"New Year's eve is like every other night; there is no pause in the march of the universe, no breathless moment of silence among created things that the passage of another twelve months may be noted; and yet no man has quite the same thoughts this evening that come with the coming of darkness on other nights." ~Hamilton Wright Mabie

For the past 18 years, New Year's Eve has been spent pretty much the same way - busily preparing for a party we host in our home every year.  Preparing food, organizing games, looking up trivia from the year, and decorating usually consumes all of my time on December 31.  All of that leaves little time for reflection on this particular date.  This year, however, is different.

Today, I am in Pagosa Springs, Colorado with my family.  And today, I am sitting out on the porch of our condo in the balmy 30 degree sunshine (for perspective, 30 in Pagosa Springs feels a lot like 50 does at home!), and enjoying this view . . .

And trust me when I say that the picture doesn't do it justice!

Today in the quietness and beauty of this place, I have had time for reflection.  I have taken time to read back through my posts from this year.  And from that, I would like to share a few of my thoughts with you on this last day of 2014...

This year began with a quote I found from Norman Wesley Brooks, who wrote: "Christmas is forever, not just for one day; for loving, sharing, giving, are not to put away like bells and lights and tinsel, in some box upon a shelf.  The good you do for others is good you do yourself." I pondered about how great it would be to keep the attitudes of thankfulness and giving that permeate our lives during these holiday months, and extend them the whole year through.  A worthy goal for EVERY year, I believe!

As January progressed, I determined to be more connected to family and friends by writing more letters, and making more phone calls.  Phyllis Theroux wrote, "To send a letter is a good way to go somewhere without moving anything but your heart," and I tried harder in 2014 to move my heart in many directions, re-connecting with lots of far-away friends, and also trying to be more involved in the lives of nearby friends.  That has turned out to be a real blessing to me.

In February, we lost a dear friend and sister in Christ - Chris Glover - to a sudden illness.  Her absence is still felt by all of us who knew and loved her, and we spoke of her just a few weeks ago when we did our annual Christmas Caroling - - we talked of how we missed going to her house this year.  But even now, almost a year later, Sister Glover's example lives on.  And when I think of her, I think of Psalm 116:15 - "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints."  Precious, indeed, and the death of someone dear always gives us pause as we consider our own lives in light of eternity.

March brought an accident that once again brought home to me the uncertainty and brevity of life. Jeff - my careful, always safety conscious husband - slipped and fell into the swimming pool, fully clothed, iPhone in his pocket, ... and a plugged-in, electric hedge trimmer in his hand.  Thankfully, Jeff made it out of that pool with only a shock, but it made me tremble to consider what easily might have happened in that moment.  And all of the "little things" in life that seem so important did not matter at all that day.  

2014 was filled with both the planned, and the unexpected.  Caleb spent his summer in Costa Rica, Jeff traveled to China, and Jeff and I took a trip to Minnesota.  Sarah moved from teaching 2nd grade to 1st, and she had her wisdom teeth removed.  Caleb had emergency surgery, and Becca resigned her position at Children's Medical Center to go back to school for a Nursing degree.  This time last year, the only one of those things I was expecting was Caleb's Costa Rica trip.  

What that tells me is that life is uncertain.  So, as I close the book on 2014 and prepare my planner for 2015, I pray that I will be mindful of the things this year has taught me, which can best be summed up in what Paul wrote to the Romans in chapter 12:9-13 - "Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality."  If I can do those things, 2015 will be a good year regardless of what unexpected bumps might appear in the road of life.  

So now, I will enjoy the remaining hours of 2014 with those I love most in this world - my family.  We will laugh, play games, sing some hymns, and talk about God's love and blessings.  And for those of you who have shared in my life this year, please know how special you are to me, and how thankful I am to God for the blessing of YOU.  May God richly bless each of you in 2015, and may we all find ourselves closer to Him in the coming year.

Pagosa Springs, Colorado - Sunday, December 28, 2014

"Why be saddled with this thing called life expectancy? Of what relevance to an individual is such a statistic? Am I to concern myself with an allotment of days I never had and was never promised? Must I check off each day of my life as if I am subtracting from this imaginary hoard? No, on the contrary, I will add each day of my life to my treasure of days lived. And with each day, my treasure will grow, not diminish."  ~Robert Brault

"Having a place to go — is a home. Having someone to love — is a family. Having both — is a blessing." ~Donna Hedges

I dropped the ball with my daily posts, but it isn't because I haven't been thankful!  Quite the opposite - I've been so busy focusing on the "little things" that I have not taken the time to write about them.

In the quiet of this early morning, our house is full of grown children and puppy dogs, all of whom are sleeping soundly.  And my heart is full and thankful.

We postponed our Thanksgiving celebration by one day this year.  Caleb worked the Texas A&M football game Thursday evening, and Sarah and Ryan were part of the 12th man there with Ryan's parents.  So that half of our family arrived yesterday morning, and the fun began...

Sadie got reacquainted with "Aunt Becca", and then we all sat down to a feast of our favorite Thanksgiving food...

There was much laughter as we filled our bellies...

After lunch, some of us napped while Sadie helped Ryan do some online Black Friday shopping...

And then Caleb scared the puppy dogs...

 Later in the day, we commenced with our usual tradition of putting up the Christmas tree...

When the kids were little, they loved getting inside the empty tree box, and "trapping" each other.  These days, they enjoy trapping their dogs in the box...

But Buster was smart and made a break for the kitchen.

Caleb proved to us that you are never too old or too tall to relive childhood memories, and Brinkley was satisfied that payback is sweet...

Our Eagle Scout put his skills to use, and built us a fire, with his dad looking on, and then the decorating began...

Among our ornaments is a one-legged Santa.  I'm not sure where he came from, or why he only has one leg, but every single year, hanging the one-legged Santa becomes the biggest point of contention among our kids.  This year, they decided to play "rock/paper/scissors" as a diplomatic way to decide who would get the honor...

 The first round began, and Becca eliminated her brother...

 Then during the final round, Caleb tried coaxing me into giving it to him while his sisters were battling it out.

 

Ultimately, Becca won, and she proudly hung the favorite family ornament this year.

























All of that may seem silly or trivial to those looking in from the outside.  But it is just a small glimpse into a tiny sliver of the vast storehouse of traditions and memories that make up the bonds of love shared by our family.

Erma Bombeck once wrote, “The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together.”   Jeff, Sarah, Becca, Caleb, and now Ryan, compose my little band of characters.  Each one of us brings our own uniqueness and individuality to the group, and it just wouldn't be the same without the quirkiness of each one. Our little band will likely grow in the future, and we will gladly assimilate the new characters into the fabric of our family.  But today, I am thankful for these five - the people I love most in this world.

In a few minutes - or hours for a couple of us - the house will once again be bustling with activity, laughter, and some good-natured bickering.  And I will relish every moment.  Thankful doesn't even begin to cover it.

"To poke a wood fire is more solid enjoyment than almost anything else in the world." ~Charles Dudley Warner

This morning I commenced with my usual routine upon rising from bed - I turned on my Keurig to brew my morning cup of coffee.  As the water was heating, I took Buster outside.  It's been raining here, and I could smell it - you know, the unmistakable but indescribable scent of rain.  Throughout the night, I could hear the faint patter of raindrops on the roof - that hypnotic, comforting sound that induces sleep.

Simple pleasures.  A hot shower, the first sip of coffee in the morning, a good book, the smell of rain, the scent of freshly mowed grass, the warmth of the sun after a cold and cloudy day, chocolate, Sunday afternoon naps, Andy's frozen custard, writing with a good pen, an unexpected text message, puppy dog licks on the chin, laughter... The list could go on and on. (Did I mention Andy's frozen custard?)

They are different for each one of us.  The little things in life we experience daily that bring joy.  As I consider blessings I often take for granted, today I will focus on appreciating the simple pleasures more fully.  How do I do this?

In a 2012 study published in Psychological Science, researchers found that participants were more likely to rate a piece of chocolate as more pleasurable when they were told it was their “last one” rather than their “next one.”  This is because when we think something is going to be our last experience, we try to make the most out of it while we can, therefore we’re more motivated to savor it. We tend to want things to end on a happy note.  So imagine if we treated all of life's simple pleasures as if we are experiencing them for the last time - this attitude could help us savor them more. 

In order to do this, though, I will have to slow down.  We get so busy with so many things on our "to do" lists, and we have so much "noise" from constant input and activity, that taking the time to consciously savor the simple things takes effort.  But if I focus more on the "little things," I believe I will be encouraged by just how rich and full life can be, and will be overwhelmed by my blessings.

I think I'll go get that hot shower now.

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." ~Arthur C. Clarke

As a little girl growing up in the 70's, we had two telephones in our house on Clinton Street.  A beige wall phone hung over the counter in the kitchen, and a blue princess phone adorned the nightstand in my parents' bedroom.  They looked exactly like these...

 

 

I can still see my mother sitting in a kitchen chair talking to Granny or Aunt Sadie Mae on that beige phone.  Sometimes when talking to Aunt Sadie Mae, my mother would put the phone receiver down on the table, leaving Aunt Sadie Mae talking to the air while Mom put clothes in the dryer, or unloaded the dishwasher.  When Mom returned and picked up the phone, Aunt Sadie never knew she had left.  I also remember how the phone would ring and my brother and I would race to see who could get to it first, arguing all the way about who got to answer it the last time it rang!

As I got older, sometimes I would talk on the phone to my friends, and of course when I did that I would always go in my parents' bedroom to use the blue princess phone - I had more privacy that way.  But what was really exciting was that when I reached my teen years, my daddy put a phone jack in MY bedroom, and I got THIS...

And it was a push-button instead of a rotary dial!  I was definitely moving up in the world!

Technology has come a long way.  Back in the 70's, it never occurred to me that I might one day be able to carry my phone with me wherever I went, nor that it would do things like text messaging and have games on it!  If you had shown my 13-year-old self an iPhone, I would've thought it was magic!

Jeff is traveling with work this week, and last night I used my phone to not only talk with him, but also to see his handsome face...

I especially appreciated this blessing last summer when Jeff was in China, as well as when Caleb traveled to Costa Rica.  Not only was I able to talk with my two favorite guys, but I could see them even though they were halfway around the world.

While phone technology can have its drawbacks, and we have to be careful that we don't allow it to control us, it is also a blessing.  So today, as I focus this month on blessings I often take for granted, I am thankful for iPhones and FaceTime that help me stay more connected to the people I love.

"Symptoms, then are in reality nothing but the cry from suffering organs." ~Jean-Martin Charcot

I had a doctor's appointment yesterday morning in an attempt to deal with a chronic health problem.  The visit there was not pleasant.  I will spare you the details, but the doctor had to cause pain and discomfort in order to determine his best course of action to promote healing.  I left there feeling worse than when I arrived.

After some discussion, the doctor prescribed some medication for me to take.  Based on his expertise, he thinks this particular drug will lead to remediating my problem.  When I picked up the meds from the pharmacy, it included a detailed description from the manufacturer that laid out all of the possible side effects.  They, too, appear to be very unpleasant.

In considering all of that, it occurred to me that most of the time, our health problems are that way - the testing and the treatment can actually cause us pain and discomfort.  You see that quite vividly with diseases like cancer - people are willing to go through the painful experience of surgery, as well as the awful rigors of chemotherapy in order to eradicate their disease.  But when it works, the result is well worth the pain and suffering.

What if I had told my doctor yesterday, "No way am I going to let you do that, because it is uncomfortable and painful."  I would have left there with no sure diagnosis, and therefore no hope for healing - my time and money would've been wasted.  Or what if I looked at the list of medicinal side effects, and said, "No way am I going to risk having those things happen to me!" - - so I don't take the medicine.  It is obvious that I won't receive the benefits of the drug if I refuse to take it, and I will continue with the same problem.  

Life is like that in other ways, isn't it?  We recognize we have some sort of problem - maybe something in our life that needs correction.  We know we are not living according to the Standard of God's Word, and that our spiritual disease will lead to death.  So, we go to the Great Physician.  But, we don't like what He says.  Maybe it is painful to let Him make a diagnosis, as it hurts to take an honest look at ourselves.  But, we do it anyway.  We can clearly see the problem, and we know He offers a remedy for healing - our repentance and obedience.  But then we begin to rationalize... If I do THAT, it will hurt.  It might affect my relationship with someone I love, or it might cause me pain or discomfort in some way.  I don't want to give it up.  Is the pain really worth it?

As I take time this month to consider things I am thankful for which I often take for granted, today I am thankful for diagnostic and healing physical pain, which reminds me of the blessing of spiritual healing which is sometimes painful as well.  And in both cases, I am thankful for the result - a wholeness that only an accurate diagnosis and remedy can bring.  

"Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it. No idleness, no laziness, no procrastination; never put off til tomorrow what you can do today." ~Philip Stanhope

I hate grocery shopping.  I'm not sure why, but out of all of my household responsibilities, stocking the pantry is at the bottom of my favorites list.  Last week I was sick, and Jeff was out of town, so I got by on what was already here.  We were out of town over the weekend, so I planned to do the grocery shopping on Monday.  Now it's Tuesday, Jeff is traveling with work again this week, and I am rationalizing how I can wait until tomorrow to make a trip to the store.

Tomorrow.  We plan for it, and put off what we don't want to do today.  Sometimes we even waste today, because tomorrow always looks more promising.

Fifteen years ago today, a group of Texas A&M students were working on the annual campus bonfire stack.  There was an accident, the stack collapsed, and twelve of those students who were there never saw "tomorrow."  And this same week last year, a godly young man known and loved by many who read this blog attended Bible study, worshiped God with his brethren, and decided to go for a swim that afternoon in a nearby river.  His tomorrow never came, either.  I've written here before about my dad - he left home one morning to do some work at his deer lease, not knowing that he would never see tomorrow.  And just recently while traveling out of town, I passed the scene of a fatal traffic accident.  The deceased person's body was in the road, covered by a sheet, and the magnitude of that scene struck me - half an hour before, that person no doubt had plans for their tomorrow.

As I focus this month on being more thankful for things I often take for granted, I'm mindful today of today.  This moment.  In the big scheme of things, if my tomorrow never comes, it will not really matter if I go to the grocery store today or not.  But there are other things that will matter a lot.  It will matter if I put off healing a broken relationship, or apologizing for something I've done wrong. It will also matter if I have put off telling someone dear to me how much they are loved and appreciated.  It will be of great significance if I wait until tomorrow to spend time encouraging someone because I was too "busy" with mundane things - like watching TV or playing computer games or... you can fill in your own blank... and my tomorrow never comes.  And most importantly, if I wait until "tomorrow" to live for Christ, to pattern my life after Him, to seek God's favor, to spend time in His word and time in prayer, and today is all I have left, then I have taken this day for granted in a way that has eternal significance.  

Harry Morant wrote, "Live every day as if it were going to be your last; for one day, you're sure to be right."  Good advice.  If I knew tomorrow will never come, what would I do today?  I'm thankful I have today, and may God help me to never take THIS day, THIS moment for granted, but to use it up in service to Him.

"Traditions are the guideposts driven deep in our subconscious minds. The most powerful ones are those we can't even describe and aren't even aware of." ~Ellen Goodman

On Saturday our family met in College Station for the Texas A&M football game.  We arrived on campus early to tailgate with some friends, who had generously invited us and a lot of others to indulge in the hot dogs they prepared for us.  After visiting with friends there, we walked over to the Quad to watch the firing of the cannon.  Soon after that, we made our way to Kyle Field, where we saw the new 12th man statue, and then began our ascent to our seats.  As we entered the gate, we were met with several "Howdy" greetings from event staff, and saw Reveille on the big screen.  Not long after we settled in, we participated in the singing of the National Anthem, followed by "The Spirit of Aggieland," and "The Aggie War Hymn," as all were played by the incredible Fightin' Texas Aggie Band.  The yell leaders got the 12th man pumped, and as we looked out over the crowd, we saw a sea of maroon and heard lots of "whoops!"  The Aggies soon scored, the cannon fired, and Aggie men throughout kissed their dates. 

 

What I've just described can be summed up in one word - tradition.  Tradition is defined as "the transmission of customs or beliefs from generation to generation."  The word originates from Latin, and literally means "to give across; to hand over for safe-keeping." 

You cannot visit the campus of Texas A&M University without being overwhelmed with the richness of their traditions, and the ones I described above barely scratch the surface.  Tradition is one of the key ingredients that makes Texas A&M University so special.  It binds people to the past, as well as to each other.

 

So today as I consider things I often take for granted, I am reminded in a vivid way from this past weekend of traditions.  And not just Aggie traditions, or our American traditions, but especially precious family traditions.

We are approaching a season of the year that is rich in tradition for our family.  From what we eat at Thanksgiving to hanging stockings at Christmas, as well as the seemingly insignificant detail of where in the house we place the tree - just ask Becca - some things just simply cannot be messed with, because they make up our Stewart family tradition.  As we put the Christmas tree up this year the day after Thanksgiving (our traditional time to do that), we will reminisce about previous years, sharing memories of special ornaments, as the kids argue over who got to hang the one-legged Santa on the tree last year - and those bonds of family will be strengthened as a result.  Small things which are undoubtedly meaningless to those looking in from the outside are dear to the hearts of the five of us who have shared the past two decades.  And the one who joined our family last year continues to learn, as he is assimilated into our family traditions as a special part of our clan.  (I'm not sure he's too fond of the traditional early Christmas morning wake-up time, but he's been very good natured about that!)

Thinking about what is coming with our family over the next few months makes me grateful - for the long-standing traditions that bind us together, and for those we will add in the future.