A Time To Think

My family and I are currently embarked on a cross country trip.  We have been away from home for over a month and we are in the middle of driving from Salt Lake City to New York State.  Not a quick trip to say the least.

We have logged close to 20 hours of driving time so far, and I have spent most of that time thinking, reading, sleeping, entertaining children, etc.  Even though I do not like to sit in a car for hours on end, I have found myself enjoying this trip a little more because I have all this time to spend with my family.  I have the time to focus my whole attention on my children, and I love that.  I don't have laundry to do or a house to clean.  All I have is hours in a car with my family.  This will end once we get back, so I am determined to make this time worth remembering.

Remember Him

Today has been one of those days.  You know the kind when all you want to do is get ready and that seems to be taking hours to accomplish because this child needs a nap but won't fall asleep and this other one needs a nap and is getting into trouble because he is so tired but I can't put him down because of the first one's current nap strike? 

But today I am lucky because I am here with my mom and my sister, and when I about lost it they stepped in and took the baby so I could put the toddler down for a nap. 

As I was laying down by my son, I was reading scriptures, and I read a verse that talked about why we have trials in our lives. I learned and felt very strongly at that moment that we experience struggles so that we will remember God.  

Before I had this time to lay down and ponder, my thoughts were not focused on God because I was so focused on how stressed I was and how overwhelmed I was with my children. I believe that we experience trials so that we will remember God because that is what happened to me today.  In the midst of that chaos, I was reminded that I am not alone.  I am constantly being watched over and guided

Even though the baby is still not asleep, my son is.

Even though I am still not ready for the day and it is 3:30 in the afternoon, I have experienced a tender mercy that I feel will buoy me through the rest of the afternoon.

I am grateful that I have hard times because it reminds me that I am not alone.

Still Here!

I have not forgotten about this blog or my plan. I have been out of town for a couple of weeks, and will be gone for another couple weeks visiting my family while my hubby is in Israel for a school project.  It has been so wonderful being with family, and I have taken lots of pictures.  I will post some of them soon.

Here is one to hold you over though:

I have been thinking a lot about my 3rd pursuit; writing and how to incorporate that on this blog.   I am not sure how interested others would be of my random thoughts and writings, so I will think more on that and post soon how that is all going.

I hope everyone has been having a wonderful summer!