Happy Birthday Ney!

I wish our Rene the happiest of birthdays today! She is in heaven doing her good work there and getting to sit before the feet of God and relish in the joy of the heavenly life! How's that for a birthday gift??!!

If she were here, we would likely be grilling burgers and watching kids and puppies (and now pig and bunnies too) run around the yard at the Lepiane house, and teasing her with silly Over-the-hill jokes. There would be singing, cake and gifts to top off the evening, and most of all, there would be much laughter and many hugs. I hope that anyone who reads this post will take 5 minutes to smile and think of a Rene memory, and how she inspired you to find joy in your day.

A few of my favorite Rene memories:

1. Her "Hey Baby!" greeting when she opened her front door to meet us
2. The way that she help my babies like they were the most precious gems in the world
3. The way that she walked about young people and sought to encourage the growth and prosperity of young minds and lives
4. The way that she talked about her family and friends, as if they were her everything
5. Her beautiful hands
6. Her amazing craft closet which never ran out of the exact item we needed for crafting, at the exact moment we needed it
7. Her short jokes about Grandma Joyce
8. Her admiration for her mother
9. The way that she teased my Dad, Jay and Grandpas, and somehow made them blush and beam at the same time
10. That she REALLY listened, and that she saw my authentic heart, and that she encouraged me to suck the marrow out of this beautiful gift of earthly life

Notes of Encouragement:

I am encouraged today to stand tall and to embrace the adventure of life. I say adventure, because I believe that it is just that. I wasn't meant to meet status quo, but to see and do everything that is possible within my lifetime. To test the limits and boundaries of what feels "safe", because what lies beyond is where living begins! Our amazing pastor (P Bob) at Calvary Church Los Gatos recently reminded us about this, using a surfing analogy. There are those who forever see the waves, and even get in the water on their boards and bob, but how many ever stand on the end of a wave and let go to the freedom of trusting in the outcome. How many people ever get the liberty of unshackling themselves from binding and untrue expectations, and soaring to their true potential?

I think that Rene believed this. She was not herself a known adventure seeker in the Indiana Jones sense of the the term, but she had an uncanny knack of bringing out the adventurer in others, and encouraging them to pursue their dreams. I appreciate the gift that she gave me in being the person that God gave me to bring my life this perspective.

And now I encourage others to pursue your own personal version of adventure. To embrace your life and your opportunities. To see and do new things that bring you thrill. To find your clan and to  LOVE, beyond all other things.

Happy Birthday Rene!!!