Blessed

While driving to work today, I saw this license plate: 3XBLSSD. My interpretation of that is "3 times blessed". I'm assuming that the owner of the silver mini van has 3 lovely children. Aforementioned license plate + mini van (dead give away to all of you parents out there)=CHILDREN. Would you agree???? I smiled as I drove by the "soccer mom" and began to think about all of the ways that I have been blessed.

While I do not have children of my own, I think of how much my niece and nephews are a blessing to me. I think also of my friends' kids that I have the pleasure of being around and how much I enjoy playing , laughing and spending time with them . I truly cherish the time that I am able to spend with the children that are in my life!

I absolutely LOVE the sound of a child laughing - it is a sound that I could listen to for hours because it is so contagious. As I think back to my trip to Guatemala, I can't help but think of all those little faces that lit up when we arrived at the school each morning. Every child vied for a spot in front of each one of our cameras so that they would have the chance to see themselves on the tiny little screen. Oh how they loved it when we took picture after picture of them! They would practically knock each other down in order to have their photograph taken. While in Guatemala, it occurred to me that most of those children have probably NEVER seen themselves. I'm guessing that 99.9% of the people in San Benito do not have mirrors in their "homes". I use that term loosely because, for those of you that have never ventured outside of the U.S. or are not accustomed to a dwelling place that doesn't look like a house, a condo or an apartment, the homes in some parts of Guatemala are rather "make shift".

I am blessed to live in a country that allows me certain freedoms: the freedom to speak, live where I want to live, work where I want to work, express my faith in a church with thousands of other Christians....the list is endless. So often we take these things for granted. I am so thankful that I have the choices that I do!

I am blessed to have a family. I am blessed to have friends. I am blessed by the fact that my friends treat me like family. I cherish the time that I spend with all of these individuals and feel blessed by their presence in my life.

I am blessed to have friends in my life that have played an integral part in my walk with the Lord. I am blessed by the encouragement, wisdom and insight that they have provided for me which has helped be grow in my relationship with God.

I AM
BLESSD