An Early Morning

During my sabbatical I changed my routines in a major way.

Getting up earlier. For 35 years I’ve been a night owl. I’m at my most creative between midnight and four, but at 8am, I’m looking like a bag of dirt. That’s where sleeping pills and other aids entered my life.

Now, during the sabbatical, I have made a conscious effort to be in bed between 9:30 and 11pm, almost routinely. And, I’ve been waking up BEFORE my alarm goes off. It’s crazy!

So my mornings, consist of devotions and the gym, or a bike ride.

Daily devotions - never worked at night. TV gets in the way. My mind has melted from the day’s work, Bible Study, movies, etc. God gets squeezed out. For me, it’s working in the morning and I never would have expected that to happen.

The gym. Previously I went at night when the punks have cleared out and the equipment was more accessible, but now with the routine of getting up early, I have more energy. Today, this morning was amazing. Maybe it was my attitude, or a good night’s sleep, or no pizza in the middle of the night. Not sure.

Today on my iPod here’s what kept me moving in the gym:

Morning Air - The Wedding
Dare You To Move - Switchfoot
Before The Morning - Josh Wilson
Everybody’s Broken - Bon Jovi
All Things Are Possible - Hillsong
How He Loves - David Crowder
This Is Me - Demi Lavato and the Jonas Boys

I am amazed, that at this stage in life, when my routines are set and I am supposed to be stuck in my ways, I am getting up early and making great use of the time.

The one thing that suffers is "my creative time". Without the late nights, I don't seem to be "finding the stuff" that I had before. And, I miss that.

You?