Caring About Today

I think if we all stop and take a good look, there is a lot to love about today. A lot to treasure. A lot of things we may want to take the time to really live and absorb and make a part of ourselves. We get so busy sometimes hoping for the things that we don't have yet, that we miss some wonderful opportunities to experience life today.

I've been trying to make it a point to think about this every day. There are new people that have come into Leonard's and my life that I hadn't really taken the time to appreciate. Why are they in our lives now? What love and support can we offer in their efforts to be closer to Jesus?

We have a wedding coming up. We are thinking so much about the wedding day, I hadn't really taken the time to stand back and enjoy the excitement in my daughter's eyes today. Today we looked for jewelry, and the time we spent together doing it? I'll treasure it in my heart forever.

Every day our grandkids are coming up with something new. They're at the age where they're constantly discovering and learning... and then taking those things and making them a part of their own unique little personalities.

My oldest daughter, Jenelle, is going to college, majoring in English ed. It's easy to be so focused on where she's trying to get to that we miss how very blessed she is to be having the experiences she is having on campus every day. She has met so many people that never would have been a part of her life had she not taken on this adventure. Every relationship, every encounter, every experience that she has on the way to that degree is so very important.

Today is often rushed. How much can we get done? Who needs to be where? What time is it now? But oh, the joy when we choose to open our eyes and take the time to appreciate the things we're doing . . .  and the people we're doing them with.

The Tired Boy

This is my grandson, Ezekiel.

Rachel had to run out to pick up Aaron last night and she asked us to keep an eye on Ezekiel while he ate. One minute he was sitting in his booster chair eating his dinner as he does every evening, and the next he sat with his arm over his eyes, sound asleep. Not even budging. (And not looking terribly comfortable.) Sound asleep.

Doesn't it seem that kids know a little something about the importance of rest that we adults have lost touch with?

Expect God to Do Great Things

I once heard faith defined as "expecting that God will do great things". (Not to be confused with "expecting that God will do what you want him to do") That particular definition is really inspiring to me.

God, by his nature, will do great things. If we will take the time to notice, I am convinced we will be able to identify daily great things he has done all around us. I am so inspired by this concept, I've asked my sister-in-law to make me a small sign to hang above our doorway. The last thing we will see as we leave the house in the morning is "Expect God to Do Great Things Today!" (A little reminder never hurts.)

Today Jenelle left town once again to head back to college in Minnesota. Before she left, I snapped a picture:

The man on the left? A devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He takes the time to be sure that all of us know we are loved and well cared for. Then there's Jenelle. Somehow going to a Christian college that no ordinary person can really afford, learning things about herself and the path God has for her. Rachel, with a husband and two children that she adores, and who adore her. Then little Ellie. No, she's not asleep. She's not even shy. It's her baby sense of humor! Every time I said I was going to take the picture, she'd lay her head down and pretend to be sleeping! She's funny already.

It's moments like these that I capture in my heart. Who needs a sign over the doorway? God has done great things today.

Preoccupied

I've been a little pre-occupied the past few weeks. It's certainly not that God hasn't been doing a work in my life, because HE HAS!!! I feel like every day I'm more aware of how important it is to live life for things that are eternal rather than getting caught up with "worldly priorities". But you see, Rachel's wedding is coming up on December 5th, and as it gets closer and closer...
IT'S ALL I CAN THINK ABOUT!!!

If there is anything more wonderful than getting to help plan your daughter's wedding, I don't know what it is. If you want a sneak peek, here is their webpage www.theknot.com/ourwedding/RachelRamirez&AaronRamirez

The reception is going to be a "Winter Wonderland". And my favorite touch? The little hot cocoa bar. Or is it the firepit on the deck? Or the cheesecake? Or the white branches with little snowflakes hanging down inside vases with glowing light boxes? Maybe it will be the fabric hanging on the walls with the twinkling icy blue, pink and lavender lights behind it. Or the cocktail hour? With chips, salsa and blue margaritas? What fun! It's so hard to decide what my favorite part will be.

But it won't be hard on the 5th. Because I know the moment I see my baby girl in her beautiful gown, walking down the aisle. That's all that will matter to me.

Revelation

The past few days have been filled with a series of personal revelations. Sunday was exceptional. We had a guest speaker at church and what he said pierced my heart right to the center. He was talking about people who were created to love and to have joy. Now obviously, we're all supposed to have love and joy... but he was talking about a specific gifting in this area. And he talked about how sad it is when someone loses it.

I felt like he was talking straight to me.

It's not that I walk around depressed or anything. But I know the difference. I know the difference in the way I am now as opposed to the time when I saw hope in every situation and always had encouragement to offer. Not out of obligation... but because I really believed good things were ahead. Then over the course of time different things happened that just made me feel like I needed to sit down. My whole Christian life I'd been jumping around cheering the world on. It was time to sit down.

I have still maintained great faith in God. And my love for him still runs deep. That's probably the only reason I was able to hear what He was saying to me. It's time to stand up. It's time to let my faith in Him shine again. It's time to remember the limitless possibilities of living life with God. And over the weekend I renewed my promise to God to live my life wholly for Him.

Then today it hit... financial problems, relational problems, work problems... I was drowning in problems. Doesn't it seem like this happens every time you renew a vow to God? I've heard people say the devil attacks you whenever you start to be a threat to him, but I don't think that was the case this time. I pulled up to a client's parking lot and asked God how I was supposed to go in there with a smile on my face. And then came the greatest revelation of them all. As one thing after another hit me today, I started to lose my joy. And as I sat in that parking lot, I heard God ask me, "So are you in, or aren't you?" And it all came spilling out... This Is Life. There will continue to be hardships, some big and some small, sometimes spread out and sometimes all at once. But either I'm in or I'm out. No ceilings where I say I trust you unless it gets this bad. Either I believe He is the King of Kings and I wholly give my life to Him, or I don't. When one thing after another hits me, will I still trust that He knows what He's doing? If I really trust Him, then I trust Him with everything. Everything.

And Lord, in answer to your question..... I'm in.