Blessing Count (8, 1, 4)

Re: "I should try to remember that it's not what I want that counts, but what God can do with what I have, or how He can change my life circumstances to give me what I need." (From Perfectionist!!!) and "You can’t get down about the story God is writing for you by reading other peoples totally different stories. By doing that, you’re missing out on the joy of your own life... there’s not much I’m supposed to say to you except that you’re asking the wrong person to tell you what your abundant blessings are right now. I don’t know. But JESUS does." (From an email from Laura.)

So what Blessings HAS God given me?

1. Being Spiritually Married to Jesus, and learning that God is my Dad.
   
2. Love from Jeff (my brother), Erik, (my Spiritual brother), my Spiritual Sisters, Laura, Jeanette, Genneya, Lichelle, Stacie and April in particular, as well as Angie, Nadia, and a few other friends I've recently met through April, and "Annie" (as I'm now nicnaming my Anonymous friend who's also my Spiritual Sister)
3. A professional relationship/friendship with Sharif, the guy who works on my web site, and also with Michael, who worked on it before Sharif. Nice, casual friendships with Gabe and David.
   
4. Kindness from the Kleins (family friends, though I don't get to see them or talk to them hardly ever).
5. The ability to have a web site, a blog, an IMer, email... Basically, the Internet is a huge blessing. Remember life before the Internet? We found ways to make things sort of fun, but, well, this is a LOT better, I think. At least it is for me. Massive communication tool, free flying information, and good shopping sites! All from the desktop of Caroline.
6. My car, Jeb. That's right folks, had to trade in old Norm three and a half years ago. He was falling apart at the seems. Amazingly, I actually got $200.00 for him. Sadly, I think Jeb is headed in the same direction.
7. Restoration of friendships and finding Love in people I never knew could Love me.
8. It's humanly possible for things to be positive between me and mom, if I work really, really hard at it.
   

What can God do with what I have?
Not really sure at this point. That's for Him to reveal as my Journey continues.

1. God has told me to start packing. I don't know where I'll be moving to, or when.
   

How can God change my life circumstances to give me what I need?
This is where Faith comes in, because there are some changes that are pretty clear to me that God will be making in my life.

1. Move out of parents' house.
2. Get married sometime in the future.
3. Have kids afterwards.
4. Actually find out what it means to ENJOY family life with other family members who also take time to ENJOY each other and life together in God.
   

Notice that career isn't on that list? Well, to be honest, at 31 with a rather pathetic resume and work history, I think the idea of having a serious professional career may be shot. I never did see myself as throwing myself completely into a career anyway, aside from doing paintings, which to me is more of a hobby. The closest I came was to operating my web site full time, after it's been completed. That can't happen until I am able to pay for the work myself, so I need a job just to do that alone, much less anything else. Anyway, I don't particularly WANT a career anymore, though I used to think I wanted that (as a women's conservative yet women's libber - yes, a person CAN be both, or at least I am anyway).

Well, that's all I've got for now. I'll be updating this over time, and will change the (#'s) in the title as I do so.

(First published: May 11, 2006)