Lines

Last week we were fortunate enough to be vacationing in Disneyland, and were also fortunate enough that it wasn't too busy and the lineups were pretty short (we walked right onto many rides).  One ride that wasn't very short was the lineup for the new Radiator Springs Racers ride.  I had been watching crowd trackers and knew that the lineup for that ride is typically 2-3 hours, so when we arrived at the park and saw that it was "only" 90 minutes, we jumped into line (much to Matthew's chagrin).  It actually only would have taken about 75 minutes but there was a breakdown, so that slowed things down a bit.  However, we were fortunate - a guy I talked to later in the trip had been waiting 70 minutes in line one day, the ride broke down, and the whole crowd had to leave the lineup - I think Matthew would have had a major meltdown if that would have happened to us.

I've seen many complaints about the lines in Disneyland - in the summer it seems like 45 minutes is a short one.  However, we need to get a little perspective....we're waiting in lines for rides people!  We have the money to enter the park in the first place (getting pretty pricey, let me tell you), money to spend $50 on lunch, money to spend $3.75 on a measley churro (essentially a long mini donut).  We should be thankful that we have the opportunity to wait in such a line!

Last night was a very busy night at the Mustard Seed - the wind chill was brutal and it's getting towards the end of the month, so people are running out of money.  When I arrived at 7 the place was packed and there were people waiting to get in - some people would have waited at least an hour just to get food.  When dinner was over and coffee was served, it was a half hour wait to get something from the coffee bar, and when we served leftovers, the line just grew longer.

I reflected on the long line as I stood behind the coffee bar frantically trying to serve everyone (luckily I had some help from one of my buddies from the community).  I can't imagine waiting that long with a grumbling stomach and a tired body, let alone waiting in the cold.  An then I thought of the children in Rwanda who walked for six miles and stood in line for food....because they didn't know when they would eat next.

We should be thankful for every line were are blessed to be standing in.

Hot Yoga

I wasn't really planning on making the jump from warm to hot yoga so soon, but Elizabeth went home with a friend from church today, and rather than picking her up in Leduc at 4 and returning to Leduc at 8 for warm yoga, I decided to save some gas and take a hot class at 3 and pick Elizabeth up right after.

The room wasn't too hot - I didn't feel that it was much hotter than the warm room.  However, not realizing that Sandra was the teacher, when she came into the class, I thought, "Oh no."  Sandra is a crazy fitness instructor after my own heart - the first class of hers that I took (aptly named "Grunt and Groan"), I almost left the room because I thought I was going to puke (I didn't).  Of course, I came back for more torture the week after.

Sandra's yoga classes are not much better - very quick transitions, lots of planks, chaterungas (I'm sure that's spelled wrong), and even deep squats.  I wore a headband and there was still sweat dripping down my face, and my arms and legs were slippery with sweat.  However, after it was over, I realized what a good workout it had been, and hadn't been hard on my body like other "good workouts" tend to be.

So, the Crazy Sandra Hot Yoga class has just become another piece of my toolkit - a way to stay in shape that can be sustained over the long term (rather than my usual "go way to hard for a few months and then burn out").  It feels good to treat my body well rather than the abuse I have given it over the last many years - and as I get older, I sure can feel the effects of those years of abuse....and now I am trying to reverse those effects.

And an even better side effect....I'll sleep like a baby tonight!

I Said No!

I am fortunate that I love the career I have chosen to support my family.  I get to work with numbers all day, I get to meet with great people, and I get to give lots of free advice.  I'm a CA, and anyone who knows anything about accounting knows that this time of year gets stupidly busy.

Even though I love what I do, I've had a nagging feeling, or maybe a nagging from the Holy Spirit, that God has bigger plans for me in His kingdom, and while accounting is great to pay the bills, it's not serving His Purpose.  Of course, I'm still waiting for the dream in which I am hanging out with Jesus and he tells me, "Jo, your Purpose is......." - somehow I don't think that's going to happen.  What I do know is that every time I have accepted a new client in the past few months, a little voice says, "Do you really need another client?  Don't you have enough?  Where do I fit in if you become consumed with work?"  It seems as if there is a neverending supply of people out there who need accountants, and I was starting to worry that if I didn't start saying no to people, that I was going to become one of those accountants that I always complain about - accountants who don't have time to give great service, accountants who lose track of who their clients are, accountants who don't seem to care. 

I was also worried that work was going to start consuming my life again, like it did when I worked in the city, and I sure didn't want to relive that nightmare!

But last night, I received a phone call from someone who needed their taxes done, and without thinking, I just said, "Unfortunately, I've taken on all of the clients I can this year."  There!  Done!  No lightning bolts shot down from the sky, the house didn't rumble and shake, my head didn't explode, I just said no, and that's it.

I felt a little guilty afterwards, but then, driving to pick up Elizabeth from gymnastics, the message become loud and clear:  You will now have enough time for Me.  You will now have enough time for your Mission.  I have put certain people in your path to show you how much you can care.  Time to get to work.

I have lived too long in a life where work has defined me, where a new client feeds my ego (they want ME!), where work makes me feel important.  I still love what I do, but I do it to pay the bills, and there is so much more to be done. 

Wow God, you sure work in amazing ways!