This summer I went to my first water lantern festival. It was one of the coolest things I did all summer and a memory I’ll hold forever. The view was amazing. There were food trucks, music, crafts, games, and of course water lantern decorating that filled the entire park area I was in. One of the coolest things I gleaned from the event was the inspiration. I saw couples, families, friends, and more all writing different inspirational and encouraging messages on their lanterns waiting to be released onto the water as the day settled into the night. There was something spiritually exciting and liberating about the experience. And I’m definitely excited to see how much of what I wrote and released on my own lantern will come to pass in my life. If a water lantern festival ever comes through your area, you should definitely try to attend. It’s totally worth experiencing. Do something fun this weekend and enjoy yourself. TGIF!
About a year ago, I had a dream my dad wanted to talk to our family about something serious. I wasn’t sure what he wanted to discuss, but I knew it was something I needed to prepare myself for. Around the time after I had this dream, I remember stopping by my parents place and sensing something was going on that they weren’t telling me. I tried to dismiss what I’d been feeling, but I couldn’t shake it. Something serious was happening. As I returned to my home after visiting them one day, I was in my kitchen washing dishes when a heaviness hit my heart like nothing I’d ever felt before. Something’s wrong with dad. That’s what that dream was about. God, what’s going on? As I continued washing dishes, I started crying and praying. Then in mid-spring, my dad held an unexpected family meeting that would change all our lives forever. He hesitated at first, and as his voice started cracking and he started crying, he said, “Well, I wanted to talk to ya’ll to tell you that I have kidney disea...