of GIANT encounters

Last week in my thankful stories (which I wrote exactly a week ago even though I didn't publish them then...I'm not too good with timelines) I wondered why I was afraid when I met giant Goliaths in my life. Well that was a good thing to wonder but since I wondered that I have came upon several giants and shivered in fear in front of each one, needlessly. For some terrible reason I failed to immediately ask for power to fight goliath but instead cowered for long minutes in front of him, fearful, until he sensed my fear and began to chase me back to the safety of dismissal. He would go away for a while but then suddenly, through the valley, would ring his loud taunting cry "are you afraid to fight!?" And I would begin the scared cowering circle all over again. But God is endlessly merciful. And when I decided I needed help He helped me fight goliath. Kill him til he was so dead that all his friends ran in the opposite direction; this time it was them who were afraid.
I don't don't don't deserve the kind of mercy God showed me, the kind He was waiting all week to extend as soon as I asked him for it. Why do I let my fear for goliath control me instead of my love for God? God has so much more to offer than Goliath.
Off to another week of Goliath-encounters. And this time I'm going to let God do the fighting.

It's been a rather difficult week, mostly emotionally, for me. I've cried I've sighed I've ranted. And one night courage overcame and I learned from the difficult things I was facing.

The Things I Learned This Week:

•always be kinder
•just when I think I know a person they surprise me
•make the best thing of whatever happens to you. There's always something to be happy about.
•don't allow Satan to control me. He doesn't deserve the power I give him over myself
•the Bible is more alive than I am
•be a humble hero (derived from bs discussion)
•I might have been happy and content yesterday but that doesn't mean I am today. Every day I have to choose faith over fear.
•learn from the negative things people say about me (cause they might be true) but don't let them break me
•popular. Typical. Trendy. Normal. Labels don't matter. Be my strange self but always be kind. In the end it doesn't matter whether I'm like everyone else but whether I'm a kind person.

(And it's only Wednesday)

>>sunset watcher, watching the clouds set tonight; not the sun

Tiny Stories of my Life

First, a background. I often make lists of things that make me smile or that I'm thankful for and send them to my friends who do the same to me. This is my latest compilation;

Little stories that are my life or that I observe are the things I'm thankful for this time around.

I watched someone young helping someone old, listening to his garbled unintelligible words; understanding that person's needs when he couldn't even voice them. And I was in awe because that is a good picture. A picture of how life should be. The able helping the unable. The strong helping the weak. The young honoring the old and wise.

In contrast: I also watched someone older bending down to help someone smaller, listening to the child's little voice, understanding it's needs and focusing on the child more than on himself. I was in awe because that is a good picture of how life should be be. The able helping in the incapable. The learned helping the small innocents.

I walked the lengthy path through the cold air after hockey expecting to get into a chilly car but to my happy surprise I found that some kind anonymous had turned it on for me so I could happily climb into a cozy vehicle. I like being the recipient of anonymous kindness. Or any kindness really. Thankyou, Kind Anonymous. I hope I chance to do something kind for you one day.

The brave boy sat there and calmly admitted that he'd stopped doing that (something none of us had even thought of Not doing) because he'd heard questions about it at conference.

Another story I didn't want to forget to add to a thankful list and almost forgot now: The happy event of the biz Christmas party wherein my employers treated their employees (6 of us) to Brazilian deliciousness and gave them sumptuous gifts and let them fail miserably at archery to their ♡s content. Beautiful singing on the way back to town and then a cup of tea completed a perfect evening.

The story of this busy week of singings and meetings and hockeys and out-4-suppers and pancakes&swatgames every night and an after party at papa&grannys with AllTheCousins (⬅a very nice chapter, this one) is too long to narrate but let it be said, it is a good story.

A child sleeps in the bed across from mine, perfect and beautiful and in, her sleepingness, totally angelic. I love her and every night before I go to bed I look at her in awe that God lets us have her. Her story didnt begin very happily but I pray for the following chapters of her story to be better, so much better.

I read a good story today, about a boy fighting a giant very bravely with only his faith in God and some tiny stones to help him win. I was supposed to be teaching this story to young children, telling them about this superhuman feat and that God can help us overcome any giant, if we ask Him. Somewhere in the story, or maybe in the things the children said about the story, I learned new things about God and the courage and power He will give anyone who asks Him and I wondered why I am ever even afraid of Goliath.

I like stories. I like writing the (true) stories of my life but also I like hearing the stories of your life. I hope you are living a happy story today.

From the Sunset Watcher