Contentment on the Homestead

Over the year's, I have heard people comment, that when I hit my thirties, that there will be something that I would do different. My father told me the day I graduated high school, "one of these day's, you'll wish you could go back. Especially when you hit into your thirties." And I have heard so many people tell me the same thing. Well, I have been thinking about that in the past couple of day's. What would they have changed if they could? Apparently, there is something that they didn't get to do, but would do if they got the chance. I'm in my thirties, I'm 32 year's old. And I wouldn't change one moment. If I had the opportunity to change something, I wouldn't change it. Cause if I change one moment, I may not be content and as happy as I am right now. I may not have my two beautiful babies, I may not be married to a wonderful man that I have today. I may be a unmarried, very bitter, woman somewhere with a career that I don't like.

Isn't it wonderful, that God can guide and direct our lives, if we just take the moment and listen to him speak to us. God guided me down the path I'm on today and I'm very happy with everything that he has done for me. And I'm more than happy that he took control of my life when I was so very young and kept me in his arms. I was probably the only teenager in high school, who had a bible in her purse, if there was other's, I never heard of them. I allowed God to be my guide and direct my life in the way he wanted it.

I wouldn't go back and change things at all. I wouldn't want to start over. I'm satisfied with the way my life has turned out for me. I'm thrilled that I have the chance to homeschool my children, I'm thankful that I get to give my kids a hug whenever they need one, I'm thrilled that I'm in such a wonderful, loving relationship with my husband and I'm thrilled that God is still in control.

How often do you let other people's nonsense change your mood?

Do you let a bad driver, rude waiter, curt boss, or an insensitive employee ruin your day? However, the mark of a successful person is how quickly one can get back their focus on what's important.

David J. Pollay explains his story in this way....

Sixteen years ago, I learned this lesson. I learned it in the back of a New York City taxi cab. Here's what happened. I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when, all of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car's back end by just inches!

The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, whipped his head around and he started yelling bad words at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean...he was friendly. So, I said, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!"

And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call, "The Law of the Garbage Truck."

"Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let them, they'll dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you, don't take it personally. You just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. You'll be happy you did."

I started thinking, how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people: at work, at home, on the streets? It was that day I said, "I'm not going to do it anymore."

Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. Love the people who treat you right . Forget about the ones who don't. Believe that everything happens for a reason.

Never let the garbage truck run over you....

"God grant us the Serenity to Accept the things we cannot change,

Courage to Change the things we can, and Wisdom to know the Difference"