GRATITUDE

That's all I have today.  You know, as parents we're always trying to instill things in our kiddos, morals, values, faith, things that truly build their character.  I think sometimes when we step back as they get older (even times when they're younger) we can learn so much from them.  Pat and I have always been brutally honest with our kids.  We don't hide our struggles, failures, mistakes.  We let them know that we're human too, we still mess up, we still have emotions and faults.  It's how we work together to overcome them that matters.  I'm not sure how many people are aware but at the end of March Pat and I both lost our jobs.  My company was generous with a 60 day paid notice and severance, his was just immediate.  As scary and as devastating as it was we knew that our kids were watching how we were going to respond.  I know so many families go through this and it's scary and difficult but this is when our faith is generally strengthened the most.  Through that we decided to start going back to church instead of just watching online.  We are still new and getting plugged in to a new church but we both have felt refreshed and excited about the change.  Alaina has willingly been going with us on Sundays which says a lot for a 16 year old to willingly get up on her day off and go to church 😊. We started listening to praise and worship music again, listening to sermons throughout the week, etc to try to stay encouraged.  Thankfully Pat found a job and has already started which was a TRUE blessing.  I had interviewed with a company several times, was extremely hopeful only to be told they went with someone else and I was back to square one.  

Needless to say I was a little disheartened.  I'm still forcing myself to get up and look for jobs as if it's my full-time job.  Today I just wasn't feeling it.  I wanted to stay in bed and hide and just wallow.  I was texting Alaina while she was at lunch and to say I am proud to be her mom would be an understatement.  There have been so many times over this past year that each of us have been going through something and the others are there for encouragement.  I always dreaded the teenage years but I have to say, they've been some of my favorite years.  Declan will randomly text Pat and I and thank us for encouraging him, helping him, pushing him a little when he needed it to do things scared.  But today, Alaina sent me some texts and I was blown away at how mature and encouraging she is.  I am blessed beyond measure and grateful for the chance to parent them.  I'm so sad that they'll be leaving the "nest" soon but I'm so excited to see where they end up in life.  They're both going to do great things!

Sometimes we teach our kids and sometimes they teach us and both are okay and needed 💗

Ever have a plan and things don't go according to it?  That has been the course for this year for our family.  I decided that this year I was going to keep a "blessing jar" which basically has one strip of paper for every week of the year.  I've forced myself to think of at least one good thing that we're grateful for every week.  If you've read my previous blog posts you'd know it's not been the easiest task but yet we're striving forward.  

I am beyond grateful that I started walking with Jesus when I was 18.  It's not always been easy or the "popular/fun" thing to do but I'm thankful that I also have friends that are Jesus followers.  They're encouraging, pray for us, are standing with us through the highs and lows of life.  One of the things I am most grateful for is that God gives us peace beyond our understanding (Philippians 4:7).  Throughout all of our circumstances and everything that's happened through our marriage and personal lives, I've always found comfort and peace that cannot be explained to others.  Right now, Pat and I are both without a job but I am thankful that God promises to work together all things for good for those that believe (Romans 8:28).  Change is almost always scary but it it always brings about growth.  We don't have to fear change because God doesn't give us a spirit of fear.  In fact the Bible tells us to "fear not" 365 times in the Bible.  That is one for every day of the year and I don't believe that is a coincidence.  Now that our kids are older and understand what is happening, I pray that their faith is strengthened and they never have to question that God always takes care of us.  Even if it's not exactly how we thought or expected, his ways are always better than ours.  Sometimes he has to give us a little nudge to get us out of our comfort zone in order for us to grow into what he has planned for us. This song (actually a lot of hers) help me to not focus on our circumstances but on God and what he's done before and he's the same yesterday, today and forever.  

Lauren Daigle

This same thing happened to Pat and I when the kids were really little.  God provided then and we're trusting and have faith that He will do it again.

"Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?  And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?" (Matthew 6:26-27 ESV)

"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.  Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." (Matthew 6:34)