What's the Name of Your Horse?

I started riding lessons back in November.  You will find me just about every Saturday riding in the hills behind our church in the arroyos and hills of Rio Rancho with my wonderful teacher, Maggie, and my trusty steed, Kelsey.

It took me years before I followed my passion to ride.  I identify my riding as answering a "calling."  A calling is not just church ministry.  A calling is a strong feeling to follow a job, a career, a vocation.  But it is also an answer to something that will fulfill you.  Maybe it's teaching, volunteering, creating art, designing, or being a mom.  Callings will often change depending on the season of life we are in.  The important thing is to listen and follow the calling that has been put on your heart.

Even though I have loved horses my entire life, I never fully understood the importance of following through and "stepping out of my box" to actually see what riding on a regular basis would be like.  Part of me was afraid that if I tried it that I may not enjoy it and my desire and passion to ride all of these years would have been for nothing.  But what I did do was step out in faith, follow the passion and calling that had been put on my heart so many years ago, and when I did, God delivered and I was not disappointed.  And God led me to this particular time in my life, when I needed to fulfill my passion for riding.

It's not about your age, financial situation, weight or color that determines your calling in life, it's what God is putting on your heart. 

Are you listening?  Have you been afraid to follow through?

What's the name of your horse?

Today I Am Thankful For:

1.  A clear, New Mexico day

2.  My son returning home safely from his choir trip

3.  receiving a handwritten card in the mail

4.  On-line photo ordering

5.  Making new friends

Good Friday

We participated in an amazing Good Friday service tonight. This is an evening I look forward to every year. It's a time to stop and focus on the sacrifice that was made for all of creation. It's almost just too much to try and comprehend.

I caught myself praying, "God, I know I am not worthy enough...." and I immediately stopped myself. Who is worthy enough for the gift God gave us? The truth is, none of us are, but God knew before we were born that He would love us enough for the sacrifice He would make. God knew what He was doing. He knew that the hardest thing in the world would be to sacrifice His son, but it was done out of a love greater than we will ever understand.

My prayer for you is that you take a moment to stop and think about what we are celebrating. It's not about the Easter bunny and the egg hunts or the pastel colors and new outfits for church, it's about the One who saved us. The One who knows we fall short every single day of being great human beings. The One who will love us for all eternity.

Look at the hands of someone you love and imagine nails being driven through them. It's too much! How in the world could someone do that?

It is the greatest gift that was given to the world...to each of us.

Make the most of each day and live it to the fullest.

Remember who came for you.

Today I Am Thankful For:
1. broccoli
2. Easter pails
3. clean jammies
4. thoughtful, meaningful worship experiences
5. flip flops

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Reminders

Without my iPhone I would be terribly lost.  I set alarms and reminders to keep my day moving...when to pick up the boys, when it's time for a conference call, appointments, lists of items to pick up at the store...it never ends!

Today I received a reminder that was not electronic and it made me stop for a moment.

One of dear friends took a moment out of her day to send me a card and the inside read,

"I'm praying for you…

             and trusting with you…
             and reminding you you're loved and cared for more than you know."

At that moment I felt God's arms around me.  He knows the struggles I am having.  He knows how I have been feeling defeated.  And He used a friend to pass along that reminder that the Creator of the Universe loves me more than I can imagine.

So many of us are good at helping others.  We tend to be the "strong" ones who keep things together or we use the practical side of our minds to make things happen.  We don't always allow ourselves to be on the receiving end and let people know we struggle and need a little help.

But God knows what we need.  He never leaves us and is always closer than we think.

Today He showed off in a big way by using one of his faithful servants to reach out and remind me that I was loved.

          You may be the next person He uses in a way bigger than you could ever imagine. 
          It doesn't take much to follow through and listen to what God is telling us to do. 

If you feel that nudge on your heart to reach out to someone, don't hesitate. 

 

You may just be the reminder someone needs.

"I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness."  Jeremiah 31:3 (NIV)

 

 

Today I Am Thankful For:

 

1.  ice packs

2.  clean floors

3.  barking dogs

4.  candles

5.   Easter candy

Joy ….Revisited

Did you select a "word" for 2013?  (It's not too late)!

 My "OneWord" for 2013 is Joy.  I want to spend this year recognizing and relishing in the joy in my life and not letting those moments slip past me unnoticed.  I guess you could say it's also about being more intentional. 

If you think there is no joy in your life and everything seems to be filled with gloom and doom, then I invite you to start reading a book that I just began, "Until I SayGoodbye," by Susan Spencer-Wendel with Bret Witter.  Susan is a fortysomething mother of two, happily married journalist who was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) in 2009.  She has written a book about celebrating life.

"HarperCollins calls Susan’s story 'a powerfully emotional, inspirational and irrepressibly joyous look at the things that matter most… Until I Say Goodbye is the fulfillment of her final wish: "To make people laugh and cry and hug their children and joke with their friends and dwell in how wonderful it is to be alive."

Talk about putting life into perspective.

This brave woman wanted nothing more than to dedicate year to joy, to visit places she had never been, to give each of her children a special experience as a final gift and to leave those of us fortunate enough to read her final work words of inspiration.

These past several months have been filled with challenges in our family surrounding the health of our youngest son.  But through all of the hospitals, treatments, ice packs, days of school and work missed, factor, and pain, God has been evident in our lives.  He has helped me remember that things can always be worse and that where we currently are is where we are to be.  It is His plan...even if I don't particularly like the path sometimes.

We have had tons of joyous moments in the hospital as we sit and wait and wait some more.  Joyous moments as we are "forced" to be still and change plans, and joyous moments as we see the all too familiar faces on the 6th floor as we are admitted and even better, when we are discharged.

Thank you, Susan, for sharing your heart and your passion.  You have helped me to remember that my journey is important.  That I have a purpose in this world, and that our lives are truly filled with many chapters. 

Today I Am Thankful For:

1.  Freshly polished toes

2.  An exceptionally, wonderful horseback ride

3.  Too many books

4.  Sunday afternoons

5.  Felt tip markers

Stop! Be Still!

We don't stop.  Our lives are filled with craziness and we just keep moving from one thing to the next.  Work is busy, the kids schedules keep us hopping and our church ministry is ongoing.  Teaching a bible study, making dinner, getting homework done….it just doesn't stop.

Our family was forced to stop over the past several days.  "Christian" had another really intense knee bleed and everything came to a screeching halt so we took him to the hospital where he was admitted for five days.  Work takes a back seat, making dinner definitely does not happen, and running back and forth from home to the hospital commences.

When you are in the hospital with a child, there is only so much you can do.  You are forced to put your life on hold and take care of what is most important.  I think this is one of those "God things".  I am forced to take a moment to breathe without the worries of everyday living.  It's not exactly the best way to slow down, but sometimes it takes these moments to make us focus.

Waiting teaches us who we are.  That still, small voice in our heads is God trying to get through to us.

We should use the Lenten season to listen to what God is trying to tell us as we prepare for Easter.  Slowing down is not in our vocabulary, but it's amazing what becomes important when you do take a moment to really look at what is going on around you.

"Let be and be still, and know (recognize and understand) that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth!"  Psalm 46:10 (AMP)

Preparation

One of my new roles at our church is head of the Worship Committee.  This committee ensures that every part of the worship experience is thought through for each service.  Are the bread and juice ready and set out on the altar, is the music playing at the appropriate times, are ushers and greeters available to direct people, and are the paraments and banners hung and displayed in the appropriate colors for the season? 

Last night I enlisted the help of my family to get the sanctuary ready for the Lenten season.  We have long pieces of fabric that drape the sides of the church and it takes time (and going up and down a high ladder several times) to hang it correctly.

It took a while, but we changed all of the colors on the altar to purple, hung the banners, straightened up the choir loft...and I hate to admit it, but I was stressed out and in a terrible mood when I was doing it.  I failed to realize that I was doing one of the most important things I could be doing for the Lenten season...I was helping to prepare.

Today I was thinking about John and Peter and how they were sent in to Jerusalem to prepare the Passover Seder for the disciples.  They had to get the food, make a sacrifice in the Temple, clean up, set the table….there was much to be done.  I am not sure what their attitudes were while they were in the midst of preparing, but I like to think that they were mindful and prayerful, knowing that something amazing was going to take place in that Upper Room.

In what seems to be unimportant to many can be miraculous to others.  We can take the times of preparation in all things to glorify God.  The time it takes to prepare a meal, to prepare clothes to be laundered, to prepare a presentation for work, to prepare a bath of warm water to bathe a child.  All of these moments can be used in prayer...not just speaking the words, but in demonstrating through our actions the importance of each act.

As we enter the Lenten season, remember that this is a time of preparation for the coming of Christ.  Use these 40 days and nights to prepare your heart to become closer to Christ.  Join a Bible Study at church, read a daily devotional, be intentional about your prayers and most importantly work as though you are working for the Lord (Colossians 3:23).

Today I Am Thankful For:

1.  Ring pops

2.  Wheelchairs

3.  My stylus

4.  trying a new restaurant
5.  a compassionate 1st grade teacher

Joy

Some people try to find joy in "things".  Material things.  They may find joy for a moment, but not the kind of joy that lasts a lifetime.

I saw joy last night as my little "Christian" went to bed with a painful ankle bleed.  I went into his room several times to check on him and in bed with him was the light saber that his friend bought him at the  circus.  It drew his attention away from his pain.  He was experiencing joy in the midst of pain.

At that moment, he asked me to rub his foot.  Whenever he has a bleed in his ankle, he asks for someone to lightly stoke his swollen joint.  It's soothing to him.  In that moment where my son was feeling pain, a pain I cannot understand, I found a moment of joy.  Joy that I have an amazing child who endures more than most people I know.  Joy in knowing I had everything I needed to care for my son.  Joy in the fact that I have been taught how to be strong and courageous when I didn't think I could. 

Joy is a "source" of happiness.  Having joy doesn't mean we are happy all of the time.  It means we have that deep down connection inside of us, knowing that God is truly our inspiration for all things.  He is the one who brings us joy.  Often times we have difficult situations thrown at us and those are the times when it is hard to find that joy. 

We need to stay strong and courageous in our daily living.  There is nothing that is given to you that you are unable to handle...absolutely nothing!  Believe that, Beloved!  Dig down deep within yourself to find joy in every circumstance and in every situation. 

God loves you more than you can imagine.  That should bring you joy to last a lifetime.

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”  Joshua 1:9 (NIV)

Today I Am Thankful For:

1.  Rice
2.  Frozen, precooked chicken = lunch in a flash
3.  File folders
4.  A new t-shirt
5.  Ice packs

Having The Right Words...when my Facebook Chimed

Have you ever been in a situation when someone needed your help and you just did not have the words?

I have an amazing friend who lives in a neighboring state.  To say she has difficulties in her life is an understatement.  She has a husband, kids, job, and tons of responsibilities and I have never seen her get angry with God or run away from what she believes to be true.  She is a solid example of what a woman of faith looks like. 

I have to admit that I ran away from her.  She confided in me regarding a terribly difficult situation and I just absolutely had no idea what to say.  I didn't know how to comfort her or help her make sense of anything.  And I have not talked to her since...until my Facebook chimed in tonight.  I know that we don't always have the right words, and sometimes just being a presence for someone, even on a telephone line, or the other side of a Facebook chat is all someone needs.

But what about those times where you can't spit out the words fast enough?  As I was sitting in the hospital last weekwith my little one, my Facebook chat chimed again.  It was a very dear friend of mine from High School!  I haven't talked to her since our 10 year reunion (in 1996) :)

She was my "Baptist" friend who was always at church.  She always went to "youth group" or VBS.  In my Catholic upbringing (not everyone's Catholic upbringing), religion was not discussed.  We just "went to Mass" and my mom never let me go to her church even after I pleaded with her time after time.  I think I was always searching, even at that young age. 

 

"Gina" had some questions about being "Methodist" as she and her husband just joined a wonderful Methodist church.  I told her, "Call me anytime!"  And my phone rang five minutes later.  Hearing the twang of her Southern accent warmed my heart and when she asked me questions I had the words.  She even said, "Cazandra, isn't it funny that all those years ago God knew we would come together talking about faith even though we didn't back then?"
 

Yes, Gina, He did know that.  And I will continue to pray to God to give me the strength and wisdom to have the words when needed and the wisdom to know when my presence is enough.

Today I Am Thankful For:

1.  Discharge papers from the hospital

2.  Pretty boxes

3.  Friends who trust you

4.  Extension cords

5.  chimes

Moving Forward

I am called to ministry. I have definitely felt God's call since my family moved to New Mexico six years ago. My biggest question is how to live out that calling. Most people would think that being the wife of a pastor would be enough...it's just not. My passion is to speak and teach and I have had some amazing opportunities in speaking to women's groups and speaking across the country to families affected by bleeding disorders. The beautiful thing is that my ministry has not been solely in the "religious" realm, but also in the corporate world of motivational speaking.

Now that we have settled in to our new lives in Rio Rancho, it is time for me to step it up. I will be attending an intensive speaker's workshop in a couple of weeks in North Carolina. The women at Proverbs 31 Ministries have developed a program for women who are Christian speakers. I attended their She Speaks conference several years ago and it was amazing. I am looking forward to the next step in this journey (and am fighting doubt about this daily).

I don't want life to pass me by by making excuses for not pursuing my passions. One big step I have taken recently is that I have started taking horseback riding lessons! I have loved horses all my life and decided it was time to make time for myself and feed my passion.

What are you doing differently this year to feed your passion?

 

Today I Am Thankful For

1. Baking cookies on a Sunday afternoon

2. Peanuts

3. The Food Network

4. Paper towels

5. The kids going back to school!

 

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Gifts

"Probably the reason we all go so haywire at Christmastime with the endless unrestrained and often silly buying of gifts is that we don't quite know how to put our love into words."  - Harlan Miller

Buying gifts makes me a little crazy!  Don't get me wrong, I love to give gifts, but the commercial madness of the Christmas season makes me uncomfortable.  I find myself trying desperately to find the "right" gift for people who really don't "need" anything. 

The truth is, I want to show the ones closest to me how much I love them and there is no gift able to capture that love.  I do give gifts, but my love is truly shown through the meals I prepare, the surprise SONIC drink I bring home, even by washing and folding clothes.  Sometimes it's just by sitting and listening.

Sacrifice goes hand in hand with Love.

When you get married, you sacrifice things you never dreamed to make a relationship work.

When you have children, you truly sacrifice your needs to meet the needs of your child.

And offering yourself to a friend in need often means sacrificing time, energy and maybe even possessions to help them out.

 The ultimate sacrifice was given for each of us.  And that is what this season is all about.  God sent His Son to earth knowing the pain he would endure in order to save each of us.  His gift was not an afterthought...it wasn't equivalent to a generic gift that can be given to someone at a moment's notice without thought.  It was the gift that keeps on giving.

"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends."  John 15:13 (NIV)

Today I Am Thankful For:

1.  Dinner by candlelight with the family

2.  Sparkly sweaters

3.  Horseback riding on a cold, clear New Mexico afternoon

4.  Antibiotics

5.  Christmas music via Pandora

Hope for the Season

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."  Romans 15:13 (NIV)

The holiday season has barely started and I am already getting stressed out!  I guess spending four days in the hospital last week with my little one did not help me get a jump start on getting into the spirit :)

The laundry has taken over, Thanksgiving decorations are still up, my little one's room is a disaster and I have company coming on Friday night and Saturday afternoon! 

This season is not for stressing out and being the ultimate hostess...it's about hope. 

 

Hope that came in the form of a baby that changed the world.

Hope that we never know what is going to come and that it may be the best yet.

Hope that in what seems like a hopeless situation, God is with us always.

I am challenging myself through this season to truly keep Christ at the forefront of everything I do.  Whether it's buying presents, trimming the tree, or hosting a party, I am working hard to keep Christ at the center of the season.  I plan on having a time each day to focus on prayer and reading scripture to keep me grounded.

How are how are you going to keep the season focused on Christ?

Today I Am Thankful For:

1.  Dirty clothes
2.  Freshly groomed dogs
3.  Too many television channels
4.  Catalogs
5.  Nail clippers

 

 

Tears

I've shed lots and lots of tears over the past couple of weeks.

It just recently hit me that my sadness was surrounding the passing of my Dad, even though it's been five years.  But I was also very vulnerable because I had been pretty sick (and was really good at hiding it from most) and finally had to cave in and miss a few days of work to take care of myself.

Now that I am healing and on the other side of the anniversary of my Dad's passing, things are brighter.

A wise friend in my Bible Study class said that "if we don't have tears, we cannot see the rainbow."  Some great perspective.

When we come to those times in our lives where everything seems to be falling apart, we have health concerns, are feeling great loss...we wonder where God is at.  "How can He let these things happen to me?  Why aren't things better?"

What we forget to realize is that He is holding us close always.  His arms are wrapped around us throughout the storms in our lives and His heart breaks for us.  But once the storm is over and dancing begins, God is the first one to celebrate with us.

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”  Matthew 11:28  (MSG)

Today I Am Thankful For:

1. Hot air balloons

2. Serving communion

3. Clothes to launder

4. Finally having the DVD's find a home on shelves - thank you hubby :)

5. tears

The End of Something in a Sunrise

I just spent a few days in Houston for business and pleasure.  My main goal was to work with some patients and it was fantastic!  I don't get to go on home visits too often and this was time extremely well spent and energizing for me professionally.

I was also able to visit my house.  The house that became our home for 7 years and the house that my mother in law called home for 5 more years.  It was the home that I brought my sweet "Christian" home to and the home that I just fell in love with. 

It's empty now and on the market.  I stopped by to check on things and had no idea how emotional I would get.  Seeing the home empty of "things" for the first time truly affected me.  It made me finally realize that my life is no longer in Texas….I am now a "New Mexican". 

The selling of our home (hopefully soon) will truly wrap up a huge part of life.  It's just symbolic...leaving the past behind.  The past six years in New Mexico have been amazing, and they are just getting better.

The funny thing is that while I was in Houston I saw the most beautiful sunset and sunrise.  It's almost as if "someone" was telling me that it was truly time to let go and move on.

Today I Am Thankful For:

         1.  Air freshener
         2.  Long drives
         3.  Lunch with an old friend

           4.  Early birthday celebrations

           5.  Canned peaches

Frying Chicken

 

I love the movie "The Help."  One of my favorite characters is the loud mouthed, sassy, Minnie Jackson, who is a maid for one of the ladies in Jackson.  One of her jobs is teaching her boss Celia Foote, how to cook.  She tells Celia that one of her favorite things to do is fry chicken.  Because everything seems better when you're frying chicken.

I was thinking about Minnie Jackson this evening as I fried up a big "mess of chicken."  Me and my men are going to the mountains for a picnic and hiking tomorrow and we never go to the mountains without fried chicken.

It's funny, but Minnie is right.  When you fry chicken, everything just seems to get better.  Your mind slows down while you season the flour and dip each piece into the milk.  It's a process that cannot be rushed.  I spent the time in prayer for my family, for a dear friend who passed away, for the family who will buy our home in Houston (not sure who it is yet….) and also in giving thanks for the happiness of my family.

Sometimes it takes something as routine as frying chicken to slow down and give thanks.

Today I Am Thankful For:

1.   Lemon pepper

2.  Coupon books

3.  An afternoon filled with errands

4.  Ideas

5.  The smell of fried chicken

Enjoying the little things

We have a nice backyard in our new home, but the flowerbeds need some desperate attention.  I finally got out with a hoe early Saturday morning and started weeding and taking out the dry, dead plants.  The ground was not too hard to work with since we have finally had some rain over the past few days. 

As I was digging and making piles to pick up, I thought about my Dad.  As a kid, I remember my Dad going out on Saturday mornings to work on the yard.  He taught me how to mow a great yard :)  He never used a weedeater, he used his ax to cut the edges of the yard next to the driveway.  After raking and mowing, he would pick up the piles of leaves and cut grass, put on the sprinklers and sweep the concrete.  He was proud of his work and would then get his lawn chair out to survey his masterpiece.

I especially remember the sound of the ax when it would sometimes hit the edge of the concrete.  That's the sound I was making Saturday as I was edging.  It brought a flood of memories back to my mind of a simpler, easier time when my biggest worry was my report card and if I would be able to meet up with my friends to ride bikes on Saturday.

Sometimes it's the smallest of things that we are grateful for because they turn out to be the bigger things in life that we cannot replace.

·        Saying hello to someone at church, even if you don't remember their name.

·        Your clothes fitting a bit looser from eating healthy

·        Not having any responsibilities on a Sunday afternoon and spending time with your family.

·        Being in fellowship with others.

·        Hearing a sound from your childhood and remembering good times.

What are some of the little things you are in an attitude of gratitude about today?

Today I Am Thankful For:

1.      Hummingbirds

2.      Cool evenings

3.      Fresh dirt

4.      Dead, crispy plants

5.      Memories of my Daddy

Where I Needed to Be

Yesterday afternoon I was struggling with work.  I just wanted it to be 5:00 pm on Friday!  Then, my cell phone rang.  It was a dear friend of mine who I worked with for many, many years.  I miss her terribly.  Her passion and spirit are contagious.  She is the kind of person children (and adults) gravitate to.  They just want to be in her presence.  I absolutely adore her.

She is struggling because her mother is in the final stages of her life…and my sweet friend called me.  God used me. I was able to relate to her struggle and give her some fresh insights as she tried to make sense of a difficult time.  For someone to reach out to you when they are hurting is humbling.  You learn a lot about yourself when you have to dig deep to help someone else.

Ministry happens at unexpected times.  It’s not always on Sunday mornings within the walls of a church.  It happens during a busy workday, on a weekend with the family, at the store and even late at night on Facebook.

I am honored that God uses me.  When I get complacent about my ministry, He wakes me up in a huge way.

So glad I listened.

Today I Am Thankful For:

1.     unexpected phone calls

2.     iced tea

3.     incense

4.     Little Caesars Hot n’ Ready Pizza for $5!

5.     moms

Enough Time Off...

God was present on Sunday morning.  He woke me up.

I've not been pursuing Seminary for a while....I've just felt as if the timing was not right.  There have been so many things that have happened (especially my "Christian's" health being front and center) and I have been very relieved that school was not in the mix, but something happened at church on Sunday.

A new member, who I've really not had contact with, came up to me.  This person is in need of someone being "present" for them as they have recently had a great loss and for some reason, and he felt led to talk to me.  I was quite overwhelmed and pretty surprised. 

Is this God's way of saying that I have had enough "time off" and I need tro begin my active pursuit of Seminary again?  It has really made me think.

I assured this church member that I was not a professional counselor, just a pastor's wife who struggles with depression and has a heart for ministry.  He wants to sit and talk, so I agreed (and today I received my next lay speaker's class book "Lay Pastoral Care Giving" in the mail).

I am stepping out in faith to answer what seems to be God's calling. 

It may not sound like a big thing, but I think God moves in mysterious ways.  Sometimes it's the little things that mean the most.

Today I Am Thankful For:

1.  legal pads
2.  an extremely busy day
3.  an upcoming business trip with a dear friend
4.  a new blouse
5.  beginning a new Bible Study

You Just Want to Shake Them

Moving on after the death of someone close to you is very difficult. If you have a spouse, children, close friendships, you can manage. But when your life is tied up into one person and they are suddenly taken away...what do you do? How do you help them move forward?

 Life is a gift. There are so many things to look forward to:
vacations
 the first day of Spring
 a perfectly cooked steak
 the smile of a child
 new beginnings.

 Some people are not strong enough to start over and your first inclination is to want to shake them into understanding! "Don't you see you are being selfish? Don't you see how many people are depending on you? Don't you see that God is not done with you yet?"

We help those in need by praying to God for the words we need to speak. We need to step back, try and step in their shoes and think about their situation. How would we handle being completely alone? How do we help them find the strength they have within themselves?

My prayer for those who are hurting is that God touches their hearts in a way they have never felt. That God stirs in their souls the need to be present in their lives in a way that is worthy of Him.

And that those of us being turned to for help ooze with compassion.

 Today I Am Thankful For:

1. aunts
2. diced pears
3. a clear day
4. catching a bleed early
5. newspapers

A Surprising Package

A package came in the mail this week. It was addressed to my fifteen year old and it was from Disney. What in the world would he be getting from Disney? We did just come back from a fantastic vacation at Disneyworld, but what could this be? It was his wallet!


The wallet he lost that he never thought he would see again. It even had the $42 dollars he left in it! We were so surprised. When he lost the wallet and we retraced our steps in Disney, I kept trying to reassure him that it just might show up. Being the teenager he is, he wrote it off and was pretty upset that he lost his last bit of “mad money.” I tried to be positive and encouraging telling him that there are still good people in the world. “Someone just may turn in your wallet” I told him. “Why would anyone turn in a wallet with money?” he asked. I answered, “Because it’s the right thing to do.”

Yes, there are still good people in the world who have high morals and great work ethics. There are individuals who open the doors for each other, put the shopping cart in the “corral” in the store parking lot, and let the person behind them with one item go in front of them at the grocery store.

Many of us believe that the world is filled with more evil than good. Is that true? What happens when a friend is not who they seem to be and reveal an ugly side to their being? What happens when a family member disowns you and you lose contact for years on end? That’s when you have to stop and really look at what you have learned.

Perhaps new friends come into your life who truly need you and your friendship. And that family member you haven’t talked to in years may have been holding you back from your best. Despite a bad situation, good can arise if you are willing to keep an open mind.

There is good in the world. Keep your eyes open. Be part of it.

“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” Luke 6:45 (NIV)

Today I Am Thankful For:

1. watermelon
2. packages
3. people taking a chance
4. the small glimpses of the changing season
5. being positive

Hope

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

Lately I've felt a little "hope" less. Not exactly sure why, because so many things are going well, but for the first time in a long time I am seeing glimmers of hope.

The funny thing is, is that it's not even been my depression that has sucked the hope out of me, I think it's just been complacency. Day in, day out. Off to work, back home to cook dinner, clean the kitchen, kids in the bath, etc. Sometimes I forget to see the beauty in each day.

It's that same complacency that has taken me away from my daily time with God. My life was always better when my daily quiet time was a priority. It's something I am trying to find my way back to.

I am looking forward to some time off with my family. We are getting ready to leave town to work a charity golf tournament and then off to Disneyworld! I am expecting to have some well needed, quality time with my family.

Blessings to you all. I'll be back soon.

Today I Am Thankful For:

1. Short, short hair!
2. Pencil lead
3. Baskets of laundry
4. Expectations
5. surrender