Gratitude and Staring Intnetly into Space...

I am in a season when I know that human life is not permanent. Every Day is a Gift. It is sad that it has taken me the death of many friends, the death of my grandmother, and now the struggle for life against cancer of my father-in-law... to finally take to heart the scriptures that say things like, "Lord, teach me to number my days".

Each day has become more valuable. Each moment of time is a gift. I find myself staring at trees, clouds, and sunsets more often... watching birds and watching children at play. There is a deeper joy found here...

I am not an old man... there is much I hope to still do in the world... but I am finding the tools to enjoy life more... and the first step for me is to not take any of it for granted.

This book, A Grace Disguised was key to opening my eyes again as I have walked through grief. I am finding that there is beauty in the sunsets of life... and a gift even in grief itself...

I also am finding a greater desire to share life with others in a more tangible and direct way...

Sunday evening I decided to drive with Jude to the ocean just to be together and to watch the sunset. We should have done this many more times than we have. I want to continue to proclaim the God of all life; I want to serve others as God intends faithfully and full of love; I want to realize life and the miracle it is while I live it.

This past Friday evening a friend caught me missing the forest for the trees... Another friend was sharing about his trip through Guatemala... and he had underestimated the cost of the trip by saying he only spent so much money to see all this... when he had put 10K miles on his car... I missed for a moment the wonder in his eyes at the landscape and the Mayan ruins he had seen while my mind was crunching numbers... Thankfully we went back to the landscape and the trip, rather than back to the dollars and cents... We live in a world of wonders that is as close as every heart beat... Learning to pay attention, and encouraging others to do the same is part of my life's work.