Well, there have been some changes in our lives recently. With the move came the understanding that I would be trying to find a good job. Well, it looks like that prayer has been answered.
I started working as a receptionist for a doctor last week. She's an OB GYN and really cares about her patients.
I teased my kids yesterday and told them I had gone to the hospital. Since I had struggled with a virus and allergies since we moved to East Texas, my oldest was concerned. He wanted to know if I was okay. I laughed and told Michael I was fine and that I had actually gone to the hospital cafeteria to have lunch with a friend from church and her husband. Elaine works at a doc's office in the hospital and put in a good word for me to get the job I have.
My first two days at the office, Karl was out of town. That meant dropping off the boys at a friend's house before school and picking them up there after work and my 30 minute commute. It made for a very long two days. However, when my sweetie got home, he had many wonderful surprises that he brought with him and I was overjoyed.
It will be interesting to see how things change around the house. Since Karl works mostly from home, he'll be taking the boys to school, picking them up and handling all of the parent teacher conferences and stuff like that. He'll also have to rearrange the chores some. It will definitely be interesting as the family makes this adjustment.
The one thing I cherish right now is God's grace and peace. While I would like to have found only a part time job instead of full time and one that was closer to home, I know that God will sustain me and meet the family's needs. I praise God for His grace and peace.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Hope
We went to a police officer's funeral today. It was quite a moving experience to see the dedication and loyalty of fellow officers as they remember and honor one of their own. The playing of Taps and the 21 gun salute as well as the fly over by a rescue helicopter were all to honor Dale's selfless service. The church was so full for the funeral today that the overflow room was full and people were standing along the walls.
Dale's son is in Michael's class at school. He was a typical boy in 6th grade, but he also wore his daddy's cowboy hat with pride, including a little pin shaped like handcuffs that one of the officers gave him.
There was a reality check when we listened to the eulogy and Dale was born the same year as Karl. Dale and his wife were married the same year Karl and I were married. It was a sobering realization.
The beauty of today is that there were many people there to support Dale's family and they all had hope. They had hope of seeing Dale again when the trumpet sounds, but this time it won't be playing Taps.
I wonder what kind of exciting music is going to be played on Resurrection Day. I don't think it will matter to Dale. He's just going to wake up ready to go home.
Dale's son is in Michael's class at school. He was a typical boy in 6th grade, but he also wore his daddy's cowboy hat with pride, including a little pin shaped like handcuffs that one of the officers gave him.
There was a reality check when we listened to the eulogy and Dale was born the same year as Karl. Dale and his wife were married the same year Karl and I were married. It was a sobering realization.
The beauty of today is that there were many people there to support Dale's family and they all had hope. They had hope of seeing Dale again when the trumpet sounds, but this time it won't be playing Taps.
I wonder what kind of exciting music is going to be played on Resurrection Day. I don't think it will matter to Dale. He's just going to wake up ready to go home.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Elephant Tongue
Greta loves to watch movies. One of her favorites, until the VCR broke and ate it, was Lady and the Tramp. I'm kind of glad that one is gone. I was starting to be able to recite it in my sleep.
Another of Greta's favorite "movies" is Incredible Creatures that Defy Evolution II. It's actually a DVD and it is fascinating. One of the things it talks about that blows my mind is the blue whale. This creature is enormous of course, but to put it in terms that we can understand, the speaker on the DVD tells us that just the tongue of a blue whale can weigh as much as an Elephant!
Since I've learned this fact, it has caused me to ponder much about my own tongue. There have been times where my words were soft and gentle. Unfortunately, there have also been times where my words were as heavy and hard hitting as if my tongue weighed as much as an elephant.
The book of James talks about the littlest member of the body that can cause so much damage, the tongue. Since learning about the blue whale and getting a new perspective on the weight of the tongue, I'm going to ask Jesus for help that my words be soft and gentle. I don't want an elephant tongue anymore.
Another of Greta's favorite "movies" is Incredible Creatures that Defy Evolution II. It's actually a DVD and it is fascinating. One of the things it talks about that blows my mind is the blue whale. This creature is enormous of course, but to put it in terms that we can understand, the speaker on the DVD tells us that just the tongue of a blue whale can weigh as much as an Elephant!
Since I've learned this fact, it has caused me to ponder much about my own tongue. There have been times where my words were soft and gentle. Unfortunately, there have also been times where my words were as heavy and hard hitting as if my tongue weighed as much as an elephant.
The book of James talks about the littlest member of the body that can cause so much damage, the tongue. Since learning about the blue whale and getting a new perspective on the weight of the tongue, I'm going to ask Jesus for help that my words be soft and gentle. I don't want an elephant tongue anymore.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Kev
I like to visit the "What's Up with Kev" blog. I'm always blessed when I visit and this last time was no exception.
I'd like to encourage you to visit Kev and check out this great skit he's posted there.
www.itskev.blogspot.com
I'd like to encourage you to visit Kev and check out this great skit he's posted there.
www.itskev.blogspot.com
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
The MOM Song
This has got to be one of the best videos I've seen. I'm so grateful to God that Sharon is such a wonderful mother.
--Karl
--Karl
Monday, October 1, 2007
Please Leave the Room
"What's going on daddy?" This from my nearly 12 year old son.
"Your mother has just laid me bare." Karl is swallowing his pride as he speaks.
"Twice." I say with laughter in my voice.
Karl can't handle any more. "Please leave the room."
This is what happened as my wonderful husband put together a new set of bunk beds for our boys in their room. Karl had me searching for a very specific tool needed to put the beds together, an Allen Wrench. I suggested Karl look in the materials that came with the beds, because ususally when you buy something that has to be assembled, they include the necessary Allen Wrench. No, Karl had already checked.
I search for Karl's really cool set of Allen Wrenches, but can't find it. I finally find one lone Allen Wrench and take it to him, hoping it is the right size. We try it and it works. Hooray! Then Karl discovers that indeed there is an Allen Wrench in the supplies that came with the bed.
Later, the framing for the headboard isn't going well. It's curved and the slats in the headboard aren't working. Karl is really struggling and I suggest that there ought to be different sizes of the slats. Finally, I pull the pieces apart and let all the slats fall out and measure them. Sure enough, there are two different sizes he was using and there were actually three sizes that came with the kit. I tell Karl the red line on them is a mark. He says it's nothing. Eventually, he comes to realize I was right. All the slats with red lines are the same size. The ones with black lines are the largest and the ones with no markings at all are the smallest slats. I don't say "I told you so" in exact words, but I mention something like, "Aren't you glad I'm in here helping you?"
Next we put in some bolts. The frame is big enough that Karl can put in one bolt on one end while I put in a bolt on the other end. He uses his own Allen Wrench, I'm left with the one that came with the bed. While I'm turning the wrench, slowly, Karl scoffs and says that's why he's using his own, because it works better. So, I change and use the Allen Wrench the way it is supposed to be used, like a crank since it has a crank handle on the end. I throw my husband a smirking look as I utilize the crank feature and zip my bolt in while he's still staring in disbelief. It is at this point that I'm laughing and Karl is saying he's going to get his cordless drill to do the rest anyway.
Next comes the interchange where Karl asks me to leave the room. His pride has been wounded, severely. I'm still laughing (though not too hard because I know how difficult this is for him) and I try to assure him that I love him. He says he believes me, but right now he just can't handle it. He asks for time to let his wounded pride heal and I respect his space.
Later I ask if I can come in and help with the beds some more and he says of course. There are other pitfalls and moments of near insanity, but we finally get the beds in place. The boys love them and everyone, even little four year old Greta got to help in some way.
As I sit back and think of yesterday's adventures, it makes me wonder if we do to God what Karl did to me. When our pride is wounded, when our souls are laid bare and we see ourselves for who we really are, dirty rotten scoundrels, do we ask God to leave the room?
Unlike me, God doesn't laugh at us when we come to the end of ourselves. Yet, if we ask Him to leave the room, He honors our request, because God is a gentleman. Pride is a dangerous thing and when it is wounded, we tend to push away the people that can help us the most. When we've been laid bare, that's when we need God the most, because only He can change us into the kind of people who reflect His love and mercy.
I pray I will never again laugh at my husband (let's hope we never get another set of bunk beds) when he's having shortcomings. I also pray that I never ask God to leave the room, just because my pride has been wounded.
"Your mother has just laid me bare." Karl is swallowing his pride as he speaks.
"Twice." I say with laughter in my voice.
Karl can't handle any more. "Please leave the room."
This is what happened as my wonderful husband put together a new set of bunk beds for our boys in their room. Karl had me searching for a very specific tool needed to put the beds together, an Allen Wrench. I suggested Karl look in the materials that came with the beds, because ususally when you buy something that has to be assembled, they include the necessary Allen Wrench. No, Karl had already checked.
I search for Karl's really cool set of Allen Wrenches, but can't find it. I finally find one lone Allen Wrench and take it to him, hoping it is the right size. We try it and it works. Hooray! Then Karl discovers that indeed there is an Allen Wrench in the supplies that came with the bed.
Later, the framing for the headboard isn't going well. It's curved and the slats in the headboard aren't working. Karl is really struggling and I suggest that there ought to be different sizes of the slats. Finally, I pull the pieces apart and let all the slats fall out and measure them. Sure enough, there are two different sizes he was using and there were actually three sizes that came with the kit. I tell Karl the red line on them is a mark. He says it's nothing. Eventually, he comes to realize I was right. All the slats with red lines are the same size. The ones with black lines are the largest and the ones with no markings at all are the smallest slats. I don't say "I told you so" in exact words, but I mention something like, "Aren't you glad I'm in here helping you?"
Next we put in some bolts. The frame is big enough that Karl can put in one bolt on one end while I put in a bolt on the other end. He uses his own Allen Wrench, I'm left with the one that came with the bed. While I'm turning the wrench, slowly, Karl scoffs and says that's why he's using his own, because it works better. So, I change and use the Allen Wrench the way it is supposed to be used, like a crank since it has a crank handle on the end. I throw my husband a smirking look as I utilize the crank feature and zip my bolt in while he's still staring in disbelief. It is at this point that I'm laughing and Karl is saying he's going to get his cordless drill to do the rest anyway.
Next comes the interchange where Karl asks me to leave the room. His pride has been wounded, severely. I'm still laughing (though not too hard because I know how difficult this is for him) and I try to assure him that I love him. He says he believes me, but right now he just can't handle it. He asks for time to let his wounded pride heal and I respect his space.
Later I ask if I can come in and help with the beds some more and he says of course. There are other pitfalls and moments of near insanity, but we finally get the beds in place. The boys love them and everyone, even little four year old Greta got to help in some way.
As I sit back and think of yesterday's adventures, it makes me wonder if we do to God what Karl did to me. When our pride is wounded, when our souls are laid bare and we see ourselves for who we really are, dirty rotten scoundrels, do we ask God to leave the room?
Unlike me, God doesn't laugh at us when we come to the end of ourselves. Yet, if we ask Him to leave the room, He honors our request, because God is a gentleman. Pride is a dangerous thing and when it is wounded, we tend to push away the people that can help us the most. When we've been laid bare, that's when we need God the most, because only He can change us into the kind of people who reflect His love and mercy.
I pray I will never again laugh at my husband (let's hope we never get another set of bunk beds) when he's having shortcomings. I also pray that I never ask God to leave the room, just because my pride has been wounded.
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