But life! Life is for living!

We all die in the end

But life! Life is for living!

Where there’s life, there’s hope

And life! Life is for living!

No one knows what will happen to them

But life! Life is for living!

No one knows why what happens happens

But life! Life is for living!

No one knows when setbacks or disaster may come

But life! Life is for living!

This links our thoughts from yesterday with Ecclesiastes 9:11-12, but there verses in between. Some great verses about what it really looks like to live life to the full. I go on about it a lot, I know that. Particularly since my dad died back in February, I think. That was a stark reminder that all lives come to an end. We will all die. Every day is therefore a gift. A gift to be thankful for and to enjoy to the full.

So what does living life to the full look like?

Seize life! Eat bread with gusto,
Drink wine with a robust heart.
Oh yes—God takes pleasure in your pleasure!
Dress festively every morning.
Don’t skimp on colours and scarves.
Relish life with the spouse you love
Each and every day of your precarious life.
Each day is God’s gift. It’s all you get in exchange
For the hard work of staying alive.
Make the most of each one!
Whatever turns up, grab it and do it. And heartily!
This is your last and only chance at it,
For there’s neither work to do nor thoughts to think
In the company of the dead, where you’re most certainly headed.  Ecclesiastes 9:7-10, The Message

That just about sums it up, doesn’t it?

My interpretation: Seize life. Grab it with both hands. Enjoy the food you eat. Eat good food – food that tastes great and is good for your body. Savour every mouthful. Don’t rush. Take time to eat mindfully. Enjoy a glass of wine with friends. Don’t go mad – that ends up not being enjoyable at all. Know when to stop. But have a laugh, let your hair down, enjoy yourself. God enjoys seeing me have a good time. I love that. When I’m happy and having fun, God takes pleasure from that. He gave me this life and he likes to see me enjoying it – like when we see a child really having fun with a toy we bought them for their birthday, I guess.

And then there’s clothes. Dress festively every morning. I love that. Wear what you love. Wear colour. Don’t stick to sensible and functional. Fashion is not slavishly following trends, but expressing who you are through what you wear. What are your clothes saying about you?

Relish life with the spouse you love. Everyday life gets in the way of that, so often. Tense conversations about money; being divided over the kids; keeping score of how many times you have had to put the bin bag out – all these things and many more drain the joy out of our relationship. Those of us who have a spouse forget how fortunate we are to have someone who loves us and wants to be with us. Let’s make the time together count. Let’s make each other happy.

Each day is a gift. Make the most of it.

Whatever turns up, grab it and do it. And heartily!

That’s great. Whatever you are doing right now. give it your all. Whatever you are asked to do, give it 100%. Whatever role you find yourself in, be the best you can be.

What a wonderful paragraph packed with positivity.

Two months ago, my friend Helen and I decided we wanted a place to talk about positive living. A space to embrace all that is good in our lives. There would be no moaning. No judgement. No negativity. This would be a place to celebrate life. We would talk about food and great nights out and the clothes we love and all that makes our soul sing and all the wonderful things we have read and seen and visited…This is our definition of living life to the full. Pretty Vintage Life is our blog, our loves, our life. It’s great to be sharing it with you.

TO DO: As you go through your day today, in each thing that you do, ask yourself these two questions –

• how can I give this moment my full attention and best effort?
• what can I do to enjoy this moment more?