My Mom says that as Christians we should be quick to celebrate the good things in life. And not just a mini, personal celebration. Those don't allow others to share in the joy. She thinks, and I agree, that everyone would be greatly encouraged if more people told other people about things that go well - experiences that brought them joy, successes, places where they saw God at work. It has definitely been my experience that when someone tells me a story of something beautiful and good that happened or something they accomplished that mattered to them, it encourages me in turn. I'm talking about huge, impactful things that happen that seem too heavy to just throw into a conversation, and I'm also talking about passing moments that still matter because they offer significant contributions to life.
My sister, Nurse Cori, is good at this sort of celebrating. Way better than I am. She isn't afraid, as I might be, to bring a little depth to the conversation to tell about an experience where she saw the Lord at work. Just yesterday we were on the phone discussing something mundane - the kind of thing that so often takes up most of our time with our friends and spouses. Nurse Cori changed the direction and impact of the conversation with a simple statement: "Want to hear about my awesome day yesterday?" She proceeded to tell me about several encounters she had with people at a coffee shop that led to all sorts of connections and new knowledge. It was indeed an awesome day!
The statement Nurse Cori used suggests two things to me: first, she had the mindset to identify conversations that happened during her day as significant. She didn't rush through them or miss them altogether as I often do. Second, she had the courage to break the trajectory of our conversation and take it to a new, sightly risky place. What if I didn't care? What if I didn't agree with her that meeting random people at a coffee shop constitutes an awesome day?
This made me think of my sweet baby Piper Joy, as things often do! Piper Joy took her first steps a couple of weeks ago (under the tutelage of Nurse Cori and my brother, Jess). She has steadily developed more confidence and can now take off for long distances on her own. Her favorite thing, however, is to stand still in one place. It's as if she's striking a pose, reveling in her new discovery of how to balance and demanding that others stop and revel with her. It is a fairly commonplace thing, this act of standing. And yet, when you watch a baby figure it out for the first time, you realize it's not commonplace at all! It's actually quite fantastic that our bodies can transition from being completely stationary, to moving with four points of balance, to straightening out and using only two feet to walk freely around any part of the world we choose. Not everyone takes the time to watch little Piper stand in one place and grin from ear to ear, but that doesn't stop her from doing it! She is unafraid, as my sister was unafraid. Piper and Nurse Cori both understand how to celebrate things that may appear routine, but are actually extraordinary.
And so, in honor of those two ladies, I would like to celebrate with you my achievement of reading an entire book in less than a month! I chose "Love in the Time of Cholera" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (for a short synopsis and review of the book, look here). I love his style of storytelling. I love learning about the Carribean culture. And I love being reminded that although a full time mother and wife I can still turn on that academic side of me and crank out some pages when I want to!
In closing, may the picture below remind you to celebrate with others the little things that matter in your life - like standing next to a tree!
My sister, Nurse Cori, is good at this sort of celebrating. Way better than I am. She isn't afraid, as I might be, to bring a little depth to the conversation to tell about an experience where she saw the Lord at work. Just yesterday we were on the phone discussing something mundane - the kind of thing that so often takes up most of our time with our friends and spouses. Nurse Cori changed the direction and impact of the conversation with a simple statement: "Want to hear about my awesome day yesterday?" She proceeded to tell me about several encounters she had with people at a coffee shop that led to all sorts of connections and new knowledge. It was indeed an awesome day!
The statement Nurse Cori used suggests two things to me: first, she had the mindset to identify conversations that happened during her day as significant. She didn't rush through them or miss them altogether as I often do. Second, she had the courage to break the trajectory of our conversation and take it to a new, sightly risky place. What if I didn't care? What if I didn't agree with her that meeting random people at a coffee shop constitutes an awesome day?
This made me think of my sweet baby Piper Joy, as things often do! Piper Joy took her first steps a couple of weeks ago (under the tutelage of Nurse Cori and my brother, Jess). She has steadily developed more confidence and can now take off for long distances on her own. Her favorite thing, however, is to stand still in one place. It's as if she's striking a pose, reveling in her new discovery of how to balance and demanding that others stop and revel with her. It is a fairly commonplace thing, this act of standing. And yet, when you watch a baby figure it out for the first time, you realize it's not commonplace at all! It's actually quite fantastic that our bodies can transition from being completely stationary, to moving with four points of balance, to straightening out and using only two feet to walk freely around any part of the world we choose. Not everyone takes the time to watch little Piper stand in one place and grin from ear to ear, but that doesn't stop her from doing it! She is unafraid, as my sister was unafraid. Piper and Nurse Cori both understand how to celebrate things that may appear routine, but are actually extraordinary.
And so, in honor of those two ladies, I would like to celebrate with you my achievement of reading an entire book in less than a month! I chose "Love in the Time of Cholera" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (for a short synopsis and review of the book, look here). I love his style of storytelling. I love learning about the Carribean culture. And I love being reminded that although a full time mother and wife I can still turn on that academic side of me and crank out some pages when I want to!
In closing, may the picture below remind you to celebrate with others the little things that matter in your life - like standing next to a tree!
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