Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Tween Times

Life is usually measured by the 'big' event of life. We reflect on the grandiose moments...the big vacation... the trophy deer...etc. While all of these are good and make for great milestones, most of our lives are not lived in these exceptional moments.

How many people do you know go to work on Monday talking about what they are going to do on the weekend? If we live only for the weekend, then we are negating 5/7 of life. The majority of our lives will be spent in the 'tween times', that is, the times between those awesome, fantastic, chill-bump moments. It goes without saying, that if we are to have a wonderful life then it is needful for us to understand how to make those not so fantastic moments...well...fantastic. Know what I mean. I mean, if the fulfillment of life is only going to come when you are on a cruise, then you won't have much fulfillment in life unless you get a job on a cruise-liner.

Discovering meaningful things in the everyday life can help make your Mondays and Thursdays vitally important to your happiness. We are so prone to overlook the little things. I know folks who have negated relationships, literally years of meaningful time and help, because they focused on one problem. If we would value the everyday life just as we do the big events, we could come to forgive folks a lot easier.

Here are some things I enjoy on a regular basis;

* Watching birds feed in my backyard.
* A steaming cup of coffee with a friend.
* Meaningful conversation with my family.
* A quick glance through the sports section.
* Warmth of a blanket.
* The smell of supper cooking.
* To watch someone really laugh.
* Sharing in someone's sorrow.
* A wave when passing a friend or neighbor in traffic.
* Day old pizza.
* Hunting vicariously on the Outdoor Channel.
* Scratching my dog behind the hears while they tell me how good it feels with the wag of a tail.
* Reading something profitable and relaxing.
* Peanut Butter on a banana.
* The feel of a freshly ironed shirt.
* Hearing my parents voices on the phone.
* Looking at old pictures and reflecting on pleasant memories.

Look for ways to make the tween times, wonderful times. I think we are missing some grand things right under our noses. Perhaps you will find that the best of life does not have to wait for those rare times when you get to do something big. Write in and let me know what makes your daily life meaningful.

God bless you friends,

Tim

8 comments:

Alan Anderson said...

I can definitely agree with you on the day old pizza haha. I may be a little bit of a nerd, but i enjoy playing video games and messing around with computers. Though probably the most enjoyable thing that i do is hang out with friends. It doesn't really matter to me what we do i just enjoy hanging out and talking. Also, family dinners are something that probably doesnt happen enough, but i enjoy them a lot. Gives us time to all sit around and talk about whats new in life. Thanks for your thoughts Bro. Tim. I will always try and take them to heart.

Tim Estes said...

Thanks Alan. You are not a nerd!! Man I enjoy playing basketball with ya. Keep up the good work.

You are a great guy. God has you in His care.

Tim

Anonymous said...

Last nites pizza and a glass of milk !! Thats one of my favorite breakfast's !! The phone call from your child when they don't want or need anything except to hear Daddy's voice and just want to visit or tell me about something great that happened in her day !! I learned as a kid that the days that I saddle a horse before sun up are going to be a great day. (I will have to explain that one in person) . I have to agree with you about the tween times of life. It's sad when people live for next weekend. We all have to go to work every week, we work five days and get two days off, if we are lucky enough to get two days off. So I decided a long time ago that I would find a way to enjoy all seven of the days in my weeks !! I have a demanding job and I work hard on a daily basis. I have to deal with driving a semi in NWA traffic everyday. I have to deal with unhappy customers every day. But those thing are so minimal compared to the blessings that I find to enjoy every day !! I have friends at work that I look forward to seeing every morning. I have customers that I look forward to the next time that I can make a delivery to them. I have the grouchy customers that I get a great deal of sattisfaction in going the extra mile for so that they feel like their day was blessed because they saw me today !! A co-worker asked me once how I kept my motivation and posiative attitude everyday. First I told him that I wished he was right about all of that and then I explained that when I start feeling over worked and under paid that I remember how happy and excited I was the day I got my job!! Everything in life is a choice . We can choose to enjoy what we do or not . My days are a lot better becasue I choose to be happy at work !! And I try to be a blessing to those who work around me. Johnny Cash had a song about optimism based on a happy shoe shine boy. The song is called " Get Rhythm ". Its a great lesson on how to choose to be happy !! Great blog Tim !! It reminded me to reflect on what is important to me on a daily basis!!

Anonymous said...

Hmm. Let's see...I enjoy:
~learning new things
~walking to class in the sunshine
~whistling
~playing the piano and singing as loud as I want when no one is in the house
~cheering on a team at a sporting event
~dates with my daddy
~blogging ;)

Thanks for reminding us to enjoy the simple things of life. In this fast paced society, it's easy to forget the joys of every day life. I love you. Enjoy your week!

Tim Estes said...

Kent,

You really summed it up. Life is a choice. We either wallow in the dirt of problems, failures, other peoples unforgiveness.....or we dust ourselves off and make lemonade! There is much good in life amidst the less desirable things. Those who look for the best in others ...usually finds it. A friend is one who gathers the wheat and the chaff together...keeps the good grain and with a breath of kindness, blows the chaff away!

Regards,

Tim

Tim Estes said...

Kendra,

Good stuff girl! I enjoyed our date last night...even if I couldn't pronounce the stuff we were eating. "uuu waaant eegg wooll??"

Love you,

Dad

Terry Butler said...

I love this because it was really encouraging to me! Im definitely one of those people who tend to live for the "high" times and forget to notice the everyday blessings that God has in store for us. Kind of reminds me of that song "I Saw God Today" by George Strait. I too enjoy the steam of a warm cup of coffee early in the morning. I love meaningful conversation with anyone who is willing to share in it with me ha. Laughing until you cry over some of the simplest things is always a blessing. I love music and enjoy my drive to and from work because its been a great time for me to worship through my radio. Thanks again Pastor Tim for challenging us to take some time and recognize some of the everyday blessings we sometimes don't see! Its been a blessing all on its own ha!

Tim Estes said...

Terry,

Thanks for blogging. Let me say how much I appreciate you and the leadership you are demonstrating. Keep up the good work.

Have a blessed day.

Pastor T