cigar?

so today's class had difficult parts as well, talking about daddy time and how your husband can soothe you, etc. - but the hardest part i think was actually when we broke into groups of moms and dads and drew out what we would pack for the hospital... - on the guys' poster they included a cigar... I instantly pictured Joe and his best friends  standing outside the hospital (off of the smoke-free grounds of course) smoking a cigar celebrating the long awaited birth of his daughter.

i want to go to sleep and wake up and have our daughter be here.  i don't want to go through the next few weeks and the hours of labor - it is going to be so overwhelmingly emotional for me to not have Joe there... and please don't say that he will be there in spirit, etc. etc. - that doesn't help at all at this point. nice thought, and no offense to those of you that have told me that, but no.  I'm not going to see this guy on this earth again and if he isn't going to be there kissing my forehead, rubbing my back, holding my hand, etc. during labor and delivery, I don't want to hear that he is 'there in spirit'.  I can't quite smile from that yet - someday, but for now it just upsets me.

This is my handsome husband... 

Another picture he took of himself while at work to send to me... how sweet, how precious, how sad.  He made me feel so loved, so wanted, so needed, so appreciated - it is heartbreaking that those feelings are gone and I am now laying here on the couch alone, typing a blog about my life.  lu 4ever joe

"We only have to live our lives one step at a time.  Perseverance is the key to reaching the finish line." - The Power of a Positive Woman, Karol Ladd

There is so much to share with you from Battlefield of the Mind, I will try not to over do it.

I am suffering, but because of God I know it will not last forever.
1 Peter 5:10 tells us:
In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.

If our thoughts are negative, so are our mouths, and therefore, also our lives.

I don't know God's plan for me (I just know it is much different than my own), but I know He loves me, and I will be blessed.

"Any time we don't get what we want, our feelings will rise up and try to get us into self-pity and a negative attitude."  We have to recognize immediately that we have a choice to make - we "could be irritable because things hadn't worked out the way [we] wanted them to, or [we] could adjust [ourselves] to the situation and go ahead and enjoy" life. (p. 47)

Joyce offers us the following when we are in deep pits of discouragement:
"Well, things are going a little slow, but, thank God, I'm making some progress.  I'm sure glad I'm on the right path that will lead me to freedom.  I had a rough day yesterday.  I chose wrong thinking all day long.  Father, forgive me and help me to 'keep on keeping on.' I made a mistake, but at least that is one mistake I won't have to make again.  This is a new day.  You love me, Lord.  Your mercy is new every morning." (p. 41)

see you at PV tomorrow? 10:45? you could go to 9, but I probably won't... either time it will be a great message, the conclusion of the Titanic series.