A Simple Blog

Sometimes the view just says it all.

Peace...

Beyond The Pain

There I was, quivering, shaking uncontrollably...

     I felt a lightening bolt surge through my body and the next thing I knew, I was on the ground shaking. I just fought to walk just a few feet and it took everything in me to do it and then I found out seizures became another battle I would surely have to face on a regular basis. The daily tasks that so many people take for granted, I took for granted, now they were mountains of trials; journeys I never new that would test my determination. I felt often frustrated, taxed by new challenges that would face my life. 

     The stroke took everything from me except one thing, my determination, it simply couldn't find a way to remove that very thing that would lead me to where I am today!

Yesterday was a monumental moment, I ran a huge distance along a winding trail with so many ups and downs and there I was, persistent to the very end. I finished my goal and after 8 long years I came to this very point! VICTORY!!!

God always has a plan and when we feel like He isn't there, He is the very one who is sustaining us, challenging us, encouraging us softly. My roots have grown deeper than ever, my understanding of what really matters in life is far greater than before and my joy for life, thankfulness in the simple things makes me one happy guy!

Thankfulness is an art and its returns are endless...

Dream A Little Dream

     There I was, my eyes were closed and I could hear the children playing, laughing and giggling, there was so much life in their voices, so much joy in the moment. When people get older, some of that wonder just washes away from life's trials, heartaches and so much more; people forget what it means to be alive. Kids just take it all in, they are fresh with dreams, ideas, imagination and complete wonder. Children taste imagination, adults look at it from a distance. Well I quickly got up from my chair and instead of sitting around, I wanted to taste it, see something I have never seen. I wanted to come alive with my imagination, dance with mystery and look through the eyes of a child. I quickly picked up my camera and began walking all around the park and just began smelling what was around me, closing my eyes and hearing the sounds dance between my ears; playing with with my memories with such sweet surrender. I wandered along a beautiful trail where I began to capture the beauty in the small things, the things that are often missed by the human eye. I watched as life suddenly began to sing with joy all around me. I was so captivated by what I saw and what touched my heart. God is the most brilliant painter of life and it sweetly sings of His love for us and the beauty of peace. Never take a day as just another day, capture it, dance with it, feed it your imagination and learn to fly!

The Covering

     Last night I was redoing my trailer, fixing it up and re-coating the cedar when a young kid came running up to the house to hand me my newspaper. He always smiles and says just a few words but his attitude is awesome. I stopped him to tell him a story. I told him about myself and when I was younger I did the newspaper just like him, I loved it and enjoyed the reward of awesome customers who appreciated my happy attitude. He smiled quickly and then I pulled out my wallet and gave him 10$ and said "I knew this one guy who always gave me money because that's what he did, he appreciated me and he told me that lots of times." So I looked the kid in the eyes and said "You have a good attitude, keep smiling, keep being awesome and enjoy what you do."
     As he turned around, he looked over his shoulder with a huge grin and said "Thank you so much!!!" It was like he just received the lottery for being himself. Now that I look back I could see why that one man always gave me money, he wasn't rich by any standard, in fact the house he lived in was weathered, some shingles were often missing and one of the windows was broken. The paint on the house was so faded that you could see the bare wood and the grass was always overgrown. Every time he came to the door he looked disheveled and in need of a good shower but he was in my opinion one of the most giving people, foul in language but someone who you by assumption would believe he was in all pretenses a bum. I learned early on in my daily newspaper route that you should never judge a book by it's cover. In fact on that same route I had a family that I thought had it all together and they spoke well, they smiled at all the right times and presented themselves in such a kind manner but when it was time to collect the money for the route, they often gave excuses, lied repeatedly to me and I lost money. I new from that moment on that when someone tells you something it doesn't mean much unless there is reputable action that follows.