No Regrets

Well it's summer and I feel I've been taking a summer vacation from this blog thing.
Just throwing some miscellaneous thoughts out there for what they're worth!

Time together as a family and as a couple is precious.  Snatch it up every opportunity you get!  Live with no regrets.  When my Mom was in the hospital and we knew our time with her was limited, we recounted the times we'd had together.  Especially those extra special summer trips that we took together as a family.  Ok, I'm tearing  up.  Need to move on.  But make the most of your days because it can all change so quickly and unexpectedly.


 I just finished reading a book entitled Playing For Keeps.  My Cliff notes version: if you want to influence children or teens - be they your own son or daughter or someone else's kids you're ministering to, have fun together!  When you take time to get on their level, even at the risk of looking silly or goofy to onlookers, you have a profound opportunity to impact their lives.  They are more likely to listen when you want to share whatever truth God is laying on your heart when you take time to become as one of these!  Again that's my paraphrase, but in a nut shell what I took away from the book.  Also from the book, the action of jumping automatically triggers the playful portion of the brain.  So the book recommends doing jumping jacks with kids when you're stalled for what to do.  Another interesting fact backed up by research shared in this book is that the opposite of play time or exercise time is not work, it is depression.  So in my surmising if you or I start getting the blues we should get  up and exercise!

I'm just sitting here taking in God's creation.  Feeling blessed beyond what I could ever deserve. I am literally seeing grey skies and water both turn blue!  This thought occurs to me.  God is an awesome Creator.  If you question if there is a God or not, just look at the variety!  Not just in landscapes but in each of us as individuals.  I just read a friends post that mentioned a moonlight walk on the beach and seeing the night skies light up with all the stars.  She mentioned that was Heaven on earth for her.  And doesn't that sound spectacular?  I do love those things, but even more if you've  seen my Facebook page you'd know my Heaven on earth are the Rocky Mountains, especially the ones in Glacier National Park, Montana!!  God made us all unique and He made enough things in Creation to whet our appetite for what Heaven will be like someday.

If you're thinking it's all a bunch of foolishness, may I share a recent experience, much to my chagrin?  Recently upon driving in an unfamiliar part of Cleveland, I received a speeding ticket.  At the time I had no idea I'd been speeding or that I'd been caught speeding.  About a month after the event occurred, there with picture and clocked speed was my ticket in the mail!  Now when I'd committed the offense I thought little of it.  But there it was and I was guilty.  Now in their humanness, they charged my husband with the offense because I was driving his vehicle-that's a whole other story.  But my point is this: someday, we will be standing before God.  If we have not recognized God for who He is in this life and asked Him to forgive us of the wrong things we've done, there will be no argument about your innocence.  He will have the evidence there in an undeniable way.  Nothing's happened here maybe as punishment for sins committed or maybe it has, but the Bible is very clear that one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord.  For many when they have delayed declaring Jesus as Lord, in this life, it will be too late.  Because just as there is a Heaven, there is also an eternal punishment in Hell.  I share this as a reminder to live this life with no regrets.  Take a moment or however long you need to recognize God for the Creator that He is.  He made you and me!  He loves us infinitely more than we can fathom!  Ask Him to show Himself to you!  He will do that!  All we have to do. Is believe in Him and ask for forgiveness for the things we've done that are wrong.

I'm loving this summer and the time to reflect!  Live each day to the fullest!!  No regrets!!!