Anyhooo. Gladitude. In my family, for better or for worse, we are highly verbal. One of the things we do is make up words. Constantly. I give you: gladitude. It's gratitude + attitude. I think I probably made it up after one of my
1. My dtr was baptized in the lake at her Bible camp yesterday. I'd post pictures, but her pastor is in the shot, too, and I haven't rec'd permission. What an awesome experience. I got to assist. She was so ready. 10 children were baptized yesterday. What a celebration in heaven. To see her go through the Bible study and really KNOW what she was doing was so cool. So intentional.
2. My son enjoyed Bible camp, too, and for the first time ever, we dropped him off without watching him sob as we skulked away. He's just very sensitive. And...I love that about him, but no one likes to cry in front of peers, and a 12 year old boy is definitely at the top of the list of those who would rather eat live crickets than let his friends and older teen boys see him cry. I was light as air as my hubby and I took off from camp. I know a lot of parents have this experience when their child(ren) is(are) a lot younger. This was a first for us, and we reveled in it.
3. I had a counseling session with my son's counselor while he was at camp, and we talked about faith being the belief in that which isn't seen. Duh. I wish I had thought of that. No, I've been in a state of worry and anxiety about "whatifhedoesn'tfindhappinessgetajobgetmarriedbesomesoretofnormal???". She told me I had to get to a place where I believed David would be fine. And that what he became was neither because or in spite of me, but was controlled by God. Talk about an a-ha moment. And a moment of contrition on my part. I apologized to God for my lack of faith. She told me that David would respond to my truth. Period. Even if I say all the "right" and supportive things, his spirit will respond to my fears of his failure. Gulp. Admittedly, this isn't a total call for gladitude right away. But...it's true. And truth brings me gladitude. Big and I had a talk about this, too, and he shared his fears. It's okay for us to be scared, but we cannot be paralyzed by those fears. We still have to allow God to be God. And so that's what I'm trying to do. Pray for the peace and the trust for myself to allow God to do His work and me to be a witness to it. Another lesson in boundaries, I guess.
4. I saw another eagle on our Fort Stinky (the driftwood fort we made over Memorial Day weekend). He or she wasn't bothered by the rain and wind. Just majestically seated atop the fort, waiting for a delicious bite of fish.
5. I'm glad that it's August 1st. This is not self-promotion--really! But...each August, I send gifts (one or 2 a day) for one week to my Grandma (82) , who lives in Iowa. We call it "The Dog Days of Summer Holiday". My mom started it several years before she passed, and I've been doing it for the last 10. You see, there is no real holiday in August. I think my mom started this as a way to bring cheer to her mom, and after she died, I couldn't just let it end. So...my Grum loves lavender. Each year at least one of the gifts is or has lavender in it. With postage and the cost of gifts, I usually spend between $50 and $75, but I could be so much more economical if I wanted to. Usually, I'm behind the eight ball, truth be told, and I don't want to forget, so I send everything Priority mail. Some examples: a sachet, postage paid notecards/b'day cards, lavender scented hand sanitizer, little sewing gadgets/quilting notions, pictures of the family, bookmarks, restaurant gift cards, and of course a little note from me in each gift. I better wrap this up so I can get the first package off to Iowa! :)
6. Glad for the lovely bloggy goodness I get to read each day. You all lift my spirits, whether through a devotional or through the sameness we share in our lives as women. Praise God for each of you.
Soli Deo Gloria!
