Living in the Moment that Lasts for a Lifetime

Ahhh warm weather!! FINALLY!!!!  It sure does wonders on the attitude and a little tan never hurt either!   It has been a great past 2 weeks.  2 amazing weddings two weekends in a row watching friends commit their lives to each other with the Lord as their guide.  Simply a blessing to be the stylist for one of the weddings and walking alongside the bride and the families enjoy the day of celebration!  Laughter and tears of joy and the pride in a father's voice of his love for his daughter.  The simple delights but yet moments I will forever treasure.  blessings.  relationships.  The Lord blessed me with friends who live in the moment and laughter that lasts years beyond.

This past memorial day my family got down in the dirt and planted all 1102 flowers... Yes that is a lot of holes but we have our ways!!  What a pleasure it was to just simply enjoy each sister for an afternoon and evening.  We each had our special "task" but none was more important than the other because everything needed to be done to accomplish the job together correctly.  It brings to mind my Wednesday night bible study discussion.  I learned about spiritual gifts; none is greater but they are all serving the greater purpose to glorify the Lord.  No matter how great or small they are as long as I use the gifts God has given me to glorify him I am serving HIM and living in the moment by not missing an opportunity to bring praise to HIS name and delight HIM by being simply who he created me to be.

As my family faithfully gathers each night out by our fire pit after every busy day, I find myself just simply smiling at the moments we relive over and over.  The laughter never seems to cease the more and more we repeat our stories and moments in life.  We might not always tell them correctly, or perhaps stretch them a little more but it never fails to have everyone laughing.  I am lucky to have people in my life who I have shared incredible moments with in life that have shaped me whether learning to love more, let go, or simply take a deep breath.  Life is a simply amazing journey but keeping my eyes up and knowing I live solely for an audience of ONE allows me to just step back, even when I have lost patience or gotten frustrated and laugh.  Reliving those moments over and over to allow them to last for my lifetime and who knows maybe even generations to come..

Stuck in the Middle

Here I am again... waiting, patiently, well not SO patiently... Why do I always look ahead to what I can see at the end of the week rather than looking at the person in my chair in the salon, next to me in the checkout line, sitting at lunch with me.  Do I REALLY know or even want to know how they are doing besides our normal "good" response?  Their is so much more going on in our "good" lives but we don't take the time to share what good it is.. weather bad good or great good.  Relationships are a key to life.  The more I develop the existing friendships the more I long for even deeper things within those relationships.  One key for me not to slip into pity mode is to invest time, energy, and listening ears not just one but BOTH.  I say I am stuck in the middle not in a bad way but in a way that I have relationships here that I know will always be here and family down a few countries away that might not always be there or will constantly be changing.

Yes this weekend was a great relational weekend.  Graduation parties for the class that were just baby freshman when I was a senior; congratulating them on a job well done and whoa I was so humbled by the stories of when I had taken time as the "elder" to listen, laugh, or cry with them.  Class of 2014 I am blessed by you!  A wedding of a very dear and special brotherly friend to an amazing woman!  May God richly bless you as you begin the new chapter together!  And the dance was the best ever with amazing friends!  Then watching commencement as my sister walked across the stage to receive her diploma from a special uncle!  And her awesome party where once again I was able to share my Guatemala experience and just catch up with those I haven't seen in a few months!  It was wonderful to reconnect relationships!  And lastly having to say goodbye to friends as they ventured back after graduation from college, not knowing when I will be able to see them but hopefully sooner than later since I struggle with this patience thing!

I am so blessed and look forward to warmer weather, bonfires, and moving the lawn.  But more importantly building relationships to last and deepening the existing relationships I have.  As I am in the patience zone, God is teaching me to really listen to the answers of :good: and date to ask more of them instead of just settling for an answer I know is only surface level.  I challenge you tomorrow to challenge those you love to be better than good everyday but rather be honest about the real issues high or low going on.  We might all be surprised how admitting the truth will bring us closer.  I know I have sad days and happy days but thru it all I have to remember who it is that I will keep my focus on.. my life is lived for an audience of 1

Did someone mention GRADUATE?!?!?!

May is absolutely flying... where has the time gone?!  Actually that is how I feel about the past 4 years as my little sis GRADUATES.....wait yes for real she is GRADUATING!!!!   It feels like yesterday I was the big "senior" sister she was looking up to and I was the one standing up and stepping in for her.  Now as I have been blessed to watch her grow and blossom into a lovely young woman; I am proud!  We have spent so much time bonding and no one quite understands me like she does.  We never really fight, yes we disagree from time to time but a heart beat later we are joking and going to Walmart together.  She is the one I can always count on for a funny Pinterest joke or a goofy text to cheer up any bad day I might be having.  It is crazy how different we are but yet we tolerate and love each other in a weird but totally normal way!  I remember all the teasing and deep talks we have shared throughout the years, moments I will always treasure and cherish.  And yes all those crushes I would tease you about or how much better my driving skills will always be compared to yours.. simply because I am older!  It feels like yesterday I was looking for you in the hallway, coaching you thru basketball practice, or getting ticked at you for ALWAYS making me late for school (which we never really were).  It has been fun working in the Pet Lodge together and always getting into trouble for being the "naughty two".  The trouble we got in was minimal but the memories monumental.  All those pranks or silly nights of sparkling grape juice need to always be a part of our routine together no matter how old we become!  I will always be the proudest big sister of you no matter how old we get!!

Jules I am proud how you have been the Senior sister standing up and stepping in for Em!  I have enjoyed this year watching you two bond and grow closer as the year is almost over cherish and treasure the last few days you have in school together because it won't ever quite be the same!  I love you and can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for you in the future