Lost Relations

I have a hard time keeping up with friends and family who live far away. I am just not very good about writing or calling to keep in touch. It's not that I don't want to know how they are doing, but for some reason I don't often reach out to keep that connection alive. Once I've let months go by without contacting them, it somehow seems awkward to try to re-connect. Our lives go on our separate ways, and the things we had in common, that drew us together, are no longer there.

I know I'm not the only person who struggles with this. I discovered how true this is the other day. I recently added a new friend on a social networking site, actually a friend of my parents who is a missionary and for whom we prayed regularly during family devotions growing up. When she accepted me, she noticed that I was also friends with someone she had gone to school with way back when. Long story short, she asked me how I knew this person, and I replied that I didn't really know her, but since she was friends with my parents, I had accepted her friend request. Come to find out, it was my mom's first cousin. And I had no idea. It's the sad reality of the world we live in today; travel is so easy that friends and family often end up in distant places. That's what happened with my mom's cousin. She lives in another state, and I only remember meeting her once growing up. She has three daughters, one of whom is my age, and yet I have only met them one time. It's sad to think about the relationships that have never been. But it isn't really surprising. It takes a lot of effort to maintain distant relationships. It isn't impossible, though.

Two sets of friends have moved away within the last seven months. They were the closest friends my husband and I have made here, and so it was really hard to see them go. But I am making a concerted effort not to lose touch. We email and call each other with fair regularity, and we'll actually be getting together with both of them within the next month or so! I'm determined not to lose these friends. They are such dear people; it takes an effort, but the rewards are great!

Intentional Eating

In the spirit of choosing to live intentionally, today I am thinking about making healthy food choices. Early Morning Musings has a great post today that put into words a lot of what I've been thinking. I want to get away from eating packaged foods that contain all sorts of mysterious ingredients. I've watched several shows recently that explain the benefits of eating lots of fruits and veggies and avoiding the types of fats, preservatives, etc. that are in so many of the packaged foods we buy. I'm just beginning to think more about what my family is eating, so I feel like I have miles to go before I really understand how to make the best food choices, but I have to start somewhere. I will be getting Michael Pollen's book "The Omnivore's Dilemma" from the library soon, and I am really excited to learn more about what he has to say.

Thankfully I don't think it will be hard to get my husband on board with the idea. He already chooses fresh fruits and veggies when he wants to snack. I'm afraid the person who will really need convincing is me... My natural inclination when I want a snack is NOT to reach for an apple. I am hopeful, though, that if I can retrain myself, my daughter will reap the benefits of a healthier lifestyle as well. Since she hasn't started eating solid foods yet, I haven't had a chance to teach her any of my not-so-healthy habits. Here's to being intentional about choosing healthy foods!!

Living with Intentionality

I am realizing that good nothing in life happens easily. Growing healthy plants takes time and dedication. Having a baby takes months of development, pains, and stretching. Raising a baby is a whole other world of changing and growing. Winning with money takes careful planning and wise decision-making. Being physically fit takes sweat and hard work. Eating foods that nourish and strengthen requires planning and discipline. Strong relationships never just happen. You have to put forth effort to reap the results. Developing a deep spiritual walk requires dedication to spend time with the One who made me.

I am also realizing that I can easily let the hours of my day, and the days of my week, slip away before I even notice. Thus, I am beginning this blog as a way to keep myself on track. To remind myself to live with intentionality. To live with purpose rather than simply drifting through my days. I'm hoping that writing regularly will serve to keep me accountable and remind me of the many goals that I have for myself as a wife, a mother, and a follower of Christ. Perhaps if I am intentional in this regard, I will be able to live intentionally in the many other areas of my life as well.