Stop...Breathe...Control my Cortisol

Wow...I walk into the office this morning...a call from our intensive care unit about a medically-ready, medically-fragile child not able to go home because of bureaucratic glitches that I have to untangle.  I call them "untangling the Christmas lights."

I had an appointment with a new primary doctor late yesterday afternoon, straight from work...upon entering, my blood pressure was slightly higher than usual.  We took it again before I left and it was back to its normal spot.  We talked about the nature of the beast of working in health care and yet we don't take care of ourselves...the pace of it all and the stress we endure.

My camera and the mindfulness photography requires, has been like streams in the desert for me...and I don't know a time in my life when I have been so attracted to flowers...

 

This quote should also say "or stress"...

 

 

Why is that?  Could it be subconscious?  That there is some message there I'm to heed?

 

These are neighbor Shirley's flowers...I had never seen these kind before.  They were gorgeous.  She said, "Do you know that they only bloom for one day?"  But boy, what they do in that day!  They just shine!  They got my attention.

What is it with me and flowers...think, think, think...and then I remember how Jesus spoke of the flowers.  Could it really be that it all comes down to the simplicity found in this children's Sunday School lesson?

And then I think of Paul's advice to the Philippians:

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

So...today I will watch my Moments video...say a prayer...and follow my own reminders I've written today and bask in God's blessings.  And learn the lessons of the lilies...

 

With gratitude,
 
PS:  All the photographs above used a pattern technique learned from Kim Klassen's Beyond Layers class...she's a blessing!