One Day at a Time

"I'm only human I'm just a woman,  Help me believe in what I can be and all that I am, Show me the stairway I have to climb, Lord for my sake,  teach me to take one day at a time".....

The old song is in my  head today. It's been one of those days when things seem so overwhelming. I'm not the most patient person. I'm not saying that I expect prayers to be answered immediately, but I tend to get distracted in the time in between. When Andy and I were planning our wedding, I started praying about our home. I've always known that this trailer wouldn't last forever. This particular trailer was made in 1970. It's been a good one, but Andy and I knew we'd need to move on soon or sink some serious money into repairs here. I think they define it as a "money pit." Right now we've got holes in the roof, holes in the floor.....well you get the idea.

So we started talking and I started praying. I prayed for the home that the Lord wanted us to have. I thought at the very least that we could upgrade to something bigger, 3 bedrooms maybe?

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,neither are your ways my ways,”  declares the Lord. Isaiah 55:8

Soon after I started praying the answer came. My Uncle and Grandpa were planning to move. They asked Andy and I if we would be interested in taking over the payments for the 1998 model trailer that is just across the yard from the one we are in. The catch? It's still 2 bedrooms, and the trailer needs a lot of work. Wait, I did ask for bigger, right? Our current home is 12x60 the 98 model is 14x60. It's not much bigger, it seems small, but remembering that the Lords ways are not our own, we said we'd take it. Then the waiting started.

I wanted so badly to jump in head first, to start scrubbing, painting, and renovating.  You know the story about the grasshopper and the ant? I understood the Ant's haste in preparation for winter. I wanted everything done by the time school started. Fast forward a few months. School is scheduled to start in 20 days. Here I am, still waiting, and according to my nature, worrying.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" Matt 6:25-27

I need to stop. I try to stop getting anxious about this move, stop being overwhelmed by it all. The Lord's timing is perfect right?

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" Philippians 4:6

It's pretty clear that worry isn't something God wants in my vocabulary. So I'm going to keep on singing. "One day at a time, Sweet Jesus..." If all I can do is pray and sing to keep my mind from worry then that's what I'll do. Prayerfully, Praising, and Trusting that he's got it covered.

A Blessed Life: remembering the past and looking to the future.

So, this is it. My first official post here on Raggedy to Retro. Honestly, I'll let you know here and now, that my thoughts are almost always random. I'm not a writer, nor will I ever claim to be. I do want to share some of my musings and experiences though, hence the decision to create this blog.

I'll start with the most recent event here in our little community. Memories of Falls Mill. For my whole life pretty much, this community reunion has been an annual event. My favorite part has always been spending time with my Great Aunts Shirley, Vi, and Ellie. What classy, beautiful, smart women they are! All of them have inspired me throughout my life. They have supported me and lifted me up, always encouraging me to do better and to live up to my potential. Unfortunately, Ellie recently suffered a stroke so the sisters weren't able to attend the reunion. Boy, did we miss them!

With my aunts and their families not in attendance, the reunion seemed small. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with my time there. That's when I met Clara and Irene. Married to distant cousins of mine, these two ladies were the highlight of my day. We sat and talked for what seemed like hours about antiques, family, and all of the blessings we've had so far. What I love about reunions like ours is the opportunity to witness first hand the blessings that come from the Lord. Generations gathered and sharing news of new births, memories of the past, and celebrating the lives of those who are no longer with us. It's inspiring to me.

I had hoped to share my own blessing with my Aunts, by introducing them to Andy. What a year it's been! The Lord has truly brought change in my life, and I couldn't wait to share it with them. I did get to introduce Andy to Clara. She shared with us how she and her husband have been married 63 years. Like us they started with very little. We can only hope to be so blessed in life and in our marriage as she and her husband have been. At the time I'm writing this we have been married 4 months. 63 years is a long time, and in this day it's hard to imagine such longevity in a marriage. It's something Andy and I look forward to, and  Lord willing we will get there.

Today I'm thinking on Proverbs 3:6 "In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths" ...a pretty good scripture to start with isn't it?  So as we start this journey together, I hope we can all remember to put the Lord first and rely on his direction. I know that in life, in marriage, in writng this blog, and in building our home His direction is going to be essential. My prayer is that we  can learn and grow in the Lord, strengthening our family unit through this process. I also hope that maybe the Lord will use this blog not only to speak into my life, but to bless others as well.