Dear Reader:

We have had some wonderful romance going on in our neighborhood. Luke and Chelsey decided to forego a formal wedding and instead go camping and exchange rings…saving their money to go to Hawaii for their honeymoon.

They went up in the mountains around Table Rock looking for just the right place to exchange rings and found it with a set of two beautiful water falls. They said their exchange of vows and then they exchanged rings…a situation that fit their life style best…private and romantic…accompanied by their two adorable dogs…Chloe and Barley.

Here is a young couple who knows what they want their future to look like and are willing to work hard to get it…and save money along the way by just being themselves…lovers of nature and the great outdoors. Vickie and I took a card over Sunday to help them celebrate their new marriage with a dinner out in Hawaii.

Congrats to two great neighbors! I hope you make the best memories in Hawaii to last a lifetime.

When I found the following story I thought how Luke and Chelsey have their priorities straight in life but what a cost it is for those who don’t give their best now for the future later.

Building Your House

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house-building business to live a more leisurely life with his wife and enjoy his extended family. He would miss the paycheck each week, but he wanted to retire. They could get by.

The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go & asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but over time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end a dedicated career.

When the carpenter finished his work, his employer came to inspect the house. Then he handed the front-door key to the carpenter and said, “This is your house… my gift to you.”

The carpenter was shocked!

What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently.

So it is with us. We build our lives, a day at a time, often putting less than our best into the building. Then, with a shock, we realize we have to live in the house we have built. If we could do it over, we would do it much differently.

But, you cannot go back. You are the carpenter, and every day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Someone once said, “Life is a do-it-yourself project.” Your attitude, and the choices you make today, help build the “house” you will live in tomorrow.

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So until tomorrow…Every day give every aspect of life your best because the only person you shortchange if you don’t…is yourself.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh