Time to Smile

What can you smile about today? What things automatically bring a smile to you? Peace

Must add air.

Today. Wow it is nice to be here. Today is Tuesday and I slept well yesterday. I found this photo on Flickr. Balloons are colorful and add a little joy with smiles to life.

Amazing life.

Saturday was an awesome fun day. Peace

Alive

First post from iPod. What is new with you all today?

Love and other spring type things . . .

Do you love YOU? It may sound odd to think of a question like this . . . but I am learning that is important to love yourself. I know maybe it should be a simple thing. . . for some reason it has been a struggle for me in my life. I like many aspects of myself, and at times I love myself . . . but I also become very negative on me and harsh almost. The bible teaches me to love my neighbor as I love myself. That presupposed that I am loving myself properly. I came across this site that lists 17 ways to love yourself . Am I alone in my struggle to love and accept me as me. I am not talking about not growing and becoming better . . . but what I am talking about is a general contentment and comfort in who I am. I guess some of my struggle comes in letting myself be human, not as an excuse for foolishness, but as a reality to embrace. I am not going to do everything perfectly . . . I am going to fail, and in these failings I must learn and grow and forgive myself and allow myself to be OK. I have spent many days in my life trying to find someone to love and accept me in order to feel OK with me. Really, I have needed to love me, in order to love others better and more fully. I turned 46 years old just a few days ago . . . and I am ready to live the balance of my days in love with me . . . I am worthy of love and I am worthy of self forgiveness. I am ready to bloom like a flower . . . I am ready to take courage and step out and become a better me . . . I am blessed and thankful. I hope you are well. if you read this and find any encouragement send me a message . . . Peace

Birthdays are awesome . . .

Well, you can see by the title that I have a birthday coming . . . O, I am so selfish . . . Me, Me, Me . . . Okay well maybe not all that selfish, but I will turn 46 years old if I make it to March 13th. Yes the number continues to grow . . . A friend from Postcrossing sent me the above card. I love balloons. They are the absolute best. They make me smile in so many ways.

Now on to the birthday thing. I am beginning to realize as each year passes just how fast a year travels. What are some of your favorite things about Birthdays? What do you do to celebrate each new year of your life? Well, I will go for now. Peace

In this Moment . . .

This past two months have been one crazy ride. I have felt so many things, learned so many things, struggled with so many things, changed so many things, and I am still in this internal storm. It began some time during the winter break. What "It" is, is still not fully known. Things I do know. Each day is a new adventure. Each moment is to be fully embraced and enjoyed for what it is. I am at a crossroad in my life I believe. I am going to be 46 years young in just a few days . . . My first child is going to graduate this year and somehow she is now 18 years old. Where did those years go? My Son is now 15 and learning to be independant . . . it seems like he was just a little guy a couple days ago. And my youngest son is now 13, a teenager with more energy that I know what to do with. Many days I feel totally inadequate to be a parent of three teenagers . . . but guess what, each day is a new day full of work, joy, challenge, and learning. I have been married 23 + years, and I do not know how that happened eather. What was I doing all the time during those years? I know I was there, and I was busy, and I was blessed and I am thankful . . . but those years seem to have passed so fast, or at least faster than I care to admit or acknowledge . . . I do not know which. Then there is all the stuff happening inside of me . . . some may call it midlife crisis . . . I am choosing to call it Man O Pause . . . or something of the soart. I am also challenged by the fact that as things go, I am over half way through with this life. That has been an amazing thought to try to process. I remember being a kid, and I remember a few days in college . . . I remember getting married . . . . I remember being at each of my childerns births. I remember so many things, I just do not know how we got here so fast . . . I know the sun came up and the sun set on each day. I remember I slept and woke each day. But, wow . . . I will be celebrating a birthday in just a few days from now, and I want to learn to embrace each remaining day fully and enjoy the rest of this life. This is a crazy post, but it is where I am at this moment. . . .

I am a blessed and Thankful man. I Love Jesus, and Know he has a plan for me in the balance of my life.

Peace