Reflections: Travel, Weddings, Christmas Trees, & Life

I hope you have eased into December with more ease than I have. I’m not entirely sure why things have been so all over the place lately, but I am pretty sure it is just the way life goes in ministry this time of year. Either way…it’s real and it’s my life.

I love it but if I am also completely honest I’d have to say that I would love for it to slow down just a tad. Not because it can’t get all done, but because I want to be fully present at every part of it. I’m not sure if it is because I turned 40 this year or simply because my oldest is a Senior in high school and we’re looking at colleges now…either way, the reality is that it does go by too fast.

This Thanksgiving we traveled back up to the homeland…teehee…that’s what we call our trip to Alabama. Hey, we’re two southerners stuck in South Florida…there are times when we just need to be around “southerners” for a little bit.

While in Alabama we spent the week with family doing tons of things we don’t get to do in South Florida; hunting, golfing, football on Thanksgiving day with all the boys in the family. Needless to say the men in my family were quite happy (and tired) by the end of the week.

It was a great trip, but what made this year’s trip even more special was that my hubby’s granny fell in love and was getting married the day after Thanksgiving. Yes, my friends, even at 88 years old you can fall in love again. Granny & her guy got hitched. My husband and his cousin (both Pastors) did the ceremony. Needless to say it was quite special..not because it was anything fancy but because of the sweet simplicity of the whole day.

(Here’s a pic of my youngest, granny, her husband, and my oldest right after the ceremony.)

Now we’re smack dab at the beginning of December and even though I would love to say I am done with all my shopping, wrapping and decorating…I’m not. I’m not going to let it stress me out but simply take it one day at a time, one decoration at a time and one gift at a time. It’ll all get done, it always does.

Until then I’m choosing to make myself be fully present this Christmas season…in the parties, gift exchanges, events, dinners, family events, etc. I don’t want to miss one single thing. Time goes by way too fast to always be looking ahead. This is one year that my focus is going to be on the gifts (of people, time, celebrations) right in front of me.

Life is short and we aren’t guaranteed a tomorrow…so today and every day the choice is ours…worry about tomorrow or focus on today.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34 NIV

I’m looking forward to today and all the great & exciting things it will hold!