The Joy of Planning

Wow, the year has come and gone and here I am, sitting at the table, thinking of what needs to be accomplished in 2007. There have been tears and laughter in 2006, but in retrospect, I see that we didn't do a lot of the things we planned to do. We didn't travel to visit family like we have in the past. We didn't go camping like we said we were going to do this summer. We didn't succeed in a lot of things! But oh, what a JOY it is to know that even though we failed to do some things, we didn't give up!! And we jumped right back in with both feet to plan for another year. This time though, I really do hope that we will actually do more of what is planned and less regrouping!!!

My kids are growing up soooo quickly and I look back at my childhood and see a lot of things that they have missed out on doing. Like a yearly rendezvous in the Ozarks for a week! Camping by the bank of Lake Oauachita, fishing in the ice cold water, and listening to the river flow by as we drifted off to sleep, nestled snuggly in our sleeping bags. There are pictures of my little brother, sister and I, playing in the water, fishing off logs, swimming in cow ponds, and helping to wash the dishes after the nightly fish fry. I fondly recall the VERY first time we went down a water slide. What JOYous fun! But here we are, running the rat race to pay the next bill and my children don't know what it is to feel the mud ooze up between your toes, or to dip your feet in a hot mineral spring.

So, what do I plan to do about this? Well, I am determined that we will go camping at least once this year and that we will spend some quality time with our precious babies and teach them how to just relax and let go of the worries of school work, pleasing friends, or even pleasing yourself. Perhaps, they will grow to look back fondly on their childhood and will remember lessons learned from nature and how majestic God's creation truly is! And if we fail to follow through with these plans, God forgive us and help us to get back up and start over again!
Oh, Lord, let these JOYful days of the new year carry over into each new day and may we always turn to YOU the true source of our JOY!!!!

This is a simple little chorus God gave me at 12:15 AM, January 1st, 2006:

"It's a new day, a new day, let the Lord change your life. It's a new day, a new day, when He frees you from sin and strife. Just open your heart. Let the healing start. Let go of your sinful past. For it's a new day when you surrender to God"