Last weekend, Sophie and I had the opportunity to travel to Great Falls for our second Presbytery meeting of our YAV year. We headed down the day prior and Sophie and I were able to do a little exploring. Since it was a beautiful February day, we took advantage and walked around the Great Springs State Park and then headed to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. As a history nerd and anthropologist, I have to say that this center is awesome! If you haven't been, I strongly encourage you to check it out: http://www.lewisandclarkfoundation.org/home.php
Taking a moment to just be, rather than have to be somewhere doing something is wonderful. A few weeks ago, I sat down and worked on a puzzle of Leonid Afremov's painting Rain's Rustle in the Park. It was amazing to just focus on one task, no one needed
me to be anywhere or do anything. I could spend the entire weekend in simple bliss. Then last week I made time to draw. Nothing fancy or special just a few sketches to free my mind and relax after work and I've made it a point to create music for at least twenty minutes everyday, so that my brain shuts off from all of my to-dos and focuses on absolutely nothing other than where my fingers are moving next. I am glad that Sophie and I had the opportunity to explore a little bit of Great Falls before settling in to Presbytery business, to clear our minds of our Chinook life and focus on the task at hand.
The next day we joined the Presbytery fun after lunch. The speaker kicked things off with a guided meditation. Sitting in near silence for about 12 minutes, we envisioned ourselves as mountains. You can read a copy of a similar meditation on the Mountain Meditation page. I found this rather enjoyable, though I heard a from a few people that they or someone at their table may have nodded off during the exercise. I think that taking a few moments to center yourself before business begins is an excellent practice. Being present is difficult when your mind is bogged down with all of the to-do lists, grocery needs, chores, et cetera that flood our minds.
I was given the time to fly home for a week right after Presbytery. A gift for which I am extremely grateful. Not only was I able to see my best friend for the first time in nearly 6 months (which is the longest I think we have ever not seen each other) but I finally got to meet my first niece! FaceTiming is great and all but nothing is quite like being there in person. So thank you to my supervisors in Chinook for allowing me to travel home to meet her. This has been a nice time to mentally recharge and prepare for the second half of my YAV year and I am taking full advantage of it.
This is proof that little EJ is definitely related to her Aunt EJ. It's all in the eyes.
(Photo credit goes to Grandma for capturing our kinship)
So I am extending challenges to you, my readers. Take a few moments to remember the things that bring you joy and peace of mind, and then take the time to do them. Maybe it's reading, or drawing, or making music, or maybe it's simply cooking a favorite meal. Take that moment. Remember you matter, too.
Challenge number two was extended by our Presbytery speaker. Begin your next meeting with 5 minutes of complete silence, no phones, no music, no speaking... just silence. It is astounding what you hear when the world immediately around you is quieted.