Archive | January 2014

Change

Change is good. Change is….change.

What has changed?

Jim is home now, seven nights a week. That is good.

He is being productive (that’s not really a change, but worth noting considering his circumstances and the ambiguity of his immediate future).

As of January 17, we don’t have to worry anymore about the police coming to the house to arrest Jim. That is good.

As of January 18, we have some new experiences and knowledge about the legal system that we didn’t know before. That can’t hurt. Bonding out. Posting bail (same as bonding out). Arraignment. Simple assault. Aggravated assault.

Even in the knowing, our friends have been nothing but supportive, although I have learned something valuable. When friends tell us something traumatic, I listen, but I’ll also share a similar event, thinking that it would be a comfort for them to know we have a shared experience. Now this is what is happening to me. It’s okay, and even sweet in a way, but what I really want is for someone to hear how traumatic this was for ME. I’m not sure if it’s what I need, because it’s pretty self-serving, but it is sure a lesson for me for when I am listening to someone else. I need to listen with a truly loving and caring heart for them, regardless of what memories is brings up of my own.

Most of all I am learning to abide in the knowledge that God will deliver us. I don’t know how, but I am thanking Him already. 1 Thess. 5:18. My prayer is that God be glorified in whatever happens and that Jim and I are willing to be obedient and trusting, no matter what.

Cheers!

Jan12

Church today, and then an information session about the upcoming missions trip to South Africa to be led by Pastor Tim and Angela Mills. I attended. I’ve been on several mission trips and trying to decide about God’s will in this one for me. I’m still not sure. One concern is money, of course, but isn’t it with most everyone. God calls us to sacrifice, and if there were no sacrifice, would it really accomplish all that it should? I would love it if Jim and I could both go, and I think I could take a personal leave without pay. Oh, wow. Just thought about the implications of that! I didn’t offer to anyone to day that Jimmy lost his job this week. I thought about it during prayer requests, and thought about characterizing it as a praise–because he will now be home. However, we do still have some concerns, and aside from those, I really and truly do want this to be all good. 1 Thess. 5:18–in all things give thanks for this is the will for God for you.

Lunch with Mom and Dad. We go to a local meat and three, Jay’s on Dickerson Road. Mom and Dad go every Sunday, my brother Dennis every Sunday that he isn’t working, and me only occasionally. However, they still know that I’m Judy, their daughter. They scurry to find a table (I got there first), ask me what I want to drink and then bring all the others as well. Big glass of ice water for Dad, a small glass of ice water for Mom, and a big glass of sweet tea for Dennis. They hug and smile, and hug and smile. Mom couldn’t remember what she usually gets, so Cathy told her and Mom said yes that would be fine. I imagine that happens every week. Then as we left, Mom said she compares Jay’s to Cheers, because everyone is so friendly, and yes, they know your name! Mom is so gracious and so cute in her helplessness.

Horse Cookies

Jan11

Whew, glad I got that out of my system. Once of my favorite desserts is chocolate oatmeal cookies. They are not Jimmy’s favorite, so I rarely make them now that the kids are on their own. But I’ve been thinking about them–their fudginess, peanuttiness, just the right crunch with the oats–heaven with a big glass of milk. And how bad could they be–oats and milk, with just a coating of fudge. Yes, I’ve been thinking of them and decided that I would treat myself Friday night. I made a half recipe, and yes, I ate half last night while watching Chariots of Fire, and finished them off today. I think I am done with chocolate oatmeal cookies for awhile.

All day today I kept thinking about leaving the house. I could visit Mom and Dad, go to the bank, grocery, for a walk, Starbucks. But then I thought: I can meet Mom and Dad for lunch after church on Sunday, don’t need to go to the grocery just yet, don’t need to spend gas money just to go to the bank and Starbucks. And I could walk here. So I stayed at home. Thoroughly cleaned the kitchen including the oven, piddled, read, watched five Duck Dynasty’sand about that many Jeopardy’s, and in between everything on the Food Network–every kind of “chop” imaginable. I am over halfway done with my 1000-piece puzzle, and then after all that stayed up until the wee hours working on our budget. I track all of our expenses for tax purposes, so I have a handy analysis, which is especially handy since we have had such a change in income. Now I have to remind myself that this financial setback is just that, a financial setback. God will provide, but we need to do our part. We need to be very intentional not to waste any money, and I mean any money! We have it to spend on what we really want, but we should be sure we really want it. This will take some real effort on my part to have the right attitude. I don’t want to constantly be thinking about what I can’t do, but more about how blessed we are and how God provides.

Teacher’s Pet

Jan10

Good day at work. Our “Choice” teams met in Franklin at Scarlett Leadership Center for some goal setting. Then Norman, Glenn, and I met with the Board HR Committee Chair to review a full slate of Benefits Recommendations, in preparation for a full HR Committee Meeting on Monday. Both events went well. In earlier similar meetings, Glenn would brag on me and Carolyn to the rest of the assembly, kind of the halo effect–newest kids on the block, about how lucky the Mission is to have us, etc. It’s been over a year now, and he continues to do this. I’m so pleased that he feels this way, but it reminds me of high school when my teachers would commend me to the class and it made me wonder if the rest of the class would resent me. In truth, I do a good job there, and I have a lot of great experience and knowledge and wisdom to offer. However, I am indeed the lucky one to be working around so many selfless saints. I am only being obedient and taking advantage of a God-sent opportunity. Perhaps they are as well, but they have devoted their lives to this work to the detriment of their own physical and financial well-being, and I am just a relative new-comer. I can’t brag on my co-workers enough. Thank you Jesus for making the way.

Bowling Birthday

Jan9

Celebrated my birthday at the bowling alley with Jim, my sons, Molly (who made me a death by chocolate cake!), Annie (who gave me one of her precious quarters), Judah, and Lincoln and Audrey who each drew me a beautiful picture. We had fun bowling and just being together. So sad that Sara Beth and Ella had to miss because Ella has a fever.

After Jesus, my family is everything.

Oh, and I actually bowled four strikes in 1 1/2 games–a career high!!!

Coming Home

Jan8

Jim’s last day in Paris. Not planned, but it is past time for him to come home.

Give thanks in all things, for that is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 thess. 5:18. This was what I prayed all the way to Paris to pick Jim up.

More Arctic Blast

Jan7

http://www.newschannel5.com/story/24360880/single-digit-temperatures-persist-in-mid-state

Still cold. I’m sure it’s because I’m more in tune with it, and God has given me a heart to care more about it, but I am hearing more about what good people are doing to reach out to the homeless, especially in this bitter weather. Police, cab drivers, churches, as well as the volunteers serving at the agencies are all going out of their way into the cold spending their own money and time to take care of the homeless. Such a blessing to see God at work.

Today I led a morning and an evening session of Bible study at the Transitional House. We talked about the Ebenezer stone, a riff on Paster Tim’s sermon. To get there, I talked them through a high level overview of Bible history up to the time of Samuel. They were forthcoming in saying that they loved hearing the stories in the Bible, which is a very healthy thing to want that kind of study. I’m getting to know some of these ladies better. It’s another world than the one that I was privileged to be raised in. It’s a fallen world for sure, and a flat out miracle that these ladies have survived and now are so full of joy and gratitude. They are the blessing for me, and such evidence of God at work.

Arctic Blast

Jan6

Wore long underwear today. Took coats that a friend from church brought for the Mission. Let a man into the shelter to wait–wasn’t supposed to let him into that particular area, but I didn’t care. He needed to be inside, not outside, the shelter. We fed people stranded at the bus station–another good work that NRM does when needed. I’m finding out neat things all the time. Nashville Rescue Mission is on the news every night because our staff and volunteers go out and try to get people to come in off the park bench and doorway to get a warm bed and hot meal.

I meant to follow up with another friend whose son is in jail for a DUI, but forgot because I called Dad first, only to find that their furnace is going out–on a night when it’s supposed to drop to zero! I went over there, thinking that I would take them home with me, but Mom was already in bed and Dad had heaters going and was manually keeping the furnace going so it was actually in the mid-60’s. He didn’t want to move her. Then the next door neighbor came over to check on them which also made me feel better.

So I went home and worked on a Bible Study for tomorrow, using content from the sermon on Sunday. I also worked on my annual jig saw puzzle.

Ebenezer

Jan5

Fantastic service today. In fact, we had so many in Sunday School that Jim and I didn’t get to sit in our “assigned” seats, a great situation to find ourselves in. Then Pastor Tim blew it away with a sermon on “Rearview Mirror.” He interrupted the song, “Come thou fount of many blessings” when we got to the part about “here I raise my Ebenezer….” He asked if we knew what it meant, and when we all responded with blank looks, he told the worship team to sit because he had a sermon to preach. Needless to say he had our attention. Without restating the entire sermon, although I took copious notes, he related the events in 1 Samuel 7, and then exhorted us to revelation (a vision of God’s faithfulness and what can be), repentance (turning away from our old habits and making the changes we need to make, and remember as in remember the victories we have through God.

We have enjoyed the rest of the day, knowing that it’s the last day of Jim’s vacation, and also knowing that the temperature is going down from mid 40’s at church time to single digits. In fact, it’s already a winter wonderland as we get ready to dig into a bowl of chili.

Circle Christmas

Jan4

My Circle 5 Sisters and I celebrated Christmas today with a brunch, dirty Santa, and rousing game of Hollywood Dominoes at Kristine VanVondoren’s house. Marilyn, Renee, Teressa, Wilma, Debbie, Kristine, and me. We all brought food (and we are all good cooks!), Kristine served mimosas and pumpkin spice coffee. Yum!

We started at 9:30 am and reluctantly stopped around 2 pm. It was fun, refreshing, and blessed (I love any social event that starts with prayer.)

When I got home Jim was working on Hawaii reservations so we got it booked (yay!), then after not being able to decide what to do about dinner, I cooked and we had a very nice quiet evening. Watched Batman–Dark Knight Rises.

judycline

On Purpose