The wonderful thing about living in Tennessee are the trees and hills in the country. I absolutely love living here because of that. From where I live I can be in the country, or city within minutes. I was having a very rough day today, so I left early. I had something happen recently that was harder for me than I thought it would be. It takes me a couple days to process something, then it all comes crashing down around me. The emotions just came to the surface out of nowhere and I had to leave. I ended up coming home and going for a drive to clear my head. I drove through Leiper's Fork over to the Natchez Trace and back home again. The sun came out just as I was arriving home and I had to take advantage of this gorgeous day before winter comes. As I was driving I noticed that there are several homes for sale. A lot of them farms with a lot of land, and if I could afford it, I would buy one in a second. I thank God every day for the home I have, but a dream I have is to live in the country away from all the clutter of the city.

Along my drive I came to a cross road and I had to choose which way I wanted to go. One way, I wasn't sure where it ended up. The other way, I knew where I would be. Normally, I would go the way I didn't know and figure it out, but I didn't have the energy today. It did get me thinking about how often times we take the easy way, the way we know, when confronted with something we don't know. At times this is a good thing, and others it isn't. How do we know that the way we didn't choose, could have been far greater than traveling the normal way. There is a book titled The Road Less Traveled that goes in great detail about this very thing. Sometimes the road that is traveled less is the road that will lead you to a far happier place and where you need to be. No matter which road you choose, God is always with you. He knows which road you will take before you take it. You may choose the road that will be rougher and harder, but God is always there carring you along the way.

Adventure

Yesterday I watched the movie UP. It is an animated movie about an adventure an elderly man takes and what he learns along the way. What struck me in this movie was the beginning of the movie. He meets a girl when he is young, and they are both adventurer's. She has a book called My Adventure Book, and the first few pages are filled with pictures and drawings of things she wants to do, or has done. Then there is a page where she wrote "The Stuff I am going to do", then there are blank pages following it. Well, they get older, marry, and she passes away. She gives him the book before she passes as if to encourage him to continue the adventure. He ends up taking their house to the place she always wanted to go, and never got to.

What got me thinking is there is a part in the movie where he pulls out the book after she is gone, and begins to flip through the pages. He gets to the page where it says "the stuff I am going to do" and doesn't think there is anything after it, but he sees that she had filled the pages following with pictures of their life together. What mattered to her wasn't the stuff she did, it was being with him. Her adventure didn't have to be just stuff - it was the stuff that meant something. If you have read my blog before, you know I am a big believer in life being short, and living life to the fullest. When you get to the end of your life, and look back, can you say that the stuff you did made your life full, or the relationships you had? Life is an adventure and will be what you make of it.

The definition of Adventure is: to risk or hazard. to take the chance of; dare. a bold, usually risky undertaking of uncertain outcome. Sometimes it is scary to take that leap of faith. I know, I've been there. I am somewhat guarded from being hurt, but that does not stop me from trying. God is preparing another adventure for me to explore, and whatever that is - whether it is something difficult, or out of my normal, I am willing to take it. Going through life you are not going to know the outcome of certain things, but if you don't take the chance, you will never know. All adventures will lead you to learn more about yourself and the outcome may surprise you.

Labels

Today, I was addressing an envelope, and as I typed up the label and put it on the envelope, I knew the Post Office would get it where it needed to be. That label told them who it belonged to and where it was going. Without the label, the envelope is exactly that, an envelope. It doesn't change with the label, become better or worse, it is still an envelope. The Post Office is not going to look at that envelope and not process it because they don't like the label, they are going to treat that envelope exactly the same as they do all the others. We have a lot of clients in my company, so over my time there, I have typed thousands of labels. Just like people. We have thousands of labels (both good and bad) for people in our lives, and people we pass by. How many times have we labeled someone based on their outer appearance, or a certain way they act. Does that label, that you are assigning them, make them any less or more of a person than you? Does that label make them someone other than exactly who God created them to be? No. They are still a person and still someone that God created, just like you.

I am guilty of this, I'll admit it. It is so hard not to do because it is easy to pass judgement on someone because they are different than what you believe they should be. One of the most frustrating things to me is when someone is lazy with work. Not someone who takes time off, because everyone needs that, but someone who will only do what they need to get by. When I stop and think about it, maybe they aren't lazy. Maybe they just need that feedback, or need more training so they can work more efficiently? Just because in my mind I have labeled them does not mean that is who they are. That label could be the hindrance from me showing them God's love. The labels you place on people, and that people place on you, do not define who you are in Christ. He loves you exactly the way you are. Can we all improve, of course, but God is there to guide and teach you to be the person He meant for you to be. The next time you have a label for someone, think about how that label could effect their life, and yours.

Time

The time change happened last weekend and it gets dark much earlier now. Having the daylight in the morning does not effect me that much, but not having it in the evening does. I feel like I need to go to bed so much earlier. Tonight though, I am thankful it was dark early. It was one of those perfect fall days where it was cool enough for a jacket, but the sun was out and the sky was blue with not a cloud in it. When I left work, I decided to go to the park to run. The sun was starting to set and the colors were amazing. The moon was already out and it is a full one. So, I am now sitting on my back deck with an amazing view of the full moon overhead. It is amazing to me how God has given us so many beautiful things each day to remind us how much He loves us.

Appreciating the time that God has given you is important. Take the time to love the people around you and appreciate the blessings God gives you daily. Life is so busy now and it seems the older I get the faster time goes. God only gives us one life to live so shouldn't we live that to the fullest? Often I get side tracked with superficial things, and honestly just things that don't matter. What if we spent that time investing in other people. Helping, serving and praying for others and their needs. How fulfilling would that time be spent if those were the things we focused on. We need to humble ourselves enough to know that this life is not all about us. Allow God to use us in such a way that brings glory and honor to Him. Time is precious and there is not a lot of it, so it should be used wisely.