Soul Care

I finally figured out how true it is that if Mama ain't happy, nobody is happy. I have no hang-up about taking care of myself. To some, this is selfish. Those folks might have The Martyr Complex. So...back to me. I read a lot, I exercise (some), I blog (a lot), I indulge in hot baths with my glass of Merlot. I have a daily iced coffee at 4 pm. These are rituals. They make me happy. Happy is not content. Happy can be zapped in an instant - by a phone call or a tone of voice, a dog vomiting on new carpet.

I'm going for content these days. It's that deep, abiding, soul-searing joy. And, although my life is far - VERY far - from perfect; I am able to be content. How you ask? I have a soul mate and soul sisters. The mate has been in my life for 36 years. The sisters...oh, my. There are a few groups I depend on. The four from my childhood that know all, have seen all. My Bible study - sisters in Christ for more than ten years. And a new group. There are 20+ that are all best-friends-that-have-never-met. We were drawn together through a blog (duh!). Our common interests are food, decorating, books, family + so much more.

These people are very important to me. I do not want to live life without them. However, my soul must be taken care of by me...and my Lord. I've just finished reading "Soul Care" by Peter Lord. Mmm, mmm, mmm. It spoke to me. And I want to share some "aha" points :

• You do not have a soul; you are a soul. Until you see yourself as a soul with a body, rather than a body with a soul, you will never put the emphasis in the right place.
• To change our lives, we must change our habit patterns.
• The life of God in us must have positive surrounding conditions if it is to flourish. The soul deteriorates and becomes perverted in a negative environment.

The points above (written by Peter Lord) are basic; I know them. And I also know there are no accidents. Not even in the books I choose to read. These words were meant for me at this time. At the end of his book, he inserts a writing by Henry Drummond, "A Changed Life." Mr. Drummond was a Scottish evangelist in the 1850's. I'm a lover of words - the way we used to speak, ahhh. Mr. Drummond writes beautifully:

"The star needs no readjustment. Christ is the one great fixed point in this shifting universe. The world moves. And each day, each hour, demands a further motion and readjustment for the soul. A telescope in an observatory follows a star like clockwork, but the clockwork of the soul is called the will. The soul passively reflects the image of the Lord, while the will actively holds the mirror in position. Why this deliberate effort? Because the drifting and pulling motion of the world can take the soul out of alignment. This deliberate holding of the inner man exactly opposite Jesus, accurately steadies him through all the storms and conflicts of life."

And brother - I've got storms stirring, conflicts cooking. I know, I know, I know I MUST take care of myself. My soul. Yes, I count on My Guy, my girlfriends, but without my God-I'm a mess.

I'm really excited to begin 2010. To days gone by...