i WILL rejoice and be glad!!!!!!

Good morning! My name is Charlotte and I am writing to help us give our first thoughts to the Lord.

Hope you had a wonderful Easter! I did. I worked very hard last week on my little granddaughter's, Makayla and Ashley, Easter dresses. They were absolutely precious. The wonderful part of making them was not the outcome of how pretty the dresses but the excitement in their lives that Grammy had made their dress and they thought they were simply beautiful. Bill took some pictures and as soon as he puts them on the computer, I will post one.

I also had a almost new dress. It was a dress I had had for several years but not worn. I decided I would break it in and guess what? it was so big that the long length of the dress made it a to my feet dress, but it was attractive. My friend made a picture specifically so I could post it on my website. Wish me good luck because that is not my thing. If I can't get it posted, I'll get either Bill or Janie to help me.

Everyone had a new outfit except Bill and he put his pants and shirt in the dry cleaners and forgot to pick them up. He was still very handsome as always and neat.

Times have change. Fashions have changed. Customs have changed. Used to be everyone got new outfits on Easter. There was something about bringing in spring or something. You know Easter and after was when you were supposed to start wearing white and lighter colors for spring and summer but things have changed and one season just blends into the next season without that distinction anymore.

There were some who had on new outfits. We took our granddaughters out to eat after church and we observed the little girls who had on new outfits. They were very obvious because most of their shoes were from Payless where we spent several hours pouring over Sunday shoes. Ended up with dress flip flops which looked very nice with their yellow and pink dresses.

I truly did not realize how much older I was until Janie took my picture, and at my best, I have really aged. Guess my almost 70 years old is showing....funny to think that as I do not feel as old as I look. hahahaha

The Word says 'This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.' That is a statement made to myself by David that says I WILL REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT. No matter what the situation, calamity, or joyous occasion, I WILL REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT. Why? because I have made the quality decision to REJOICE AND BE GLAD...sometimes that is hard to remember but we should write upon our door posts and in the front of the pot so that every time we have a quite moment, we read THIS IS THE DAY THAT THE LORD HAS MADE - I WILL REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT....NO MATTER WHAT!

We do not have any guarantee about tomorrow. We only have today - right now - the present - you notice it is called ' the present ' because it is a present to us to enjoy and rejoice in the present moment. I look around me and I see so many people that I could touch in more ways than I am and it makes me so sad with myself because I am missing blessings by being so within myself and not looking to do for others.

There is a little lady in our apartment complex. Her name is Lois. She walks a lot and she is so precious. She is in her 80's and at least twice a week, I look through my peep hole and there she is. She has a head of lettuce or a bag of candy or a can of Sweet Sue Chicken and Dumplings or something just to let me know she is thinking of me. The Sweet Sue just appeared by our door one day when we were gone but I knew who it was from.

It is the thought of it - I want to challenge myself and all of us to think more of others and the little things - the Sweet Sue things - than just dredging from one day to the next and being miserable. The Word says to 'Give and it shall be given unto you -.....pressed down, shaken together, and running over.'

Have a great day this day......the present!