Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NLT

I don’t think God wanted us to “wonder” how He felt about us having joy, spending time in prayer, or even feeling thankful.

Using words like “always,” “never,” and “all,” He certainly didn’t leave room for things like…

“when I feel like it,” or

“tomorrow,” or

“when I have time,” or

“when life is going my way.”

Today was the first day for Todd and Olivia to go back to school after two weeks of snow days!

But Olivia woke up very sick. She spent the day at home with me. Coughing, sneezing, wheezing, trying to get comfortable.
Tim is picking up an inhaler at the pharmacy as I type, because the antibiotic alone doesn’t seem to be making things much better.

I feel a little overwhelmed with Olivia needing my undivided attention, all of the things I need to do for Nick’s foundation and the reality that I have GOT to start working on the online class I am taking….

I have been putting it off until Nick’s dinner was over.

So tonight as I sit here with a grumpy and sick Olivia under a blankie, piles of papers on one side of me, my Bible beside me reminding me that I am several days behind in my “reading the Bible through in a year commitment, a kitchen full of dirty dishes, Todd on the computer upstairs (he talks to his friends more on there than I do in real life!), knowing I need to be subbing more and more often, missing Nick with every beat of my heart, trusting that Erich and Evan are safe at college, and Tim coming home from a long day of teaching and a night class, I read the verse above and I remember that God isn’t one to beat around the bush….

No He definitely tells it like it is.

And His will is this…

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances.

So I am going to lean back and soak in His will for me.

It’s actually kind-of freeing to know I don’t really have a choice!

Smiling in spite of my surroundings,