525,600

How do you measure a life? In the musical “Rent” the cast sings, “525,600 minutes-how do you measure, measure a year? In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee, in inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife. In 525,600 minutes-how do you measure a year in the life?” Think for a moment: How do you measure a life? What is important to you?

We are all given the same gift of time. There are 525,600 minutes in 365 days. The older we get, the more the moments and the days and even the years seem to run together. How do you mark what is important? The song quoted above answers this way: “How about love? Measure in love. Seasons of love…” The love we share, the relationships we participate in, the friendships we enjoy are what give light and life to our moments and our days. We’ve all experienced how time seems to fly when we are with a loved one and conversely, how minutes drag on like days when we are apart. The trick is to make each moment count because all we are really given is this time right now. We can’t project 525,600 minutes into the future; all we have is this present moment.

In Psalm 103, the psalm writer reminds us that human beings are as inconsequential as dust and as ephemeral as a flower of the field. “The wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.” We human beings are uncomfortable with this notion of impermanence. We like to think that our lives mean something, that we leave a lasting legacy, that somehow we make our mark as we pass through life.

Recently, my family and I celebrated my father’s life. My dad passed away after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. Because my father fought so long and so hard, I had a lot of time to reflect on how to measure a life. As his physical body became weaker, Dad’s spirit remained strong. The essential qualities of his personality were not diminished even as his strength waned. The stories we shared at his funeral were all about the relationships that he had with each one of us and the love we shared. As one of my sisters said, “Dad made each one of us feel we were his favorite!” That’s a wonderful testimony to loving relationships.

As special as my father was, he wasn’t perfect. But our Heavenly Father is. The Bible assures us of this over and over again. Psalm 103 continues, “The steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting.” I can’t imagine a love more all-encompassing than from everlasting to everlasting! If you are feeling lonely and far from God, the good news is that God loves you, right now, just as you are! God loves you from everlasting to everlasting. May you experience this love all the moments of all your days. Blessings.

The meaning of life

...is not in the fridge.
...is not in the bag of chips.
...is not in the candy jar.

...could be found with a friend.
...could be found in learning something new.
...could be found sharing a smile.

March Fourth

Today is my favorite non-holiday day of the year!
Walkers unite and...MARCH FORTH!

Ironically, I bought a car one year ago, so...
I march forth with FOCUS!
(A red Ford Focus, that is!)

Have fun and remember, life is all about the process.
Join the procession and march forth, with focus!

Happy New Year 2010!

As we open our new calendars, hang them on the wall, and contemplate the pretty picture and the blank spaces just waiting to be filled with appointments, birthdays, meeting times and reminder notes, let’s take time to reflect. Remember all experiences that the past year has brought, give thanks for the present, and look forward with hope to the future.

Try summarizing 2009. What do you remember about the previous January? What stands out in February? Where were you last March? Try to jot down at least one outstanding event from each month. Now count your blessings. What are you especially thankful for today? What do you love about the stage of life you’re in right now? How do you spend your time and who do you spend it with? As the New Year dawns on the horizon, to what are you looking forward? What opportunities do you anticipate? Are you open to the unexpected surprises that life inevitably brings?

Revelation 21:5 states, “Behold, I am making all things new.” God offers you an invitation to a new life that’s even better than a blank calendar page. God chooses to dwell with us and calls us to be God’s people. This means that God is not a far-off, remote deity but a living presence within each of us. The Holy Spirit empowers us to live lives of grace and courage, wisdom and hope. We rely on God’s grace and we reflect that grace to each person we encounter. God’s Spirit gives us courage to make changes and wisdom to discern the right choices. Our hope does not spring from our own power but from God’s power and love.

Maybe you don’t have such good memories of 2009. Possibly your hopes for 2010 are dim. The God who is making all things new is powerful. God promises to “give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.” (Revelation 21: 6) If you feel that your life is dry as the desert and your spirit is parched, let this promise from God flood your soul. Begin today to believe that God is doing a new thing in your life. If you have developed habits that are destroying you, ask God to help you change them. If you are surrounded by people who put you down and steal your joy, ask God for the courage to make new friends. If you feel lonely and in despair, know that God’s words are “trustworthy and true.” (Revelation 21:5) You are not alone; God is with you!

Cooking up some love

I've cooked and baked more in the past two weeks than I have all year.

For Christmas parties and gifts I made: Rice Krispie treats with M & Ms, date-nut balls, Barvarian chocolate mints, cranberry nut crunch with white chocolate, chocolate oatmeal surprise cookies, sugar cookies, peanut butter balls, chocolate dipped pretzels, a chocolate mint cheese ball and a cinnamon roll X-mas tree.

For New Year celebrations I made: potato-corn chowder, turkey noodle soup, roasted vegetable dip, two pumpkin pies, fluff, and more cranberry nut crunch.

Yum!

Happy New Year!

2009 will be remembered as the year I was diagnosed with 4 (yep, four) serious health issues and the resulting consequences, surgery and recovery, and major lifestyle changes. I lost 30+ pounds, some sleep, a lot of hair, and two teenage boys. (Riff & Raff graduated from high school and went to college in a town 2 1/2 hours from home...they are not "lost" permanently...just growing up!)
I also participated in the trip of a lifetime=mission trip to Israel! The experiences and people will live in my memory forever.
I love New Year's Day! Opening the new calendar with its blank pages so full of possiblity ignites hope and energy within. I reflect on the past, give thanks for the present, and look forward to the future.
I wish you all the best and less of the mess in 2010!

Thirty years of...

Tonight I went to a Christmas concert. Amidst the lovely music was a tribute to a person who has been a vital part of the organization for 30 years. Thirty years!

What constancy! What commitment!

It got me thinking: what have I done for thirty years or any significant length of time? I've changed careers 6 or 7 times. I've moved 15 times. Gotten married and divorced (once each). Shared my home with five cats and three dogs (not at the same time). Driven/owned 11 different vehicles. Raised three wonderful children (now young adults). Worshipped in at least 8 churches regularly. Gotten immersed in at least five consuming hobbies. Traveled to eight countries and had amazing experiences. Been friends with more people than I can count.

About the only constant in my life is CHANGE!!! And the assurance that God is with me through it all!