living rhythms vs. dead ruts

I got back on the bike this morning after a busy month off. I was alone and it was dark and cold. I hurt, but as usual, felt great when I got home at 7:00 am with the whole day in front of me.

I've been thinking about how, most of the time, its not the events, but the day to day rhythms of our lives, that shape and form and grow us and our families . . . . reading the Word, exercising regularly, sitting down for family dinners and devotions, flossing our teeth, showing up for weekly worship with the body of Christ, eating healthy, serving others, reading great books. . . . and a hundred more practices and habits that together make up the tapestry of our lives.

The reality is we can experience these as LIVING rhythms that refresh, renew, reform and balance our lives or as DEAD ruts that drain and exhaust our lives. What makes the difference? Sometimes its attitude and perspective and the way we choose to see these rhythms. Sometimes its a failure to reflectively and intentionally think about them and pretty soon we're just mechanically going through the motions.

And then there's the negative, sinful, destructive, unhealthy rhythms, habits, and practices that work to break down and sabotage our lives and relationships . . .

So what are the rhythms that make up your life and the life of your family? Which rhythms need recalibration and refreshing today? Which new rhythms need to be confessed to the Lord and eliminated? Which rhythms are LIVING, which are DEAD?