Sometimes sleep has a hard time doing what it is intended to do.  Do you ever have that happen?  Like last night for instance.  We attended the Maundy Thursday Worship Services at Brazil United Methodist Church, which was awesome, and had a nice dinner on the way home.  As is usual, I came into my office and did some stuff, getting ready for today, and finally went to bed about 12:30.  What is NOT usual is that Pat was still UP!  She had downloaded a Max Lucado Book, Six hours One Friday, which she read in four hours!  Lately my muscles have been cramping and several times I had to get up to rub and stretch them out. I recall tossing and turning a lot last night.  Normally, I get ready for bed, get my O2 machines running, put on my mask, and I'm off to deep sleep.  Not last night.  Finally, about 7:00 something, the dog starts barking 'cause it wants to go outside or get fed or something equally irritating.  Pat takes care of her, but the damage is done . . .  not really, because I should have been up anyway.

So now I am lethargic and trying to not be so sleepy.  I do have projects to do today.  I have a stack of photos of 1981 to scan and file.  Since it is not all that thick, maybe I will do 1982 as well.  Pat has all our photos in boxes which is "the Project" that I have chosen to accomplish before I can't do stuff like that anymore...so now is the right time, I suppose. I enjoy doing stuff like that. When I started working at the City of Las Vegas, I was able to transfer to the Graphic Arts Division as their Bindery guy.  I cut paper for the presses, finished the jobs AFTER the presses printed it (like folding, wrapping, cutting multi-number of items like business cards, into proper size, etc.) as well as fill in wherever needed.  When I returned from Desert Storm, I became the Camera Room technician...shooting copy and developing film, striping film, preparing plates for the press, etc.. I wanted to do Graphic Artist work but the boss said, "We are NOT a training organization, so NO." or some such words. So I did the next best thing . . . I became friends with the Artists.  Through relationships with them, I was able to learn enough about how Pagemaker, then later, InDesign, PhotoShop and a couple other design programs, work.  Creating things is a very fulfilling feeling.  I'm not real good at Graphic Design, but have been associated with some AWSOME designers and will ALWAYS be indebted to them for taking their time to show me some things in their world of creativity.

That brings us to the point of this story.  Through experience, when I have a difficult time sleeping, there is a message trying to get out of the inner recesses of my head and is needing to be released!  Last night my fitfulness was caused by my Potassium level being off...for whatever consequence other than muscle cramping, has.  BUT . . .  that did lead into this morning blog, which led into a short conversation of RELATIONSHIP, which is what turns out to be the POINT of the STORY today.
When you are in need of learning something you have no idea about, you go to school, or to someone who knows what you would like to learn.  Without a relationship, nothing much is learned.  Think back in your life and verify that fact.  Remember Grandma as she was showing you the art of making that perfect pancake?  Or the awesome cross stitch pattern?  Or maybe Grandpa as he showed you how to operated the table saw? Or in my example of a friend showing me the tricky points of a computer program.  There are relationships there in all of those!  Guess what?  GOD is waiting for you to start a relationship with HIM when you are ready.  He has been ready since he created you.  Sometimes, we start a relationship but it gets broken off....and we drift away.  If it was a human-human relationship, that may never regain a connection.  With GOD . . . He is ALWAYS there, waiting for you to re-start.
A relationship with GOD is a forever thing, though we may drift away, we can always do that re-start at any time, any place.  Isn't that reassuring?  Suggestion for the day is:  IF you have drifted away from your relationship with GOD, re-start TODAY. . .  it is never too late.  And you will sleep better too.

Isn't it interesting how one small thought leads into a whole series of small things, making something special?

Keep singing, Keep praying.

Blessings,
Gary