Engaged

...Before you start doing cartwheels, this post is not about a marriage engagement.

This post is about being engaged - fully present - in where we are, what we are doing, and who God is...RIGHT NOW.

I believe it was Jim Elliot who said, "Wherever you are, be all there."
This is a phrase that has stuck with me through many years. It's something I aspire to, yet something that seems so elusive, so difficult to put into practice.

At present, my reality is the four walls of this room. About once a week I leave the house to go to the doctor. Otherwise, my life is inside. It is small. It is hard to be all HERE. I'd rather take a trip down memory lane, to better days. Or dream about the future and what possibilities it might hold.

Yet, HERE, in this place, is where God has put me. This is where He wants me to be. This is where I need to be engaged. If there is a secret to consistently living life this way, I haven't found it yet. But I'm trying to start with this verse:
"This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." (Ps. 118:24)

I know my Lord has the best plan for me. I know I am exactly where He wants me to be. I know He always does what is good.

So here I am. Rejoicing in today.

Proud Aunt

Have I ever mentioned that I have the most adorable nieces and nephews in the world? =) They're also SO sweet to their Aunt Joanna! They pray for me, and draw me pictures, and just cheer me up with their tender hearts!
Here are some pictures of a few of them.