You'll have to move your tent, please.

Ever been camping? I have.

When my kids were growing up - we would go camping often.
Our first time out was with a borrowed tent. Second time too, for that matter. We got hooked!

We decided to start saving all our loose change to go towards the purchase of a big two room - family sized tent. It was an exciting quest! And watching that empty coffee can get fuller and fuller with coins - was like watching fireworks in slow motion. The anticipation was as fun as the purchase, itself, was going to be!
When we were finally able to buy it - you would have thought it was Christmas morning. We were all so excited! And, thus, started our new camping adventures - with OUR new tent!

I'd spend days pouring over all the flyers, maps and camping guides - in choosing where would be an ideal location for our interests and budget.
We'd spend days preparing, shopping, packing - all the while the anticipation of "CAMPING!" was building.
Finally. That big day! That early morning! That Christmas in July moment would arrive!
We would cram food, clothing, supplies, fishing poles, bikes - and the much awaited "new" tent into our car. We'd squish the kids in between all the piles of camping "stuff" - and off we'd go!

Usually it would take us just a couple of hours to get to our destination. But, to us, it seemed like we were going to the other side of the world! Such an adventure would await us! Such a change from the ordinary!
We'd check-in at the campground office. Get our "OoooOOoohh!!" exciting rear view mirror "tag" - proclaiming us the worthy residents of said 'campground. We'd get our campground MAP - with our site boldly circled or marked by an "X" - and - we'd proceed at the strictly imposed 15mph speed limit ... to our site!

As often as we could - we would "special request" a site. Near the water, a brook, a river, a something. It was fun, and perhaps smart, to have the added perk at our site. The kids always loved it, that's for sure.

There were, over the years, at least a couple of times - that for whatever reason - the campground owner/manager would come to our site - and without warning, instruct us that - "You'll have to move your tent, please.".

"WHAT?! HUH?! Wait. WHY??!!!" ... awww, C'MON!! - *insert various pouts, tears, confusion, annoyance, disappointment, grumblings - (and maybe a smidge of "sense of adventure"?) - *HERE*.

Maybe you've experienced having to move your tent, too.

A few years ago - I had to move, yet another, tent of mine.
I had it where I thought it should be. Where it made sense to be. I was comfortable - in most ways - where it was. I had it there a long time, in fact.
But, after a while, and after some particular circumstances - it became evident - this tent was going to have to move. And it was important that I start weighing the pro's and con's as to where to put my tent - next.
Along with that - came the familiar response of - "WHAT?! HUH?! Wait. WHY??!!!" ... aww, C'MON! (along with the various pouts, tears, confusion, annoyance .. etc ... etc. .... )

That tent was my LIFE. Literally. That tent wasn't a "tent". That tent was literally - my life.

Time and circumstances had brought me to a point of - change. Tent moving, change.

My children were no longer - children (in the age sense). I had spent the last few years as a single mom, with all the struggles that go with that role. I had been through a divorce, after a 20+ year hard marriage. My long-term job had been terminated. And many other life factors had all played into a scenario - where indeed - my live was changing drastically. With, or without, my permission.
My life-tent stakes were being pulled up - one by one, and fast.

Cue the crisis? Some days, yes.
Cue the adventure? Sometimes, yes.
Cue the confusion? Always!

But, when life moves your tent, when time moves your tent, when circumstances, disease, divorce, unemployment, natural disaster, debt, death, birth, marriage - or any number of things - moves your tent ...

... It's best to know WHO has the map.

God happens to have my map. I gave it to him.
(I tend to take wrong turns -always have, I strongly assume, always will - when left to my own impulses.)

It's much safer to let Him be the guide. Have the map. Circle your destination. He'll show you! If you let him.

Oh, sure. We're all life scarred from having our tent in the wrong place, at the wrong time. Whether we set up camp there - or life did, for us. ~ We all have live and learn lessons. Been there - done that, stories. Don't we?

And did we? Did we learn? Do we learn?

I hope I have.

Now, if you'll excuse me - I think my guide wants me to continue paying attention ....
... this tent spot of mine ALWAYS needs work. =)

Sea stones

I LOVE-LOVE-LOVE THE OCEAN!

Anyone who knows me well - (actually, anyone who barely knows me, for that matter. haha!)... knows how much I love the ocean! *sigh*

Just the thought of it. Just visualizing it. Just the mentioning of it ~ relaxes me.

It calms, restores and energizes me ~ all at the same time. Make sense?

I'll be writing much about the ocean on here, I'm sure! =)

For now, I want to write about "sea stones".
Those amazingly smooth, varied in colors, varied in sizes, varied in shape ~ sea stones.
They're beautiful! Aren't they?!
I mean, surely I'm not the only one to think so.

I have quite the collection of them. I've been picking them up for years. From many beaches. Each one caught my eye. Each one stood out from the rest around it. Each one seemed to beckon - "LOOK! I'm here just for you! I'm yours! Pick me up - and keep me forever!".

(I love sea shells too, of course. But - sea stones? Mmmm ~ they hold such a solid allure to me.)

Think of it. Nobody made them; only God did. Only God can.
(Naturally - He made everything in nature. <-That's a cool sentence to say, by the way! haha!)
But, the thought of holding a sea stone ... a beautifully unique, the only one exactly like it, sea stone ... is a powerfully awesome thing to me!

To wonder where it's been tumbling in the ocean for thousands of years. To wonder how long it's been on this particular shore. To wonder how many other shores it's rested on - and for how long. To wonder what gentle sea creatures may have brushed against it. To wonder how many storms have battered it smooth ~ by battering it against other stones. To wonder how many stones - affect other stones - in the course of their sea travels.
Yes. These thoughts are powerfully awesome to me, indeed.

When I hold one. Roll it around in my hand. Let my thumb gently sweep over it's face. Study it's wonderful imperfections - that to me - make it wonderfully perfect ...
I think ...
... "Is this how God feels about us?".

... All unique. All standing out - amongst the others around us? All having Him wanting to caress the face of our hearts? Studying how life has marked us? Where our particular shores have lead us? Which storms shaped us a smoother character because we were battered by life, somehow, at a certain time? Knowing gentle things brushed against us, perhaps rested on our lives - as a home - for a time? Life long experiences shaping us into the unique individual we are?

Yes.
I wonder these things.
How our wonderful imperfections ~ when caressed by His touch ~ make us wonderfully perfect ~ when being held by Him.

Missing Friends ...

Ever misplaced a friend?

You know. You're busy ... being busy. Days go by so quickly that you begin to wonder -'who left the "day faucet" turned on!

Then, someone comes to mind. A friend, that is. A good friend. And you wonder how they are. Where they are. ~ How long has it been now? ~ I really need to call them, email them, ideally - SEE them! I miss them ...(you think to yourself)!

You maybe - try to call. End up leaving a voicemail saying all the fun upbeat "Hey there! How ya doin'?!" ... stuff. You end it with an "I miss you. Call me. We should get together." ~ And on and on it goes. ~ The cycle of missing friends.

When you've relocated (as I have), or an accident or disease takes a friend sooner than is fair, it's a very poignant type of "missing" that you feel.

I liken it to an amputee. Who has that phenomena sensation of a phantom limb. For a while after that limb is missing - you still sense it - with you. But it, they're, not. Not really.

You carry on in your newly relocated place. Or, maybe it's a case where you adjust your days to live without that dear friend who's no longer with you. Either way ...

You arrange your home life trappings, all around. Hang a picture that "so-n-so" gave you - 'it'll go over here. Put the coffee mug that "so-n-so", and you, bought - at that fun little cafe' you both loved so much - 'on a shelf, over there. You move the chair that "so-n-so" just LOVED to sit in - 'over to that corner.

And you muse. You muse over your missing.

Sure. It still feels like those friends, that friend, is still near. Still feels like a well known limb that's still part of you. A limb that serves you in the most basic and important ways.

But, they're not. She's not. He's not. They're not - there. ~ *Sigh ... "there-there", your child like heart hears. It'll be okay. Yes. Yes - you miss them. But, it'll be okay ....

Funny thing is. It never, completely, is. .... Is it?

A Blog in progress ... (Aren't we all).

Basically, I have a lot of life stories and experiences that I like to reflect on.

Some give me a smile, some give me endless laughter. Some, (seemingly) endless tears.

Some of those feelings make me feel small and vulnerable. Some, make me feel strong and steady.

All - give me reason to grow and learn.

My hope is - that these experiences and stories - aren't just for my heart. But that somehow, someway, they are meant for someone elses - as well.

I share my heart so freely ~ surely it's meant to ripple out for a reason? For you? For someone I know? For someone I don't? ...

... I'll let them float out there, the way the wisps of a dandelion floats, when you blow and make a wish on it. Where they're meant to land ~ they will

Life experiences are not in vain. Sometimes our beautiful stories are purely that. Beautiful.

Sometimes our life stories have storms. Life storms. But they, too - have beauty in their purpose.

Which ever it is ... Always find that beauty. Always learn from their purpose.