Live Like Tomorrow May Never Come

All of us are still in shock at the news of the tragic death of Kolbe Bryant, his daughter and the other seven victims. Our hearts ache for what their families are going through right now. I pray for God’s peace to bring them comfort. It is this side of heaven that mourns such a great loss of lives – what seems to be way too soon. But, on the other side – in heaven – there is great rejoicing for those that came home. That has always brought me so much comfort whenever I have experienced the separation of loved ones in my life. That gives us the opportunity, instead of "Good-bye", to say "See you later!"

I don’t think anyone can argue with the statement: “He was one of the greatest athlete of all times.” A quote of Kolbe’s captured my attention. “It’s the one thing you can control. You are responsible for how people remember you—or don’t. So don’t take it lightly.” And, isn’t that what living each day with purpose and on purpose to make a difference in this world what really matters? Living like there is no tomorrow. “You do not know what tomorrow will bring” (James 4:14).

A resource book I've held dear to my heart is Rick Warren's "The Purpose Driven Life". My favorite chapter is the one that is entitled "Made to Last Forever". This excerpt blesses me so much: "This life is not all there is. Life on earth is just the dress rehearsal before the real production. You will spend far more time on the other side of death, in eternity, than you will here. Earth is the staging area, the preschool, the tryout for your life in eternity. It is the practice workout before the actual game; the warm-up lap before the race begins. This life is preparation for the next. The Bible says, "No mere man has ever seen, heard or even imagined what wonderful things God has ready for those who love the Lord." 1 Corinthians 2:9.

Don’t those words ring true about all the practice workouts and physical training workouts that Kolbe Bryant must have experienced in his career? All the preparation for the next big game. Does it make us wonder if his life of generosity and kindness plus, hopefully, a tight relationship with God, were the preparation for the life he is living now on the other side of heaven?

When Kolbe, his daughter and the other seven boarded that helicopter on Sunday morning, living in the light of eternity was probably the furthest thing on their mind. But it begs us to stop and think about our own lives and what if this were our last day here? My blog today is to honor a great sports figure. No doubts about that. But, this is an occasion of looking inside our own lives at times like this. Our motive should be, each day, to live like there's no tomorrow. Tomorrow just may not come.

I’d love to think that we can say to Kolbe and the others onboard “See you later!” If we live each day as if it were our last, then we'll walk through that door to our home sweet home one day, too. The bands will be playing, the choirs will be singing and our loved ones will be on the sidelines cheering for us loud and strong as we cross our Finish Line – even more so than all those that are pouring their heart outs for Kolbe Bryant on this side of heaven.. In the meantime, let's give our best to God in each day while we live with eternity in our hearts. I intend to finish strong right along with you! I'll see ya' later!

Living Like There’s No Tomorrow

I know that’s easy for me to say. I’ve long passed raising a family, working a full-time job and lots of other responsibilities. But having the grands with me has sure reminded me of what it takes to feed, nurture, wash their clothes, plan their days and activities, and keep them busy enough to not be glued to their phones social media and gaming. It’s a work-out and I feel you, moms and dads. I once was there right with you. Well, maybe not with the cell phone activities, but I did know it was a work out to keep them entertained. I don’t ever hear: “I’m so bored” these days, like I heard when raising my children. There are so many options when traveling or just waiting for us.

Still, as long as I have these grandchildren with me, I’m “living like there’s no tomorrow”! Making memories, being silly, playing games, eating at their favorite restaurants, cooking their favorite meals, etc. I’ll admit I’m running out of options so those phones come in handy when I’m writing my next day’s blog.

The boys wanted me to see the new Spiderman and so we went on Saturday. Confession: I’m a Spiderman fan. I like his youth and innocence, his courage and the fact that a youth is the superhero. Spoiler Alert – if you haven’t seen it yet (and, believe me, it’s worth seeing)! Spider Man and his high school buddies do some major globe-hopping. They make it to Venice and I recall the precious memory of my husband and I celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary there. Riding in a gondola (like Spiderman and his buddies), we called home to our children. Another scene was in Berlin and a flashback came of us with our backpacks traveling via ferry, taxi on the autobahn, and the train and into Berlin (one of our rare “flying by the seat of our pants” adventure). Another scene was in Holland and I recalled to the boys that I was there with my friends at the Tulip Festival.

I titled this blog “Living Like There is No Tomorrow” and I realize that I/we have done that – in the meager times when we’d go camping in tents, roasting marshmallows and fishing with our young children to make memories and moments count. The trip to Sweden, Denmark and Germany came as a result of my husband winning an 8-day all-expense-paid trip – a true blessing from God and my husband’s winning putt at an LPGA tournament contest. We lived like there was no tomorrow by being willing to back-pack to places we had never been before and my trip to Holland was an adventure with friends.

Having this precious time with my grandchildren is a change from my normal and comfortable routine, but living like there is no tomorrow means making every minute count in this day. I’m doing that today. We are heading back to Austin to spend several days celebrating my son’s birthday. We will laugh, eat, reminisce and celebrate his life. We’ll live and celebrate like there is no tomorrow. That's just the way our family rolls.

My encouragement to you is to join me in living like there is no tomorrow. Maybe, not so much with the need to travel to distant locations, but to live with no regrets. Live now like there is no tomorrow. Rick Warren’s book “The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?” explains that we have no guarantee of tomorrow because we don't know when it’s time for us to leave earth. We are famous for postponing things where we shouldn't. Our schedules may be busy, but making time for things and people that matter – in the light of eternity.

Today’s blog motive is an encouragement to us to live everyday like there's no tomorrow. Tomorrow just may not come – it didn’t for my sweet grandfather who went to bed beside his beloved wife and never woke up. It didn’t for those in the Twin Towers on 9/11 who went to their routine job and never saw another day. Don’t postpone anything, do it now. Don’t stress over little or big things – like my guest bathroom toilet overflowing yesterday. Breathe, get the plunger, clean up the mess... and let it go. Choose love over anger and hate. Spend time with God – getting right with Him – settling once and for all “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). Since God is in control, and we’re not – we can make choices to be happy, to smile, laugh, use wisdom when we speak, and answer with love. Living this day and every day like there is no tomorrow.

What If This Were Our Last Day or Year?

I have the fondest memories of the last Christmas we had with my husband. Our entire family was snowed in at our home in Tulsa and it made for some of the sweetest times – laughter, frolicking in the snow, and tender times of intimacy in sharing God’s love with each other. Little did we know it would be his last year to celebrate Christmas with us.

Now, I think a lot about “last time” possibilities. I want to be sure my “house” is in order. I’ll admit that I’ll often leave on a trip and I think “Oh, I need to clean those drawers and closets out! I don’t want my family to have to deal with them if I don’t make it back home!” I’ve already got on my “to do” list, sooner than later, to get my will, important documents, bank, investments and other info up-to-date because I want my children to find everything they’ll need if I should “go home” any time soon. On one hand, it sounds silly because I’ve still got a lot of “tread on these tires”, but on the other hand, today could be my last day on this earth. 💥Breaking News Flash💥 It could also be the same for you!

Whew! We've made it through another year. And, while I reminisce with gratitude about my accomplishments and successes, I wonder what could I have done better? What did I do that made a difference in this world this year? Who could I have influenced in a positive way? I’m already thinking with an eternal perspective in mind when it comes to 2019. I’m thinking about how I can influence others. I wonder if, when I see others in my life, it turned out to be the last encounter I might have with them. What is the lasting impression I would want to leave? How would I want him or her to remember me?

Several scenarios come to mind. If I walked out the door of my children's homes and didn't return, what would I want my family to remember as my last words and gestures? If I ran into someone at work or school or church and then never saw that person again, what kind of memory would I want them to retain? In each last encounter, what would I want to be sure to say to my family and friends or even someone I might meet on the street?

None of us knows how much time is allotted to us. These questions have continued to roll around in my spirit. They are a constant reminder that we have to make the most of each moment God gives us to fulfill the two commandments Jesus said were most important: "loving God and loving people". Nothing else matters. In fact, Paul says it makes no difference what we give; if we don't have love, "it profits us nothing" (1 Corinthians 13:3).

If our motives aren’t loving, may we pray for a change of heart. If they are loving, may we take time to tell the person so. Being sure our “last words” with someone are words of healing and true love. That is bound to mean more to him or her than what's inside any gift we might give them. And it's the only thing either one of us can take with us into eternity.

Treasuring the Treasures of Life and in the Light of Eternity

If you keep up with my posts, you’ll know that I’ve been going back and forth to Tulsa over the last few weeks to help with my 95-year old Mother-in-Law‘s move to Karen’s (my sis-in-law's) home. It was Mom’s admission of not wanting to live alone “in this big house” any longer, when she told Karen, that she was ready to move. How beautiful that Mom made that decision on her own. We all knew that was soon-at-hand because she hasn’t been feeling well for some time now. Though Mom's room at Karen's was beautifully prepared and ready for her weeks ago, Karen never pushed her to move as she wanted her to still fill in control on the timing. But a couple of days ago, she announced that she was ready and within a couple of hours, they had her at her new home with them.

It came after many sweet and precious moments of her letting go of so many treasures that she had accumulated over her 95 years, and 52 years of marriage. Treasures that were so important to her at one time, now are only important enough to pay-them-forward. The reality of heaven getting so close for her, motivated her to part with those things that, in the light of eternity – just won't matter any more.

How beautiful that many years ago, Mom started writing different ones’ names and the date under the bottom of some of those treasures. With the things not marked, she invited the children and grandchildren to come and select what they wanted. It has been a process, for sure, because Mom wanted to go through drawers, book shelves, cabinets and closets to be able to assign any particular item to one of five places: 1) take with her to Karen’s; 2) leave for children, grandchildren, close friends and relatives to select from; 3) to place in the estate sale that Karen and I will have in the Spring; 4) to give to charity and finally, 5) throw away.

You can just imagine that years of memories and collections of treasures presented many opportunities for story-telling times about “where, when, why and who I got that from”. How thankful we have been to be able to slow our own schedules down to patiently listen and savor the moments with her. And, even greater, that God gave us this time with her while she's still with us, instead of after she graduates to heaven.

One of the dearest treasures I found was a binder of poems that she wrote. She had so many talents – cooking, sewing, playing the organ, ceramics painting, making others laugh at her wit and humor, praying, giving, and now, we knew her brilliant ability to write poetry.  

On Saturday, I drove to Mom’s sister-in-law (Dad’s sister), Aunt Joyce Litke’s home in Waxahachie TX to deliver many of Mom’s clothes, as well as other items that Mom had designated just for her.

Among those things were ceramic reindeer that Grandma Lena Wuerch (Joyce’s Mom) painted and Mom wanted Joyce to have them. Aunt Joyce and I had such a special time together, recalling so many family times together, but the one I treasured most was when she teared up and said, “I miss Ron so much (that’s my husband). He cared for me and encouraged me so much during Adolf’s illness and passing.” I loved that she remembered and it made me remember how devoted he was to her with daily telephone calls and trips to see and encourage her. She gave me an intangible treasure to take home with me. It was worth the trip.

Mom and Dad met with many challenges over the years, but none were as devastating as the tornado that tore through their home and church at Lake Keystone, OK. So much was lost, but a few treasures remained for us to enjoy. Joyce has a ceramic rabbit that made it through the storm and it sits in a prominent spot in her home. After the tornado, Karen’s daughter found a hand painted picture in a frame that was torn and broken. Mom had it repaired and that is the treasure that Georgianne requested Brad, Karen’s son, selected a painting done by another aunt. My Staci chose one of her Bibles and a ceramic flower that she remembered from before the tornado. Ryan wanted anything to do with the “Wuerch” family legacy, so he wanted legacy photos.

Shawntel was given a beautiful Lenox-like teapot, sugar and cream holders that Dad bought Mom when they were ministering in Alberta, Canada and when she was pregnant with my husband, Ron. I received the mink stole that she let me wear to Ron’s Senior Prom. I was also overjoyed to be the recipient of Mom’s little Christmas Tree that sat prominently in her den year after year that Karen had decorated so beautifully (pictured here), as well as her hand-painted nativity set. We all took home many other treasures from our visits with Mom -- that we will all treasure, on earth, until we start to see "in the light of eternity" and pay them forward to our families.

I’m sharing with you this really “big moment” for our family of transition time from one earthly home that was dear to Mom and Dad, and all of us for many years, to her new home with Karen and George. It is a major transition time for them as well. We know that God is the conductor of this symphony of life. It may appear that Mom is getting closer to her transition to her heavenly home, and, indeed it is. One day soon, Jesus will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Come to your home sweet home."

Rick Warren, in his wonderful book “The Purpose Driven Life” said, "When you fully comprehend that there is more to life than just here and now, and you realize that life is just preparation for eternity, you will begin to live differently. You will start living in “light of eternity”, and that will color how you handle every relationship, task, and circumstance." St. Paul said “I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.” Philippians 3:7

I think that’s the way Mom is living these days. That’s why when she’s feeling pretty good, she calls people to encourage them and pray with them. She gets it. In the light of eternity. nothing else matters except for Jesus. We’ll treasure her treasures until “the light of eternity” draws us home, too.

The Imelda Marcos Award

Day 145 of Photo Inspirations -- The Imelda Marcos Award
#TBT -- Imelda Marcos, best known for her 3,000+ pairs of shoes, was the wife of the former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos.

So, this photo is ME (check out that hair)  -- 23 years ago when I was Associate Director of Communications at the University of Manitoba.  It was a privilege to work with such great people at such a phenomenal university.  This event....was our Department's Christmas Party where I was presented with The Imelda Marcos "Gold Shoe" Award -- because of my passion for shoes.  I had plenty of them.  If I saw a great pair of shoes on sale (the operative word here is "sale" -- I was, and AM a bargain shopper), I would buy them......and THEN find the outfit to go with them.  I accepted my award with all humility and gratitude.  LOL!  

When I saw this photo, I laughed -- thinking how far I've come since those days.  Back then, it was striving for significance and relevance and climbing the career ladder.  It was a special season of my life -- it was a part of the "making of Donna".  I gained so much knowledge and leadership abilities during those years.

FAST FORWARD -- 23 years -- to today. A LOT of water under the bridge. Everything in life that I encountered -- in business, in relationships, in growing in faith, in valuing everything and every circumstance that got me here -- have been a part of God's Master Plan.  My priorities have changed. My responsibilities have changed.  What once seemed important to me, has been downgraded.  What was unimportant to me......has ranked up.  And what is most important to me today.....are those things that money can't buy.  It is those friendships, those intentional moments of making a difference in someone's life, it is making memories, it is cherishing the moments,  it is the opportunity to live care-FREE -- not losing sleep on those things that matter so little, and the absolute privilege of living with the mindset of "in the light of eternity".  

Matthew 6:19-21 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth where they can erode away or may be stolen. Store them in heaven where they will never lose their value and are safe from thieves.  If your profits are in heaven, your heart will be there too."    Yes, I'm thinking more about heaven than ever before......and taking lots of folks with me.  And, shoes aren't such a big deal anymore -- sure won't be taking those shoes with me when I go!  ;-)