Thankful Thursday

I received this in the mail day before yesterday. Unexpected.

Completely unexpected. Didn't order it. This is a solid coin to help me remember my committment as a Soldier's Angels member.

I've always collected angels and by no means think I am one (LOL) but I do believe in prayer and support to those in need. Interestingly the whole box here:

My membership card with the reverse side, key info to keep.

I feel blessed to have received this and will treasure it forever.

An incidental meet-up this week with a retired General out of the blue, struck up a conversation about the military, current issues, my son's deployment and reactions, and many more things. He was just "dropping by" to see his daughter at the time who is one of my good friends and he was so easy to chat with and he seemed to just tell me things that I needed to hear.

I don't think it was mere coincidence that we met that day and chatted for he shared many things with me that enlightened me and caused me search my soul. He told me about times that he knew that prayer was the only thing that saved him in a very bad time of one of his earlier days in combat. I listened to him in amazement with his stories and shared some our my fears during Brandon's deployment, and shared that honestly, as a mother years ago, I totally was against my son joining because I was afraid of danger to him. He said that was very common and he understood. 

 Through the years, life changes our views. Acceptance with the reassurance that God listens to our prayers is a consolation to me.

I'm very proud of my son as he does an excellent job at whatever he undertakes. He has endless energy and made me laugh alot.

I have learned through the journey of life that I can only be responsible for how I react to other's hurtful actions and words, and that God will take care of the rest.

I share this with you because life is so short and I do believe we have a purpose even in a shaded world.

I know there are people who use us for what they can get from us to better themselves, they even call themselves our friends. But the truth eventually comes out and I can make peace with that.

I know for sure that I'm not a perfect human being but I strive hard to keep my integrity through life. My fiber, I call it.

I know for sure that sometimes it's one step forward and 2 steps back, as with everyone.

I know for sure this is a committment that will make a difference to someone in the world and that's the whole reason for our very existance.

As I get to know this soldier through letters, please pray for me so that I can do my best to send him what he needs to help fight for our country. Sometimes I realize that as the poem The Weaver I posted the other day,

I won't know until the loom is unrolled one day, what the purpose for the dark threads were.

I know he needs prayer and that's one thing I know for sure.

There's several things I'm thankful for on this Thursday:

for knowing the difference in real friends

for the ability to work and play

for understanding some of the reasons why we exist

for finding ways to uplift and make a difference to those who truly appreciate it.

 for the courage, for understanding those that reject us and truly don't appreciate us,

for always since childhood believing in angels, for this is one sure way to console me that my kids are being protected.

for the ability to see, both visually and through the heart so many truths this year and beyond.

Here are 3 fat quarters I picked up at the local quilt shop.

I'm definitely not but an amateur seamstress and do not know yet what I will do with this fabric but I just had to pick it up when I saw it.

In God I trust,

Jennifer