet. So much of our energy is often spent worrying about tomorrow—what will come, what might go wrong, what we still need to accomplish. But God doesn’t ask us to live in tomorrow. He asks us to live here—in this day, in this moment, where His presence already is.

When we choose to live in the present, we begin to notice the small gifts that often go unseen—the sound of laughter, the warmth of the morning sun, the kindness in a friend’s message, the simple breath of life itself. These are reminders that God’s grace meets us now, not someday in the future when everything feels secure or complete.

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” — Matthew 6:34

Each day has its own rhythm, its own purpose. Some days are busy with tasks that demand our attention. Others are quiet, inviting reflect
ion and rest. In both, we can choose to do the things that need to be done, and to do them with love. Whether it’s a small act of kindness, a word of encouragement, or simply doing our best in our daily responsibilities—these moments of good are like seeds we plant in faith.

We may not see the full harvest yet, but we can trust that God is tending to it. The future will unfold in His time, just as it should. Our part is simply to keep showing up—to live fully today, to love deeply now, and to trust that each faithful step we take today is part of a greater story being written by His hand.

So breathe deeply. Let go of the what-ifs. Live this day with purpose and peace. Do all the good you can, right where you are. The future will unfold beautifully when you walk hand in hand with the One who holds it.

Resources:

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