If Someone Had Said...

• ...That I would be the Mom of five kids in ten years after getting married. I would have said,  "No Way! I only want to have at least three."
  
  However, God planned for me to have five and now with five, I would not change anything because I can not imagine life without them.
  
  
• ...That I would be homeschooling all of my kids through all of their school years. I would have said, "You have got to be kidding, I am just planning on getting them through their elementary years! I know that I have a bachelor's degree in teaching but I am terrible with English, esp. grammar, never took trigonometry, and definitely have not a clue about chemistry or physics!"
  
  However, God is working on my heart and I just may be teaching trigonometry in a year or two! My oldest is only 13 years old and is already doing Biology, Algebra 1 and reading college level books for enjoyment reading!
  
  
• ...That I would be dealing with a parent that has been diagnosed with dementia. I would have said, "No Way! My parents are in relatively good health, aside from being diabetic, they will grow old with all of their mental capabilities!"
  
  However, God has a different plan!  In the last six months, my mom has been diagnosed with progressive dementia.  Before the diagnosis, an outsider looking in would have thought that my mom "wore the pants" in the family.  She did all the bill paying, cooking, managing the household while my dad worked his blue collar job in the auto parts factory.  Now looking in one would find my dad, now retired, struggling and stressing to take care of my mom and everything that she once did with ease.  Also now one will find that I have become their power of attorney and come into their house once a week to help my dad by doing some grocery shopping so there is food in the house, taking care of their finances by paying bills and making calls to companies who are looking for their money to let them know the circumstances and figure out a way for my parents to pay their bills without too much in penalties.
  
  
• ...That after fourteen years of marriage, I would be dealing with a "bombshell" of emotions surrounding my hubby's humble confession of an addiction to lust/p*rn.   I would have said, "How can that be? I married a Christian man with strong values.  You must be wrong!"
  
  However, God showed me that my husband is human and has struggles just like me!  Granted, I have been a naive in my thinking that my husband would have these kind of struggles because I never heard or saw my Dad have this struggle so I just figured that my husband would be just like my Dad. Boy! am I wrong!  God is working on my heart and showing me that forgiveness needs to be part of my story everyday!  God is showing me that my marriage is something that takes work and is worth fighting for against an Enemy that would rather destroy it.

It is so amazing to know that God has planned out our life!  He did that even before we were even known to the world (Psalm 139).  God knows exactly what you and I are going through right now and He knows what troubles or triumphs we will face tomorrow or next week!

Praying today for those of us that are facing troubles that we just don't know if we will make it through them.

Praying today for those of us that really need to feel the presence of God in our lives as we go through the troubles of the day.

Praising God with you for the troubles in our lives we have conquered today with His help!

Praising God today for the all the triumphs in our lives!  Isn't it great that we have another day of life to celebrate!?

...and there you have just a glimpse into my thoughts today!!