Great Day's Should Be Remembered

My heart is very happy this afternoon.  These are the things I want to remember about this day:

1. Early morning. My day started unintentionally early.  I was awake long before my alarm went off.  I made a quick trip to an uncrowded grocery store, then came home, cleaned up and enjoyed an unhurried time with my Bible and a cup of coffee.  It was nothing short of delightful.

2.  Memorial Day Brunch. Everyone else plans Memorial Day bar-b-ques, but we planned a Memorial Day brunch.  It's basically an excuse to get friends together, fix an awesome mid-morning meal, and have the rest of the day left to play.  The idea seemed strange to me when I first heard it, but having experienced my first Memorial Day Brunch, I think I'm hooked.  French Toast, scrambled eggs, waffles, fruit salad, kolaches, sausage, and mimosas?  Yes, please!

3.  Pool Time.  I really love an afternoon by the water with a good book, and the company of good friends is like icing on the cake.  My apartment pool is particularly entertaining to me because about 2:00 p.m., it starts to look like a scene from MTV Spring Break.  It's a little out of control, but it's some great people watching.  I also love any setting with friends where there's opportunity for lazy, rambling conversation that may or may not lead to profound discoveries.  And, listening to the college kids beside us try to figure out Bill Clinton was impeached or not (and what exactly impeachment is) was priceless.

4.  Afternoon nap.  The best follow up to pool time is a cool shower, lots of lotion, and a few hours of free time before evening plans.  One of my favorite things is laying under a blanket while my hair's still wet and allowing myself the luxury of doing nothing for an hour or two before I finish getting dressed.

5.  Community Group.  I appreciate that the women in our Monday Night Community Group love one another and the study of God's Word so much that they didn't want to take the week off.  I love being with them, learning from them, and the privilege of speaking into their lives.

Today is, of course, Memorial Day, a day set aside to honor the memories of the men and women who've served our country's armed forces and defended our freedoms.  I am deeply moved this year by that notion, particularly at the thought of two very dear brothers and their current military service.  It's so easy as I go through my regularly scheduled life not to think about what thousands of families are sacrificing daily to provide such comfort and ease for the rest of us.  May we never forget.