This past summer I begged and pleaded with my parents (actually I gave them no choice) and went skydiving!! Talk about an incredible experience. The thrill of jumping out of an airplane 14,000 feet in the air attached to some guy you met twenty minutes prior is the thrill of a LIFETIME. 

I remember opening my eyes after jumping out of the plane and realizing that I was free falling face first, traveling at about 120 mph towards the ground. I know the normal response to this reality would be to start freaking out--screaming, crying, praying for all the people who will be at your funeral--but this was the first time in my life I felt absolutely, 100% free.

I know, I'm crazy, but try to imagine this for a moment. You are 14,000 feet in the air with nothing but a jumpsuit and a guide strapped to your back. You can see for miles and miles. In my case, I could see the ocean, the bay, San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, the Livermore hills, Mt. Diablo, and even estimated where my house was. You are falling so quickly that the air around you seems to be embracing you and your body feels so light that you forget that you have one. With all of this beauty, you have two options--you live or you die--so why not live in the moment.

During that minute of free falling and realizing there was nothing I could do to be in the slightest bit of control was absolutely liberating. At that moment, everything was in God's hands (and my guide's) and my only job was to enjoy the ride.

This is how life can be and is supposed to be!! It is so easy to stress about things you have no control over and freak yourself out for no good reason. Taking a moment to close my eyes and reflect back to the freedom I felt in the air can turn my day from stressful to peaceful.

Who would have thought skydiving could teach me a lesson about peace? God works in fabulous ways:)