Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Redefining Extraordinary

In case you couldn't tell already, I am not a consistent blogger.  I write when the mood hits me if I can find the time.  I have to be honest.  I am not in the mood to write today, but I am going to because I can feel the man upstairs pushing me to sit down in front of my computer.  Just a forewarning, I have no idea what is going to come out in this blog...

The last time I posted something was May.  And let me tell you, a lot has happened in my life since May.  We celebrated my husband's birthday, Mother's Day, and Father's Day in our house.  My sister and new husband moved in with us while they await the closing on their own house.  We enjoyed salt air and summer time boat rides.  We got to be a part of several beautiful weddings.  Our family of five went to Pawley's Island for a week long vacation with my husband's ginormously wonderful family.  My middle baby, now big boy, started kindergarten and my oldest went to third grade.  One of my best friends turned 40 and is still hot (I might add).  Carver decided to try out organized tackle football.  The list of events in our lives over the past few months goes on and on.  And this is how life goes for many of us.

The thing is, this list doesn't even begin to go below the surface of our very busy summer.  I started this blog over a year and a half ago while I was on bed rest with Gracen.  And today, since I began writing without knowing my purpose, I have to remind myself where I was headed with this blog in the first place.  Take a look at what I wrote in my very first blog post in reference to Oh the Places You'll Go:
  Life is definitely a journey, and the "Great Places" Dr. Seuss describes are not necessarily about traveling to far away, exotic places and becoming rich and famous for our ambitious accomplishments (even though that is a possibility). Instead, "Great Places" are for us to recognize and embrace in our here and now. "Great Places" are not an accident or luck of the draw, nor are they limited by our circumstances. Going to"Great Places" is about how we intentionally and conscientiously choose to focus our time and energy. "Great Places" exist in even the most ordinary daily lives, and if we visit them with eyes wide open, they can turn our ordinary lives into extraordinary ones.
I want to recognize and appreciate my own "Great Places." That is the whole point of my blog. For this to happen, I need to be what Dr. Seuss so cleverly terms a "mind-maker-upper." I have to stop getting caught up in my own routine rat race. Oh, the Places You'll Go! isn't just a fun and inspirational graduation book. It provides an ingenious way to welcome each of our todays, "with brains in your head and feet in your shoes," you and I can choose to be mind-maker-uppers. I can't wait to see where this revelation takes me.
Well, many of you that know me also know that I am not, at least at first glance, in one of those "Great Places" in life at the present moment.  To catch up, feel free to check out the Caring Bridge sight we have created for my mom and read her story (www.caringbridge.org/visit/pattybridges).  She was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer that has spread to her lymph nodes, spine, and skull.  Our biggest hope is that Mom's experience can change people's lives and hopefully save some.

So back to my blog, I think I was supposed to write to you today to share my story of faith.  My mom, my sister, and I are as close as it gets.  My mom has been the rock in our lives.  She is an amazingly strong woman, and she loves us the way every mother should love her children.  She has taught us to be independent, intelligent, strong women who know how to face life and face it with grace.  You can imagine how devastating this recent news has been to us.

It's a bad situation.  At the same time, I know there are millions of people out there who suffer in their own burdens.  This is just part of life.  The only good and perfect unchanging, everlasting gift is from above.  God is using me and this situation to reach out to His children who need reaching.  I am here.  My heart is open, and I am listening. 

My faith has never been stronger than it is right now.  My relationships with my mom, my sister, my husband, her husband, and my children have never been more pure, close, and more connected to our Heavenly Father.  That, friends, is the extraordinary part of my ordinary life.  There is nothing more beautiful than being able to find joy and peace in the middle of such a heartbreaking situation.  I am living proof of what faith is all about.  God, through His son, Jesus Christ, is my constant source of "extraordinary" in my ordinary life, regardless of my circumstances.  I have no idea what tomorrow will bring, but I know that I have all I need for what is ahead.  And even better, I know it is going to be amazing because God is in charge.  My greatest strength, I am finding, is in my weakest moments.

I pray for all who read this blog today.  May you be moved by the Holy Spirit.  May God bless you and keep you, wrapping you in His arms and walking with you on your way and guiding you in all of your days to come, giving you comfort and peace.  Amen.



To read more posts on Mom's story, use the links below:

Happy Father's Day!



Doesn't get much better than a homemade bowtie, especially designed for Dad.  Isn't it beautiful?  Please notice the beautiful neon green with orange and purple tiger paw embellishments.   Lyles, my five year old, was so excited to surprise Daddy with this fashionable accessory to his professional wardrobe.  In fact, Chip had strict instructions to keep his tie on all day at work.  And you know what?  He did! 

Happy Father's Day to all the wonderful dads in the world.