Saturday Celebrations

This week has been full of things to celebrate.

Two were a surprise.

Two were “planned”.

Wilma, a co-worker of Bill’s, shared something with me.

We were together 38 years, and I never knew

that last week he would have gone into the office and announced

“October 1. Christmas music time!”

It made my heart smile.

There is always something new to learn.

“What other fun stuff am I yet to discover?”

Last May when Bill and I went on vacation

we decided that Christmas 2015

we wanted to take the kids to the beach.

I have been looking at places since last December

when we talked as a family

and decided “Yes, we want to do that”.

I made our reservation Thursday night.

Today I was privileged

to attend the outdoor wedding of Levi and Leah, 

two of my KCU kids thanks to Andrew and Bre.

It was the first outdoor wedding I have attended.

It was held at Oil Belt Christian Camp.

It was a beautiful day and an even more beautiful ceremony,

a celebration of love and covenant done God's way.

This evening during the reception I was talking to a friend.

She told me that this week someone from her church

shared about how a young man who works there

has talked to her about Bill and the impact he had on his life.

She wished she had met him. 

She looks forward to seeing Bill's legacy of faith continue 

as she watches this young man in his ministry.

Life is full of things to choose from-

sometimes I have allowed doubt or fear

to keep me from enjoying life.

This week I focused on the next step

and took some big steps

to be more engaged, more focused,

on choosing to embrace and live life fully.

I continue to be amazed 

at how joy and pleasure can co-exist with grief.

How life does not have to be defined

by situations or circumstances.

How sheer happiness breaks through

without planning or working at it.

Life, in Christ, is an amazing adventure, 

full of things to celebrate.

God is good, all the time.

All the time, God is good.

And He is working good in my life.