365 Days Of Intentional Living...starting tomorrow! My Birthday!

Today is December 19th. Well, it's actually the evening of December 18th...but it's around 1:30am, which makes it the 19th! I was born 39 years ago...today! In 12 hours to be exact. This moment is a wonderful time of introspection and gratitude for the countless blessings I have received throughout my life. I am writing my first blog at my mom's kitchen table. I'm home... visiting my mom. What a perfect place to be.

I recently heard a story and I'd like to share it with you because it describes my mom perfectly!

The story talked about all the historical cathedrals that have been built over the last century and how, in the past, builders would spend their entire lives building a cathedral that they would never see finished. After all, many of these works of art took more than 100 years to build. Builders worked, without ego or vanity and didn't need to have their name in lights above the doors. They worked in a community with others, together, building a masterpiece, and would likely never receive the glory or praise they deserved. They had vision and faith and worked intentionally and deliberately, day in and day out, for months, years and even decades, on projects that they may never see finished. They were invisible to many and years later, if anyone should ask, "Who built this cathedral?", no one would know the answer. In books, many of the greatest cathedrals were built "anonymously". No one knew their names. No one would ever know or notice all the little things the builders did, for all those years, to create that masterpiece.

My mom gave up her life - for all of us. Her 10 kids, over 20 grandchildren, not to mention her countless friends, relatives, and all who crossed her path. Her life has been a lot like the builders who built those cathedrals. She lived with faith and vision, never influenced by ego or vanity or the need to have her name in lights, and she worked tirelessly, to build our lives....my life...into a masterpiece.

Mom, thank you for all the things you did for me and for all of us, when no one was noticing. Thank you for being that anonymous builder in my life, influencing what I hope will one day be a masterpiece. You are my greatest inspiration. My most powerful teacher. You are a litmus test for truth and, without a doubt, your life is one of intentional living. I'd like to be more like you. In fact, I'd like to be a lot more like you, Mom. And this is my idea...

My goal is to create this little One Year Of Intentional Living project. I'm going to do my best to live more intentionally and write about it. It's mostly for me and I hope to share it with you one day. And if anyone should ever care to read it, I hope it inspires them to live a little more intentionally, and be the amazing builder of their own cathedral.

I love you Mom. Thank you for giving me life and for every moment of the past 39 years where you have always been "the wind beneath my wings".