living, really living...

I just spent a lovely evening with great friends enjoying incredible music in the midst of God's creation.  What a way to spend the first day of SUMMER!  Yes, it was a mere 100 degrees but it was completely worth it!

During this time, a friend and I had a very insightful conversation about how the different the world would be if every single person at this concert picked up one piece of trash on their way out of the park.  This lead to many more hypothetical situations such as:

what if every person in this park....

• donated blood tonight
  
• wore their seatbelt every time they got in a car
  
• became an educated voter and exercised their right and privilege to vote
  
• carpooled to work on Monday
  
• turned off the water while brushing their teeth
  
• called a long-lost friend this weekend
• stood up for their beliefs

Perhaps as adults, we can justify sitting around on a Friday evening talking about how we'd like to change the world.  I suppose there's no need to justify this type of conversation but it got me thinking, and that's normally a good thing.

I have a friend who has a list of "10 Thoughts on Whole Living" on her wall at home and I think it applies to my conversation tonight. Perhaps you'll enjoy it and hopefully be able to check some things off your list.

"10 Thoughts on Whole Living"

1. Inspiration can't be rushed.  Learn to linger.
2. Love for the earth begins with a sense of wild.
3. The spiritual and the physical cannot be separated; you need one to experience the other.
4. Never underestimate the power of pen and paper.
5. Alignment comes naturally. Balance cannot be achieved by force.
6. Yoga is more than a series of poses; it's an approach to life and to the world around you.
7. Let your breath bring you back down to earth.
8. Fun is not an occasion - it's a way to live your life.
9. True relaxation is productive; it helps keep you whole.
10. Admit to yourself what you don't know, and you begin to evolve.

I think my favorite is number 8...

Live a FUN life....and do your part! 

living with intention

I recently came across a blog from Steven Curtis Chapman who just lost his youngest daughter Maria, in a terrible automobile accident.  Since the accident, his song 'Cinderella' has been in the Top 10 on iTunes.  Chapman reflected upon this and wrote about how he realized how the significance of the song and it's message have become more profound. 

He wrote on his blog...."Before last Thursday the song encouraged us to be better, to be intentional and not miss moments. What's a stronger word for encourage? It urges us, it jumps and yells for our attention, it boldly pushes us against the wall like a good friend and says..."don't miss these moments"....I want to be different. It's not that I was a bad Dad or husband last week. It's just I want the new normal to mean more than we lost Maria. I want the new normal to also mean my legacy will be different and stronger and bolder and better. How about you?"

I hope this gives you as much encouragement as it gives me.  What a powerful statement: DON'T MISS THESE MOMENTS.  These moments make and shape us every single day.  

Cinderella (chorus) 

by Steven Curtis Chapman

So I will dance with Cinderella

While she is here in my arms

'Cause I know something the prince never knew

Oh I will dance with Cinderella

I don't wanna miss even one song,

'Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight

And she'll be gone.....

Be blessed and be well....

"goodbye"

Well, here goes....my first attempt at blogging! I find myself spending hours and hours online reading blogs (some written by friends but most written by complete strangers) so I figured I'd begin my own blog in hopes of helping someone (like me) gain insight just like I've gained.

So I begin with a "goodbye".... As a journalism major, I've come to realize how much is really in a word.  Webster defines the word as a farewell; an acknowledgement of a parting or leave-taking. A little over a week ago I said "goodbye" and for the first time I really felt like it was an "acknowledgement of a parting" until the two parties (one being me) meet again.  Over this past week I've reflected on that moment and how life takes us through ups and downs....forcing us to say "goodbye" and sometimes a "see you later".  Life is all about transitions and growing into the life God has planned for us.  We move from one stage into another and sometimes saying 'goodbye' or 'see you later' is the best option.  

So with that I say...."here goes".  Join me in this ride as I take off into the world of blogging. Occasionally it's good to take a look around and really 'stop pretending' and start enjoying what's real....a life without pretending.