Monday, Monday

Well, it's Monday again. There are 52 in a year (or something like that), so why can't I ever get used to them? It's never easy to get out of bed on a Monday morning, no matter how early you go to bed on Sunday night. I really don't like going to bed early on Sunday nights though. During the week, I am one of those that likes to be in bed by 10 pm. (My parents probably think I am nuts if they are reading this now b/c I was the child that always protested bedtime!) But now, I can't wait for the end of the day when I can crawl into my warm bed, snuggle up next to Brett and drift off to sleep as I count my many blessings. Anyway, on Sunday night I just can't bring myself to go to bed early. It's like I am protesting Monday morning because I know the sooner I go to sleep, the sooner Monday morning is here and I have to go to work. Ick! I love my job - I do, and I love the amazing company I work for, but this can not be all there is. Monday mornings have to feel good at some point in life, right? Maybe someday when we have little ones and I have the luxury of staying home (hopefully) I will learn to cherish the Monday mornings more. To wake up and see the smile on the face of my little ones and be able to care for them and love them and experience life through their eyes. Oh, the joy! Plus, when you have kids, everyday is like a Friday, right?! (Am I right all you moms out there?) I will not even be able to tell a Monday from a Saturday because everyday is a weekend, right?!?!? You are all laughing hysterically at me right now, aren't you!?

So, I guess you could say I have a bit of the Monday blues. It's a Monday and I'm allowed to be down, right?! A big part of my Monday misery is that I miss my brother so much. For those of you that don't know he is in Lima, Peru for the next 2 years (well, 2 years from the first of June when he left). He is there through the AIM program (Adventures in Missions). He completed the classroom portion last year and is currently serving the mission field portion. I am so very, very proud of him and so amazed at the opportunity God has given him, but the selfish side of me misses him more than words can express. My brother and I are very, very close. He is 12 years younger than me so I have always felt a little like a 2nd mom to him. He is one of my very best friends and continues to challenge me and amaze me every day. Please pray for him and his team (there are 5 others besides Brent), their safety, the lives of the Peruvians and so many others that they are there to minister to and pray that they will truly cherish every moment of this once in a lifetime experience they have been given. 'Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit' (Matthew 28:19)

I am also a little down today because I have a really good friend that is going through a tough time right now. He has been dating this girl for about 3 years and the relationship really has never been that great. He stuck it out hoping it would get better but he has really known all along that it was not right. He tells me all the time that "This is it" - the day that he is finally going to walk away. He never does. He doesn't want to hurt her. He has such a kind heart but he is making himself miserable. I keep telling him that not wanting to hurt her is just hurting himself in the process. He has been "stuck" in this relationship for 3 years too long and each day that goes by makes it harder and harder for him to really walk away. I tease him by telling him that I am not going to be his friend anymore if he stays with her. But the last thing he needs is for his friends to walk away from him. I really have contemplated it though because I think he leans on his friends too much and knows that we will be there no matter what (which we will but I am getting a little frustrated with this merry go round). I care about him a lot and want him to be truly happy. I just don't know what to do. I have prayed for him - a lot! Please pray for him as well. Let's call him Mark. (In case any of you do know him, I want to protect his privacy as he confides in very few people). Please pray for Brett and I as well, that we will know what we can do to help him and that God will use us to speak to him in ways that we haven't been able to yet.

I apologize for my meltdown and negativity above. I am over it now! (Writing can be so therapeutic!) I promise I have not forgotten that God is good and I have more blessings than I can count. I just had to throw a 5 minute pity party. Now I am good and all is well.
I hope that this Monday finds you all doing well and that all Mondays ahead will offer at least a glimmer of a fabulous day only packaged with the label: Monday

Love to you all!