TIME...

So...this blog begins like this...I've never had a blog, only read them. So it's kinda weird for me. But one of my favorite friends, Tori, is on a missions to get everyone blogging and she's doing a fine job, I might add. So I'll start off by sharing some of the things that God's been doing and teaching me in my life.

So... Friday nite Jordan's basketball team played in a tournament ( looser's bracket... ouch) in Maurepas, La. I road with ALL the Ohlerkings ( too many names to mention LOL ). We all walked in and it was so funny for me, because I usually am only looking for one seat, two at the most. Well as I looked back to count how many we were, I realized that we needed our own section. It was GREAT!!! We actually had enough boys with us to complete a basketball team. I grew up with only one brother, and I am eight years older than him. So I really got to see the dynamics of a large family. Rhett and Rhodes ( 2 year old twins) played cars in the bleachers with me. WOW, I really reflected back to when Jordan and Ashlyn were this young. OH, how the time flys so quicklyl!! Where did the years go? Did I do everything that I could to provide them with all they need to have a happy and successful life?

Time is of the esscense...this is what God has been keeping in my thoughts and teaching me about lately. You see all of my life, I've always wanted to hurry to get to next thing. I use to say "I can't wait to have a boyfreind... I can't wait to go to college...I can't wait to get married". Anyway, you get the picture. And my daddy use to say "Paula, you are wishing your life away. Just enjoy where you are." Now I often reflect on this thought because now more than ever I wish that time would stand still or at least slow down. We have such limited amounts of time to spend with family, freinds, church life, etc. See we think time is infinite because we can't see the end. But now God is showing me thru Julia( our exchange student) even more about how limited our time is. She will only be with us for 10 months and this is a definite(not because I want it to that's for sure). More now than ever I see how valuable each minute, each moment and each memory is. Our time together will come to an end and she will have to go back to Germany. This thought turns my stomach and makes me feel such a sense of urgencyto get to know her and love on her even more. Suppose we all knew our time lines. Would we do things differently? Would we live life with more zeal? Wouldn't we wonder if what we did with and for others was enough? I like to think that I live life each day like it's my last, not holding anything back.

Then on Saturday, Ashlyn and Julia went to St John's homecoming in Plaquemine. Here again the TIME thing came to my mind again. As I looked and admired Ashlyn in her beauty, I was reminded again of how quickly my time with her too is passing. I can hardly get in a minute with her anymore. We live in the same house and have a bond that most mothers and daughters can only dream about and yet we seem so far apart. Mostly schedules... which all goes back to limited time together. Sometimes I follow her around the house, like a little puppy, trying to get a glimpse of the life of a teenager today. But the business of life can so easily become a distraction to our relationship.

So this weekend as I was praying for more of his presense and more intimacy with him. This is what God spoke so clear to my heart. He said, "I have to have more of your time. Just as you are constantly pursuing time with Ashlyn, I too am chasing you down for more TIME. "Wow!! It became even more clear how God hurts too when we don't allow enough time for him in our lives or maybe we only cut out small segments of our life for him. Then to top it all off, Sunday in the 800 service Dino wastalking about sacrifice and how God wants most what we don't have alot of. He even said that for some of us that might be TIME. And let face it that probrably applied to lots of people but I knew it was definitely for me. It was the Holy Ghost!!!

So what I'm saying is this...If you don't feel you have time, then make time. Invest in those around you, and I'm definitely preaching to the choir, because there's many people that I need to spend time with also. Wow this is such therapy for me. I love it!!!. But mostly make time for God. He deserves it. After all, I look at what he's done for me and he is so worthy. And I guess that's about all for now...

In Him
Paula