The Howell Blessings

I wake in the stillness of the dawn, thanking God for these quiet times to reflect on, and to give thanks for the blessings He has given me: Thank you Lord for keeping me safe through the night. Thank you too for waking me before the morning light. Thank you for giving me strength for the day that lies before me. And thank you Lord for reminding me to start on bended knee. Thank you for the love I have swelling in my chest,  For family, friends, and those Lord, I have not yet met. Thank you for the many blessings you have showered on my head. And I thank you Lord simply for blessing me with daily bread. In this early morning stillness, I give thanks from deep within. For without you Lord in my life, I'd be miserable in my sin. But you Lord have plans for me, plans for my future and my hope. Without you Lord in my life, I know I could not cope. As the sun begins its rising in the stillness of this morning, I thank you Lord deeply, for stirri...

I am thankful for new beginnings. The arrival of our new little granddaughter was much anticipated and long in coming. Not just the nine months of watching our daughter's belly grow, but the days of early labor and over 54 hours of hard labor, took its toll on everyone. While we all were rooting for a natural and speedy birth, our new baby was delivered to us via a C-section.  Photo courtesy of Dave Howell This precious new life is a gift. This baby girl, her very own name meaning 'Gift from God' reminds us all that God knows the big picture and we are just a small part of His plan. We don't know why this labor and delivery was so hard and went so long, but there is a reason that we will just have to wait to see why. For now, we are happy with this new little life. God tells us in  Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the  Lord , plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Gods plan for our f...