...not go where you wanna go, do what you wanna do

The time is now. The time can not be "when I get the chance".... Why wait? What if the chance never comes because you've waited too long for it, and now there is no chance...because it's too late? That place is too far? You can't afford it right now? You're not good at something like that? When the kids grow up, then it might happen? Those are all understandable thoughts. Some of them are excuses, some of them are realities you simply can't get past... yet. So then what are you going to do about it? For me, the farthest I have ever traveled is the tippity top of the east coast. Great trip. Can't wait to do it again. For me, it's not far enough. I want to go EVERYWHERE. I didn't grow up with those opportunities. Many people grew up like me, many people didn't. Does that mean I was never meant to travel the world or have a talent birthed within me? Does that mean maybe I just haven't had the chance yet? I don't believe for one minute it was the former. We only get one life. I surely don't want to remain where I am now until I die. Do you? Some people like living and staying put in one place their entire lives. This post is obviously not written for them (no offense intended), but maybe they can humor me while I write about the rest of us - those of us that have buttons about to pop off our clothes because we need to get out and GO...DO....

Where do you want to go? What do you want to do? What are you doing about it right now? We have to make a plan and take it one step at a time, and we must give ourselves the leniency to unfold this plan over the next 1-3 years. It takes time saving money and drawing up the blueprints for big dreams to happen. It takes courage to keep walking toward them. I always tell my students, "If you truly want something bad enough, then you'll do whatever it takes to get it." I have to follow my own advice. I dream of indulging in pastries, cheese, and wine at authentic cafes in France. I want to ride my bike on the dirt roads in Italy, walk through fields of tall, green, swaying grass blades in Ireland, and be mesmerized by gothic structures in Prague. I want to go to countries and be knocked to my knees in humility (don't we all need that a little bit in our lives?) by lending my hands and heart to those in true dire need. On the other hand, I want to sell custom-made jewelry and make a great business out of it. I want to volunteer again in the neonatal nursery at a local hospital. At the very least, I want to be able to actually grow a plant to its fullness without killing it along the way.

Sure, some might say, "Keep dreamin', sister"...but you know what? Poopoo on that comment!! That's EXACTLY what I will do, and while I'm at it, start setting things in motion to make those dreams come true. It's all in the approach. How bad do I want it to happen? I can't wait any more. The urgency of those dreams is forcing me to act. Do you have dreams? Do you want to go somewhere, do something unique? Start putting things in order, however small those things might be because eventually they shall grow and become fruitful. The time is now.

NEXT WEEK: Rude (possibly Part 1)

...not notice the world of autumn

This has always been my MOST favorite season of the year. It has been a while since I've written. The main reason is because I knew it would be about Autumn, and quite frankly, it didn't feel like it at all! How can you write about something that you can't connect with just yet? Well, the time has drawn near, and I have yellow leaves outside my door falling to the ground...just a few a day. The rain has kissed my neck of the woods on the earth, and the smells of blooming flowers and growing bushes come out even more. A friend of mine who grew up on a reservation shares her stories of eating the earth after a rainfall. I always enjoy hearing her talk about it because there is something to weather that brings pleasantries, isn't there?

You know that you know that you know the seasons are changing. You can sense it. The rain and breezes in Autumn are not the same as the rain in the summer or spring seasons. There's something about this season that brings warmth and healing and coziness to one's heart. Is it the fact that we watch nature move in alignment with Heaven as it blows in our face a coolness that gives us just a bit of a chill? Maybe it's because now we have a legitimate reason for drinking a hot cup of cocoa every single day, and then some. One of my favorite reasons for this particular season is that I get to pull out my coats, sweaters, scarves, and gloves to snuggle in!

I love this season because it brings us closer to celebrating the birth of our Creator, who spun not only us into being, but threw out the stars one by one that seem easier to spot on those colder nights. It's kind of fun to play a guessing game with the sunset and try to figure out just when exactly that sun will go down...will I have enough time to go for my jog when I get home from work, or will I be "forced" to stay in and relax while I'm simply covered with a blanket on my couch? There's an excitement that Autumn brings my way. Many people feel a rejuvenation when it's Spring, but I get it from harvest time. It's a reprieve. It's a welcome friend who has been on a long vacation, and is back to share new stories of adventure.

NEXT WEEK: Go where you can go, see what you can see

...not love with all you have

The older I get, the more I see the urgency for love to permeate through the veins of societies. I say that in the plural form, not a singular "societY". Love commands, demands, yet yearns and yells at the same time. "Is anyone out there? Is anyone listening? Where can I go? Who will take me? Who will give me?", Love questions. Songs have been written over the course of past generations. They are being written now, somewhere, as you read this, and they will always be written on pages for others to be awakened. They are songs about love. What's the big deal about love when there is so much hate? I want love. I want to give love. I want to err on the side of love rather than hate. Who am I that I should withhold love? Is it withheld because I have been hurt? Tell me someone who has NOT been hurt one way or another, and then send them to me to reveal their secret. I do not have to be an unscratched faberge' egg in order to love the man standing next to me who smells like he really needs a bath. If anything, I must love him more because of my own scratches...that way he (or she) knows the love is real. Then, when he has known love from me, he can give it to someone else.

Shall I give love only to those closest to me, who share in my personal joys and friendship? Shall I only give love to my husband? Shall I only give love to my parents, pastor, or children? Who shall I give my love to? Everyone! Some people say, "Don't even give that person a second thought." For some reason, that comment makes me want to love "that person" even more. He who is without sin cast the first stone. Love is not just a warm fuzzy surging through my veins because it's my birthday and loved ones are showering me with wishes and hugs. Love is a choice. How can I NOT choose to love? I was not made for myself. We were not put on the earth to love ourselves. That is a very lonely place to be. That is a very boring place to be!

I look in the eyes of others who can't see beyond their own pasts and I see each one of them has a child inside STILL in need of love. I want to be someone who can bring a tinge of healing and joy to them. I see faces of those who have not gone through much drama in their lives, but have had very happy, cultured, well-established upbringings, and still there is a need. It happens more often than not. THEY must love. It is in giving that we receive. It is in pardoning that we are pardoned. It is in loving that we are loved.

I am greedy. Did I perk you up? I am GREEDY for love. I am filled more and more each day with a love I have never known, and I want more! I also want to give more. What if I die tonight? What if you die tonight? Anything can happen at any time in any way to anyone. That is the reality of life. Can you rest your head knowing you have loved with all that is in your being?

NEXT WEEK: My favorite season - Autumn!