it's gotta be NOW!

The challenging part of all this beautiful stuff is that we have to do it all at once.  Wanna see family? Ride horses? Celebrate birthdays? See friends? Go shopping? Eat a cheesesteak? Preach? Go swimming? 

It's gotta be NOW!!  How many of those things can we do in one day?  

Trying to pack a year's worth of what we want and need to do and see everyone we want and need to see into six weeks is a little crazy.  Especially with four kiddos who are trying to adjust, readjust, readjust again and who are used to life being a lot more scheduled and well, normal.  This isn't Haiti normal OR America normal...but this is our life, and I'm trying to keep my mind and heart slower than our schedule so I can cherish each moment and help the kids do the same. 

The past few days that meant cherishing the dedication of my precious niece, Mayah (what a miracle and answer to a million prayers!), celebrating Father's Day, seeing Matt's uncle and cousin, their 95 animals and riding horses, spending good time with all the Buckner clan, pool time with friends, Ben wanting to walk, catching up on laundry day at Lisa's, a chaotic trip to Target to find a few gifts for friends at home, tired girls, leading staff devotions at a local church, pool time with cousins, staying in touch with friends and family and colleagues at home, celebrating Evie's fifth bday, and Ben and I leave for Atlanta tomorrow for a precious 48 hours with my dear friend Elisa before Matt preaches four different messages over three days at First Wesleyan Church of Bridgeton, NJ.

Trying to take one step at a time, cling to His Word in every rare quiet moment, and thanking the Lord for all these gifts.  

Living and enjoying and deliberately spending each moment with each person as if it's rare and precious and fleeting isn't a terrible way to live.