Just trying.....

In life we are all on this journey, and in my opinion I see it as more like a quest for true happiness.  We all walk through chapters in our life, from the stresses of adolescence and through our public school days, to relationships and in our professional careers.  We'll never get it exactly right and things may or may not turn out to how we envisioned they would, but through all of those things that we encounter in our days, we try.  Without a handbook on guiding us how to walk through life in that quest for happiness, we fail and we fall.  It's not the failures or shortcomings that should define us, it's in those moments where we get back up that allow us the true lessons to learn something.  

In this journey that I've taken on over the last five weeks has given me a lot of time to get back up and learn something in life.  Believe me, I have had my share of falling and when I fall, I fall hard. I've definitely had my share of failures as well.  I will be the first in a room to raise my hand and acknowledge that I'm not perfect but I certainly try to do good.  

Whether it's with my actions or my choices, I've been lead onto a path. That Path has gotten me into trouble many of times. That path has found me love and joy as well.  That have brought me to a career that I once loved with the YMCA and that path put me through firefighting academy as well. That same path even has brought me to where I'm at today in Montana, training for a career on the railroad.  I have smiled with contentment from some of those choices and I have shed tears of sorrow from some of those choices as well.  Overall, we all walk on the path trying to find things through our choices and actions that will lead us to something that will bring us a joy and happiness in our life.  Regardless of any of the circumstances that we encounter I believe that we are all deserving of that joy and happiness in our life.  It's through the grace and love of God that we are given each day to go out and try to find that through our choices and decisions that we make.  

So my friends, go out in your days ahead and try, try with all your might.  Be happy, live in happiness. Surround yourself with joy, be in love and love like He loves us.  Enjoy your days, don't fret. Enjoy your job, be at peace with your friends and family and love them while you have them because it's those things that you have in your life that will bring you that joy and happiness. 

So that's what has been on my heart over the course of this past week. I've been off the rails and back in the classroom training. Spending 12+ hours a day learning, reading, writing and quizzing everyday.   I am learning so much about being a conductor for a class 1 railroad. I'm learning about several different forms of brakes and procedures that I'm overwhelmed with the amount that I have been able to retain in such short time.  Today I was able to get behind the engineers seat of a locomotive and get hands-on training on how to operate the head end of the train.  

Over this past week, I have also gotten the opportunity to really connect with a few of my coworkers as we have taken on cooking dinners instead of going out every night to eat. It's been a great week of fellowship at the dinner table and have been rotating on who says grace before meals.  I've taken on the role as being the primary cook for these meals and enjoy serving those that are closest to me right now in my life and have found joy in their contentment with my cooking.  I have to thank my wife for bringing that ability to spread joy through meals because I truly wouldn't know my way around the kitchen as I do now if it wasn't for her.  

In conclusion, be happy with each and every day that you wake up and go to rest.  I wish you all a wonderful Easter weekend.  Love those around us as Christ loves us. Remember why he went up on the cross, it was because of his love for us so we could have eternal life.  

Love