Do you have your running shoes?

My sister sent me this link. It is a beautiful video and is a great analogy for life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmTa840SYZc

Words Worth Repeating

A few weeks ago we were at my parents' house and the kids were helping my dad bring in the cows to feed. Braxton was his usual whiny self and said, "This would be a lot easier if I had a horse and cowboy boots."

My dad responded, "Everything would be easier if you had all there was in the world to be had, but you don't. What you do have is the brain God gave you. Use that to figure out how to get the job done."

Wisdom I thought was worth repeating.

Melancholy Tuesday

Blame it on the weather. It's cold here and feels like fall and fall always makes me melancholy.

Yesterday was my brother-in-law's birthday. He turned 37. For a few weeks each year, we are the same age. Daryl actually came home from Iraq the day before my birthday just a few weeks ago. His wife was kind enough to share him with us while he was home. They drove down from Washington and we enjoyed being with him. I know the cousins enjoyed being together.

Daryl is in the red shirt in this picture. Yesterday morning, on his 37th birthday, my brother-in-law got back on a plane and headed back to Iraq. I thought about that a lot yesterday. That could not have been a fun birthday. I think as adults we expect our birthdays to be more like normal days. Typically we don't have parties and aren't showered with gifts. But a trip back to war (with a long layover in Dallas) isn't usually on our agendas either.

So Daryl, Happy Birthday. Eat some Pralines and Cream for me. (That would mean you can have it twice this week.) We can't wait to see you again in the spring!