Have we forgotten how to Live

-
I had the pleasure of attending our kids' school's graduating class ceremony last night.  This was my second time.  Last year was an eye opening experience as I had never attended a 'graduating' ceremony in elementary school.

This year I was a little more prepared.

I was invited to represent school council and say a few words of encouragement and congratulations.

But what to say?

I share this with you all here because I think there is a lesson for all of us here.   Lately God's been reminding me to learn to LIVE.  One of my Latin American Studies professors in College taught me something I never forgot (Yes, you learn things in college sometimes).  A lot of us here in North America, when asked, "why are you working so hard?" respond:  "I'm working to earn a living"

But her point?  We want to earn a living but we do not know how to ENJOY that living we are earning

I learned to plan, persevere and work hard thanks to my parents, and countless of role models in my life.  But in the process of learning that I had forgotten, at times, to Live.  And to some of us, sometimes, learning to Live is harder than learning to plan ahead.

I dedicate this post to all of you who may be going through transitions in life.  May you never forget to Pause and Live the Moment.


Good Evening everyone,

[....]

Tonight is a special night.  Graduates, tonight marks the celebration of a journey you have been taking for the last 8 to 10 years.  Parents and caregivers, this is your celebration too.  Time flies, doesn’t it?  Doesn’t it seem like it just yesterday that they were holding you for dear life on the first day at school? Or, that you were able to brag about being the tallest in the family?

My mother once told me that life is like a music album for a movie:  a soundtrack.  

Your last 10 years have been filled, in a sense, with music.  Each piece of music, good and bad, easy on the ears or hard on the ears, mark something important in our lives.

There is always music in your lives; you are always making music.  So, make sure you take the time to pause and listen to the music.  Don’t be too hasty to skip to figure out next track.  Don’t ever forget to LIVE while reaching out for your dreams. 

Part of your success in life will be in discovering what it means to pause and live.  Celebrate.  Learn to mark Milestones.  Pause and take it in.  Build that music album in your lives.

Secondly, remember to live in community.  Your achievement today would not have happened if not for many people who have supported you and cared for you and journeyed with you directly or indirectly.  As you reach for your dreams, give to your community too.  Mark your milestones together.   Acknowledge and celebrate with Your family, friends, neighbours, teachers, administrative staff and support staff, mentors, community and religious leaders.

As you open the next chapter in your lives, make sure you close this chapter well.  Dare to dream.  But also, Dare to Live, not Survive.  You are not designed to live alone.  Your community, us here, will always be here for you.  To celebrate with you.  To journey through that climb with you.  To help you through the valleys and roadblocks.  And ultimately, to have the ultimate celebration party at the summit.

Have an amazing night!  Mark tonight and Continue to make music for the world to hear. 
Thank you.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The little boy and his sister

-
Image
Once upon a time there was a little boy and his sister.  They loved to watch TV and play games.  One day the little boy decided to ask mommy if she could help them do a lemonade stand.  But his mommy at first said no...and then said yes but never really got to it.  So the boy kept asking and asking until one day, his mommy said "yes". Then his mommy asked the boy and his sister what they would do with the money they earned.  The boy had not thought about that so he had no answer.  So his mom suggested they consider raising money to help the kids in Niger they had been hearing about at church. They had heard that there was a country called Niger, in Africa...it was supposed to be far far away.   People had shown them pictures of people who lived there and they had even met a missionary whose family was living there now, helping the people there gain skills so that they can have the means to take care of themselves.  The boy remembered also hearing that many people in N
Read more

Just do it ... and bring along your kids

-
Image
"Mission is risky.  It involves putting ourselves out of our comfort zones and dealing with people we ordinarily might not engage with" - Right Here Right Now Lately I've been learning more about missions.  I have been challenged to rethink my beliefs on what God considers as His mission, where I fit into that picture, how motherhood fits into this calling, and what missional living really means. It has been a great year of stretching my mind, of paradigm shifts, of challenging me to make changes in my life and my family's life. But one thing kept on bugging me.... Jesus was a rebel in his times.  He never set up a church building or assigned people to start different programs or ministries.  He simply lived with the everyday people of his time.  He simply went to where 'they' were.  He met prostitutes, tax collectors, sinners.... How about me?  For as much as I talk about missions and how we ought to be 'missional' here (as opposed to just s
Read more

Fear and Worry

-
Image
Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.  Deuteronomy 31: 6 (NKJV) I have, potentially, a lot of time to blog for the next 6 weeks to 3 months. I just came out of surgery today. As my brain and body wakes up a little, I'm taking the chance to eat a little and to share with you. Ever since I found out that my foot pain was not due to just tiredness but due to a tear and that it may not heal on its own I have been filled slowly with a fear and worry I haven't had for years. The last time I felt this fear and worry was perhaps on my first day of graduate studies.... It's a crippling fear that can cause you to fret.  It is very deep.  It is hard to accept because accepting it, in your mind, defines you.  It says to you you are weak.  It says to you you should trust God.  It says to you it's not the end of the world and wonders and mocks
Read more