Live Each Day Like It's Your Last

I heard on television tonight that we should live every day like it is our last.  My thought.  Ice cream!  If this were my last day I would eat soft ice cream.  Vanilla.  In a cone.  I would NOT go jogging.  I would NOT mow the lawn.  There are quite a few things I would NOT do.

My conclusion?  If I were to live every day like it was my last day I would weigh about 400 pounds and live in a jungle of weeds and super tall grass.  Of course, I'm sure they meant to live every day according to your priorities, and really be in each moment, enjoying the people who (I think) are generally the priorities. 

So, I won't live every day exactly like it is my last -- but I do hope to remember what is really important, and to not stress out over stuff that doesn't matter.  Of course -- I'll fail at this quite a bit, but I'll succeed sometimes!  And on my "last" day, hopefully I wouldn't spend a lot of time dwelling on the fact that I'm imperfect and just enjoy the fact that I try hard  -- bless my heart!

Warrior of Light

Aren't I a scary warrior?  Ha ha ha ha!
I decided not to try to look fierce.  I'm bad at it.

Scary Sherie (not!)

I was trying to imagine myself as a warrior in the usual sense the other day.  I mean -- I own a sword!  But it is a very light wooden sword used to practice Tai Chi.  I don't really have enough muscles to do any fighting.  I'd probably lose an arm wrestle with almost anyone, and I hate conflict anyway so I might be inclined to duck my head, close my eyes tight, cover my ears and hope any conflict stops soon!

Why was I trying to imagine myself a warrior?  Because I have a book about being a Prayer Warrior.  Someone who takes the time to talk to God, to acknowledge his power, to be grateful for His gifts, to repent of sins, and to ask for help for others as well as self -- expecting that miracles will happen if the requests align with His will.  A prayer warrior takes time to study out what His will would be too, so that the prayers are more effective.
I can be a prayer warrior.  And so can you.  And if that's all we can do for good, we will have accomplished a great deal.  But is there something else we can do?

I believe that we can be Warriors of Light.  The Lord is my light, and as I do and say things that He would do and say, and stand up for Him and His teachings, then I am being a Warrior for Christ -- which is a Warrior of Light.  I like the idea of practicing being this kind of warrior.  The more I practice, the more His light can shine through me, and where light is, darkness cannot stay!

*The book on being a prayer warrior is called The Battle Plan for Prayer by Stephen and Alex Kendrick

The People We See

Derek, and Lance, and Me

I was talking to a friend this morning about the people we see.  There are people we usually see -- at church, in the neighborhood, or events we have in common.  And there are people we see on purpose, whose businesses we choose to go to when we need something, or family and friends that we take the time to track down and communicate with.  And then there are the people that we happen to run into when we are out and about.  My family likes to guess how many people we will see that we know at Walmart when we shop, and Derek and I ran into someone from Payson once when we were visiting a different country!

Two or three weeks ago Derek and I were on a date at KFC.  While we were there I came really close to colliding with a tall man.  I mostly saw a shirt -- but somehow he saw me.  He saw who I was and took the time to stop Derek and me as we headed out the door.  It was Lance who we hadn't seen in years.  It was so fun to see a friend and to get to catch up on each others lives for just a few minutes before we each headed our different directions.

I have often felt blessed by the people I have seen when I was out and about, and I don't think we should ever underestimate the power of a friendly smile, a kind greeting, or real interest in how someone is doing.

Receiving Is A Kind of Giving

I was listening to a session from a relationship class this morning and I hurried to write down this quote:  "Receiving is a kind of giving and it takes strength".   This quote brought to mind a way that I am regularly not receiving a gift that is often given to me.

I may have mentioned before that Derek is super great.  He occasionally tells me that I am awesome.  My reaction?  Usually a sinking feeling inside because I don't think of myself that way -- and I struggle with trying to say thanks.  When I heard this quote my thoughts went to all of the times Derek has said something nice like that, and I haven't really received it.  I haven't stopped to be thankful that he really believes what he is saying, and that, in all of the ways he is thinking of, I am awesome!  He would not have said it otherwise.

As I have contemplated this thought a little bit today, I have determined that when he says something like that, I need to work on being truly grateful and keep my mind from listing any and all ways I think I am falling short of awesome!  I know that when I have taken the time to tell someone the good things I appreciate about them, and they have received those words with joy, it has felt like they were giving me the gift!  It is time to make sure that I use the strength necessary to receive the gifts that come my way.  I believe in this way both I, and the gift giver, will be happier.

*Quote by Jennifer Finlayson Fife
*Photo by Tuân Nguyễn Minh on Unsplash

Putting Pain in The Past

A year and less than a week ago I came home from the hospital after having had a hysterectomy.  The last, besides medicine, of my treatments for breast cancer.  Derek wanted to take pictures of us with some of our breast cancer things to celebrate.  To try, I think, to finally put the trauma, and pain in the past where it belongs. 

I have found, through experiencing other hard things, that the best way to put the pain in the past is to focus on gratitude.  On all of the things that went right, and on all of the good things that people did, and the prayers that were answered.  

I do not claim that focusing on gratitude and not on the things that were really hard, or scary, or that might still be a bother is easy.  I have gone to write letters expressing my gratitude, and sat and cried because I still felt more traumatized than grateful.  I have walked into doctor's offices for things not related to cancer and had to push back the feelings of anxiety over being in one more doctor's office after I've been in so many!  But the gratitude is there too, and over time, it becomes easier to focus on those things -- especially if I take the time to remember how very, very many things went right, and how generous and helpful family, friends, doctors, nurses, and even strangers were.

So here's to putting pain in the past, or at least covering past pain with gratitude until it really doesn't hurt anymore.

Kayli and Derek and Me

Visiting the Goblins

I love this picture of Derek.  And the sky is magnificent!

We went in to Goblin Valley State Park for the second part of our day on Saturday.  When we were back in the car afterwards I asked the boys which they liked best, the slot canyon or the goblins.  They didn't hesitate.  This part was their favorite because they could run, climb, and explore all over.

There were lots of chances for the boys to feel
like the King of the Hill -- or the Goblins:-)

Dan the Man
We thought the "Goblins" looked a lot like rock mushrooms.

Derek's looking tiny on that big rock.

Since I wasn't up to climbing a ton, I sometimes just took pictures.

Derek and Dan in a cave that is up high -- the picture just doesn't show that.

Derek was climbing up to see what he would find.

I had Derek turn around before he climbed up so I could take a picture.

Derek found a way around and they were able to climb up and peek down at me.
This was quite a ways up there.  There was a valley behind them that I never managed
to see.  The boys all eventually joined him, but this is Jake on the left, Dan in the middle,
and Derek on the right.

Dan!

And a picture of elephant as we head home.
It was a good day.

Into Little Wild Horse Canyon

This is one of my favorite pictures from our Little Wild Horse Canyon Adventure!

Jake, Sherie, Derek, Dan, Connor

Derek, our boys, and I went on a short adventure this weekend.  We left Friday afternoon, drove to Green River, and had dinner at Arby's.  Luckily that wasn't the whole adventure.  Next we checked into our not very fancy hotel and bravely got in the hot tub after Connor cleaned it out a bit.  The jets were turbo jets.  They made us laugh with how high the water bubbled up from them -- going up and over our heads if we sat too close!  The hot tub was fun, and relaxing. We had a room with 3 queen beds and Dan had a cough, which I think stopped once he was able to sleep.  Either that or I slept through it.  I miraculously slept quite well.

In the morning, after dragging ourselves out of bed and down to breakfast just in time -- we headed out to Little Wild Horse Canyon.  It would take a pretty skinny horse to get through the canyon I think.  Going through this canyon was my favorite part of the day, probably because I have a pulled hamstring that lets me walk on flat ground without pain for a while, and which hurts worse and worse the longer I use it.  Uphill is the worst.

We liked the trees.  They were splashes of green in a not very green landscape.

Dan and Derek

A convenient branch "chair".

Connor wanted a turn.

Jake and Dan in the tree -- Connor under it.
Isn't the bark awesome?

You could walk right up this tree so I wanted a turn in the tree!

Derek and me.  I think I make selfies look like a lot of work.

Jake

Dan

This was one of my other favorite pictures from this part of our day.

Somebody left some artwork for us to enjoy.

Dan

Connor, Derek, and Jake, with Dan being acrobatic above.

Dan, Me, Connor, and Jake

Connor was timing how long Jake could stay balanced like this.

I was trying to get a picture of the tree this giant rock landed on at some point.
The rest of the family went further for five more minutes and then we turned around.
The hamstring I pulled in April was done climbing.

Dan

A closer up of Dan

Connor and Jake.  I'm not sure what they are looking at.

I was trying to get a picture of me with that interesting rock creature on my right.

Derek

And elephant.  We were in the car eating lunch.  I took elephant on our trip because I was so tired when we left
and he makes a good pillow in the car.  And I like hugging him.  And I think it's funny to take pictures with
him in odd places!  I kind of wish I had run him up the trail and taken a picture of him in the tree.
I imagine I would have gotten some funny looks out of that.

That was the first half of our day.  It was a good adventure.

Talking to The Dog. And The Tomato Plants.

Teddy when I've been working in the garden too long!

Tomato plants

Teddy When I'm done working
in the garden.  He's ready for
me to toss that ball!

Today I was working in my garden.  Teddy wanted to play and so he kept throwing his favorite toy -- a flat basketball -- at the gate.  In the mean time, I was trying to tie my tomato plants up.  Especially the two middle ones without the cages which were growing flopped on the ground.  As is often the case, I would switch between talking to Teddy, and the plants I was working on.

I talk to the bushes (they are my "baby" bushes and Teddy is our "baby dog" and both are 2 years old -- the bushes might be 3).  I talk to the flowers telling them what a good job they are doing of blooming.  I talk to the pea plants while I pick the peas.  When I am in my garden I am often talking or singing -- and I do wonder sometimes if the neighbor hears me and thinks I'm a little crazy.  At least it is a nice kind of crazy.  Talking out loud or singing keeps me focused on good things, and not stuck in a negative loop in my head.  And I like to imagine that the plants feel appreciated and grow better.