Unhitching for a week

I am re-sharing a blog post from this past week that for some reason didn't display correctly.

November 22, 2015:

If you blow a balloon full of air till it isn't full anymore, you've filled it too full... Thanks for that little bit of wisdom... Captain Obvious!

Balloons serve a purpose. They brighten a room and make it feel festive.

A person's chief purpose is to love and glorify God and then serve in God's kingdom.

If we are too busy to take care of our health, we'll become a statistic. Don't be that person. It is okay to say 'no' when someone asks you to add yet one more thing to your already full plate.

Each week affords us 168 hours. Nobody gets any more or any less. We all have to figure out what we'll do with our 168. Are you getting between 42 and 49 hours of sleep a week? Maybe you get more, great! If you get less than 42, you fall into a higher risk segment of society.

Let's assume three meals a day times seven days a week should consume about ten hours a week. Maybe you take more time to eat, great! If you are rushing through your meal time, you are messing with your digestion system.

Do you work a forty hour week, a fifty hour week, or a sixty hour week? Work is whatever your employer says it is. Nothing to adjust here unless you consider a career change.

Does your work commute consist of 20 minutes of driving? Maybe it's 60 minutes. Let's dial that back to thirty minutes one way. We'll say five days a week is a normal work week for most.

Presuming a person showers and primps each day should absorb another 20-30 minutes a day.

So, here is some math to see where we stand with our 168 hours per week.

sleep eating work travel hygiene

168 119 109 59 54

-49 -10 -50 -5 -2

119 109 59 54 52

It looks like the average person has about 50-ish hours a week for other various activities and recreation. Church attendance might fit into this 54 hours. Talking and sharing your day with your family over a meal might fit into this time allotment or perhaps some TV viewing. A little computer usage would fill up some daily time too. Carving out time to engage a hobby or recreational activities might fit here.

What happens when you crowd a weekly schedule of 168 hours with too many tasks? Stress rises, time diminishes, and fun disappears. What is the Rx for stress related health risks? For some of us, the thought of not being needed frightens us and we want to work harder. We are afraid the world will stop turning if we're not working at breakneck speed. If that is your perspective, you are not alone.

Times of disconnecting from certain activities might be necessary.

Today, I will be starting a week of vacation. I will be unhooking from all social medias. I will not be on Facebook, Instagram, and this blog will take a short hiatus as well. I won't be answering email, text messages, or phone calls. I will do this for my own health and welfare and for all of you who read these posts. I will spend time regenerating my mind and charging my batteries. Those that lead also need to rest and renew.

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a

solitary place, where he prayed. (Mark 1:35, NIV)

I'm thankful for the oportunity I have to allow some air in my balloon to escape. Release some tension today. Read a book. Go for a ride down a country road. Plan to reduce use of social media (if even for a day). Renew your mind. Renew your soul. Don't fill yourself up till you're not full anymore. Broken balloons and broken people have one thing in common. Neither can fulfill their chief purpose.

Lord willing, I will be back here Sunday December 6th. Peace.