The Adventures of Team Epie: Basking in the Weak Moments

I've never been more sensitive to the reality of how quickly life continues to pass us by as I've become this past year. Be purposeful in the way you live, it only lasts for an all too short of a while.

I look at my two daughters and it painfully seems that their precious innocence is quickly passing by. So fast, that the reality of keeping all the memories with me is not possible. I've come to the conclusion that I must fully immerse myself in the present. It is the present in which we live and the present is the only time we can fully enjoy the awakened moment in which we stand. It is true that a memory can be reviewed in our heads, but it will never be as clear and as bold as the present. Enjoy.

Enjoy the moments that are easy and beautiful, it is much more difficult to appreciate the harder ones as they are being lived. I have learned that the hard moments can often in our memories seem more beautiful as time passes. There is always a silver lining that is shown especially in our struggles if they are handled in the correct way, that way being God honoring. So be still when you're in the midst of them, you never know who is watching you. There are a lot of lessons to be taught, and more importantly, more to be learned.

I’ve learned more about faith from watching this past year than I have ever learned in my entire life. I’ve seen firsthand what true faith looks like, and how it is lived. It is exemplified clearer to others when the unimaginable occurs and one stands firm in the Lord, and it is felt much more deeply by one’s self when faith is all you can rely on. God clearly states that, “His GRACE is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness.” If this is true, then I want to bask in the weak moments instead of pity them. I want God’s power to be made perfect over me and my surroundings. I want to see Him clearer with every single day that I am given. I don’t want to become numb through life and forget my purpose here on earth. I am not scared of the weak moments, but I am scared to live without them. I know myself, and when everything is running smoothly in my life, I forget how desperate I am for Christ. I think it’s my humanly nature that causes that to happen. It’s a common theme in my life. This life is short, but eternity is entirely too long to live apart from Christ. I don’t want to live apart.

Learn from others. Don't be too busy judging others reactions, mishaps, or failures. Instead, come along side and help them. If you don't know how to help, pray for them. Prayer is important, and always helps a person or a situation more than one ever realizes. Without the presence of our heavenly father, we are nothing but an empty vessel wanting to be filled by other things that can never quite quench our thirst like He can.

I hope to live this year more purposefully and boldly for Christ, and less for myself. I knew I had to write these words for myself so I can be reminded not to pity the tough moments because sometimes I forget my purpose here on earth. I’ve been reflecting on these things the past few months and this is the conclusion I came to.

Here are some pictures from this past weekend. I can't believe my Olivia Grace is 3 and such a joyful 3 year old she is. I am amazed by her heart, and how she cares about things I never thought a kid her age would. I love that she constantly asks about Jesus, and is curious to know about Him more. My prayer is that this curiosity will never leave her heart and that she will fall more in love with our Savior with the more she learns about Him.