Stop and Look Around Once in a While

In the words of the great philosopher, Ferris Bueller, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you'll miss it!" That is so true, and unless you're my age, or more, you may not give those words a second thought now -- but give it a few years, and believe you me, you'll understand them so much, you'll be glad you did or you will regret NOT stopping and looking around.

I woke yesterday morning early to get my blog posted as usual and then getting breakfast going for the gang. Some of us departed our separate ways. Alexia and Gracie (who came in the day before) are heading to Nashville, Alexia’s friend, Zeke, is headed to Colorado and I am heading home. Payton and his friend, Chris, moved from the cabin to the RV. Larry, Staci and the guys still have more fishing and adventuring in them for a couple more days. There’s just too many hungry trout calling their names! Biggest catches of the day was yesterday as Larry and Staci took to their kayaks aka fishing-boats-extraordinaire that brought in the greatest trout haul so far!

Honestly, this group lives by John Wayne's famous words, "Hurry it up! We’re burnin’ daylight!” Usually it isn’t yet daylight when we're headed to the river. You know you're a "red neck" when your biological clock is set to the time that fish are feeding.
It is such a joy to hang out in the great outdoors with my children. My daughter, Staci, is at the helm of the adventures. In the great outdoors. She's not the girly-girl we normally see. She's an adventurer and outdoors-woman to the core, so just the thought of those fish being there for the taking, gets her "engine" revving. You know you're a "red neck" when you sleep in your clothes -- ready to hit the ground running.

The beer-battered fish didn’t disappoint and neither did the fried squirrel. You know you’re a red neck when squirrel is your appetizer. Boys will be boys! Oh, me! You know you’re a red neck when squirrel and “coon” hunting, finding and feeding is the best-of-times to you!

I overheard the three guys in Cabin 45 (my grandson and his two friends) who had so many adventures that started with the mind-set “Daylight’s burning so let’s get in as much as we can!" They dreamed out loud about having a restaurant called Cabin 45 – specialty wild game and delicacies that represent the great outdoors. By the way – no cell coverage in Cabin 45 – so their imaginations went wild! They were able to STOP, LOOK and LISTEN to the “call of the wild” and the “call of God” Who starts with dreams and visions planted in their hearts. Isn’t that what He wants for His kids? That's the stuff that God's goodness is made of -- great ideas, being creative, living with a grateful heart in the ups and downs, and enjoying the littlest of things that makes the biggest of things seem so trivial. It can only be had when we stop, look and listen.

Maybe it’s time to come to a screeching halt to the fast-lane and go off-road to all that God could be putting into your pathway! Life is a great adventure!

How awesome it is to "Look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!" Psalm 27:13. So, to put John Wayne's "Daylight's a'wasting" to scripture words, "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!" Psalm 118:24









M

Life Moves Pretty Fast -- Don't Miss It!

In the words of the great philosopher, Ferris Bueller, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you'll miss it!" That wisdom is so true, and unless you're my age, or more, you may not give those words a second thought now.....but give it a few years, and believe you me, you'll understand them and you'll be glad you did or you will regret NOT stopping and looking around!

I'm just so thankful I come from a long line of folks who did recognize the importance of living each day as if there were no tomorrow. I remember it being a big deal for my parents to be sure to go see their elderly parents often. I remember them visiting close friends and family, regularly, and them coming to visit us. I remember our big family reunions. Those were "matters of the heart" that are still with me today. We're still living each day to the max!

We just returned from our several days at Beaver's Bend State Park in Broken Bow, OK. We had a glorious few days of early morning fishing (at the crack of dawn), kayaking or other adventures in the afternoon, and more fishing after 6 pm. We hauled in a mother-lode of trout in all the various "fish hole" locations.

My daughter, Staci, is a master angler, with "fish" patience and "fish" intuition. I'm convinced she is a "fish whisperer" because when all lines are in the water, with the same bait on the hook -- you can count on hers being the bait of choice by those hungry trout. I'm also convinced her daddy, in heaven, has much to do with the magnetic draw of fish to her lines as she sits with her dad's fishing pouch in her lap. It touches my heart so much.

Larry says "You ready to go fishing?" She responds "Morning, noon and night!" You know you're a "red neck" when your biological clock is set to the time that fish are feeding. I'm so proud of this girl for so many reasons, but here in the great outdoors, I see her not as the girly, girl on the outside, but the girl that lives out loud with every breath she breathes. She's an adventurer and outdoors-woman to the core, so just the thought of those fish being there for the taking, keeps her on high alert. She has the map identified with the fishing spots -- good, better, best locations, based on our own experience.

Payton and his friend, Matt, are both 18 now, so they enjoyed being on their own and they hauled in a mass of fish, too. I caught a few fish which satisfies my need to fish and Alexia, our artistic, free-spirited girl -- enjoys taking photos, fishing a little, taking the fish from the fishermen and putting them on the stringer. It's all about a time of slowing down from a life that moves pretty fast and we're not missing it.

Like Ferris Bueller said, "If you don't stop and look around, you'll miss life." Life is everywhere -- in little kids, in our loved ones and friends, in our surroundings and in everything that God made. We embraced being in nature -- watching the crane on the water in his stealth mode as he'd target his fish lunch, the birds were chirping, the many deer and fawn that crossed the road, the squirrel that was eating out of our hands, the turtles in a circle on a huge rock in the water, a raccoon eyeing our trash, a beaver and a hawk that were zeroing in for the fish on our stringer, the clear, flowing waters and the enjoyment of each other -- making more memories that will carry on for generations, I'm sure.

That's the stuff that life and God's goodness is made of -- living with a grateful heart in the ups and downs, and enjoying the littlest of things that makes the biggest of things seem so trivial. How awesome it is to "Look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!" Psalm 27:13. So, to put John Wayne's "Daylight's a'wasting" to scripture words, "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!"

Life Moves Pretty Fast

In the words of the great philosopher, Ferris Bueller, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you'll miss it!"

That is so true, and unless you're my age, or more, you may not give those words a second thought now.....but give it a few years, and beieve you me, you'll understand them so much, you'll be glad you did or you will regret NOT stopping and lookind around

I'm just so thankful I come from a long line of folks who did recognize the importance of living each day as if there were no tomorrow. I remember it being a big deal for my parents to be sure to go see their elderly parents often. I remember them visiting close friends and family, regularly, and them coming to visit us. I remember our big family reunions. Those were "matters of the heart" that are still with me today.

I woke yesterday morning at 4:00 am, to get breakfast going for the gang before they headed down to the dam again to catch those early morning, hungry trout. When I went into the kitchen area, Staci was already there, had made peanut butter & jelly sandwiches for later, coffee was ready and so was she.....since 2:30 am. I told her I think she lives by John Wayne's famous words, "Daylight's a'wasting. Time to get moving!" But it wasn't yet daylight. You know you're a "red neck" when your biological clock is set to the time that fish are feeding.

I'm so proud of this girl for so many reasons, but here in the great outdoors, I see her not as the girly, girl on the outside, but I see the girl that lives out loud with every breath she breathes. She's an adventurer and outdoors-woman to the core, so just the thought of those fish being there for the taking, had her awake and ready to hit the day. You know you're a "red neck" when you sleep in your clothes....ready to hit the ground running.

We had the birthday celebration all ready to go for Payton, the birthday boy -- cinnamon rolls with a big candle in the middle. You know you're a "red neck" when you've got the cabin covered with balloons, and because there was no tape for hanging, you use the cracks at door trims, the cords from the blinds, and the cabinet door knobs to hang them all. At 5:15 am, all the fisher-boys and girls were out the door -- ready to bring in a haul of fish for tomorrow's meal. What can I say? They love my beer-batter fish!

I stayed back at the cabin to make the birthday cake and get Payton's meal request ready for their return -- that beer batter fish fry -- from our big take yesterday!

Not long after they left, Staci called me with disappointing news -- the dam gates were wide open still which meant the waters were so furious that they couldn't get the fish to bite so they returned back to the cabin for Plan B. Staci had a heart-to-heart with Lake Tenkiller's Corp of Engineers for Lake Tenkiller. She was educated on why they had to release so much water out of the lake, which halted our big fishing haul. Apparently, Oklahoma has had above normal rainfall and if they don't release the quota needed, there is potential flooding that will happen, especially, since Oklahoma is supposed to have more storms this weekend. That makes our little whining about not being able to fish, so unacceptable.

But, not to waste "daylight", Larry and Staci headed to the river behind our cabin to try to find the secret for catching fish in those heavy moving waters.....and the birthday boy with his two friends tried another fishing opportunity. The management here at the camp said they could use their bait net to go down to the river and haul in shad to use for catfish and striper fishing tonight. Then the boys and Alexia and Staci used those rushing waters for good, and decided to raft down the river. No matter what they were doing -- they weren't wasting a minute of daylight. Once again, "All thing work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purposes." Romans 8:28.

Like Ferris Bueller said, "If you don't stop and look around, you'll miss life." Life is everywhere -- in little kids, in our loved ones and friends, in our surroundings and in everything that God made. Fishing was slower for us -- but no problem, the birds were still chirping, the waters were still flowing, and the enjoyment of each other -- laughing at silly shenanigans of the boys making spears, climbing trees, and making more memories carried on.

I overheard those three guys talking about buying a cabin and splitting it 3-ways (they're all already entrepreneurs). That's the stuff that life and God's goodness is made of -- getting great ideas, being creative, living with a grateful heart in the ups and downs, and enjoying the littlest of things that makes the biggest of things seem so trivial.

How awesome it is to "Look upoon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!" Psalm 27:13. So, to put John Wayne's "Daylight's a'wasting" to scripture words, "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!"