One of the things to come out of my camp counselor experience this summer was my introduction to so many inspiring young people. Of course all of them are all over social media, so my own social media sites exploded shortly thereafter with new friends and followers. It is wonderful to see them back in their lives...as they excel, struggle, and live with purpose. Life is hard. Life is an adventure. They INSPIRE me.
All of that said, I have to say that one of my (selfishly) favorite things from all of this is Spotify. Why?? Because a lot of them use it, and what they listen to on it flows to their FB pages. I have been exposed to music that I KNOW I would have never heard otherwise. It is FANTASTIC!
My latest "exposure" was Mumford & Sons. Thanks to Molly S., I went out and listened to a few of their songs, and then subsequently downloaded their new album. After a day of listening to it, I went out and downloaded everything I could find that they had done. I am completely addicted. I am also amazed that I had never, ever heard of them. *Sigh*
I have to say that music has always played a big part in my life. My parents were both singers, and I am sure I owe a great deal of my love of music to them. I was surrounded by it as a child in church, at home, at family gatherings (where there was always singing and playing), in school where I was in band and choir. I even toyed with the idea of being a music teacher, but realized quickly in college that I loved doing it...not teaching it. I wrote songs with strangers who soon became friends. One of them is now a songwriter in Nashville. I know former loves of mine who I am sure were annoyed on a regular basis as I shared songs that I believed represented our courtship or relationship at any given time. I can be annoying about things I am passion about...shhhh...don't tell. :)))
Music at its best can soothe you, inspire you...move you.
Music can awaken your soul.
Which leads me back to Mumford and Sons who has a song called Awake My Soul, and let me say...AMAZING!
I was at a board of directors retreat the past two days. It was a great retreat. I was thoroughly inspired. I listened to this song all the way back to Little Rock..."...where you invest your love, you invest your life..."...reminds me of pearls before swine...
Hmmm....
Where are you investing your love? Whether that is professionally, personally, spiritually, via community service, etc. Where???
I have wasted a lot of time in my life...chasing after people, money, some unknown brass ring, love, acceptance, things...so many "things" or "stuff". Oh my! *Sigh* One of the things I have learned in my years is that you cannot fill the gaps in your heart or soul with stuff...I mean you can, but you are going to feel the same afterwards...maybe worse. No person can fill that gap. No job. No career. No single moment of acceptance or praise. No award. No instant gratification. No amount of money. That hole...that gap in YOU must be filled with love. LOVE.
Now I am no preacher. Everyone laugh out loud here. :)
I am quite seriously NO preacher, but I do know that love is where it is at. For me, love equivocates out to Jesus...and everything I do (I hope and pray) comes from my relationship with him. While there have been times in my life that I have ignored him, put him on a shelf, turned away, walked away, ran away...he, HE has never left me. I remain ever grateful of and for that. He invested his love and therefore his life in ME. I am working hard to figure out how to return the favor. I don't mean that flippantly either.
Whether it is in my passion about women's issues, helping people find their passion and purpose, teaching kids about financial literacy, loving my family and friends, my work...whatever it is...when I am good, it is coming from a place of love. When I am not....well, we can all figure that one out.
My goal as I sit here this Sunday morning before church drinking my coffee and planning my day....is simply to continue to figure out how to invest only love in my life, and divest my life of people, things, causes, work, etc. where there is no love for me to invest or being invested back in me. Let me simply say, that this is very difficult. Saying no. Walking away. Giving up (I'm not, but my ego convinces me that that is exactly what I am doing...Psychology 101). All of these are not easy for me and my Type A personality. *Sigh*
I want to save the world; love the world. First, I have to make sure I am saved...that I am loved...so that I can give of my excess...not give everything I am and have to the point that there is nothing left of me to give. That also means giving up those things that are quite literally sucking the life out of me. SUCKING it out! *UGH* I know there are those reading who know exactly what I am talking about. :)
Awake my soul Lord. Awake my soul so that I can live a life of passion of purpose...for you, for me, for others. So that when my life is through...I have lived a life of purpose. That my life has made a difference for others. That is my Sunday morning prayer.
What is yours?
Sunshine Dreams to You ~ Today and Every Day! :)
