Cherish Those in Your Life

One year ago today, my mom and I arrived in Iowa to visit family.  I hadn't been back to see family in twenty years.  We had great visits, although our time together was short.  We had a family gathering one afternoon with many of my mom's aunts, uncles, cousins, and their kids.  As I looked around the room, I thought of all who were not there, who had passed away, including my Gram.  I cherished the memory of every face as I took in each one, young or old, and wondered how long it would be before I would see them again.  Since I didn't know when I would be back to Iowa, I also wondered how many I would not see again, at least on this side of life. 


In the past year, three of those precious faces are no longer on this earth.  Two uncles, and one aunt have passed away, two of them just in the past three days.  They are all from my Gram's side of the family, one sister, one brother, and one brother in law.  The past three days contain a lot of grief for my family to process.  All of them lived wonderful lives, filled with loving family members, but they will be missed.  My prayers and thoughts are with my family in Iowa and Minnesota as they process the sadness, and celebrate the lives of two wonderful people this week.  


Life is precious and short.  Even if we live to be old, life is short.  Don't let a day go by without loving on your family, those who are important to you.  Speak words of love to them, as well.  Live each day without regrets, with nothing good left unsaid as far as love and appreciation to your family and close friends.  Don't hold grudges or keep records of wrong that have been done to you, but be kind and loving, offering forgiveness when needed, as well as saying you are sorry when needed.  Live each day intentionally.  Live each day as if it's your last and leave a loving, wonderful legacy.  Each day we are given is a gift, so live your life on purpose, don't waste your life or your time.  


If you spend more time on facebook, texting, on other social media, or watching television, than you do with people, you aren't living a legacy that others will remember.  Times that matter are times when we actually are with people, face to face, or actually speaking to them over the phone, not texting or messaging.  I text, facebook, and message, but nothing compares to face to face, or voice to voice interaction with others.  It seems actual, real life conversation is becoming a lost art in our society.  Invest your time in people and with God.  Live your life to make a difference.  Cherish those that have been placed in your life and don't take one moment of life for granted.  The book of James says life is like a mist, a vapor. I don't know if you have watched how long mists and vapors last, but it's not long, so don't waste what you are given.  Be a gift to those around you, and cherish your times together.  Intentionally make memories with your loved ones, laugh with one another, talk, play games, go outside and enjoy creation.  You won't regret a life lived to make a difference, a life lived intentionally, a life lived on purpose, as you love those around you!  

Double Dose

Come over  to Capturing LIfe Through My Lens and take a peek at my double dose of fawns I saw yesterday.  They are just adorable!  I was so thankful for the wonderful treat God provided for me to see, on a day when I really needed it.  

New Photo Venture

I have been thinking of ways to challenge my photography a bit.  I take a lot of pictures, which anyone who knows me can tell you!  I love photography, it's my stress reliever.  I have been thinking about doing something different, something intentional.  I decided to start another blog site and do a picture a day for a year.  I would love for you to join me in the journey and see what type of fun pictures we can capture, and what type of special memories we can create.  I think it will be fun to look back over a year of pictures.  If you can only do a picture a week, that's great, too, but at least you are creating some type of photo memory, or photo journal.


If you would like to join me, join at any time!  Please send me a link to  your blog, so we can create a network of photo blogs, and see what our photo journals show us throughout the year.  


I am going to post one theme a week, if you want to participate in that theme.  I will also post other meaningful things that help me to remember that week.  


My photo site is...  Capturing Life Through My Lens  Please visit, and if inclined, please make your own blog site, and join me.  I think it will be fun, challenging, and will help me to work on my photo skills as I stretch to capture something different than my normal pictures.  

Everything Good

A Day Out Fishing

My hubby and I were out fishing recently, when we suddenly had a visitor come tromping down through the yards, into the lake.  We were joined by Bullwinkle.  He stayed around for about an hour, feasting on lily pads and other plants out in the channel.  My fishing abruptly stopped, and my picture taking and admiration of Bullwinkle filled the hour.  I love living in the Northwest and getting surprises like this when we are out and about.  

Attitude

I thought this quote on attitude was a great way to start off the week.....

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.  Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past - we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude - I am convinced that life is ten percent what happens to me and ninety percent how I react to it. And so it is with you - we are in charge of our attitudes.

Charles (Chuck) Swindoll

Do You Have a Checklist?

As a follower of Christ, I have often been told, since I was young, to put God as the number one priority in my life.  At times I have, at times I have not.  There were times when I was so busy trying to make sure God was my number one priority, that He wasn't because I was too centered on my God checklist...prayer, bible study, personal time in God's word, ministry, serving, devotions, you get the idea.  All those are great in themselves, but not when the focus is on the task more than it is on God.  Other times, my priorities shifted and God was put behind my marriage, my family, friendships, my job, ministry, health issues, worry, circumstances.  It was at those times I would panic because I hadn't been spending my 1/2 hour in prayer in the mornings, or my allotted time in the Bible, or I missed two days in a row of not writing in my journal.  All these of course, are MY ideas, not God's.  I would think I had to get God back as my number one priority, or I was in big trouble.  It was something I felt like I failed at all the time because I felt I never DID enough.  

I have learned that the 'making God the number one priority by going through my checklist' is not what God wants.  God wants all of me.  He wants me to be with Him, not focused on a checklist.  A true relationship with my Creator, my Savior, has brought me to understand that concept, and now, God is at the core of who I am, the center of my life.  I breathe prayers to Him all day long, as I go about my day.  I reflect on His word throughout the day, not only by reading, but by remembering, by having His word hidden in my heart so that it is always there.  My life is now God centered, not checklist centered.  It is so much easier to love God that way, and it takes so much self-inflicted performance anxiety away and lets me just be.  Just as I want to spend time with my husband to enrich and grow our relationship, I do the same with my Savior.  Because of grace and mercy offered to me, to all of us, through Christ, I don't have to keep my checklist anymore.  I just have to be with God, in everything.


If God is woven into every aspect of my life, then He is in everything I do, everything I am, my relationships, my marriage, my family, friendships, careers, and things I am involved in.  Living like this means God is a part of my decisions, He is always apart of everything I do.  Do I always get things right, or always remember to invite Him to join me?  Far from it, but it's ok because just like my relationship with my husband, I can mess up and he forgives me, or we laugh about it, and we move on.  God is the same way.  I know He has to laugh at some of the decisions I make, and when I really mess up, He is there to help me back up, dust me off, and offer me grace to begin again.  


The core of my life is Christ.  I try my best to put Him in the center of all I do, of all I am.  I spend time in His word and in prayer because I want to not because I have to.  It's when I try to do things on my own and take Christ out of the center of my life that things spin out of control.  When He is in the center, I can be assured He is there, offering calm in the stormy times of life, giving me His strength to make it through.  


I posted this song before, but it's going through my head as I am writing about putting God in the center of my life, making Him my everything.  There are a lot of great truths in this song, so take time to just close your eyes and listen with your heart.  

One Thing Remains

We Are Sorry, This Blog Has Been Interrupted By Summer

Since Summer FINALLY arrived here in the Northwest, I haven't been on the computer much.  I have been outside, enjoying the sunshine, my garden, flowers, and family.  

First 3D movie for all of us!  Cars 2

The Way

Jeremy Camp - The Way
From the album We Cry Out
All creation cries out with longing
With groans only You could comprehend
And with wisdom, You always answer
And give the words of life
So unfailing

And Your glory shines all around us
Your faithfulness shown for all to see
When we think of all of Your wonders
The beauty of Your plan that's been revealed
We walk in Your light
When we walk in it

(Chorus)
Shine, bright
Let Your glory fill this land
Lift high,
The King of Kings and great I AM
Jesus, You are the way

We can see the works of Your loving hands
With the hope and peace not made by man
When You poured out Your grace and Your mercy
And You held out Your arms
So we can see
And bled for all mankind
Set the captives free

Chorus

Jesus You are the way

Chorus

Jesus You are the way 

Happy 4th

As we celebrate our country's birthday and freedom today, remember to be thankful for your freedoms, and to take a stand for them.  Our freedom's have come at a great cost to many.  Stand strong and proud as an American, not only today, but everyday.  


Thank  you to all who have fought, and continue to fight, to keep our country free.