My lot in life

I received a new calling last night. I was extended a release from teaching Sunday School for the adults in our ward and a new call was issued. My husband and I are to be the Cub Scout leaders for a group of little boys in our ward who have a really hard time together. I get the impression that there may be some bullying going on and that they really dislike one another.

I have loved my Sunday School class. The study it took to prepare lessons for them was stimulating and fun and very intense for me and I enjoyed the interaction with the adults in our ward. I will be sad to see it end; but if I believe that the Lord extends new calls (and I do) then, this is a new challenge and opportunity in my life to make a difference in someone else's life. These little boys seem to me to be comparable to the little boys that I used to raise in my own family. The Spirit whispers to me that this is right and that "all things work together for he who loves God." (Romans 8:28).

Allen and I have been given a great opportunity to affect the lives of our young Scouts for good; and we will, with the Lord's help, be able to do that. In return, these little guys may just fill a void in my life left by our own boys who have grown up and moved on with their own families and pursuits. I pray that will be the outcome.

So, with faith in God to help me and with the guidance of the Spirit to comfort and lead me, I will accept this new calling with anticipation, trusting in the Lord with all my heart (Prov. 3:5).

not many pictures but. . .

So today, I thought that I'd share a few Spring photos with you. I love Springtime in the Rockies, and I'm really loving the snow that turns to very green lawns and 75 degree days. Then we repeat that cycle again.

My dear hubby and I are getting away for just a few days. We are attending a wedding in our extended family and then sneaking north to visit grandkids for a day or two. We don't really know these grandkids very well. I'm afraid their parents are stuck in the "our lives are so crazy" excuse mode. We used to do that until we decided there are more important things in life.

I am so grateful that, early in our child-raising years, we came to our senses and I was blessed to spend countless hours with my little flock of delightful children taking walks, reading stories, making things and just listening. I wish that had rubbed off a bit more on them. I still hope for our in-law children to see the light. They were not raised the same way, and therefore, we don't really know some of our grandkids. Sad. . .

But I can't dwell on that, I just look forward to time away and time with my eternal companion alone together. That makes me smile. Here are some happy pictures. . .

Just thinking out loud

I love to see April snow--it's drifting down outside my window right now. I've got some ham and beans in the crockpot for dinner tonight, and I made a fresh batch of my very own Multi-grain bread and the house smells very sumptuous. The construction crew is still working out front on our Center Street Project. They are installing new gas lines to our homes today. I feel very cozy and happy inside with a fire in the woodstove, a good book (Truman by David Mccollough) to read, and some knitting to do for Mother's Day. I'm making some dishcloths and Amish scrubbies and I am very happy inside with plenty to do and plenty to look forward to.

Maybe later, I'll walk over to the Post office and mail some letters to my Grandkids or maybe I'll take a little walk down to the local yarn store and purchase some more baby yarn. I suppose that I could also deliver the blue booties to my neighbor. I knitted them for her to give as a gift to a friend. This day is a very happy one and I am a person who is never bored. I believe that is a gift from God. The gift of contentment.

Friends

I had a visit from two friends this morning. They listened to me whine about life in general. I had a very trying week last week, but do you ever complain to someone and then wish that you had not? These two friends, as I think about it have had much worse weeks this past week than I did, and they just listened with real concern, asking pertinent questions and . . .just really hearing me. I'm grateful they were the ones who came.

I have another neighbor who is a very take-charge, controlling personality, and it has become apparent to me over the years of our friendship that she really does not ever listen to me or to my ideas. She only wants to have me gush and rave about how great her ideas are and then have me do as she directs. That is not a real friend.

I think that true friends listen as much as they talk (which, by the way I didn't do this morning) and they keep confidences and give love and support as well as receive it. I was doing a lot of taking and not giving with my friends this morning and I will find a way to be more unselfish today. I'm grateful for the inspiration.

Listening , really listening is a great gift to give another person. Real concern and real confidence in your friendship is another gift. That's really what God gives to us when we pray, isn't it? I'm so grateful I can pray and be heard with genuine concern for my problems, and not only that, but I hope I can give gratitude and love back to my Father from the bottom of my heart.