Be Still and Know

I often think of running as a metaphor for life. There are lessons to learn when it's just you, God, and the pavement. This was so true a couple of weeks after my dad passed away, when I went out for a much needed run. (I should tell you that I can easily become overheated while running, even in cold temperatures, so I have to be careful.) It was a crisp December morning, about 40 degrees. I was missing my dad terribly and struggling deeply in my soul, and I was running uphill. Truth be told, I very much dislike the uphill part of the run, but it is part of the run. Metaphor for life: Running uphill is like moving though grief. It's part of life. (Replace the word grief with any struggle you face right now.) It doesn't feel good. It can tax a person to the limit. But it can be done. As that uphill run became especially challenging (painful even), I knew I'd really rather just flop down on the grass beside the sidewalk and catch my breath. But sometimes a person must keep going, you know.Metaphor for life: Lean into it and power through. As I came to the top of the hill and turned the corner and my path leveled out, I realized I was beginning to feel overheated. Even with my best intentions, I knew I had to give myself permission to walk a few steps and cool down. I told myself that walking was acceptable, though, because even though I was going slower, I would keep going and would not stop. Metaphor for life: Just keep going. After several steps, I realized that if I did  not give myself permission to sit down, I would be sick. As much as I did not want to do it, I sat down on the sidewalk, my back to the street, my feet in the gravel. I breathed deeply and pressed my palms firmly onto the cold pavement, trying to cool down and regain my composure. But sitting did not fit my metaphor! Feeling sick and somewhat defeated, I bowed my head and looked down, and there between my running shoes was a piece of a branch in the perfect shape of a cross. I took it as a little gift from God. Ahhh... Okay, I get it now, I told myself... Here is the metaphor for my life in this moment. Sometimes you can no longer power through. Sometimes, even though it may be awful, you must stop and let the fullness of what you are experiencing wash over you and you must feel it completely, or it will be worse later. Sometimes you must be still... Be still and know. Know that as much as you hurt, there are gifts and blessings in this moment. Know that God is with you on your journey, step by step and breath by breath. Know that you will get up and run again, but right now, it is wise to be still and lean on a Power that is bigger than yourself and let it tend to your soul. Metaphor for life: For right now, just be still and know...
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Quiet Your Mind

There is a song I like by Zac Brown Band called “Quiet Your Mind.” It’s a good reminder, you know. It is a healthy practice to take some time every day to just quiet your mind. And what does that mean? Just be where you are in that moment. Let everything else go. Just breathe. Be grateful for the steady beat of your heart and the rhythm of your breath and know that you are blessed. I like the way Jesus said it: “…Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.”

Okay, I know… I live in the real world like you. Being an adult means that you learn from yesterday and plan for tomorrow while you manage today. I get that. But you can still find a time and place every day where you just can be quiet. Give yourself permission to lay your burdens down and find blessings in the moment. And when you do, amazing things happen. Back to Zac Brown’s song: “I feel the change goin’ on all around me. It’s strange how I’m taken and guided where I end up right where I needed to be. Quiet your mind…”
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Love the Run!

I hated running when I was a kid. My worst nightmare was that I would show up to gym class and the coach would say, "Everyone run a lap!" Did I say this before? I HATED running! So when did I begin to love running? I don't know the exact date or hour. I just know there was a time in my life not too long ago when I felt too much like a slug and my spirit told me, "Just move! Get out there and walk. Better yet, run... Even just a little... Just move!" So I laced up my shoes and obeyed my spirit. It wasn't easy. I wasn't good, and I wasn't fast. But I felt so good whenever my run was over. And then one day... I didn't just feel good when my run was over... I felt good while I was running. I didn't see that coming! I began to love the run. I know for sure that I am not the fastest runner on the road on any given day. Nor am I the runner who is logging the most miles. But God bless me, I get out there to run! The meditative movement marries with my breath, and I just run. This is what I know now: Love the run!

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The Story of Pneuma Wear

My dad was a man of balance, daily exercising his mind, body, and spirit. Always looking for the next adventure. Throughout this life, he loved a challenge. Even as he approached age 70, he could out-ski, out-bodysurf, out-dance any man one-third his age.

Before he was 71, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis had stolen away his breath and soon thereafter, his life. He is missed by the countless souls on whom he made a deep impact. My dad inspired this work of my heart. I hope to inspire people to seek health for mind, body, and spirit. I hope to inspire people to find their next adventure. I also want a very tangible way to honor my dad, and so a portion of all Pneuma proceeds is donated to the American Lung Association. 

The name Pneuma was chosen very purposefully. Pneuma is Greek for spirit, breath, and wind. So whatever you do in your Pneuma Wear, be inspired...

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