Moonlight...

Yes, I have been terribly derelict in my posting duties...so much has been going on too!

It seems like 6 months since we were on vacation and any level of relaxation that was reached, I have long fallen from. However, let's move on to my topic of the morning; moonlight.

It would seem that moonlight characterizes my marriage. My husband first kissed me by the full moon. We honeymooned during the full moon. And yes, my monthly cycles are heavily impacted by the full moon. (Hence the nonsense of July...two full moons in a month...what's a body to do?)

It makes me think that maybe the ancient people's weren't so far off base. We think they were crazy for some of their understandings of the body and it's relativity to the moon. I propose that maybe they weren't uneducated, but they maintained less impediments to the natural order that we categorize as "science". Now, don't get me wrong, science is an important tool. We just have to remember that it is a tool amongst many. We cannot allow science to preempt things like intuition, creativity, theology, philosophy and pure natural law.

The more natural my life becomes, the more aware of nature's patterns I become. I try very hard to maintain a chemical free life. As much as possible, I am trying to eat whole and organic foods (easy at this time of year when the farmer's market is teaming the delectible delights). I have chosen to remove extra hormones from my body by refraining from chemical birth control. I am attempting to find allergy treatment methods that reduce my dependence on a daily pill. I am also attempting to find more natural remedies to things like cramps, headaches, and fatigue.

The reality is, when your body hurts, it is trying to tell you something. Painkillers do not address the problem that your body is trying to indicate, it only masks the situation. If our lives are too busy to address the problem, maybe it isn't about finding the next great medication, but finding a better balance in life. Next time you have a headache, instead of reaching for the pill bottle, consider a big glass of water, a cold cloth and 10 minutes in a dark place with your eyes closed.

We as Americans have to stop expecting other people and items to make the lives we pack full of nonsense easier. We are breeding a lazy and undisciplined society with too many distractions. How is this even possible? Does anyone see that we perceive ourselves as the busy nation in the world, but we are perceived as one of the laziest? Kevin and I were discussing the value of "processes" the other day and agreed that a world that puts undue value on processes is creating lazy and stupid people. We are not becoming more efficient! We are limiting what people have to learn, develop, and be accountable for!!!

Anyways, back to the moon. I actually set out for this piece to be a reflection on the moon in my marriage, the natural beauty that is love, and the faithfulness that is our Lord. I suppose, like a sculptor, that isn't what wanted to be carved away.

Either way, it comes down to this; the moon is a nightly reminder that we need constancy, simplicity, and beauty in our lives. There will be times when it is full, new, waxing and waning, but we need to make every effort to maintain a constant, simple and beautiful balance in our lives that allows us to live free and unhindered by the trappings of this world.