(Sigh.)

So a few times a week I workout with my in-law siblings at Tryon at 5:15 in the morning. At first it was suicide, but now I love it. It gets my work-out in, and me home in time, to still have coffee in bed with my husband before starting our days.

But this particular morning has left us baffled, depressed and worn out. I got half way to Tryon and realized I forgot my shoes. I turned around and raced back and was slapt with a $125.00 ticket. Heading back home, completely defeated and dreading telling my husband, all I could ask was "why God?"

So now, our $125.00 ticket is sitting on our counter, next to my husbands $200.00 ticket that hasn't been mailed yet. Needless to say, at this point, nearly half of what is in our Wells Fargo account will soon become a nice donation to the flipp'n state of South Dakota. Oh, and did I mention that I dropped my cell phone in a sink full of dish water yesterday?

Perspective.

There are people being skinned alive, tortured and hunted down for their faith. I guess we don't have it so bad. We did just receive a free T.V., my computer ended up getting fixed (for the most part), and our daughter gets to go to horse camp practically for free.... so as always, things will fall into place.

It's just hard, isn't it? The unexpected's. You try so hard to get ahead, and just when you think you're almost there, you get body slammed out of nowhere.

Jer and I know that God has a purpose for our lives that is much different than the norm. And it seems God's trahing, for whatever that purpose may be, includes NOT being allowed... EVER... to feel comfort (not even an ounce) financially. UGH!

Our hearts long to give more.... but we can't give what we do not have. I would think God WOULD want to bless us financially because we are soooooo hungry to pay forward in ways that people have payed to us. There are sooo many people in my life right now that I have wanted to bless financially, but over and over... and over, God says no. Bless them with something else.

One day we will look back and understand. Until then, we just keep enduring one step at a time. If you are reading this, could you maybe take a quick second to just pray for our spirits? For Jeremy and us to find joy, peace, and patience today? To find a determined drive and attitude of "you are sooo not going to win this, Satan!" For me to find these things so that I can be a good mom today, not a crabby irritable one?

Thank you. Your prayer will have power and will bless the people I come into contact with today. Who wants to be around a crank?!

Until next time... press on to win the race, right? (sigh).... At times like these I wish I were a smoker.

Just kidding. (kinda).