and the greatest of these is love.........

and the greatest of these is love.........

Our hearts melt at the sight of those we love. 

We can't wait to spend time in the arms of those we love.

Protecting others from hurts and sorrows is our hope.
Each of us experience fear of losing those we love.
There are times we smother out of love.
Times we rejoice in our love.
Longing for time together, lonely in times apart from those we love.
Letting go can be a gift of love.

This year has been our first without any of our children, grandchildren or other loved ones living with us. Ron and I have been blessed by our family and friends who have been a precious presence in our home for the past 3 decades.

The past few months, we have spent time with just the 2 of us. We turned off satellite tv to break our routine of coming home from work and vegging. What a blessing! Sitting on the back porch or cooking dinner together has been amazing. We have had more conversations and shared more than we have in far too long. I look forward to the years ahead with my forever love, enjoying life as we slide from our working life to retired life.

A few years ago my last minivan was towed away after traveling 220,000 miles with our kids. Our license plate cover read, 'Kid Powered, Mom Driven?' We spent years in that van, our kids learned to drive in that van. A couple of our kids even had their first wrecks in that van. As it was towed away, I had tears in my eyes. The phase of my life as a mom with a need for a minivan was coming to an end. The next phase of a compact car and being Noni were looming.

As sad as I was for the ending of one phase, the blessings of the next are just as precious. Now we are facing the reality of our long loved careers coming to a close and our new adventure as vagabond retirees will begin. It is still a year or two off but the transition in our hearts has begun. Time to spend time together and with friends. Traveling to our kids instead of traveling with our kids in the backseat.

In life, love is what gets us through the storms, the celebrations, and the transitions. I feel blessed by the love of those who have been in my heart a lifetime and for those who have recently claimed a place in my heart.

1 Corinthians 13:13

and now these three remain: faith, hope and love. 
and the greatest of these is love...........

In Him,
Joyful
5-10-14