some thoughts.....

i read this on a friend's blog (thanks christal!), and it was so touching to me and exactly what i needed to hear.

Parents, remember that now is your opportunity; you may feel yourself harassed as you struggle through the days with an unruly child, but you are living the happiest and the most golden years of your life. As you tuck them into their beds at night, please be kind to them. Let them hear a kind voice amid all the angry, vile voices that they will hear throughout life. Let there be an anchor to which these little ones can turn when all else fails. The Lord help you so to do.
-Harold B. Lee



i thought of the blessing that it is to be able to tuck your children into their bed at nights and to be the one who can calm their racing heart and that feeling of them snuggling up with their head on your shoulder, and i was just overwhelmed with gratitude for the blessing of motherhood. i'm not always a kind mother. i sometimes lose my temper. i am short and impatient when there's no reason to be, and i'm so imperfect. today though, i'm going to be kinder and more patient and give one extra snuggle here and there, and i'm going to soak up my little ones while i can. i want to be that kind voice and that anchor for my boys, and i'm just so thankful for such wise words to live by :) now....to find a way to put them up on my fridge to remind me of my sacred responsibility every day.

one more story/thought from the same wise friend's blog......

A young man was getting ready to graduate college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted.

As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his graduation his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine
son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautifully wrapped gift box.

Curious, but somewhat disappointed the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible. Angrily, he raised his voice at his father and said, "With all your money you give me a Bible?" and stormed out of the house, leaving the holy
book.

Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old, and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had
passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care things. When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart.

He began to search his father's important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. As he read those words, a car key dropped from an envelope taped behind the Bible. It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words...PAID IN FULL.

How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not packaged as we expected?

LOVE this story and the reminder to search for blessings in our lives and to recognize them and to give gratitude for them. we are so blessed, and i'm just so thankful for our little life and all of the people in it! happy blessingful sunday everyone :)