My parents got home late last night, and I was so glad to see them. I have been happy all day that I got to have couch time with them—and I was glad that Dad picked up the poopy presents that I left to show them that I don’t like it when they leave.

If I look back on a few days ago, I know that I can get a little freaked out when they pack. It’s likely because I know that something is changing. I know they may be leaving when all the stuff seems to get moved toward the front of the apartment.

I really don’t understand why they don’t take me with them. Maybe it’s because the one time they did I was such a mess, howling at the other cat in the house. 

So all day today, I have had a brilliant idea: Anytime my mom moves toward the door, I jump into the suitcase! That way, she will have to take me with her if she leaves! Or she will have to stay here with her stuff. Either way, I win!

Oh, and when my parents leave—even if it is just for a few days—they take sooo much of our house with them.

They usually travel with 10 bags—no that’s not a typo with an extra 0 at the end—that’s TEN bags.

I know, its excessive. My aunt Liana sure thinks so. That’s why she took this picture of my parents with all of their stuff for four days. It takes a cart to carry my parent’s stuff!

But mom says it keeps them more organized because everything has it’s own compartment. Dad used to be more reasonable carrying just a few bags, but now that he is also typing his blog everyday, the pain in his wrists and arms is acting up.  So, he goes along with each bag being smaller and lighter.

Well—except for his suitcase. He keeps it pretty full. I’m lying in his suitcase now. He says if he has to carry it, it might as well be nearly full.

What in the world is in all these bags? They have a book bag, a vitamin bag, a food bag, a beverage bag, two bathroom bags, two suitcases, an emergency bag, and a technology bag.

Packing and unpacking is a major feat for my parents! They said they are done with the adventures for a while, and that the hibernating at home season is coming.

I know that I am glad that they plan to be here for a while. But as long as this suitcase is out, I’m staying in it—just in case.

Applications for Life and Business

What do you really need? Do you take too much stuff with you, or not enough? Can you easily find what you want when you leave home? Do you pack in one big compartment or in multiple containers? Share your insights and tips in the comments below.

Today, I had a few more thoughts spurred on by my namesake’s quote that I shared yesterday:

“The truth is, of course, that what one regards as interruptions are precisely one’s life.” —Collected Works of C. S. Lewis” (1994)

Bathroom Breaks. I am often interrupted from cat naps when my mom gets up because of regular anatomical interruptions. Yes, I am talking about when she has to go to the bathroom. I always follow close behind her into the cute bathroom. I love the feel of the cozy bathroom rug and laying on top of her feet. I purr with delight when I sit there.

Mom often recounts how she may be perplexed by a problem, but the act of moving to another room—even the bathroom—can be enough of a change to help an idea come. Sometimes the change of scenery caused by this daily anatomical interaction contributes to keeping more than just physical things moving 🙂

My parents also get interrupted from me if they leave me by myself for more than a day. I interrupt their walk down the hall with a special poop present—it’s how I best show them that I don’t like it when they leave. It seems to work—because they usually stay home for a while.

Once they are home, they talk about the adventures they had while they were gone. My dad talks about how one search for a bathroom led to finding a fabulous restaurant right on the river in the middle of nowhere as they were walking. As they approached the restaurant, mom saw a cow nursing her calf for the first time. You can read about that adventure in daddy’s blog, Hiking With Your Honey.

Compensating for Physical Limitations. One of more difficult anatomical interruptions for both my Mom and me is that she has a frozen shoulder, and it “interrupts” one of our favorite rituals. She used to pick me up everyday and hold me and we would dance to one of her favorite songs. I would just purr the whole time—as long as the song is on the slower side and she wasn’t jumping around like a teenager at a mosh pit.

Before her frozen shoulder, she would also scoop me up when I was in a deeper sleep and carry me if she wanted to move from one room to the next. Even though I am big, I never outgrow receiving love from my owner. If I am just in a light cat nap, I normally hear her and move with her. But if I happen to not wake up, she gently pets me and says “Come on Clive,” followed by a cute noise she makes with her mouth. I get up—and like doing it, because I am doing my part. I jump up onto her wherever she goes, and she can hold me when she is sitting or laying down.

Daddy also does his part too to help overcome the anatomical interruption of mom’s shoulder. When they come home, he picks me up and supports all my weight, and mom just leans in to hug us. Brilliant! Now Mom’s desire to hold me standing up is fulfilled. We dance or stand there for a few minutes. Daddy often sings to Mom, and I just purr. This special time is what we call a “parent sandwich!” We love it, but may not have thought of it without mom’s injury.

Daddy also talks about how he helps Mom on their adventures to deal with her injury. He drives her around on the kayak, changes hiking routes and ensures she is comfortable when they camp.

Spiritual Insights

All interruptions—for whatever reason—are frustrating, but take heart. Through people, pets and any circumstances, God redeems as He accomplishes His purposes—and He provides unexpected blessings in the process.

“A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps” (Proverbs 16:9, NKJV).

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord”(Psalm 27:14, NIV).

Yesterday I told you about the power of cat naps. Today I am going to tell you where and how I rest if I am upset and need to regain peace.

I cradle my head in my Daddy’s hand.

I snuggle up to His hand, and let Him rub comfort into my anxious soul.

I don’t have to wonder how or if I am going to get fed—

I just know to cradle my head in His hands.

I don’t have to worry about being alone—

I just know to cradle my head in His hands.

I don’t have to seek something elusive I can’t find—

I just need to cradle my head in His hands.

I don’t have to worry about scratching my own itches—

I just need to cradle my head in His hands.

I would give this advice to any human willing to listen: Cradle your heads in your heavenly Father’s hands. He will soothe you, love you and enable you to rest. He will speak to you, giving you words of comfort, guidance and direction. Just read what the Bible says, and keep resting your head in His hands.

Spiritual Insights

Just like Clive’s human father enables Clive to rest in his hands, our Heavenly Father enables us to give our cares and worries to Him. No matter if your concerns are relational, vocational, physical or emotional, He’s got you covered. As the old Sunday school  song goes, “He’s got the whole world in His hands.” If He’s holding everything together, He’s got your life in His hands too. Take comfort in that, as you let the truth of these verses sink in to soothe your soul…

“Cast your cares on him, and He will sustain you” (Psalm 55:22, NIV).

“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ” (Matthew 6:31, NIV).

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand (Isaiah 41:10, NLT).

Clive, my 23-pound tabby hunk of feline love, teaches me life lessons every day. I thought it was high time that I shared his words with you.

I, Clive the Cat, take cat naps all the time—I need a break from exploring, being a human companion, playing with hair ties, begging for protein shakes and even purring. Too much of a good thing can be tiring.

Whenever my eyes get droopy, I let myself sleep. I get even better sleep when I cuddle up to one of my parents. I love it when one or both of them relax with me. It makes me feel like I am still doing my part for them, and taking care of myself too.

I know my feline friends and I wish our human friends would learn this trick. How much better moods would they be in if they all rested for just 30 minutes whenever they had the opportunity? How many more head scratches and love pets would we get if they took a nap and had more energy? How much better would they feel to take care of feeling overly tired, stressed or emotional?

Let’s ask my mom what she thinks. After all, she has many ideas to share, like I do.

Mom’s Musings

I, Clive’s mom, took a cat nap today. I didn’t sleep well last night because of some ongoing issues in my shoulder or because I was thinking about some stressful situations that I faced in the last few days.

Clive is right. My 30-minute cat nap completely changed my day. Before I rested my eyes, I was dragging, fighting to stay awake, unable to complete any task or be fully focused. Clive knew I was not at peace. Seeing him snooze made me get up from the couch and move to the bed and lie down. As soon as I did, he got up and followed me. He jumped up on the bed, snuggled in with me and I dozed off peacefully to the sound of his purrs.

After my cat nap, I:

1. Started to rock through my list of tasks that I had been trying to complete for hours.
2. Was no longer waring with my eyelids that felt like bricks.
3. Came up with ideas that I was struggling to solidify in my tired state before the nap.
4. Could see the best way to order the rest of my day.
5. Began moving forward on several things.
6. Received clarity about how to deal with some difficult challenges.
7. Observed opportunities for growth and learning that I had glazed right before I rested.

The moral of the story? Don’t be afraid or ashamed of taking a cat nap—just set your alarm—for 30 minutes or more. It just may do you a world of good.  🙂

Clive, my 23-pound tabby hunk of feline love, teaches me life lessons every day. I thought it was high time that I shared his words with you.

I am a pretty simple creature. Give me a lap, the companionship of my family, some food, a head scratch, a cozy space to crawl into—and I’m a happy cat.

Even my entertainment is simple. I don’t need any fancy cat toys. I have had them before. But do you know what my favorite toy is? My mom’s hair tie. She keeps them in her bathroom drawer. I know how to jump up there to get one.

Once the hair tie is on the floor, all I have to do is put my paw through it, and, voila! Instant entertainment! It jumps around and moves down the hall. It kind of dances with me. It’s easier for me to keep up with than a bug or mice, which tend to be faster than me.

A hair tie plays with me at my pace. Once I am done playing with it—say if I need to take a cat nap or get a head scratch—it sits still. I love that it stays there, and is ready to play again when I am.

I also love to carry my round prey around in my teeth. If my parents accidentally leave the toilet cover off, I drop it in the toilet and try to get it out again. But I’m not always very successful at that.

Sometimes my parents have to help me get it out, and then they throw that one away. But my mom has an endless supply of them in her drawer, and they are all the same, so I don’t care if I lose one.

I know my parents love that I am entertained with such a simple thing. What about you? What simple entertainment is lying in front of you?

Need some ideas? My parents love all kinds of simple entertainment:

• Casual conversation
• Laughing together
• Dreaming about the future
• Singing their favorite songs to each other
• Relaxing reading a book
• Staring at the stars from the patio
• Savoring a sunset
• Cuddling by a crackling fire

Read about my parents simple entertainment in nature on my daddy’s blog, Hiking with Your Honey.

And, if you want, share your simple entertainment ideas in the comments below.

Clive, my 23-pound tabby hunk of feline love, teaches me life lessons every day. I thought it was high time that I shared his words with you.

I, Clive the Cat, howl when my routine isn’t exactly right this morning. My mom is up, but my Daddy isn’t. When I can’t see both of my parents, I get upset. I long for the comfort of both of my parents to be on the couch with me.

Despite my loudest howls, daddy’s Saturday slumber wasn’t broken. He finally relents and gets up after one of his best friends calls and they have a chance to talk.

Meanwhile, Mom is trying to comfort me—to no avail. I need to see my Daddy. I need to see him up and about where I know that he is watching and caring for me.

The moment Daddy gets to the couch, I settle in on his lap, and I am comforted. After a few minutes, I am comforted enough to go rest on my own, but I still lay down on Daddy’s shoes. I show my parents that they can rest at God’s feet like that. I sleep peacefully on Daddy’s shoe for quite some time. Later, I was awakened by a cell phone ring. I am still laying there, but I have to look around and process what to do next. To deal with this new challenge and upsetting circumstance, I need more of Daddy.

The only place I find comfort is in Daddy’s lap. I run back there and jump into my favorite seat. It doesn’t matter what else Daddy is doing—I know my Daddy will stop everything to comfort me—and I am right.

I settle in—showing my parents love by literally “kneeding” them. I dig my paws into the soft blanket that drops across both of my parents’ laps, and we all sit closely to each other on the couch.

Similarly, God, their Heavenly Father, orchestrates and provides comfort for my parent’s lives. He is there watching over them as they sleep. He wakes them up at night. God nudges my parents to notice Him, just because He wants to be with them. Once they look to the Heavenly Father, and they see that He is there, He comforts them—and gives them rest at His feet. When the distractions, trials and difficulties of life surface, just as He had told them, He calls them. They hear Him if they are listening, and they run full speed ahead into His lap. God is delighted when my parents do that every time.

God is also pleased as my parents continue to dig their paws into His Word. He also longs for them to continue to commune with Him in prayer. And this dance of coping and relating and being soothed through life continues. He continues to meet and exceed their needs as my parents respond to God’s signals—and all is well.

Loral, Clive’s mom, in addition to providing a second lap for Clive, is a professional writer and editor who helps authors and businesses get whatever message is in their heads out to their target audiences. If you need help crafting a creative campaign, evaluating your content or completing a book, blog or other materials, check out her services at cowriterpro.com. 

Clive, my 23-pound tabby hunk of feline love, teaches me life lessons every day. I thought it was high time that I shared his words with you.

When my parents are getting ready in the morning in the bathroom, I sit by their feet for a while. If they don’t pet me, I jump on the toilet. If they still don’t pet me, I now have figured out that I can jump up onto the toilet cover when it is down.

(They have to keep the cover down so I don’t drink water from the toilet. I think that bowl is huge, and it is fun to try to balance on that bowl and not fall in).

Anyway, jumping on the cover enables me to get my paws up on the counter where my daddy may be shaving or my mom may be putting her make up on. I will get in trouble if I get all the way up there, because I will be in the way or knock stuff off the counter. But I go as far as I can. I push my limits.

I know that in many instances, I am different from my fellow feline friends. In this instance though, I am 100% cat. Do a funniest video of cats search online and you will always find a cat jumping up onto something and falling off. We aren’t scared of trying to get higher and falling. Why are humans fearful of stepping up to the next level, when they are so much bigger?

Applications for Life and Business (from Clive’s mom)

I don’t know about you, but reaching higher becomes easier if you take incremental steps. Like writing this blog, for example. I had wanted to habitually write and share topics dear to my heart for quite some time, but had never taken the plunge.

Then, I began to share pieces of my story in small group settings and even at a conference. That made it easier to begin to share my writing publicly, like I am doing on this blog, but it takes time away from my personal time. However, writing a light and fun topic has made it easier than plunging into the deep issues of the heart. My husband has also started his blog, so we are now pursuing our dreams together.

Starting today, we are taking a step to the next level YIKES! I  am doing the NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) challenge to write a 50,000 word book in one month. I know God has been calling me for quite some time to start the journey of changing my journals into my first book. Compiling and sharing those will be easier now that I have shared a portion of my writing on a wider scale in the land of social media.

What about you? What are your goals? What incremental steps are in front of you that you can start now? Why not join us on this first day of the month with a challenge that will help you get started? If we all step up one level at a time, could you imagine all that would be produced? Let’s find out.

Spiritual Insights

If God is calling you to take the next step, he will equip you to do it. Ask Him to help you to have courage to press through any fear, and watch him open up a whole new level of blessing

“But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded” (2 Chronicles 15:7, ESV).

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Loral, Clive’s mom, in addition to being everywhere Clive is, is a professional writer and editor who helps authors and businesses get whatever message is in their heads out to their target audiences. If you need help crafting a creative campaign, evaluating your content or completing a book, blog or other materials, check out her services at cowriterpro.com.