Tag: gratitude

The Christmas Pizza

/ colleen arnold / 11 Comments

An updated 2020 version………

Between over-decorating, over-eating and over-spending, the Christmas season can be overwhelming. Add the stress of Covid 19 and its easy to feel cheerless and exhausted. It doesn’t have to be that way, as I learned the Christmas Neil was in the hospital.

It was only three months after his diagnosis, but deep down we all knew it was his last Christmas. Things weren’t going well with his chemo, his appetite and energy were fading, and the team of doctors on his case bounced him back and forth because no one wanted to face the Christmas elephant in the room.

In typical Neil fashion, he was excited about the holiday even from his hospital bed, and I had no intention of leaving him alone. That meant there were no decorations at home other than the few I set up before he went into the hospital. There were no gifts except for the ones I purchased earlier that year. Wrapping and Christmas cards? Nope. Not even Christmas dinner.

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A Walking Meditation

/ colleen arnold / 6 Comments

I walk a lot. Up and down my hilly road, on the trail behind my house, on trails through the Blue Ridge Mountains – even in circles around my dining room table when I can’t get outside. Walking calms my mind and exercises my body, but it can also soothe my soul. I know a lot of us are walking even more in these days of closed gyms and social isolation, so here’s an idea for turning those walks into moments with God.

If you are on a time limit, set the timer on your watch or cell phone to three minutes for each of the sections. If you’re not on a strict schedule, just allow each part of the meditation to spontaneously conclude on its own.

Introduction: Start your walk simply by inviting God to show you His creation. Thank Him for this specific time together. Stand still for a minute and take a few deep breaths to clear your head and engage your body. Then start walking at a comfortable pace.

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On Being Fickle

/ colleen arnold / 2 Comments

It is 92 degrees on this second to last day of September. Thunder rolls in the distance, while heat lightening dances overhead. The air is so humid that the dog and I are sweating and panting after the first few steps of our walk.

“Where are the cool, crisp days of autumn?” I lament.

Then I recall how just a few days ago at work I shivered in my white coat despite three layers underneath, and secretly prayed the office air conditioner would break. That day I longed to feel warm.

And in just a few months, when I go out for a walk in the snow, today’s weather will come to mind. I’ll wish for my sweaty T-shirt and shorts instead of my heavy boots and stuffy parka.

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