Fathers

Any time I start to doubt just how much my Heavenly Father loves me, I think about the gift He gave me over 33 years ago...my wonderful husband and father of my children.

The story of how we met and married isn't a "love at first sight" story. We were friends first, although I won't deny that I hoped for something more pretty early on. But when I think of how unlikely our pairing was, it's clear God was in complete control.

As we celebrate Father's Day, I can't help but feel immense gratitude that God sent me the man I so needed, and that this man was willing to go where God led him. My children are blessed, also, that they have such a loving, giving Christian father to guide them through the challenges of this life.

Happy Father's Day to the love of my life and father/grandfather of the luckiest children on earth.

Joy in the Morning

I've been embracing misery for quite some time now. To say I can throw a pity party is an understatement--I'm the ultimate event planner.

I've had a few challenges throughout life (haven't we all?) My best-laid plans never came to fruition and I've been extremely frustrated by that. But the blessings I've received are so wonderful and plentiful and undeserved that I want to let them obliterate any negativity, and that starts with a change of attitude. So I decided to start a new blog that focuses on the beauty that can be found even in the midst of disappointment.

My prayer is that God will remove all pride from me and replace it with self-worth. Nothing more. Just a sense of the value He placed in me so that I can become who He intended me to be all along.

There will be setbacks, probably before the sun goes down today. I am, after all, raising two teenage girls. And after three decades of marriage, my husband and I have perfected the art of annoying each other. Then there's the whole rest of the world with its problems. So yeah, there will be setbacks.

But I want each morning to be filled with a renewal of spirit and a sense of purpose for the new day ahead. I want to take the inner joy I feel and make it visible on the outside, too. And that starts with a thankful heart before my feet hit the floor.