look beyond the obvious

Charli has had a great week! Yesterday was a big day for her (for her mommy too!). Charli ate food really well yesterday! She had lasagna for lunch, yogurt for snack, and a chicken nugget for supper! Today she ate well at daycare and took a nap! Naps have been a challenge the past few times because she wants to play with the kids all morning!

Chali (like I need to remind any of you) is getting so cute! She will pinch your nose, and laugh when you HONK or BEEP! Everyday we can see her learn something new and it is such an amazing thing!

please take my picture mommy...I want to play!

ha ha, I got you!

catch me if you can!

playing catch with my cousin Bryant! (he tried so hard to teach me how to say 'Bry' this day! Someday I will get it!)

I think I have talked about "signs" on here before. I am always afraid that I miss the signs God is given me - no matter what it is! I have prayed for guidance in knowing what to do with Charli, and worried that I misunderstood the signs I was given. I have prayed for advise on other areas of my life, and again worry that I miss the signs I have been given or read too far into something that isn't a sign! This is a struggle for me. What I ask for in prayer more than anything else is just the ability to SEE the signs that He has given me, and will continue to give me in the future. Either way...I received this story in an email from a friend and it reminded me of my constant struggle to "determine" the signs and signals given to me from God. I would like to think I am not the only who who feels like I don't have a clue...so if that is the case, I thought others might enjoy this story.

The Package
A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted.

As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he l loved him.

He handed his son a beautifully wrapped gift box.

Curious, but somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the young man's name embossed in gold.

Angrily, he raised his voice to his father and said, "With all your money, you give me a Bible?" and stormed out of the house, leaving the Bible.

Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old and thought that perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day.

Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care of things.

When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search through his father's important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had
left it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. His father had carefully underlined a verse:
Matthew 7:11, "And if ye, being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly father which is in heaven, give to those who ask Him?"

As he read those words, a car key dropped from the back of the Bible. It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words... PAID IN FULL.

How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not packaged as we expected?

I trust you enjoyed this. Pass it on to others. Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; but remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for...

IF YOUR GIFT IS NOT PACKED THE WAY YOU WANT IT, IT'S BECAUSE IT IS BETTER PACKED THAT WAY! ALWAYS APPRECIATE LITTLE THINGS; THEY USUALLY LEAD YOU TO ATTACHMENTS!

Never pass up an opportunity to tell someone how you feel about them. When it comes to good friends, or family: forgive, forgive, forgive! It's never worth the pain to hold grudges, go years without seeing someone, or missing an opportunity to say I LOVE YOU!
Life is so short and you just may never get the chance to tell them
again.