16 years has gone quickly....

I hope everyone had a great weekend!  We did!  Our soon to be 16 year old had requested that for his birthday we take him and some buddies up skiing.  Now for some background.  Every year around the time of our sons birthday, Jeff has a conference to go to.  Now this conference usually takes place in a warm, amazing location.  I don't know about you, but by the end of January, I am ready for a visit to a warm location.  We always give Keagan the choice to go with us or not.  This year, he chose to stay home (his grandparents are coming in to stay with him) because he didn't want to have to deal with all the homework this generates.  Which is fine, we can celebrate his birthday before we go (which we did this weekend).  However, this year, I'm kind of hating to leave him behind.  Not enough that I'm not going to go on the trip, mind you.  But, I'm still feeling bad about leaving him.  Maybe it's because it is his 16th birthday.  Maybe it's because I know that he'll be off at college soon and our time together is short.  But, I'm feeling a wee bit of guilt.  Just a wee bit.

Anyway, back to this weekend.  We told him he could invite 3 friends to join us.  Now, there's something you have to realize about his friends, they are HUGE!  I mean it. The shortest of the three is 5'10" with the tallest being 6'4".  And, they are eating machines!  They can make food disappear at an alarming rate.  But this is how Keagan wanted to celebrate, so we started planning out the details.  We arranged to stay at a cottage at a resort that is about an hour and a half away from the ski resort because of some connections my husband has (translation-- the stay is almost free and this cottage has 6 bedrooms and bathrooms).  My wonderful husband jumped online and handled the ski passes and renting of equipment for those who did not have their own.

I pick up the huge boys on Friday and proceed to try and stuff 4 BIG teenagers, plus two adults, plus ski equipment, plus luggage, plus food into my medium sized SUV.  We made it, but needless to say I couldn't see the boys that were stuffed into the 3rd row.  I kept yelling back to them to make sure they were still alive. And we were off.  My lovely husband had also arranged dinner reservations for us on the way up at one of my favorite little farm to table restaurants.

The boys wolfed down large quantities of food (even eating what I could not finish).  No food was wasted with this crew!  We enjoyed dinner and then drove to our destination for the evening.  The thing that made me giggle the most was how thrilled they were over the complementary robes that were provided in each room.  These big teenage boys quickly put them on and settled down to play the xbox.  I wish you could have seen their faces and heard their joy.

They had a great time skiing the next couple of days!  Even though it was cold (the high on Saturday was a balmy 10 degrees), there was fresh snow.  Every evening we sat around a table for dinner and they shared their funny stories of everything that had happened to them that day on the slopes.  We laughed and teased each other and had a great time.  We giggled at one of the boys who went to go off of a jump and instead did a face plant (he was fine).  We laughed as they told the story of how one of them hit a barrier beside one jump and ended up planting his ski through the barrier (he was also fine).   And a great time was had by all.  Even me, who opted to spare my  45 year old body some pain, and sit inside the lodge and read a book.

And, I have to tell you.  These young men impressed me!  They made sure no one was left behind.  They looked out for each other and for others on the slopes who were having a hard time.  They all got along, even at the end of the day when they were tired beyond belief.  They were very appreciative of the trip and expressed their appreciation.

I know that we often hear of all the things that this generation is doing wrong.  But let me tell you, there are many amazing, gifted, talented, kind, smart, imaginative, funny, and flat out fun young people out there.  I enjoyed observing these fantastic young guys who are well on their way to becoming amazing young men!

So the next time you hear about how bad this generation is,  take a look at those  around you and observe for yourself.  My guess is that if you take the time to spend some time with them, you too will see some young people with very bright futures ahead of them!

I'll leave you with a few throw back photos of my kiddo and a couple more recent ones.  Where did the time go?

I guess I'm just not radical enough

I'm going to start this blog with a disclaimer:  I am well aware that some of  you will not agree with what I say in this blog.  That is perfectly ok.  I'm good to agree to disagree.  And, these are just my own thoughts around this issue.  I am not looking to point fingers or to accuse anyone.  I am not looking to offend you.  I am also not going to carry on a cyber argument with you if you disagree with me.  I am going to still love you even if we disagree on this one subject, because there are probably many areas where we do agree.  And remember, I love you.  Period. Also, today's my birthday, so be kind to this middle aged woman. ;)

There's been an ongoing discussion for a quite a few years in our house between my husband and I.  The discussion has been centered around the issue of "love others."  I have been very open about my faith.  I am a Christian.  I am not ashamed to state that I am a  God follower.

But, and I am being completely honest here, there are times that I  cringe when I hear/see/read what is sometimes done in the name of Christianity.  Unkind, unloving words or acts against others just don't sit well with me.  And, in the spirit of being truthful, I have sometimes caught myself behaving in such a way towards others, self righteously secure in my knowledge that I am right.

This concept of loving others is both a simple and complex issue.  Oh, I've heard all my life the saying  "love the person, hate the sin."  But what does that really mean?  How do you do that?  Then there are the labels that are put on people.  If you aren't vocal enough about a certain issue you are deemed "Not spiritual.  A sell out.  Luke Warm (oh that's a big one). A heretic.  A trouble maker.  A rebel.  A baby Christian. Conformist. Radical. Ignorant."  Wow!  That's quite a list.

So, here are my thoughts on the "love others" issue.  Now, I have stated many times that I am not a minister or a theologian.  I do not have everything figured out.  In some areas I'm still a mess.  Truthfully, I do not feel like I have the brains or knowledge base to even debate some of the "hot" issues.  I also do not have the desire to argue or debate those issues.  I am not devaluing all of those issues. And yet, for me, I may not place a high value on some of those issues.  I am just choosing to place the value of loving others higher in order of importance.

So what do I mean by that?  I mean that I am choosing to love the person regardless of their political affiliation, beliefs, lifestyle, etc....   I am choosing to love first, not judge first.  I use the word "choosing" deliberately.  Sometimes this choice is harder than others.   I do not want you to think that this is an easy thing to do.  I often fail.  But I am going to keep on trying.  And, this can sometimes be uncomfortable for me because it forces me to work at getting to know the "real" person inside, not just the superficial.

This hasn't been an overnight revelation for me.  It's been years in the making. I've had numerous discussions with my husband and others on the subject.  I'm sure that my version of what "loving others" looks like, sounds like, and acts like will continue to evolve.  I look at my own experience with God.  He didn't base his love for me on who I voted for, how I behaved, or even what I believed at the time.  He just simply, fully, and completely loved me first.  And it's that love; not criticism, not guilt, not shame, that caused me to respond.

So for me, my one and only job, is to show others love.  Period.  As the saying goes, the rest will sort itself out in the wash.  I know this is a simplistic view.  I am ok with that.  I am not a person who enjoys vastly complex systems of rules and regulation.  I don't have the time or energy to even deal with all of that.  I am also aware that there are those who will try to get me to change this, who will vehemently disagree with me.  I know.  But I am at peace with my one job.  I guess, for some, I may not be radical enough.....

I rarely do this in my blog.  But if you are reading this and are feeling unloved, I want you to know that you are loved!  Greatly loved!  Dearly loved!  You are loved by this flawed human writing a small blog.  And you are Awesomely loved by God.  Have a great Friday!

So, I thought since I was talking about love, I would post a few photos of some of the things I love.  My family, the ocean, and traveling.

Over it! Remembering that there is purpose in your life.

2014 has certainly had an interesting start so far.  First, a record breaking cold snap hit most of the U.S.  including the state where I live.  Then, because of the cold snap we had electrical outages and broken pipes in our local schools.  And right on the heels of that, we had a chemical spill into our local water system.  All of which has caused my son to only have 2 days of school this year.  Let me say this, while I adore spending time with my child and I am very aware that soon he will be grown and gone, right now, currently, we are both a little sick of each other.  And, I've been feeling a little "Over it" all.

When my husband moved us across the country 6 1/2 years ago to West Virginia for a job opportunity, I was a little reluctant, but knew that it was a great career opportunity for him.  Since living here, I have had my moments of, "Dear Lord, what am I doing here away from all my family and all that was familiar to me?"  And, if I am being totally honest, I still have some of those moments, a few of which have happened in the last few weeks.  Now, I know people get all bent out of shape when I say this and say things like, "Why don't you just move then?"

So, why don't I just move?  Well, Jeff's job has been a tremendous blessing financially for us.  And, he loves his job, which is important because he spends a huge amount of time working.  I am proud of him.  I want the best for him.  Keagan is established and halfway through High School.  He has made some great friends.  He is actively involved in the Marching Band, Ski Club, and the Track Team.  He is happy here and that is important.  We have all met and made some wonderful, amazing, close friends here.  We have built a good life here. The people of West Virginia overall are very friendly, loyal, and kind.  It is a  place where you really do get to know your neighbors. The state if full of natural beauty.  Springtime is just amazing here and fall is gloriously stunning.  All of which are good and compelling reasons to not move.

But truthfully, my main reason for remaining here is purpose.  I truly believe that right now, this is where we are meant to be.  Even in my few moments of wishing to be elsewhere, I know that this is where I am supposed to be right now.  There is a reason that God has placed me here.  My job is to make sure that I do not miss out on fulfilling or carrying out what God wants me to do here.   I believe that there are moments in time where I am placed at a point of opportunity.  Moments when my actions or decisions can have a greater impact on not just me, but those around me.  You see, it's not all about me.

I guess my point to all this rambling is to say this.  In life you may find yourself in situations or places where you find yourself asking, "What am I doing here?" .  I actually think that is a good question, if you take the time to look for the answer.  There probably is a purpose, a reason why you find yourself where you are.  And, it is good to remember that life is not all about you.

So, my challenge for myself, and for you, is to remember there is a reason for any given situation in which you find yourself.  Find your purpose--it really does help ease any discomfort or unease that you may be feeling.  Remember that God has a good plan for you.

I'll leave you with a few photos of some of the natural beauty of the state of West Virginia.  These photos may help you to understand why they call it almost heaven.

Opportunity-- Come on Over, my water is fine

This morning, I'm thinking about the word opportunity.  Defined, the word opportunity means a set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something.  Another definition states that opportunity is an amount of time or a situation in which something can be done.

This train of thought was sparked by a circumstance that is happening in the state I currently live in.  Yesterday there was a chemical leak into a local river, which then worked it's way into one of the local water suppliers.  This has caused the governor to issue a state of emergency in which all the customers of this specific water supplier cannot use the water at all, not even to launder clothing.  I have a different water supplier, so my house is not affected.  However, my son's school is closed because they are affected.  They have estimated that over 100,000 people are now without usable water. And this is where the "Opportunity" piece comes in.

This situation has created an opportunity of sorts for people.  It has been interesting for me to watch how people have used this opportunity, both in a good way and in a bad way.  Some have used this circumstance to blame those in charge.  Others have used this occasion as an excuse to behave badly, i.e. go into a local store and steal bottled water.  Some have used this opportunity to push their specific political beliefs or about how everyone should prepare for the "end".  And yet, others have used this opportunity to reach out to others around them and offer free water to those who do not have it.

What I find interesting is that everyone mentioned above had the same "opportunity" to do something.  They just chose differently. Which then spurred me to fire up those little brain cells and start to think about how I react to the various opportunities I encounter day to day.  Now, I would love to say, that upon my moment of self-reflection,  that I always respond to the opportunities set before me in a non-selfish way.  However, that would not be truthful.  Hmmmm....

So, what do I take away from all this?  Well, my challenge to myself and to you is to actively look for ways to respond to opportunities in a positive way.  To take a few minutes before I respond to a situation or opportunity to make sure that my reaction is focused more on being helpful than selfish. To not pass up an opportunity to help someone else.  To be more aware of those around me.

So, to anyone who reads this little blog of mine who may be in need of water, come on over!  My water is fine!

I'll leave you with a few photos of good clean water.