I spent yesterday with my daughter in law. My son is a photographer and she is his helpmate extroidinare. Our town has a Bridal Show each January, and various businessess involved with weddings set up booths and display their products. She and I set the booth up and got everything ready. My son is not the type who can handle this sort of thing well…so we sent him away until we finished.

About my DIL. I have been blessed with such a delightful mate for my son. I will be honest and say that I had a fear that when my sons were grown…they would move on and live a life that didn’t need help or input from a mother. And I know there are some girls who are very jealous of their husband’s mother. My boys and I have always been very close but this was something that was always in the back of my mind. Maybe you have never had those feelings, but I think if you are the mother of all boys…you may know what I am talking about. I have prayed for their mates since they were little boys, praying that God would lead them to a godly wife. And , praise God, He did. Suzanne is a joy. She and I get along so well. Oh, we have different tastes in some things, but that’s o.k. We can appreciate each others differences. She keeps me informed on what’s going on with them and she and I enjoy doing things together. Lest I sound like a nosy MIL…I’m not. And I make it a point not to intrude when I’m not asked. She is a school teacher, with a gift for teaching. And compassion for her students. But, most of all, she loves my boy. And, he adores her. She is the best wife, friend, and helper he could have ever found. He, too knows how blessed he is. So, forgive my brag fest…but this MIL loves her DIL. Or as I like to put it, Daughter in Love.

“What a stack of blessings you have piled up for those who worship You…”
Psalms 31:19
The Message Bible

Are we ever thankful enough for all that we have been blessed with? Many times we only realize how blessed we are when our situation changes. I pray for open eyes to see my many blessings and a thankful heart to express my gratitude.

Have a BLESSED day!

I love, love, love to read magazines. It is like a present when one of my favorites puts out a new issue. I confess right here and now…I have TOO many favorites. These are the ones I read faithfully each month: Country Living, Country Home, More, Home Companion, and Oprah. Such good writing and articles. In my busy life, it is easier to read short articles when time allows. I have recently found a new magazine called Deep, about life in the deep South. Quite nice. Articles here are about our region of the U.S., and people who live here. Also another magazine that has captured my attention is La Vie Claire. It is published only 4 times a year…but it is the most beautiful magazine since Victoria. Another good read for wise shoppers is SHOP SMART. This is put out by Consumer Reports…but it is a little lighter reading. There are no advertisements in this one and they rate products for you. For example, in this issue the investigate snack foods, paints, cookware, wrinkle creams, exercise equipment and much more. Check it out. And just yesterday, I found that Joyce Meyer is putting out a new magazine. I haven’t looked at it yet, but she is one of my favorite Christian speakers and teachers…so it has to be good. Sometimes, I will buy Lucky and Domino, and they are pretty good,too. And Southern Lady is sometimes on my list. Then, I like to read Country Sampler and Country Marketplace, Create and Decorate, and occasionally a scrapbook mag. I know! It’s too many!
But what if I miss seeing something that I wouldn’t want to miss? That would be too sad.
I have begun passing them along, though. I will take them to work and give them to some of the girls there. Of course they may have a page torn out…because I do like to keep files of the things I like. Who knows? I may need that info some day. Must close for now…gotta go through my stacks of new February issues.

“Be joyful always: pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances…” 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18.

How easy this sounds…but how hard it is to do. Sometimes it seems just about impossible to find any thing to’ be joyful ‘about. That is until you REALLY start to think about it. Then the abundant blessings of our Lord will fill your mind. ‘ Pray continually’ means to me, that I will breathe a prayer for a concern every time it comes to my mind. And that is easy enough for us all. To’ give thanks in all circumstances’ is also sometimes a hurdle for me. But, I think this means that in the midst of the trial of the moment, we must still remember to be thankful for the love and support of our Lord. He will help us through. Now, we don’t have to be thankful it is happening, but be thankful WHILE it is happening. God’s promise is that He will be with us and strengthen us and lead us out to happier times. And, I have found, that sometimes, I can actually look back and be thankful for that experience…because of the growth I found in my life.

Have a blessed day today!

I have a good friend who says she is happy to be anything but “fine”. Isn’t that the truth? I mean…what a mediocre word…fine. Not good…not bad..not pretty, not ugly, not sweet, not mean…just”fine.” Well, Kath, I agree. I , too, want to be anything else. How sad to settle for the ordinary…the sameness. Be BOLD! Don’t be afraid to try new things. Have adventures. At my age, the last thing I care about is what anyone else thinks about what I do or say or how I act. I had a younger friend tell me last week…”I want to be like YOU when I grow up.” What a compliment! Now, I’m not talking about the immoral or ungodly things. Whatever I do or say MUST be pleasing to the Lord first of all. But, You know, He made me. He put fun into my soul. He is the one who gave me the boldness to be me. And, I think God wants us to be joyful, above all. Do you think God laughs? I’ve heard the joke…’if you want to make God laugh…tell Him YOUR plans…’, And yes, I think He laughs. He must just laugh out loud at some of the predicaments we mortals get ourselves into. I mean, just watching me get into my Spanx has got to be good for a big one. Come on…think about it…funny, isn’t it? I read a sign in our Hallmark store last week…”I’m smart enough to know better and old enough not to care.” Do you remember some of those things that you thought were going to absolutely change the direction of your life…and they hardly caused a ripple? Do you remember being mortified when you embarressed yourself, sure that no one would ever forget it…and no one even noticed? Do you remember when your child did the unthinkable, something no one elses child would ever do and you were sure they would never have any friends again and no mother would ever let her child date date them…and now it’s just part of family history. And they are happily married,too.
Mothers, choose your battles. You don’t have to SEE everything your child does wrong. I thought I did with my first. Boy was I wrong. With my first, I thought they had to be in cute little outfits with socks matching…neatly pressed. By the time I got to my third…I was just happy if he had on underwear when he got out of the car. And shoes when we went to church.
And #3 has grown up just fine. How my boys survived ME is amazing.

Well, I don’t know how I got off on children and such from where I started. However, that, too, is the way God wired me. I can start on one thing and end up in a totally different idea before I get to the end of a sentence. Maybe, He made me that way to assure himself of laughs everyday as my friends and family try to figure me out. Oh well…He did say, ” Let the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.” I can only TRY to be righteous, but I can choose happiness and joy.