Dawes Life Relaxation 4

You are prepared to recreate the Milky Way Galaxy. First, you must spread your canvas – the thick blanket of space. You reach down,* grab an edge,* and stretch it as high as you can. You smooth it horizontally,* then stretch it from the upper corners.* With your right* hand, you reach into your supply bucket and pull out heat* and light.* With your left hand, you pull out cold* and darkness.* You throw* the supply bucket over your shoulder and begin to mix.* With your right hand, you mix* the heat and light together. With your left hand, you mix* the cold and darkness together. After mixing, you leave the heat and light suspended where it is, and grab* the mixture of cold and darkness. You sculpt* the mixture into smooth, solid spheres. After accruing a small assortment of spheres, you fling* several into the far reaches of space. These will become planets. Next, you snatch* the smallest of the spheres, tie* them together, swing* them over your shoulder, and release* them. These are comets. Finally, you knock* all the remaining spheres down and stomp them into little bits.* You stoop* down, scoop* the chunks up, and toss* them above your head. These become asteroids. You take heavy steps* in a circle. A gaping black hole is left under each footprint. You grab* the mixture of heat and light and climb* to the top of the Milky Way. Here, you inhale the fiery mixture* from your palms, and breathe* out a spread of stars. As you silently survey your work, everything begins to slowly spin* around you.

Relaxing on a Quest

Your name is Faw (short for fairly average warrior) and you are the top video game character. You respond to commands such as walk, jump, look around, climb, read the map, shoot the bow, and pick up an object [do all actions]. Your current quest is to find the Sword of Virtue [draw sword] and the Sword of Honor [draw second sword]. First, you look around [turn torso to both sides] then you pull out your map to read, tracing your path, then putting it away [hold map, trace path, put away]. You look around again [turn torso] and begin to walk [walk]. You discover a treasure chest and bend over to open it [bend over], discovering inside a bow and one arrow [pick up]. Suddenly, the monster guarding the swords comes upon you. You cry out, “Stand aside, foul creature!” [call] and you quickly walk away, jumping over one rock, then another [jump twice]. You put your bow at your back [stash bow] to climb a steep hill [climb]. You draw your bow all the way back and release the arrow at the monster [draw and release bow]. He falls and you relax [relax] before retrieving the swords from his possession [walk to him], the Swords of Virtue [draw sword] and of Honor [draw sword]. Victory!

Life-Relaxation Exercise 4

It is a beautiful day to go for a walk, but you suddenly realize that you can’t move your legs (“Oh no”). You bend down and pat your legs as you try to figure out what is wrong. With no other option, you reach up and grab the bright yellow string that is conveniently located on the nearby shelf. You unravel the string and tie it to your legs. Now, as you lift the strings, you are able to walk like a freakish puppet. However, because the strings are very long, you must lift your arms very high. You walk to the door, but before you go outside, you pull your hood over your head in hopes that no one will recognize you. You open the door and step outside. You smell the freshly cut grass and the cool spring air (deep breath). You continue walking, and then remember that you forgot to close the door. As you turn around, you realize that this is going to be a long day.

Life Relaxation 4

You are enjoying the beautiful Maine Coast.  The sun is shining intensely.  The waves roll gently in on the small sandy cove.  They splash roughly on the rocks nearby. A cormorant flies off a rocky outcrop, dives gracefully into the water, and comes up shaking water droplets off his glistening feathers.  Further out a rowboat rounds the fir-covered point of an island. You kick off your sandals and walk into the cold water.  Brrr (hug yourself)! Ah, but there is a hermit crab scuttling towards you (bend down slowly).  You scoop him up in your hands and stand back up slowly, admiring his little claws.  Right then, the lunch bell rings (happy sigh).  You carefully (bend down and stand back up) let your hermit crab go and walk back home for lunch.

Life Relaxation 4

You're with your friends at camp and you are all about to go on the low ropes course. You stretch high [upward stretch, palms together] and low [downward stretch, touch toes]. You stretch your arms [tricep stretch] and legs [standing quadricep stretch]. Your friends choose the first element: the Giant's Cargo Net. You cautiously step through the large holes in the net [walk in place with slow leg lifts], slowly lifting your legs high so that you don't jiggle the net and wake the giant. Your friend in front of you almost falls. [call] "Oh no!" But he finds his balance. [voiced sigh] The next element is the Spider's Web. You climb onto this new cargo net [climb onto invisible horizontal surface] and carefully climb up it [climb on invisible vertical surface, lots of arm movement]. You reach the top and stand proudly on the landing [stand tall with open body, check posture]. Your friends below cheer for you and you smile as you take a slow bow [bow].

Valley of Vision Prayer 22--"Love Shed Abroad"

https://banneroftruth.org/us/devotional/love-shed-abroad/

A Prayer of Moses, the Man of God

Psalm 90:12-17
Living in Light of God's Eternality and Our Ephemerality"


12So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. 13 Return, O Lord! how long? Have pity on your servants! 14Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. 15Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil. 16Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children. 17Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands! ESV

Valley of Vision Prayer 21--"A Minister's Evils"

https://banneroftruth.org/us/devotional/a-ministers-evils/

Valley of Vision Prayer 20--"Devotion"

https://banneroftruth.org/us/devotional/devotion/

Dawes Life Relaxation 3

You are quietly stepping* between the cold midnight trunks of Northeast Georgia's silent woods. An auric moon* softly illumines your path.* A distant murmur makes you stop and cock your ear* (shhhhhh...). You begin slowly jogging,* shoving* aside stray branches, and arrive only to balance* on the edge of a narrow precipice. Below, waterfalls fill* a cleft in the mountain's gentle swell. Moonlight reveals your brother and sister, gleefully splashing beneath a silvery cataract* ("Hello, Brother! Hello, Sister!"). You kick off your shoes,* scale a mossy outcrop,* and catapult* into the icy pool. You wade* to where your siblings are cavorting under the roaring waterfall. You splish and splash the cool phosphorescent liquid – first with your palms,* next with one arm,* and then with two arms.* Laughing, exhausted, and chilled to the bone, the three of you climb* the slick bank, grab* three colored towels off an overhanging branch – green, blue, and pink – and vigorously dry* each other's shivering shoulders.

Life-Relaxation Exercise 3

It is day 48 on the deserted tropical island. You take a deep breath as you smell the crisp island air. You look around for your fellow-castaway, even looking up in the trees, but he is nowhere to be found. You give up on your search, and practice throwing your hunting spears. All of a sudden, you hear a loud noise. You push the brush aside, and make your way to the shore. You look up and see a bright yellow rescue helicopter. You wave your arms and call out “Hello up there!” You climb up the rope ladder that was let down. You finally make it into the helicopter and let out a sigh. You later realize that you left your friend on the island. “Oh no!” Oh well, maybe another day.

Life Relaxation 3

The trees (draw trees) have turned vibrant oranges and red, matching the complexion of a very handsome orange cat walking underneath them, waving his tail slowly back and forth (wave arms back and forth).  All of sudden, the cat hears the barking of that annoying yellow lab, Bernard (bark). Oh, no (call)!  The cat hisses, and climbs up the nearest oak tree.  Bernard runs up to the tree, flops down, and pants happily.  The orange cat looks at him with disdain. Seeing that Bernard intends to stay, the cat yawns and stretches.  He then proceeds to turn himself into a goldfinch and flies away.

A Wonderful Jog in the Morning

Today is a beautiful day.. The sun is shining (arms above head bring back down) and the birds are chirping. You open the door (left to right arm motion) and go outside into the brisk air... you breath it in (through nose then out through mouth). Before you run you need to stretch arms (left to right then right to left) and your back (gently spin back and forth). You have 2 miles to run today so you begin to jog (high knees) as you run you discover your shoe is untied you say "Oh" (bend down and tie it; slowly come up) Then you continue on your jog back home. As you approach your home your dog growls (throat noise to massage). You say "down boy" and walk into the house. What a wonderful run!

Acorns for the Squirrel (Life-relaxation 3)

You’re a squirrel and it’s the middle of fall and a bit chilly (rub arms to keep warm). You can’t remember where you stored your acorns! (call) “Where are my acorns?” You carefully rustle through the crisp gold and red leaves (wave arms slowly), but your acorns aren’t there (sigh). You scamper over to a hole (walking) and stick your head down the hole (bend down slowly), but your acorns aren’t there either (come back up). You climb the tall cedar tree (climb); you have to stretch very high to reach the topmost branches (reach high). You turn your fluffy little body about to examine the whole tree (rotate upper body), but you’re acorns aren’t there either. You climb back down (climb). You’re tired so you crawl (crawl) back into your home in the hole in the tree, and look! (point in front of you) You’re pile of acorns (draw large pile) is right there in the middle of your entry way! Looks like you won’t starve to death this winter!

Relaxing at the Fair

It is the end of summer and you are about to go to the state fair of your home state [outline with hands your state]. You worked hard all summer at your uncle’s ranch lassoing cattle [lasso with each arm], chasing the newborn pony [run in place, say “neigh-ay-ay-ay-ay”], and throwing hay bales [squat to pick up bale and throw- both sides], to earn the money for the fair. In your spare time, you have learned to paint with the brush on your nose [point to nose] and you created a painting of the purple mountains, the golden sunrise, and the green pastures [move head to paint with nose] which you are entering in the contest at the fair. When you arrive at the fair, you walk [walk] to the red art tent [outline] to submit your painting. Outside the tent, you see the huge ferris wheel [outline]. Next you see your favorite ride, the swings, where each yellow swing spins out as the ride gets faster [spin arms around]. You wave at the people on the ride [wave]. After riding every ride, you return to the art tent [outline] and find that your painting won the blue ribbon. “Hooray!” [call]

Valley of Vision Prayer 19--"A Minister's Preaching"

https://banneroftruth.org/us/devotional/a-ministers-preaching/

Fenceposts

Today we will be making fence posts. But before we go up to the hill we need to grab our equipment. On our left (bend down) are the wedges and on your right (bend down) is the sledge. Now lets walk up the hill (walking motion) (breathing through nose and out mouth). You are now at the top of the hill. You look and see a nice straight 7-foot piece of locus wood. Now we will split the posts. (Bend over and start the first wedge) Now that we have started the wedge we will finish splitting it. (Stand and then two swings on each shoulder, breathing between strokes). The piece of wood splits right in two. Well done! Now lets pick up the pieces and throooowww it into the wagon (breath out). Then we get on the tractor (sit down) (buzz lips to sound like tractor). As you get down to the road you see your customer, he hands you a nice crisp $50 bill. And you sigh "ahhhh" Now you have made your first $50 making fence posts.

Dawes Life Relaxation 2

You stand in the thick of Northeast Georgia's silent woods (relaxed posture). The Blue Ridge mountains surround you with cumbersome silhouettes (horizontal arms), etched out by a quickly-setting sun (finger drawing). Colossal, arboreal columns extend high above you (vertical arms) and spread their webbed canopies overhead (hands splayed). Down below, where you wait, Evening has canvassed all with her shadowy veil (downward stretch). Unseen paws scurry back and forth in the underbrush (swing arms). You straighten your back and patiently search for stars (slow rise, head up). An owl calls from your right (turn head, rotate right shoulder, and hoo-hoo). A breeze blows from your left (turn head, rotate left shoulder, and blow softly). It's cold, it's dark, and it's late (wrap arms). As you trek back to your cabin (walking), a round black bulge obstructs your trail. It's a bear (sharp inhalation)! You freeze. Wait. It's only a stump (sigh, "Oh!")!

Henry Scougal "A Prayer" (Part 2)

Good God! what a felicity* is this to which we are called! How graciously hast thou joined our duty and happiness together; and prescribed that for our work, the performance whereof is a great reward! And shall such silly worms be advanced to so great a height? Wilt thou allow us to raise our eyes to thee? Wilt thou admit and accept our affection? Shall we receive the impression of thy divine excellencies by beholding and admiring them, and partake of thy infinite blessedness and glory by loving thee, and rejoicing in them? Oh, the happiness of those souls that have broken the fetters of self-love, and disentangled their affection from every narrow and particular good; whose understandings are enlightened by the Holy Spirit, and their wills enlarged to the extent of thine; who love thee above all things, and all mankind for thy sake! I am persuaded, O God! I am persuaded that I can never be happy, till my carnal and corrupt affections be mortified, and the pride and vanity of my spirit be subdued, and till I come seriously to despise the world and think nothing of myself. But oh, when shall it once be? Oh, when wilt thou come unto me and satisfy my soul with thy likeness, making me as holy as thou art holy, even in all manner of conversation! Hast thou given me a prospect of so great a felicity, and wilt thou not bring me unto it? Hast thou excited these desires in my soul, and wilt thou not also satisfy them? Oh, teach me to do thy will, for thou art my God; thy spirit it good, lead me into the land of uprightness. Quicken, me, O Lord, for thy name's sake, and perfect that which concerneth me. Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth forever; forsake not the work of thine own hands. Henry Scougal (1650-1678), The Life of God in the Soul of Man (a letter of spiritual counsel to a friend)


*intense happiness

Missie's Life-Relaxation #2 -- Rattlesnake Mountain

You've just reached the top of Rattlesnake Mountain in Trout Run, Pennsylvania and you reach up high to stretch [upward reach] and low to retie your hiking boot [downward reach]. You take a slow, deep breath in, taking in the fragrance of the pine trees below you [inhalation] and then for fun you frighten everybody by pretending to be a rattlesnake [pressurized hiss]. Everyone cries, [call] "Oh no!" You laugh [laugh with low diaphragmatic pushes] and carefully climb up the side of a large, moss-covered rock so that you can get the best view possible [climbing motion]. You look out and see rising mountains [draw pointed mountains], lush valleys [draw dipping valleys], rolling green hills [draw arched hills], and, above it all, puffy cumulous clouds [draw clouds]. You sigh contentedly [sigh] and sit down on the rock so that you can gaze on the beautiful sight all evening [sit back in chairs].

"Little Seed" Life-Relaxation Rhyme

"Little Seed"
Written by Mabel Watts
Action Rhyme

A little seed for me to sow . . . (Pretend to hold a tiny seed.)
A little earth to make it grow . . . (Stoop down and touch the ground.)
A little hole, A little pat . . . (Pretend to dig a hole; plant seed; pat earth around seed.)
A little wish, And that is that. (Touch index fingers to head; bring arms down and fold over chest.)
A little sun, A little shower . . . (Make sun with hands; use fingers to create rain.)
A little while, And then --- a flower! (Pretend to sleep; cup hands up to make a flower.)

Life Relaxation 2

It is a beautiful breezy spring day.  The sun is shining (draw sunshine) and white fluffy clouds drift across the sky (draw clouds).  You see your friends and call to them, “hello, friends”.  You walk around the glistening blue pond with them.  In the sweet scented breeze you see cattails waving in the wind (wave your arms back and forth). Aha! You have an idea.  You bend down and pluck brown fuzzy cattails from the mushy ground. You turn and hit your friend with one (wave your arm as if hitting your friend).  The cattail fuzz flies everywhere (illustrate with hands) and your friend says, “Oh no!” You laugh, hee hee hee.  Soon you and your friends are all covered (illustrate with hands) in cattail fuzz. Ah (take a deep breath and spread arms out wide)!  What a gorgeous spring day!!