I have never met Mother Theresa and never studied her life either
but she always had words of wisdom to share within the midst of her poverty and life giving mantra.
If we could only grasp just a few of these small bits of encouragement.
I think we would learn new ways to be and do and share and live with others.
Just a little …
Something to think about today
Our trip to the beach was wonderful.
The children were so good and grandma and grandpa just relaxed and let the parents do the care taking.
We are hoping to make this a new tradition.
The beach is always so inviting.
I love it and could actually live nearby if possible.
Two days it was so foggy one could stand on the sand and hear the ocean but not see it.
It was a strange experience to be fogged in so thick that day.
The next day it was warm with exceptionally nice weather around 70 degrees then the day after that it was cool 65 with a brisk wind and one needed a sweater to be comfortable.
The beach weather changes by the day and sometimes even by the hour.
There were two weddings.
We were able to see one bride and groom on the beach taking pictures and enjoying the best day out.
I could not imagine getting married at the crosses where I so love.
Their ‘place for committment’ was high above the cliffs and high above the surf where the crosses stand against the open sky and ocean.
How fun… but oh I kept thinking of that beautiful white wedding dress dragging in the sand as they walked and posed for pictures.
We had a great time with family and next year it will be even better.
A tradition for us all we hope.
Beach time with kids and families.
This weekend we are going away for three days with the grand children.
I can’t wait.
It should be fun and perhaps the beginning of a new tradition.
Not only will we have Thanksgiving and Christmas to create memories with them maybe we can have a few days in the summer to always look back on.
I want our grand children to remember us as fun and youthful and refreshing to be around.
Yes we do make them mind but when the parents are around it is their job to discipline it is our job to create fun and not get in the way of the parents who are trying to do their job.
The beach is always a fun place for kids.
They can play and dig and run and skip and just enjoy being outside.
It is a place to relax and kick back away from life’s struggles and worries.
It is refreshing to hear the waves roaring and feel the wind blowing.
The forecast is supposed to be about 70 degrees.
We are getting away and I am ready for some sand and some moments spent together as a family.
Do you have special memories with your grandparents?
Were they fun and something you wish you could go back and do them again?
I pray that today you can remember some of those times and even maybe do some writing or talking about them with someone close to you.
A time away from life’s chores and duties and responsibilities is good for all of us.
This weekend we are taking the time to get away to have fun relax and make new memories.
(the top picture is of Faith when she was very small about age three with grandpa. The others were Faith this summer and her sisters having fun. Our son and his son Samuel when he was about age two and the crosses are on the top of a hill overlooking the beach where we go…it is my favorite place)
Have you ever had a life altering experience?
Something that took place at one point in your lifetime
that forever changed you and forever changed the direction you were perhaps going?
Altered means: to change or make different
: to adjust
Life changes will happen but sometimes those life changes
change us immediately and there is no choice.
The day you graduate from high school is the day you become more of an adult.
The day you graduate from college is the day your dreams begin.
The wedding day creates for you a life altering experience
you no longer think of yourself only
you learn to think of another.
The day your new baby is born
forever you become a ‘parent’.
Another life altering experience.
Mary’s life was altered the moment the angel told her
“you will be with child and you will be the mother of the Son of God.”
It was an especially difficult altering experience for her
to be with child and not be married would mean she could have been stoned.
All of us have life altering experiences that happen to us.
The key for us is the process we apply when dealing with the new ‘experience.’
It is all about our attitude.
Mary accepted what the angel said with a willing heart and an open spirit.
It is all about our ability to cope.
Mary went to her cousin Elizabeths house for enouragement.
It is within the midst of our life change where we must make a choice.
I watched a special on September 11th last night and it brought to mind all the ‘life altering’ situations of everyone who were involved in that tragedy. Not one person got up that morning including the President of the United States and thought about the twin towers crashing down or planes attacking or thousands dying.
It wasn’t something anyone could even think about but for those who were there it was a definate life altering experience.
President Bush was telling the stories of how he felt during the horrible tragedy and he said,
“One day this will be looked upon and remembered just as the Pearl Harbor attack and other unfortunate moments in our history. But for us for the ones who were there and who saw the horrific evil and devastation we will be changed forever.“
How many of those survivors came away with a new appreciation for life?
They had no choice but to move forward from the life altering experience.
Loved ones were lost forever.
Goodbyes were never said.
The lesson for me in all this is to remember
when not if a life changing event takes place
the question to ask myself is this:
will this experience make me a better or a bitter person?
Am I going to allow this to harden my heart or soften it?
What moment in time changed you forever?
Do you remember how you responded to it?
Just a question for all of us to think about.
Simplicity
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