Quality of Life

How do you measure the quality of your life?  Is it by the size of your investment portfolio?  What is important to you?  I once thought is was measured by the number of days I could visit the beach in the middle of winter.  Quality of life is more than where you live -- it's how you live.  It's also about the lives you touch around you.

If you asked me to rate the quality of my life on a one to ten scale, I would answer without hesitation.  The quality of my life is a resounding 10.  Here are some points to support my statement:

1. Every morning when I wake up I make a decision to use my God-given gifts to the fullest of my ability.  This blog is intentional.  It's meant to help you increase the quality of your life.
2. My own life is connected to you and people I haven't even met yet.  By sharing my life with you daily, we get the opportunity to discover how we are connected.  The more connections I make, the better the quality of my life.  Every person I meet is an extension of our Creator.  Each person is uniquely created.  When I spend time with you and other readers, I get the opportunity to discover how special God is.  He reveals Himself through you.
3. Family!  I can't say enough about this.  I come from a special family.  My wife comes from a special family.  There is no way to go back in time and give my wife more time with her family we were apart from for so many years.  What I can do is appreciate the time we have now--today.  Yes, there is an exclamation point next to my family.  They definitely increase the quality of my life. 
4. Friends!  Yes, it's true.  I do miss my community in California.  My time with these special people in future visits will be like going to the Super Bowl.  Absence does make the heart grow fonder.
5. Faith!  I'm still grasping this one.  I admit to you that there have been many times in my life when I clung to the rope even when the voice inside my head told me to let go and trust Jesus.  Maybe it's a guy thing.  Perhaps it has something to do with being raised in a country where there is so much.  When tough times hit, I believe many Americans become fearful.  Allowing Jesus to guide me into the unknown is similar to the time Moses gave up his old life and entered the desert.  Yes, my faith is alive more than ever.

Please add your ideas about how you measure the quality of your life.  I'm looking forward to reading your comments.  Please allow me extra time to respond.  I'm placing strict limits on my Internet time to make sure I spend time with my family.  There is nothing better than to be with them.  Have a great day.