Sitting on the beach
listening to the waves
coming in, going out
I feel the stress melt away
with each coming and going

It's as if something reaches inside him
with the coming and
pulls and releases what he can't let go of at home
pulls it completely out of him
and pulls it back into the ocean where
it is dispersed through the water

This happens to me too
It doesn't matter how often I am there
With each wave - stress is released and disperses
I can feel my heart slow
I can feel my eyes relax
My breaths seem to take on the rhythm of the water

I know this is my home, my peaceful place

Do you see yourself? Do you even see the reflection in the mirror? Do you hear yourself? Do you hear the words that come from your mouth? I am amazed - but not at how utterly and ridiculously hard you make it for your daughter; no - I am amazed at my God! I am amazed that He thinks enough of me, considers what I am facing enough, or even cares enough about ME to make sure I am affirmed and encouraged after what you unloaded on me. He is amazing!! I thank you God for loving me enough!!!

He is in everything

So, I've been struggling lately with my life. I don't want to be working outside the home, and honestly, it has affected my attitude. I am thankful I have a job - in times like these, one needs to remember having a job is a blessing. And that is just it - I have found I need to remind myself to count my blessings. I look for God in glimpses throughout my day, and He always shows Himself.

On my way to work at 6:45 when it is too dark for me to see well while driving, I get to watch the sky find the first shimmer of a new day. God paints the sky in the most beautiful colors, and really, He didn't have to make it that way. I love watching the color flood the rest of the world. It reminds me of how He floods my life with blessings and how He loves me and through me.

During the day when a student comes to me with a problem and is thankful I have an ear willing and ready, I am reminded He called me to where I am, and He has work there for me to do for Him. The times I get to see a student use the gifts He has given them to create something in class are nothing short of amazing! When I laugh with my students over something someone has said, and I can truly appreciate the sense of humor pervading my classroom, I know He is there - giving me more reason to be thankful.

I struggle - but mainly when I fail to start the day with His plan instead of my own. When I watch the colors spread across the sky in the mornings, I need to see that as His plan spreading across the sky and to send a prayer of thanks to Him for letting me play a small part in His work.