Lost…..and May Never Be Found

A friend’s Facebook post said: “There are five things that you cannot recover in life:
The Stone...........after it's thrown,
The Word...............after it's said,
The Occasion......after it's missed,
The Time.............after it's gone.
A person...............after they die
I realize this so much now. Life is too short. As I get older I just want to live in peace and harmony and have joy because it can all be gone in an instant. Give love and forgive each other. For you don’t know what tomorrow will bring.”


Such true words, and great reminder of “living with no regrets”. I don’t want to say “I wish I hadn’t”, “I wish I didn’t” “If only….” I said that to myself as I was trimming my trees and bushes (4 large trash bags full). I looked at my bushes afterwards, pleased that they’re ready for stringing my Christmas lights on them. WHAT? Christmas? Already? Where did this year go? And, like my friend’s post said -- we can’t get that time back!

I’m going to keep that “no regrets” mindset. I’m purposing to pray each day and live by this scripture: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O God!” (Psalm 19:14) In fact, I’ve declared it as my new life scripture. I add my words to that scripture: ”also acceptable to my family, my friends and everyone I encounter in this day.” Words too quickly spoken can be regret “stones”. Please, Lord, keep a gate on my mouth and mind.

I made sure I was seizing the moments yesterday at Children’s Hospital. Patients went on a scavenger hunt throughout the hospital. At my Radiology station, I stamped their scavenger hunt cards and gave them a goody bag. I embraced the glow on those kiddos faces! No regrets! A contest was given for the hospital staff's best costumes. I loved my Radiology's team's great idea -- a ride at Six Flags!

Then, I made way to my "stomping grounds" in Tulsa. First order of “no regret” was celebrating Mom’s 97th birthday. Bonus was my great grand niece, Anna, was there and getting to love on her. Then to top off my day was staying at my besties' and capturing Sheila reading to her little angel granddaughter, Penelope. Be still my heart!

Tomorrow, I’ll be driving my beloved mentor, Sister Marie Pierre to our last First Weekend of November, Fall Retreat at Cherokee Lodge on Fort Gibson Lake. Oh, the memories of God showing off there with so many precius women who sat at the feet of Sister Pierre over the years, gleaning from her wisdom of serving God in practical Christian living.

After the retreat, I’ll head to Austin with my grands for a week or so. Some of life's greatest lessons come from firsthand experience. And those experiences teach us "living with regrets" or "living with NO regrets". The latter on that statement is truly the way to go. Believe me, I've known both. Those times we "miss it" are surely those times we learn from the most. Life is so short and making the most of everything we can when the opportunities arise, not only produces sweet memories, but it makes for deepening our relationships with each other.

Are you seizing those moments, minutes, days of YOUR life? We are here at this place, and this moment of time, for a specific purpose that God gave for only us to fulfill. Let's be done with just going with the flow....and let's live ALL IN! Let's look for those moments in this day that are over-the-top outrageous, once-in-a-lifetime moments, so that tomorrow, we'll look back and say, "I lived with no regrets!"

MY Way on the Highway?

Remember the folded up maps we once used when we headed out for road trips? I loved being the navigator! Those maps, and I, most certainly kept us right on course to get to our destination faster. And, that was important, because we didn't do a lot of dilly dallying when it came to road trips.

But it's a new era! "Personal Navigation Systems" are found in vehicles and smartphones all over the world. The first PNAs were hand-held units used by the U.S. military. Today that technology is supported by 24 satellites orbiting the earth, with three available at any one time for our device to use. WOW! There's just no reason why we should EVER get lost if we followed the voice of Miss GPS. Even still, I'll hear her, and think "MY way is better", and before long she's saying "Make a legal U-turn!" And, I think, "If only I'd followed her directions!" The most sophisticated directional technology in the world is not much help if we won't follow its directions.

And it's the same with listening and following the directions of He Who knows everything about everything and is ALWAYS accurate in His course directions. When we follow God's instructions, and not waver off the path He's laid out for us, or think "my way is better"...then, there will be no anxiety or concern about getting lost -- He'll make sure we'll get to where we need to go, and arrive when we need to get there!!

I posted this scripture yesterday, but it merits repeating today. "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your OWN understanding; in ALL your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6