Day 27

I'm not a big holiday guy. I'm not sure why, but I just don't seem to get excited about many of them. As I have gotten older though I have tried to practice what most of the holidays are for. They were all created with some purpose in mind.....even if it was self serving or a need for a break.

This weekend is the Memorial day holiday. Many good things happen on Memorial day weekend. It's the start of summer for most people (who don't live in Oregon), it's the NCAA division I lacrosse final tournament (personal favorite), it's a long weekend to make sure your garden is setup for the growing season, it's the start of BBQ season, it's a time for parades, it's family get togethers etc. As I ponder the real meaning of the weekend though, I am struck square in the face by something. It's not profound or even hidden. None of the things that I mentioned above would be possible if we didn't have people in uniform who served our country. They are willing to do what many others don't do. They are willing to be separated from their families for often months at a time, fight in wars, live in fox holes, live under the ocean in a moving tube called a submarine, live on a ship with thousands of their closest friends, jump out of airplanes, eat meals that are freeze dried, walk/run miles in combat boots, stand at attention, man/woman a post, fly planes, live lives where secrets are the norm, experience conditions like none other, be witness to situations that don't get talked about etc. These are all things I don't have to think about doing. It is this weekend that we strive to remember a few of those things and most importantly remember the people who have done them on our behalf.

Today I am thankful for the many who serve our country so I can enjoy MY Memorial day weekend.

Day 26

I've shared before that I feel incredibly blessed to have two cars now and they are both 100% payed for. What a huge relief to know that I don't have to make a car payment or carry the maximum insurance because there is a lien on the car. The only complication that stems from having two paid for cars is that they are starting to show their age. In years they are not old, but in miles they are both getting up there.

My 2003 VW has just about 130K miles on it now. A couple months back I noticed a ticking noise in the engine. I didn't think a whole lot about it, but figured I would keep my ears on it. Well, since we got the "new" 2002 wagon that Elissa is now driving I have the 2003 more often. Knowing that I want to drive them both until they die I brought it in to have the mechanic check out this noise last week. I got the call back...." it is the cam adjuster and its going to cost "x" to fix." Okay we can do that.....I would rather have a good running car then constantly be worrying about it. Got the second call a couple of days later......"the cam adjuster was bad, but now we have a new noise in the engine. We think it is the turbo going and it's going to cost double "x" to get it fixed." What went from a small ticking noise and a car that drove fine was now double "x" to get fixed and I didn't want to spend double "x". After some thought and chatting with Elissa I decided to spend the money and get it fixed. Better to have the car ready to go and be in good shape.

How is any of this something to be thankful for? At first I was asking myself the same question. I started thinking back over the life of this car. We bought it in January of 2005 with about 25,000 miles on it. We have done really no major work to it other than tires, oil, filter etc. I did put an alternator in it, which was my biggest expense to date. So I have had a car for 6 1/2 years that I have put really no money into and has provided reliable transportation for myself and my family. All the while we have put over 100,000 miles on the car. That IS something to be thankful for.

Today I am thankful for being provided a car that has proved worthy and reliable and that I have had to spend little money on to maintain.

Day 25

Envelopes are one of those archaic things we still have, but seldom use. I know I have a drawer full of them. Big ones, small ones, ones with windows on them and ones that have the lining in them so you can't see what is in there.

Envelopes have been a marriage saver for us and even an insanity saver for me. You see envelopes hold things that are important....a letter, a check, a card, a secret. For us envelopes hold money. Not just checks, but cash money. Each envelope is labeled......groceries, entertainment, dining out, coffee, clothing etc. Each month these envelopes get filled and when they are empty we know its gone. We know that we will have to wait until next month to reap the rewards of the envelope.

For some people they don't need to use envelopes for this kind of thing. For us it has provided that common ground where there is understanding amongst two people who do it differently. It has provided a peaceful place to deal with a stressful thing....money. I highly recommend envelopes if you don't already have them.

Today I am thankful for the envelopes that provide peace and common ground understanding in my marriage.

Day 24

Today's post is a bit different than my other ones. I want to share a bit of a prayer that I have been praying. It generally falls along these lines.

"Lord, today I want to be thankful for the many things that I have. Not just the big things, but help me to remember the small things as well. Help me to savor the air I get to breath. Help me to revel in the sunshine that is in the sky today. Help me to be grateful for the hot shower I enjoy every morning. Help me to see the beauty of the place I get to live. Help me to drink in the moments I am allowed to spend with my children and wife. Help me to measure my words carefully as even those are a gift from you. Help me to be a good steward of the big and small possessions I have been entrusted with. Help me to savor the food on my plate and to realize I get to eat many more times a day than most of our world. Help me to realize that our stuff is just stuff and it to will pass away. Help me to hold onto the memories for those no one can take from me. Help me to be thankful for the health that I am blessed with. Most of all, Lord, help me to be a more appreciative person."

Sometimes our lives get so tangled up with the "big" things we forget all the small blessings we have each day. Today my challenge to those who read this is to take 10 minutes and list all the things you are blessed with.....big and small. But don't stop there, share it with someone else so as a community we can realize how blessed we are.

Today I am thankful for the ongoing lessons of being thankful.

Day 23

I am a busy person. Not just because of all the things I have to do, but because that is how I choose to live my life. I like to be on the go. I don't sit around very well (at least not for very long). My wife has seen this in me numerous times. My days off from work are planned and I have a list of things to get done. Her days off are better spent doing whatever she wants whenever she wants. I guess you could say I feel better being busy or having a plan.

This past few weeks I have been off from work. The first week was great....there were so many things to get done. I started packing for our move, looked for rental properties, cleaned the house, organized the files that I had put off to the side and a host of other things. Here I am into my 3rd week though and I am struggling to find things to do. It led me to ask myself what was next.

What I have found is that rest is what comes next. Rest is not a discipline I am acquainted with quite yet. I don't believe that rest means being a couch potato or sleeping all day. Rest contains elements of those things at times. In my opinion a better definition of rest is this. Rest is the ability to leave margin in your life for yourself. I am learning the importance of margin in many areas of my life and the journey has been good. I can't say I want to live in this "rest" place, but it has been nice to catch up on some sleep, read some books, spend more time with my kids, spend more time with my dog and so on.

I am learning the valuable lesson of rest in these days and I am thankful.

Day 22

Memories are one of those things that can be incredibly haunting or incredibly wonderful. As I was looking through some old boxes yesterday I stumbled on some old memories. They came in the form of tee shirts. I am not sure why I kept those tee shirts, but I had all of my old mission trip shirts and a few other random ones from high school. It was neat to look them over and remember the context of the trip, the people, the experience, the place I was at in life and the things I have learned since then. I walked down memory lane yesterday. One of the great things about memories is that you get to share them. Last night I took pictures of all of these tee shirts and posted them on Facebook for others to see. I posted them for all of the others to walk down their own memory lanes with.

Today I am thankful for memories and the places they have allowed us to go.