To everything (turn, turn, turn) There is a season (turn, turn, turn) And a time to every purpose, under heaven. (The Byrds and the Bible)
Fourth of July weekend is behind me.
Time with family.
Time coloring.
Time sharing fruity drinks.
Time at the beach.
Time dancing while listening to the Funsters on the boardwalk.
Time eating ice cream.
Time watching fireworks.
Time playing games.
Time watching my nieces and nephews jump into the pool fully-clothed.
Wonderful time.
I love stepping outside of my routine, especially for vacations and celebrations.
Who doesn't?
I eat whatever I want. I stay up late. I sleep in. I play. I enjoy those around me and live mostly care-free (except for that time our son was ticketed by police for throwing water balloons out of his Mustang trying to meet cute girls and then having to return three weeks later for a court date).
To be really honest, however, I especially enjoy stepping back into my normal life. I can't live in non-stop celebration, vacation-mode. I am not designed to. If I lived like that every day, I would be broke, in a sugar-induced brain fog, and my six-pack abs would be six-lack abs. (Cough. Cough. I don't really have six-pack abs. I've had four kids and I'm 51.)
There truly is a season for everything, even in our seemingly small lives.
There IS room for the extra-ordinary and the celebratory. It only happens, however, because of the mundane and very ordinary that makes up much of our days.
Sustained health does not come from the hoopla. It comes from the life-giving of the routine.
Regular disciplines make room for merrymaking.
Exercise produces muscles for dancing.
Healthy eating gives energy for beach volleyball. Budgets provide margin for spending sprees.
Spiritual disciplines make space for loving relationships.
Today, I am back at it (or at least hopeful of it).
Back to an exercise routine.
Back to work.
Back to my budget.
Back to my to-do list (I mean my ta-da list).
Back to spending regular time with the One who loves me and pours into my soul.
Back to my green smoothie (recipe below).
Totally Guilt-Free Green Smoothie (because I don't know what else to call it)
1/2 banana (I freeze my bananas...make sure you take the skin off...totally forgot to do this the first time) 1/8 can of unsweetened organic coconut milk (buy this in bulk on Amazon because it's super expensive in the store) 1/2 cup of unsweetened almond milk 1/2 perfectly ripe avocado (good luck with this) 2 handfuls of organic fresh spinach or greens (I just buy those huge containers and throw them in the freezer) 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder 1 scoop of Living Fuel Supergreens (I did have to get used to the taste of this but it's got every vitamin, mineral, pro-biotic, and enzyme known to man and BTW, I am not making a cent for sharing this) A bunch of ice cubes (if you like it more like a frozen drink)