Walking on the Thames by Parliament and Westminster Abbey and being cherishing last moments.
Tonight, sluggish from jet lag, but so happy to be home after 3 weeks, I was pondering some of the precious moments with our whole family gathered together in England. What treasured moments as we ate meals and cherished moments and stories, shared in a deeply meaningful life event together.
And still we kept some of the family home ways--walking nightly to wrap up the days events. Once we even walked on the Thames with the Parliament and Westminster Abbey across in the twinkle lights of the city. We talked again, before we scurried to our own parts of the world, the things we cherish before we part from each other. And of course, I had to throw in a little advice before we all left each other.
These are some of the things we talked about, that we hold in common, cherish as ideals--those threads of ideals that hold us all together.
People---not things
Kindness not being right
True life virtue---not opinion or debate
Loving, redeeming, forgiving, extending grace...
Not judgment, criticism, self-righteousness, cynicism
Living into His grace...
not striving to impress or earn love through works, accomplishment, status, fulfilling expectations, influence,
Being intentional...not just frantically busy
Seeking Him, pondering Him, listening to Him.....
not the approval of man or living by the rules of others or seeking to be popular
Seeking the Kingdom and eternity.... not the kingdom or voices of the world
Honestly admitting a need, confessing a weakness or sin...
not stuffing our insecurities and pretending to be perfect
Being humble and meek...not powerful and influential
Waiting for Him...not living in the flesh and striving
Living a life of worship...
not living a life of self-fulfillment
Being still and knowing He is God...not living a noisy, empty life.
And so all of us Clarksons are spreading to the far corners to seek to live faithfully our own story, but these things, are what we shall take with us in our hearts to live fully into what really matters.
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Kristen and I hope to do some new podcasts this week, I am hoping to have another fun giveaway, but for now, I am very happily heading for a night to sleep away!