Day 26

Today we celebrated my daughter's 17th birthday with pizza and cake.  Tomorrow is her actual birthday.  We will be going into NYC, taking a Liberty Cruise and just enjoying everything a big city has to offer.  She plans to go to the top of the Empire State Building.  I'll be passing on that offer.

My mother-in-law is still here visiting from Illinois, and today my cousin from Kentucky arrived.  Having two guests is simply amazing.  It is comforting having people form "home" around.  I try not to think about the day that they leave, and I am just enjoying the time that they are here. 

I have certainly learned to "live in the moment."  So many people live in the past.  They've been hurt by past relationships, failures, and shortcomings.  I was one of those people who lived in the "future."  What I mean is that I constantly used to worry about what "could" happen.  I would dream up these scenarios in my head and then worry, "What if this comes true?"
That is NO way to live.  I am determined, now, to live in the present.  Enjoy every moment. 
I spent way too long so consumed with the future, that I never really enjoyed the present.  It is sad to think about, but change is good, so I changed that way of thinking.  It was NOT easy, and I had help to do it, but it sure was worth it!

Today is the first day I drove to another city without my GPS.  For those of you who don't know me....this is WAY out of character.  One major fear I have always held onto is the fear of "getting lost."  Seriously, how lost can one realy get?  I don't know, but I never wanted to find out!

I have jumped out of my comfort zone.  I'm amazed every day by the huge jump that I have taken.  It's amazing what you can do when you have to do it...when you don't have a choice. 

I must admit, with my daughter's upcoming birthday, it is strange not to be back in Illinois.  Typically, we have a big party at my parent's house and my mom cooks the most delicious meal.  She askes us what we want for our birthday meal a couple of weeks before our birthday, and then she makes that meal for us on our special day.  It is quite a treat! 
This year, my daughter had pizza.  Had we been in Illinois, she would've had my mom's chicken and dumplings with mashed potatoes, mac n' cheese, and lots of vegetables.  It is strange not being there to celebrate her milestone. 

We live here now.  We celebrate our birthdays here now.  They celebrate their birthdays there.  This is the "new normal" that we are trying to grow accustomed to.  It'll happen; it is already happening.  It is just a slow process.  I am so happy to have my daughter's grandma an cousin here at this time. 

My kids are still asking for a dog; I am still trying to put the subject off.

John 14:27 reads, "I'm leaving you with a gift:  peace of mind and heart!  And the peace I give isn't fragile like the peace the world gives.  So, don't be troubled or afraid.
Isn't that reassuring!  This is what helps me to live and love each moment and not fret about what could or would or might happen.  God has given me peace of mind and heart!
Yes, the peace the world gives is fleeting and fragile.  It, most of the time, can't be trusted.  It certainly lets us down.  The verse also says, "Don't be troubled or afraid."
As I ponder this verse, I commit myself to not being troubled or afraid.  On the days when I really miss home, I dig in and embrace the peace of mind and heart that the Lord has given me.  When I am fearful of my new area, or lonliness, or even issues I hear about on the news, I refuse to be afraid. 

Obviously, I can't do this all of the time, but it is certainly a goal I am working to obtain. 

I am out of my comfort zone, and I am fine.