Judah woke up at 2:18 a.m. He was very restless and immediately I knew he was about to throw up. Before I could respond, the first round of many to come took place. Judah threw up all over me, himself, and our bed. Right after he puked, he said, “Mommy, this is not a good idea.” Caught off guard by his funny repsonse to the whole situation, I laughed and said, “Your right, Judah, this isn’t a good idea.”

In all the mess of the night, all I could focus on was caring for my sweet baby. As I reflect back on that event, I am reminded about the love and care that Jesus shows to us. Sometimes we make an absolute mess of our lives, but in the middle of all the mess, His focus is on us. His focus is on caring for us. He wants to rescue us, clean us up, and rock us in His safe, secure, and loving arms.

I don’t take any moment for granted any more. Continually, I look for the gem of wisdom or the reflection of love that God is trying to grant to me. I had a brief conversation today with a friend. In that conversation, we both made the comment, “God never waste a hurt.” He doesn’t. I also believe that He doesn’t waste an opportunity. The Word declares that what the devil meant for bad, God turns around and uses for good.

In Romans 8:28, we know that “God causes everything or ALL things to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.” God’s help is an everlasting promise to us. And, He has the ability to manage every detail of our lives. Even though we sometimes face sufferings at this present time (Romans 8:18), God is able to make those sufferings work together for our good and His good.

So, the next time you find yourself staring at a yucky mess and make the statement like Judah did, “This is not a good idea,” remember the promise in Romans 8:28. It is for those who love God. God will manage those messes and work them together for your good and His good. Why? You are called according to His purpose.

My 28 Thanks:

1. I am a mom.

2. God entrusted me with Judah.

3. Even though I finally went to sleep at 5:00 a.m., It wasn’t difficult getting up at 7:00 a.m.

4. Gary helped me clean up the mess when he got home from the fire station.

5. Judah woke up in a great, rested mood. I guess he just had a weird, out of nowhere, stomach bug.

6. I don’t have a long commute to work.

7. I have a peaceful, stress free drive into work.

8. I usually get to talk to my mom every morning while driving to work. I am glad our schedules allow for that.

9. I don’t have to search for a good parking spot when I get to work. When I was in college, finding a parking spot was an endless chore. I always felt like a vulcher cirlcling its prey, waiting for the right opportunity to dive in and defeat my  rivals who were also circling for the “spot.”

10. Judah was thrilled to stay home with his daddy today.

11. The cool, morning air is so refreshing.

12. Pastor Sam taught an awesome chapter out of the book, Relaunch.

13. I enjoyed hearing him teach. He is a great communicator. I am glad he is on my team.

14. We had great, thorough discussion over a topic in the chapter. I love having passionate discussion.

15. I got to present two big projects to my team today in staff meeting.

16. We are meeting deadlines for really BIG projects.

17. I love accomplishment. Accomplishments are better than ice cream. I felt accomplished today.

18. My friend, Debby, brought me Mary Kay makeup because I ran out. She saved my face…wait, she saved others from seeing my face without makeup! Ha Ha…

19. My friend, JaQuisha, is celebrating her birthday today. She is a blessing to everyone who encounters her sweet, selfless spirit. She is a great friend, leader, and every kid LOVES her. I am honored to know her.

20. A friend sent me a sweet text with scripture for encouragement.

21. When I got home from work, my bedroom was clean, sheets were washed, bed was made, and dinner was being prepared. My husband is amazing.

22. Grilled food never disappoints.

23. Gary, Judah, and I had a fun night in the play room. We built a tower of legos that almost went to the ceiling.

24. My friend, Lorry Gail, has been instrumental in writing and story boarding this year’s Christmas Production. I love working with her. We have had a blast writing together and picking out props.  I think we found our puppets tonight.

25. Starla brought me lunch today. She is so sweet, thoughtful, and makes me laugh. She loves friendship and pursues me. She is good for me and tries to keep my life balanced. I am thankful that she is in my life.

26. Lori is a preschool leader rockstar. She and I worked out a new leader’s schedule and I think it is going to improve our staffing issues.

27. When you know who you are and whose you are…you are unstoppable!

28. Progress.