Tick Tock

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Over the weekend, I helped a friend prepare for a workshop she was giving. After set-up was complete, we had a few minutes to spare. She reviewed her notes and I sat and read. It was extremely quiet in the room. It was so quiet, I heard the clock on the wall ticking. Tick tock, tick tock. I looked at the clock and watched the red second hand move from second to second. As I watched the clock, I realized I was sitting and watching time pass by. I actually shivered at the thought of me literally watching time go by. The second hand didn’t stop…it never stops! Time is always moving and when time is lost we never get it back. We ask, “What happened to the time?” It passed! It’s gone! Time is always passing. It’s passing right now. 

We can look at our children and realize time is passing by. We look at our aging parents and realize time is passing by. It’s good to be conscious of time, but it’s better to be conscious of life. We miss life by watching time. We miss living by focusing on aging. The passing of time is inevitable, so we might as well make the most of it by living life to the fullest day by day, minute by minute, second by second. With that being said, I’m going to end this meditation and be a good steward of the time I’ve been blessed with. I’m usually running late for work. Why? Because time is passing by! Tick tock…tick tock…

Miss America

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It’s been many years since I’ve watched the Miss America pageant, but I watched it last night. My father wouldn’t allow me to watch it as a young girl because he knew I’d be comparing myself to all those beautiful women and would probably find everything wrong with my body. When I joined the military, I remember the first time I had the liberty to watch a Miss America pageant. Daddy was right. I remember putting on my one piece bathing suit, a pair of heels, and prancing around my apartment like I was in the pageant. Funny, huh? 

Yes, I remember comparing myself to the contestants. I didn’t do any comparing last night, but I thought about how difficult it must be for our young girls to feel good about themselves with all the competition from makeup, weave, air-brushing, and filtering for photographs, and peer pressure. Even Facebook has tools to allow you to look almost any way you desire. We can tell a young girl that she is beautifully and wonderfully made all day, but until she believes it herself, she will always deal with body issues. Grown women have issues! 

Also while watching, I remembered when I had the body of those young girls. No more perky breasts!  Hmmm…is that comparing? All women are graced with a season of perky breasts, but that season will pass. And just because we age doesn’t mean we have to let our body go. We are still beautifully and wonderfully made - regardless of our age. We are daughters of a King! We are perfect in his sight and to mumble and complain about our body grieves the Spirit of God. All we can do is our part to maintain our temple and stay in shape. Everything else…well, we have to learn to live in the skin we’re in and be our own Miss America!

Love Your Work?

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While resting in bed this morning, I thanked the people way back in the 1800’s who decided to make Labor Day a holiday. It felt sooo good to snuggle with my pillow and read with absolutely nowhere to go and no place to be. This is rare for me, and although I’ll do some work with my publishing company later, it doesn’t feel like work because it’s what I enjoy doing.  If I could wake up every day and do one thing for work, it would be to write. What about you? 

Steve Jobs said it best. “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” I can’t imagine waking up every morning for the rest of my life and doing something I don’t enjoy. This is probably why so many people are miserable – they aren’t doing what they enjoy or aren’t with someone they enjoy. I know, I’ve been there. 

Life is wonderful because it offers the opportunity to change and make choices. It takes courage to step out and try new things. It also takes faith to believe in ourselves and trust all our gifts, talents, and abilities our Heavenly Father equipped us with. I remind my sons all the time that they have one life – use it or lose it. Time goes by too fast to not enjoy what you’re doing. Now, if I can get a couple of horses and a log cabin home on a couple of acres, I’m set, but for right now, I’m happy with my writing. Happy Labor Day!