Jennifer McGee

Each day can be just another yesterday, if I just sit back and do nothing. Each day matters in itself and can affect a lifetime. Even the worst day is important because it allows me see my character flaws. Who do I trust myself or God?

For several years, I have dreamed things I have only shared with my husband. Would they ever happen? I love the story of Joseph because he had dreams when he was a teenager and they didn’t happen until much later in his life.

Some of the dreams God gave me are becoming reality.

When major road construction is happening a detour is planned to take motorists on an alternate route. It gets them to the same destination, but just on a different road.

When things don’t go as planned I think of these things as detours and not distractions. The scenery may look different and the experience is not what is on my map.

This week has been a detour. I had planned to start this week out spending time with my boys and volunteering at the office. With a kidney stone and Papa in the hospital, things have not gone as planned. We are traveling on an alternate route.

When traveling on a detour, my attitude affects the ride and the other travelers. I can be thankful that God is faithful and that my steps are ordered or I can complain that this isn’t the route I had planned. I think I’ll choose to thank God for being faithful.

Caring for my tomato plants, flowers and herbs has been therapeutic for me as I have been healing.  Some days I have only been able to deadhead the flowers or test the soil. Other days I have been able to carry out all the responsibilities of caring for these beauties.

Yesterday, Noah informed me that I had suckers on my tomato plants.  Since this is my first go at tomato plants, I definitely didn’t have a clue. He said Papa showed him on the plants the other day while I was in the hospital.

So Noah and I took some time to prune the tomato plants of the suckers. The suckers want to hang on and get the nutrients, but don’t produce fruit. God spoke to me about things that I allow to hang around  in my life that are suckers. Suckers drain the life out of me. 

Now comes the hard part, pruning the suckers from my life.

Most people don’t  create a blog with the idea that they will kill it, but it happens. I am going to tell the story of how the author of  this blog killed it. Let me first clarify by telling you this blog has never received 1,000’s of hits per day.

The author started out this blog as an online journal to share thoughts and feelings. She didn’t even think anyone was really reading it until she began receiving emails from people who had been helped by her entries. She was committed to share her life online with people no matter how painful or mediocre. She wanted for people to see her struggles and triumphs in a way they could relate to.

Life happened. She took on an extra job, had numerous medical procedures out of town, began transitioning someone into her job,  and the list goes on. She found in some of her life experiences that she wanted to share, but couldn’t at the time she was dealing with them. How could she tell the world she was preparing to step out of full time ministry when no one knew she was doing it?

This was an amazing opportunity for her and her family. She would be able to stay home all week and work one day a week at a job she could pick up pretty quickly. She would be able to stand by her husband in a time when he needed her most and her children would no longer have a nanny in the summer, but their Mom. 

Life happened to this blog. The author is hoping that with a less strenuous schedule to breathe some life back into this blog.

Noah, Adam and I planted flowers a week ago. I was a little nervous to blog about it until they had lived at least a week. My plan was to plant a few herbs, but Noah and Adam went with me to purchase the pots and really wanted to plant some flowers. How could I say no to them? 

I don’t know what got into me, but I also purchased tomato plants. What was I thinking? I have wanted to grow them for quite some time and have been reluctant to even try. With the change in my schedule coming I thought I would try them. 

I will keep you posted on the herbs and flowers. Nothing has died yet and everything is growing. Watering and dead heading flowers seems to be my new hobby.