Surrendering to Joy

     I am struggling, you all.      I hate to admit that, and the fact that I even typed it has taken me by surprise. However, I want to be as open as possible with this blog. That doesn't mean I want everyone to know every single detail of my life! But I do wish to be honest and up front with you. I want to re-learn how to be truthful about my feelings, and I want to finally grasp the concept of asking for help and prayer when I need it. I want people to be encouraged by the things that I write, and to realize that they are not alone in their troubles and hard times. Sometimes, however, that means I have to be open about the issues I face that are ONGOING and not already fixed, sealed, and put away...      So, I wanted to write my next post about ongoing problems and troubles that I deal with - I just have had no idea where to start. Then, the Lord opened my eyes to what I believe to be one of the underlying causes of the struggles in my life. No surprise there, as He is always

     As I'm sure most of you have gathered from the title, this post is all about those small, ordinary, everyday things that everyone tends to take for granted. I know, this subject has probably been beaten to death for some of you. Bear with me though! I believe it is SO important to learn how to really SEE all the miracles that are around us; even those tiny, seemingly-insignificant events... "We look for visions of Heaven, and we never dream that all the time God is in the commonplace things and people around us." Oswald Chambers           The idea for this post started running through my brain awhile ago; back before Father's Day, actually! Two days after school ended for the summer, I left for a short vacation down in Florida. At the time of this current post idea, I was in one of my most happy places: on a plane. I love flying, you all. I feel much more comfortable on a plane than in a car. Especially when I'm heading to another of my happy pla