My Plans Aren't God's Plans (thank goodness!)

Welcome to our family blog.  3 years ago, I walked with my mom and family through her cancer journey and learned the importance of writing down "my story."  She kept a journal that documented her 8 month journey and after she died, her written words have become priceless to our family.  Now, I don't think that I have words worthy of being read online by the millions that surf the net every day, but I hope that if God has brought you to this page, for whatever reason, you'll be blessed by what He's doing in our family.

As shaken as I was when my mom died 3 years ago, I was just as shaken by an event that happened 3 weeks ago to our best friends.  I could go on and on with what Jeff and Angela Atkins and their 4 beautiful daughters mean to our family, but I'll save that for another day.  3 weeks ago, their 8 year old daughter, Claire, died unexpectedly.  I've already learned so many lessons from her death, but I'll share just this one today...my plans (the ones that I make all on my own) aren't God's plans.  Should be a lesson I've already learned, right?  I had made that week all about me and my knee surgery.  To make a long story short, my surgery had to be rescheduled (after I was already at the hospital in one huge paper gown), which later allowed me to be with Jeff and Angela at the hospital throughout the rest of the week.  

She and I have asked the question over and over since then, why do we continue to be surprised by God?  From now on, I'll try to expect His greatness more than I'm surprised by it.