Friday, September 19, 2008

Happy Birthday Zach!!!!


Well it is birthday time again in our family!! Our newest son, Zach, is 26 years old today. He has been a wonderful addition to our family. Zach likes birthdays as much as the rest of us do. He makes me laugh because he wants to either know what he is getting or open his presents way before the real day of his birthday. He tries very hard to get people to tell him what he is getting. I have found it fun to make him wait and tease him about his gift. I was disappointed when I found out earlier today that his present that we mailed didn't get to him today, on his birthday. Oh well, he will have something to open tomorrow! He called me before wanting me to tell him what we got him since it didn't get there today, but we are making him wait!!!!

In honor of our new son, Zach, here are 26 things we have come to know about him.

1. He is a child of the King
2. He is married to our daughter Angela
3. He is a University of Tennessee fan
4. He is a Boston Red Sox fan
5. He is getting a cat for his birthday
6. He has one sister
7. He has lived in east Tennessee most of his life
8. He is very techy.
9. He has brown eyes
10. He likes NASCAR
11. He doesn't like onions
12. He likes deer jerky
13. He doesn't like to fly
14. He likes Mac computers
15. He is one of my technical advisers.
16. He likes green beans.
17. He has a dog named Jere
18. He works for a media company
19. He wears glasses/contacts
20. He plays guitar
21. He has driven the Dragon
22. He has family in Arkansas, Tennessee and Maryland
23. He likes to play golf
24. He and his dad went to the same college
25. He has a beautiful wife
26. He has wonderful in-laws

Happy Birthday Zach!!!!!



Thursday, September 18, 2008

Whew........

My world has been so busy the past few weeks. I am sure that most of us can relate to the fact that life is busy. It seems like I would get up, go to work, work hard and fast all day, run errands after work, meetings in the evenings, come home, see Steve for about 10 minutes and then go to bed. On days that I did not go to work, I had plenty of things to work on at home, ie laundry, ironing, some cooking, office work, errands that needed to be done, etc.

I have been placed in a challenging situation at work this school year and instead of relying on Him to help me through it, I have been trying to come up with my own solutions of how things should be done. I had wanted to show them that I could rise to this challenge and be super woman and have time to see approximately 45 children two times per week , have assessment time, paperwork time, planning time and meeting times for all of them in three days per week. I have come to the conclusion that this cannot be done!!!!

I had to do something last week that is very hard for all of us to do and that is to admit defeat!! I had to go into my boss and tell her that I could not do everything that needed to be done in the three days I worked. I told her I needed help (that is such a hard thing to admit). She understood my dilemma and said that she would try to get some help for me. I soon found out that the extra help I so badly needed was not to be and I was told to do the best I could.

At first I was mad, then upset and saying to myself that it isn't fair that they should expect me to do a full time job on a part time schedule and on and on. Finally, in desperation I cried out to the One who knew my dilemma and despair. Why I waited so long I don't know but He began to bring peace to my soul about the situation and helped show me the error of my ways. I was whining and complaining to everyone, and the whole situation consumed me. I had become negative and disheartened.

I was having my quiet time one morning and reading a devotional that was meant just for me at that moment. It was talking about whatever situation you may be in not to lose your joy and to praise Him no matter what. I was so humbled as I read this because it was all playing back in my mind just how negative I had been, how much I had complained and on and on. As I began to seek His forgiveness, I began to realize that it had been all about me. He showed me that no matter what He is in control and has a plan a purpose for me. I began to realize that He had moved me to be in this new school for a reason, He knew the road would be hard, He knew the circumstances that I would be in and He knew that I would wake up to theses truths. I read this morning that as I enter His throne room with my cares and burdens loaded into a dump truck; that I should dump them out before Him and leave with a song and dance of praise. I have unloaded all my cares on Him and now I am singing and dancing His praises!!!!

I know that the tasks will be difficult as I continue this path during this school year. I know that discouragement and discontentment are always lurking around the corner. But!!! I know that I am not in this alone. I know that He will light my path and give me what I need to face each day. I know that I am there to love on these children and to help them to the best of my ability and with Him I will!!! I may not get things done as quickly as I would like, I may not know where I will place the new children that will be entrusted to me but I do know that I will keep on plodding down the road just like a turtle, (slow and steady wins the race!!), and get things done as quickly as I can, even though it may be slower than I would like.

At the end of the school year I will be able to look back at all the things that have been accomplished and the lessons learned both in the world and spiritually as well and give a big sigh of relief!!!!

Whew!!!!!!! We made it!!

Monday, September 8, 2008

All By Myself......


It is hard to be home alone when you are used to someone else being here with you. Steve is out of town this week attending meetings for his job. For many years these meetings were held in August and he would usually have to miss our anniversary and/or one of the children's birthdays. I think it is kind of funny that now they move the meetings to September and the children are both gone from home, so it really doesn't matter that much when the meetings are. Oh well!!

I don't mind being alone too much but this is the first time that I have been alone for an extended time without my precious Pepper. It is hard for me to believe that he has been gone for almost four months. I never realized just how much I talked to him and even though he had slowed way down in his movements, wherever I was in the house, he was there too. If I went to the kitchen, he was in the kitchen. If I went to the bathroom, he was in the bathroom. If I went to do laundry, he would lie down in the hallway and watch me go back and forth. He would go with me to get the mail and to walk in the yard. He would bark and guard me with all his might.
He would love me and let me love him. We were content just to be with each other.

I told Steve tonight that I missed the sound of his paws as he walked through the house. I miss the sound of his dog tags hitting against his water bowl when he would drink. I miss the sound of his barking at the animals he would see from the window. I miss the sound of his breathing as he slept contentedly on the floor next to me. I miss watching him play and run through the house sliding on the floors trying to stop. But most of all I miss his devotion to me. I was his and he was mine. I know he was the family dog but he was my dog. We would call him "momma's boy" Although he had his moments for the most part he was a dog to be proud of, he had a very laid back personality and he loved people. When we would have friends over he would be so excited, it was like he thought they were coming to see him and not us. He would go from person to person with his tail wagging and waiting just in case they happened to drop a bit of food!!

I know someday we will get another dog but none will ever take the place of Pepper. Thank you, Pepper for all the joy and love you brought to our family you will never be forgotten!!!

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Busy, Busy, Busy



It has been a busy few weeks around our house with all the birthday and anniversary celebrations, the garden stuff that had to be done, working and the everyday things that have to be done around the house as well as the errands that have to be run. I have found that the days go by so fast when you are busy.

Last week after a trip to Eupora to see Steve's mom and dad over the weekend, and a busy two days at school, I actually found myself looking forward to a dental appointment that I had scheduled just so I could sit down for awhile and not feel guilty about not getting something else done. I don't think I have ever felt that way before about the dentist!! There was a plus to the visit in that I didn't have any cavities and everything is looking good. That is always nice to hear.

There are days in which busyness is a good thing because you can get so much accomplished and then there are the days that you feel that you are spinning your wheels; you work and work and look at what you have done and you realize that you have only scratched the surface. This is a time when the whining and complaining can start. I found myself in that situation and was whinning to my son when he said to me,"Wait, wait, I hear it, it is getting louder, can you hear it? Here comes the whambulace, whaaaa, whaaa!" Well, he made me laugh but I also got to thinking about what he said. I was whining and complaining and what good was that doing me or anyone else? I had to admit to myself that my complaining was bringing me down along with whoever the lucky person, or should I say unlucky person, I was complaining to.







The only one that can fix this issue is me. So I will be trying very hard not to whine and complain about things that come along in my life. I realize that when I do this, I get fixated on me and when my focus is on me, I tend to forget about Him because it is all about me. I felt very ashamed when the true reality of this hit me. My devotion one day this week talked about this very subject, it was time for me to get my act together!!! I have made an effort to stop, but it very hard because you just want others to understand what is going on and before you know it, I hear the whambulace once again! I realize that this will be an ongoing process but one that I intend to work on very hard.

I realize too, that many times we bring busyness on ourselves. We feel that we have to do this and go there, watch this and that, be the one who does everything and in doing these things we get so tired that we can't find the time for the most important thing. We sometimes forget where our strength comes from. When we get too busy that we don't spend time with God, then we are too busy. When our priorities get out of balance many times our quiet time with Him is one of the first things to go. I want to encourage you that if you have been forgetting or you have been too busy for your quiet time with Him, that you make it a priority once again in your life. He promises to give us what we need and through Him your busy life will have purpose once again.