God blesses us when we least expect it!

How come....when I'm in the worst mood? or the absolute tiredest that I've ever been...we always seem to have a "function " to go to? It never fails! I always accept with such gratitude several weeks before...I even say I'm looking forward to it! And I REALLY mean it!!! and then..... it's as if I start hearing the music from jaws approaching... da dum...da dum....and I try not to say anything to Jim...simply because he will say... "yeah, yeah, yeah! I've heard this before!" but it's so very true!!! and then finally, unwillingly I manage to get myself out of the chair or up off of the sofa and "powder my nose" or put on some more lipstick and we hit the road! And then I walk in the door of "said" event smiling...and usually...end up having a wonderful time!
The same exact thing happened tonight! Only this time...as opposed to saying too much about how tired I was...I just slept for about 30 minutes because for the first time EVER!!! it was for real!!! and the other thing....this event  was at my precious in laws house and there was NO getting out of it and it was USELESS TO COMPLAIN!!! Not that I didn't want to support them...or eat her wonderful food!! I was just plain wiped out! and I had Miller here doing ACT tutoring, needing multiple dinners, etc...!!! All of the usual things parents do with 17 year old children at home!! I was nothing special!! So I had no excuse but to GO!!!!
Boy was I glad I did!!! As usual...when you go to something that God totally has His hand on...how can you not be blessed?
Very long story short...my incredible father in law, who is very well respected in our community, has run several businesses and most importantly...been the wonderful husband to my mother in law and was such an example to my sweet hubby- and also such a fabulous grandfather...decided that when he retired...he WOULDN'T RETIRE!!!! Yes...you heard me!! He works harder than ever!!! Truthfully, we really thought he shouldn't be doing this the first time he told us...we wanted to see him rest and enjoy life! ( I've often wondered if God laughed at our thoughts!!)
You see....Tom...my father in law...is indeed enjoying life! He is enjoying it the way God intended for him to...on His plan and not ours! He is now the CEO of the National Christian Foundation of Alabama! ( sounds impressive, huh?)
What he does is facilitate the means to spread the gospel, basically! How rewarding is that? He helps people that want to put their hard earned money into trusts do so  and then he helps them invest it in ways that not only benefit and grow their money and savings but he also enables them to use it for furthering God's work....
So tonight was about furthering God's work...it was about getting the people together that Tom has assembled to be a committee of sorts! It was about informing the wives! which I greatly appreciated...after I woke up!!! :) It was about fellowship and eating alot of delicious food that MaryAnne prepared so lovingly....
Mostly, it was about the people that are on the front lines and need our help and support! It was about the lady that is the head of Operation Blessings...Jodie Gettys and her describing exactly what the teams are doing to provide relief for those so torn apart by the recent outbreak of tornados that ravaged our state...
Yes..my husband and my child have been to Pleasant Grove...I have a friend who's sister in law was sucked out of her home and killed....but I haven't been...I haven't seen first hand just what these people are going through! Someone said tonight...It doesn't matter if it's the earthquake in Hawaii or the Tsunami in Japan or the Tornados in Alabama or the Floods in Mississippi and Louisianna....it's all disaster and it's all tragedy and people just need help!!
The last person we met was Frank Woodson...actually my husband has known him for awhile but I was privileged to be able to meet him and his lovely wife, Trevor. What a blessing they were!! He is now the head of Mission to Birmingham and Mayor Bell has actually put him in charge of coordinating storm relief efforts! WOW!! Now that's a big job!!! Not only that...but FEMA has asked him to stay on and coordinate "faith based" organizations and relief efforts! Now I would call that a Grand Slam! What a way to minister! And yet it is hard.... oh, so very hard! As he spoke tonight my heart and mind came together...he spoke of the grateful ones...and then the ones taking advantage of such serious situations! It's hard for alot of us to comprehend that people would actually use such a tragic situation and try to get ill gains from it...but they do! But I left encouraged!! Which is the only reason I am even writing this post!
You see...when I post something on my blog...either it's yummy recipe...or a deep concern...or something I am learning at the moment!! I really am a "fly by the  seat kind of gal" which is not only a line from our favorite movie..but pretty much true about me! But I'm hoping it won't stay that way! 47 years is a very long time to fly by the seat of your pants so to speak! I think it's about time that we take control of that seat!!! and then hand it right on over to God Almighty, the Author of life, who has for now...blessed me with these...( thank you to Karen Kingsbury for that quote! it is my favorite!)
*please know this was just from tonight's meeting. There are hundred's of things that the National Christian Foundation is involved in....please feel free to check them out for yourself and get involved! That truly is their desire!