Grateful, blessed -- and yes, apparently, obsessed!

-- Praise God from Whom all blessings flow.
-- Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God almighty! All Thy works shall praise Thy name in earth and sky and sea .....
-- Grateful and blessed.
-- Praying in faith.
-- Oh what a wonderful morning for a summer walk, with it still in the 80s and a nice breeze at 10 a.m.

These are some of the thoughts that floated through my head during my walk Friday.
For reasons I don't understand, this week has been amazingly free and easy, and I am so grateful to God for that.

There are so many joys and blessings I want to share, that I don't even know where to begin. And one of the joys and blessings is that even in the many areas that aren't as smooth as I would like them to be, I can, for today, still experience the joy and light of  God's love and presence.

I know a big accomplishment for me was getting the front bedroom straightened up just enough that Mom could spend two nights with us last weekend. The room is by no means organized, and I had to move some boxes to the living room to clear enough space for Mom in the bedroom, but it is a great start for work I am determined to continue so that others also can come to visit.

As much as I wanted Mom to stay the second night, I feared she might get bored Sunday afternoon. We don't have company much, and it was too hot to do any of the things I would have liked to do such as walking on the neighborhood trail around the lake. But we went shopping and eating and had a great time. And then I took her to  the train station Monday morning. Even beyond words and activities, Mom's visit, including attending church with me, infused my soul and spirit with something rich. I thank God for the blessing of my Mom and her faith and that she took the step of faith to extend her trip one more day to stay with me, even though she'd been in Oklahoma almost a whole week.

God has shown me many times in preparation, during and after Mom's visit how He is faithful to guide me and make good things possible in my life. The weekend and the time since has been an affirmation of a  discipline I continue to develop: Seeking the Master instead of seeking to master circumstances of my life. (That concept was expressed so well this week in Sarah Young's daily devotional, "Jesus Calling," with the Scripture from Proverbs 3:4-6.)

(That was before 2 p.m.; now it's after 2 a.m. And now I must post this, even thought it's not really finished. I didn't have time before I went to work, and now it's well past midnight -- but I was lying in bed and thinking about this, and could tell I wouldn't be able to sleep  until I finished, saved, posted and shared. I'm not sure whether the fact that I got up, turned on the computer, let it get revved up and now I'm trying to finish this -- I'm not sure whether that's a positive or negative step for me. I'm having flashbacks to when I was a reporter and sometimes had to give up on a story. My blog deadline is arbitrary, set by me. But I have this inner feeling that I either need or just really want to honor the deadline, and that by doing so, it will make it easier to move forward. Waiting until tomorrow to finish this would set me back. There is a sense that it's better for me to do something and move on -- rather than wait until I can do something better.

I strongly believe God is very much a part of this and look forward to seeing how it will continue to unfold.