Do You Deal with Tiredness or does Tiredness Deal to You?

Due to the kids being sick for the last 7 or so days, it doesn’t just feel like I am a week behind on sleep, I am literally a week behind on sleep. Let’s just say; very tired at the moment.

How do you go when you get tired? Do you deal with tiredness or does tiredness deal to you?

For many people tiredness is an excuse for moodiness, grumpiness, and second rate responses. They allow their work to suffer, their family to suffer, and pretty much anyone that unfortunately comes into contact with them to suffer.

Is that how it is for you? Do you know someone that seems to fall apart after a few late nights or a big week?

We have to learn to deal with our tiredness appropriately or our tiredness will deal with us; and it won’t be pretty.

Here are some things that help me…

1. I consciously acknowledge to myself that I am tired.

This helps and reminds me that I must make an extra effort to be the person that I want to be, to respond the way I want to respond, and to do life the way I want to do life. Encouraging words, positive responses, willing attitudes won’t be bubbling out of me at the moment.

2. I dig deep and put my tiredness aside.

Once upon a time many years ago, when Lisa and I were young lovers, engaged but not yet married, we sat up late on night talking. As I drove home to my house I watched as bread trucks delivered freshly baked bread to petrol stations and dairies. It was way too late to be getting home and it was a work night.

After only a couple of hours of sleep I was at work. Man did I work hard that day. I was so conscious of how poorly I had stewarded my time, (although married now, so perhaps that is debatable), that there was no way that I was going to let my work suffer. I was tired but I was determined not to let my work suffer and be a poor steward twice in 24hours. As soon as I got home though; zzz zzz zzz.

When you are tired you have to dig deep and put your tiredness aside. We are stewards of so much and we can’t let tiredness make us poor stewards.

3. I remind myself that I rule my body, my body doesn’t rule me.

Every single one of us, as long as we are generally healthy and fit, can run further than we might think, can last without food for longer than we realize, can get by with less sleep than we think we can get by with.

Not forever but defiantly for a few days or a week.

Our body is great at sending out warnings, stop running, eat food, get some sleep, we have to remember that those warnings come really early though, we can ignore them for a while, or rather, note them and push on for a while. For longer than what you think.

Rule your tiredness don’t let your tiredness rule you.

4. I use cheats to over come my tiredness.

Cold showers, coffee, paper work in the mornings when I’m fresh, meetings in the afternoon when I’m lagging, I go running, you’ll be amazed exercise brings you alive, it doesn’t cause you to fall asleep. Sow energy, reap energy.

5. I don’t let a season of tiredness go on forever.

What I have suggested can and should be lifestyle in dealing with tiredness but it shouldn’t be your lifestyle. I work with Lisa to ensure, each of us have the chance to rest and to sleep when we need it, not before it is too late and we get sick or overwhelmed by life. Plan holidays, plan not to be out every night of the week (and sometimes not any night of the week), go to bed early (7:30pm), take a week off from the gym, etc etc.

Now if that’s not helpful; see you health professional.

Good night.

Consuming or Producing?

Over consumption is one of the great evils of the world we live in. While people are starving to death in some countries of the world; obesity continues to be an increasing epidemic in others. We are destroying the environment through over consumption of the world’s natural resources. Humankind’s continual desire to accumulate more and more, (rooted in selfishness, covetousness, and greed); oppresses and holds millions in bondage.

The challenge for us all; are we essentially just consumers or are we producers as well?

It is far easier to consume than it is to produce.

It is easier to eat food than it is to grow food.

It is easier to watch than to do.

It is easier to critique than invent and initiate.

It is easier to read than it is to write. (I am still committed to getting to the point where I blog once a week, the truth though; it is far easier to read others thoughts, ideas, and experiences than it is to reflect on my own and take the time to articulate them in a blog.

The world needs people that are committed not to consuming but to producing.

How could you better produce?

- Make sure the words you speak always bring life to those around you. Prov 18:21- If you have ideas that could make a difference in the world, don’t just think them, do them.
- Fight consumption with generosity (thanks Shane).
- Fight consumption through simplicity.
- Learn to live contently. Phil 4:11-
- Develop a back yard vegetable garden and grow food for yourself and to give to others.
- If you are physically overweight; exercise more and eat less, sponsor a World Vision kid with the money you save on food; or something like that.
- If you are overweight with blessing, in the sense of resource, opportunity, encouragement, support, and life experience, (most of us are), thank God for the blessing you’ve received, and live now to bless the world around you in any and at every opportunity you have. 1 Tim 6:17-19. 2 Cor 9:8-10.

School 1957 verses 2007

This is a copy of one of those e-mails that has been doing the rounds. I'm not sure where it originated.

Scenario:
Jack goes rabbit shooting before school,
pulls into school parking lot with rifle in gun rack.

1957:
Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's rifle, goes to his car and gets his rifle & chats with Jack about guns.

2007:
School goes into lock down, Star Force called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his ute or gun again.. Counsellors called in for traumatized students and teachers.

Scenario:
Johnny and Mark get into a fistfight after school.

1957:
Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.

2007:
Police called, arrests Johnny and Mark. Charge them with assault, both expelled even though Johnny started it. Both children go to anger management programs for 3 months. School board hold meeting to impliment bullying prevention programs

Scenario:
Robbie won't be still in class, disrupts other students.

1957:
Robbie sent to office and given 6 of the best by the Principal. Returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.

2007:
Robbie given huge doses of Ritalin. Becomes a zombie. Tested for ADD. Robbie's parents get fortnightly disability payments and School gets extra funding from state because Robbie has a disability.

Scenario:
Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.

1957:
Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.

2007:
Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy removed to foster care and joins a gang. State psychologist tells Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison.

Scenario:
Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school..

1957:
Mark gets glass of water from Principal to take aspirin with.

2007:
Police called, Mark expelled from school for drug violations. Car searched for drugs and weapons.

Scenario:
Pedro fails high school English.

1957:
Pedro goes to summer school, passes English and goes to college.

2007:
Pedro's cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. AFRE files class action lawsuit against state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English banned from core curriculum. Pedro given diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.

Scenario:
Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from 4th of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle, blows up a bullant nest.

1957:
Ants die.

2007:
Star Force, Federal Police & Anti-terrorism Squad called. Johnny charged with domestic terrorism, Feds investigate parents, siblings removed from home, computers confiscated. Johnny's Dad goes on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.

Scenario:
Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him.

1957:
In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.

2007:
Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in Prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.

So Long 2008

I've had hundreds of interesting post ideas over the last few months but have only managed to get a few posted. Busy busy busy. I look forward to attempting to post with more regularity in 2009, say once a week.

Holiday starts today which is outstanding. I am having a month off line and will not be checking, e-mail, surfing, blogging, facebooking or anything else to do with the interweb.

Back online Tuesday the 22nd of Jan.

Have a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

An Inconvenient Truth

I have just finished watching Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth. It is an extremely enlightening movie / documentary. I thought it was outstanding and very challenging. If you have not seen it then you need to go to your local DVD store, hire it out, and watch it. I took four pages of notes.

Quotes (more or less)...

Al Gore - 'There are good people who hold this (issue of Global Warming) at arms length because if they acknowledge it and recognise it, the moral importance to make changes is inescapable.'

Mark Twain - 'What gets us into trouble isn't what we don't know but what we know for sure that isn't so true.'

Click here for more info on the DVD, and again; you need to watch this!