on "whole living"

I have been thinking a lot lately about the concept of whole living.....finding balance in my life and having the ability to integrate all the different facets of life into one harmonious whole. A couple things got me thinking in that direction........

I have XM radio in my car and it is most often tuned to Oprah and Friends. There are shows on healthy living, family, finances, parenting, decorating, spirituality and the list goes on..... After being in my car for most of the day on Tuesday, I started thinking about all the things I had "learned" from the programs that day....all the little tidbits I had picked up, and frankly, it was a little overwhelming!!

According to the hosts and guests of the programs on that particular day, I need to remember to exercise, eat healthily, buy organic, floss twice a day, use "green" cleaning products, pray, meditate, visit with friends, stay up to date on fashion and beauty, be financially informed, keep all of our important documents organized and easily accessible, keep our home beautiful and comfortable and clutter-free, read parenting books, take time for myself, go on dates with my husband and be of service in my community....gee, is that all????

I know that we all have the same 24 hours in a day, but sometimes I think all the choices that we are afforded today, have made our lives infinitely more complicated.

So the trick, I guess, is to find a way to balance all these puzzle pieces, and to create a life for ourselves and our families that brings comfort......a sense of peace, while still cultivating  the desire to push ourselves a little farther----to do better, to be better, with each passing day.

I have recently begun starting each day with a quick prayer asking God to use me for His purposes throughout the day....to have my eyes and ears open to the experiences He has created for me, to be open to each divine moment.

It's still a struggle to actually live in the moment, but I feel like I am starting off my day on the right foot.

I am also enjoying my "30 Days Hath September" project.....journaling a little bit about each day and taking pictures of our lives in action. I think it will be a great little album to look back on one day and see how drastically our family has changed.

As for my 32 Adventures goal........I really need to pick up the pace!! I have not been very adventurous since my birthday, and that is one of the puzzle pieces I want to bring to the for-front...

Thus far:

(1) Attending the American idol concert.....I consider this an adventure b/c it is not something I would not normally do :)

(2) Recording our lives in my "30 Days" project

(3) Staying away from the kiddos overnight for the first time for our anniversary

(4) Going out on a limb and responding to something that was weighing heavy on my heart

(5) Learning about and being open to Catholicism in an effort to unite my family