A Blessing a Day Keeps the......

I am looking forward to the day when I will be able to hook my computer up to myself so that at night when I have these great insights I can just push the button and it will read my mind and print out my thoughts! I can never remember the next day all the things I wanted to write down and that would help me out a lot! Last night I was thinking about my new practice of listing at least 3 blessings in my journal each night before I go to bed. Sometimes I cannot recall 3 (!) and so I have to ask someone around me to add one or two to help me out. And if that does not work, I add the line that "only God knows" because I figure there are undoubtedly many wonderful things that God has done for me each day that I did not see or did not remember, and that way I am covered. Some of the more easily overlooked blessings have been things like a sunny day, a great cup of coffee, a toe that no longer hurts, hymns that have such a great message, prescription coverage, polka music, beef pot roast, coffee with friends, and that "this could be the dawning of That Day". And that would be just for March alone. I am training myself to write down smaller blessings because anyone can see the big ones like health, food, family, etc. I am trying to see if the recognition of blessings can help keep the Devil away. I have noticed that I have a tendency lately to complain and whine too much and I know this does not please God, especially as He does so many wondrous things for me. When I do this, God likes to bring before me the faces of people who really do have a problem worth complaining about - like Jenni and her Sjogren's, and Lisa and her knee, and my friend whose husband left her, and Scott who went so many months without employment, and like Rachel from our Bible Study whose father tricked her on her wedding night and gave her intended groom to her older sister, and like the paralyzed, the really poor, and so many others. Okay, so I have a rather long list of things that I wish were different but God is telling me that He knows what I need and that He is completing in me that Salvation that He began almost 54 years ago. That knowledge alone should be enough to change the whining to praising. I am working on it!

Redeeming the time....

This morning I settled in for coffee at the new Wrangler Family Restaurant, by myself, while my husband went off to do some quick work for someone else. We figured 30 to 45 minutes would do it. Well, almost 2 hours and many cups of coffee later, he finally arrived to pick me up! I figured we would at least eat some lunch together there, but that was not to be. So we took off to get a few things at the store, meet Lisa at the church for an errand, and then finally back home so that I could get lunch in a timely manner. I was just an hour or so late, but I think things will be okay. But, while I spent all that time drinking coffee I was listing my blessings, since that seemed like a good way to make the time productive. Following is my list. See what you think:

1. We are not homeless, like so many on the news, lately. Nor do we have a mortgage we cannot pay and wind up in foreclosure
2. So far, Social Security still pays and so we have all our needs met, though very few wants
3. We are in fairly good health
4. We have the occasional coffee money to keep my spirits up - and have had a few sunny days this past week.
5. The "new normal" that they speak of for the rest of the country in these troubling times, is our "old normal" and we are used to it and not as affected by it as others may be
6. The Inspiration Channel has begun airing Gaither Gospel Hour daily and so far I have seen all the programs, but eventually there will be some I have not seen
7. The new Wrangler is totally smoke-free, praise the Lord!
8. Sandra and C.J. are getting married
9. Jennifer had a good day at least once this past week
10. One less Blood Pressure medicine seems to have helped me stay warmer lately
11. I have not lost any more weight this past month
12. God does not grant all my prayer requests (some have later proven to not be in my best interests)
13. We have lived long enough that the early hard times now look like the good old days to us
14. In 2 months we will have been married 44 years, God willing, and are praying that we live at least long enough for our 50th
15. Though we do have lots of prayer requests we can sense that God is listening and that is all we ask

So that is my short list for today. By tonight I will have thought of just as many more. I am also willing to revise my list or add to it if my followers want to suggest some I may have forgotten.

Have a good day!

A Special Day

Today I am thinking back on the day that I finally got to meet my firstborn! It had taken 3 rough days to give birth to him and we were all very tired! The first thing I asked for when they took me back to my room was a cup of coffee and a piece of toast, and that is something I still ask for to this day. My diabetes experience has robbed me of that favorite food experience but I have found that I can have sourdough bread (toasted) with my coffee and so things are getting better! I need to mention that after we got Scott home from the hospital he developed colic and cried for 6 weeks straight, 24/7. But, even still, we loved him from the start and 41 years later we love him even more. He was an easy child for us to raise after those first weeks and the bond that God gave us has never wavered. He is smart, witty, handsome, loving, caring...and no, he did not pay me to say that. Scott, I hope you are having a good birthday and that you have many, many more. Thanks for all that you are to me and don't ever change!

Then, the second subject for this day is the 19th wedding anniversary of my only daughter and her husband, Rudy. Lisa, I hope you are enjoying this day off with your family, and that you are feeling well enough to have a good time and possibly a good meal. It takes alot of grit and alot of patience and alot of love to get this far in your marriage journey. I am very proud of you two and pray God's blessings on your next 19 and more. I know that 44 years is not long enough to spend with your dad (from my viewpoint!) and I know that you feel the same about Rudy.

I am so glad that May 18th ever became a special day for our family. Regardless of whatever happens in our lives, we have each other and we have alot of love! God bless both of my kids who are celebrating today. God is good!