Treasured Moments

I recently returned from a trip to San Diego to visit my family.

Along with a heavy suitcase of belated Christmas gifts, I arrived home with a photo album of memories crammed with treasured moments:

• A fun "Girls Night" sleepover with my sister, niece, and Lucy, their dog; complete with chick-flick, comfy pillows & blankets, tea, candy, and shortbread cookies


• A walk along La Jolla Cove, watching the seals and sea lions frolic on the rocks (photo)


• Visiting the new Surfers' Monument at Pacific Beach with my dad (surfed 65 years!) and seeing his name etched on the beautiful plaque


• Dinner at my favorite Mexican restaurant


• Laughing and crying through "Marley & Me" with my dad and his wife


• Spending an afternoon with a childhood friend

Moments like these are gifts from God smuggled into the busy activities of daily life; times to be savored as they occur, and remembered long afterward.

I'm a planner. My mind tends to drift to the "next thing" on my list while missing the beauty of what God has for me in the current moment. One of my goals for 2009 is to spend more time in the present: be more spontaneous, less of a worrier, and enjoy each moment the Lord provides. I want my memory photo album overflowing with treasured moments by the end of this year.

Saturday, while working on this blog entry, I received word that a young woman I'd mentored died suddenly. Yesterday my cousin Sally died. These deaths give "treasured moments" new value, don't they? Jeni and Sally's deaths remind me that each day, each fleeting second is a precious gift. There are no guarantees of tomorrow.

What treasured moments are you adding to your photo album today?