Beautiful days and Old friends

Well, apparently I was in a nostalgic mood tonight without even realizing it. I was sitting in the living room listening to my two youngest play as loud as they could on two Kindermusik harmonicas and I started to hum a tune and then sing. "It's a beautiful day, a beautiful day. Sunshines come into my heart to stay. It really doesn't matter what the weather men say. It's a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful day."

That song took me back many years to when I first heard one of my best friends sing the song she wrote for a school contest. So I began to try to remember all the words and didn't take me long to remember this:

"Somewhere it may be raining; somewhere the cold winds blow;

somewhere it may be snowing, but this one thing I know:

It's a beautiful day, a beautiful day. Sunshines come into my heart to stay.

It really doesn't matter what the weather men say. It's a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful day.

Somewhere over the rainbow, I've been told,

there lies a place called heaven. Streets are purest gold.

Some day I'm going to go there but till then,

I'm going to walk in God's sunlight . . . and live every day for him.

It's a beautiful day, a beautiful day. Sunshines come into my heart to stay.

It really doesn't matter what the weather men say. It's a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful day."

I love that song. It may have been written by a child, but the words are oh, so true. What a beautiful day every day is when we are serving God. Growing up, our church motto or theme was "Serving God is Beautiful." Of course there is wonderful song that goes with that theme,

"Serving God is beautiful. Serving the King of kings.

I serve Him because I love Him you see.

Serving God is beautiful to me."

(written, I believe, by Sis. Ronda Hurst, my pastor's wife at that time in my life.)

Life will present us with challenges and problems, trials, etc, etc. But you know what, it's still a beautiful day, a beautiful life, because the King of kings is in control and He is making me into what I need to become to fullfill His purpose. My life is about more than the day to day obligations or even the plans I make for the future. It is about the eternal purpose of God. That is important to remember when trials want to drag me down or I want to worry about problems. I just need to cast my cares upon Him. After all He cares for me and loves more than I could ever fathom. He has a plan for me and a future, plans to prosper me and keep me, and not to harm me. So it is a beautiful day, no matter what the weather man or any other man or devil, might say, because I am walking in God's sunshine and living every day for Him!!

Okay so after I spent some time singing the kid's song, I started trying to remember another song my friend wrote as a young teen.

"I wish you well. I wish you well.

You're my very special friend, and I wish you well.

Wherever you may go, I want you to know,

We'll be friends forever and I wish you well.

If I could paint a picture, here is what I'd do,

I would paint a rainbow and a bright sun, too.

And when the paintings over, a story it will tell

Of happy ever after and I wish you well.

I wish you well. I wish you well.
You're my very special friend, and I wish you well.
Wherever you may go, I want you to know,
We'll be friends forever and I wish you well."

I may not have remembered every word correctly, but I wanted to say a special message to my "very special friend." If you are reading this, I want you to know that I haven't forgotten. No matter where we are in life right now, the water that has passed under the bridge, I still remember and I still count you as a special friend. I don't think you came to mind so strongly tonight for no reason. I believe God laid you on my heart in a special way tonight. Maybe one day we will have the chance to get together, to catch up, to watch our children play together, but if not, you are still in my heart and prayers. Love you, girl!

Uncommon Favor

Oh, my! God is soo awesome! These last few months one of our church prayers has been for uncommon favor, and since 2008 has begun God has been blessing my family in awesome way. Financially, we have had the opportunity to make more "extra" money, above and beyond the normal income, than ever before. Kevin had been blessed with many extra jobs, as well as bonus commissions at work. I have been praying about taking on at least one other child in a childcare capcity (I already have one), all the while knowing that even though the $$ would be a blessing, the vehicle situation would be a trial. We have a truck that I use that seats 6, and with me, my four, and my "other" child, that maxes out the seating. Not a big deal, except when it is time to pick Delaney up from school or errands later in the day. I really can't fit another child in the truck. However, God answered my prayer and worked it out on my behalf in an unbelievable way! The mom whose child I already watch has a friend that she works with. Their hours are changing and the friend needed to find a new childcare provider. The awesome thing is, that will mean the hours I keep the girls, both 2 or close to it, will be the same. I will have plenty of time to get my girls to school in morning and get some stuff done before they get to my house. Then, another friend that has children that attend school with my girls will pick Delaney up and bring her home for the rest of January. My girls are then off track (out of school) for 5, that's right FIVE, weeks in Feb. and the first of March. That gives us almost 2 mos to get the vehicle situation taken care of. I am praying for either a mini-van or something that seats 8, in a pretty, medium blue. I know God answers prayer, so I decided to get specific.:) Also, another friend of mine needs someone on a more sporadic basis to watch her son on the weekends, so that would be an added bonus. He hasn't just blessed us financially, but that is what I am tesitfying about right now. We just have such a peace and trust regarding our financial situation now. Where before we had worry and fret about bills, etc and the future, we now are looking back, seeing that even though we don't know how, God has made a way, and now He is blessing us with this uncommon favor that is literally blowing our minds. I wish I could explain it all in this post, but I don't think there is room on my page! We are still busy and even busier, but it is with the knowledge He is working for us and through us to achieve His will and purpose. We know that God will continue to bless us as we bless His kingdom. I know that somehow, someway, God is going to allow us to become an even bigger blessing in His kingdom than ever before. I know God is doing awesome things for others, so feel free to comment and share your blessing with me. I would love to hear about all the other awesome things my God is doing!!!

Ramblings and a Christmas Card Photo

A couple of days ago I took pics of my kids for our Christmas card. I posed them all as sleeping angels. You can see the end result on the side bar of this page. Anyways, Denae's turn was last. Of course by then she was ready for her turn as she thinks she is just as big as the rest. She hopped right up on the "cloud" and laid down, but of course, being only 18 mos old, wouldn't close her eyes. I took several shots and she laid so still for all of them. I just had to share this one in color. Her big blue eyes just take my breath away. She looks so precious and innocent and cuddley. God has truly blessed me with all of my wonderful children. Not that they, and we as parents, don't have our moments of "un-angelic" behavior, but God has really, really been awesome to us. I look around sometimes at others who have more and can get envious for second, I will admit. Who doesn't wish they could do more, give more, be more to their children, to their church, or to whatever their passion is? But honestly, when I really think about my life, my family, my heritage, all I can see are the blessings of God: a great childhood with awesome parents and brothers and sisters, a wonderful husband, an unbelievable church and church family, friends and extended family that are always there when you need them and even when you don't : ), a good job, a home, food and clothing, trials that the Lord has brought me through, and my children, my precious, loving, trying children. Now, seriously, how could I ask for more? I just look at pictures like the one above and I can remember just how blessed I truly am.