It is well with my soul today...

Lead the kind of life that ignites passion, love, humility, and righteousness; then, let others light their candles fom it. ~Miss Dottie

March 21, 2014

Dear God,

3/21/2013

Spring is finally here! We sure had a cold Winter this year and my poor gardens have taken a beating. By this time last year everything was blooming like crazy. I am sure praying that my rose bushes will come back from their bedraggled state.

First of all, today is my granddaughter's 11th birthday. Golly gee it seems like yesterday that I flew to Minnesota to welcome her into the family and hold her. What a beautiful, talented, savvy, caring young lady she is. Thank you for placing her in our lives!! Happy Birthday, Katrina!!

I wrote my last blog on March 11 and so much has happened since then that I barely know where to start. I do want to say thank you for answering my prayers each day and giving me inner peace in knowing that You hold the future and everything happens for a reason.

I love this quote by Seneca: "True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future, not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears but to rest satisfied with what we have, which is sufficient, for he that is so wants nothing. The greatest blessings of mankind are within us and within our reach. A wise man is content with his lot, whatever it may be, without wishing for what he has not."

This doesn't mean that I shouldn't want to have goals or to better myself. To me, it simply means that "today" I am content not expecting people to be what they aren't able to be or give what they cannot. It means, it is well with my soul today.

Madison & Jane

My daughter and granddaughter arrived a week ago yesterday. It was such a gift just to be able to tag along with them to visit colleges, shop, dine at wonderful restaurants, and share of ourselves. I must say, I doubt if we could have crammed any more into 7 days (including my stay at the heart hospital for 3 days AND Graycie being hit by a lady who was on her phone and not paying attention to her driving)! Good thing that I take life one day at a time 'cause it got kind of crazy.

Family evening out with my girls
 (Madison, Jane, Jill) &
son-in-law, Glen.
The Honey Badger Pizza was to
die for!! (Not really but it sure
was good!!)

"The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him." ~Psalm 28:7

It truly is a mystery to me how you work, Lord. Your timing is so perfect and you take those flops, fumbles, and pains of life and use them to refine us. I have learned to dig into the past to know what molded me ~ I have learned to live in the moment cherishing the sights, sounds, smells, and joys that come my way ~ I have learned to listen more and talk less ~ I have learned that in holding out my hand, some people will take it and others won't ~ I have learned that I can't be someone else's conscience nor can I live their life for them no matter how fast they are headed for that brick wall ahead of them. All I can do is focus on being a better me each day and staying teachable.

Father, watch over my Readers today. Help them to see the silver lining in dark dreary days. Fill them with hope, compassion, and your kind of love that transcends all understanding. Comfort those who are mourning the loss of loved ones. To lose a life's partner, a child, mother, father, grandparent, or friend is tough at best. I'm not sure that sense of loss ever goes away. I am so grateful that we have that hope in heaven where there will be unbelievable reunions!! Oh what a wonderful thought. And, btw, you know where that missing plane is ... I pray for your divine guidance for the ones searching. Uncover what needs to be uncovered and protect our nations from harm.

Amen.

Miss Dottie

NOTE TO READERS: The older I get the more I realize that history repeats itself. My favorite analogy is that of: "How do you cook a frog?" You put it in a pot of nice cool water (maybe add a stone for it to sit on) ... then, you start heating up the water offering it a refreshing sense of well-being ... before the frog realizes it, it can't get out of the water ... his goose is cooked! Let's not be like the frog in our daily lives. To that next right thing each day and let God take care of the outcome!