when my heart is overwhelmed

My heart was so full on Thursday night, after Graham's graduation service from the sheriff's department.  Do you get like that sometimes?  I know I'm not the only one.  I love the verse James 1:17 that says this:

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

I love that verse because it reminds me that everything that is good comes from the Lord.  I say it all the time, and I pray it all the time, when I'm pouring out thanksgiving to Him.

Back to my feelings of overwhelming gratitude.  I do get that way pretty often, and when I do, I love to turn to scripture.  I usually make my way to somewhere in the book of Psalm, because that book is full of praises to God.  I did that on Thursday night before I went to bed, and I just read a chapter out of the book aloud to Him, changing the pronouns and making it personal to me.

I woke up feeling that way still on Friday morning, so I went back to the same chapter and did that all over again.  I love what the verses say, and it was perfect for me to pray in gratitude.

I was in Psalm 92, and it starts off  by saying how good it is to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to Him.  Isn't that perfect?

It ends by saying the righteous thrive like a palm tree, and that part just about undid me.  Because really, who am I that God would even be mindful of me?

I don't know the answer to that.  I do know that I love Jesus.  My husband loves Him.  My boys love Him.   We spend time with Him everyday (most days, anyway) and He knows my heart and the way I pray over my family.  He knows.  He hears my prayers.

I know that no matter what happens, He is so good.  He is full of loving kindness.  He is faithful.  He is Redeemer.  He is my strength, my song, the strongtower that I run to continually.  He is my help and the lifter of my head when I'm weary and worn.

He gives wisdom to those who ask Him for it, He leads us in being the parent to four teenage sons, He guides us in how we guide them.  He knows when I am frustrated with one of them for being a little too much like a busy-body and He often shuts my mouth before I can say anything too damaging.  Because really, though the teenage years are fun, they are never easy.

He knows when one of them hurts, and He knows how much my heart aches over seeing them so hurt.  He strengthens us, though, and gives me words to say to encourage them.

I cannot imagine being a parent without Jesus in my life.  It's hard, period, but I am so thankful that I always have Someone to pour my heart out to, and who helps me through these years.

Thanks for reading my rambling thoughts today...none of this is new, I just thought I would share a little of what was running through my head on Friday morning, and really, every single day of my life.

Love to all.