~LIVE in the MOMENT~

     Hi again... remember me?  No, I didn't fall off the face of the earth.  Let's just say the past couple months have been a little hectic and well, I have been a pretty pitiful blogger.  What can I say-- I guess I needed a break (from what, I really don't know, but I guess it sounds like an OK excuse :). So a few nights ago, as I caught up on all the posts I'd fell behind on from my fellow bloggers, I was inspired to get back to my writing!  Now here goes.......

     A friend and co-worker of mine said something to me the other day that I haven't been able to put out of my mind.  I was excitedly sharing with her about an extraordinary job opportunity God presented me with just this past week.  For those of you that know me, you know I am presently working as a freelance production assistant/event coordinator, etc.  A "job" in this field I have found, means getting in the passenger seat and letting God be the driver. (And wouldn't life be so much easier if we did that from the get-go? But that's another post in itself...) It's true job opportunities in my field can be hard to come by, but when they come, life couldn't get any better!  I have the greatest fun and am in love "going to work".  And it's true I have been utterly blessed with opportunities so far.  I sometimes joke in saying "I think this job was designed for me".  Most of you know that traveling is one of my deepest passions, so to have the opportunity to travel for work... it may sound cliche', but it's a dream come true for me.  Now back to my story... Two weeks ago, I was going on to my co-worker about how excited I was to have an upcoming job opportunity in a state I've never worked in. I went on and on about how excited it would be to work this event and how amazing it was going to be to visit this new place. We're going to label this conversation "Day 1".  On to "Day 2"... after days of talking about nothing but the "Day 1" job, I received an email from a wonderful girl asking me if I'd be interested in working another event, this time in the city of my dreams!  Holy cow!!!  Seriously?  Had she read my mind?!?!  I immediately took her up on the offer and set my mind to thinking how I could make it work so I could definitely work this super-awesome event.  And so, my conversation with my co-worker friend shifted from the awesome "Day 1" opportunity to the awesomer "Day 2" opportunity!  And here my friends is where it gets good...  My co-worker listened to me blabber on and on about my elation, then smiled and shared with me these simple words: "don't forget to live in the moment Casey."  BOOM, SMACK, POW... right in the gut. She was so right! What truer a statement did I need that day?! I had gotten so caught up in this new "open door" that I had forgotten about the "open window"! 
     I think sometimes we get so caught up in some of life's opportunities it's like we want to push the fast-forward button and skip to the "good parts" of life, whether they be vacations-to-come, 3-day holiday weekends, or for some of us: Fridays.  We forget that the "introduction" and "body" of our life-stories are what get us to the good parts, and before we know it, our "conclusion" sneaks up on us, and the credits are rolling!
     That day I took a minute and whispered a sweet prayer to God, thanking Him for sending those precious words to me through a friend. He never ceases to amaze me in the ways He acts.  Beloved friends, it should do us well to remember that we are not guaranteed tomorrow and we will never again have this day.  Take a look around where you are right now-- in your messy house full of kids, behind your desk slaving away, or maybe even having some R&R time for yourself.  Now smile to yourself, breathe it in, and be thankful... live in the moment, in the here and now.  You are already so very blessed- you're alive and you're where you are.  From this point on, may we (myself included) wake each morning with a new zeal and purpose:  to take on the day and whatever punches that 24 hours holds for you, and live every second, of every minute, in that moment.  For we know, all the best stories come in trilogies... not in just one book.  So go and write your own.

So happy to be living in this moment. :)