greeting cards

I have this thing about buying greeting cards without having a specific need for them.

They'll make me laugh in middle of the store, or well up a little - or I'll buy them so far in advance of whatever I do need them for, that I can't find them and have to go back to the store - resulting in yet more unallocated cards.

This one I bought at LifeWay while picking up a card for my BFF a while ago. I stumbled across it today while considering cleaning out my work bag... I think, without knowing it, that maybe I bought it for me because it's what I needed to hear:

You are going through

trials and difficulties

not because God

has abandoned you,

but because He has

chosen you and called you

to know His heart.

-Roy Lessin

-----

"And we know that in all things

God works for the good of those

who love Him, who have been

called according to His purpose."

Romans 8:28 NIV

-----

There is a purpose

in what you are

walking through,

and God would

never allow it if

He could not keep

you close to His heart

and use it for good

in the plan He has

for your life.

Can I just take this moment to confess that no matter how many times I hear that God has a purpose for my life and that he will use all things for good... it somehow sounds new every time.



My heart tingles as though I've never heard that message before. I am God's. He knows me and knows what I need. He put this card in my hand in the store, and again this morning... I believe that - so why does it always come as such a surprise to me?

Dropping Gas Prices...

Does anyone else find this interesting...?

Let me outline it for ya:

-People freak out about the high price of gas.

-People buy less gas. (and less of everything because there's only so much room in the budget)

-Gas companies sell less gas. (and other companies sell less stuff)

-Companies see less profit.

-Companies freak out about lowered revenue.

-Investors freak out about lowered revenue.

-Gas prices drop.

-People buy more gas. (and other things)

If I have this straight, we're talking about basic supply & demand here...

Capitalism in our great free country at work!

Irish Soda Bread

This is courtesy my S-I-L. She made it for St. Patrick's Day and I'm suddenly craving it so I had to dig out the recipe. It's on the list for this weekend now. Maybe it will make it on to yours too!

Irish Soda Bread
3-1/2 cups unbleached flour (or use 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour plus 1 cup unbleached)
1/2 to 3/4 cup raw or brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick butter, softened
1 egg
1-1/4 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup golden raisins, cranberries or currants (soaked to plump)
1 teaspoon dried caraway seeds (optional)

Preheat oven to 375F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Cut the butter into the flour mixture, until crumbly. Add egg and buttermilk. Mix until moistened. Add raisins or currants and caraway seeds if desired.

Form into a round loaf on a greased baking sheet. Use a knife to cut a spiral or cross on the top. Bake one hour.

(She said that she only baked it for about 45 minutes and used all whole wheat flour. The original recipe called to soak the currants in whiskey I think, but she just used water overnight and it was oh, so tasty!)

He bought me flowers!

These are better than roses. Our front planter has been seriously neglected and I haven't had the time to do anything but shake my head at it... but my husband bought me flowers, and mulch, and killed all the weeds, and yanked out the half-dead plants (ok, he paid a friend to do it, but he got it done):



And didn't he pick pretty flowers!?! It's just fabulous!!!!

And he managed to take my car to the mechanic for new tires and an alignment and all that good stuff that will keep it from falling off the road with me in it!

Never mind about the empty toilet paper roll...

I have flowers!

And new, balanced and aligned, tires!

toilet paper

I just don't understand.

He pulls a new roll from the cabinet, uses a few squares (because the glue is gone), and leaves it sitting on top of the counter to be lightly dampened by the splashings of handwashing (at least he washed his hands)...

Really?

So last night I hit the edge. An edge maybe, as I've hit it before, made it back to solid ground and begun racing towards it again...

I am exhausted from work and torn in all different directions trying to be boss, valuable employee, wife, mommy, friend, daughter, granddaughter, and volunteer... Still finding time to sleep and attempt to remember who Tracy really is.

Could I get "restful sleep" in a pill form please? I just don't have time for it anymore.

At small group Tuesday night I heard (and preached a little) about the power and importance of prayer... even when you don't know the words to ask for what you need... even when you don't know what you need. So I stopped.

Between brushing my teeth and hopping in the shower I stopped and shared my heart with God. And I cried to him and gave him my burdened heart and heavy head. And he gave me a hug - which I expected. What I didn't expect was that he would tell me something too. He told me "You're doing a good thing" And I'm thinking, what? I'm doing a good thing by working hard and being a good employee that I'm away from the house for sometimes 14 hours a day and only get to see my son for an hour and a half before his bedtime. When I'm too late to cook dinner and too tired to stay awake to even watch a movie with my husband. When I can't remember the last time I just did something nice for a friend "because I could". What could I possibly be doing that's so good, God? "You're enabling your husband to grow and he's going to grow into someone who helps make My Kingdom known"

Well, how do you respond to that?

With renewed purpose (and some crocodile tears).

I go to work because that's how Stan can start his own company. That's God's plan for him. I'm just part of the plan to get Stan where God has set for him, but I'm part of the plan. All the hard work, stress, and emotional tuggings are worth it because He's worthy. God is worthy and whatever He's going to do with my husband is worthy and suddenly, I'm just glad to be on their coat-tails.