here comes the sun!

The sun is shining!
it's Friday afternoon, one kiddo is sleeping, and our house is getting new siding as I write this!

The sun is shining!  Thank you God for matching the weather to my mood--I have been trying to maintain  an optimistic attitude this week and the sunshine streaming through all my windows makes the hope come so much easier!  It would be SO easy for me to find lots of things to worry about and spend my time creating a hundred "what ifs" about each for each of these various concerns...  but, I am choosing the more difficult and yet, I believe, the more joyful path.  As I teach some of my kids in our counseling sessions- one key "coping skill" is to decide what can and cannot be changed.  If there is a situation that you really do have control over or can possibly influence or change, then great- it's likely worth your time and energy!  however, if there is really, truly nothing you can do (besides worry)- then it is *not* worth spending your time and energy... because then it just becomes that worry or frustration repeating itself over and over and over.
so, today, I am deciding that I canNOT presently change Jason's problem with personal space... or Karah's lack of potty training with #2... or my dad's cancer... or the fact that our siding color is already decided (I just peeked outside and am wondering if it's going to look tacky with the color of our garage!)... or the cost of new siding... or the reality that other kids (and adults) might not enjoy my son as much as I do...

and while I will accept these realities, I will also choose to maintain hope that all of these situations will work out okay.  no matter what the outcome, everything really will be alright.  thankfully, I *know* this is true because I believe that life is about SO MUCH more than what we see and think and feel in our present moments.  this life is about love.  Jesus commands this and I am doing my best to focus on this truth.  I do have control over my actions and how I choose to direct my thoughts.
so, today, I am facing the sun and absorbing as much of the peace as I can... I'm quite sure I'll need to set some of this in reserve for those days when the clouds won't seem to clear and the unknown will feel scary and overwhelming.  but, for today, I am trying to embrace the uncertainty with hope and confidence.