Still

We only have a week left in our internship, which is pretty bittersweet. We love what we're doing and don't want to quit, but know we have to in order to finish what we've already begun at school.

Wow.

It's been a long week.

Am I the only one feeling that right now?

Regardless, if you're reading this, you've made it to another Friday. Through another week.

This has been one of the hardest weeks of my life, if I'm being honest. More on that later, though.

For now, it's Friday, and therefore, one of my favorite moments of the week: Five Minute Friday!

If you're new around here and aren't sure what that means, I'd love to let you know. Here's the low-down on FMF. Three simple rules:

1. Using the prompt given, write for 5 minutes flat, unedited, unadulterated.

2. Link back to the original Five Minute Friday post, because, well, why wouldn't you?

3. Encourage the person who linked up before you with a kind-hearted comment.

Simple enough, right? I'd have to agree. And now, for today's prompt...

Still

Ready? Set? Go!

This summer, I've sucked at being still. We're always on the move. Always on the go. Moving from one place to another, completing some task or some other. It's frustrating, really, because I know that what my heart is yearning for right now is stillness.

I love being still. I don't do it well in a literal sense, for I shake on a regular basis because of my medicines and my lung disease. Call me a druggie if you will, but I definitely live with the shakes. However, that doesn't mean that I don't love just sitting, stopping, and simply being.

One of the most powerful things that I've ever done is a Retreat of Silence. We took something like 3-4 hours and spent it alone, silent, and still out in God's beautiful creation. Thankfully, the heat wasn't as blistering that fateful summer three years ago, so it was much easier to be still in the sun and be flooded by God's beauty.

Oh, how my heart yearns for that stillness. I need it. 

And so, though it's not conducive to blog-writing, I'm using the remainder of my 5 minutes to do exactly what my heart longs to do: be still.

...

STOP!

That was refreshing. Even if just for a couple of minutes.

Your turn!

When was the last time you were still? Have you ever been purposefully still? Or is this something you haven't heard of doing before? Give it a try!

I'd love to hear from you about this (or anything else)! Drop in with a comment or shoot me an e-mail! 

If you enjoyed today's post, please feel free to find a way to follow Life Before the Bucket and share it with your friends! 

Changing the World

I had a breathing test the other day. I'm not really sure if I should be excited about 26% lung function, but I am!
 
I love hearing people's stories.

I desire to hear other people's thoughts.  

I guess that explains why I want to be a therapist in the future.

It's simply amazing to me how one person's individual reflections can spur on my own thoughts and push me to become more of the person I was meant to be.

This happened a few weeks ago. And it was quite frustrating, in fact.

I was reading a blog that I love, written by a friend named Stephanie. It was this post, specifically, that got me thinking. The title of the post is "I want to write a novel and become famous." And within the post, Stephanie reflects on various desires she has. One desire she expressed resonated with me, though:

It would be nice to be a hermit and read every book ever written (perhaps the size of the Beauty and the Beast library - full - of books), but I am also addicted to my computer and film, music, art, and to a certain degree, knowing what is happening in the world.

You see, I'm a reserved person by nature. And though I've been told that this is apparently "something to work on" by some, I know that I am who I am because God created me to be as such.

Naturally, then, as a reserved person, the idea of being a hermit appeals immensely to me. Don't mind the fact that I'm married to the most wonderful woman I've ever met. She could live with me in my hermit-life, I suppose (though that may be breaking some sort of hermit "code of conduct"). I realized something, though, as I read Stephanie's thoughts.

I want to enact change in this world. Big, small, or hardly noticeable. I want to change the world and change the lives of the people living in it. Unfortunately...

You can't be a recluse that changes the world. 

It just doesn't work that way.

So I fight against my nature to hide on a daily basis. I struggle with my mind's desire to remain hidden because I know that I am alive for a reason - God would have arranged otherwise long ago if that wasn't the case. I know that I am not alive today to become a hermit and disappear.

No, I'm here to stay, my friends. I'm here to make a difference. I'm here to change the world.

What about you? How do you dream of changing the world? What sort of change to you hope to bring by the time your life is complete? Would being a hermit jive with your dreams?

I'd love to hear from you about this (or anything else)! Just leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail!

P.S. If you liked this post, pleas share it with your friends! And if you haven't yet, be sure to find a way to follow Life Before the Bucket!

I'm Not Over It

This post is part of my weekly Time for Honesty. I do my best to share something that's on my heart that is honest, sincere, and transparent - something that will get you thinking and get you to be honest with yourself.

On Sunday, it will have been three years. For anyone that's counting, that's  1,068 days. Or 25,632 hours. Or even 1,537,920 minutes. Heck, let's even say it will have been 92,275,200 seconds.

Three years is a long time when you look at it like that.

It was three years ago that I tried to call my dad and got an operator because his phone was disconnected.

Three years ago that my older younger sister, Scarlett, randomly asked me, "Do you think Dad is dead?"

It was three years ago that I witnessed the most horrific scene of my life as my grandparents delivered the news.  

One thousand, sixty-eight days ago on Sunday, my dad passed away.

Since that day, I've learned a lot from my dad. More than I ever did while he was alive.

As I was asked to speak at his funeral, along with my beautiful sisters, I was forced to think about him. To wrestle with the reality of his sudden departure. To contend with the fact that I had just made a pact with God to reestablish my relationship with my dad.

When his funeral came, I spoke without notes. Why would I need notes to talk about my father? I spoke of his passion. I quipped about the fact that I wouldn't just get a tattoo in his memory and move on. I exhorted those present to not let that day go to waste - to remember my dad through the way they live. To live with passion, as he did.

Now before you get the wrong idea, my dad was no saint. He was a messed up guy. I'm not one to idealize a dead guy, so I want you to know that now. He drank mightily. We still find bottles around my mom's house from him - and he didn't even live there. He was passionate, but boy howdy did he do some stupid stuff.

On Sunday it will have been three years. And clearly, I'm not over this. I am not "over" the death of my dad, and I am okay with that. I don't want to be. Mourning is a process, and maybe it's one that never ends. Maybe it's not as cut and dry as we want it to be. Maybe, just maybe, grieving has no end, as hopeless as that sounds. And that's okay.

Again, though, I may be misleading you. For I do not grieve as one without hope. Instead, I mourn my dad's death as a part of the brokenness of this world. There are so  many injustices, so much pain. And my dad's death is among that hurt.

For now, then, all I can do is heal. Myself. Others. This world. I cannot be reunited with my dad for now (and will I ever? I don't know), but I can share his passion with the world around me. And I can remember him. I can mourn my loss. I can yearn to visit his grave site, if only to get a glimpse of his face on that marker that designates his place of burial.

I'm not over his death. Quite possibly, I never will be. And that's alright. And no, I won't "get past it" or "get over it" someday. I never want to be over it because I want to remember. I want to remember how precious each day is and remember how passionately I'm called to live.

For my dad.

For the people I love.

For my God, who is healing me, and will be until the day I pass on to a place I call home.

Have you experienced anything like this in your own life? Death is a tender subject, so please share with discretion - pain is as personal as you want it to be.

I'd love to hear from you about this (or anything else)! Leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail! 

And if you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends - it would mean a lot to me. 

Not Quite a Bucket List

Today I'm featuring a guest post from one of my closest friends, Bekah. She's a great writer and an inspirational person, as her blog will testify. Leave her some rockin' feedback and check out the other stuff she's written while you're at it!

Not Quite a Bucket List

A bucket list.  I’ve contemplated whether or not I want one of these.  I mean, I am a list person.  I make lists of things to do each day.  Lists of things for which to shop.  Lists for different projects at work.  Sometimes I end up making lists of all the lists I need to make.  But somehow, in all this list making, I’ve never made a bucket list.  Hmmm… kind of weird.

Despite my lack of a bucket list, I did decide the other day that there are many things I love to do, but never really take the time to do them.  I began a list, similar to a bucket list in the sense that they are things I want to make time to do as I go through life.  Yet, it is very different in the fact that I’ve probably done most of these things already and they aren’t really once in a life time things.  In fact, they are almost all things I wish I could do every day.   The title of my list you may ask….?

THINGS THAT BRING ME JOY

Who doesn’t want a little more joy in life?  Even when we are very joyful it’s nice to add a little extra.  So here’s what I did: 

I started this list a couple weeks or so ago.  I’m planning to write (or maybe print off the computer) each of the things on this list on a little card.   Then, I’m going to put them in a jar or dish or hat or something I randomly find laying around the house.  Each morning I’m going to draw a slip of paper from the container and try to do that thing in the day. 

Here’s my list so far:

Things that Bring Me Joy:

1. Make a card to mail to a friend
2. Go for a run
3. Go for a walk… and take your camera with!
4. Find somewhere to volunteer for an hour or two
5. Go for a hike
6. Write a letter to a friend
7. Call a friend you haven’t heard from in a while
8. Make something special for dinner
9. Call a friend and invite them over for dinner
10. Bake some bread from scratch
11. Wander through the blog-o-sphere
12. Go to Niagara Falls (for some this may be on their “bucket list” but for me, being that it’s only 20 miles away, I can basically do this anytime I want)
13. Go rent a movie to watch and pop some popcorn on the stove
14. Play your guitar
15. Write a silly song about something that happened today
16. Read a book
17. Go to the library and read a bunch of children’s books
18. Write a blog post.
19. Eat some ice cream
20. Get all dressed up for dinner (and either go out, or even just get all dressed up and stay at home.)
21. Take a bubble bath
22. Make plans for your next vacation (even if it is a dream vacation you may never actually take.)
23. Plant something
24. Cut some fresh flowers
25. Take some flowers to someone… just because
26. Find a kid to hang out with
27. Kickbox to some favorite songs
28. Go to the farmer’s market
29. Watch a sunrise
30. Go to the park and swing on the swing
31. Color in a coloring book
32. Be crafty… scrapbook, decoupage, crochet, etc.
33. Make some homemade paper
34. Find something to do in town that you’ve never done before
35. Go for a drive, roll down the windows  and turn up the music and sing along
36. Do something nice for someone or leave them a note… and do it all without letting them know or figure out who did it
37. Go lay in the grass and stare at the clouds (or, if in winter, go build a snowman)

My list continues to grow….  I plan to keep blank slips of paper near my container and add to it often. 

But I wonder… what would be on your list?  What are the things that if you did them everyday you would never get sick of them… the things that just bring a smile to your face… the things that may seem a little crazy or childish or whatever, but you enjoy doing anyway.  What would be on your list of “Things that Bring Me Joy”?

Okay… now go  make your list and start enjoying life a little more each day!

Digging through the Bucket: A New Perspective

Today I am featuring a post that I wrote two months ago. I was going to write a new post on the topic, but then I realized that this one said everything I wanted to say, and that many of you may not have seen it. Enjoy!

Do you remember the day that you first got glasses?

That's a pretty big day if you've experienced it.

It's almost as if an entirely new world is opened up to you. You see things that were hidden before. Colors that didn't exist suddenly permeate your field of vision. The world became brighter, more beautiful. You can finally see what everyone else has always been excited about, those things you've just had to imagine with your mind.

When you get a new set of glasses or contacts, it's almost like you get a new lease on life. It's as if someone has been holding a plastic bag over your eyes your entire life, and they finally remove it. It's a feeling that can't be matched.

If you haven't had the experience of getting new glasses because you've always been able to see the world clearly, count yourself blessed. There are many people who would pay a lot of money to be able to see the things that you see effortlessly. Though we don't always see it, sight is a blessing.

Take, for instance, this photo to the right. If you use a little imagination, you can see that this is a set of bright pink flowers. And sure, they could look pretty if you squinted a little, tilt your head about 62.3 degrees, and hop on one foot, but really, it's just your imagination. These flowers aren't really that pretty because, frankly, you can't see them. You're missing out on their beauty because something is hindering your sight (in this case, my malicious photo editing).



What's amazing, though, is the opportunity we're afforded when we get a chance to truly see what lies before us. It's as if an entirely new world has been opened up to us. Things are more clear, more crisp, and certainly more beautiful. Before, we could imagine the beauty, but now we can see it - we can experience it. We can almost taste the beauty. Before, you saw a few flowers that were probably pretty and were a nice thought, but now you can see clearly. Now you know what it's like to see the world through a new perspective.

And maybe that's what you need today: a new perspective.

Maybe today is the day you need to remove the old glasses you've been viewing life through, take a deep breath, and throw them away. And then put on a new set of lenses. You may be shocked by what you see. You may think the world is against you right now, throwing every stone they have your way. You're ducking, diving, and doing all that you can to avoid being hit. Maybe it's time to take off your glasses and try on some new lenses. Maybe you'll see that those aren't stones the world is hurling at you, but new opportunities to build something majestic. Maybe you'll see that this life isn't so bad after all.

Today, as you walk through your everyday routine - whether that's caring for your kids, working  your 9 to 5, trying to find a new job, or whatever it may be - take a moment and close your eyes. Try to refocus your perspective. Or better yet, put on a new set of lenses. See your world how someone else might see it. Look for the beauty that has been hiding behind the mundane routine of your life, waiting to be found.

And when you find that beauty, don't let it go. Never forget it. Hold unswervingly to it, and don't let anyone take it from you, because life is beautiful and it is worth living.

An Order of Shallow with a Side of Cliche

Today's second post is a book review of Dinner with a Perfect Stranger by David Gregory as a part of the Blogging for Books program. Enjoy!

Sometimes you pick up a book and you're excited to read it. You're excited to dive in and see what the author has concocted. And sometimes, you pick up a book and rejoice that it's only around 100 pages because you know it'll be over with soon enough. Unfortunately, David Gregory's Dinner with a Perfect Stranger falls under the latter category.

I was initially wary of this book because of its premise of having dinner with Jesus. I figured that the author was some lunatic who truly believed that he had encountered Jesus at McDonald's and that the book would be a detailed recollection of said insanity. Fortunately, Gregory's book is fiction, with a capital F.

You enter the conversation between Gregory and Jesus excited. Who wouldn't be excited to hear what Jesus would have to say over a nice meal at a restaurant that most can't afford? Unfortunately, the most interesting part of the dinner is the meal, as Gregory goes to great lengths to give us a vivid picture of the food he partakes in and the details concerning the restaurant. I suppose something needs to fill our minds, as the dinner conversation is rather shallow, cliche, and leaves something to be desired.

I knew from the moment I opened the book that what I was getting into would be rather brief and shallow - after all, how much can truly be said in 100 pages? Length is not the concern here, though. The topic of dinner conversation is rather uninspired, as if Jesus had simply read the first paragraph in each chapter of Lee Strobel's Case for Christ and failed to study the evidence behind the claims. Something tells me, though, that Jesus would have been a bit more thorough in his research. Sadly, I cannot say the same for Gregory.

If you're looking for a book that reminds you of the rich (though fictional) conversation that William P. Young's The Shack provides, look elsewhere .All you're going to find here is an order of shallow conversation with a side of cliche retorts. Nothing too fancy and nothing too earth shattering. Simply another book to line the bookshelf.

(I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.)

Deja Vu

I know, I know. You missed me yesterday. I'm contemplating posting twice today to make it up to you.

Last Saturday, I posted a video of my sister rocking out on her guitar. I claimed that she was awesome, and a few of you agreed!

Well, folks, I'm here to shamelessly plug my sister one more time. The contest she entered with her song, "Impossible Dream," just began. She needs about a million votes (just to be safe), so would you be willing to help her out?

Just visit this link, register (it takes about 2 minutes), and then vote for my sister's video! If she wins first place, she gets $1,000 and promised to take me out to dinner... just kidding!

But I'm betting if you helped catapult her to first place, she'd be willing to donate money toward an Amazon gift card giveaway. And I'm betting I could match that. So whaddya say?

Check out my sister's video, vote, and share it with your friends. Together, we could all win something from this!

Full

My grandma had brain surgery last night and the doctor said it went as well as could have possibly been expected. Whew. 

I've made it.

You've made it.

We've all made it...

to Friday!

I don't know what kind of week you've had, but personally, I'm glad the end is here. A little Friday is just what the doctor ordered, along with a side dish of...

Five Minute Friday!

Here's the 4-1-1 on Five Minute Friday (per The Gypsy Mama), in case you're new to it:

The 4: Write for five minutes flat with no editing or critiquing. 

The 1: Link back to The Gypsy Mama, as I just did.

The 1: Hunt down the person who linked up for F.m.F. before you and give them some comment love.

The prompt this week is...

Full.

(eek.)

Ready... Set... Go!


Being full is a pleasure. It's a luxury. It's not something that everybody gets to enjoy.

Most everyone who is able to read this blog has been full physically at one point or another in their lives. I have always had enough food to fill me up and top me off. However, not everyone gets that chance. This really frustrates me, because I know how much food I've wasted in the past and how much I'll waste in the future.

Being full is a pleasure. It's a luxury. It's not something I've gotten to enjoy as of late.

Obviously, I'm not talking about physically at this point.  You see, being full spiritually is even more important than being full physically. It just doesn't make sense to me that so many seek what is physical above what is spiritual. Unfortunately, I've been caught red-handed, guilty as charged, in this matter as well. Because I'm not full. I haven't been in a long time.

Fill me up, Jesus. I know it's what I need.

STOP! 

When was the last time you were spiritually "full?" Do you know what it takes to fill your spirit? In what ways do you fill your spirit on a regular basis?

I'd love to hear from you about this (or anything else)! Just drop me a comment or send me an e-mail!

If you like what you read today, be sure to share it with your friends! And if this is your first time here, don't be shy - find a way to follow along!

Goal Overload?

Hola, Bucketeers! Today, I have the pleasure of featuring another great guest poster! Today, we have Amy from Non-Stop Mom! She has a great post for you, so show her some love through the comments and give her blog a visit and a follow! 

Goal Overload? 

If you have been following my blog (first of all, thank you)then you probably already know about our upcoming road trip. If you haven’tbeen (you should), then here’s a little bit of background information.

I am a 40 year old single mother of 5 kids. Yes, F-I-V-E. Mydaughters are 11 and 9, and my sons are 7, 5, and 4. We are leaving our home incentral Kansas and driving through 10 states and the District of Columbia onwhat has now been dubbed “The Mother of All Road Trips: 2011 Edition” orTMOART:2011 for semi-short. 

There are so many goals that are wrapped up into this trip –and this trip is going to be so much more than just a “road trip”.

The main goal, the main reasonfor why we are even undertaking this is so that the kids and I can see myparents. I grew up in Pennsylvania, and my parents are still there along with afew of my siblings. My parents had me later in their lives, and so they are nowin their 80s. The last time that we saw them was 2 years ago, and my youngestson does not remember that trip. Now, at 4 years old, he will remember at leastbits and pieces of it – and if, God forbid, something were to happen to myparents, he would at least have a few memories of his grandparents. My parentsare for all intents and purposes the only grandparents that he has – hispaternal grandparents are not involved in his life at all (read my blog forthat story as well).

Another goal is to see some friends – old and new. Along theway, we will be seeing friends that I haven’t seen in anywhere from never to acouple of years to 20+ years. Wait,friends I’ve never seen? Yes, you read that correctly – I will be meetingsome friends for the first time ever – friends whom I have had the pleasure ofgetting to know online but have yet to actually see face-to-face. I am soexcited to see my high school and childhood friends – some of them I have lostand found over the years, and a few have always been in my life. I will get tosee some of my family for the first time in years as well.

Sadly, I won’t get to see everyone on my wish list – somepeople have other plans, some have drifted away, some have passed away. But, Iwill be thankful for each and every person we are able to visit with on thistrip.

To me, a rather obvious goal will just be completing thetrip with my sanity intact. It’s not a big secret that my kids don’t always getalong, but they are generally good at traveling. As long as we don’t run intoany major traffic, construction, weather, or mechanical issues, we’ll be good.I hope that I only have to threaten the kids a minimal number of times to keepthem on decent behavior, especially while we are staying with friends. And withthe GPS on my phone and a large atlas, hopefully we’ll be able to find our wayaround any major obstacles and keep on moving!

There have been so many goals even leading up to this trip –getting things squared away financially was huge, but we did it. I have beentucking money away for months in order to make this happen but I did it. I havefigured and refigured the financial end of things to make sure that we havemore than enough money to do this. Granted, we’re not going to be buyingsouvenirs at every stop, and we’re not eating out along the way, but we can doit. We already stocked up on food that we’re taking with us – I have everyintention of NOT stopping at any fast food restaurant on the way out or back(with the exception of hopefully meeting my niece and her family in Columbus onthe return trip). I don’t want to have to buy anything except for an occasionalbag of ice and of course gas for the van, and some groceries at each stop.

Because I have been so stressed out about what COULD gowrong, I’ve been channeling my nervous energy and cleaning my house with theultimate goal of having my entire house clean and organized when we leave – Idon’t think that anything (other than the trip itself) could be better thancoming home to a clean house! And, with the exception of organizing my laundryroom, that goal is just about met. Yay me! I am not the neatest or mostorganized person in the world, as much as I want to be – but when I take thetime and make the effort to clean, it shows. I’ve also explained to the kidsthat not only do I expect the house to stay clean until we leave, but I alsoexpect it to stay that way after we return. We’ll see how long that lasts.

I also fully intend to get everything packed and into thevan by Wednesday afternoon so that I can sleep Wednesday night. I am a night owl,through and through. I have trouble going to sleep any earlier than 2am, and weare planning to leave by 3:00am on Thursday. With a proposed 12-hour drive thatday, I have to sleep Wednesdaynight. Of course, I just remembered that since I am volunteering at VacationBible School with our church this week, my tentative plan of being in bed by8:00pm on Wednesday isn’t going to happen – but maybe by 9:00 instead.

My life has been extremely chaotic over the past few years,to say the least. I just recently went through my second divorce, and myex-husband passed away very unexpectedly just a few weeks later. Emotionally, Ihave been through the wringer more than once. Just getting this trip plannedand seeing pieces of it falling together has done wonders for my attitude aboutlife in general. This trip is so desperately needed right now – which is just asmall part of what is making me determined to make it happen. I have had toomany people tell me that I can’t do it, or that I shouldn’t do it, or whatever– so not only am I doing it for me and the kids, but there is a small part ofme that is doing it to prove to everyone else what I already know about myself– that I can and will do it!

For more of the story, and posts as the trip happens, besure to follow my blog! I plan to post regularly throughout the trip – bothshort “progress posts” from my phone to keep everyone up to speed on our statusas we travel, and longer posts when we get to real computers throughout ourjourney!

Bon voyage!

My Feathers Have Been Ruffled

This post is part of my weekly Time for Honesty. I do my best to share something that's on my heart that is honest, sincere, and transparent - something that will get you thinking and get you to be honest with yourself.

The other day I was perusing my infinite list of blogs, reading, enjoying myself, and probably drinking coffee, though I can't be sure (so don't quote me on that). Nothing too earth shattering arose, and I was okay with that. Until I read through K. Syrah's latest post over at Shoes Never Worn: "The Indie Writer/Indie Author."

Darn you, K, for ruffling my feathers.

(She does that sometimes, so if you're into that sort of writing, you should really check out her blog.)

Anyway, K was writing about being an Indie author, and ended her post with a quip that made a lot of sense to me, but made me kind of mad:

Of course, I say that because at this moment, money isn’t an issue, and if one has a full belly, and all the bills are paid, it’s easier to be righteous.

Now when I say that K made me mad, I really just mean she rattled my cage. Because frankly, I'm dealing with this right now, and I was mad that she brought it up and threw it in my face, as if it were no big deal. Don't mind the fact that it's completely illogical for me to be mad at her - after all, she has no clue that this is something I'm wrestling with right now.

Here's the deal: I've really been struggling with trusting God in my finances. This is something I've always taken a little pride in, because I don't want to care about money, so I let God take care of it. Typically, our budget doesn't add up and more goes out than comes in. But at the end of the day, we find ourselves blessed by God for trusting him with our cash.

Lately, though, things have been getting a little tighter. And suddenly, I start wondering. I start doubting.  

Does God care? 

Did I do something wrong? 

Is there a certain ritual I need to perform to fix all of this?

And suddenly, I want to take matters into my own hands. 

You see, that quote I posted from K really shook me because I've found myself beginning to back down from what I so firmly believed when I "had a full belly and all the bills were paid."

I've always believed in God's provision and frankly, He's always one-upped me when it comes to finances, always doing more than I could ever expect. However, lately, it seems like God has all but disappeared from managing our money. And suddenly, I want to stop giving radically. I want to start saving back our money, keeping it for ourselves, instead of supporting our beautiful Compassion children.

But then I'm reminded of my calling:

Give to those who ask.

Don't turn away from those who want to borrow.

Don't store up treasures on earth.

Don't worry about your life.

Don't worry about tomorrow.

Give, God says. Don't worry, He reminds me.  

Give. Don't worry.

I guess it's no coincidence that when Matthew pens those words, he talks about radical giving first and then says not to worry. It's like he knew what his readers would be experiencing as they read his admonition to give without hesitation.

I want so badly to be able to keep giving and enjoy it. And I'm trying. I haven't given up on God, and I guess I've just come to terms with the fact that God is still taking care of me. I'm just being selfish and I want more. Because, obviously, I deserve better. I'm entitled to his blessings. He owes me.

Wrong. Double wrong. In fact, that's all a bucket of lard.

I need nothing more. I deserve nothing better. His blessings are his to give, not mine. And God owes me nothing. In fact, I'm sure it's the other way around. I owe him. A lot. Everything, in fact. And so I keep giving. I keep trusting. I keep hoping. And along the way, I'm trying not to worry, because, hey, what good has worry done any of us anyway?

Did that quote from K hit home with you? Can you relate to my struggle here? Or do you struggle with trusting God for other things, beyond money? What are you having a hard time trusting God with today?

I'd love to hear from you about this (or anything else!). Just drop me a comment or an e-mail! And while you're at it, feel free to share this post with some of your friends!
 

Dreaming Big

Guess what? Today's your lucky day! You get to listen to somebody much funnier and much more inspirational than I could ever hope to be! Ben is a great guy who wrote up a great post for you guys, so give him some love and go check out his blog!

Hi.

I'm Ben.

Which means I'm not Adrian. 

Which means this is a guest post.

Which means I'm making progress on my list of things to accomplish in my 19th year on this planet. Now that Kate Middleton is officially off the market, my goal of writing at least 7 guest posts for other blogs has moved up to the #2 spot.

What is #1 you ask from the edge of your seat?

Glad you asked.

It's to raise $10,000 to help me make my music and to provide clean water to a village that doesn't currently have it.

Last week a project that's been about 9 months in the making went live. That sounded like I made a baby didn't it? Well I didn't. It feels a little like my child, but it's not human. It's a crowdfunding project called thesoundofwater.

For anyone that may not know, "crowdfunding" is what it sounds like: acquiring funds using a crowd.

The biggest problem for me is finding the crowd. I have a blog, but not a huge following. So I'm looking for people that might share some of my passions to help me make this crazy dream a reality. (FYI, you can give to the project here. There are some awesome perks for donors. Check it out.)

The idea behind my project is to solve two problems I ran into at about the same time. The first one being a Neumann TLM 49 microphone is just out of my price range. The second one being almost 1,000,000,000 people around the world don't have access to clean drinking water.

I know a lot of the posts on this blog revolve around the "bucket list" concept. I can't give advice on how to successfully cross items off a "bucket list" because I haven't personally made it that far yet.

Here is what I can say just a few days into thesoundofwater:

Starting is fun. I may not have made much progress so far, but I already know that even though I'm now working 40 hours a week at a summer camp, and then spending all my free time working on thesoundofwater, I feel so much more alive than I did a couple months ago when I was in limbo without school, a job, or much of a life at all. (I watched a lot of Netflix. That was about it.) 

I can't give advice on how to finish. Besides a 2k race I did when I 10 years old I don't have a great finishing record. Something I can tell you already is that the first few days of living a story you've been outlining for months is a ton of fun.

Terrifying. But fun.

Start before you start. Even though the project only went live last week, I've been working on it since the beginning of October of last year. First conceptually. Then came a crap load (where did that saying come from. such a nasty mental image) of research. Then experimentation. Then more research. Then a period of thinking it was a horrible idea. Then I read this book again. Then more research. You get the picture. 

I don't know if I did enough preparation. I don't know how I'll ever know. I do know I'd be even more terrified than I am now if I hadn't meticulously planned out a lot of my steps. (note: don't over-plan. In the short time since the project went live I've already had multiple surprises. Good and bad. Don't make such a rigid plan that if something goes wrong it all goes wrong. Leave room for things to happen.)

Find a "can't lose" situation. That's what I did. I know that I could end up raising $12. But I realize that, though that would suck, my life will continue. I didn't leave my family or sell all my possessions to do this. It may be a little embarrassing and upsetting if I don't succeed like I want to, but that tiny price I may, or may not, have to pay should not be enough to keep me from trying. 

If it works. A lot of people benefit. I benefit in countless ways. So if it succeeds, it's a MAJOR win. If I fail, besides the small amounts of emotional discomfort it will cause, nothing really happens. Life resumes. With those being the only two possible outcomes, how could I sit back and do nothing?

....

So that's what I've got.

I'll be obnoxious for a sentence and make sure to remind you to visit thesoundfowater.

I've got a blog you may enjoy, too.

Also, I love the music of Greg Laswell. I love Top Chef. One time I rode on a train to Ohio. Sometimes I drink Gatorade. I love Canadian junk food. I'm done now.

I'm Not a Werewolf

For those who might be wondering: my health has been doing a lot better as of late!

Something funny happened a couple of weeks ago.

I was lying in bed with my smokin' hot, beautiful wife, enjoying her company, and probably falling asleep while she was talking to me (because that's what all great husbands do, naturally). I couldn't tell you what we were talking about, but it was probably something to do with the fact that we think Hell may have taken up residence in Wichita with this ridiculous heat we've been having.

So, in the middle of our hypothetical Hell conversation, my wife stops, looks at me, and says something so out of the blue that I wouldn't have seen it coming if I had been married to her for a million years:

"You know, I think you've gotten hairier since we've gotten married."

As the words left her mouth, I began formulating all sorts of weird excuses - the first of which was "I'm not a werewolf, I swear." Ultimately, though, I won't ever win that argument, no matter how much I protest. She's my wife - she tends to notice these things. I, on the other hand, am oblivious to myself, because I spend every waking (and sleeping) moment with me.

So, if in the near future I stop posting and suddenly disappear for weeks at a time, only to be found in the woods, disheveled and stinky, you know what's happened to me. Hopefully, though, I'll just remain my typical disheveled, stinky self and my wife will like me anyway.

That poor girl.

Has anyone ever pointed out something about you that you've never noticed before? Are there quirky things that have changed about your spouse since you've gotten married?

I'd love to hear from you about this (or anything else!). Just drop me a comment or shoot me an e-mail! And while you're at it, share this post with your friends!

It's Worth Asking

Last night, I watched a cheesy 90s movie while my wife was at a 90s boy band concert. We're so cool.

I woke up entirely too early this morning. As in like 6 AM early. This would be okay on a weekday. Unfortunately, that isn't the case. So it's 6:30 AM... on a Sunday! Nonsense.

So as I'm sitting here typing and drinking coffee, I realized something. I have the urge to add a few new blogs to Google Reader. Unfortunately, I don't know where to find these new blogs.

That's where you come in.

My request is simple: comment with the blog you're enjoying reading the most right now. I've asked about this before, so if you answered then, try to comment with something new. I'm all about trying new things, ya know.

The blog I'm enjoying most right now (that I haven't already plugged in the past)?

How about...

Life as Experienced. I just recently found this blog when its author, Seth, e-mailed me about doing a guest post. So, although I'm sure you'll be hearing from him soon around here, I wanted to give you a heads up about his blog! Give it a look-see (what a weird word...) and let him know what you think!

Oh, and while you're at it, have a great day. Keep being awesome!

Maybe I'm Biased

So the wife ditched me for a Backstreet Boy concert. It's like grade school all over again...

I've gotta admit - I'm a homebody. I love my family and love the city we grew up in. Things weren't always perfect, and we didn't always like each other, but we've made it this far together.

With that being said, I wanted to show you this video. I think it's awesome and I thought you might as well. It's my youngest sister rocking out for a contest on her guitar with a song she wrote. It's short (less than 90 seconds!) so give it a listen and let me know what you think! I'll post the lyrics beneath the video.

I'm living in a world that's changing rapidly
I've grown up in a place that supports my dreams
Unless I dream of a peaceful land
Where people don't hold guns, they hold hands

But I dream of a place without a hunger stricken race
I dream of a land that's truly united as they stand
I'm told these are impossible dreams
But that doesn't stop me

I can't seem to wrap my head around the terrible things
That happen in my own country, let alone overseas
I'm not sure how to make a change
But I know for a fact that things can't stay the same

Because I live in a place with a warring race
I live in a land where people won't take a stand
I'm told change is an impossible dream
But that doesn't stop me

So what did you think? Did you give it a listen? Do you have any suggestions for my little sister? Would you be willing to share this video? 

I'd love to hear from you about this (or anything else!). Just leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail! And while you're at it, find a way to follow Life Before the Bucket!

Loss

Has anyone noticed the rockin' favicon I added? Because I really like it.

Congratulations. If you're reading this, you've made it to another Friday. Pat yourself on the back, find a good movie to watch (if you didn't lose 10 hours of sleeping watching a certain one last night), and enjoy yourself today.

I'm choosing to enjoy myself by doing a few things: going to the doctor, hanging out with my sister, and blogging! More specifically, participating in...

Five Minute Friday!

If you don't know what Five Minute Friday is, allow me to enlighten you. There are three simple rules to FMF, per The Gypsy Mama.

#1 - Write for 5 minutes flat. No editing, no tweaking. Just write.

#2 - Link back to The Gypsy Mama!

#3 - Go give some comment love to the person who did 5 Minute Friday before you!

Simple enough, eh?

Here goes nothing!

Today's prompt is...

Loss 

Ready... Set... Go!

Alright, I feel like the Gypsy Mama is reading my mind here. I had a post planned out to do with this. I guess I have to take this a different direction (how dare I actually have to think!).

Here's the deal: I lose everything. If I've had it at one point in my life, I've lost it. And chances are, it's still pretty lost. The worst part is, I probably don't even know it!

I'm terrible about losing things and forgetting about them. I'm not sure when it started, either. I'd like to think that I could blame marriage for my forgetfulness, but I've only been married two years, and I've been a professional at losing things much longer than that. So luckily, the wife is off the hook (which is good, because I tend to like her).

I, like many others, wonder where all of these things go that I lose. Maybe the "Lost and Found" at school is actually a collection of my things. I'd check it out, but I've forgotten where it even is (see what I'm saying?). If it is a collection of my things, I should really consider thanking whoever it is that keeps those things for me. That's awful nice of them. Now if I could just get them to give it all back to me...

I wonder how my wife keeps track of me, sometimes. Especially on days when I just have a propensity to lose everything. She must have a super-brain or something. Or maybe it's a girl thing? The world may never know...

STOP!

Yourrrrrr turrrrrrn! And no, my "r" key wasn't stuck. I just was too tired to lift my little finger off of the key. Have a great Friday!

Do you have a tendency to lose things? What do you do about it? Have you found ways to prevent yourself from forgetting about things? I could definitely use your help!

I'd love to hear from you about this (or anything else!). And while you're at it, Share this post with your friends! Thanks for being so epic!

A Fish Out of Water...

Today I am featuring my first ever guest poster! When I begged for some awesome writers to help out a couple of weeks ago, Heather, from My Husband Ate All My Ice Cream, was the first to answer the call! Be sure to give her wonderful blog a visit and show her some love and respect in the comments here! She deserves it!

A Fish Out of Water...

That is what I feel like right now, getting ready to talk about my lack of Christianity on Adrian's blog.

I was very surprised when I wrote a post for my blog called Why I Don't Have a God. The comments on the post were surprisingly respectful, and a lot of people were very tolerant of my views, despite the fact that their own views are different. I'm not usually one to talk about religion, mostly because when I bring it up, I get trampled on and questioned. I don't like to label myself as a certain religion, simply because I'm not sure there is one that fits what I believe. I don't believe in the Christian God. I believe in an after life, but not Heaven or Hell. I don't believe that there is some sort of divine guidance in my life - I believe in fate and destiny. I could type a whole post, or ten, about my beliefs. But that isn't what I'm here to talk about today. I want to talk about tolerance.

I can't tell you how many times I've been called a devil worshiper (which is not true), been made to feel ignorant, been made to feel wrong, and been downright insulted by Christians because I am not a follower or believer.

I have been told that I am a rare breed. Not just because I practice freedom from organized religion, but because I do it AND I am tolerant and respectful of the beliefs of others. I was having a religious debate with an acquaintance of mine a while back. She was VERY hardcore Christian. When I told her about my beliefs, she was shocked. Appalled, even. She asked me how I could NOT believe there was a God, and I said, "I just have a hard time believing in something I have never seen, felt, or have proof of existence of." She proceeded to tell me a very long story about a time that she was a youth leader at the bible camp she attended all her childhood. I can't remember the details, and she threatened my very being if I told her soul a story, but it basically came down to the fact that she was praying very hard about something and that she actually SAW God, and heard him talking to her. It was basically her story trying to convince me that He was indeed real. And instead of being an asshole, and saying, "Oh... were you drinking the Kool-Aid they were passing around that night?" I said, "Wow... That must have been incredible for you. It must be a great feeling to have your faith validated like that." There was no debate. There was no "You're right and I'm wrong." There was just tolerance.

My husband and I have been having some problems in our marriage lately, and someone suggested that we watch the movie Fireproof, and do the book called The Love Dare (if you haven't heard about it, check out this post). Going into it, we knew that it was based on Christianity but several friends told us to just change the religious parts so that it applies more to us. Last night, my husband was reading excerpts from The Love Dare. Being a non-Christian, but never having read the Bible, he was amazed at all of the quotes and passages that applied to how he was living his life now, even though he isn't Christian. It sparked a long debate about how almost all religions boil down to the same things:

Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law. Romans 13:10 (Bible)

With a boundless mind one could cherish all living beings, radiating friendliness over the entire world, above, below, and all around without limit. (From the Maitri Sutra - Buddhist)

Allah does not forbid you respecting those who have not made war against you on account of (your) religion, and have no driven you forth from your homes, that you show them kindness and deal with them justly; surely Allah loves the doers of justice." (Quran 60:8)

Let my worship be within the heart that rejoices, for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals. Therefore, let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you. (Charge of the Goddess - Wiccan)

Love and Respect.

It's just how we go about it, and what motivates us to live our lives that way that makes the difference. So tell me... What makes us so different, you and I?

A Moment of Clarity

This post is part of my weekly Time for Honesty. I do my best to share something that's on my heart that is honest, sincere, and transparent - something that will get you thinking and get you to be honest with yourself.

This summer, I've been working full-time at the Pregnancy Crisis Center in Wichita.

And by "working full-time," I mean interning for no pay.

It's been a wonderful experience so far. I haven't had a job that would be considered full-time since I was 16, so that's been a learning experience in and of itself.

More than that, though, I've had to learn that in any job, you're going to have ups, and then you're going to have downs. And, frankly, you're probably going to have a lot more downs after the first aforementioned downs, and then you might get a single, glimmering up, followed by more downs.


Lately, I've been experiencing a lot of those downs. Allow me to be radically honest with you for a moment:

I don't feel worth the non-pay I'm getting somedays.

After I see clients, I often worry that I've messed something up, forgotten something, or overlooked something obvious that I should've discussed with them.

Frankly, I feel terrible when I get sick and can't do everything I'm supposed to.

I could go on for days about my insecurities at work, but suffice it to say that I struggle with why I'm there, how I'm doing, and what I could be doing better on a regular basis. I experience a lot of downs that wear and tear on my heart.

Thankfully, though, there are still those ups. Those ever elusive moments when I'm reminded of why I'm where I am and I'm reminded of who I am working for. A voice whispers to my heart... 

Whatever you do, do it from the heart for the Lord and not for people.


And so I keep going. I keep working. I keep smiling and enjoying myself. Why? Because I know that, even though I'm not getting paid, and even though some days are just ridiculous and sometimes, people really just suck, I'm not in it for the money or the people. I'm in it for God. I'm in it to serve him and not myself.

This internship may look an awful lot like another item to cross off the checklist for graduation, but honestly, if that was all it were, it wouldn't be worth it. Thankfully, though, that voice keeps whispering to me... 

Whatever you do, do it from the heart for the Lord and not for people. 

And so I keep going. And going. And going.

I'm not giving up because God hasn't given up on me.

Have you experienced times where you've doubted what you're doing for a living? What sort of insecurities do you face as you work? What keeps you motivated and keeps you going? I'd love to hear from you about this (or anything else!). Just leave me a comment or send me an e-mail! 

Word Cravings

I've become rather fascinated with Google+. If you want an invite, let me know!

Today, I want to talk to you about something that I fear I may be alone in experiencing...

Word cravings.

Cravings, in and of themselves, are a little weird to me. My wife tells me she has cravings for things like fruit, while my mom craves ice cream. Cravings (especially ones associated with food) seem to be all over the place.

You know what's really weird, though?


I don't get cravings all that often. I'm pretty sure the only things in the world that I ever crave are Pepsi, steak, and pizza. So if you want some brownie points, feel free to send me any of the above. I'll repay you with a huge smile and the biggest virtual hug ever recorded.


I'm sure cravings serve some sort of useful purpose. Or maybe they're some sort of evolutionary thing that we don't need anymore. Like my pinky toe. It's about as useless as a screen door on a submarine. My wise and wonderful wife (see what I did there?) suggested once that our bodies actually have cravings because they're lacking in something, and she's probably on the right track. I'm just not quite sure what my body craving Pepsi means, though...

So cravings, though annoying, are rather normal and may serve a purpose. I wonder, though, if any of you experience cravings beyond food.

For instance, do you crave...

a night in the Bahamas? (don't we all?)

bungee-jumping? (because I do!)

a good blog post? (luckily, you found one!)

Maybe I'm crazy and I'm the only one who craves these sort of things. But I really feel alone when I start to tell people that I get word cravings.

It's not like I crave to read them or wish I could come up with something brilliant to write (because I've always got something brilliant up my sleeve... just kidding!). No, instead, I get cravings with words that get stuck in my head.

In fact, just yesterday, I experienced this. My wife used the word "coagulated," and it's been stuck in my head ever since. Like a bad song on replay that gets stuck in your head. And I've had a craving to use it ever since. So here goes nothing...

Yes, I realize cottage cheese is a form of coagulated milk. I still love it, though.

Whew.

Craving released.

Until some other fancy-schmancy word comes along and ruins my day, anyway.

Am I alone in getting word cravings? Are there any other weird things that you crave? What about unique food cravings? I'd love to hear from you about this (or anything else)! Just leave a comment or send me an e-mail!

Sweet Chaos

It's definitely one of those mornings where I'll need a second cup of coffee before I begin writing.

This weekend was crazy.

This weekend was awesome.

This weekend was the most fun I've had in a long time.

And this picture pretty much summarizes it:

Sweet, sweet chaos. That's the only way to describe it.

We spent the past weekend hanging out with a lot of people we had only ever met once in our lives, and a lot of other people we had never seen before. It didn't matter, though. Love was in the air. It was a different sort of love, though. A sweet, chaotic, beautiful love - one only possibly born of God.

How else can you explain this situation? 

30 people, all unrelated, gathering together...

In the name of adoption.

In the name of love.

In the name of worshiping God, who has brought us all together, regardless of geographical or biological distance.

For their children, whom they love with all of their hearts.

For their children, who may be a little tanner than the rest of us, but are the most beautiful sight in the world.

For their children, who were alone, but now have a place they can always call home and people they can always call family.

This weekend was a picturesque portrayal of God's love. It was out of control, chaotic, fussy, messy, and a little cranky at times. But there has never been a more beautiful, more sincere, more passionate love among a group of people. And it is that love which pulls my heart-strings. It's that love which brings me peace. It's that love that moves my heart toward adoption, toward love.

God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. [Ephesians 1:5]

I believe this weekend gave God great pleasure. He saw his children, adopted through his Son, caring for his little ones, who they had chosen to adopt in love.

I can't wait for the day that God leads us down that same path. And it's coming soon - my heart can feel it.

How have you experienced adoption in your life? Has it been a positive or negative experience? Do you have relatives or friends that are adopted? How has that shaped who they are? Have you ever considered adopting a child? Why or why not?


I'd love to hear from you about this (or anything else!). Just leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail!

Oops, I Did it Again

I'm not sure what's with all of the song-inspired titles lately...

Today I'm going to do something daring. Something crazy. Something a little wacky.

I'm going to break some sort of unwritten blogging code and hope the blog police don't come for me.

I'm going to, once more, grovel for guest posts.

I received some great responses the first time I posted about this a couple of weeks ago, so I just wanted to throw the opportunity out there once more for anyone who might have missed it or maybe had just forgotten.

I need some awesome, epic guest posters!

That means YOU! 

So, for the sake of not writing the exact same blog post twice, I wanted to share a few guest posts with you to help inspire you. Consider this my Shameless Plugging for the week, so I don't seem completely self-centered and self-promoting.

"Beating Writer's Block" by Jon Acuff - This is the most recent guest post that I've read and has some great advice for writers from Jon Acuff, a Christian blogger and author. He posted on a blog site called Money Saving Mom, which sounds completely out of his realm, and I thought that was pretty gutsy.

What I learned from this guest post: You can guest post anywhere. All you have to do is ask!

My Guest Post at My Husband Ate All My Ice Cream - Alright, this is pretty self-centered and self-promoting, I have to admit. But this is just another example of a guest post that may have been in a realm that doesn't necessarily line up with the one I normally write in.

What I learned from this guest post: If you guest post, you're guaranteed to sound funnier and smarter. I'm not sure why, but that's just the way it works. Sort of like when you eat someone else's ice cream. It always tastes better than it would have if it was your own.

"My Average Day Mostly Sucks" by Jamie, the Very Worst Missionary - I'm not sure what it was about this guest post, but it is one of my favorites. Jamie took F.U. Question's theme and flipped it on its head and then made a great guest post out of it!

What I learned from this guest post: I will never, in a million, bajillion years, be able to write as well as Jamie Wright. Sometimes, you just have to know when to admit these sort of things.

What I actually learned: You don't even have to run with a blog's theme when writing a guest post. Which means you could actually write a guest post for Life Before the Bucket explaining why you don't have a Bucket List or why you hate making goals. You just never know what I could go for!

Hopefully this has encouraged you to think about guest posting not only here, but on your other favorite blogs as well! Let me know if you're interested in guest posting here through a comment or in an e-mail and we'll make it happen!

Everybody Loves a Good Cheeseburger

Today's post is a book review that I'm doing as part of the Blogging for Books program. Enjoy!

On the day that I received Bruce Wilkinson's You Were Born for This in the mail, I also received a McDonald's cheeseburger for free. And though I didn't see it at the time, God was probably laughing at me as I bit into my burger and opened my book. You'll understand why shortly.

You see, when I opened this book, I wasn't sure what to expect. I saw somewhere that Wilkinson had written The Prayer of Jabez, so I figured this couldn't be that bad. Unfortunately, I hadn't read Wilkinson's best-seller (which he was very adamant to plug for the first 50 pages of this book), so I had no clue what I was getting myself into.


Reading You Were Born for This was a lot like eating that McDonald's cheeseburger I mentioned earlier. I'll give you one guess as to which I enjoyed more, and let's just say you should choose the latter.

First of all, a cheeseburger has ingredients that, in and of themselves, are probably decent for you. Meat, cheese, bread. Good stuff. Wilkinson's book, in the same way, has a couple of things that, in and of themselves, are good things. For instance, Scripture. Scripture is definitely good for you. Unfortunately, just like a McDonald's cheeseburger, some people can ruin even the best of what's good in life.

Wilkinson twists, turns, stretches, recomposes, and revamps Scripture to develop several sets of "keys," "secrets," and other mystical sounding jargon that can be found nowhere in the Bible. However, he claims he is giving us a peek into how things work in Heaven, so he's gotta be telling the truth, right?

All in all, Wilkinson's You Were Born for This is nothing more than an infomercial in book form with poor penmanship to boot - it wasn't even an enjoyable read! And like my McDonald's cheeseburger, I knew I had to finish it, no matter how much I simply wanted to ignore it and let it rot away in the back of my fridge.

Thank God I got through it - talk about a miracle. Of course, I didn't follow Wilkinson's 4 steps, 7 keys, or 100 fundamentals, so maybe I'm a little off when it comes to my idea of miracles. After all, it seems that Wilkinson has it down to a science that the rest of us can't quite seem to understand without his help, even if it is what we were born for.

So, much like a McDonald's cheeseburger, I warn you to steer clear of this book. Spend your time doing something more productive, like sleeping, and save yourself a headache. Heck, it might even lower your cholesterol!

(I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.)

Have you read a good book lately? What about any bad ones? I'd love to hear about it (or anything else)! Just leave a comment or send me an e-mail!

Grateful

So my breathing machine broke and I had to replace it. The thing I'm most disappointed about? It had really cool stickers on it.

It's Thursday... err... I mean... Friday! 

This whole 4 day week thing has thrown me for a loop.

And, as you should know (if you don't, I'll forgive you this once), Friday means something pretty special around here!

It's time for Five Minute Friday!

Here's the 411 (courtesy of The Gypsy Mama), in case you're new to this:

First Rule - Write for 5 minutes flat with no editing, tweaking or self critiquing.

Second Rule - Link back to The Gypsy Mama and invite others to join in.

Third Rule - Go and tell the person who linked up before you what their words meant to you. Every writer longs to feel heard.

Pretty simple, eh? Give it a shot!

This week's prompt?

Grateful

On your mark... Get set... GO!

There's no way on God's green Earth that this is fair. I need 50 minutes to write on this, not just five!

Gratitude is something I've been taught by God since I began a relationship with him. A lot of pretty crappy, sucky stuff has happened over the last few years, and that grateful attitude that he taught me early on really helped push me through (and is continuing to help me to this day).

Something I learned early on was the habit of making lists of things I was thankful for. I've definitely fallen out of that habit (I don't remember the last time I did that), but it's really cool to look back and see how many good things God gives us each and every day.

So today, since I'm only allowed five minutes to talk about how stinking grateful I am, I'm going to make a list!

Here are just a few things I'm grateful for:

You. Without you being here to read all of this gibberish, I wouldn't be able to keep writing. I love writing, but more than anything, I love communicating, and that's a two-way street.

My wife. If it weren't for her, I'd be curled up in the fetal position most days, hiding in a dark corner waiting for someone to find me. Just kidding. But she is pretty awesome.

My fam.

This new medicine that has helped so much.

My new doctor.

My internship.

My education.

My wealth - both worldly and spiritual.

My life. I'm reminded each and every day that I'm alive for a reason. God didn't have to help me fight through these diseases if he didn't want to.

STOP!

Okay, not fair at all. I had a million things running through my head, colliding into each other, causing all kinds of chaos in that five minutes. And I didn't even get to mention one of my favorite things to be thankful for...

COFFEE!

Suffice it to say that this blog wouldn't exist without coffee. 

Anyway... That's my Five Minute Friday for this week! Give it a shot... if you're up to the challenge!

What are you grateful for today? Are there things in your life that you sometimes take for granted that are there every day? What are some of those things? I'd love to hear from you about this (or anything else, for that matter!). Just a comment and/or shoot me an e-mail!

Whoa, We're Halfway There

Yes, I like a little Bon Jovi. Don't judge me!

On Saturday, something extraordinary happened. Did you feel it? Did you see it? Hear it?

If you didn't, no need to worry. You're not going blind or deaf. Well, actually, you might be, but I'm no doctor, so don't take my word for it.

Seriously, though. On Saturday, something pretty epic happened. At noon, to be exact.

Any guesses?

Okay, fair enough. I'll spill.

We passed the halfway mark of 2011!


Crazy, huh? I'm pretty sure that's why everyone shot off fireworks on the 4th. I mean, they would have done it on the 2nd, but it was the weekend, and they were too lazy. Or maybe I'm a little off on this one.

In all truthfulness, it seems that the halfway point of the year is, for the most part, overlooked. I mean, we celebrate the end and beginning of old and new years. Why not the middle? I guess this explains why middle children have so many issues. I would too if I was overlooked. Thankfully, I'm an oldest child.

As I lived through the halfway point of the year, though, I wondered whether the first half of this year was truly productive. Am I becoming more of the person God wants me to be? Am I accomplishing the goals I set out at the beginning of the year? Have I really done anything worthwhile with the time I've been given?

I'm not really sure of the answers to any of those questions. However, I did notice something pretty neat. As I passed the halfway point of 2011, I realized that I'm also right at the halfway point for the number of pictures I'm supposed to take this year!

For some odd reason, I told myself that I wanted to take 5000 pictures with my camera this year. A bit ridiculous, if you ask me. Looks like I'm on pace, though!

I guess it just goes to show that you can't be afraid to set the bar high when you're setting goals for yourself. After all, what good would it have done for me to have set a goal to take 10 pictures this year? I would've finished before the first day of the year was over! So I set the bar pretty high, knowing that even if I fell short, I would have a lot of epic pictures to show for it that I wouldn't have otherwise.

So we're halfway to 2012, which begs the question: how are you doing with your goals for the year? Do you need to reevaluate? Try harder? Start over? Trust me when I say it's never too late to set some new goals for yourself. It's only too late when you've stopped trying.

What goals are you currently working on in your own life? Have you set any new goals recently? Have you had to adjust any of your goals for the year? What about any goals that you've already completed? I'd love to hear from you about this (or anything else)! Just drop me an awesome comment or shoot me an e-mail!