Happy Sabbath
I had a few small successes this week and no matter how small they are, I am going to praise the Lord for them.
I had a wonderful Sabbath today and am happy that I had the
opportunity to stop by the church closest to my parent’s home. A visiting pastor came from Maryland to
share what I found to be a very powerful message to the youth and even though I
don’t count myself in that crowd any more (I’m 34), I found some parts very
useful for me in my walk and as a parent of a rambunctious and often defiant
little boy.
I came in today and played for Sabbath school. but when I saw
that the visiting pianist from another church came back today, I asked for her
to do the service as I wanted to observe and learn the songs that are not
written in the hymnal that they sing.
She played for a short stint before a pianist who came along with the
group from MD took over. I am glad
to have this review before next week when it is my turn because I saw more that
I missed when I was there the first and second time. I had a chance to tape some of the audio so I will try to
look for the music later this week and practice it before covering next
Sabbath.
This week was a trying week for me. I had a few set backs at work, but
finished work on Friday strong. I
had the electric company come out and turn on my gas and electric on
Thursday (a small success). I had to reschedule my
electrician because the electric company was taking too long to arrive (gave
mea window of 8am to 12pm). Two plumbers came on Friday and I was
hit with expensive surprises and frustration. After all the work that my dad’s plumber friend did to
replace the valves in the kitchen, he accidentally knicked the side pipe which
showed up as a leak during the unannounced and costly air test the plumber
threw out on me. I was fortunately
able to get my heating certificate, but my dad and his friend have to go back
and make the repairs before I have the certified plumber come back out again
and test on Tuesday morning (hopefully clearing me so I can dewinterize and
pressurize the system). I need to
have all this information so I can send it the same day to my bank as they will
not release the escrow funds if this is not completed. My deadline was moved to July 31st
and I am expected to start paying my mortgage on August 1st. I sent in a payment to my mortgage
company last week and I don’t know if they can extend the deadline any
more. The air test was $225. The dewinterizing is $225. Pressurizing the house is $225. The heating certificate was $89. I’m short on money and am praying for
more help for this. I will have to
pay the electrician $200 to do his check over of systems. So I am feeling a little discouraged by
this, especially when I spoke to my dad about it multiple times and when the
time comes when I need his help as I requested from the beginning, he acted
like he didn’t know what I was talking about. So yeah, something to pray for. The house is looking good, I need the plumbing stuff to pass
on Tuesday.
My mother told me that I have a beaver in my back yard. I don’t know if it is the truth or not
but there are way too many animals I have to contend with. I have occasionally visiting peacocks
(dad said he saw one come up the patio door). I have a dove’s nest on that branch of the tree in the back
yard I want to cut down since it is growing over a power line. I have a nest at
the top of that very same tree that could be an eagle’s nest, hawk’s or perhaps
that peacock’s nest (who knows). I
have a rabbit hole where the poison ivy patch is. There is a hornet’s nest some where because I see them crossing my yard from time to time. I am trying to develop an appreciation
for God’s creation and all the wildlife that I never expected to have hanging
out on what is supposed to be a fenced in lot.
I had a delightful work appointment for one of my
clients. I met with them up at a
farm on Tuesday this week and petted my first horse. I had a badly facilitated meeting that same Tuesday and I
had a great meeting on Friday. Claim those victories where ever they pop up. I
was able to turn around a disaster for one of my clients on Wednesday during a
meet and greet scheduled. Mr. Wannabe
My Man was there and added a little awkwardness I made it through. I watch so many inspirational people on youtube. One young lady, Maha Maven, posted a
video about her first date with her dream man. It was such a great video. She talked about how she came to God with this list with all
the things she was looking for in a man and she met that man and went out with
him and even though he met all the items on that long list of hers, she
realized or seemed to convey to her audience that he wasn’t a perfect match for her anyway (or so I think, she might still be dating him so I'll watch for more videos). God may have someone for you that doesn’t match everything
on that list and those differences and items that are not what you are looking
for can help you to grow in the person God wants you to be.
I can also say the same for this story that I glanced over in this week's Sabbath school quarterly
lesson. The one for this week is
called, "Converting a Girlfriend". I
looked at it in church today and now as I write this, I am thinking about what
I was talking to God about last night.
In the story, Yamaji Hiroshi, a 25 year old pastor’s son was in love
with this girl Sakiko who was not a Seventh Day Adventist. She told him that she would never be a
Christian. He remembered a passage
from Ellen White’s Messages to Young People that said for anyone who is
contemplating marriage, they should pray four times a day when such a step is
anticipated. He started doing that
during a retreat he took some where out in Japan where they have mountains or
what ever and after doing all this with fasting and prayer AND accepting a job
that put more distance between the two of them, a few weeks later, his
girlfriend told him that she wanted to be baptized. After she converted, they got married. Such a beautiful story. Too bad it probably won't happen for me.
My hang-up for the man of my supposed dreams is that he is a
Methodist and he admitted to me that there are two other women who are mother’s
to his children who are not even living in America (none of them or so he
claims). I can’t get past
that. I know all things are
possible with God, but even if He can show Him the truth about the Sabbath and
much more, it doesn’t change that he had two strikes with two other women and
came out with three children. I prayed that the person for me would have one
child and in my heart at most two (so they don't want me to have any children as they already have enough...pregnancy is rough). The faith part is something I cannot overlook.
How can he be this successful, this handsome, so intelligent
and yet be alone out here. It’s
suspicious to me. I have to meet
with him again on Tuesday next week.
I don’t know what to make of this guy. My list was not as long as Maha’s
and I do like him, but unequally yoked is unequally yoked and I was not looking
for anyone. Something to throw
back up to the Lord in prayer about or pray that I just forget about all this mess.
Please pray for me about the plumbing issue and me staying
committed to the Lord. Those two
are more important right now.
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