"Your brain runs on oxygen, glucose and relationship. So....breathe, eat, AND make sure you are not trying to perform in emotional isolation!" Dr Henry Cloud
Last night ticked all of the boxes for me.
These dirty dishes at the end of the evening don't tell it all - but they're a sign of a wonderful time spent "around the table" (as Shauna would say) doing just that - breathing, eating and connecting. This week we start to wake up the baby that we only allowed to go sleep and rest for the summer .... We're starting in earnest now to plan for REAL 2014!
Today we meet as a creative team in Kerith, talking colours, sights, sounds, experiences that will wake us up to our creative God. Last night was talking about real life, connecting with women's hearts, sharing wisdom - the moments where you lean in and linger around the table. Soon we meet with the Kerith preaching team to today and talk about the messages, the themes and the content.
Someone recently noted that "you have a lot of meetings in Kerith" and we do, but to my mind they are because we want to make sure we've got clarity, we've heard from God, and we're bringing all our talents and gifts together. They're not dry agendas with strangers, they are opportunities to breathe, eat(yes, it's a feature of REAL meetings!)and connect together - planning REAL is far more fun, and far more productive together!
So, please pray for us as we lay the foundations for REAL over these next few weeks. And if you've not yet booked in, then commit to being with us next June.
Today, how are you going to help your brain out?
Sometimes it's a stop and breathe, or a breathe deeply, or a breathe outside for just a few moments. Sometimes it's a stop and eat (always!). Make a healthy and yummy choice. Tip Of The day : you need to plan this - take something to work so you've got something to eat!!! "Too busy to stop for lunch" isn't a badge to proudly wear. And remember relationships - we're all people, with emotions, made for connections - look around and connect. I watched a TV programme about "the wonder of dogs" (of course I did) and they said that simply the act of sitting with your dog, stroking it and each looking into each others eyes not only helps you to calm down, but also creates the same happy hormones in the dog too! The wonder of eye contact hey! And God made us for connection with Him and with others.
Your brain will thank you :)