Dear Reader:

Have you ever observed (on television) terrible areas of the world afflicted with AIDS, starvation, and unhealthy drinking water…yet the little children are excited over every small improvement in their lives and bright smiles flood their little faces? They are warm, friendly and hospitable…always welcoming.

These images put things quickly into the right priorities in life…family and faith are their most important values…values that trigger smiles and grins with eyes still alight with hope.

Yet here, in our country, so many of us sit and play the “When-Then” game of prerequisites to happiness. It starts early in life. I remember thinking that my life would be perfect “when” my braces were removed (finally) my senior year in high school and then I would look better and be more popular. I did smile more and admittedly my confidence grew a little more…but deep down inside nothing had changed…I was still the same old me…with the same hang-ups as before. My hair was still frizzy and I was still a stick. (Ah…the good old days!)

Don’t we all become pretty adept at this game? I hate to admit it…since I truly am happy most of the time…but I still play the game in ‘down’ moments. My personal game looks like this when the worry monsters attack my sleep in the middle of the night.:

When I get one  bathroom completely over-hauled, one kitchen floor repaired…then I will be happy.

When I gain control over my pending health issues, then I will be happy.

When I see my last child, Tommy, marry Kaitlyn this May, then I will be happy. 

When I get this or that payment paid off, then I will be happy. When I get this much in savings, then I will be happy.

When everyone in the family is happy, then I will be happy. (right!)

You get the picture…in fact I bet most of us can still play it quite well when we get in the slumps and let those worry monsters dominate our thoughts instead of counting our blessings.

I have already seen more of the world than many people on this earth ever will. I have never gone hungry or homeless or destitute. I have and am living a “charmed” life.

I think I need to write the two words “WHEN” and “THEN” on two poster boards and burn them both in a  bonfire…because happiness should have no prerequisites. It should be instantaneous…felt straight from the heart at that very moment.

It should read NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happiness came yesterday when Anne stopped by for supper and took pictures of the daffodils we planted.

The sun was going down and it’s rays seemed to be going straight through the flowers- they were all lit up!

Azalea Alley! I wake up to it each morning!

Happiness is good friends and watching my garden grow!

 So until tomorrow Father be with our church community as they mourn the loss of an already much-loved child we all adopted in our hearts…even before his birth. Please be with the parents and families involved and also provide all of us the faith we need during this difficult time for a courageous couple in our midst.

Merciful God, your Spirit intercedes for us even when we do not know how to pray. Be present among us now, that we might find comfort through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Savior.

Libby’s granddaughter, Hailey had surgery yesterday to remove tonsils and adenoids….little sister stayed with “Nana” throughout the surgery and was so happy to be reunited with her big sis. So glad things went smoothly Libby for all the family.