Back to the Future

As holiday weekends go, ours was pretty nice. :o) We usually try very hard NOT to plan anything that might take us away from home on Labor Day. This year especially, we wanted to stay here and work on the “home-reorganizing project” that Woody has mentioned in several of his posts. As with many good things, as you probably already know, it is taking TIME to come to pass! Way more time than I hoped, but it is SO worth it! With each bit of progress, we get closer to the vision I have for our home. Now that we’ve lived in it for most of four years, I think we’ve finally figured out how to make the best use of the space we have. (Or don’t have, but I prefer to look at the bright side of this one!) I cannot say honestly, yet, that any ONE room is finished, but there are several that are getting close!

Also this weekend, we were able to attend church as a family for the first time in several weeks. Sitting there in our usual row, I could literally feel the strength of the spirit as it filled my cup and overflowed. The topics of the week were not unexpected - the Newport Beach Temple and accompanying celebrations and dedications; the devastation, needs, and opportunities for service arising from that life-changing hurricane in the South; and the comings and goings of college students and missionaries – and encasing it all was an out-pouring of love for and gratitude toward our Savior that was almost palpable. If the meeting had gone on any longer (we went over by at least 20 minutes) I would probably have found myself making the long trek up to the stand. My knees are still not happy about those three hours of church, but the rest of me is truly joyful!

Except for thinking about the fact that my mama was at USC’s Norris Cancer Center beginning another round in her chemo, Labor Day itself was also a joy. One of Woody’s sisters and her new roommate braved the holiday traffic to come and spend the day hanging out with us. We didn’t go anywhere, we didn’t rent a bounce house or any movies, we didn’t even barbecue! And we had a really nice day! I should explain that although she is new as a roommate, Karen was new only to the Woodyettes (and only because they were too little to remember her from the all-too-few times they have seen her before). She’s been a special friend since Woody and I were in high school, and shares our love of the gospel, appreciation for a good laugh, and our passion for good music. Well, after just one day of stories, games, and just plain silliness, she’s now a special friend of the Woodyettes, too. Since they’ve loved their aunty from day one, seems she and her roomie are welcome to hang out here anytime they want to brave the traffic!

So, back to the future…

… because this whole weekend has given me cause to reflect on the fact that though the past is indeed past, the good parts are not now and need never be gone if we hold them in our hearts and use them to build upon.

And what about the not-so-good parts, you ask?

I’d say that is for another blog, but why would I want to do that?! ;o)