September Thoughts
Returning to Normalcy but Changed Forever
I cannot believe there are only 3 months left in the year! Today is the final day of September and before its too late I wanted to share some thoughts as I’ve been doing each month. Here is Johnna putting the last touches of salt on our final (for now) bit of concrete.
Texas, Construction, and Corruption
We had grand plans back in January and February to launch a Wellness Center. The vision, called Calibration, will be centered on a salt room (halotherapy) and salt pool, combined with contrast therapy (hot/cold/rest) which cycles through a cold plunge, sauna and spa. At first we hired general contractors to help bring this dream to life on an already tight budget. General Contracting is not regulated in Texas and it shows. I did not know what type of industry we were getting ourselves into and true to Texas culture, it is the wild west. In Waco a woman was arrested for fraud this week for not completing construction jobs.1 In this deregulated environment consumers can often be taken advantage of. However, with regulation favors the wealthy and ends up squeezing out folks trying to come up. And now we know from personal experience that the legal system is not just. It favors the wealthy. Either you have to learn the foreign language of the legal system or pay someone who already speaks it. So you can pay for it with an education or you can pay the lawyer. Even still, unless you are wealthy, you cannot afford the lawyer’s fees, so it may be better for you to just pay fines even though you are right. Since our legal system favors the wealthy, it makes me sad for the marginalized people-groups who still do not have a chance because they’ve already been set back by governmental, societal, cultural and legal systems.
Calibration
I’ve digressed… Calibration, hot/cold therapy and salt therapy. We cannot afford all of the dream yet but we hope to bring a lot of it to the public soon. Calibration is a place for you to rest and refit, so you can reengage with your calling and purpose. Calibration builds on the God given strengths that Johnna and I both bring to the community. I have a talent for helping people expand their perspective on specific calling and facilitate them accessing that next step towards their strategic goals. I guide individuals while showing them how their unique contributions fit into the broader picture, strengthening their commitment and interconnectedness with others. Johnna is an organic yet untrained somatic therapist and biblical counselor. Her life experience is all she needs at this time. We will combine our giftings to help folks interact with mind, body and soul through self-paced or guided calibration sessions at our Wellness Center. If you lack clarity, if you are working through specifics, if your body is off/ill/experiencing discomfort, or if your soul is longing for something more and you are wanting to process, Calibration is for you. If you are just wanting a space of calmness and peace so you can recalibrate, this will be a space for you. There will be opportunities for self-work, social wellness, and communal bonding. I can’t wait to share more with you and hopefully experience it yourself!
What are y’all letting go of this Fall season?
The Fall season is for letting go and embracing change. I am letting go ‘achievement.’ I am driven by achievement and being in this busy season allowed me to resurrect the ambitions of getting a lot of things done. I thrive in that space and often am disappointed when others are not efficient and effective. However, my achievement mentality is not reality, not healthy, and does not reach the goals I want in life, mainly centered around a thriving co-dependent community.
Thus, we are slowly returning to normalcy in the King household, meaning engaging in the routines that we consider core to our family ministry and wellbeing. We had Family Covenent Meal this weekend. Church is back in a groove as we are preaching through the Psalms. Homeschool is back in full force. Workouts picked back up today.
We’ve denied a lot of things in this season to deal with unexpected trials. This has come with a lot of spiritual growth. The Psalms have all new meaning now that I read them looking and expecting answers.
The trials are not over but how we are relating to them has changed.
I am trying to discern the character and vitality of prayer, so I can express such back to God. For example, in the Psalms you see the psalmist expressing the full range of their emotions to God. They even project based upon God’s character or their past experiences with God’s faithfulness. I’ve given myself permission to do the same in my prayers. I am letting go of surface-level, coffee cup Christianity… particularly in my prayer life. It has been raw, hard, disappointing, as well as freeing. And God has been revealing Himself. Not instantaneously, nor overwhelmingly, but like a still small voice in the midst of strong winds, earthquakes, and fire (1 Kings 19:11-13). Calibration will only help focus the mind-body-soul as we engage the wholeness of our being while dealing with life’s challenges. I cannot wait to partake in such enrichment myself!
The King Family
We have four birthdays in August. Nana visited. The kids continue to enjoy skating. They seamlessly picked school back up. The older kids are showing initiative in work and the family chores that are making me beyond proud. Just this morning, without prompt, they set their alarm, milked the cow, got ready for skate practice, helped block walk for a campaign I am working with, and then cut a neighbor’s lawn for their routine business. I am still in awe.
Areas I Am Seeking to Growth In
Wrestling with God’s goodness and its material manifestations in a world with a lot of evil and suffering.
Trusting in God in the midst of emotional and financial vulnerability.
Community and entrepreneurship, always!
What I’m thinking about:
The election. As I am helping a friend run for a race in our county it has brought me ever so close to politics. I am thinking about the connection between Christianity, politics and our public witness. It is evident to me that Christians want whats best for their neighbors flourishing and God’s Kingdom to advance. If that is true, the Christians have no choice but be involved in politics. We must be informed, we must vote, and we must witness. I wrote an article early in the year about how we can do so with grace for ourselves and others.
Being black in the workplace.
I spent time on a writing prompt from an organization I’m apart of, “What would your inner child think about your writing? Do they advice for you?” I’d love to hear your thoughts and maybe share my when they are more fully developed.
What things have you been thinking these days?
What I’ve been enjoying recently:
The pool! It took a whole 24 hours to fill and we were able to swim Friday. Here’s our family’s first jump into the pool.
And my A/C is still broken in my car. The price to fix it is out of the budget right now; however, the cooler weather is making car rides enjoyable again! Happy Fall to All!
What have you been enjoying recently?
https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/investigations/6-fix/6-fix-update-owner-al-sheds-arrested-theft/500-4c674ea5-1895-4125-8f44-0732bc7cc2ea