Sunday, September 28, 2008

It's a Great Life! Counting my blessings...

Blessing One: New job for Mike. God is so good! Mike got hired last week. An answer to prayer. Not only does he have a new job but now he can get the time off to see the grandkids at Christmas which was iffy under his last employer. Yay! Just 3 more months until we see them!

Blessing Two: Painting almost done. The body of the house is painted and we are doing the last bit of trim. Just the garage to be done now. The weather has been perfect! It's been fun working with Mike and it has been great exercise as well. I have been sore several times from climbing up and down the ladder. A double blessing...new look for the house and great exercise.

Blessing three: Pumpkins found. I needed pumpkins for my fall display at work. I have been looking for weeks. Mike just "happened" to go by a place on his way home from his new job which was selling pumpkins. Now I just need to find corn shucks.

Blessing four: Communication improved. Mike and I went to Fireproof, a Christian drama about marriage. It was a good movie and has a discussion sheet to go with it. We went over it and had a good conversation. They had a recurring statement in the firefighter movie, "Never leave your partner." Great play on words. Plus, they pointed out that nothing is fireproof and to be alert. Mike and I celebrated our 28th anniversary this month. We've come a long way and I expect it to get even better.

Blessing five: Good fellowship this weekend. We went to see our church's "Over 30, Under 30" football game. Over 30 lost but Mike and I had fun visiting with church friends and playing with a baby (got our grandparent's fix). The weather was wonderful and it was great talking with everyone.

Lots of blessings and I didn't even share them all. It was a great week!

Monday, September 22, 2008

On my nightstand...

As usual, I am reading several books at one time. It just depends on the mood I am in and the time I have to give to it. I have included a description of each. Check them out for yourself! Bon Appetite!

Here's what is on my nightstand...

Daily Life in the United States-1920-1940. It's about how Americans lived through the roaring twenties and the great depression. A little ironic right now with the economic challenges going on right now in the nation. Maybe each member of Congress should have a copy of this. It has been really interesting. I have found numerous references to Indiana in it and that has made it more personal.

Self Talk, Soul Talk-What to say when you talk to yourself. Great book! It's surprising how much we all talk down to ourselves. Also, surprising is how the world and ourselves find it acceptable. It has been a real eye-opener. It walks you into your "thought closet". It helps you get rid of unproductive, destructive and negative thoughts and self talk. The author demonstrates how important it is to "talk nice" to ourselves.

Live Makeovers-I am doing this with a relative over the phone and the internet. You can do a chapter a week with action challenges and journaling involved. It really makes you think about yourself in a new light as well as "finding yourself" in this demanding world. Many women tend to "lose" themselves while meeting the demands of their families until one day they find themselves asking, "Who am I?" This book helps to clean up the clutter in your life, reconnect with yourself, strengthen your character, and to remold your life.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Let's take a vote!

Our house's "new look" is well on its way. 3 sides are finished but two of them need a second coat.

We've have several people stop and make comments. One lamented that they didn't have our yellow house a a point of reference anymore for giving out directions. However, she said she liked the new color scheme. Another said she liked the new color scheme and suggested white shutters. Brown body, cream trim and white shutters! I think we'll pass! Then a man stopped and asked what color was the paint. He wanted to paint his house the same color. These were all strangers. Plus, a man driving by kept looking as he drove past.

It's been an interesting weekend. We got the seal of approval from strangers, what more could we ask for? Just kidding. People are funny, aren't they?

Friday, September 19, 2008

Oops!

Yesterday, I spoke before a group of women, sharing the different programs and services the library provides and inviting them to be a financial partner with us.

During the meal, I was visiting with the ladies seated beside me. One subject led to another. I asked for the names of the different ladies in the room with us. The lady to the right of me then proceeded to point out the women and gave their names with a little explantion of who they were. At the conclusion of the "tour", I made a statement that there was at least one woman I would know, that I had met her several times before but didn't see her. I said her name was _____. The lady to my right, who had been so helpful, turned to me and said, "I'm _______________. Oops! For some reason, I hadn't recognized her. So embarrassing!

Other than that the meeting went well and the group volunteered to help physcially in any way as well as said they were considering helping with a Wii system. So, it at least ended on a positive note.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Testing, 1, 2, 3...

Wow! Definitely, my faith is being tested.

Mike came home on Wednesday announcing he was laid off. Not the best of news. We went into "work mode" and "prayer mode", making a list of contacts, steps to take (union hall, unemployment, etc.)as well as praying for favor, wisdom and peace.

We stayed up late Wednesday night working on his resume and surfing for jobs.

Right now is the time construction projects are winding down for the season. So, it will be definitely God who gets the job for Mike. In the meantime, we are doing our part and giving God something to work with. Mike is getting his truck up to par. He has sent in his resume, gone to different companies and spoken to them one-on-one.

Fear has tried to creep in, but God has been faithful.

Work, politics and the KLA project are keeping my mind off the situation. A lot is going on. I wrote a press release for the grand opening of the Republican headquarters which should be soon. I have also kept busy researching for political news on the web. In addition, I have done some work on the splash pad project.

There are projects around the house, as well as some drywall jobs for Mike to do. The song, "Great is His Faithfulness" wells up in my heart and reminds me that we are not in this alone and that the battlefield is in the mind.

I believe the next job will be another stepping stone to what God has planned for Mike's life. Buckle up for the ride of your life!

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Friday, September 5, 2008

new year, new job, new vision

Wow! It's hard to believe it's been over six months since I blogged. I have had my typical comic relief moments...wearing blue socks with black pants to my first board meeting, walking in the wrong door (Not my fault! My key worked!), being the victim of a practical joke in which I opened a door and the alarm went off (Boy were people scurrying.), and embarrassing slips of the tongue. You know, the usual. I am still here and loving it. I like the people I am working with and love my job at the library. Good bosses, good company and good reading material at my fingertips. A winning combination.


It's also been a year of stretcccchhhhing. I have had to learn a number of software programs, take classes, learn how to write grants, take on unexpected reponsibilities, hone writing and editorial skills, been selected to be a part of the Kosciusko Leadership Academy and speak to crowds of people on the library's behalf. I have been learning to walk in a peace that defies understanding. God has been faithful.

I have been politically active more this year than in the past few years. I started a Meetup organizational group for a presidential candidate who later dropped out. What was really cool was getting people involved in politics who had never been involved before. Several even went to the Republican State Convention along with me. It makes one feel good to believe one has made a difference. Now several of them are setting up a Republican headquarters for this election and getting active on the local level.

There's been change at home also. Due to a power washing, the house is getting painted from yellow with white trim to carmel with tan trim. The window frames are done and the body is next. I've even changed the interior from French country to contemporary. It's new, it's different and looks good.

I am getting a new office area next week and it should be interesting to see how it all fits. There's even more change. Mike announced yesterday that he got laid off from work. Ugh! But God has given me peace about it. Never a dull moment around here. In my "spare" time, I am reading a book in partnership with my cousin,Dianne. You read a chapter and then are given "homework". I will be a new woman by the end of this year. I feel an excitement already.

I tried new things this year. For our anniversary, Mike and I went to Chicago. We ate one meal while a Jazz band entertained us. We also went sailboating on Lake Michigan. (I want a sailboat so bad, but not room to store it.) We even attended an interactive dinner theatre. Lots of fun over the weekend including two flea markets. I had trouble walking the next day but I got a tan!

So much has been experienced and there is still four months to go! Drop by and see the exciting adventures God has in store for me,a roller coaster ride with thrills, chills and hopefully no spills.