My Plans vs. His

My typical day goes like this, when I'm running on my treadmill, racing around getting the kids ready for school-putting one on the bus and driving the other to preschool, then I'm off to the store for groceries, and back in time to pick up my middle boy from school, making lunch, help my preschooler with his homework, doctor appointments, and home in time for my oldest to get off the bus (from early release if it's a Wednesday). Or if we're talking Tuesday/Thursday you can throw a trip to our home church into the mix.
Even when I'm staying busy with kids, laundry, meals, and everything in between little things like buying a house or paying off the last of our debt are constantly on my mind. Always lingering in the background, even when I don't realize it. Most of the time it doesn't bother me because we have a goal and we're working toward that so I'm pretty content but occasionally I'll see one of the houses I particularly liked sell or list for a rather hefty price and it can get discouraging. Driving by houses I like on a regular basis doesn't help much either. haha And even though we're on our way to Debt Free Boulevard sometimes it still feels like we'll be on Renters Drive forever.
Now, if you're a parent like me you want your child's car seat practically welded into the car. And if you're my size you know that God chuckles while he watches you try to push down on the car seat while tightening it to your bench seat in the car. So naturally, it takes me pushing down the seat and my husband pulling the strap to get the seat tight enough for my liking.
So today, while I was waiting for my husband to finish a job and meet up with me to adjust the car seat I wandered into a neighborhood with my two year old. We were cruising around in the car, browsing at all the houses. I'd seen the neighborhood and knew of the nearby school from a superficial perspective but today we decided to trudge through, knee deep in the pine trees and manicured streets. We ended up behind the little school where there was a park, conveniently enough, loaded with playground equipment the perfect size for my little guy so we went to play while we waited for my husband. It got me thinking about how tidy the neighborhood was and how I'd never considered even window shopping for a house in that area. I started imagining our life there...Birthdays in the park, walking my boys to school while they rode their bikes, listening to the noises of the school and all the kids, walking my dog on the little trails.
Here I've been so absorbed with a particular house near our current rental that I've just fallen in love with and, although I'd still love to buy it, I got to thinking about what God has in store for us. I think many times I, personally, wish and hope and pray for something that I want so bad and all the while the Lord is telling me "Just be patient. I have something so wonderful in store for you! Let me bless you! The time is coming." I completely ignore God's plans for me and how they might be so much greater than what I could ever dream up on my own. And now that I've realized that I feel so calm about is to come. It's a fantastic feeling!

The Little Things...

Yesterday was such a busy day...I'd been up off and on all night with our youngest son so I was feeling pretty warn out. I had to clean the house before a ladies' party I was having in the afternoon, our middle son had a birthday party to attend, and my husband had just been called to a job while he was trying to cook us breakfast so we didn't get our usual Sunday morning breakfast together. My frustration from being tired, feeling the time crunch, and my husband having to take a call was bubbling over on me. I stepped away from everything for a few minutes and out of nowhere, I heard two simple, sweet, humbling words...

Be Thankful!

I took a deep breath and felt the calm start to flow over me. Instead of continuing to think of the things that weren't going right and were making me more stressed I began to think of the things that were going right, that I should be thankful for. And you know what, the pros significantly outweighed the cons!

Here's my list...

• We don't have much room in this little house, but at least we aren't homeless.
• We can't always buy fresh produce at the store, but my kids always have full tummies.
• It feels like my husband is always working, but at least he has a job in this economy.
• My kids always want me to play with them, at least they still like having me around!
• We don't have fancy stuff, but we do have luxuries like clean water, heat, electricity, doctors...And let's face it, those aren't things you can get everywhere!
• My relationships with family members aren't always great, but I have family, I know who they are, and at the end of the day I love them no matter what different paths we're on!

So there it is, part of my list. I could go on and on about the pros & cons of life but I don't have all day to sit at the computer and you get the idea, right? I wanted to share my list with you. Not to gloat but to encourage you to do the same. Life is busy, people get stressed. Our priorities change and sometimes we worry about what we don't have more than what we do. I'm certainly guilty of it! So here's to wanting what we have, not having what we want! And when the enemy starts whispering in our ear like the friend who "comforts us in a tough time" by reminding us just what's troubling us, we should turn to him and say..."Look at everything I have! Who do you think gave me all that?!"

Meals Ministry

Recently I signed up for a new ministry. I've done a couple different ministries before and although I did enjoy them, they just didn't seem like the right fit for me. Well, I was looking over the available listings at church one day and saw Meals Ministries. I thought "I love spoiling people with food! I'll be great at this!" And I signed up. Well, I got my first opportunity to help through an email I received over the weekend. A woman just lost her husband on New Year's Day to cancer. How devastating to go through something like that, especially at the start of the New Year when everything is supposed to begin, not end. Well, I felt really compelled to bring her a meal but Monday was the only night I was available to do so. I wrote to our team leader and told them that I was available and was very surprised to learn that all the other days had been filled except for Monday, the only day I was available.
How fantastic is that? I was meant to bring her a meal that night! So Jason and the boys went with me and we took her some lasagna, salad, french bread, and homemade (by my very own little guys here) chocolate chip cookies. Seb took the food in with me. She invited us inside and hugged me and shook Seb's hand. She was very sweet. She thanked us for the food and said what a relief it was not to have to worry about cooking for herself but my heart just ached for her when she told me that it was going to be an adjustment to learn to cook just for one now. I told her we'd be praying for and we said goodbye and left her. The entire drive home my eyes were watering, thinking about her.
Tonight when we sat down to pray over our own dinner Seb said a blessing and asked God to just bless this sweet woman and be with her during this difficult time. It was a perfect prayer and I'm so thankful for sweet little God guys who understand what's really important and who slow down with me long enough to reach out to help someone else in their time of need. I'm so glad that I joined this ministry. It's not always going to be easy, I know that, but it's very rewarding and I'm so touched and humbled to be part of it.