OK.... I'M SITTING HERE...

Seriously, I'm sitting here fighting the fact that I am missing Briarwood's game... The game of the week mind you!!! according to the paper!! and yet... I knew I shouldn't go!! if I don't go.... they will win!!! which is always my excuse when I don't want to go! This time, however... Miller is hurt... pulled back muscle.... and because it truly is "The game of the week" I realize that an injured player will not play much... therefore.. I can justify my not attending my 16 year old son's football game!!! (can you tell I'm feeling guilty?) On top of that... I'm so tired I just want to cry!!! We've had a big sale going and now Holly is here and I just want to sit and be quiet at home and I never get to do that! But.... The guilt that you feel over missing one of your children's sporting events is tremendous!!! Which is why I didn't fall apart today when I left my shop to an EXTREMELY DEAD CAR!!!!! For crying out loud!!!! Its still under warranty... thankfully.... and nothing had appeared to be wrong until I got in it to go home... well... I had complained of no gas but even I knew that wasn't it!!! My no gas rule is to be 1/4 tank full at all times!!! I called Jim immediately!!! (of course!!! he is my knight in shining armour at ALL times!!!!) and he sent me home in his car while he waited for triple A!! To no avail though... it was towed and deemed useless!!! the alarm system has gone awry and noone can do anything with it at this point!!! Of course... I then realized that I had the perfect opportunity to sit at home... quietly... eating left over pizza... reflecting on the week at the shop... thinking about and praying for my children and sweet friends... What more can a woman ask for on a Friday night??? Thank You, Lord!!! for dead cars!!!! I never thought I would say that!!! Jim had been telling me to stay home... to relax... to reflect... to enjoy Holly being here!!! and of course I was trying to make everyone happy!!! Well, everyone would have been happy except for me if I had been pushed once more over the limit and Jim knew that... more importantly, God knew that and He knew that I needed to sit here on my sofa and write about it!!! To get it out and to reflect on His promises and His goodness!!! In every situation!!! Sometimes I feel like we have so many "situations" going on in our lives I don't even know where to start!!!! I need to start categorizing them! Truthfully it would make it easier to write about them and especially easier

to pray about them !! And to remember how He deals with each situation as He sees fit!!! Not as I see fit, mind you!!!!!

Recently I've had the opportunity to share alot of my life's experiences with friends and relatives that are now going through very similar situations... it is Amazing to go back and see how far God has led us through the years and just how faithful He has been!!! There have been times when we were a young married couple that I would've said "We can never make it".... and yet.... I barely remember them because of God's faithfulness!! Because of His goodness!!!! Morning by morning... new mercies each day!!! All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided... Ok.... I know my mind is breaking out into song right now and I'm getting off track!!! But its so hard not too when you realize what God has really done for us!!!! I am forever grateful for every trial, every hard situation... every time we didn't have the money for this or that... every time we were discouraged.... it only made our marriage stronger and our family stronger!!! I cannot say that we immediately turned to God in each struggle.. but we knew we should have and no matter what... we eventually did turn to Him and He saw us through. Even when we didn't "feel" like reading the Bible, or praying, or talking about spiritual things... God was always there prompting our hearts to turn to Him and to trust Him! I am forever grateful!!!

Now I get the wonderful "opportunity" to pray for our married children as well as for our high school age son and 3 year old grandaughter!! That is so incredibly humbling I can't even begin to express it!! To say that it makes you feel "not worthy" is putting it lightly!!! When Satan steps in and reminds you of all of the mistakes you've made in the past and says, " How do you think you are going to continue to pray for your children!!!" I rejoice!!! It makes me thank God all the more that He stepped in to forgive us for all of our past mistakes and for the fact that He turns them around and uses them for His good!!! Thank you Lord that you love us THAT MUCH!!!!! ALL I HAVE NEEDED THY HAND HATH PROVIDED..... which leads me to one of my all time favorite passages!!! Lamentations 3:21-26 " Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail! They are new every morning!!! GREAT IS YOUR FAITHFULNESS!!!! I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion, therefore I will wait for Him. The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one that seeks Him. It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord".

I have truly loved these verses since I was in high school and God has been faithful to all of His promises to me!!!! He has never left me, never let me down and NEVER forsaken me!!! I may not have always done my part.... but He has always done His!!! by that, I mean.... He has been there for me in my struggles and my triumphs.... He has showered me with blessings.... He has covered me with His love and therefore I have hope and I can face tomorrow with Hope!!!