Jul. 3, 2008 - Thankful Thursday and Change of Plans
UPDATE: For those of you who have been following this entry, I wanted to let you know that dd's friend died last night. Please keep this girl's family in your prayers. They are positively devastated right now.
This week has been very busy, so I must take time to thank the Lord for sustaining me through running back and forth to 4-H judging. That is not something I enjoy, especially when it requires me to be several miles away from my home at 8:00 in the morning!
I am also thankful that I have not come down with the stomach virus that dd had earlier in the week. It was so bad that she lost 5 pounds. She also grew 1/4 inch taller while she was sick! I'm not sure whether to be 
or 
about that!
or about that!I am thankful for the blue ribbon dd earned for her ceramics project this year. 
Last year, the judge was awful. She stood right there and lied to the kids about how to get a blue ribbon, then she promptly gave them all red ribbons, even though they had done exactly what they were supposed to do. 
Last year, the judge was awful. She stood right there and lied to the kids about how to get a blue ribbon, then she promptly gave them all red ribbons, even though they had done exactly what they were supposed to do. I am thankful for air conditioning.
I am thankful that when I need wisdom, God is so good to supply it. 
I am thankful for my dh who works so hard so that I can continue to stay home, as well as homeschool our dd. 
I am thankful for places of encouragement that I have found online. Our local homeschool group has really dwindled. Not too many people attend the functions, so it is hard to find encouragement locally. I would be lost without my online "buds" to carry me through those tough times! 
I am currently going through a "change of plans" in a certain area of my life so I thought I would share this devotion with you. Perhaps it will encourage those of you who may feel like 
when God tells you it is time for change. 
when God tells you it is time for change. Change of Plans
Have you ever gotten heavily involved in a ministry, only to find that God pulls you away from it? You may feel disillusioned, disappointed, confused, or even angry. You may end up asking, “Why?”
Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God knows the plans He has for us. Notice the word “plans” is plural. God does not have just one plan for us, but several.
One way to look at it is to view our life in chapters. Some chapters are long and some are short. When God pulls us from one ministry, He is simply closing that chapter of our life. He is moving us on to the next another chapter.
When you read a mystery, the author will usually end each chapter on a suspenseful note, working to keep your interest. Excitedly, you move on to the next chapter to see what happens.
When God closes one chapter in your life, don't grow disillusioned, confused, or angry. Instead, look forward with excitement to see what plans He has for you in this new chapter of your life.
© 2005, Stacy R. Miller
