Making it Matter

"The Inbetween" by Jeff Goins and "Packing Light" by Allison Vestervelt. I've read both of these recently and without going into book review mode, I'll summarize by saying when I plan a project I'm all in, and everything else suffers. My weight, my social life, my house, my family. I don't cook, so I don't eat right, I don't clean, and I don't make time for friends or family. So, I'm trying to "be" while even in the middle of planning the next big project. Adam is getting married in a week and I'm planning my dress, the guest room, the wedding cake, and the rehearsal dinner. I have tons of plans and projects, but still, last Saturday Fran and I went to the Boothbay Railway Village, and yesterday, less than a week later, I met my friend Jodie at the Coastal Botanical Gardens.

Most of the time if I see something pretty, interesting, classic, popular etc. it's because it is a homeschool field trip, we're having a meeting there, we have out of town guests who would like to see this or that, or we need to kill time before the next meeting or big gathering. This time, however, it was just to see cool, fun things with the people in my life.

This final photo, the last thing I captured on my camera, left me thoughful. I wondered if this waterfall was symbolic of life or death. I'd come to this place with the blog I'd read the night before fresh on my heart. It brought me back to this day three years ago. Do Jimmy's closest and dearest despise waterfalls? Farther removed from the circumstance than many, but still inextricably connected by virtue of being a part of the TeenPact family, I decided that I would claim this refreshing cascade as a prayer reminder. So I whispered a prayer for Lydia who lived this very deeply. I prayed also for Jimmy's family members who, while undoubtedly are daily are reminded of their loss, also must find a way to remember him excellently. This they long ago determined must be by living life with fullness, with compassion for others, and by tenaciously holding on to God in every circumstance. My response, in addition to holding to those ideals, must also include living every day intentionally, not carrying around excess emotional and mental baggage, and endeavoring to make "The In-between" matter.