I have been mulling over whether to start blogging or not; wondering if I have anything worthy to say. I decided to take a leap of faith and just do it! My focus is probably small and may not interest too many folks. My life centers around God and family and work. These are the subjects that hold my interest, take my time, and give me pleasure. I turned 51 years old this year and I guess it is normal for someone in my stage of life to contemplate the past and reassess the choices made and wonder where to go from here.
I want you to know that I am not where I expected to be, nor doing what I expected to do. My plan was to grow old together with my husband; to enjoy retirement; to travel together; and enjoy watching our grandchildren grow up. Well God's plans were different for me. Isaiah 55:8-9 says, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Instead, my husband, Ralph, passed away on October 1, 2004. Thus my life began to deviate from my plans. My father passed away four months later on January 4, 2005 and I began school at Greenville Tec on January 10, 2005. My life was in a whirlwind and I don't know how I made it except to give all the credit to my Lord.
Since that time my oldest, Mike, married my dear daughter-in-law, Sarah, and they now have given me my first grandchild, Liza (the most beautiful child I have ever seen!) All my children have graduated from college. Sarah has a doctorate and Heath is returning to seminary this fall to continue his vocation. I have graduated and became a registered nurse and now work on the telemetry floor at St. Francis Hospital. Like I said, this wasn't my plan but God is directing my path and I am trusting him to continue to do so until he takes me home. My favorite verse is Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." That's all I really need, just to know He is my hope...
