A Box of Blessings

I want to encourage you to visit a few new places today. On the side bar you'll see a new blog listed, Comfort in Chaos and a web site for Snappin' Ministries.

Both of these are the gifts of a marvelous pal of mine, Barb. She is both an encouragement to me and a great, fun person to hang out with in real life or on the web! It's all your fault Barb, I danced with you today!

Anyway. Barb has encouraged me often, just simply by living her life and answering the calls that God gives her. Sometimes she encourages me in a real tangible way too.

Yesterday I was having a very long, dark day. I even whined, a lot, to one of my very wonderful, very long distance friends. I stomped my little foot and crabbed and longed for days gone by. I was looking back at a life already lived and seeing how sweet it was. In the end, I was recognizing what I'd been told before about that time in my life. It was a gift.

Those precious years in Madison with my little safe circle were so very sweet. They were a gift. They were learning years. I learned that I was so much more than I thought I was. That was the beginning of growing up for me. They were a gift that I would be able to savor for years to come.

This morning I was feeling better, but still having quite the morning. It's hard with the way our family life is to get into a routine and then stay in it. We have a lot of different needs, many, many appointments and visitors. There are lots of tasks to be done. There are lots of needs to be met and hearts to be loved. It can take a lot of energy and some days it's really hard not to just stop.

As things got better and the sun came out, I still had those lingering feelings of my closest and dearest friends being the ones the furthest away or the ones that struggle to stay in touch. I have plenty of pals around here, but those deep relationships take a lot of time and effort to grow and I haven't found just the right people for that yet.

In the middle of all that junk on my heart our door bell rang.

It was the post man. With a box. A box from Barb and Snappin' Ministries. A box of blessings and smiles. And dinner.

Barb and Snappin', thank you SO much. You've brightened a day, made dinner for tonight easy, brought a smile to my face and delivered inspiration to my door in a box.

You continue to amaze me.

Thank you!