Enjoy Great Moments

Throwback: Great Moment #188389210 of my life.
First camping trip.
First viewing of the sunrise from on top of the world.
A huge hug to the one who encouraged me to climb that mountain, meet new friends and soak in great moments.

Confession: I tend to not enjoy great moments. Sounds ridiculous right? Let me explain.

Yesterday a coworker of mine told me about a great sermon she heard that she thought I would like just as much as her. The sermon is by Chip Ingram and is titled, Enjoy Great Moments. I have never heard a pastor preach so specifically on this topic. Here are some key points that struck me the most summarized by me with my thoughts:

• We live our whole lives being told, "Do your homework and THEN you can go outside and play. Eat your veggies, THEN you can have dessert..." You get the idea. All of these things aren't bad practices IF you are a 3rd grader. But we are adults now and that mentality is sometimes carried over into adulthood. I totally do this most of the time! I have this huge to do list that is constantly rotating in my head and I think that if I get this done, THEN I can relax. I really needed to hear that and be reminded that as adults we will always have a to do list so instead of that "if this, then that" lifestyle, just know that the Lord wants and loves for us to be joyful. 

• What if we are missing blessings that the Lord is revealing to us because we are stuck dwelling on everything else? This part seriously made me tear up. I sure don't want to miss anything from the Lord but yet I'm sure I have done this.

• Stop feeling guilty for having fun. Yup, I totally do this one too. In the midst of great moments, I catch myself thinking ahead, planning, etc. Such a terrible cycle to be in. 

This message was so liberating for me. Not all of us have this issue, but I just had to share in case anyone else ever feels the same way I do. Take 40 minutes of your day, listen and be blessed. You certainly want to hear part two where he discusses practical steps on how to enjoy great moments.

You can hear the message by clicking here and look for Enjoy Great Moments (Part 1 and 2). I'm looking forward to listening to the others in this series. Click on the message notes to get the scriptures and a sermon guide. If you listen, tell me what you think!

-S

Daydreamin'

First of all, anybody having blogger probs? I just had a post and within minutes it disappeared after publishing it! Weird. Because I don't want to write it all again, I will give you the cliff notes version. 

I miss summer.

I'm counting down to summer. 

I love the longer days, warmer weather, naked feet, and green trees.

This may surprise some since I went to a college where it snowed ALL winter. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't change my choice of college and I'm grateful for all the beauty each season brings. Especially the spring since it makes me think of new life and growth.

Yesterday, we actually got some freezing rain. It was super cold. Enough ice that school was dismissed early. For that winter, I thank you. It was nice to start the weekend a few hours early. But when I got home, I couldn't help but to daydream about...summer & the beach. I found this quote on Pinterest and it is so true:

Yup, that sums up summer beach life quite well. It is the only week of the year that I actually make no plans whatsoever. But since we have a few many more months until summer, I'm excited about this movie coming out soon....

The book was great and it takes place in the exact beach location we visit each summer. The same one where Todd and I fell in love. The movie was filmed there too so I'm excited to kick these winter blues away for a few hours while I watch and dream of the beach. If you have not read the book, it's not too late to do so before it hits theaters February 14th. I've seriously never been so excited about Valentine's Day before!

What's your favorite season? I imagine many people love fall and I respect that. Good food and great scents. However, despite how I have felt in the past, I'm officially locking in summer as my favorite season. 

145 more days to go...

-S