Something Broke

Last Saturday my husband was driving home on the freeway and his 1979 Toyota pick up just stopped running. He drove it for about nine years to and from work. It is rusty and the seats and floorboards are severely damaged, but it kept running with little maintenance for those years.

All good things must come to an end. This baby is no longer in service. ;(

We had no idea what to do. We didn't want another loan to pay off. My hubs told his mom what was going on and she graciously offered us a certain amount of money.

We still didn't know what to do until we found a replacement vehicle. We were hoping to borrow a car. No luck. We looked at renting. Too much even for a clunker.

On Sunday we still had no idea what we were going to do. I was starting my job on the following Tuesday. Banks were closed for the holiday. My hubs was feverishly looking on the Internet for a vehicle. He went to see a couple and was getting excited about the thought of a newer truck.

He found this one at a nearby city dealership. They made arrangements for him to borrow the money on Labor Day and the next day he and his mom got the cash from her bank and payed off the loan.

We brought the 1990 Toyota home on Labor Day and sold the non-running 1979 truck for $10.00 on Tuesday.

My hubs loves the newer pick-up. It gets great mileage and drives smooth (not like the tank feeling of the older one). It's just been a blessing to see how this all turned out and in time for both of us to go to work.

With God all things are possible. Thank you my Lord and Savior!

My First Day of Work 2009

After fourteen years of being a SAHM and homeschooler I went to work today for the first time. It felt good. I feel like a teenager who just got her first job. Thus ends my homeschooling days (I need to change my profile now). I hope I don't lose followers cuz I'm a traitor.

I did my best with the knowledge and skills I had and now I'm entrusting others to teach my kids. They are still in God's hands and that is the best it can ever get.

So guess who I'm working for? The schools!! Yes, you heard me right. I figure I have my most experience working with kids so I applied to be a substitute paraeducator for two school districts and I got hired by both.

Today I was a crossing guard and playground helper. I will have that same job for nine days at the same school. I figure I did pretty good getting a two week job as soon as school started. God knows our every need.

So here I am with my school badge and lanyard. It says Guest Teacher. I'm not a teacher. I'm a para. I guess that's the badge everyone gets.

Here I go. I'm nervous, but excited and happy.

Off I go. The day went very well. I was really early which is fine with me. I looked around a little at the school grounds and crosswalk I'd be at.

I went in & got my vest and flag and went to my post. It was a quiet 30 minutes. Only two kids crossed the street in 30 minutes both times of the day. Boredom was my only complaint about today and only the crossing guard part of it.

I had fun. The kids seemed sweet and well behaved. Of course it's only the third day of school. The Principal was very nice and talked to me throughout the day to see how I was doing. He knew it was my first day of work in fourteen years.

I need to get to bed early tonight. I stayed up too late last night and then woke up at 4:30am and stayed awake. I am draggin' right now. My lunch is made and I'm ready for another fine day of work. It's good to be happy about it now, cuz I'm guessing there's a honeymoon period and then I'll hate going to work.

So to all of you hard working bloggers out there, be encouraged in whatever you are doing and do your best for the glory of God.

A Church Project We Love

Every year, beginning in early August, our church starts the Operation Back Pack Project. I've been coordinating it for a couple of years.

We put out the request for people to donate full back packs in early August. We collect them over a three or four week period. At the end they are set on the steps to the stage area and we pray that the back packs will bring much blessing to those who receive them.

Sometimes people prefer to donate money and some donate supplies. It's my job to use the money to buy what is needed to make as close to full back packs as I can. I bring everything home and it looks like this picture.

I set everything out in assembly fashion and fill backpacks until I run out of supplies. It's nice when people fill the back packs and bring them ready to go.

This year we donated seventeen back packs and took them to a local middle school before school started. The secretary and principal and vice principal get pretty excited when we bring them in each year.

It's a good feeling knowing that we're helping our community. It is getting a little more difficult with so many of our church members being out of work or being ill or having surgery. So I'm proud that we were still able to carry out this neat sharing project this year.

Thanks be to God for He is good. His love is for all and it endures forever.

Loyal Friend And Visitor Award

My very sweet friend, Hope over at My Hope Is In The Lord has passed this award along to me. I found Hope through Nan or Erica (I can't remember) when I first started blogging. Maybe Hope found me. Either way she's loyal.

Hope has visited me regularly for the three months I've been blogging. She always leaves encouraging words for me and she laughs at my humor. What more could I ask for?

She has a really fun blog with a variety of interesting stuff on it, like old photo's and magazine pictures from Life, her personal cartoons (very cute), her drawings and how she has learned to draw, stories and scripture and encouragement. It's a fun blog to follow. Thanks, Hope for being a Loyal Friend and Visitor to me.

I enjoy seeing comments on my blog when I open it each day. There are a few friends who are loyal and come by almost every day. I know that some of you have many followers and you try to visit your followers as often as possible and that is why I call you Loyal Friends and Visitors.

There are also new bloggers looking for new bloggie friends and some of you have become my Loyal Friends and Visitors. You always lift me up and encourage me with your words.

I also found out that there are some who "lurk" and don't leave comments. If they had a blog I would give them this award too. It's fun knowing that friends are reading even if they don't leave a comment. They will tell me in person or send me an e-mail and that makes this blogging thing even more interesting.

I sure appreciate each and every one of you. You have made blogging fun for me. I like knowing there are people with similar interests reading my blog. I like meeting new christian women and reading about their lives.

Here are the rules: (1) Post the award on your blog. (2) Acknowledge the giver. (3) Pass the award on to who you think who is/are deserving to as many as you want. (4) Leave a message telling them.


Since you give me a lift each day or at least once a week I want to pass the award along to these friends in blog land:

Mimi at He & Me + 3

Nan at Momstheword

Andrea at Arise 2 Write

Kat at Art's Chili

Laura at Goose Hill Farm

Amy at In Search of Normal

Stacey at McCrakensX4

Mich at "Mich"

Erica at Scottsville

Christy Rose at The Secret Life of an American Wife & Mom

Christine at Vista Woman

Renee at GLOW Academy

I'm Feeling Great!

I'm feeling sooooo gooood!!! God is awesome! It's amazing how He works things out for us. I went to the dentist three times in two days and they were so compassionate every time I came in.

The dentist consulted with specialists and did each procedure with care and concern. He almost always gives me a break on the dental bill. I've been going to him for about five years and before him I went to his father's practice for about 10 years.

I do not like having dental work done and I've had to learn to calm down as I lay in that chair getting work done, but I'm glad I have a dentist to do what needs to be done.

I have a lot more work to be completed and I'm sure some of it will be more root canal work, but I'm praying that I won't have an infection like the one I had with this tooth.

I am taking Prednizone and two antibiotics. Unfortunately that creates a lot of yeast in the system and so you may know what I have now. Is there anything else? I didn't ask that did I?

As long as I have the Lord I will be able to live with whatever else there might be, but I'd rather stay positive now. Every morning is new with the Lord and I'm renewed every morning. Great is His faithfulness. I think I just read those verses over at Fly Away Birdie. Martha had some great scripture referenced there.

Thank you all for continuing to drop by my blog and check on me and leave me words of encouragement. God bless you all.

There's Been Better Days!

I can honestly say I've had better days this summer, like this day when I went to an island with my kids and my sis.

I'm still having tooth problems. I thank you all for dropping by and for your kind words and thoughts. I don't need to go on & on, but it seems to be going on & on. I have a warm chair waiting for me 2 to 3 times a week at the dentist's office these days. Gotta find some humor in this somewhere.

I will be enjoying blogging again soon, I'm sure. I miss you all. Take care.

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and
tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth
with good things, so that your youth is
renewed like the eagle's."
Psalm 103:2 through 5 NKJV

Now That's A Bright Idea

There are a lot of bright ideas that people have come up with over the years that have made life easier for us like the light bulb, the microwave, the computer, and the hot water heater.


So let's have a little fun thinking of other bright ideas that make us happy or make our lives easier or are just great ideas for whatever reason.

Here are some bright ideas that I came up with:

The projector so we can lift up our eyes when we sing. It frees up our hands to be lifted as we praise God.

Media shout so all of the songs can be projected onto the screen for us to sing.

Homeschooling.

Self cleaning appliances.

WII Fitness. Wish I had one.

Cruise control.

Seat warmers.

Hand Sanitizer.

Invisible dog fences.

Pitching machines.

Now I realize there are many obvious items that are bright ideas, but try to think of some that aren't so obvious unless you just absolutely love them and want to mention them.

Have fun with this and leave a comment full of your ideas.