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God Present in the Present

Moving forward into the Future does not leave the Past behind. Moving forward to the Future brings the best and the worst of the Past into a union, a marriage we know as the Present.
It is the marriage of reality.

There are days when it simply feels like my heart has been shredded. On these same days, God takes the shredded fragments of my heart and places them in His care, for His glory. In His hand they are transformed into lights of hope – the offspring as it were, of this marriage.
Death into life. New creation. Light from darkness. Beauty from ashes… Therein lies the hope, the peace, the joy that sustains and gives strength for the future.
It has become more than cliché to say, “I don’t know what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future.”


I may not always be able to share my present with those whom I cherish on earth, but I can and will always share it with Him.

Live Love Laugh Learn

Live Love Laugh Learn

You can’t have any one of these without the other.

As I am (admittedly 🧐) growing older, it’s difficult to deny that I have regrets. But, out of all my regrets, disappointments, and mistakes, the ones that are the most legitimate involve relationships.

Live – as if each day were your last, because it just might be, and if not, you will have successfully made one more memory upon which to build more.

Love – those who are closest to you, because those memories will live on, long after one of you have gone on to heaven. And remember – you will never learn to love if you never learn to forgive!

Laugh – no matter what the situation is, if it’s worth laughing about later, it’s worth laughing about now. And if it is the worst situation possible, those moments of laughter can make the worst bearable.

Learn – we all have so much to learn from one another. We all have different experiences and perspectives on those experiences! (Why are there 4 Gospels instead of just 1 – all telling the same story!?)

It’s all about making an impact, a difference, a legacy, by allowing others to have an impact on you.

Cherish the day, for tomorrow is promised to no one!

  • dedicated to my Mom, my Dad, my Gramma, Brother, Aunts, Uncles, Cousin, (several) Friends, and Husband who all beat me to heaven. I wish heaven had FaceTime! And to my own children, grandchildren and other family whom I barely see – I love you more than you will ever know – until you realize you have (admittedly 🧐) grown older, and time & opportunity have disappeared like the morning dew.

Love Never Fails

So Many Questions

If I were to ask you to define, “Love,” how would you define it? What would be the basis of your conclusion?  Is it simply an emotion, subject to the interpretation of the one experiencing this “Love?”  Or, is it an action, one that elicits and expects a response from someone else?  If that is the case, then is it conditional – dependent upon such response, and if so, what is the deciding factor, the basis, for the structure of this Love?  Would it be how it makes the giver feel, or the recipient?  Who decides?  Does true Love even exist, or is it only a figment of our imagination, wishful thinking, as it were? 
I believe Love is all of these things, and yet, true Love is none of these things.

Love’s Origin

In order to define Love, we should determine the origin and the source of Love.  According to the Holy Bible, the Book of Genesis, chapter 1, “In the Beginning” God created all things (wouldn’t that include Love?) and according to the Book of 1John, chapter 8, verses 4 and 16, God IS Love (emphasis mine).  If we are to take the Bible literally, and I do, then further research is needed to determine the definition.  If God is Love, then Love is God.  Therefore, Love can be defined by the character of God Himself.

What Kind of Love is This?

In the Bible, there are several words translated into our English word, “Love.”  However, the New Testament, written in Greek, uses different Greek words for different types of Love: “storgi,” which means affection, like the love one would have for his pet; “eros,” where we get our English word, “erotic,” is a physical, or sexual love; and “phileo,” as in, “Philadelphia,” which is a brotherly love – a do unto others as you want them to do for you kind of love.  These types of love look for and depend upon a favorable response in order to be activated.  It is love that is given with the expectation of being loved in return.  But, true Love, the purest Love, is a Greek word, “agape.”  This is true Love, the purest Love, unconditional Love, the Love described as God’s Love, and only comes from one source, God Himself.  This is demonstrated in the Bible, in the reality that we have a huge problem, and yet, because of God’s Love, He has provided the solution. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” and Romans 6:23 states,  “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” And in Romans 5:8, “God demonstrates His own Love (agape) toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  John 3:16 says, “God so Loved (agape) the world, that He gave His only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  In other words, Jesus Christ died in place of those who sinned,  and our problem is, we have all sinned, and deserve death. His solution? Christ died in our place, for those God Loved, not for those who loved God. He died because He is Love, because He Loved the world so much, He gave… not received.  If you want to see what Love looks like,  study the life of Jesus in the Gospels – the Books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, but especially the Book of John.

Can I Truly Love?

So, if God alone is capable of pure Love, where does that leave us?  Can we Love like God, or with God’s Love?  Absolutely.  We not only can, we are commanded to, if we say we know God.  “Beloved, let us Love one another, for Love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not Love does not know God, for God is Love. In this the Love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is Love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”  (1John 4:7-10.)  How does this happen?  “Now hope does not disappoint, because the Love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:5-6)  Did you catch that?  “The Love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” because of what Christ has done.  We must only receive the gift of God, which is eternal life through Christ our Lord, and then receive the gift of His Love poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

My Definition

So, my definition of Love would be, that there certainly are different types of love, but true Love, the purest of Love, is an action, and comes from God Himself, as is defined in His Holy Scriptures: “Love suffers long and is kind; Love does not envy; Love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”  (1Corinthians 13:4-8a)  Definitely an action word, not just an emotion or wishful thinking.  Because God is Love, God’s Love is perfect, and God never fails, then Love never fails!  If God is Love, and Love is God, you can test that by putting “Jesus” – God’s Son, His Perfect Representation of Himself – in place of “Love” in this Scripture.  To test myself, to see if I am truly loving as He loves, I need only to put my own name in those verses above,  do a heart-check, a reality-check, then pray that, as stated in Romans 5, His Love would abound more and more in my heart, that I may demonstrate God to others, because God is Love, and true Love, God’s Love, never fails.

Conclusion

Love never fails – but I will. God knows our frame is but dust, God knows we will never be perfect this side of Heaven, God knows that we cannot and will not always Love as we should. But – should that stop us from pressing forward, always taking steps to that end – to Love as He Loves? Of course not. But be encouraged, although we fail, the very fact that God’s Love does not fail gives us hope. It is there to catch us when we fall, to encourage us when we fail, by forgiving us when that’s the last thing we deserve. Perhaps we should start there – by learning to choose to forgive, not only others but ourselves, when we fall short of perfection. In that very act, we will be exercising the Agape – the undeserved Love that God extends to us.

REWIND, REPLAY, OR REFLECT, REGROUP, REJOICE!?

MEMORIES
Thanks to modern technology, like most of you, I am able to memorialize my life in precious iPhone pictures. I have 10,363 photos at this moment! I won’t try to explain. Let’s just say, new son-in-laws, new grandson, new grandpups, and new location, and I need to electronically purge this year! Even with that many pictures it seems there are many events and memories that can only be accessed in my mind and heart.

REWIND AND REPLAY
Facebook has a feature which I love, but is flawed. The Facebook Memories will pop up and show you posts from on this day on the last year, two years, etc..  There is also a feature which is pretty cool, that makes a video for you without you asking it to, of photos of your past year at a glance. Kinda creepy in a way, but they usually turn out really nice with music in the background they make you feel like your own movie producer! The problem is: it is incomplete. For the sake of time, many memories are not included. If you are like me, and try to immortalize everything in a picture, that excludes a lot of memories. I could have a video of nothing but sunsets of 2019! (Hey, that’s actually not a bad idea!)

WHAT’S IMPORTANT
Facebook may have access to your public pictures, but they do NOT have access to your heart. Only you and your God know what is truly important to you.  Or do you?  In reviewing this last couple of years, I have a variety of posts on health, politics, etc., but one thing stuck out to me. I noticed a thread of commonality. God has blessed me in the last few years to enable me to do a bit of traveling, and some of those trips were a dream come true!  I have cataloged places, and nature, and events, but what is really precious to me are posts that inspire myself and others to seek God, and the pictures of my kids, grandkids, and their ‘stupid’ pets. This is key. For me, perhaps Facebook Memories is not too far offbase after all.

GOALS, DREAMS AND YOUR, “WHY”
There is a lot of talk in motivational circles, about “If your ‘Why’ doesn’t make you cry, then it is not strong enough!” And, of course, “It’s a new day! A new year! A new decade!” Looking back over the last decade, the last year, and I would say even the last 24 hours, what would I do differently? This is not to instill regret or guilt upon this day, but rather, hope. Today is a new day. I am watching the sunrise through my window as I type this, and know I will never see THIS sunrise again. But there’s another one tomorrow. Looking over this last year, I can rewind and replay, as it were; keep doing the same thing I did last year, and not make any progress toward my goals and dreams; or I can learn from what I did, assess what I value, and make changes accordingly. What do I want to do differently this year – this day? What are my goals and dreams?  Perhaps I should start there?! If I haven’t defined what is really important to me, then I will have nothing to prioritize. Is it time to reflect and regroup?

TODAY IS A NEW DAY
Behold, old things have passed away, all things have become new.  We are given this day, this moment. This seems to have become my mantra. We really are NOT promised tomorrow, or even all of today. But we must live for today, planning for tomorrow, or we live as a fool in the midst of fools. Do we live life, or just let life happen? I am not sure how that plays out in your life, but in mine, it means that each and every day, I need help. I need help identifying what is important, just for that day, and rejoice in the moment. This helps explain the 10,000+ pictures, and the amazing sunsets I have to look back upon. But, I would be a fool to stop there. To rewind and replay is not to push pause and remain indefinitely looking at the same screen, but rather to reflect, regroup and rejoice in the past memories, in the moments in front of me, and the possibilities of tomorrow. 

THERE IS HOPE
There is always hope. Yes, I have regrets. Yes, there are times I wish I could have a do-over.  The good news is, today is your “do-over”. There is grace sufficient for the day, and wisdom available to plan for tomorrow.  One step at a time, one moment at a time, one hurdle at a time, always looking toward the goal, the next finish line.  Be open to God’s direction. He is the one who can help. He holds today AND tomorrow in His hands, and has a plan for you that is better than anything you could possibly plan for yourself.  Rejoice! Keep your eyes on Him, and He will direct your path, because there is nothing He wants more than to lead you on the path of an abundant life. I will ask Him for help. I will pray. I will pray for you, will you pray for me?

AS FOR YOU (Part Two)

NOT END OF STORY
God, in His gentle persuasion never lets me stop there, at least not for long. Why? How? Because of the Cross.  This is the Cross that He took on willingly for me, while I was yet a sinner. Am I willing to die for those who betrayed me? Probably not. Then, I am no better than them. Why is forgiveness the better choice – for me & for you, not just them? Let’s explore that a bit?

RESULTS AND CONSEQUENCES
Yesterday we were presented with a couple of options in response to a friend’s betrayal: Retaliation, indifference, forgiveness, and love.

RETALIATION
What would be the result of retaliation?  Whether physical, verbal, written or otherwise, it only results in heightened emotions and circumstance, a damaged reputation (theirs AND yours), and does not deal with the original problem at all. Consequences would not change for the better, and if anything, only serves to escalate the situation.

INDIFFERENCE
We also saw that indifference is merely retaliation disguised, masquerading as forgiveness. The result of indifference would be a hardened heart, and possibly a root of bitterness, which grows into an ugly, life-zapping parasite, a poison that affects the whole body. (That’s a whole other topic for another day!). The more this is practiced, the more pride takes hold, and distrust and mistrust begin to reign, until you become as the one you were offended by. Before long, as that root of bitterness begins to sprout, you become the betrayer. 

FORGIVENESS
Which leaves us with forgiveness. I think part of our problem with forgiveness is our very definition of the term.  What it is not? – Condoning or excusing their actions, even if you can come up with a good reason for them to have done what they did.  Wrong is still wrong. It is not – “letting them get away with murder.” There will be consequences to their actions – from the Righteous Judge; it doesn’t have to come from you. It is not – ‘forgive and forget’ – God does not want us to be stupid. If you are in an abusive or unhealthy relationship with someone, just because you forgive them, does not mean you have to put yourself in the same situation to be abused again.  One definition of insanity is to repeat the same action expecting different results.  It is not – expecting them to change.

Forgiveness changes us, not the betrayer. Forgiveness is unconditional.  Let me say that again? Forgiveness is UN-conditional. No strings attached. It is for you, not for them. It releases you from the pain, from the bitterness, from the fear, from the regret, from all that the situation may have stirred up within you, and frees you to be open to trust and love again. It may not change the current circumstance, but it can help keep you from making it worse, and to avoid that circumstance in the future. 

REMEMBER
Live, Love, Laugh, and Learn. When you choose to forgive, you choose to live a life of love, and the situation can become laughable. Forgiveness becomes your superpower! You can learn to deal with anything, and laugh in the face of danger. Ha Ha!!!  If it’s worth laughing about later, it’s worth laughing about now. How much did they hurt you, really? Is it worth agonizing over, and stopping your life for?

IF IT WERE YOU
What if the betrayer was yourself?  What if that wave that took you off course was your own failure? You did something you either knew you shouldn’t have, or looking back was a really bad or self-destructive choice you made, or you didn’t do something you should have?  The same principles apply.  FORGIVE YOURSELF.  Ask God to forgive you, as He already died and paid for that sin, let Him take it. Move on. Rejoice in the One who loves you more than you could ever imagine. Laugh! Laugh at the fact that we tend to think our problems are too big for the God of the Universe to handle.  Absurd.

HOW?
Just a note of warning – if you choose to do this in your own strength, you may fail. There is no pride allowed in forgiveness.  God gives His Holy Spirit of Power to help His children to forgive as He forgives, so it is by His Power, in His Strength, and for His Glory – not yours. Pray! He WILL answer you.

If you do not know the God who chose to die for you, or want to know more about this forgiveness, leave a comment, and let’s talk!

AS FOR YOU
If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
  (Romans 12:18 – New King James Bible)

For he who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit.  Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him see peace and pursue it.  For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.
  (1Peter 3:10-12 – New King James Bible)

BUT AS FOR YOU…

HERE WE ARE AGAIN
It seems as if, just when you think you are headed for a little “smooth sailing,” you are hit broadside and nearly taken off course. The two waves that seem to have the greatest effect are either the result of personal failure, or the betrayal of a friend. That’s what happens when you are dealing with PEOPLE! But the real issue is neither the failure nor the betrayal, but how one responds to the PEOPLE!

Being faced with this again lately, as in many times in the past, I have a couple of choices: Retaliation, Indifference, or Forgiveness and Love.

RETALIATION
Retaliation is so tempting, it’s nearly irresistible. Even in God’s Word, it is justified in the Old Testament – an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and we even see the example of sacrifice to atone for one’s sin. But at the same time, in cases of accidental death, for example, God also provided Sanctuary Cities for those who were being sought after for vengeance at the hands of a family member. On the grounds of, “an eye for an eye…” I am justified, or at least in my own mind I could find ways to implement a certain amount of vengeance without guilt! “An eye for an eye” sounds like a titillating “cat-fight” worthy of Hollywood’s best! Movies like, “Mean Girls” and many of the reality shows of today, capitalize on our primitive, natural desire for vengeance. “Tit for tat” my Gramma used to say. “What goes around comes around!” And, why not? They may have hurt me, so maybe if I hurt them, at least they will know how it feels?! It sure would make ME feel better! But – is there an alternative? After all, if I go after them, it’s not going to end there…. Not a pretty picture….

INDIFFERENCE
Indifference in actuality is not really indifference at all. In reality it is harbored unforgiveness, and a passive aggressive means of retaliation. “I’ll show them who is in control!” “Why would I want to still be friends with, or reach out to, or consider one who has betrayed me?” It is not dealing with the issue at all, but rather, simply not blatantly acting out in violence, but disguising your unforgiveness as calmness, reserve, self-control. I can be pretty proud of myself when I respond in this manner. But it is just that – pride.

FORGIVENESS
Forgiveness? That makes no sense. Why would I let my guard down just to be hurt again? Let them “get away with murder?” (now I know where that expression came from!) Can’t do it. Won’t do it. It goes against everything natural in me. End of story.

to be continued……

HAPPY NEW YEAR?

HAPPY NEW YEAR?! – A Different Perspective

PARADE OF DREAMS
My memories of most New Year’s Eves of the past, are not really happy ones – only because of my expectations. My expectations were: to have fun, be loved, and start over. Isn’t that what it is all about??  A lot of responsibility for one night/day to carry, don’t you think?  I mean, we have been taught to believe, to expect, to have that perfect relationship on N.Y. Eve, or at the very least, ‘be kissed by that special someone’ at that magical stroke of midnight – as if that will wipe away all the disappointments of the previous year. We approach the New Year as if it is the end of our problems in our lives, and that they will all disintegrate with the smoke of the last firework, or disseminate into the fog of the morning as it lifts and melts, leaving behind in its trail, the Happy New Year parade of dreams yet to be fulfilled. Instead, we find that it is just the beginning of the journey into the new year of disappointment.

Resolutions or Insanity?
We make resolutions that we know will be broken, but hope they won’t. We carry our burdens and mistakes from the year past into the year approaching – and wonder why, come February, our lives haven’t taken a dramatic turn for the better.  Insanity, by definition, is repeating the same action and expecting different results.  ARE WE ALL INSANE!? Afraid so. But – we are NOT without hope.

As we approach the New Year, maybe this year we can take a different perspective.

God’s mercies are new EVERY MORNING
His faithfulness is from generation to generation.  For me, personally, I need to take EVERY thought captive, to reflect on God’s goodness, to recall His faithfulness, not just on New Year’s, but ESPECIALLY on New Year’s.  For me, the significance of the New Year has to simply be an occasion to build an altar of remembrance of what the Lord has done.

Many times in Scripture, we are told that the saints of old would lay up a pile of rocks, or build an altar to remember what the Lord had wrought for them at that time, in that place. God instructs us to remember, to rehearse, the works of God. He deserves the glory for what He has done, to be sure, but, as God works all things together for the good of those who love God, who are the called according to His purpose, this is for OUR benefit – not His. Do you think the God of the Universe really NEEDS anything from us??  He loves us, and knows we are but dust, and knows our struggles, our frailty. He knows that WE need the reminders.

The World tells us a different story
We have the world telling us: to be beautiful, but that we will never be beautiful enough; to think about ourselves, what we want, and how to get it – even at the expense of others; to be successful, but that we will never have enough; to not only “keep up with the Jones’”  but to beat them at their own game; to be happy, whatever it takes, but since we never have enough, not to be satisfied – because if you are, you will become lazy! We need to be MOTIVATED, INSPIRED, and PURPOSE-DRIVEN!  – And, of course, save the planet and love our fellow man – if it is convenient. 

When will we get it right?
When will we ever get the message – it is NOT about us. It is about the One who LOVES us – no matter what. It is about what HE has DONE for us, what HE DESIRES for us, the purposes and plans HE has for us that we miss every day. How do we miss them? Are we simply too busy trying to be happy, and successful – and meet our OWN expectations?

What ARE my expectations for 2020? 
I expect to be disappointed – only in myself.  Not that I won’t try, not that I won’t press forward to the goals set before me, and hopefully make progress, but, realistically, I expect to fail.  I expect to miss the mark.  I expect that my wildest dreams will NOT come true. I expect others to let me down because of my selfish expectations.  I expect that next New Year’s, I will still be looking for that Parade of yet to be fulfilled hopes and dreams.  BUT, I expect God to fulfill HIS promises, to never fail, to show me and fulfill in me and in my life: HIS purposes and plans for me, and for my future. I expect to forgive, and be forgiven. I expect that next year, as I look at the parade of hopes and dreams, I will see how God has not allowed my troubles to disintegrate with the fog, but has rather – clarified my vision of Him.

My hope is in Him
God has done great things. He has saved me from myself. He has delivered me from the torment of trying to please myself.  He will continue to give me His Grace to know – that when I DO fail, and I will, that He not only forgives me, He helps me forgive myself and His Grace will empower me to get just a little bit closer to the mark that He has ordained for me –  not that I have set for myself.  He has written MY NAME in the Book of Life – to be counted as an heir to all the blessings of heaven and earth in that final day – to live eternally in the joy and wonder of His presence.

He has loved me, and continues to love me, as no person ever could. He is my Father, my Brother, my Best Friend; He is my Husband, and the Lover of My Soul; the Creator of the Universe and the Author and Finisher of my faith; He is my Savior, Redeemer, and Lord.  He provides for me, comforts me, encourages, inspires and empowers me. He knows my future, and has great plans for me. He is my joy!

Happy New Year?  Maybe.  Joy unspeakable?  Definitely
May this coming year bring you closer to the One who loves you most, and find you resting in the fulfillment of your expectations of Him – who will never leave you or forsake you, and is always waiting to commune with you. May you find His wisdom in His word, His strength in your weakness, and His joy in your mourning.  Know that He has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness – and you WILL find Him, in every circumstance, His light in every shadow, and His presence in the midst of it all….. 

I love you, I really do – because Christ has loved me, gave Himself for me, and placed His love in my heart.  Have a BLESSED New Year – keep your eyes on Him – and don’t forget to look up – for your redemption draweth nigh….. 

SHALOM! – PEACE UPON PEACE  &  MARANATHA!!

WHAT’S A GIRL GONNA DO?

(Written on December 28th) It was
JUST ONE OF THOSE DAYS
I was awakened this morning with the haunting, unbearable burden for those whom I love, those whom I have not heard from this Christmas. Hoping they are safe… Cried and PRAYED. Gave them to the Lord – AGAIN.

I was supposed to come out to my son-in-law’s church this morning for worship practice.  After all, that is one of the main reasons I moved over 1300 miles this last year.  It was so foggy, I couldn’t see the trees in my own yard!  PRAYED.  Decided it wasn’t safe to venture out on the 60 mile drive. Trusting the Lord in His leading.

Because I didn’t make it to practice, we will lead worship tomorrow with little to no practice.  So, I waited it out, and after the winds came, and the rains began, I made my trek this afternoon. Usually a one hour drive, I arrived nearly 2 hours later. (Side note: You know Texas is having weather when the flow of traffic is 40 in an 80!)  PRAYED. Thankful I made it safe, and God will be the Strength in our weakness tomorrow, making up where we are lacking. 

Then, I had some personal business to attend to. Should’ve taken 10 minutes.  Here I am, after 53 minutes, after computer froze and nearly crashed, and the work is not even begun. PRAYED.  Computer finally rebooted, and seems no worse for the wear. Sighed a sigh of relief, and Rejoiced! So, here I am, writing this, instead of getting frustrated.

THE DAY IS NOT OVER
There is still work to be done, business to be attended to, and I’m sure more hurdles to climb – as opposed to jumping over them… My hurdles, obstacles, and bumps in the road are seldom ones I can jump over! More like crawl over! But each obstacle seems to give me the exercise that I need to be strong enough to get over the next one!

WHAT’S A GIRL TO DO?
Learn! Live, love, laugh, and learn. Some days are harder than others, and we will be addressing that a lot in the days to come. But every day has a few things in common:

1 – My weakness and lack of ability to overcome most circumstances on my own

2 – The avenue of prayer! I can talk to God, Who knows ALL things, and let Him do the worrying – not that He worries, but He fixes! I love that I can talk to Him, and even if I don’t yet have all the answers, I know He hears me!

3 – Choices. Every circumstance, every day is full of multiple choices. Waking up exhausted and burdened, should I just stay in bed today, and cry about what’s going on that I have no control over?  Sure is tempting! Should I wear and pack this – or that?  Should I eat healthy in spite of my depression & self-pity – or comfort binge? Should I drive in the fog to meet my commitment, or perhaps seek some wisdom?  Every day we are faced with choices – Choose LIFE! Choose PRAYER! Choose to Rejoice!  HOW???

REMEMBER
God has a plan. He always has a plan. His ways are not our ways, and THIS TOO SHALL PASS! It’s all part of your story, and if it’s worth laughing about later, it’s worth laughing about it now!

WHAT IF?

What if tomorrow never comes?

Yesterday (on the “About” page) I wrote about Christmas Eve – the excited anticipation of tomorrow. But, what if ?  What if tomorrow never comes?

For most of us, our tomorrow is NOT what we had anticipated.  Sometimes our tomorrow is actually greater – greater than, better than, so much more than we had anticipated, wished for or even dreamt of.  We received the gift we had wished for, and even more than we had wanted or dared to dream of.  Then there are the other packages – the ones that disappoint, that don’t meet our expectations, or even take the place of what we had been hoping for…

We are left with nothing but disappointment, with the reminders of the remnants of the empty packages and broken bows.

So, does that mean

WE STOP DREAMING?
Traditionally, December 26th is the worst day of the year for me.  It’s not only that we didn’t get all the gifts we had wanted, or that others didn’t like or appreciate what we gave them, because, maybe, just MAYBE, it was EVERYTHING we had hoped for, and MORE!

Then, December 26th – the worst day of the year?  Why?  Because

THE EXCITED ANTICIPATION IS GONE
The beautiful gifts are no longer under the tree.  The tree itself is crumbling, about to be tossed to the curb, only a bitter shadow of its former glorious self, or possibly disassembled and placed in the attic in its own anticipation, in hopes of another glorious celebration. You see, it’s

NOT JUST THE GIFTS
 – The unrealized dreams that fell flat, but the loss of the excitement, the anticipation of the possibility of realized hopes and dreams.

LIFE IS FUNNY THAT WAY
Our Journey consists of: Dreams, Anticipations, Realization, Disappointments, and HOPE. 

Some of us – have sabotaged our own dreams.
Some of us – have had our dreams stolen from us.
Some of us – have achieved and received more than we could have ever dared to think of or imagine.

Most of us – have experienced all the above.

SO WHY DREAM?
If we don’t dream we will never be disappointed! Yet, if we don’t dream, we also will never journey beyond the disappointment or even the enjoyment of the moment, into the beauty and blessing of hope for tomorrow.

STORIES ARE MEANT TO BE TOLD

PACKAGES ARE MEANT TO BE OPENED

TODAY IS YOUR STORY

HOPE IS YOURS & SOMEONE ELSE’S FUTURE

Today IS your story.  Yesterday is only a memory, tomorrow is still a mystery.  But today? Today is a gift, which is why it is called, “The Present.” (No, I didn’t steal that quote, which has become in itself another cliché – I actually wrote that in a hand-made greeting card I gave to my mom, over 50 years ago.  Part of my story…!)

Enjoy today, for tomorrow is promised to no one. 

YOUR LEGACY
Your legacy is simply the result of others benefiting from the gift of your story. Live in the excited anticipation of today. If you enjoy the gift of today, you will have a beautiful package to give to others.