The Surprise of an Old Journal

Where is it? It has got to be here, oh maybe this is it...I start to read throught the pages of an old journal I had when I was in college. The ups and downs of campus life seem to come trickling back to me. This wonderful worn journal had other things in it too! The death of my Grandmother and my new married life and step-motherhood to a talkative little girl, my then 4yrs. old daughter Gina.

It was wonderful to find these memories, I had almost forgotten that I had written them down. Thank the Lord for giving me the wisdom to write these things down for you never know when they will minister to your soul.

That's just what they did. Gina is the oldest of four, the precedent setter. The one we learned on. She is now 17 and going to graduate for highschool. Due to circumstances with her birth mother I was unable to "formally homeschool" her. Little does she know, but I did homeschool her when she was very young. I taught her, her numbers and letters, how to write her name, first and last, colors, seasons and the months of the year. I also told her about Jesus and his love for her.

Sometimes the inbetween years can be long, grueling and discouraging. I have had those moments that seemed to linger in my mind. Heartache often conceals the way things used to be. I found this journal with precious nuggets like: telling grandma at 5yrs. that she can't have too many jelly beans "because they make me WILD!" or
"if possible I would like to have lunch first and then get my little botton in bed for a nap"

Finding this journal was like opening up a pop-up book and with wide-eyed pleasure seeing the page pop into a magical scene. Gina just finished compiling her college application's personal statement and what a pleasure it was to listen to her articulate so elloquently her thoughts and newly found and growing wisdon onto the page of the computer application. With the guiding hands of the Lord he opened the page of Gina's life and I saw it pop out of His book. Such a joy to see the handiwork of God, it is such a marvel to me. She is not complete yet, none of us are, but she is on her way. By God's design she is one of a kind and for that I am truly thankful!