Thursday Thoughts ~

Woke to a windy and cold day here in Liberty, KS.  And they are forecasting possible snow tonight and here I thought we were in May, Springtime and Warmth ~ hopefully it will return on Saturday as they are forecasting...I definitely am a fair weather girl ~ give me warmth and give me sunshine.

Have you ever wondered What If?

Today I have been thinking ~ What IF my parents had never divorced ~ today would have been their 60th Wedding Anniversary ~ wow, wouldn't that have been amazing.  Ron and I have been married 37 years and so often we here Wow, that's a long time!  I can get so wrapped up in the What If game ~ IF my parents had not been divorced, would we have moved as often as we did when I was a kid?  IF my parents had not divorced I would not have been sexually abused for almost six months by a step-father who only thought of himself; IF my parents had not divorced would I have met Ron?  IF my parents hadn't divorced what would my children be like and who would they be?  

And then I am reminded of my devotion yesterday of not to worry about yesterday as it has passed but give thanks for today and how God has provided for me every day of my life.

Today I have been reminded from scripture in Psalm 121:4

 that God never slumbers nor does he sleep.  He is always awake, always there for me and has always been with me and will always be with me.  He knows the plans He as for me.  And even though I didn't have the perfect childhood, with perfect parents who were only married to each other I had the childhood that has led me to being the person who I am ~ a wife, mom and grammy who loves to share the Lord with those who I come into contact with.  I have faced many giants, climbed from the deep valleys up to the mountain tops and all the while God has been with me.  He has protected me from my own negative thoughts and behaviors, he has given grace and protected my children when I was struggling as a parent, he has strengthened my marriage when I thought it was over or going to die.  We have celebrated on the mountain tops healing from major depression, the scary times of illness and the celebration of healing and protectiveness.  He has comforted me when I feared the worst for our son, Jamie as he lived and worked in Iraq for a year.  He has protected our sons as they made decisions that would have impacted our lives in a harsh way.  I am so thankful HE never sleeps or slumbers.

From my Daily Guidepost devotion I was reminded that "long-distance parenting requires different skills and methods. That how we stayed close in the past matters less than finding ways to grow close in the future."

As I have been working on a project for Ron's siblings and our children I have been reminded of ways I have treated others in my past and how I want things to be different in certain relationships today and in the future.  I am reminded to extend more grace, ask for forgiveness from pasts actions and words I have spoken and to give glory to God for his everlasting love and the grace he gives to me.

As I continue to build my relationship with the Lord  I am reminded again about God's Wisdom in

 

 Proverbs 2: 20-22

Thus you will walk in the ways of the good
    and keep to the paths of the righteous.

For the upright will live in the land,
    and the blameless will remain in it; 

 but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
    and the unfaithful will be torn from it.

I am reminded that by keeping in God's Word by reading it and absorbing it and learning from it I can stay on the right path ~ living my life in love and to bring glory to God

And to keep my faith in Him strong.  In Gen. 22:1-18 we find where Abraham has been called by God to bring his son, Isaac as a sacrifice to Him.  I am sure in his humanness Abraham had to wonder what was God thinking, use my son as a sacrifice but in FAITH he did as God commanded and TRUSTED God knew what he was doing ~ isn't that a good thing that in our way of thinking things don't always make sense but GOD always knows what He is doing.

But Abraham kept his faith and the angel came to him and God provided the sacrifice of the ram in the bushes.

Lord I pray that my faith will be strong at all times and in those times that I stumble and fall that my faith, small as a mustard seed, will be enough and that You will continue to be by my side and that you will never sleep or slumber and that you will always be with me.

So do you fall into the pit of What IF?  And if so, how do you get back out of it?

P.S.  Thank you Miss D for letting me know of the OOPS in the first part of my blog.  Love you Sis!!