WOW!,  Its been a while.

 

Life's been a little crazy the last few months.  A lot has been crammed into a short period of time and I have slacked on my weekly emails.  Many thanks to a whole heap of individuals that have reached out to let me know they actually miss reading them each week.  Now that life has settled back down a bit, we can get back to some sort of routine.

 

My oldest son's birthday is today.  He is now 10!  Where has the last decade gone???  You may remember an email or two that I shared my feelings/life experiences related to being caught up in the rat race of life and missing all that LIFE truly is.  Well..........this is one of those days that reminds me yet again how important it is to embrace each and every day as if it were your last.  EVERY day should start with the question of what priorities matter in the grand scheme of things.  I just read a wonderful book recently titled: Letters from Dad.  Rather than giving you the cliff note version of the book, I will suggest you read it for yourselves.  It is about leaving a legacy for your kids.  If you were to take the dirt nap today,  how would they remember you?  How would anyone remember you?  What impact are you making each day that TRULY impacts?

 

The last decade has been a blur.  In the last couple of years I have been trying to balance life to make the things that matter, actually matter.  I realize at an early age how many people throw their entire lives away chasing the world.  I have thrown away sooooo many years doing the same, and don't want to make the same mistakes in the future.  Be very careful!  The world, stuff,  selfishness, and comparisons to what the Jones' are up to can sneak in on your lawn like a ninja master.  You wake up with darts in your neck and wander what the heck happened.  Somewhere in the last several months, I've lost sight of that and have been sucked into the challenges and curve balls that life throws at you.  Too many of us have WAY too much on our plates.  We are overworked, overstressed, and simply overloaded.  We fight to knock out the "to do" list, make the next dollar, provide "stuff" for kids that their friends have, attend this practice, that meeting, and say "yes" to far too many task that mean nothing in the scheme of things.  Our time is gone, our health is gone, our patience is gone, our government is gone.... (oh wait, I won't go there in this email, but its true.  Revelation is playing out as we go about our simple little clueless lives.)

 

There is little doubt in my mind that we need to get back to SIMPLE.  We need to embrace our God, our families, our relationships, and our time.  It is precious and you won't get a second of it back.  When its gone, its GONE.  Time to do some pruning.  Cut the branches of your life that aren't producing and care for the ones that will bring sweet fruit that matters.