Wednesday, August 3, 2022

Beyond Blessed

by Mindy Obenhaus

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

Right now, I'm staring down the barrels of two deadlines, a blessing for sure. But just when I thought I was on track to finish ahead of schedule, life happened. Family came to visit. A granddaughter who wasn't supposed to give birth until after those deadlines develops preeclampsia and the doctor decides they have to induce NOW. So, we made the four-hour drive and waited out the twenty-four-plus hour labor so we could be there to greet our first great-grandchild.


"Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

As an only child, the desire of my heart was to be part of a large family. As a writer, the desire of my heart is to write stories that touch readers' hearts with biblical truths. 

These images bring me to tears. I don't know why God chose to give me the desires of my heart. I certainly don't deserve them. So, I can't help but praise Him for the blessings He's bestowed upon me and live keenly aware that they could also be taken away from me at any time. 

I'm back at my desk now, a good night's sleep behind me, working hard to meet those deadlines. Will it be a challenge? Yes. Can I do it in my own strength? No. But I know that with God nothing is impossible. So, I will trust in Him, knowing that while He may not be early, He's never late. 

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

Award-winning author Mindy Obenhaus is passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. She lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, two sassy pups, countless cattle, deer and the occasional coyote, mountain lion or snake. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, cooking and watching copious amounts of the Hallmark Channel. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com

23 comments:

  1. Oh what wonderful blessings! Congratulationsb on becoming a great grandma and prayers that your deadlines are met!

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  2. Mindy, you don't look old enough to be a great-grandparent. Whatever great-grandparents are supposed to look like. Congratulations!
    Life does get in the way, doesn't it? Sometimes in a good way, sometimes not. I was brought up short a couple months ago when our oldest daughter developed some pre-cancerous cells. An anxious time. I put some things on hold to drive her to the Famous Cancer Center because really, how could I not? Her latest test came back negative, so we are all rejoicing. And I can get back to whatever it is I do.
    But deadlines are a blessing too, because it means people want our stuff. It's like Ruthy says, "Best job in the world."
    Praying today that God will bless you because of your availability to your family and that he will give you clarity of mind to meet those Double Deadlines.
    Kathy Bailey
    Your Kaybee
    Counting her blessings in New Hampshire

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    1. Kathy, so happy your daughter's test came back negative. I can imagine what a relief that is.

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    2. Kathy, it's funny, we always think of great-grandparents as really old, but when everyone starts young, well... But then I'll get to have fun with her so she'll remember her crazy great-grammy.
      So glad things turned out well for your daughter--and you. Stuff like that impacts us the worst because it's all we can think about. And try as we might to hold fast to the truth that God is in control, worry still gets the best of us as we ponder the what-ifs. Praise God your daughter is okay.

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    3. So thankful the final tests came up negative, Kathy! Praise God for the relief after the scare!
      Audra

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    4. That's wonderful news, Kathy! What a blessing!

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  3. Congratulations, Mindy, on your new great-grandchild. Best of luck on your deadlines. I have Cowgirl's Redemption on pre-order. I look forward to it!

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    1. Thank you, Sandy. And I hope you enjoy the story. :-)

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  4. Hi Mindy, oh your post brought tears to my eyes, too! Congratulations on everything ~ that new grt-grandbaby is precious AND you're gonna love being a grtgrndparent. I have 6 greats now and 2 are in England right now. You are blessed with your family and your career. I love your books with such truths of God's love and blessings. So, blessings to you as you tackle those writing deadlines!

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    1. Karen, when I first learned I was going to be a great-grandmother, I kind of lamented it because I was too young. But the more I thought about, the better I liked the idea. I mean, I've gone from being just mom to grand and now I've achieved greatness. And I'm obviously in good company. We shall celebrate being great together. ;-) I'm sure you're missing those two in England.

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  5. What a sweetie! Congrats Mindy! She is absolutely precious.

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  6. That baby is so adorable. Be still my heart! So happy for you and for your LARGE family. God has blessed you, for sure!

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    1. Thank you, Debby. He sure has. And just for the record, all babies are cute. ;-)

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  7. Congratulations! Baby is beautiful! What a sweet blessing!

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  8. Congratulations, Mindy! Such a beautiful addition to your growing family! Glad you made it to celebrate with everyone. God will help you with your deadlines - family always comes first!
    Audra

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    1. Thank you, Audra. Yes, family always gets top priority. ;-)

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  9. Congratulations! There's truly nothing like a grandbaby! Enjoy every baby snuggle!!

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    1. Thank you, Connie. I plan to enjoy all the snuggles I can get.

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  10. Congrats on your new great grand! She is adorable:)) Getting lots of snuggles from that new little doll of yours will no doubt make the extra effort of meeting your deadlines worth the effort. I have 5 grandsons with no granddaughters on the horizon. I had no idea the desire of my heart was to have grandsons, but I absolutely am thrilled with the situation ha.

    I literally just finished reading The Cowgirl's Redemption last night. I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to Hawkin's story. Good luck with your deadlines.

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    1. Pat, boys dominate our collection of grands, so it's nice add a little pink to the minority. ;-)

      I'm so glad you enjoyed The Cowgirl's Redemption. Hawkins' story will be out just in time for the holidays and there's a little girl in there who's sure to steal your heart.

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