Truth & Peace

It is incredibly hard to find peace without a life of truth.  Have a child, they will show you.
If you are not living your own understanding of truth, you cannot be followed or believed - which leads to an unsettled life of lies.
Today's world calls this concept, "being comfortable in your own skin."
I call it, simply - real.
What do you really believe?  What do you really live by?  Who are you, really? Why are you here?
These questions aren't always answered at the same time.  Sometimes it is a long, winding journey that arrives at some place of understanding and insight.  Many Christians struggle with the journey.  They hang their hat on a piece of the truth, but don't have a love for the pursuit of truth.  You cannot fully comprehend the look of an elephant by only seeing the ear.  No, you smooth your hands over the ear, feeling each wrinkle until it leads you to the neck and so on.  It is the same with the pursuit of truth.
My experience and study has led me to believe that this journey of pursuing truth is where the peace is stored and available to all.  Each time my fingers run over a new area of study and understanding I become aware of another piece of explanation.  Not for the purpose of the great "ME" puzzle, but for the purpose of the Great Story of life.
It is a beautiful gift to receive peace through the path of truth.  It is free.  The closest the world has come to marketing it and packaging it for the mass market is the Chronological Bible.

Live / Laugh / Love

How many of you have a plaque or a framed piece of art that says, "Live, Laugh, Love?"
I do.
I look at it almost everyday and most days walk away completely forgetting my intentions for the day.
Today was one of those days.  I just walked away and forgot to enjoy the live part or to laugh at myself for being so serious or to relish in the love all around me.  Shame on me.  What a poop.
So, as I am recapping the day with self-deprecation and disappointment I got an email, an update from my friend Cari.  She is in Houston at MD Anderson.
Cari has just begun her fight against cancer.  She is forty-five years old and has cancer throughout her body.  She has no idea how much longer she has to LIVE / LAUGH / LOVE, yet she does it - like right now.  She values it.  She knows how precious it is to find the funny in the moment even in a hospital.  She knows how important it is to tell her husband, Steve, how much she loves him.  She knows what she wants - to LIVE.

Cari didn't have a bad attitude today.  Praise God for Cari.  She reminds us all to live by the plaques hanging on our walls.

My Crazy Aunt Carol

When I was a little girl my crazy Aunt Carol took me to Six Flags.  She is hilarious.  She is one of those women that has absolutely no boundaries.  The possibilities for fun are endless with her - they always have been from even my first memories of her in my life.
As I was at Six Flags on Friday with Brian and Eden, I found myself revisiting a moment I had as a five- year old - facing an adventure head on, Aunt Carol style!
Looking up at the rickety roller coaster I immediately thought of all of the things that could go wrong, until I looked down at the nine-year old eyes begging for an adventure.  So, I put on my big girl pants and thought of the joy I had once had at Six Flags taking on rides that felt too big for me.
I told my little adventurer the story of my dear Aunt Carol bribing me with a pink elephant named Crystal to ride the parachute ride with my cousins.  Aunt Carol not only got me to have an adventure, but she gave me an even greater gift of passing it along.
One day - one moment - over thirty something years ago and wha-la - CONTAGIOUS.
I have now been reminded of the moments that can be passed down.  Time invested in teaching children to love an adventure is priceless and only takes being in the moment.
Be contagious - oh if I could lone out my crazy Aunt Carol to all school-aged children.