Joys of Life

I am listening to the sweet sounds of Abi and Amanda talking back and forth before they lay their heads to rest. This has become the final piece of their bedtime routine before they sleep - nap time and bedtime. I love it! It is a very sweet sound to listen to at the end of a busy day.

So much is going through my mind these days. How quickly life goes by, how many moments I miss out on each day because I am thinking about how to get everything done, how many obstacles are placed in our path daily - some high, some low, what kinds of projects and games to do with the girls hat will be educational, fun, character building...... when does the mind just rest so that we can just live in the moment! I have become so consumed with how to make life run "properly" that I am forgetting to LIVE LIFE! We get this one opportunity to live our lives and I am so busy planning that I don't have time to live! It does me no good to have the perfect plan if I can't put it into practice.

In the midst of my plan to stop planning, I have also felt the need to purge and organize. Downsize. I think my friend Jessica kind of jump started the organization and downsizing. I wish I had taken before and after pictures like she did! You would be amazed at my latest transformation!! You can check out Jessica's story by clicking on her link on the right-hand side of my page. She has an amazing story about finally reaching the other side of infertility and now shares her ongoing story of life "on the other side."

Back to the downsizing :-) I cannot believe how free and peaceful it feels to have so much less around me. If it doesn't have a place to go, it doesn't come in the room. And "on top of a surface area" does not count as "a place to go!"

And then there are the obstacles. I can't currently share all that is going on in our lives, but I think it is safe to say that there are more obstacles before we jump over the first one - it seems to be one loooonnngg jump over the miles and miles of continuous, shoulder to shoulder hurdles. However, I can honestly say that I have never felt so peaceful in the midst of the storm. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God's hand is over us, that we are "hiding in the Shadow of the Almighty," and basking in the Joy that Is and Is to Come! Mark and I have reached a point where I think we just laugh when something else comes up. Shear exhaustion? Maybe. But I think more than anything it is just another hurdle that proves that God is in control and only He can bring this to fruition - it is truly His plan. The tie-in? All the planning in the world won't change the Ultimate Plan God has for each of us. I can rest my head at night knowing that we are not in control. We can try all we want, but the more we try to take control, to more chaotic life will be and the more moments we will lose trying to figure it all out. Should be have a basic plan? Absolutely! We can't just swing from vine to vine without a care in the world and no responsibility. However, don't get too attached to the plan you make. Be ready for flexibility. You never know where this wild ride will take you. But I do know this - it will be an exciting and adventurous ride! Just don't forget to enjoy it along the way! I know that I don't want to ever think, "I wish I had just......." Take the time to enjoy and live life. I am slowly learning to live in the moment and take it all in. I have a long way to go, but I am on my way....