JOYFUL WORDS
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Speaking
  • Writing
  • Hospitality
  • About Sheri

Sandy Beach Towels

4/8/2013

5 Comments

 
Were I to count, they would outnumber the sands; to finish, I
would need eternity.  Psalm 139:18


As I write this post I’m sitting in the front seat of the family Suburban for the 14th hour today.  I have graded all my papers, figured some grades for the report cards that go home this week and I’m trying not to glance back at the mound of bags, laundry and sandy beach towels that will tumble out at my feet when I get home and lift the hatch. 

It was a fabulous week in Gulf Shores Alabama with more than a dozen seniors, their families and our two lovely “borrowed” daughters.  We laughed, played in the ocean and the sand, shopped, played games, went to Mass, ate lots of food, used lots of sun screen and then laughed some more!  It was an excellent week from beginning to end!  Great seniors…great friends…great scenery…great fun…and now back to reality!  It’s easy to slump in my seat as I think about the Michigan cold and the mountain of laundry, the report cards, the unpacking and the return to routine. We’ve counted the days for so long and now it’s all done! Then I realize it’s exactly that kind of attitude that satan loves!  He loves it when we wallow and fuss and wilt in our shoes, looking only at the negative side of life.  I’m using the drive through Indiana to think about things another way.

Somewhere in the Indianapolis traffic, I realized I needed to put my celebration hat back on!   I am blessed with a wonderful senior son who has some terrific friends that I enjoyed so much for a whole week.  I watched them hunt plastic Easter Eggs around the swimming pool landscape with the laughter of 6 year olds, the competitiveness of pro athletes in a title game and a carefree light-heartedness that was contagious.  I watched this group of seniors enjoy simple things like crab-hunting, pool hopping, wave jumping and endless games of sand volleyball including all the younger brothers and sisters who wanted to play. We laughed as they sprinted toward the Krispy Kreme donut shop when the free donut light came on; it was like they were about to win a hundred dollars. They were happy, fun, grateful and so easily entertained with the simplest things.  Their easy smiles and the sound of their laughter will keep me thankful for a long time. How many mothers of teenagers can say that!  

I’m heading home to temperatures 30 degrees cooler but I’m happy I got to walk in the ocean waves with the sunshine on my face.  It will take hours to unpack, do the laundry and vacuum all the sand out of the vehicle but I’m blessed to have a happy, healthy family that could run and play and get all that stuff dirty. I’m looking back at our kids and our two “borrowed” daughters with their sunburnt faces and sleepy eyes and I’m thankful we had so much fun it wore us out completely. I’m happy I have a job and
a routine to return to.  I’m happy I have kids that wanted to spend the week with us, and a husband that loves driving for hours and hours and would walk along the beach with me. While doing the dishes one evening after feeding the crew, the other moms and I saw a clip on the news of Pope Francis lifting a little boy with Cerebral Palsy from his mother’s arms and kissing him on the cheek and I was drawn to tears because my children can walk and run.  How can I be bummed out about the end of a vacation when I think of what that mother and millions of others like her go through each day?

Yup…the trip is almost over but I’m going to hang on to the wonderful and be extra thankful that God has blessed me in such a big way!  The sand will be cleaned up and the dirt in the laundry will be washed away but His blessings won’t be.  Who can be sad now…besides…the 2013 baseball and softball season begins on Tuesday…nothing better than watching your kids play ball! Vacation was great but God is greater!

A Seed To Plant:  Jot down 3 things you are thankful for right this very minute…gratefulness is an excellent way to jab a shot of joy in your day!
 
Blessings on your day!
 

                
5 Comments
Pat
4/8/2013 01:12:25 am

You call your blog..THE JOYFUL WORDS BLOG... it could not be a more perfect name. This mornings blog brought tears to my eyes...BLESS YOU...you make my day. THANK YOU!

Reply
Kim
4/8/2013 06:01:40 am

Great blog Sheri! I know your "borrowed daughters" had a blast and I'm so thankful they had such a wonderful group to spend the week with. Glad to hear you enjoyed the week as much as they did.
God bless!

Reply
Ann
4/9/2013 12:53:07 pm

Glad your vacation was great! Ours was too - and the blessings are countless! Welcome home...

Reply
Kathy Wood
4/16/2013 12:12:36 pm

I love that I'm now connected to Joyful Words via Facebook. Enjoy your time with those wonderful teenagers on vacation and at the ballgames. Time flies. I was also very moved by the Pope and the little boy. Yes, we have a lot to be thankful for.

Reply
Texon Towel link
11/4/2013 11:04:22 pm

Beach towels need to be very good quality

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Joyful Words magnet picture

    ​Click on the items below to expand the options available to you to explore the Joyful Words blog.

    Categories

    All
    1 Corinthians
    1 John
    1 Thessalonians
    2 Corinthians
    Acts Of Love
    Advent
    Ageing
    All In
    Amazing
    Anxiety
    Armor Of God
    Asking For Help
    Bad Habits
    Balance
    Baptism
    Be
    Beauty
    Being Gracious
    Blessed Mother Teresa Of Calcutta
    Blessing
    Blessings
    Brokenness
    Carry Our Cross
    Catholic Education
    Change
    Changes
    Cheerfulness
    Children
    Choices
    Christian Belief
    Christmas
    Colossians
    Commitment
    Comparisons
    Compassion
    Consistent
    Content
    Contentment
    Courage
    Crosses
    Crumbs
    Dad
    Daughters Of God
    Delight
    Desire
    Desire God
    Details
    Dicipleship
    Die To Self
    Discipleship
    Dissapointment
    Dying To Self
    Easter
    Ecclesiastes
    Education
    Election
    Encouragement
    Enemy
    Ephesians
    Evangelization
    Exodus
    Expectations
    Faith
    Faithfulness
    Falling Short
    Family
    Fathers Love
    Fear
    Flag
    Footstool
    Forgiveness
    Fresh Start
    Friendship
    Fr. Mike
    Fr. Mike Schmitz
    Galatians
    Generosity
    God In Everyday Things
    God In Scripture
    Gods Beloved
    God's Enough
    God's Forgiveness
    Gods Gifts
    God's Guidance
    God's Love
    Gods Love
    God's Plan
    Gods P Lan
    God's Restoration
    Gods Strength
    God's Timing
    Gods Timing
    Gods Ways
    God's Will
    Gods Will
    Goodness
    Good News
    Grace
    Grandma
    Grandpa
    Gratefulness
    Gratitude
    Greatness
    Gretness
    Grief
    Happiness
    Healing
    Heart
    Heaven
    Hebrews
    He Chose Me
    Holiness
    Holy Spirit
    Holy Thrusday
    Holy Thursday
    Holy Week
    Hope
    Humble
    Humility
    Identity In Christ
    Intimacy
    Isaiah
    James
    Jeremiah
    John
    Joshua
    Joy
    Judgement
    Justice
    Kids
    Kindne
    Kindness
    Labor
    Laughter
    Lent
    Lessons
    Light
    Listening
    Little
    Love
    Lovelies
    Luke
    Mark
    Marriage
    Mary
    Matthew
    Meekness
    Mercy
    Mom
    Mornings
    Mud
    Obedience
    Openness
    Parenting
    Parentng
    Patience
    Peace
    Pentacost
    People
    Perseverance
    Perspeceive
    Perspective
    Philippians
    Pioneers
    Pleasing God
    Poor
    Porch
    Positive
    Possibilities
    Pray
    Prayer
    Priorities
    Promises
    Proverbs
    Psalm
    Relationship
    Religion
    Respect
    Romans
    Sacrifice
    Sacrifices
    Sainthood
    Saints
    Samuel
    Scripture
    Seeking God
    Service
    Serving God
    Signs
    Silence
    Simple
    Sin
    Sinfulness
    Slow Down
    Small Stuff
    Steve Ray
    Stillness
    St. Mary's 4th Of July
    Strength
    Stress
    Suffering
    Surprises
    Surrender
    Temptation
    Thanks
    The Right Thing
    Time
    Troubled Times
    Trust
    Trust In God
    Truth
    Understanding
    Unravelled
    Valentines
    Waiting
    Weddings
    Word Of The Year
    Words
    Works Of Mercy
    Worry


    ​Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012


    Back to Home

    RSS Feed


      HOME                        BLOG                       SPEAKING                        WRITING                        HOSPITALITY                        MEET SHERI  

CONTACT: 989.640.6673
Picture
EMAIL

FACEBOOK

Twitter

Content is the intellectual property of Sheri Wohlfert 2017
Created by dhengesbach
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Speaking
  • Writing
  • Hospitality
  • About Sheri