Life, and Other Random Things
I took some time off last week to recuperate after a few stressful months at work. Even though I didn’t do anything exciting, it was one of the best weeks of my year — so far. It’s amazing how good you can feel when you are getting lots of sleep and you remove the stressors in your life. Getting a great massage didn’t hurt either.
On Wednesday night, I flew to Austin for a social media summit. It was a business trip, but instead of working the event, I was an attendee. It was a nice change of pace even though I was a little disappointed at the depth of the content. The bottom line is that I didn’t learn much. I also had to leave before South by Southwest (SXSW), which was another disappointment. Maybe next year, I’ll just attend the SXSW interactive event instead. One highlight of the trip was my stay in the new W hotel in downtown Austin. The W is my favorite hotel chain so it’s always fun to stay in a new one.
My view from the Social Media Summit, and the buildings of downtown Austin
The design of the W Austin — way cooler than the picture depicts
And, finally…charging stations for smartphones and iPhone/iPad ports for the stereo. Love it!
The pet section of the Room Service Menu. Yes, dogs get hungry too!
By Friday, I was on vacation again. I celebrated with one of my favorite hobbies, shopping (yes, it’s shallow, but I love it anyway). I also got back on my bike again for an indoor test ride. After spraining my foot and ankle in Orlando, I was very cautious. I didn’t ride for long, and I’ve been slowly increasing my activity since that time. So far, so good…maybe I’ll be able to ride in the MS 150 after all.
Over the weekend, our church moved forward in the search for a new pastor. One of the first candidates came to minister in our morning service. We have a variety of candidates scheduled to visit and preach in the coming weeks, including our current assistant pastor. It will be an arduous process, and we are believing that God will reveal His plan to us as we interview the candidates. Keep us in your prayers. The best is yet to come!
Speaking of prayer, I learned yesterday that a friend from our church lost her 19 year old daughter in a senseless head-on collision. The other driver was at fault, just prior to the accident he was driving recklessly and weaving in/out of traffic. It’s such a waste. Her daughter was a gorgeous young woman with a zest for life. She had a bright future ahead of her, but because of the carelessness of another individual, her life was snuffed out way too soon. I am comforted by the fact that she is now in heaven with a loving Savior, but I am heart broken for her family. My thoughts and prayers have lingered on them today. They will never understand why, but I pray that God will wrap His loving arms around them and eventually heal their pain.
One thing is certain, an event like that really makes you evaluate life. It’s too short. It’s not guaranteed. Take the time to enjoy it. Never miss an opportunity to tell those you love how you feel about them. Life changes in a heartbeat. Savor it. Live fully, love deeply, and don’t leave with any regrets.
