A week filled with news like this:

• One more friend is diagnosed with cancer while others are in the midst of the battle
• Several friends say their last goodbyes to loved ones that have left the earth
• One more marriage is on the rocks
• One more job loss
• Another horrible diagnosis

While the world is focused on:

• Terrorists
• War
• Refugees
• Ugly politics

Have you ever felt shaken AND stirred?  Where the pain in the world becomes so loud it hurts?  This week was one of those weeks.

And then there is a pause.

• A deep breath
• A prayer
• A brisk walk

Then the reminder that in the midst of it all there are also celebrations:

• A wedding
• The story of a teenage girl that consistently identifies the loners in school and reaches out to them
• The friends that surround those that are struggling with love, encouragement, advice, and helping hands
• The note that came that says you’re making a difference
• The planning of a welcome home party for a young father that has been fighting for his life for a very long time in a hospital and rehab center that are far, far away from his loving wife and children.

And then there are Goosebumps, thankfulness and a smile….

Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely.  Karen Kaiser Clark Click to tweet

And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years. Abraham Lincoln

Where are you focused today?  In the past, living the present or worrying about the future?