This morning during our usual rush to get out the door we suddenly realized our daughter’s shoes were missing. We searched the shoe rack, behind the pillows on the couch, under toys, chairs, and dressers, on bookshelves and countertops. We looked everywhere! Her shoes had simply disappeared in what seemed “out of thin air.” How could this be? We knew they had to be in the house somewhere because they were on her feet when we returned home the previous evening. If you have children or are familiar with two year olds, then you know they can be pretty creative when it comes to hiding things…

Sometimes you use all your strength to muster every ounce of self-respect and courage you have within and you walk out within the first five minutes of a date…

I have to admit, most of the time, I am the one to blame. I’m the one who gets in the way of what God has for me and what He wants for me. Sometimes, I feel like I can’t help it. I’m a thinker. A planner. I like schedules and I like structure. I like to figure things out. I like to make sense of things. And when they don’t, after all the work I put into planning my life, well, I’m left defeated and confused. What went wrong? What did I do wrong?

Have you ever made a bad decision and then wonder, “alright, now what?”

I think we all have. I think every one of us has, at some point or another, made a choice that we knew was the wrong choice and then froze in the face of the consequence, not knowing where to turn or how to correct it.

Memorable moments and unique experiences – those are the things that define us. I never would have imagined one of my defining moments would take place at a child’s funeral, but it did. Tragedy is the teacher that we hope never shows up for class. But when it does, we learn lessons never forgotten.

Sometimes the thing that births us into who we are happens in one moment. Sometimes it is a combination of lots of little moments streaming into a big bang type event that feels like it seals the destiny of who we are going to be.

Here is the thing though, when you’re a child of God, He is the one who makes the call on who you get to be, if you choose to let him.