Patience

I know it's been a L O N G time since I last blogged, but I took advantage of my summer off work and now that school has resumed, I'm swamped!! Greg keeps encouraging me to blog and eventually I may again, but for now this is low on my priorities and will just have to lie dormant.

It's Getting Close

I can't believe the time to go back to school is so close. Heather, my daughter(in-law) has already started getting her room ready. Although she starts two weeks before I do, in her making plans, I am getting a little antsy. Last year I had the fewest students I have ever had (13) and this year I am already up to 20. It takes a little more preparation for a greater number of students. Greg asked me if I would be glad to get back to a school schedule. I love teaching, but I also love my summer. I am so glad I have three more weeks of vacation.

What an Adventure!!!

We got Mother settled in her new home, and after a full day inside we decided to get her out for an adventure. Pam and I needed to get some things from Wal Mart and decided to take Mother to Sam's to eat afterwards. Mother loves their hot dogs as do I! She got on the electric scooter which she drives very well. After we ate, we thought we should go to the restroom before roaming around the store.

As we approached the restroom, a worker came out and Pam asked if the scooter would fit in the area. The worker said she had never seen one in there before. Well, Pam said she thought we would try since it said Handicap Accesssible and we had not brought Mother's walker. Getting in the restroom was pretty easy, but there was no room to turn the scooter around. So we had to try to back it out?! Pam ran it into the sinks, and as she adjusted by pulling forward and then reversing she was able to manuver it to the opening of the door. Here came the tricky part making a 90 degree turn backwards with a trash can and hand driers in the way. Well, we knew it had come in--so it had to be able to go out---Right?!!!

I was laughing so hard watching Pam try to get it out, remembering the time Greg got our travel trailer stuck in a drive through at a Burger King at lunch time in Apopka, Florida. He tried for over 30 minutes to back it out around a crazy curve and finally Cecil had to take over. He was able to free the drive through but the lunch time crunch was over by the time he got it out.

Back to Pam--she finally had to lift the backend of the scooter to get it through the doorway. Mother had a blast with all the laughing. So if you need to get a scooter into a restroom make sure there is plenty of room to make the turn on the way out.

Visitation

The word, visitation, makes me think of the times I have visited people in their homes, hospitals, or in the nursing homes. It has come that time in my family's life to place mother in a new home for care. I remember the struggles mother had as she had to place her sister in a nursing home. She wanted the best that could be offered. Mother & Daddy were faithful to visit her everytime they came into town which was nearly every day... either visiting someone in the hospital or taking care of other business. Now comes the time that I will visit Mother for the last time in her own home. She will now be in someone else's home where she can be around other people whom she can enjoy. It will be a different visit this time. I remember when my family would leave to go back home from Mom & Dad's home. They would always be a little sad because it might be the last time we would all be together like that. Changes are not bad-just different-a new adventure down our road of life. As a Christian, the point of view for that change is always exciting, looking forward to what God has in store for us just around the bend and this event has made me even more aware of our shut-ins in our area. Some are not as blessed as Mom, having family (which includes the church family) close to visit. Some shut-ins only have the church family close. Isn't it great God made us part a family (His family).?!!

It's Over

The wedding is over, but a new family begins. It was a most b-e-a-U-ti-ful wedding, but of course I am just a little bit prejudice. I am glad they are finally married and Joshua won't be all alone any more! We have had family and friends around since before the wedding. So this has helped us not to be so lonely or wonder too much about how the new family is doing. We get to go pick them up from the airport Tuesday night. I can't wait to hear about the place they chose to go on their honeymoon. It sounded wonderful from the web site. It will also be nice to share videos and pictures from the wedding with them. I know I didn't remember much about my wedding. It sure would have been nice to have had a video copy or even a audio copy back then. I don't know if it was even available.

Last Day At Last

All year I worked with a group of students and at times wondered if I was getting through to them. The last day of school for this year has come and gone. As the students left for the summer, the comments from them helped affirm that I had truly touched their lives as they had blessed mine. Looking forward already to the new group coming up. I went into their room to hand out summer enrichment and received a warm welcome and anticipation of the year to come. It sure is a blessing when students show they appreciate what you have tried to do for them during the year and that they are going to miss you during the summer.

No Worries

Our school secretary, a foster parent, received a call last Thursday night informing her she could come pick up a new born baby girl. They got the sweet little girl home at 1 A.M. on Friday and she was back in the office on Monday with the precious little one. I was able to hold the precious one (five days old) on Monday.

Our secretary had tried a year or so ago to adopt 5 children from one family so they would not be separated. She and her husband fought to keep them but they were split up, much to their dismay. Why would an organization split up a family when they had a place to keep all of the children together??? God only knows!

Our secretary and her husband decided if this child was to be in their family, God would have to make it happen with out any effort from them. After all, their past effort to keep five children didn't work out as they'd planned. But when they put it all in God's hands, it's working out beyond their dreams! It is hard to wait for God's timing, isn't it?

Reminds me of how hard people work to be saved when all we have to do is accept what God has done for us. It is hard not to want to do ... or to think we have to do something to make this happen.

When we don't concern ourselves with day to day decisions to get ahead or try to make our lives better, but instead we put others first and expect God to take care of our needs....doesn't it make life much easier? NO WORRIES!!!! What a blessing!!!

Why take on all the worries of the world when God invites us to rest in what he's done and is doing?