Star light, Star bright

I live on the outskirts of Houston, so seeing the night sky isn't as pretty as it used to be when I lived on a little island in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. However, every night when I go upstairs I glance up at the reasonably sized window we have placed in the wall of our stairway and I see a star.

Just one.

And no matter the day I have, I feel like it shines for me, reminding me that no matter how busy and artificial the world gets around me, it's still possible to shine an authentic and intentional light. Now, does everyone see that star? Who knows, but the answer doesn't matter because I see it and so it's done its job.

In your life, there are going to be polluted and artificial relationships and occurrences. You're not going to want to shine. You're going to want to hide, burn out, and everything in you is going to try to tell you it's not worth it. Don't listen to confusion, hatred and jealousy. Keep shining. Be intentional and authentic towards others. Don't be afraid to be vulnerable. Find your Joy and hold on to it tight. Swallow the promise of unconditional Love and Peace and allow yourself to glow from within. It doesn't matter if everyone sees you. You're going to go places where everyone can find you and you're going to find yourself in places where it's harder to see the light you have to offer but keep shining. Don't give up.

Because even if one person sees you, you've made a difference.

Photo by: Thierry Cohen 

What are the days in-between?

What do they mean? How do they affect you?

It was the year I was planning to be married (2011) when I stumbled upon the film "Just Married"(2003) starring Ashton Kutcher and Brittany Murphy. I'm pretty sure I was doing laundry or homework and zoning in and out of the film. I watched as over and over again the newlyweds struggled to make sense of their marriage to one another. As comical as it was, by the end of the film I was ready for them to catch a break. Lucky for me, Raymond Barry, the actor playing Ashton's father, stepped into the picture and delivered a quote I would never forget:

"You never see the hard days in a photo album, but those are the ones that get you from one happy snap shot to the next." -Mr. Leezak

The hard days. These were the ones I wanted to capture in my heart and encourage others to get through. They play an important role in our character and story in the lives we lead. So I'm starting this blog to inspire, rejoice, grieve, and ponder the most important days of our lives.

The days in-between.