Forgive

I've learned it's much easier to forgive because the burden of resentment and anger is much heavier than the decision to let it go and look ahead. Forgiveness is giving up the possibility of a better past and it will only become exhausting trying to picture the way it could have been.

I believe in God's greater plan and I also believe He picks on the strong. Andy used to always remind me I'm on a path in life. Certain people and obstacles are put on my path to get me where I need to go in life. I've been extremely tested lately which is fine because I can appreciate a good sweat. While some amazing people have been removed from that path, more have stepped in to remind me why I'm here.

My path right now is going in the direction of forgiveness. No one else in my life is in charge of my happiness except me. If I can't make myself happy, I'll never make anyone happy and let's be honest, making people happy is what I live for. To do that, I'm going to accept, forgive, and move on. God is LOVE.

When you forgive, you love, and when you love, God's light shines on you. 

       -Into the Wild

Take What Life Gives You and Use it for Something Good

It's been a roller coaster of a year and it's only been 23 days into 2012. To start the year off, I went to Park City and have never had so much fun with a group of strangers. I knew one person out of 12ish and came out feeling as if I'd known these people forever. 

I bought my ticket to Australia for September and couldn't be more excited about it. I've been wanting to get back to Indonesia so I'll be able to make that happen while I'm out there too. The more I travel, the more amazing people show up in my life to get me around. I'm ready to ditch the high heels and slacks for a while and take on the broke, brown, and barefoot lifestyle.

I finally went to Joshua Tree which is something I've been dying to do since college. I'd like to go to a different part of the park next time but we had a lot of fun anyway. Obviously. I learned a couple things about my family... My dad hates the cold and needs a new sleeping bag, Stacey hates red vines (who hates red vines?), Del Taco in 29 Palms has the greatest staff, and I love hiking at night!

After coming home from J-Tree, Sis called and told me to pray for her and the baby. We later learned she had a mis-carriage just shy of 3 months which apparently only happens to 3% of women. It's a good thing she's got little miss Jayme who will make sure mom is always happy.  My sister is a huge inspiration and her strength as a wife and mother give me hope to be the same to my husband and kids one day.

Can I just say, this little girl is so full of life and love. It's so funny how she reminds my family how to love and be loved. She's got the lightest heart and is such a blessing in low times. 

Just one day after hearing that news, I got home to my roommate telling me her boyfriend's brother had a stroke due to bleeding in his brain. He has a brain hemorrhage which is hereditary and he spent a few days in ICU and is now waiting to have brain surgery. It's crazy how life takes a turn when you least expect it. We're praying for his recovery and the strength to continue in his wife to support him.

While all this is going on, Alex is in Mexico on a mission trip. I'm so proud of him and can't believe he's my younger brother. We've gotten extremely close in the last year and he has mastered the art of picking me up when I've completely fallen. 

He's been on this trip and keeping us all in the loop telling us about some of the work going on down there. He prayed over prisoners, children and men who didn't speak English. He started speaking the broken Spanish he knows and by the end of his prayer, he said words were coming out he had never used before. He's truly something and I can't put words to how much I love him.

I haven't been able to work out because of my hernia (3rd time's a charm). Instead of pouting about it, I spent the most amazing, relaxing weekend with great people, overdosing on yogurt land, watching football and taking  a much needed nap. I woke up this morning feeling thankful. I had a smile on my face and in my heart. I felt especially grateful for those in my life, and the realization that in darkness there is always light.

"Surround yourself with people strong enough to change your mind."   

       --  John Wooden

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

       -- 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Good Question

Saw this today and thought it was pretty interesting.

The Parable of the Mexican Fisherman

A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them. 

"Not very long," answered the Mexican. 

"But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the American. 

The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family. 

The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?" 

"I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs ... I have a full life." 

The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you!  You should start by fishing longer every day.  You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat. 

"And after that?" asked the Mexican. 

"With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can  then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City!  From there you can direct your huge new enterprise." 

"How long would that take?" asked the Mexican. 

"Twenty, perhaps 25 years," replied the American. 

"And after that?" the Mexican asked. 

"Afterward? That's when it gets really interesting," answered the American, laughing.  "When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!" 

"Millions?  Really?  And after that?"

"After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends."

Know where you're going in life … you may already be there.

"Mamo Bebba"

My niece Jayme is 19 months going on 19 years. I've been teaching her Spanish and she's catching on in the cutest way. "I love you" translates to "Te Amo" and she can't say "Becca" so she says "Bebba." When I put her to bed the other night she said "Mamo Bebba" and the sweet innocence of that child melted my heart.

She's also learning to play like Bebba. When she laughs I blow in her mouth and it makes her squeal like a pig while she tries to block my face with her hands. She then tries to pull my face towards her to do it back to me but gets so squirmy and nervous I'll do it back to her that she forgets what she's trying to do.

She talks to herself, sings out of pitch, hums herself to sleep, laughs hysterically, makes monkey sounds, and loves giving hugs. Apparently, like Bebba, she also loves to pick her nose.

New Year, New Way to Love

My brother told me on Christmas how much he admires my selfless love. He said even when my heart is broken, I still go out of the way to make everyone happy. This made me happy to read but also made me re-think about the way I treat myself.

After a huge life change last year, I realized I need to love myself before I can truly love or be loved.

This year, my new years resolution is going to be loving myself more and sometimes even being selfish. I do a lot of things for people even if it makes me unhappy. I've always found joy in other people being happy which I won't ever change, but I think this year I really need to focus on me and what makes me happy.

My favorite Bible verse about love: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 and 13
⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Choose Happiness!

My friend Michael recently turned my attention to "Jim's Daily Awakenings."  I really liked this one and wanted to share with everyone who looks at my blog or even my daily life. I like to think I choose happiness every day but I get caught up in all the negative things in the world and sometimes forget happiness really is a choice, and nothing else. The FISH video under it is also very enlightening and helps me cheer up at work when all I want to do is quit and travel the world.

Jim's Daily Awakenings 
Ralph Waldo Emerson observed, "Nothing was ever achieved without enthusiasm." He was right. Enthusiasm works like magic. It creates energy. It makes hard work easier and more enjoyable. Enthusiasm is an antidote for discouragement. There is no better tonic for whatever happens to be wrong than enthusiasm. Conversely, when there is a lack of enthusiasm, negative emotions rise to fill the vacuum: cynicism, depression, despair.

Here is the important point: enthusiasm is more than a feeling or a character trait; it is a decision and a choice. We can all choose to be enthusiastic.

If you choose to be enthusiastic today, there will be people who think you have been sniffing glue. They will wait for you to come down off your high. They will probably even criticize you, but, don't give up. "Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm."

FISH Philosophy
FISH tells the story of Seattle's World Famous Pike Place Fish Market. In this incredible workplace, employees don't just fill orders, they fill people - with fun, friendliness, attentiveness, and enthusiasm.

The work is hard, the hours long; yet these employees choose to bring amazing passion, fun and commitment to work every day. The remarkable wisdom of a Seattle fish market is inspiring organizations worldwide to create fulfilled employees and delighted customers.


Proverbs 15:13
A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.