How often I spend my time planning. Planning. The calendar marked hour by hour with activities for my family and myself. The forward thinking...what clothes need to be prepared, what materials / equipment is needed, what lesson is going to be shared and how, what time it all starts, how long will it take to get there? I use to dread planning because it was always paired with anxiety. Planning plus anxiety truly equals exhaustion. When I learned what my Father God's good pleasure was, planning became much more joy filled.  

When faced with decisions I often seek the counsel of those I respect, admire, and know me best to help guide me in the decision I shall make. The counsel provided brings new insights, different perspectives, and confirmation of what I was already thinking. The root reason for seeking this counsel is reassurance. Assurance I am making the right decision. Assurance I will not fail, and even if I do, I have a support system to lean back on.

Growing up I was fascinated with illusions. The idea of being able to look at something and see different things or have things appear as though they are even though they are not because of perspective was mind blowing! 

Ever feel like you cannot catch a break? You solve one pressing issue to then be presented with another pressing issue. You make just enough money to pay the bills and rent for the month to then have your car break down and need repair. You try to start saving and then the rainy day comes before there is anything put to the side. This does not only present itself financially but also spiritually.

Do you ever set out to go somewhere and find yourself taking longer than expected to get there? Some times when I am coming home from my mother's home I go through this mental battel of which route do I take... do I take the highway or do I go through the back roads? Each route has their own experiences and challenges which impact the rest of my day. One time I chose the highway, thinking I would get home faster, to be rudely surprised by the bumper to bumper traffic, which caused my journey home to be twice as long. We can all guess how that impacted my mood for the following two hours! 

The impact of choices is a life long lesson. Every choice made leads to a ripple effect of successes, encounters, challenges, and more decisions. God is so keenly aware of this. Great insight to how keen God is to understanding how routes we take lead to decisions we make look at Exodus 13:17-22.