Safe in His arms...

It's amazing how much we learn from children.

This is my precious new friend Grace.

I met her working at my new job, and its amazing what she has taught me in the short time I have known her.

Grace is very inquisitive and loves to spend most of her time asking me questions about things that worry her. You know like, "when do I have to take a nap", "why do I have a belly button", "why is my hair yellow"?????

Most of these questions cause her so much grief at times, she will fall on the carpet in a dramatic display(to which I turn my head and smile because I can relate) because to her the issues she is facing seem pretty awful for a three year old. However, I quickly scoop her up in my arms to hold her close, and it doesn't take long before a lovely smile appears back on her beautiful face.

This is a common ritual that we experience throughout the day. But, because she is a small child and because I know her fears and worries are real to her, I never get tired of comforting and explaining things.

Yesterday as I placed her down on her mat to take a nap she looked up at me with tear-filled eyes and said, "please hold my hand so I can fall asleep". (if someone can say no to that you might need to ask the wizard for a heart and a brain!)

Anyways, I sat down next to her and gently brushed the hair back from her face and pulled her little pink blanket up over her tiny body. Her eyes looked up at me and I smiled softly to remind her I wouldn't leave. At that moment it was as if her apprehension melted away and she began to loosen her grasp on my hand.

Her eyes began to shut slowly and it was in that moment that tears began to fill my eyes....(gulp)

I caught a glimpse of our Father's love for His children!

We come to Him over and over with worries and fears...

We cry out to Him to help us understand why things are happening, and although He knows the answers, His response to us is always gentle and comforting...

There are times when we just need to know He is there in order to help us find peace, and He never fails to hold our hand and walk us through our darkest moments.

My three year old little flower, miss Grace, has taught me more than I think I will ever be able to teach her.

She has shown me that no matter how old I get I am still His child, and He delights in listening to me, comforting me, and that my questions and fears never get old to Him.

Grace reminded me that in those anxious moments I can look up to Him with tear-filled eyes and ask Him to hold me safe in my His arms until I fall asleep.

Rudolph???????

Tonight I was sitting in a big cozy chair in the corner of Borders reading a really interesting book. I say I was reading, but actually I was doing what I usually do when I go to the bookstore...I was people watching and listening :)

Before you start judging me just know that I don't listen to entire conversations. I just take a quick glance up from my book to see what's going on around me.

Tonight, however, I heard an entire conversation....and I wasn't trying! (seriously)

This is how it happened:

I was sitting in my chair minding my own business and trying to slurp all the whip cream off of my white mocha when I noticed two gentlemen walking towards me. They were probably in their mid-forties and were both wearing Christmas sweaters. I immediately took a liking to them because of their shirts and I couldn't help but smile as I noticed one of them was even wearing a bright, blinking Christmas pin.

The two men happened to sit at a small table right next to my chair, and the man with the blinking light(for this story I will call him Rudolph...blinking light....get it?..never mind) anyways, Rudolph started talking 90 to nothin. He began the conversation by thanking his friend for coming to spend time with him, for being there when nobody else was, and for helping him when he had recently let him down. Rudolph told his friend that he had asked him to talk so that he could get some wisdom and advice for a bad situation. His friend, who I will call JS, softly nodded his head and placed an understanding hand on his friends shoulder to reassure him. With that, Rudolph was off to the races!

He was speaking so loud that everyone in the room couild hear his problems.

As I sat there trying not to listen(this was a first for me) I found myself smiling. I wasn't smiling at Rudolph or making fun of him at all. It was just that in that moment I caught a glimpse of what God must feel like with us at times.

We come to Him and thank Him for always being there for us even when we have let him down. We thank Him for being our divine helper, and we go to Him in the midst of a trying time in our lives, and we beg Him for wisdom and instruction.

...and the beautiful thing about that is that we can do it over and over again!!!

There is nothing wrong with going to God over and over again with our problems. In fact, He delights in the times we seek Him!

However, if we are going to Him for wisdom and instruction then we have to be willing to take a breath, and give Him time to respond to us.

He might not respond with an audible voice, but He will speak to you through His word!

He loves to listen to you, so cry out to Him!

He loves to speak to you, so listen to Him!

As I got up from my chair Rudolph was still talking to JS.

I smiled as I walked past them and found myself saying a little prayer for Rudolph.

I also said a special prayer of thanks for the way that Rudolph's little red light led me to the realization that the Lord is our great friend! He is always there to listen to me no matter how many times I might need Him, and He will give me wisdom if I will stop and take the time to listen to Him.

You are a bestseller!!!

Have you ever thought of your life as a book?

Every season we go through in life represents a chapter in our story. Some chapters are really long and boring. Some are filled with so much excitement that its seems to leap off of the page! Other however are saturated with tears and sweat which leave permanent imprints as a reminder to us of the battles we have faced and fortunately survived. Regardless of how difficult or enjoyable a chapter is, eventually it comes to an end and a new chapter begins.

Today signifies the end of a chapter in my life. The title of this chapter is called "Ada".

Some of my chapter titles have been very dramatic.

Here are some examples:

"The sadness and despair of being a non-traditional college student"

"I think I'm dying...or...I have cancer...or...I don't know what's wrong but I must be dying"

"I'm HOW OLD?! WHAT THE TRASH?"

"Poor, poor, pitiful me"

...and, my personal favorite

"I am NOT a drama queen!"

Although the title of this current chapter in my life is not as dramatic as some my previous ones, the name says it all.

"Ada"

This simple title carries with it some of the richest and dearest memories that I have created throught the course of my novel thus far.

Here are some of the characters and special events that took place :)

Those are just a few of the pictures that represent a portion of my life in Ada.

With the closing of this chapter a new one is getting ready to begin! I will be moving to Moore, Oklahoma in one week and I'd like to preview some of the events that will take place in this upcoming section.

"Help! I'm lost...again"

"Look mom I can swim" (seriously at 28 I am going to learn to swim at the YMCA-no pictures will be provided for this embarrassing adventure)

"new friends, new faces and social gathering disasters"

"AFRICA!!!!!!"

...and of course

"Skydiving! (this section will include the portion on pooping my pants as an adult...j/k, but seriously)

So those are just a few of the new challenges I will face in the upcoming days and months.

How about you? How is your story coming along?

Have your chapters been filled with hardships, pains and despair? Have you had many joy filled chapters? Unfortunately, as we journey through life we can't escape the unavoidable sadness and misfortunes that sometimes plague a chapter, but we can control how we respond to those disasters.

If you find yourself stuck in a season that is boring, make the choice to end it!

The beautiful thing about writing your story is that YOU are the writer!

So get on with it already! Start a new chapter and write it the way you want it to be read!

Hopefully, my new journey of ups and downs will inspire and encourage you to turn your story into a bestseller!

Happy reading, and writing!