I've just come from the dentist, where I learned that my teeth are fine, just fine, they look great, but if I don't watch out they're all going to fall out because my gums are in such bad shape. I knew they were going to tell me this because my gums have been sore for the past couple of weeks. I have "stress mouth," which I always get in the summer because it's the busiest time in the publishing business (trying to get that fall lineup off to press), and it's also the time when I want most to be home doing fun stuff with the kids, and when I'm stressed I eat sugary foods, and when my gums hurt I hate flossing. Sort of a vicious cycle.

The hygienist said my gums need more stimulation. She gave me a little tool to use to improve the blood flow to them, which I was grateful for, but the whole experience got me thinking.

What if my whole life is really like my mouth? I'm managing to accomplish most of the important tasks, so it seems like things should be fine, great, right? But what if the underpinnings are weak and in danger of giving way? What if this vague sense of malaise I sometimes feel, especially when I'm stressed, is actually a case of understimulation of the spiritual things that hold my life together?

What do YOU do to "strengthen the gums," so to speak? Do you have any little tools that you use to improve the flow of the Spirit to the needy parts of your life? How do you find time for this when you already feel stretched to the max?