skies so blue

there is nothing like the brightness of the blue sky in the morning after a night of thunderstorms. i'm curled up in my pajamas, just enjoying being able to relax on this beautiful morning. my second story window provides a panorama of the western sky colliding with the buildings and streets of town.

as i sit here, a melody from the classic crime is running through my head...

"i have come to the realization
that life is more than what i have accomplished
life is more than the realization that we have accomplished nothing at all
true success is so selfless
so drown in the lyrics of your life
and give up the air that you breathe
you don't need anything"

it an interesting concept, to give up our ideas of "accomplishment" and "success" and simply immerse ourselves in the beauty of living our lives. and that may come across somewhat existentialist, so what if it does?

i have a philosophy that there are two things this life is about:

firstly, relationships. especially our relationship with god.
and i mean true relationships, the self-sacrificing kind. the kind you base your life around. and a relationship with a god who is living, a dynamic relationship. full of trust and openness, fear and adventure. real friendships with people you care about, who you stay up late talking on the phone to. who you'd drive across the country, across the world to see. the stranger on the side of the road you give a ride to. the check-out lady at the store. each of our encounters with another person has significance. and you can either be a positive or negative influence on everyone you come in contact with.

secondly, experiences. especially our experiences with god.
if we truly love people and engage in real relationship, the opportunities for amazing experiences are endless. and if we are wrapped up in an active relationship with god, even solo experiences are laden with significance. so, watch sunsets and hike the grand canyon and drive really fast down that road when no one is looking. take long walks and even longer bike rides. drink a cup of coffee while sitting by the window at your favorite restaurant and watch the rain pour, streaming down the pane. i fully believe that it's the little things, the things that have seemingly little meaning in the cosmic sense, are the things that we'll look back on and be thankful we lived.

so go outside and take a deep breath of the january air and feel alive.