The Thrill of THIS Lifetime

A Cup of Tea with Carol
Written By Carol McLeod

When was the last time that you truly took stock of your life?  Are your days quickly passing by in a meaningless blur of busyness, restless sleep patterns, planning for the next meal, paying bills that have skyrocketed and just merely existing from one mundane task to the next?

When was the last time you thought about your life deeply?  Have you ever pondered who you are?  Have you ever reflected upon the person that you used to be and the “you” that you have become today?

Have you prayerfully contemplated the person who you hope to be?  Have you seriously pondered the life that you actually desire to lead?

Or are you so buried under constant “doing” that you have left the word “becoming” out of your esteemed vocabulary?

You know … we can all get overwhelmed with life.  We all neglect to value not only the number of our days but also the quality of each day.

I woke up one day this past year and was 61 years old!!  How did that happen?!  Where did my 20’s go … and my 30’s … and my 40’s … and my 50’s?!!  Where did they go?

And … while I am at it … where did those precious children disappear to?!  Where did those 5 miniature, but oh so treasured, little people fly away to?!

It seems like the days of true importance in my life have scurried away under the espionage of dishes, laundry, ball games, recitals, birthday parties, drivers’ permits, and college breaks.

It is time … it is past time … for me to stop.  It is time for me to take a break and to ponder it all.  How I desire to treasure every minute of this priceless commodity that I have been given called “time”!

This is the only life that I will ever live!  I must not allow my only life to dissipate into the mist of the urgent and the meaningless.

I must evaluate where I am … who I am … and what life will look like for me in all the tomorrows.

Does anybody out there know what I am talking about ?!

“So teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” – Psalm 90:12

I want to LIVE not just survive!!  I long to richly celebrate every day of this life that I have been given!  I want to be “all in” when life is hard … when it is glorious … and when it is commonplace.

The truth is clear … it is impossible to hold time in a bottle.  It is absurd to imagine that we are able to press the “pause” button on life just so that we can allow the fragrance and blossom of a particular season to last beyond it’s appointed time. 

Flowers joyfully bloom … the grass turns green … the sound of birds and bees fill our waking hours … seasons change on schedule … leaves turn brilliant colors and somehow cascade beautifully to the ground … snow quietly falls … the nights are longer and the days are shorter … but then … just when you think that you can’t take one more day of the wretched cold … spring miraculously appears and all of nature applauds.

And then it begins all over again.

Time marches forward.  Always forward.  And often, I am trampled in the march of time.  Often, I am trying to dodge the demands of each day rather than bask in the majestic moments of an ordinary existence.

My life is a gift from the Father Who created time yet lives in eternity.  I must thank Him for every miraculous moment of my uncommon existence.  Gratitude is what turns an ordinary day into a holiday!

I must look for people who need a helping hand … a word of cheer … or a listening ear.  I must never allow my glorious life to be excused from the possibility of helping another traveler along the rocky road of life.

I must value the things of true consequence and I must pass by the things that merely distract.

And do you know what else I must do on a daily basis?  I must smile … I must laugh … and I must sing.

I must smile contagiously when everyone else is complaining, panicking and criticizing.

I must laugh with joy and delight when everyone else is abounding in worry, fear and dread. My laughter must resound and echo across the desert sands of life.

And most of all, I must sing the song loudly that I was created to sing.  No one can sing my song for me.  I alone hold the treasured melody of my heart. My life was meant to be a magnificent symphony that celebrates the glory of God.

Oh … but there is one more practice that I must delight in every day that I have been given.  I must love passionately … enthusiastically … and relentlessly those who have been given to me for now.

I must exhibit the love of the Father toward those who are a daily part of my life.  I must demonstrate love by the words that I speak and by the acts of service that I choose. 

You see … it is only love that is able to eternally capture the moments of life and perpetually record the heart of what life was truly meant to be.

It is only love that is able to capture the thrill of a life lived with gusto and purpose.  It is only love that will turn time into eternity.

Gratitude … service … priorities … joy … laughter … singing … and love are all the building blocks of a wonderful life that will stand the test of time.

I am prepared this day to take the lessons of yesterday into all of my tomorrows. I am determined that until further notice … I will simply celebrate EVERYTHING!

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Carol McLeod
Carol says, “I am just a girl who is head over heels in love with Jesus ... passionately addicted to His Word ... and find all of the joy that I need in time spent in His presence." Carol is a Christmas-aholic, loves ACC basketball and the beach! Like all menopausal women, she is overly fond of chocolate and enjoys a good read. She doesn't like cleaning her house and is an expert in carry-out dinners. She hates to shop … loves to jog … and somehow finds time in her busy life to hang out with small children. She is the kind of woman that you could laugh with over lunch, cry with over disappointment and shout with over a victory! But … if you need her official bio … read on! Carol is an author and popular speaker at women's conferences and retreats, where she teaches the Word of God with great joy and enthusiasm. She also hosts highly successful Just Joy! outreaches. Carol encourages and empowers women with passionate and practical biblical messages mixed with her own special brand of hope and humor. Carol has written three books, "Holy Estrogen!", "The Rooms of a Woman's Heart" and "Defiant Joy!" which was released by a subsidiary of Thomas Nelson. Her teaching DVD, "The Rooms of a Woman's Heart", won the Telly Award, a prestigious industry award, for excellence in religious programming. Carol has also been featured on YouVersion (the smart phone Bible app) with several devotionals, including: "For the Journey Set Before Him", "Jolt of Joy", and "Joy to YOUR world", " Carol has a daily radio program, "Defiant Joy! Radio" which is available in several national markets including Youngsville PA, Warren PA, Buffalo NY, Roanoke VA, Norfolk VA, and Nashville TN.  A 1977 graduate of Oral Roberts University with a degree in Music and English, Carol has the distinction of being both the first Women's Chaplain and the first woman to speak at the university's Vespers.  Carol currently serves on the ORU Alumni Board as chaplain.  She is married to her college sweetheart and love of her life, Craig, who serves as senior pastor of Life Church, a church near Buffalo, NY.  Craig and Carol have been happily married for nearly 37 years and are the parents of five children and three delightful daughters-in-law. Craig and Carol are thrilled with the joy of being grandparents to five precious grandchildren! Carol has written three books, "Holy Estrogen!", "The Rooms of a Woman's Heart" and "Defiant Joy!" which was released by a subsidiary of Thomas Nelson. Her teaching DVD, "The Rooms of a Woman's Heart", won the Telly Award, a prestigious industry award, for excellence in religious programming. Carol has also been featured on YouVersion (the smart phone Bible app) with several devotionals, including: "For the Journey Set Before Him", "Jolt of Joy", and "Joy to YOUR world", " Carol has a daily radio program, "Defiant Joy! Radio" which is available in several national markets including Youngsville PA, Warren PA, Buffalo NY, Roanoke VA, Norfolk VA, and Nashville TN.  A 1977 graduate of Oral Roberts University with a degree in Music and English, Carol has the distinction of being both the first Women's Chaplain and the first woman to speak at the university's Vespers.  Carol currently serves on the ORU Alumni Board as chaplain.  She is married to her college sweetheart and love of her life, Craig, who serves as senior pastor of Life Church, a church near Buffalo, NY.  Craig and Carol have been happily married for nearly 37 years and are the parents of five children and three delightful daughters-in-law. Craig and Carol are thrilled with the joy of being grandparents to five precious grandchildren!
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