I may have lost a few days, but I did not fail to find inspiration.
Here's the whole inspiring wrap up:
Never take for granted the behind-the-scenes people.Whether you are at a party, a community event, a small get-together or a church service, there is a league of people who have planned, strategized, worked and worried to make it happen.
Hair, makeup, dresses, shoes, jewelry, sleep-overs, pizza, ice cream, Band-Aids, razors and flowers are all a part of a teenager's big date, but at the end of the day, the memories are about who you spend the day with: good friends and people who make you laugh. If you are one of the lucky ones, you have surrounded yourself with friends who put your interests above their own, and the result is beautiful. My baby girl's homecoming weekend was filled with these kinds of friend moments, and I am so very grateful.
God gifts certain people with specific talents, and when they are allowed to use them, they shine and excel. When those same people use their gifts and are given the opportunity to share them with others, there is mutual benefit and mutual inspiration. I saw two folks team up this weekend, each lending their own specific area of expertise, and the result was nothing short of beautiful. And, because their work centered around food, it was also delicious!
Road trips are a great time for great conversation and an excellent demonstration of the adage attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson: "Life is a journey, not a destination." It's 3 and a half hours to Nashville and 3 and half hours back, but those 7 hours in the truck were filled with laughter, friendship, insight and a whole lot of love.
The company of good people brings good results. So much of who we are is determined by the people we "do life" with. If your influencers seek wisdom, intelligence, meaning and purpose, you will seek those things. If you spend time with people who rebel and have no appreciation for respectful living, you will rebel and lose respect. It does my soul good to see my boy in the company of his friends from college, and it gives me hope for the future. That they clearly are their own five-six-or-seven man (and woman) support team makes me smile and helps me to sleep at night.
Rest is important. If you do not make time for rest, you will pay for it later. Day trips to Nashville are ill-advised. I think I'll spring for the hotel room next time. The sleep will be worth it, so will the energy the next day.
Don't over commit. If you fill every moment with activity or obligation, you may miss the little moments that really matter: the winsome look captured in a photograph, the smile of appreciation, the nod of approval or the city lights illuminating the night sky. With two kids driving and two full schedules on the parent side, moments together are to be cherished. We all probably tried to squeeze a little to much living into the weekend, and it saddens me just a tad that we might have missed some opportunities to just "be" together. Thankfully, my boy had the idea to end our evening at the Overlook to show us the Nashville skyline at night. We stood there, in the quiet darkness, arms around one another, drinking in the beauty and the rare few minutes of being just us. It was an incredible gift.
Good friends are wonderful, but nothing beats family, especially after long absences, on special days or when you crave familiarity and the comfort of home. I am grateful for mine. Your challenge? take time this week to spend some time with the people in your life and then tell them you are grateful for them.
Hair, makeup, dresses, shoes, jewelry, sleep-overs, pizza, ice cream, Band-Aids, razors and flowers are all a part of a teenager's big date, but at the end of the day, the memories are about who you spend the day with: good friends and people who make you laugh. If you are one of the lucky ones, you have surrounded yourself with friends who put your interests above their own, and the result is beautiful. My baby girl's homecoming weekend was filled with these kinds of friend moments, and I am so very grateful.
God gifts certain people with specific talents, and when they are allowed to use them, they shine and excel. When those same people use their gifts and are given the opportunity to share them with others, there is mutual benefit and mutual inspiration. I saw two folks team up this weekend, each lending their own specific area of expertise, and the result was nothing short of beautiful. And, because their work centered around food, it was also delicious!
Road trips are a great time for great conversation and an excellent demonstration of the adage attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson: "Life is a journey, not a destination." It's 3 and a half hours to Nashville and 3 and half hours back, but those 7 hours in the truck were filled with laughter, friendship, insight and a whole lot of love.
The company of good people brings good results. So much of who we are is determined by the people we "do life" with. If your influencers seek wisdom, intelligence, meaning and purpose, you will seek those things. If you spend time with people who rebel and have no appreciation for respectful living, you will rebel and lose respect. It does my soul good to see my boy in the company of his friends from college, and it gives me hope for the future. That they clearly are their own five-six-or-seven man (and woman) support team makes me smile and helps me to sleep at night.
Rest is important. If you do not make time for rest, you will pay for it later. Day trips to Nashville are ill-advised. I think I'll spring for the hotel room next time. The sleep will be worth it, so will the energy the next day.
Don't over commit. If you fill every moment with activity or obligation, you may miss the little moments that really matter: the winsome look captured in a photograph, the smile of appreciation, the nod of approval or the city lights illuminating the night sky. With two kids driving and two full schedules on the parent side, moments together are to be cherished. We all probably tried to squeeze a little to much living into the weekend, and it saddens me just a tad that we might have missed some opportunities to just "be" together. Thankfully, my boy had the idea to end our evening at the Overlook to show us the Nashville skyline at night. We stood there, in the quiet darkness, arms around one another, drinking in the beauty and the rare few minutes of being just us. It was an incredible gift.
Good friends are wonderful, but nothing beats family, especially after long absences, on special days or when you crave familiarity and the comfort of home. I am grateful for mine. Your challenge? take time this week to spend some time with the people in your life and then tell them you are grateful for them.
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