Aspiring to Live Simply.....or shall I say simpler?

I love this t-shirt.  I bought it at Patagonia last summer (one of my most favorite stores) and it jumped out at me.  I am guilty of not living simply and I crave it.  I crave living with a mentality that "less is more".  Not only along the lines of possessions, but along the lines of busyness.  The message I am getting these days is "cease striving"....I really like the concept of giving stuff away and lightening our load.  I also like the concept of not trying to reach some level of standard that the world tells us we need to meet to be okay..... or that we need to set the bar higher in our life that takes us into a performance based mentality. I mean, yes, we should work really hard and have a passion and vigor towards our life, but not living a rat race life that prohibits "being in the moment".  "Traveling Light"....Growing up, I remember my Dad used to sigh as he would pick me up for one our family trips and I was doing the exact opposite of "Traveling Light".  I would pack a bag, sufficient for a month long stay, when in fact we were going for a week or two. We would cart my big old luggage bags into the car and onto the plane and I never used half of the items in the bag. Lately, I have been giving a significant amount of things away.  It feels so freeing and cleansing to get rid of things that you don't need.  This tee also reminds me that I need (and sort of want) to practice my guitar! So, a challenge to me and all of us......Live Simply or at least Simpler.  

A Girl With Songs To Shout.......

Today was such a long day, a very FULL, satisfying, long day. It was a day of inspiration, creativity, of possibility, of direction and clarity. It was also a day that I experienced one of my most embarrassing moments!  Oh, the irony of it all. Ha! And, to think that I am posting it for you to read is quite funny to me.  

We had a Leadership Development Training today at my church that I also work and do various ministry with.  It really got the wheels turning in my head.  The "charge" was for us as leaders to think about and meditate on our character attributes, what degree of emotional, psychological and spiritual health do we have and overall what level of competency do we possess when looking at four different quadrants that point us towards particular areas of emotional intelligence.  I will probably expound on this topic when I have my notes in front of me and after I have marinated in the material a while.  The second half of the day was led by our Senior Pastor who challenged us to "Go the Distance" in regards to Soul-Care in the helping professions (and of course some suggestions on the "how to" part).   

After leaving the training I had a couple of private practice clients.  As I have mentioned previously, things have changed with my private practice arrangement.  A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to say "Yes" to the invitation to join my colleague and friend who I admire deeply in her office in North County, Carlsbad.  I am still practicing in Sorrento Valley at Healthy Within as well.   This new endeavor has been an amazing blessing so far and each time I step foot in the office it feels like "Home" to me.  My heart sings with joy and I am thrilled from client to client to be there as a change agent for souls!  Along the lines of singing.....this is the perfect segue into the embarrassing moment.  So, I rush out of the office between clients to run to the "lieu" and the women's restroom key doesn't work.  I try again to no avail.  I decide quickly that I really have to go, so I guess it's to the men's lieu I go....LOL!  :) I have an inner dialogue with myself, "well it's after 6, most everyone in the building seems to be gone for the day, surely I won't run into anyone"!  So, I hesitantly knock and make my way there to discover no man, THANK GOD.  All the while I am singing to myself which I often do. My world is in music most of the time, so I often catch myself singing my little heart out in the shower, in my car.....or while walking out of the men's bathroom. :)  Thus....my embarrassing moment.  I walk out singing this song I couldn't get out of my head all day by Jon Foreman...."If you love her let her go, if you love her let her go...she sings beautiful and slow".....How appropriate, just as I exit, singing at a medium volume, a man approaches this destination....I am stunned, probably beat red and he appears amused and looked at me as if to say, "what in the world were you doing in there?  Oh well, I guess when you've gotta go, you've gotta go!  

Celebrating Awesome Girlfriends on Love Day.....The Best Seat in The House!

It all started with an awesome morning of prayer with about eight other girls who come over once a month for breakfast and a prayer gathering called ::refresh on a Sat. morning.  Shortly after that Mandy, Sadie and I took the Amtrak to San Juan Capistrano for Brunch at The Ramos House.  We had the best time eating the yummiest of cuisine with the best seats in the house to boot.  The patio heater was blowing out warmth onto our feet and we had blankets that they place on each chair to keep you warm as all of the seating in on an outdoor, covered patio.  Towards the end of our meal, one of the waitresses came and asked us if we would like to join the owner on his patio for a mimosa on the house.  We enjoyed some great views from the train, amusing people watching and some laughs too!  In the evening ten of us went to see the movie, "He's Just Not that Into You" and ended the evening at Wine Steals.  It was a very memorable Valentine's Day and I am SO grateful to have such wonderful girlfriends to share it with.  

"Flourishing in Freedom".....Preparing for Eating Disorder Awareness Week!

A colleague and I are getting prepared to do a workshop entitled "Flourishing In Freedom" in honor of Eating Disorder Awareness Week which is February 22-28.  We are presenting at North Coast Calvary Chapel from 9:30-12 in the High School Room.  We seek to reduce the number of people affected by an eating disorder and to empower them to accept themselves the way that God made them.  In a safe, confidential setting~ psycho-education, contributing factors, treatment, support options and questions in general will be addressed.  There is recovery and freedom possible from an Eating Disorder; however it is vital that the denial and minimization that is often engrained in the mind of the individual struggling (along with of course the nature of addictions in general) be broken!  Coming out of isolation, hiding and shattering the toxic shame cycle are all a part of the healing process involved with leaving ED behind.  I don't have a personal story of being recovered from an Eating Disorder; however I can relate and have had previous struggles related to the cycles of perfectionism, people-pleasing behaviors, distorted body image and the thinking that many of the patients that I have worked with have who struggle with anorexia.  I believe that is why I have such a desire and compassion to see people set free!  We are taking a stand ED Awareness Week and coming together with millions of people across the country who have been affected personally or have lost loved-ones and family members to Anorexia, Bulimia or other variations of ED.  I would encourage you to get involved in some way too~the statistics say that 40% of Americans have struggled with an eating disorder or know someone who has.  

Matty Gets Married........

Last Friday, my little brother married the love of his life, Jami.  I guess you wouldn't really call him little, he is twenty-eight years old; however, to me he is still my little Matty.  The wedding was in Nassau, Bahamas at The Grand Bahamian Sandals Resort.  Needless to say, there were brides and couples everywhere I turned.  Matt and Jami were blessed to have about 45 guests all-together and though the weather wasn't ideal, the ceremony, reception and pretty much the whole occasion turned out beautifully.  I stood up as one of the bridesmaids for Jami and I had a bird's eye view into my brother's eyes as he spoke his vows to his almost bride.  That is definitely one of the memories that I will hold with me in my heart forever.  When we caught each other's eyes and he began saying those words with sincerity and deliberateness I "lost it".  The tears began to flood down my face and I made that sound you make when you know your heart really wants to burst out sobbing; however, you know that it would be not only embarrassing, but disruptive.  I am excited to see how their life unfolds and I am grateful that they had so many faithful friends who wanted nothing more than to support and affirm their marriage by coming and celebrating with us!  

A Fresh Season of Blogging Begins......

A new year, new Living arrangements, the ending of one relational-chapter, transitions with work.....Change!  Wow, I am amazed at the progression of things and in thinking about my life and the tendency for this sort of thing to happen again and again.  One thing begins to change and it's a chain reaction of events!  Two November's ago, a similar course of events happened~I ended a relationship, began a new one, started working at Healthy Within and was going through a lot of growth and character refinement in my personal life.  Here we are again.....as Sabrina Ward Harrison calls it.....A "Messy, Thrilling Life".  That dichotomy is definitely true for me in these times of transition.  I am fully awake, breathing, alive, inspired, feeling the waves of grieving, longing, in anticipation of what's to come around the bend of my life and ready.  As ready as I think I can be for the unknown.  Please forgive my grammatical errors, my poor punctuation....my tendencies to dot dot dot between sentences and lucid streams of thought.....This space is a place for freedom and dreaming and it's one place where I can give myself permission to write and not really worry about anything else.  I hope you enjoy my updates in regards to my practice, The Ambriel Foundation, travel, and what I like to call CirKATEian Rhythms.....ie.  my Life and the story I have to tell.  Happy Blogging!