Josh’s last day of school is tomorrow here in Rapid City. It is his last day of middle school. It has been a fantastic year for him. I wondered what it would be like to transition into a new school this year, at this stage of the game. 8th grade itself already brings with it change and uncertainty. But with a thankful heart to our great God, it couldn’t have been much better for him.
I think I would be more reflective of this – my last child heading into high school – if it weren’t for the craziness of the month ahead and for the friends of mine whose “babies” are graduating this month and others getting married. While it’s significant to move from middle school into high school, it’s blending in with so many other thoughts of mine these days …

Erik and Amanda return from Indonesia in a couple of weeks. They will be in the States for June-July before going back. Lauren is beginning her internship/practicum in Columbia next week. My parents are celebrating 50 years of wedded bliss – well, mostly. Seriously, they are. Still happily married, I mean.
Natalie is probably leaving for college in the fall. Going somewhere. “Buddy”, our foster son, is still with us and always making life more interesting.

As I’ve admitted before, I’m terrible at living in the present moment. Taking it in. Just being all there – wherever “there” may be. I have that quote from the movie Hitch in my kitchen: Life is not the amount of breaths you take, but it’s the moments that take your breath away, but in all honesty I don’t really live looking at life that way. Brent says I’m pessimistic. I say I’m realistic. 🙂
But the truth, the reality for all humans, is that we “are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” All we know that we have is this moment. My desire is to take these coming days, if the LORD allows me to live them, and make the most of them. Savor each one. Be ALL there, enjoying the time and savoring the blessings of family and God’s goodness. For sure, there will be some hectic, dramatic, frustrating moments in the midst of the good ones. But my prayer is that I’ll recognize how good God really is and be thankful, not fretful. Bill Gaither expressed it best years ago when he wrote:

Oh how I really want to let the LORD take my moments and my days and let them flow in ceaseless praise! Each and every moment is one made for worshipping Him.