365 Lessons-Lesson 141: Love All Beings (Especially Cats)

This cat actually crawled up on my neck and was purring as if it had a little motor inside. The last time we walked along the Burke Gilman trail in Seattle, we ran into this lion-like animal. He (she?) crawled up on my husband's neck and just stayed there for what seemed like forever. I thought we'd have to walk back to the car with my husband wearing this furry creature as a scarf.

How could you not stop and pet this cat. We saw bicyclists speeding along at 20 miles an hour jump off their bikes to pet this kitty who seemed to have an infinite supply of love. It just goes to show that what goes around comes around. The cat gives love and so many want to give it back. There's no way I could pass by this big, furry thing without giving it a little love.

We knew the cat was near by because a bicyclist decked out in biking gear...helmet, shades, padded bike shorts, the works...had abandoned her quest to conquer the Burke Gilman trail at rapid speed all for a cat. We could hear her down on her knees near the bushes saying, "Oh, kitty, you're so handsome." My husband and I stopped, we couldn't help it. The woman exclaimed, "This cat is so friendly, how can you not stop."

This regal looking creature abandoned the bicyclist in the bushes, eager to welcome it's new guests. First, the cat came trotting over to me, tail perfectly straight, and gave me a warm, fuzzy welcome.

Then the cat pranced it's way over to my husband and they exchanged a little moment with each other.


Finally, the cat turned in my direction again. Eager to soak up as much love as it could get, the cat climbed up on my shoulder and just lay there completely content.


This little, momentary exchange with an animal who seemed so eager to spend loving time with us really made my day. It made me realize how important our actions are and what an impact they can have on others. This cat was not afraid to be loving and in turn made me feel that way too. It was a beautiful and made me feel really happy the rest of the day. Here's a little video of that experience. May you be happy and peaceful. May you be loving to yourself and all creatures big and small.




Also on my blog Lessons from the Monk I Married

"What's Wrong With The World....and Does It Matter?"

You might have noticed that I've been away from the page for a few weeks...sorry!

Call it Writer's Block if you want, but I really did need some time “away.” Honestly, I've been too engrossed in my own problems, worries and issues to even think about writing something upbeat and positive.

So what brought me back to the page on this particular day? Actually, I've been mulling over the decision to get back into a “semi-healthy” writing habit all week.... it was today's morning news I caught while getting ready to head out that fed my desire to pull out my laptop again. Blasting out at me from the television were the latest efforts to clean up the oil spill in the gulf, mounting financial concerns in Europe (and throughout the entire world), stocks plunging in America, the U.S. unemployment rate back up again, gas prices soaring, and new concerns with the volcano in Iceland. I wondered out loud ...“what is going on?”

Listening to all this, my emotions were assaulted by an over-whelming realization – it's clear that many, many people are NOT happy. Not happy with our leadership, health care, our financial situation(s), environmental issues, communities, the list is huge. And it's not just outside our own back door – our entire global community is suffering. It seems like everyone I know is complaining or hurting in some way. Well, maybe our media makes it seem much worse – it always appears as if there is nothing good to report or talk about in the media these days.

Our parents used to have a saying: “the world is going to hell in a hand-basket.” I used to laugh at this little snippet of pessimism, but I've found myself actually thinking this same sentiment a couple times over the course of the last few months. Now, I certainly don't intend to sugar-coat current events and the impact such things have on us. However, I do know that dwelling within them is not healthy. If we're not willing to look beyond the dark and dismal pictures placed in front of us every day, our communities, our nation, our world will not heal – ever.

My youngest boy who is 17, actually brought up these same feelings and emotions this morning as we drove to school. Talking about the latest impact to the environment in the gulf he said... "man - what's going on, mom? It's like everything is falling apart!" Wow. We forget our kids are noticing this – all of it. We may think these teens are too caught up in their friends, dating, and just having fun, but in reality – they are watching. I agreed with my son – I told him that I, too, had been thinking lately that “the world was going to hell in a hand-basket.” But then I tried to share something with him that would hopefully remind him that there still remains a great deal of good - and good people - in this world, and that bad times won't last forever.

I reminded him that I personally don't believe God “causes” bad things to happen to us and the world, but we are given opportunities to rise above these periods of hardship and pain. What we do, and the decisions we make during those moments of extreme challenge, upheaval, and even unimaginable pain is what ultimately matters. This happens to us as human beings on personal levels, as well as within our local and expanded communities.

Like many other periods in history, we continue to move through the valleys and peaks of light and darkness. For any period of happiness and content we might experience, there is also a time of sadness and pain. It may sound trite, but without enduring upheaval and strife, none of the people who inhabit this earth could possibly understand what peace or contentment mean. Doesn't matter whether you're rich or poor....on a fundamental level, we all know and feel the difference between peace and pain. Though many of us may not have actually experienced these notable periods, the people of earth have survived and overcome terrible odds. The “Great Depression” of the 1930's brought our country to it's knees, while the global economy also suffered immense loss and progress was crippled. World War II had a negative impact on each community, every country of the world in some way – and we were forced to become more aware of our global connection to each other. During each crises, I can only imagine the fear and loss of hope that those who actually lived it might have felt. But people pulled together, learned to rely on one another - sometimes on a global level- and continued to believe and search for the good in the world.

My point is this – we've been there before. And each time our country or world has endured extreme adversity, hatred and even death, we've survived and come back stronger. As individuals, we experience these lowest moments deep within our souls. A former spiritual advisor of mine once referred to our lowest periods of faith as our “desert moments.” Again, it never matters whether you are Protestant, Hindu, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, or any of the numerous faith traditions of the world - we all have experienced and will experience moments where we think our faith has left us, or is tested. But when we rise – and we will – that renewal of strength and faith is stronger than what we might previously have believed.

Pretty big “pill” to swallow, isn't it? That we have to endure these tough times? Having the bad news thrown in your face on a daily basis doesn't help, I know. Whether it's the front page of the local newspaper, the news source on your I-phone, or the 6 o'clock news on television, we just can't escape it. And to top it all off, we're each dealing with our own personal demons, issues and situations.

A key word for today: Believe.

Believe that there are still good people around you, in your hometown, in your state, your country, around the globe. If you have a day where you feel you just haven't witnessed or felt any glimmer of hope or goodness from those you've come in contact with, strengthen your belief by choosing to search out stories of people reaching out beyond themselves, performing random acts of kindness, or love unconditionally.

Believe that the best is yet to come. “That which does not kill me makes me stronger.” Current events are exactly what they are – current events. This too shall pass, and another day will dawn.

Believe that you can be anything you want to be. Each of us, by doing one small thing each day CAN make a difference, make a change, have an impact. If everybody thought that it “wasn't worth it” to write a letter to their congressman, or “it doesn't matter” if I donate $1.00 to this charity, or “my presence at this meeting” doesn't matter – we all know that nothing would ever change. Change is a collective effort – the act of complaining about someone else's actions or lack there-of never produces results.

Believe that Angels are among us...and YOU just might be one of them. Take time to notice those around you who have made an impact in your life, and recognize their presence. Remain open to the possibility that even your smile or “hello” could lift the heart of another.

I don't know about you, but I feel better now...

We may not have seen our darkest days on this planet, but I'm confident in the innate goodness of humanity and our common goal to love and be loved. Really, what else matters?

As citizens of such a large planet, we are spread thousands of miles apart with cultures and customs so incredibly different from each other. Yet we are still very much the same - we all feel pain, but we all have a tremendous capacity to love.

Yep, the “world may be going to hell in a hand-basket,” but I am now reminded that my personal worries are just a minute speck of dust in the millions of emotions floating around this world.

A better day IS coming, for all of us –

I Believe

Words and music by Erwin Drake, Irvin Graham, Jimmy Shirl, Al Stillman

I believe, for every drop of rain that falls,

a flower grows.

I believe that somewhere in the darkest night,

a candle glows.

I believe for everyone who goes astray,

someone will come, to show the way.

I believe, I believe.

I believe above the storm the smallest prayer

will still be heard.

I believe that someone in the great somewhere

hears every word.

Every time I hear a newborn baby cry,

or touch a leaf, or see the sky,

then I know why I believe!

I believe above the storm the smallest prayer,

will still be heard.

I believe that someone in the great somewhere,

hears every word.

Every time I hear a newborn baby cry,

or touch a leaf, or see the sky,
then I know why, I believe!

 
 Pay it forward - spread a smile!


Photos courtesy of Google images.
Also on my post at: http://adoseofpositivity.blogspot.com/

The seven ages

These days I am reminded a lot of Shakespeare's "The Seven Ages of Man" from the play "As You Like It."

I had it memorized for elocution contests in school and remember being lauded for my oratory. One teacher had commented that the passion I bring to the poem tells her I "get it."

I'm not sure I did as much then as I do now.

I have passed through three stages, with the first one being more or less a blur. I don't remember "mewling and puking in the nurse's arms" but I do recall being a sick child.

Frailty was my trademark back then.

How distinct that memory of "the whining schoolboy schoolgirl with his her satchel and shining morning face, creeping like snail unwillingly to school." I hated getting up at 6 a.m. Eyes half-closed I would go through the morning routine, skipping showering some days so I wouldn't miss my morning ride.

Sometimes I deliberately went through the motions slowly -- the rickshaw-wallah would ring the doorbell at 6:55 a.m. and if I were still putting on my socks mom couldn't pester me to drink milk!

"And then the lover" -- those days of long-distance romance; the e-cards; the letters. The pining; the waiting; the attempts to miss flights back to Iowa City. Passed all too quickly.

"Then a soldier" -- this, my current age. But unlike the soldier "Jealous in honour, sudden, and quick in quarrel, seeking the bubble reputation even in the cannon's mouth," I find myself contemplating, discovering, questioning the value of a bubble reputation.

I'm more grounded, less excitable. More ponderous.

I want to know the meaning of life. The reason why we do what we do.

I seek truth -- if there is something like it.

And worth.

Perhaps, somewhere in that quest, discover myself.

I look around me and I see friends consumed by their children's lives -- reliving the first stage, preparing for the second, fearing the third, but in the process losing themselves ... their lives but a reflection of their offsprings'.

Given my contemplations, perhaps, I'll fast-forward to the fifth stage "full of wise saws, and modern instances" really rapidly.

Then slowly inch my way to the sixth and seventh and into oblivion: sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

Here's the entire poem for you to ponder over:

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms;
And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lin'd,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slipper'd pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
His youthful hose, well sav'd, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion;
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

— Jaques (Act II, Scene VII, lines 139-166)

Also on my blog.

Copyright protected by Digiprove © 2010 Mansi Bhatia

Presence and Contemplation

Place your attention here and now with me in this moment. Begin to focus your attention first on your breathing and slow your breathing down. You may want to take a couple of deep, cleansing breaths and then begin to slow your breathing down. As you focus on your breathing and on slowing it down, feel your entire body relax.

Feel the facial muscles relax, unfurrow your brow, relax your mouth and jaw, relax your neck. Allow the feeling of relaxation flow through your entire body as you continue to focus on slowing down your breathing. Allow any tension in the body to simply melt away, feel the tension melt away as you slow down your breathing.

Focus on slowing down your thoughts as you continue to feel yourself relax, allow your thoughts to become gentle thoughts. Allow tenderness and gentleness to enter as you allow any harsh and stressful thoughts to simply pass by. Allow the stream of activity in your brain, the chatter to slow down, to pass away, as you feel a gentle tenderness fill you.

Allow all thoughts to pass away, even hurtful thoughts or thoughts of anger, just allow them to pass by and dissolve away. You can allow all thoughts, even if they are stressful or disturbing to simply pass by as mental activity, nothing important to hold onto, it is just the brain performing a function, just as the heart performs the function of pumping blood through your body.

Allow the peace and calm that fills you as you continue to relax and allow random thoughts to simply pass away encourage forgiveness. Allow any and all thoughts that can be replaced with forgiveness to pass away and allow forgiveness to fill that space.

A quote from Lord Edwary Hyde Clarendon for you to contemplate:

Anger is the most impotent of passions. It affects nothing it touches and hurts the one who is possessed by it more than the one against whom it is directed. 

I run a regular series every Friday offering presence and contemplation at my blog The Evolving Spirit

    

The Satin Mules

The story is strangely familiar but not often told: a woman falls in love with a shoe. Not a practical shoe of sturdy brown leather, a loafer or a hiking boot, but a beautiful shoe, its heels rising to an uncomfortable height, its fabric delicate and easily soiled, its color evoking feeling--the red flame of a flamenco dance, the pink of dreamy girls dancing the ballet, the sour yellow of hard candies savored in youth.

My friend, Meg, described by her partner as a "feminist fashion plate," has a passion for beautiful shoes. She plays accordion in a punk polka band, writes original music scores, and has her own theater company. Meg's closet is filled with a fantastic collection of shoes, many of them stiletto heeled in Mexican turquoise, Chinese red, silver sequins, kelly green patent leather, leopard spotted fake fur, to name a few. She has strappy sandals, iridescent tennis shoes, and boots that rise up the length of her thighs. Meg has even written a musical with a tap dance number in which the dancers perform in front of flashing projections of shoes singing "shoe box, shoe box" instead of "shoo bop, shoo bop."

For a long time I didn't understand Meg's shoe fetish. I'd heard of women going crazy for shoes a la Imelda Marcos but I had never, until recently, felt my own passion surge for a shoe. I have always chosen my shoes thoughtfully, buying well-made brands to support my back. In matters of style I've paid attention to current shapes and textures--pointed or square toes, shiny or matte--acquiring perhaps one or two pairs a year to update my wardrobe but keeping my purchases on the sensible, versatile side. My shoes are inevitably black or brown, low-heeled, tailored.

But last week I spotted a pair of red mules--backless high heeled slippers made of richly embroidered satin. Perhaps it was the generous cut of the fabric over the top of the foot or the slight point of the toe, but as I slipped the mules onto my feet, my mind filled with images of exotic, sensuous worlds. I saw rooms with Moorish archways and Persian rugs, their air perfumed by hookahs sending up sweet, delicate puffs of smoke. I saw lush-bellied women in silken harem pants, eyes rimmed with kohl, bodies swathed with scarves, gold bangles jingling softly upon their wrists. My imagination traveled to a glittering affair in a Venetian villa off the Grand Canal, masked partygoers laughing gaily as ladies’ frilly dresses swept across marble floors.

I must have stood long in those shoes, lost in my reverie. It was abruptly shattered by the inquiry of a sales clerk.

"Do you need some help?"

A moment of reflection on the dull status of my social life told me that I'd probably never have occasion to wear the mules, and the practical side of me, which tends to be quite bossy, said a firm "no" to both clerk and shoes.

But later that evening the satin mules crept into my thoughts. They had touched that part of my brain and heart where memories of exquisite and impractical objects I have loved are stored. In that gallery of memories gleams the brushed gold Italian heart that my mother hung on a thin chain around my eight year old neck, making me feel like a princess. Also there reside the many dolls that my father collected for me in his travels around the world, a virtual U.N. that somehow disappeared with my childhood. And there rests the memory of my mother in a sexy, red Chi Pao or traditional Chinese style dress, her slim waist cinched tiny, her lipstick and hair dark and glossy under the lights.

The next day I returned to the store and, without hesitation, purchased the shoes. The satin mules fed my eyes and my imagination. They provided an unmitigated pleasure in a complicated life. And that is how I managed to fall in love with a shoe.

Tend your bucket!

After half a week full of interactions with various connections who displayed a strong level of negative traits and behaviors on various topics and in various ways, I had a conversation with my wonderful Mom on the phone. As she always does, she listened, let me vent and just gave me that soft place to fall. Once I calmed down from a rare moment of true, hot anger, we began discussing how this is one of those Life Lessons we all must learn - when to recognize that a relationship has become so out of balance that you're exhausting yourself with the maintenance of said relationship.

I mentioned to my Mom that the process begins to feel as though you're endlessly pouring water into a bucket that has a hole in the bottom. For a while, if you work fast you can keep the water level high, but you can't ever rest. Eventually the water level sinks and you have to rush to pour more water in. Liken the water to your emotions, the bucket to the relationship and the hole at the bottom represents that other person, job, etc., that is in essence, draining you empty.

We all have moments, sometimes extended periods, where we aren't the best side of a given relationship. Everyone has down times, bad days, grumpy days and low energy moments. What I'm speaking of, however, is more than that. I am discussing those relationships where you give and give and give, then you give some more, and you're patient, understanding, helpful, supportive, compassionate, caring and loving. That other person is happy to soak it all up...all those wonderful things and all that sumptuous attention from you. Who wouldn't?! It's easy to be on the receiving end of all that nice, handy support! If you're lucky, the majority of the people in your life are equally nurturing and supportive in return, giving you back ample amounts of the energy that you give. Occasionally, and we all have had these types of relationships, there is that person who never gives back.

'Emotional vampire' is a term I have often used to describe this type of personality. I wouldn't go so far as to call them 'bad', as I don't ascribe to the belief that people are completely or intrinsically evil for the most part. I would describe them as broken vessels, or that bucket with the hole in the bottom. Something has happened to them that has created an endless need for attention, and an utter lack of understanding of the notion of reciprocation. 'Fairweather friend' is another, similar term that would apply, as these people tend to be around and happy to bask in the sunshine of good days. Conversely, these people tend to carry a dark storm cloud around with them! Usually, the moment adversity comes, or crisis happens, they vanish. You hear from them when THEY are in a crisis in a heartbeat, of course, and they fully expect you to come running to their rescue.

Viewed from a calmer heart, I can write about this with humor, because it can be rather ironic to experience the extremes with these people. Don't get me wrong, there are times when my own bucket springs a leak. Most times when this happens, I can tend to that leak on my own and resume daily tasks. Once in a while, the leak is rather impressive and requires some additional energy - a helping, loving hand. I am not ashamed to reach out and ask for help at these moments, although I admit that this is a hard won lesson and wasn't easy to learn. I am happy to say that I am blessed with loving, supportive family and friends whom I know I can depend on in times of need. I know this because they tend to their own buckets on a daily basis.

They are well balanced and able to both give and receive love, care and support, and they are emotionally available and present in their friendships and family relationships. Of course, no one walking the planet is perfect and without flaws. I've said many times that it would be a sad, dull world if we were perfect. We're here to learn and grow, after all. Some days we soar and other days we take spectacular nose dives.

This tending to your own personal bucket is an analogy for being responsible for your actions. Those simple rules we're taught as a child work very well throughout life; Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You. If you're having a day where your bucket has sprung a leak, take a moment to look at it and identify the cause. Be kind to yourself, forgive whatever actions were done to cause the leak to occur, and then apply a steady hand to repairing the leak. Look about you afterwards to ascertain if your leak may have caused damage to anyone else. Did your bucket spray all over others unwittingly? If so, acknowledging that you had a rotten day and sincerely explaining that you're sorry can be magical and healing.

Simply be mindful of your actions. That sounds much easier than the true reality, as we all know! There will be days that you need that helping hand to patch the leaks on your bucket; there will be different days where you need help replenishing the water in your bucket. There is no shame in turning to family and friends for help in recharging your heart and filling you back up with love. The only true sadness that I find in this situation is dealing with individuals who simply take and use eternally.

When you finally reach your point of exhaustion - and you will reach it! - when you're just too tired to make one more trip to the well to pour water into that other person's bucket for them, when you are personally drained dry and cannot summon the energy to be there for them one more time, you will be ready to walk away and leave them to their own devices. This may hurt to do it, and you will probably worry for a while about that person. Who is filling their bucket daily? How are they repairing all those leaks that keep springing? What if their bucket runs dry?

The answer is, suprisingly, if any or all of the above happen, consider it a blessing for that person and an opportunity for them to finally take responsibility for their own existence. It can be a harsh lesson to learn when your bucket is abandoned and runs dry and you're left standing there with no idea what to do next.

If you have reached that point yourself, I encourage you to resist the urge to fall back into old habits and run to the next available person to refill your bucket and take on the task of keeping it filled. Try filling it yourself. Just try. See what happens and how you feel. Notice how much energy it takes to keep that bucket full, what with the constant rushing to and fro with another bucket to accomplish the task. You'll quickly realize it takes a lot of energy! Now, step back, regroup, and find a method to patch the leaks in your bucket. Refill it with water and see how strong your patch is.

Sometimes your patch will hold strong and true. Other times you'll have to do it several times, just like allowing a wound to heal, before the patch finally holds. Most of us recognize the solid sense of satisfaction that is found in tending to our own buckets. We grow as individuals when we take these actions into our own hands, and over time, our buckets spring fewer and fewer leaks.

I like to think at some point that they begin to morph from your garden variety galvanized bucket to something a bit more refined. Perhaps a shinier bucket, or a crystal vase, maybe something fashioned out of elegant woven materials - I imagine that each transformation is unique to each person and their vessel represents their personality. My vessel would definitely be an amphorae - a pottery jar or urn of ancient Greek or Mesopotamian design. This shape has always pleased my eye. But I digress.

What began as a way to blow off some frustration about a relationship that I have identified as one that is no longer viable has shifted gears and journeyed to this matter of tending to your own bucket. I recognized today that this relationship has been a successive odyssey of me filling someone else's bucket that has a huge hole in the bottom as well as multiple leaks all around it. I recognized that I have been exhausting myself with this relationship and it is time to walk away and allow that proverbial bucket to run dry. Its owner will either learn to tend to it, or they will not.

The other important thought to express is that if you do allow yourself to get sucked into these one-sided relationships, while you are busy tending to that other person's bucket, your own vessel is being neglected. The water is getting stagnant, the metal is possibly rusting, maybe the handle has become less secure. It is imperative that we tend to ourselves, my friends! A healthy 'home', or 'vessel' will support you and allow you to be the vital, beautiful, generous, loving Spirit that you are. A neglected vessel will cause you to falter. Of the many lessons sprinkled throughout this blog, perhaps this is the most dramatic to remember. Be kind to others, of a certainty. Express love, care, compassion, support and all other manner of emotions to those around you. At the same time, be mindful of surrounding yourself with those who cheerfully give those emotions in return on a regular basis. Seek balance in all things!

In so doing, your personal bucket will stay in Tip Top condition, and your radiance will broadcast to the world around you. I think we all want to be viewed as someone who exhibits all those wonderful traits listed above. We all want to be appreciated for the content of our character and for the quality of our actions. A well tended bucket makes for a healthy person! It sounds a bit far fetched and bizarre as far as analogies go, but I find it a very sound concept. Perhaps if you're fortunate, your diligent care of your personal bucket will attract something like this wee creature...the Lady Bug. I find her to be a positive note to end this blog. A cheerful nod and benediction from Mother Nature and God/Universe that your bucket is sound and and well tended.
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If you have enjoyed this blog and would like to read more, you can find me at Healing Morning blog.

Why you'll find me wearing bike shorts and other weird stuff...

One of my favourite meals to eat out is breakfast. There is nothing more lovely than a pot of hot tea, some scrambled eggs and thick toast that someone else has prepared for me first thing in the morning....sitting with the paper, chatting with hubby or merely watching the world go by... it is truly a delightful way to start the day.

Over the years, whilst partaking in such culinary excursions, I have often seen groups of cyclists that migrate to cafes to socialise and savour a few of the calories they have no doubt just earned themselves.

To be honest, whilst scoffing my own eggs, I never really gave them too much thought, except to wonder why they all get so dressed up in full cycling gear and shoes just so they can go out for a leisurely Saturday morning ride. Why not just throw on some trackies and runners... surely that would be easier? 

Well, I have to confess... I know why they do what they do. 

I am becoming one of them.

A casual cycling invitation from a friend a few weeks back brought about the welcome realisation that riding is something I actually really enjoy and want to do more of. 

It had been at least 10 years since I rode a bike... probably more... but there is some truth to the cliche about getting back on a bike... you don't forget how to ride. What I have learned, though, is that riding for sport is a little different to jumping on the bmx with my brothers or riding a few blocks to get to school. 

There is stuff you really need.

The same stuff I have seen on all the cyclists around town.

Firstly, there is a very compelling rationale behind wearing padded bike shorts. I know they look anything but glamorous (and trust me, they make you feel as though you have a small towel wedged between your legs); however, the repercussions of spending 2 or more hours on a tiny bicycle seat cannot be underestimated. Need I say more?

Secondly, occasionally while riding, you have need of certain things...a chap stick... a tissue, perhaps... and there is nothing more frustrating than having to stop and unload your knapsack every time... thus, a cycling shirt with pockets in the back is really very useful. 

There are also certain obvious necessities... a helmet, a water bottle and somewhere to keep your phone and keys... but honestly, it does not end there.

There are arm warmers, ear warmers, leg warmers, riding glasses, wind jackets, gloves, cycling socks, spare tubes, standing pumps, mini pumps, riding shoes, clips... and a whole bunch of other things I had never even heard of until just a couple of weeks ago.

Despite the fact that some of the products available are definitely optional, they are created to make a cyclist's life more comfortable and to ensure that the ride is as efficient as possible. You can do it the hard way, or you can invest in a few accessories and actually enjoy the ride. I would hazard a guess that not too many keen cyclists can keep up with the long, regular rides without the protective and supportive gear...which is obviously why they all look the part. 

In order to get the full benefit of cycling, I am even considering buying riding shoes and pedals... (the full benefit being the fact that, apparently, riding with shoe clips equates to virtually NO cellulite. I am sold!)

I am going to get myself equipped for cycling.... but, more importantly, I am going to continue to press into the Word of God so that I am equipped for living....there will be hills to climb, valleys to coast down and obstacles to get around... I am going to need all the help I can get!

We are so quick to buy every available addition we can for hobbies and sports and the like, yet we so often attempt to ride through life without all of the accessories and benefits God has made available to us! There are so many promises in God's Word which encourage us and guide our way... He arms us with weapons to fight the enemies in our path and He clothes us in His righteousness. His love covers us and helps us to bounce back when we fall. 

And what is even better..... the beauty of God's equipment is that it doesn't make you look at all daggy or awkward. 

"Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits..." Psalm 103:2