Life is a Treat

For the last few days my thoughts have been turned to "home" (aka Indiana) a lot. Mostly thinking of my nieces and nephews, but also my 84- year- old grandma who I've realized really isn't going to be around forever. I was just wondering when I would be back home to see them, but had no plans regarding making a trip.

Well....

Yesterday I received an email from Tracy Barnett asking if I'd write a little something for Pastor Appreciation Month for the Englers. I was, of course, quite thrilled to be able to do so. However, in her email she jokingly said something to the effect that I should just jump on a plane and fly up there to be with all of them. We both had a "Yeah right!" moment on that one and moved on. Well, let me tell ya what happened today! I was alerted by my Yahoo!Travel account that I could get a flight for only $100 round trip. At first I thought maybe I'd fly home for Thanksgiving, but wasn't really feeling it. Then Christmas, but I really hope some other plans come through at that time. So, nope, I wasn't going to use it. But then I remembered this weekend and Tracy's email and the fact that I had already requested Monday off for a personal day. So, like a bad teacher, I put my PowerPoint on freeze and bought my ticket while my students copied the notes and talked quietly. (Yes, I AM a bad teacher! But I had to act fast!) There is even a spare vehicle at my mom's that I can use for the weekend so there's no extra expense there. (Uh, yeah, Becky, it's our truck from the Texas trip! It'll get me there anyway!) So, I'm so excited now. I'm going to Indiana!

But my excitement stems from more than just, "Yay! I'm going home!" (Because "home" really isn't Indiana anymore.) It's like, once again, God has proven to me that HE knows the plans HE has for me. I don't have to know them, I just have to be willing and awesome things will fall into my lap...almost literally! It's the "little" things like this that are making life so, so sweet these days. It's not the huge things (although I do appreciate those!), it's the seemingly small things that bring a little extra glimmer of hope and happiness to each day because I KNOW they are gifts from God reminding me that He has my life under control. I love that feeling of safety and protection. I've never, ever felt this secure in my life and it's all because I KNOW that HE has me covered.

I've said it several times to various people that for SO many years it was like something bad would happen, I'd be knocked down, but then I'd get back up, a little stronger and a littler wiser and say, "Well, at least it can't get any worse!" Only to be proven wrong. Again and again and again! Until I finally just gave up and laid there. But now it's like the exact opposite. When I could no longer get back up, He came along and picked me up. And now it's like something good happens and I'm like, "Wow! Life can't possibly get any better than this!" And then it does! I feel like right now my life is a bowl of ice cream. Only, each bite I take I learn that it's all my favorite flavors in one big bowl! But not only my favorite flavors of ice cream, it's also got the richest, chocolatiest fudge syrup on it. Which is more than I asked for! But then I find there is also oodles of fluffy whipped cream! Ew! Yummy! Oh! And then I see the cherry on top! But wait! There are sprinkles, too! And, I can't believe it! A warm, fresh-baked, gooey brownie on the bottom! Wow, and all I asked for is a scoop of vanilla.

Yeah, that's sorta how life feels right now. And this trip to Indiana, it's just one of a thousand sprinkles!