Freedom and Celebration of Life

I have realized lately how blessed I am and how blessed I have always been. I have pondered where I've been how God let me go through things yet how He never let go of me. How much He is with me.

My daughter made the competitive soccer team, at least for a rarely given three month "tryout". During this next three months, as she has had for the last few weeks, she is taking full advantage of the opportunity to have practices with not only her teams' wonderful coach, but with the Sac State Women's coach and other visiting coaches. What a great opportunity this is for her, someone who has lived a life of soccer, but not had the chance to play in such an arena as this. As I arrived at practice the other night and watched her doing the drills and playing some scrimmage in one of the densest fogs I can remember, I remarked and praised God.

I thanked God for this opportunity for her. I thanked him for how I felt during this time. As I stood there in that misty fog under a tree that kept dropping drops of accumulated mist on my head, I felt free. I had nothing to worry about, or I chose to worry about nothing because of my faith in Him. I didn't have to worry that I had so much to do at home, that somebody else would be mad at me for any reason upon arriving home. I was free to stand there and enjoy watching her play and felt every bit grateful for that freedom so I stood there and just praised God.

I'm throwing myself a birthday party. I'm calling it Dianne's Fabulous Forties Finally Fly Forth. Long title for saying that til now, my forties - which I so anticipated in my thirties to be great, have not been so great, but now is the time and the rest of them will be wonderful. I am actually looking forward to it being a celebration of life, one that God is making happen.

I have been given a rental hall that holds 280 with a huge banquet room and a stage and a large dance floor at a price I can afford. I believe I have the music covered. The short program is coming together and one of my dearest friends is travling to be with me for this event. There will be a little kids area as well as an area for the older kids to hang out and play board games or cards. There will be great food as I am making some - that and I will ask people to bring something to share as I love not only sharing life, but sharing food. I am inviting everybody I know, because what an opportunity to bring these people together to share in this celebration of life. I just feel that God wants this to happen because everything is coming together as it should. Heck there's room for 280 and I want to fill the place with this joy, freedom, love and peace that God is filling me with. I just know that it is going to be a wonderful afternoon. Hopefully I will see you there.

Today I ask you to joing me in prayer that we don't walk by how we feel, but that we do take the time to acknowledge how we feel and rejoice in feeling good and grateful - even at times when we have cause to worry. That we acknowlege that God is great and sometimes, He really wants us to celebrate life.

Hallelujah!!!