P(5)+ C(5) = B

Blog Post #48

Today is the 4th day of Christmas! That’s right, fourth...not last, not over, and not finished! The truth is, Catholics and many other Christian denominations are really just getting started on the Christmas celebrations and hoopla! In the Catholic Church, we officially end the Christmas season on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (usually the second Sunday of January), and Ordinary time begins the day after the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.

So perhaps you can understand why I was so devastated on December 26, while driving to Toledo, when I turned my radio to the Hallmark Christmas channel, expecting to hear “Joy to the World” or “Go Tell It on the Mountain” only to find that they were done...DONE...with Christmas! I was flabbergasted and downright angry!! I even voiced out loud, “What is WRONG with these people!?!” I vowed to bring my own Christmas CD’s along for the rest of my Christmas car rides! After all, I’m still celebrating, and their readiness to rush onto Valentine’s Day is beyond annoying! UGGGGG!!!!

Not that I’m against forward-thinking! Admittedly, I’ve already chosen a theme word and plan for 2021. Usually I wait until December 30, or even the 31st, to make specific plans, but this morning I woke up with some pretty dismal thoughts about 2020 and danced around with it for a solid ten to fifteen minutes, until I told myself I was done wallowing in weak-minded thinking. 

It took some doings, but I was able to pull myself out of the muck and mire. How did I do it? Well, I actually already told you. It was as simple as coming up with a theme word and a plan for 2021. I even decided to experiment today, just so I’m up and running by January 1. 

My theme word? BALANCE! My plan: P(5) + C(5) = B 

In case that doesn’t make any sense to you (and why would it?), I’ll take the liberty of explaining. I simply chose five “P” words and five “C” words to help create the “BALANCE” I hope to achieve in 2021. If executed correctly, those ten words will keep me moving forward, full of enthusiasm for life, and doing positive and productive things with the time God has gifted! 

My words are meaningful to me, you can choose your own, but just in case you’re interested, my words are: PRAY, PLAY, PLAN, POST, PUTZ, CREATE, COACH, CLEAN, COLOR and CLIMB.

PRAYING is the most important and that’s why I listed it first. Keep in mind, I’m not just putting words out there, I have very specific and measurable goals. For example, I plan to not get out of bed before PRAYING, and then I plan to PRAY at the top of every hour or at least somewhere in each hour of each day, even if it’s only a piece of Scripture, a God-centered thought, or one paragraph from my favorite devotional, which happens to be “My Daily Bread” by the Confraternity of the Precious Blood. The point is, my thoughts will turn to God because I am making it a part of my daily PLAN! 

After that, the rest of the words are in no particular order of importance, but all are important to achieve the BALANCE I desire. I chose PLAY because I think life can be too serious, and I think we all need to take time to PLAY more. For example, I plan to PLAY the piano more, PLAY with my granddaughter, and PLAY more games. (We got two new ones for Christmas, Dixit and Splendor, and I highly recommend them!) 

I chose PLAN because I just do better when I work from a PLAN. I get more done and I get more of what really matters done. I PLAN to PLAN healthy meals, meaningful Luminous Ministries posts, High School Faith Formation lessons, creative events, etc., and I even took it one step further and decided to write three very specific daily goals into each box of my “Month-at-a-Glance” from my planner. I just know from experience that when I take that small measure, I usually end the day with three things DONE that might not have gotten done otherwise! 

I chose POST because Kristen and I do a lot of POSTING on social media because of our ministry. We are always thinking about what to POST next and it’s something we both spend time at every single day. It’s a priority and deserves to be a major part of my BALANCE PLAN! 

I chose PUTZ because it’s my absolute favorite thing to do! Ask me what an ideal day looks like for me and I’ll tell you it is a day when I don’t have anything on the calendar and can spend the entire day just “putz-ing” from one activity to the next. LOVE IT!!!!! One minute I’m putting a new address into my address file, the next I’m looking at a new recipe idea, followed by reorganizing a space. You get the idea! LOVE IT! 

Now onto the “C” words...again, in no particular order of importance. 

I chose CREATE because a day without CREATING is like a day without sunshine...at least in my world. My favorite magazine is, go figure, “Where Women CREATE.” I’ll spend hours gazing at these magazines while jotting down notes about all the inspirations that emerge. And that is important as the tag line for our ministry is “...CREATIVELY illuminating Christ through Catholicism.” That requires a whole bunch of CREATIVE thinking, so CREATING is an important part of my day...so important that I need to PLAN time for it! 

I chose CLEAN because it’s a basic necessity of life, much as I hate to admit it! I lump organizing in with cleaning, but I told myself no more than 30 minutes a day...unless I’m expecting visitors! After all, how do I build up my immune system if things are too clean! ;) I simply set the microwave timer for 15 minutes twice a day and clean the most obvious mess until the buzzer goes off. To each his own, but that works for me. Enough said! 

I chose COACH because Kristen and I are adding a new dimension to our ministry in 2021. Actually, it is because of our ministry that we are aware of the need for spiritual COACHING, and also aware that there aren’t enough people out there to fill the need. With the slowing down of other parts of our ministry, we are planning to do private COACHING with the option of clients coming to our home (with social distancing guidelines in place) or having a private phone or FaceTime session, and you can opt to meet with one or both of us, your choice. If you’re interested, give us a call at 419.630.6410 (Carol) or 419.553.9207 (Kristen). 

I chose COLOR, which to me equates to writing. I plan to continue COLORING our world with blog posts, more future devotionals and words of encouragement and inspiration, and other modes of writing. As it turns out, writing is a big part of our ministry work, but it’s also a big part of my personal life, as I like to journal, jot, and send notes and letters. I’m looking forward to lots of COLORING in 2021! 

And, finally, I chose CLIMB, and not because I’m trying to CLIMB any ladders. CLIMB for me equates to movement. You know, exercise...as in keeping the “Temple of the Holy Spirit” in good working order. I have arthritis and if I don’t move often, it “ain’t” pretty. But even if I didn’t have arthritis, I would want to keep moving. I have committed to 60 minutes a day of any movement I choose and I keep track on my phone stopwatch. Today I walked for 40 minutes early in the morning and finished up with 20 minutes in the basement with various pieces of exercise equipment. I also plan to challenge myself to walk, stretch, bend, and lift at least five minutes out of every hour throughout the day. It helps with the fuel-line-freeze-up, which is what I call arthritis! As is the case with several of these goals, I’ve already been doing it for awhile, but I like it, so it’s staying with me as I CLIMB into 2021. 

All that being said, look forward to the future and definitely make your plans, but as it pertains to the present moment...for the love of all that is holy...keep celebrating the Christmas season! We’re only on Day 4!!