Simply Tuesday

Happy Tuesday, friends!  I have to say that I feel so much better today.  I went back and re-read what I'd written on Sunday night when I wrote my Hello Monday post, and I was in a rough place.  I'd been emotional and had walked around wearing my heart on my sleeve, and any time that happens, I need to stay away from the keyboard.  Anyway, I know my mom was praying for me, and I'm grateful.  I feel normal again.  

Yesterday was such a gift of a day.  Neither Todd nor I had any place to be, so we sat at the kitchen table together that morning, he doing something for work, and me in my quiet time of reading the Bible, then we went into the living room.  He watched Live PD all day, and I read a book.  More about that in a minute...but it was nice and slow and we just enjoyed being together and quiet.  I love days like that.  

Also, last night is the first time I've cooked a meal since Thursday of last week!  It was a good meal, one that I've learned that we all love, thanks to being quarantined at home together.  When we were having the meat shortage at the beginning of all of this, I was at the grocery store looking for meat to make for my family that week, and came across boneless turkey breasts.  The first time I bought one, and every time since I've gotten two to feed us all.  Last night I made that with green beans, roasted potatoes, and Sister Shubert's rolls.  To the turkey breasts, I spray them with cooking oil and cover them in a Cajun seasoning.  You bake them at 325 for two hours, and they're perfect every single time.

In feeling so much better yesterday, I had some moments of extreme gratitude that we have seen all of the sets of parents within a week's time.  I do not ever want to take that lightly or for granted.  Years ago, Todd and I could have moved away for him to work somewhere else, but we stayed here near our families, and I can't ever regret that decision.  At times I wish we lived somewhere else, but I am forever thankful to the Lord for His gift of grandparents.  They all had such a vital role in the lives of our sons, and I wouldn't trade one second of that time for all the money in the world.

The boys are genuinely excited to see my dad again on Fridays.  They've missed him!  I have missed our time together each week, as well, this has all felt so unnatural.  I've never been one to stay away from family.  If you're a mom and live near family and are reading this, I know you feel the same way.  It's not always something we think about, but when I hear my sons talk about doing this or that with their grandparents years ago, I'm so glad for all those memories they have entwined with their childhood years.  They each played such different roles, all the grands, but not one was better than the other.  We are richly blessed to have lived this life here in the same home, in the same town I was born and raised in, for all of these years.  I love that my sons will always consider this home, and it's one of a million reasons as to why this will be our forever home.  (My husband will come around to this same type of thinking someday, I'm sure.)  While I never want to be attached too much to any earthly possession, I am so glad for all of this and that we have this beautiful place to live.

I'm probably thinking all of this because of the book I read yesterday.  My friend gave it to me to read and pass on, and it was wonderful.  It's called, You Can Trust God to Write Your Story, and it's written my Nancy DeMoss and Robert Wolgemuth.  It's all about the providence of God.  Isn't that beautiful?  I love that word, even though it's one that isn't used much anymore.  The whole book talks about how every single moment of our lives is divinely written and played out by the hand of an Almighty God.  Everything we have is from Him, and He is the one who gives people the ability to provide for their families.  He is the ultimate Provider, though.  Everything is for Him, too, when you live your life for Him and keep the right perspective.  It's why I always say that in the grand scheme of life, this or that doesn't matter all that much.  God knows how everything is going to play out, and just yesterday as I was driving along one of my favorite country roads, I remembered the verse in Luke 12:27~Consider how the wildflowers grow; they don't labor or spin thread.  Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these.

If He can take care of the birds in the air and the flowers in a field, how much more will He care for us?  Someone probably needs to read that again, and I know I was in need of remembering that over the weekend.   This is what I consider to be kingdom thinking.  It's a good mindset for us to have, those of us who are believers.  We may get sidetracked or distracted every once in a while, but we need to pray that the Lord would help us with taking captive those thoughts and making them obedient to Him.  

Thanks for reading.  Love to all.