Staying Grounded

The last few months have been a bit of a whirlwind. I find myself spinning, barely getting my foot on the ground and then I am sucked back up into the whirling confusion of to-do's and schedules, fundraisers, dance classes and musical-theater workshops. Add into that just the normal day-to-day things that need to be done, like laundry and dishes, grocery shopping and food preparation and you get the gist of it. Life can be crazy and at times a definite tornado!

Just a glimpse of what I've been up to:

Taking Amy out on a Starbucks date before taking her to Ohio way back in September.

So when did my kids grow up? 

When? 

I'm still 25. 

They all have birthdays and sometimes we celebrate a boy turning 12 at Dawdy Haus. 

But I'm still 25. 

I treated myself to a Country Living Fair in Columbus, Ohio in September. 

It was glorious. 

I believe I'll be back...

...for my 25th birthday. 

I spent time with my kids just hanging around the house. 

They really do keep me young. 

Like "25 young". 

 Then October came in like a cartwheel 

and before I knew it, 

I was in Baltimore for interviews 

and then starting a new job. 

I had to get up early every day and I grew to enjoy my time in the car before I'd head in for training. 

God, the book of Proverbs and I had a date at the waterfront. 

I've been a nightshift person for so long but I think this morning stuff is contagious. 

I'm not totally a morning person yet but it is definitely growing on me!

During training, I had to tell myself this a lot. 

"Stay in your lane!!" 

While I need to know what's happening all around me, especially in heavy traffic, 

it is important to be responsible for what's going on in my lane,

both in traffic and in life. 

October cartwheeled away and then November somersaulted in and my girl Adrienne turned 24.

Isn't that impossible??

Especially since I am 25. 

We celebrated over lunch at Mountain City Coffee. 

It's our Saturday Mama-Daughter Date Place. 

November continued.

Training continued.

I'd come home on weekends and I just drank in my surroundings. 

Distance really does make the heart grow fonder. 

I even missed the cows. 

  And now, it is the Saturday before Thanksgiving. 

I have a wee break to let the tornado, cartwheels and somersaults subside. 

Today I had another date.

This time with Amy, home for a week before she ventures out on another journey that will take her far from home, but not from heart. 

If I've learned anything over the last couple of weeks and months, 

it is to appreciate the moments of life that make it worth living,
those Bible study in the car moments,
those coffee dates with the kids,
the birthdays, the every days,
even the work days.
In the whirlwind of blessed activity, reach out and grab ahold of what's there.
You might be surprised at what keeps you grounded.

1 Kings 19:11-12

The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

Love,
Dianne