Following God

Being a parent today is hard. We have so many things to worry about where are children are concerned. Drugs, gangs, and so much more, and the list it seems, just keeps growing. As a single parent we have added worries. Studies that say children from broken homes are more likely to do drugs and join gangs and fall down a path that is not what you dreamed about the first time you held that precious and innocent baby. We also worry about the people we bring into their lives. As a single parenting, dating seems scary, and it should. Who should we bring into their lives? Who should we avoid? Is there a right time to introduce someone you are dating? How long do we date before we introduce? Should we date at all?

Here is what I realized today, our paths are already predetermined. God always knows what path we will choose, whether it be the right one, or the wrong one, he already knows. I am famous for choosing the wrong one. As I look over the course of my life, I have usually chosen the wrong path. Dated the wrong people and even went so far as to dump the right person for the wrong person just to annoy my parents. Brilliance there. I don't dwell on the past, but sometimes we have to revisit the past to make changes for the future.

I know what I want in my life and what I don't want. Professionally my goals are clear and I am working on them now. Personally, I have a vague idea of what I want in the distant future, but then again my plans may not be God's plans an I truly need to follow God's plans for my life. I have strayed from God's path, but I realize now, that the only way my life will make sense is to follow God.

Also I am also great at focusing on the negative, (easy to do right?) Well no more. Every morning I am making it a goal to thank God for the blessings I have in my life. I am no longer going to dwell on what I don't have, but focus on what I do have. It may not be much, but its still more than some people have. A visit to my cousin in Utah reminded me that I need to focus on God and listen to him.

I am human and I will stumble and I will make mistakes. Some days it will be harder to focus on what the positive and the negative will seem more abundant, those are the days I need to fight harder to remember what I do have.

So, since I know there are those of you that read this, I am going to challenge each of you to count your blessings, put the negative aside and concentrate on the positive. Make a list of your blessings and Thank God for them every morning. There are more blessing than you think when you sit down to list them. Feel free to post a comment with one or two blessings you are thankful for. Here are a couple of mine:

1) I have four healthy and beautiful children who are the center of my world.
2) I am going back to school to obtain the degree I have always wanted to earn.
3) I am healthy
4) I am thankful for my ex as without him, I would not have my wonderful children. (and I pray for him every day)
5) I have a roof over our heads and though the situation I know is temporary, I am thankful for it now

There are many more I am thankful for, but these are just a few I wanted to share with everyone to help you get started with your own list.

Until next time.....