another day....

I have for many years prayed to God that He would use me...little did I know what would lay ahead. The good news is, I am a much better person for it....the flip side of that is that it has been painful...but I am thankful for it. So, moving onto my point for this.....I was asking God the other day if what I was thinking about my situation was correct? You see, it goes something like this: I have been working hard for many years doing this idea and that idea and thinking "surely God will use me with this" or "God, You made me this way...this seems like a good way to go." Well, as you may have guessed, those haven't worked out like I expected. So, as I have processed these thoughts I have wondered if perhaps a piece of what I was thinking in each of those situations might be true but that the timing is not now....So, I asked God to confirm that if it was so....Later that day I came upon one of my favorite verses (which just so happens to be the name of my blog) by flipping to the next day of my perpetual calendar. I truly believe that God was speaking to me - He was saying, "I know the plans I have for you...plans to give you a future and a hope...." I love that! Two more times throughout the week that verse was presented to me in unusual circumstances....such peace (and excitement) comes from when we know God is speaking to us.. I am thankful that God does have it in control and does have plans for me...I can rest in that. How about you? What plans does God have for you?

Day Three...Random Acts of Kindness

Today was a good day and it was Monday - that's kind of like an oxymoron. Anyway....

I teach counseling classes with K-6. Today I talked about bullying and a boy raised his hand and stated, "I have something to say and ask the class." I asked him to tell me first and I was in awe. Here was a 9 year old boy who stood up in the front of his class and told them that he wanted them to quit picking on another student. Wow! Then he went onto ask the class why they did it and then added, "She has never done anything to us." Wow! Many of the other students chimed in and class ended with a challenge of being kind to her and each other.

So, today I am thankful for the good that is in the world. I am thankful for a nine-year-old boy who didn't worry about what the others in class would say but was more concerned about how another student was treated.

There really is good in the world...........

2nd day of being thankful

Today I am thankful for Skype because I am able to see my son and daughter-in-love as we talk to them all the way up in New York. If it were 100 years ago, we would have to wait weeks for a letter from them let alone get to see their beautiful faces. This is a great age we live in.

How about you? What are you thankful for!

I am thankful for...

Today as I was visiting blogs, I saw that people were posting one thing each day they were thankful for. What a great idea I thought – that will be easy! There are many things to be thankful for! Then I went grocery shopping tonight and stocked up on all the great sale items for Thanksgiving dinner and then it hit me…there will only be three of us this year. My oldest son is just about as far away on the east coast as one could be. My next son is up north in the great state of Montana and because I was already feeling sad, it hit me that my daughter will be graduating next year and wants to go to Texas to school. I have to admit that I was feeling quite sad. It made me think about the times my husband would say, “How can you stand the noise” when the kids were “being kids”. I said to him that it didn’t bother me at all because I knew that “someday the walls would be silent.” The laughter would be distant and so would someone saying, “Mom, he hit me….” No, the noise didn’t bother me. I loved the noise. I relished in it. My favorite days were when all three children were at home “just hanging out.” I loved those days. How did I get here – today – it’s quiet as I write this. My daughter is out on a date, my husband is in bed and my two springer spaniels are lying quietly on the floor. Well, just as David would often start out lamenting in the Psalms, he would end up on a positive note by recognizing who God was and is. So, I would be remiss if I did not do the same thing. Here goes….My son is enjoying his first Thanksgiving as a husband and is loved by dearly by his wife and her family. My other son in Montana has a job in a time where jobs are scarce. My daughter is having a good senior year and my husband treasures his family. I have great stepchildren and two lovely granddaughters who called me “grandmom” – how cute is that?! Every day I see God’s handiwork and can visit with Him as thoughts come to my mind and His mercies are new every morning! I love that. So, with that I will close this first day of being thankful.
Signed,
Very Thankful Indeed