Journal July 28, 2014, Monday, 1202 p.m.

///// Journal July 28, 2014, Monday, 1202 p.m. //// I'm at one of our favorite diners. Going to meet B, my hubby. What a nice surprise. /// As I drove here, I kept praying about what You, Lord, wanted me to write, and I heard, "Write your story, which is our story. It isn't just your story or Mine. It's ours." / Lord, is really what I heard? Is this what You want me to write? Did I hear this correctly? / I also heard, "Write how you got here and how it's made you who you are." Is this correct, Lord? / How'd I Get Here and Who Am I? //// If I were to write my life story, what would it be called? / Huh. Good question. / “Life's Storms Bring New Growth (My Life Story)” / Huh. I really like that. //// Every day has its storms and sunshine, which brings about new growth. The question is whether it will be abundant or stunted growth. Do we stop and acknowledge this or just keep hurrying through life, just getting by? Will we realize how each moment of every day is a blessing or will we choose to view it as a curse? Will we acknowledge the necessity of growth or ignore this fundamental? Growth is essential. If we fail to grow, we fail to mature. If we fail to mature, we remain stagnate, as we are and where we are. // Every storm is a blessing. // Everything I just mentioned is something I learned early in life. I knew this was true. Life, and my dad, taught me this was true. My application of this is what has strengthened and waned over time, though. Sometimes I’ve been more successful with living this out than at other times, granted, but it is always my goal to try to live intentionally and live out these principles.

(Image credit: Stacy Duplease and Remembering Your Present, LLC 2014.)