I'm a simple girl who likes simple things. I'm just trying to finally get my life in order. I don't write to give advice; I kind of just talk my way through situations that happen to me. If I can help someone else along the way, that's good too. I don't profess to have all the answers; as a matter of fact, I mess up quite often. But I know that God loves me and wants nothing but the best for me and those around me. I hold on to that every day. I'm not looking for kudos; I'm just trying to make it one day at a time.

My sons came home the other day in a panic. It seemed their cousins had gotten them all upset about strange things that had happened in their homes. They told my boys that chairs had moved by themselves, that they'd seen ghosts fly past windows, and that they heard things at night. They told the boys that demons were there and came out at night to get them. That led to a lot of questions and, in the end, the boys slept with me that night. I explained as best I could, because I do believe there are evil things in this world. I don't necessarily think about them the same way others do, but I do believe in demons. I talked to Greg, my minister, and asked if he would talk to the boys for me and explain; of course he agreed. He said he would tell them about Ephesians 6. No matter what is going on in the world, the way to fight Satan is by putting on the armor of God that will protect you against anything that could possibly happen. Yesterday was not bad, but it was a hard day. It seems that the armor he told me about Thursday morning, I needed to put on by Thursday night. I have said it before and I will say it again: Satan is very real and very much alive, and if he sees you struggling with one thing, he brings the rest of it on to pull you farther down than you started. But as much as Satan is real, so is God, and as the day went on I just prayed for some sense of calm. I am a person who really believes in signs. I ask God point-blank, "Okay, if this is it, then show me. If it's not, send me a sign." I don't know if He actually does it or if it's just my mind making it happen, but I would really like to believe God is answering me to help me. So yesterday, as usual, that is what I did. I said I needed a sense of calm, that I needed to know this was going to be okay, and I would appreciate it if He would let me know today. Hmmm, I got that last night. I was reminded that even when I feel overwhelmed. My daughter wants to be a lawyer/WNBA basketball star. My middle child wants to be an artist, and the baby, well, he has a lot of things he wants to do. I believe that with a whole lot of work and putting their minds to it, my children can do and be anything they want. They have the God-given right to make those choices that affect their lives. My children have dreams, but I also think God has plans for them that may or may not include what they have in mind. We are all called to be like Christ; no matter how many great things we may do that impress people here, God may not be as impressed if we are not following His plan. It took me nearly my whole life, but I finally realized that God has a specific purpose for me, as He does for everyone. It wasn't something that just hit me—I haven't always known, and honestly I'm not completely sure I understand it all, but I know it's there. God didn't knock me over the head; there were no neon signs. Actually, it wasn't until I started asking sincerely that I began hearing what He was trying to tell me. It wasn't on my timetable; it was all on His. I am an impatient person—I make no bones about that—and I still don't like waiting. But for God's plan to work as He intended, I had to be ready. What good would it have done if my mind and heart were not in the right place? I also had to realize (and we all do) that if God chose me to do something, it is going to be done right. He is not going to give you something He didn't think you could handle. A perfect example is Paul. Who would have thought that a man who persecuted Christians would become one of the greatest teachers of the gospel of all time? Romans 8:28: We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.