January 2012

¡Hola! Thought I would drop a note in the blog :-)

A new year with new things already happening!!

My daughter got engaged on her birthday, what a gift for a 21 year old. I am so very excited for her and her fiancé! Of course, this means that I will soon be a single empty-nester which makes this exciting event a little bitter-sweet. However, her excitement is contagious and we are having fun ;-)

Other news of the day, I did it – I bought a Vitamix! I have been contemplating this for a couple of years now and took the leap. This morning was my first use and I made fruit smoothies for my daughter and I. Yummy!!

Tax return is completed and filed ~ probably the last year I will get money back since I was able to claim my daughter as a dependent since she is a full-time student living with me. Nice to have that done for the year; just in time for a little home improvement this spring AND the start of a wedding fund for this summer’s event.

Christmas is almost here



I had started this a month ago, which means it has been 2 months since my last blog entry.
Winter weather is definitely here. I wake up in the wee hours of the morning to the sound of the furnace kicking on (set at 63°). Still minimal amounts of snow which is great for the faint of heart when it comes to driving in the snow (ME).

I have made a lateral move at work and am learning my new job and training my replacement. It makes for a busy December.

My little girl just turned 21! Time definitely seems to move faster as we get older. I certainly don’t feel almost 45 (well, most days).

Other big news is my daughter's engagement (yep, on her birthday)  ~  I will be an empty nester before long.  A mother hen without a chick.

[Previous:  Wow ~ another month has gone by since my last update.
So, we decided to hold off on the raised garden beds until next spring. I have put the outside to bed and we are ready (as much as can be) for the winter.
I am so proud of my daughter’s accomplishments at G.U. so far this semester. She has a heavy load and has a work-study job, too. The bummer is that her bus commute time each week is about the same as the work-study hours! She is a trooper ~ I lift her up daily to the Lord for guidance and protection.]

Change in the Air

I lift up praises to the Lord!  He is infinite and I am nothing.  Each day I am amazed over and over as I relish the changes of the seasons :-)

I wish I lived next to some gorgeous scenery such as this; however, I can always drive a short distance (20 miles or so) and enjoy the beauty of flora and fauna alongside flowing water the Lord has provided.

My daughter and I have been enjoying life for the last two years; free of mental abuse and control.  We have a home of our own and are flourishing between work, school, volunteering and continuing to pursue a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

I have recently joined a small group (mentioned in a past post) and we have begun a study on the Book of Daniel.  I am excited to continue learning, understanding and applying the awesome knowledge the Lord has given us.

My life has changed quite drastically in the past two years and I am grateful and blessed.  The Lord has protected me and blessed me beyond all measure.

Blessings abound

Women of Faith ~ what an amazing event! If you have never been, please consider going. The speakers each had a specific topic they spoke to. Each one touched my heart in a special way.

Mandisa and Amy Grant were wonderful as well as the Women of Faith worship group. The ladies led us in spots of praise and worship throughout the entire two day event.

News update:

I have joined a women’s small group bible study on Saturday mornings. What a blessing these women are and I’ve only been going a couple of weeks :-)

Promiseland has started back up at church and I am working in the 2nd-4th grade room.

We are holding off any landscaping in the front yard so it will be dirt through the winter. However, we are going to be building our raised beds at the end of the month for our vegetable garden.

The Lord is mighty and I am glad!

Living ~ is there more?

 

I am feeling dissatisfied and I do not know why. I have a job, a home, a daughter, parents, siblings, co-workers/friends, brothers, and sisters-in-Christ.

I do realize that feelings are of this world and do not mean much in the large scheme of things.

I am blessed with so much that even saying I am feeling dissatisfied seems wrong.

This is a rambling of sorts; however, sometimes rattling stuff off helps to discard the feelings whatever they may be.

Being proactive may be the answer. I am volunteering more at church and hope to join a Bible-study small group. I know these will strengthen my faith and enrich my life.

My daughter and I are also continuing to work on our front yard-landscaping project with thoughts of new projects all the time. Very exciting, yet daunting, as well.

Life is full of ups and downs and this moment appears to be on the lower end of the slide.

My faith is in the Lord and I know He is always with me, especially when I feel “down in the dumps.”

Teaching Update

Teacher positions are few and far between.  I need a full-time position and none are to be found.  I know the Lord has a plan.  I am continuing to listen and wait; only He knows the path I am to follow.  Maybe a full-time teaching position isn't where I am to be; maybe using my degree and passion for reading in another arena...time will tell :-)

Passion

I continue to hear the Lord calling me to serve.  I went to school and got my teaching degree because I listened to Him.  I taught in a wonderful private Christian school due to His grace.  I left my teaching post under pressure from an abusive head-of-household.  I am currently not using my degree and miss teaching (I always have missed it!).

I am actively pursuing a teaching position.  I know that if I listen and obey, God will provide and lead me to the right place.

He is good and I am blessed!