Sunday, August 21, 2011

One last trip

A few weeks ago my husband's brother called and asked us if we wanted to meet him and his family at a cabin for the weekend. It was this past weekend, the last weekend before school started. One last trip of famiy fun before we got back to the grind of it all. So of course we said yes. We don't get to see this brother very much because he lives so far away. So any time we get a chance to see them we try and jump on the opportunity. While I was packing I said a little extra prayer that I wouldn't forget anything important. I always say my prayers and we always say a prayer before we leave on a trip, but this was a different prayer. I don't think that I've ever said one like that before, and to be honest it really didn't phase me until we were on our way. It was a great weekend! We had so much fun!! We were safe, we were protected, and I forgot more things on this trip than I care to count. I've never forgotten that many things before, but I didn't forget anything that was important, that I would need. For example, we all needed a bathroom break on the drive down, it was a 3.5 hour drive. So we stopped at a gas station. Before we started on the road again I went to the back of the car to get some snacks put for my kids to eat to hold them over until we got there for dinner. Then we started on the road again. The stretch of road we were on was a little bumpy and the speed limit was 80 miles per hour. After we had driven about 5 minutes it hit me, "Where is my wallet?" I had taken it in the gas station with me. I didn't want to leave it in the car. I looked all over panicking, and then the thought came, "You left it on the bumper when you got the snacks out." My husband pulled over as quickly as he could. I got out and ran to the back of the car. I almost started crying, it was there. My little wallet hadn't fallen of the bumper of our car! It was a little miracle. It was an answer to my prayer. My wallet had a lot of important things in it. If I had lost it I don't think we could have gone to the cabin and had the fun we did and made the memories we did. Our Heavenly Father does care about us, even the things that might not seem to matter when you look at the eternal scheme of things, he still cares. He does listen. He does answer.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Taken Care Of

Every summer I buy my kids summer movie passes. They see 1 movie a week though out the summer. It's usually an older children's movie, but it's still fun to go. Yesterday was the last movie for the summer. We were planning on going but then I didn't feel very well at the last minute. I called my sister-in-law, who goes with us, and told her not to expects us. She volunteered to come and get my three littles. I was so grateful for that, blessing #1, because I was able to take a nap and felt much better afterwords. When my children got home my sister-in-law told me what happened when they were driving to the movie. She was going to go through the intersection when the light turned green but hesitated, something she says she never does. Then just before she started to drive a car ran the red light going the other direction going extremely fast. The other car would have t-boned them and who knows what could have happened to my children, blessing #2.
Then today was really crazy. Yesterday before my sister-in-law said she would come and get my kids, I had told myself that I would just make it up to my kids and take them to the movie today. I had no idea that today was going to be three times more busy than planned, blessing #3, and I wouldn't have been able to keep my promise to them. I love it when I can look back and see that the Lord is always taking care of me and my family. I just need to remember to look back and truly "See".

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Blessings through Sickness

For the past two years I've done a Kids Kamp for my children and others. It's a lot of work, and also a lot of fun. This year it was scheduled for the 1st week in August. We had our first day on Monday the 1st. Then when we got home that day, two of my three kids were sick with a very contagious virus. I called all of the parents and they were all very understanding about postponing the kamp until the following week. I thought it was going to be a big burden. I had no idea what a blessing it was until that week continued. Besides the bad weather that would have made some of the activities impossible to do, I got really sick. Not the sick like my kids were, but my health sick that I've been struggling with now for the past 3.5 years. I haven't had a week like that in a long time. Looking back there wouldn't have been any way possible that I could have completed the kamp. I was so weak and ill. It was a tender mercy for me that my children caught the virus. A virus that they had been exposed to a week earlier that usually manifests in just a couple of days after being exposed. The Lord knew what my body was going to do and He knew that I wouldn't have canceled the kamp unless there was an extremely good reason to. Not only am I thankful for that tender mercy, but I am so thankful for a Father in Heaven that knows me better than anyone.