{"id":1324,"date":"2016-05-09T11:11:00","date_gmt":"2016-05-09T16:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/living-laughing-loving\/"},"modified":"2019-02-18T10:06:24","modified_gmt":"2019-02-18T16:06:24","slug":"living-laughing-loving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/?p=1324","title":{"rendered":"Living, Laughing, Loving"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"\" data-block=\"true\" data-editor=\"c59im\" data-offset-key=\"9ms0l-0-0\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #373e4d; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;\">\n<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-h0MSCrE8o_I\/VzBuhVYFp6I\/AAAAAAAAOdA\/MBEmoliWVAQj5Kvgqcl7-PfOT0dTjmdNwCLcB\/s1600\/Mother%2527s%2BDay%2BFamily.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" height=\"328\" src=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Mother27sDayFamily.jpg\" width=\"400\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_1mf _1mj\" data-offset-key=\"9ms0l-0-0\" style=\"direction: ltr; position: relative;\">\nIsn&#8217;t that what it&#8217;s all about?  Living&#8230;.really living this life we&#8217;ve been given &#8212; with all its many adventures.  Laughing out loud in the midst of the good living and the tough-living-times.  AND, most of all LOVING God, others AND ourselves.  Sure, there&#8217;s plenty to complain and worry about but, seriously, why waste time, energy and breath on complaining, when there is so much to celebrate and be grateful for?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"\" data-block=\"true\" data-editor=\"c59im\" data-offset-key=\"7l2e9-0-0\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #373e4d; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;\">\n<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-h9oOs8Bb-40\/VzBvFJXUmUI\/AAAAAAAAOdM\/HZmhgM35m0wPsx0F7a_Mbnkq1zopwEtgwCLcB\/s1600\/Payton%2BRyan.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/PaytonRyan.jpg\" width=\"240\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-UNY4PBogsaA\/VzBvS_GlEOI\/AAAAAAAAOdQ\/QIb5PCEPJlwgAyhqq5wEp6usrPvjj5LDwCLcB\/s1600\/Payton%2BLexi%2BShawntel.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/PaytonLexiShawntel.jpg\" width=\"240\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"_1mf _1mj\" data-offset-key=\"7l2e9-0-0\" style=\"direction: ltr; position: relative;\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_1mf _1mj\" data-offset-key=\"7l2e9-0-0\" style=\"direction: ltr; position: relative;\">\nHere&#8217;s what I know:  Gratitude begets even more reasons to be grateful; laughing begets laughter; God&#8217;s tender mercies begets even more of God&#8217;s tender mercies.  That&#8217;s what a life intent on loving, serving God and living for Him is all about.   Psalm 103:17-18 says it this way, &#8220;But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him, and His righteousness unto children&#8217;s children; To such as keep His covenant, and to those that remember His commandments to do them.&#8221;<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"\" data-block=\"true\" data-editor=\"c59im\" data-offset-key=\"7l996-0-0\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #373e4d; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;\">\n<div class=\"_1mf _1mj\" data-offset-key=\"7l996-0-0\" style=\"direction: ltr; position: relative;\">\n<br data-text=\"true\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"\" data-block=\"true\" data-editor=\"c59im\" data-offset-key=\"f0cf4-0-0\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #373e4d; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;\">\n<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-vlrsd2HL2T8\/VzBvgesiMII\/AAAAAAAAOdY\/trbEms8Ao48lkznccJolFaNx-46LSNEmwCLcB\/s1600\/Brennan%2BBaseball%2BNana4%2BBest.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/BrennanBaseballNana4Best.jpg\" width=\"300\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_1mf _1mj\" data-offset-key=\"f0cf4-0-0\" style=\"direction: ltr; position: relative;\">\nSo, I MUST give gratitude for the last week in Austin&#8230;..so that I&#8217;ll continue to have even more reasons to be grateful.  I like that.  It&#8217;s just God&#8217;s laws of reciprocity.  &#8220;Give and it shall be given.&#8221;<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"\" data-block=\"true\" data-editor=\"c59im\" data-offset-key=\"db341-0-0\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #373e4d; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;\">\n<div class=\"_1mf _1mj\" data-offset-key=\"db341-0-0\" style=\"direction: ltr; position: relative;\">\n<br data-text=\"true\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"\" data-block=\"true\" data-editor=\"c59im\" data-offset-key=\"bmdhs-0-0\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #373e4d; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;\">\n<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-Xbm4F5IE-nM\/VzBvoXZfmSI\/AAAAAAAAOdg\/dh8aF3QHVbskxdF2GgdRMJW-NdbflnfSACLcB\/s1600\/Mother%2527s%2BDay%2BBreakfast.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Mother27sDayBreakfast.jpg\" width=\"400\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_1mf _1mj\" data-offset-key=\"bmdhs-0-0\" style=\"direction: ltr; position: relative;\">\nWhen God orders our steps (Psalm 37:23), and we respond with &#8220;Yes, Sir!&#8221; to His orders, it brings us countless blessings.  Our steps were ordered this last week.  First was Payton and Alexia&#8217;s NCFCA Speech &amp; Debate Tournament at Austin&#8217;s Concordia University where I&#8217;m always astounded by the brilliance of these young people.  Three days of early morning to late at night competitions.  It&#8217;s a work-out but ever so worth it.  Then it was three exhilarating days of family fun with the Wuerch cousins:  swimming, fishing, Brennan&#8217;s winning baseball game (10-2), seeing &#8220;Captain America&#8217;s Civil War&#8221;, and then Mother&#8217;s Day breakfast, church, and yummy barbeque dinner before heading north for Frisco last night with laugh out loud jokes and stories along the way.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"\" data-block=\"true\" data-editor=\"c59im\" data-offset-key=\"908lg-0-0\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #373e4d; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;\">\n<div class=\"_1mf _1mj\" data-offset-key=\"908lg-0-0\" style=\"direction: ltr; position: relative;\">\n<br data-text=\"true\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"\" data-block=\"true\" data-editor=\"c59im\" data-offset-key=\"447bg-0-0\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #373e4d; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;\">\n<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-ahyHsJHIhVY\/VzBvy4v0XVI\/AAAAAAAAOdk\/s7mZOrfM4Og9vjC9i2Whaw4SQ4MXx6IEACLcB\/s1600\/Mother%2527s%2BDay%2BStaci%2BShawntel%2BDonna%2BBest.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Mother27sDayStaciShawntelDonnaBest.jpg\" width=\"400\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\">\naccentut<\/div>\n<div class=\"_1mf _1mj\" data-offset-key=\"447bg-0-0\" style=\"direction: ltr; position: relative;\">\nTo say that I feel overwhelmed with God&#8217;s tender mercies, puts it mildly.   I know it must seem so mechanical to read my posts because I&#8217;m always posting about gratitude, celebrating life and its great moments.  I just can&#8217;t help myself.  The truth is&#8230;.that&#8217;s what I focus on, so that&#8217;s just what I keep getting.  Accentuating the positive and eliminating the negative&#8230;.just keeps the sunshine shining &#8212; whether there&#8217;s rain or shine!  What a way to live!<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Isn&#8217;t that what it&#8217;s all about? Living&#8230;.really living this life we&#8217;ve been given &#8212; with all its many adventures. Laughing out loud in the midst of the good living and the tough-living-times. AND, most of all LOVING God, others AND ourselves. Sure, there&#8217;s plenty to complain and worry about but, seriously, why waste time, energy&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[8282,8283,38,8284,8285,8286,8287,8288,5392,8289,99],"class_list":["post-1324","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-accentuate-the-positive","tag-gods-tender-mercies","tag-gratitude","tag-gratitude-begets-gratitude","tag-laugh-out-loud","tag-laughing","tag-laughing-begets-laughter","tag-living","tag-loving","tag-psalm-10317-18","tag-psalm-3723"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1324","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1324"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1324\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5183,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1324\/revisions\/5183"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1324"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1324"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1324"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}