Day 33

What I did:

Yes, my grandson was here again yesterday since I kept him all day Thursday through the night and into Friday afternoon. I was still able to get some things accomplished, and all in all it was a productive day (though Shelli said he was unbelievable active when she brought him to a birthday party afterward).

I also had a good day, making healthy choices about eating, though my friend came over with a carrot cake later in the day - I'm still eyeballing it this morning. Right after she left, I realized I hadn't boxed it up for her to take back home to her family!

I spent some time looking up verses in the Bible to get ready for Kathy to come over for our first get together. I also prepared a short theme to read out loud about inviting Jesus to come into my mind and thoughts, because often when the Bible talks about a person's heart, it is referring to the deep down passionate part of a person's mind as in the case when Mary pondered the things the angel had told her "in her heart". Often, as Christians, we teach little children how to invite Jesus into their hearts; I want to be sure that as He's dwelling in my heart, it includes every aspect of my thought life and desires.

Kathy did come over, and we spent time giving our testimonies to each other and discussing our personal prayer requests. What a blessing to be able to pray together! I had been thinking that I would like to get together with her each week, but wasn't sure she had the time, so I asked for her ideas on what to do next. She also wants to meet weekly and reach out through the week as well, so we were both on the same page before we even discussed it!

What I learned:

I have isolated myself pretty well. All of my time is dedicated to my children, and I'm pretty much content and enjoy the life I live. Though I am now single, I don't pine for a different life and I am happy with the freedom of pouring all of myself into my kids. I realized that God wants me to reach out with His love, also being willing to receive His encouragement through others. I learned that I need to find a balance and enlarge my focus to include not only my kids, but also others into my life. I believe I acted out of obedience in reaching out to Kathy. In my past, I looked at most relationships as tedious because I gave and gave of myself and rarely asked for anything in return, which left me feeling like no one really cared about me. Now that I am maturing, I realize that it is a blessing to be able to give of myself to others, and if done with the right attitude, I also walk away with a blessing. What a great lesson to learn!!

Until Tomorrow~~~Elizabeth