Good decisions are sometimes the hardest.

....

That's all.

"Memories Are Like Cash"

Today I had the wonderful joy of spending time with my Great Aunt Louise and Great Uncle Bob. I don’t see them often, but when I do, I love every minute. Aunt Louise and Uncle Bob are both 83 years old and have been married for almost 54 years.

“You are only as young as you feel”, or “young at heart” are the most perfect phrases to describe the two. When they met, Uncle Bob was in the air force. Like many military families they traveled lots of places: from Missouri, to Texas to Japan, to Korea, and many more places in between. I love hearing my aunt tell stories about cooking with her Japanese friends, laughing about the story of an unexpected hailstone braking the window of her car while driving down the road, getting upset with Uncle Bob for inviting a Japanese acquaintance home for dinner without notice and not having any food prepared (devastating his new bride!), accidentally scheduling 3 families to vacation at their house during the same week… “all great memories,” she said thoughtfully tonight.

My Uncle Bob is sharp as can be! His mind is quick which makes him seem very young. He can tell me all the details of how to make a fighter plane. He is quick to congratulate too. I cannot think of a time that a celebratory event went by that both Uncle Bob and Aunt Louise did not come to or send a sweet letter… or email! My Aunt and Uncle drove 11 hours from St Louis to Dallas to come to my sister’s wedding. They were there for less than a day. They are so quick, and intentional to love family and friends. It's evident relationships matter to them.

At 83, they are still on the go. Today they drove 4 hours to my cousin’s wedding, stayed 3 hours, and drove 4 hours back home... all in one day. Next week they are driving to my aunt’s high school reunion, the week after to her family reunion, and later to Uncle Bob’s 65^th year high school reunion… plus trips this summer to Tennessee to visit their son, and trips to visit grandkids and other friends and celebrations.  Seriously, they are 83!

“It keeps us young,” my aunt said tonight. “We are blessed that we can get out. I have some girlfriends that sit inside all day and watch TV. There’s no fun in that! We want to get out! Even if it is working in the garden. And I think doing that all these years is what has helped us stay so young!” 83, people… 83! They are on the go more than me!

“I would love to go to Japan and spend time with my girlfriend soon. We haven’t see each other in so long… I just want to keep traveling…we’ve talked about going over there soon…”  - Aunt Louise

My aunt and uncle love family well. They are the FIRST people to celebrate and congratulate. They are true cheerleaders. They are also people that live life as one great big adventure… which is what this is, isn’t it? They are an inspiration to me.

“Memories are like cash. You make them, put them in your bank, and take them out as precious treasures each day.” This "young" couple isn’t done making memories. Each day they are ready to love people and have an adventure… Oh, that is how I want my life to be… right now at age 27… and at age 83. 

The Time In Between

If I was a reader of my blog I would be thinking a couple things right now. 1st, where is this girl? She has not been posting much lately.
Did she run away on an extremely romantic adventure to Europe?
no.
Did her secret spy identity get uncovered and she had to go hide out in South America for a while?
no.
Did she turn into a nun?
no.

I wish I could say I have been up to amazingly exciting things... but it has just been normal summer things. I'm not quite sure why I haven't posted much lately. It's not really for lack of writing, I guess. I have approximately 58 unfinished posts of various thoughts and pictures in my "draft" folder... they just don't seem to get finished before I have another idea I start writing about. (ADD???) But I think this will be short and sweet... so I'm planning on it being posted TODAY!

2nd, you might notice that the majority of my last blog posts, have been about food. If you have not noticed that... my belly sure has! :)
So, this post will not be about food.

I chose a profession that has the wonderful blessing of being off in the summer. It's two months of Saturdays...! Teaching has many great, wonderful perks! Laughter, adventures, molding kids, and building relationships... loving them to pieces! However, I'm used to working long work weeks and sometimes with some hard kids and difficult parents. But not during the summer! Schools years for teachers have glorious summer breaks without lesson planning sandwiched in between. It is to give them rest, (a life!) and to refuel for the next year. Right now, I don't have to think about school and stress for a while! What do I do with my time?!

I also feel like I am in an in between stage with life too. I'm in between the time after college where I knew exactly what I was doing and where I was going, and the time when I really set roots to stay in a place, call it home, and start a family.  I'm in between all that. So what do I do with my time now?!

Oh, the time in between....

I want to use this time wisely. I don't want to get to August and think, what have I done this summer? Or even fall in love and realize, I didn't prepare my heart well for loving someone.
I have time to do these things now... God has given me time in between to rest, to prepare. And he is calling me to use this time wisely.

I had my ipod on shuffle last night as I ran. And three songs came on in a row...

Rich Mullins - We are Not as Strong as We Think We Are
Francesca Battistelli - Time In Between
Point of Grace - God Loves People

(Before I go on, I must say. I love you blogging world. Otherwise, I would not have been able to admit that I have a love for cheesy, 90's contemporary Christian music. It is a guilty pleasure I indulge in on occasion. Don't judge. :) )

But God really used these songs to remind me of a few things.
1. I can't make any time worth it on my own. I'm not that strong or wise. I'm a fool without Jesus. And anything I try to do on my own is not going to be productive for Him or my relationship with Him.
2. The time in between things is meant for growth. It's meant for rest. It's meant for preparation. It's my job to wait for Him, to love Him, and allow myself to be molded.
3. God desires me to always spend my time loving people. God loves people more than anything. When I love people the way God loves them... my time is never wasted. It grows me, and it molds me. And it blesses God and others.

So what is good to know, is that I don't have to do anything BIG this summer. No huge summer projects that will take up the whole summer. Loving my Lord, loving others, and allowing myself to be molded. Which really, what everyday should be about.

Here is part of Francesca Battistelli's song. It's a good one.


But it's the time in between
That I fall down to my knees
Waiting on what You'll bring
And the things that I can't see
I know my song's incomplete
Still I'll sing in the time in between


And I thank you for the time in between
Oh Lord, I thank you for the time in between.