Stranded But Not Stressed

Happy Sabbath

It’s a wonderful day and I hope that you are enjoying it as well. 

Sunday, I had my private Spanish lesson and taught piano.  Before I did that, I attached the two trellis (trellis’, trellises…I dunno) to the garden bed and following the lessons, I was given four flower baskets which I quickly painted black and hung them out on the shepherd hooks I have in the back yard. 

Monday went okay.  I worked hard and got things done. 

Tuesday and Wednesday good. 

Thursday morning, I called Pepboys to schedule an appointment for Sunday to get my car serviced (due for oil change and some new tires).  Money is tight but if I am going to keep going, I need to have tires to run on. Not have them blow out on me.

I traveled to my client’s new location Thursday afternoon and after leaving them, I got on a major stretch of highway about 40-45 minutes away from home.  Earlier that day, even that week, I was thinking to myself how wonderful it is to have power windows and not have to drive my parent’s back up car which you have to roll the windows down manually.  The weather is warming up and my ac (no matter how many times I brought it out to different mechanics, has not been fixed).  I’m not paying any more into it and was preparing myself for the warmer weather coming Friday and beyond. 

Well on that stretch of highway, I suddenly saw smoke in the rear view mirror.  At first I thought it was coming from the tractor trailer driving next to me, but the smell entered the cabin and I quickly realized it was me.  I then thought maybe my tires were burning and they were about to blow out.  I got over to the right lane and then my dashboard lit up with the oil sign, battery sign, the engine running hot sign, and of course my truck ajar sign since the thing my mechanic installed in the car was malfunctioning (about a week or so after he installed it). 

I pulled over on the shoulder and even with that, there was not enough space for me to be really safe.  Speed limit is 65 or 70 mph, but 80 percent of people go well over that and this was around 4:30pm so people rushing home was making it even worse.  I called my family to let them know and of course my dad tells me to get out and check the oil as if that is going to correct the issue.  I turned my car off and sat for a few minutes trying to allow the car to cool down but it was not cooling fast enough and I was right before an exit so I started it up and headed to the exit (had to dodge guy behind me who had no regard for the flashers or my slow pace).  My car could not accelerate and while in the turn, my steering wheel was locking up on me.  I managed to get the car to make two rights and finally I was stuck in the entrance of an Amazon warehouse.  I thank the Lord because I was not scared, not stressed.  I knew I was going to have to pay up but I also knew that the Lord has helped me through situations worse than this.  On the phone, my mechanic was telling me not to be upset, little did he know I was absolutely fine.  AAA kept calling me every 10 minutes to say help was on the way and it was not nice, but not necessary.  I had to be towed back to my mechanics shop.

My dad wanted to insist it was my fault that I didn’t check the oil but nothing was wrong with my oil and he saw that one of the belts had snapped under the hood and was twisted all up. 

Mechanics worked on it and I paid a pretty penny but I am thankful that I listened to my mother and didn’t have it towed to AAA because I would likely not have my car back.  The altenator belt, the serpentine belt, and headlight (that the stupid deer broke) were repaired. 

I am also thankful that my dad knows as much as he does about cars because he did a check of the car before I was to pull out of the lot.  He told me to turn my AC on.  I had the car running and when I turned the AC on, my car shut down without warning.  He knew that the AC had to be run and he saw there was an issue with the compressor.  The mechanic did something else but ultimately I still need to get a new compressor and labor will run me $200 with them for the install.  Let’s not forget I was clutching my purse and apprehensive about going to get tires on Sunday.  I still have to do this…to the credit card it must go I guess. 

I am thankful for my dad checking because what if I had been on the highway and although I know and they know that my AC doesn’t work, what if I accidentally hit the button or hit the button intentionally to try to circulate the air around the cabin?  My car would have stopped and I’m always on the go.  I’m on roads driving speeds of 70 or more depending on the traffic around me and time of day.  How does a car work at 80mph and the engine shuts off? 

So until I can get the compressor, I am driving in the right lane and going below the speed limit. 

It could have been 100 times worse and I thank God that it didn’t go that way. 

I went to church and played on the broken piano today and it went well.  My coworker and her husband were there and he gave an amazing message.  I am home and my son is back in his room.  He didn’t go to church, he went to the grandparents.  I was over there for longer than I should have been but had the chance to see two sisters while I was there. 

My lemon tree is dying.  I put the wrong soil in and despite drilling holes in the pot, it was swamped and basically drowning all these weeks.  I purchased the appropriate soil, citrus tree food and changed location for it.  I even took a cutting to see if I could propagate it.  Can’t believe I messed this up.  My home is coming along. I hung a folding door, put up some back-splash, weed wacked, seeded my front and side lawn, and did other things around this place.  My beets came up two days ago.  My squash is poking through just this afternoon.  Lots of good things coming.  I am thankful for my home.  I am thankful for my car being back on the road.  I am thankful for family and even them saying I need to take my son to church.  So many people have asked about him and now I think I will try again. 

I have other things on my mind that I am praying about.  Hopefully I can talk about that in my next post.  Until next time, may you have a wonderful blessed and safe week and stay close to Jesus.

It is Better, This Week

Happy Sabbath

It was a better week for me.  Today we had communion and a lot of people asked where my son was.  Since communion service is more special than other times, I decided to have my son stay with the grandparents again.  Someone pressed me for the reason I was leaving him home and I did tell them.  I was so disaapointed with what happened the other Sabbath and I don’t want to take a chance and put my son in an unsafe situation.  That day left me feeling some type of way and I’m not sure if I will have him come the Sabbath after next. 

Next Sabbath, my coworker’s husband is the speaker.  I already told her I was not bringing him. 

I am searching.  God is good.  God is good.  The person who offered to help told me something that happened to her. She is a dress maker and was making a gown for this person’s wedding.  She said she received a call about an hour or so before Sabbath from the bride to be that she wanted a certain amount of fabric saved for a part of her husband’s outfit.  She realized that she accidentally used all of the fabric on the gown and told the bride who was furious at her.  She didn’t know what to do and was praying while still worrying about how to fix the problem. The fabric was a very unique piece of fabric and she called around to different places to see if they carried it and they did not.  She arrived home around Sabbath and she said she heard a voice tell her to calm down.  She looked in her supply and found exactly what she needed to fix the problem.  She reminded me and the congregation that the Lord is closer to us than we think.

It reminds me of when I was hoping to get into grad school.  I was hit with real supernatural attacks from the enemy when I was trying to print documents, fax/mail them and get my transcript.  Trips all over the city searching for a computer or machine that would print a simple word document I prepared the night before. Lost my bus/train pass.  Computers that worked with no problem before all decided to get brand new and act like they don’t know me. I knew the enemy was trying to frustrate me, but I was determined not to give up and the Lord allowed me to prevail that day.  I was waiting for some word from the school as to whether I would be accepted or not.  A week before school was to start, I received the answer to my prayer.  I had prayed that if I would get in, that the Lord show me a whippet (a type of dog that looks like a greyhound).  I was home scrolling through news articles and random things the internet offers up on my phone and came across a statement saying, “Don’t be a worried whippet.”  Almost immediately after I read it, my phone began to ring and I answered it to hear a woman from admissions (I believe one of the deans) telling me over the phone that she usually doesn’t give phone calls but she just wanted to let me know I was accepted to the university.  I screamed and jumped around like a 5 year old.

I am thankful for my church sister’s testimony.  I hope to have experiences like that more and more.  I have to stop backsliding and yes, I have …with music. 

I have a raised garden bed in my back yard that I am excited about.  What I thought would be an hour project turned into 8 hours which included two trips to Home depot, one to Lowes, a scrape, a neighbor looking at me like “what are you doing?”, and my son running around with no shoes on in the cold.  That tutorial said 2.5 inch nails.  No matter how much pre-drilling I did, not one 2.5 screw went through the thinner part of a two by four.  I have one bed that is at least 16 inches high, filled with the fruit and veggie soil, worm castings, and other goodies.  I am thankful for the yard I have and that I can have a real garden.  I am also thankful for my dad and his giving heart (no matter how argumentative he can be), who when I spend hours looking online for deals on tools, garden décor, and other items, he has told me time and time again, he has two of what I need and will give me it if I need it.  I mean an extra 10x13 ‘ gazebo still in the box, never opened.  Fencing.  Power drills and augers.  I look and he has it.  So my yard is going to look amazing this year and I am excited to get out there tomorrow to get more work done. 

I am thankful for my mother who helps with my son on mornings that are too short and afternoon work days that run too long.  I am thankful for my sisters, one of which who just came to visit and spend time with him.  I am thankful for my family, my church, and all the many blessings the Lord has given me. 

God is good!

It Will Get Better

Happy Sabbath

I am sitting in the parking lot of the place I went to middle school. I had a good day at church today. My son is with the grandparents and I plan to meet up with several church members to play at a nursing home. It's extremely windy out in this parking lot, the wind is shaking my car.

I had some difficulty this week with how I felt and how I wanted things to go, but I am going to praise God nonetheless.

I went to the group at a friends house following church last Saturday night and I was not comfortable. I left the house after being there 3 hours and when I left, a herd of deer ran in between the houses and one hit the driver's side headlight of my car. I was going 40 mph when I saw them and hit the deer when I was 20mph. Still damaged.

Before leaving the house, my son got sick and started coughing. My friend has a dog and allows only the children to look after it. Allowing children to run anything equates to my son getting sick.

He put a remote in his mouth. He crawled on the floor with the dog. The dog licked his face. When he came back to me he was sneezing, coughing, covered with dog hair and in the early stages of conjunctivitis and other bacterial infection internally. He also broke out in a rash.

Prior to that, when I was playing piano for my home church, I had left my son with an adult. I look and see him walking around during children's story collecting an offering with his sweater on his head with no care or respect for God and the sanctuary. It bothered me more that no one stepped in to correct him. It bothered me that no one checked his running around seeing I couldn't leave the piano for the worship service. It bothered me that adults only looked after their own. It angered me that a child came up to me to tell me my son was outside by himself throwing dirt. I came out side to find him running around, knees soiled in mud and him throwing dirt toward the door all while worship service was going on. I even saw at least one adult if not two outside moving their children and not so much blinking an eye that my son was outside by himself. He could have been in the parking lot and got hit. A predator could have taken him. Anything could have happened.

The anger did not settle in me until well after my son got sick from being at my friend's house. As a result, I decided that he should stay with my parents when I go to church and know I will not be able to supervise him. I can't rely on anyone else to do their part in making sure ALL children are safe.

People talk a good game and I'm not here for it any more. I am thankful that my son is in a safe place right now. I am thankful for the longer days that are to come. I am working on planning activities my son and I can do on longer Sabbath days. We watched this great movie about David last night and I am surprised that he enjoyed it so much, he repeated the entire hour and some watching it once more.  All is not lost. It sure felt that way at the start of the week but there are things I can still do to draw him in and direct his attention to the Lord.

I had difficulty early this week but towards the end, I thank the Lord my tax refund came through. I thank Him I could fit a wheel barrel in my tiny car and all that lumber. I plan to build a raised garden bed tomorrow and I'm excited. I am excited for Spring, warmer weather and to see more changes happen, more growth in my son's and my life.

It's going to get better. I thank Jesus that it is going to get better. God is good. Let's thank Him in good times and times of struggle. It's going to get better.

God is Good and His Timing Is Perfect

Happy Sabbath

God is good. All the time. All the time, God is good.

I had a great day today.  I took my son’s tablet away from him and watched stories from the old testament and new and that kept his interest last night. He's full of energy and always trying to test me, but I'm working on him. 

I went to church today, the one where my membership is at.  I was asked by a member to play for the main service earlier in the week and I was unsure but prepared myself in case I wouldn’t have to. 

I came today and the main pianist was there but they had me playing for the opening of the service so it would have been awkward to switch and she allowed me to continue.  I thank the Lord because there was one song I did not know I had to play and she came up to me and told which number right before we were to get to it.  I’ve been so focused on supporting at the other church, I never really took the time to think of what the program layout usually is at my main church.  I wanted to do a twist to one hymn, but my mind wouldn’t work with me when I was at the piano.  Everything else went well. 

When I went to return to my seat to hear the message, a familiar face was sitting in it. She was gone for I believe a year if not more from the church after breaking her leg. She was one of the first people I encountered (if not the very first…I think she was the very first because she was a front door greeter), when I came to this church and even that day, I tried to support the children’s Sabbath school by playing a few songs in the children’s room and when I tried to do it, she walked into the room.  I had not played hymns in a church at that time for a couple years.  Then the person I am teaching piano to (she is teaching me Spanish), asked me to play for Sabbath school not too long after.  This member is the same who asked me to play for the entire service.  There are so many talented musicians in this church and I never thought I would be selected to do this especially with all the blessed youth who can do just about anything. None of those youth were present today for some reason.

I am thankful for an opportunity to use my gift when it is needed. When I think of my first time playing piano at that church, those two ladies come to my memory to the start of this...so today was a special day.

I had a good week at work.  I was able to get a lot of work done, a lot of progress.  It was good and only because of the Lord. I thank the Lord for traveling mercies.  A driver almost took my mirror off as I was parking in front of my parent's house.  The street is very wide yet they drove up on me and I had to pull up on the grass to avoid them.

I was inspired to prep my home for spring.  As far as I’m concerned, it’s spring, I can’t wait until 3/20.  I went and purchased these super large pots and two thuja trees.  They might not do too well in the pots, and if that is the case I’ll get some boxwoods when I see them but I potted the thujas and flanked the entrance to my home as well as put a lovely pink spring wreath on my door.  I bought some cinder blocks and lifted a swing I have in the back yard, creating a bench area.  I bought an umbrella tree.  My plant gallery and living room has been looking like a page out of Pintrest and I’m loving just being in my home. I plan to do some plotting around the yard and will prepare the front to mulch as well as plot for the garden in the back.

Yesterday,  I happened to be looking at other homes on the market in my area for inspiration and when I typed the address to my home, I realized that I am coming up on some anniversaries.  The anniversary to when I first saw the posting, when it was listed was March 8^th, 2018. I made an offer and put the house in pending status.  It went pending on 3/20 (first day of spring).  I closed on 6/21 (first day of summer).  I moved in the fall the night before my birthday and woke up in my new home on my birthday.  I am thankful for my home.  I had nice neighbors.  I live in a quiet neighborhood and occasionally see deer or other beautiful wildlife in my back yard.  I even heard those peacocks a few times in Feb and March.

The other homes I looked at, no one is in them.  Contractors keep pulling up with their vans and trucks and working on them.  God knew what He was doing when He placed me here and I am thankful.  I am thankful that my son is 99% recovered from his surgery.  He is healthy and doing well, learning…doing 2^nd grade math and a bunch of other challenging things.  I am thankful for my family, for my churches, and for each and every day Jesus gives me. 

God is good and His timing is perfect. 

Back Home

Happy Sabbath

I thank the Lord that my son is making a fantastic recovery from his procedure.  He was able to return to school on Wednesday this week and is caught up with his school work and healing well. 

I took him to church today for the first time in weeks.  First he wanted to stay with the grandparents and then he was sick and had to stay home.  Then the procedure.  He missed a lot.   I brought him to the church where my membership currently stands and I thought we would stay and listen to a group of youth from this academy I wanted to send my son to.  I received a call and a text message from a sister from my favorite church asking if I could help with the piano.  I decided to grab our coats and head over there because I wasn’t feeling the anxiety of parents and the academy bell choir teacher rushing about to put on an elaborate production.  I came to hear the word of God so I took my son over to the other church. 

When there I discovered that this church was almost as packed as the one I left and members from my church were over there.  Someone broke the piano pedal and I did what I could with it.  I had a good worship experience there. 

My son behaved 70 percent of the time.  I am glad I didn’t have to spank him and following the service, we stopped over at my parent’s house 3 houses down from the church.  My son had lunch, we hugged my parents and sister who was visiting for the day and headed home.

This week has not been too bad at work.  I was able to get a few things done for my clients and thank the Lord I was safe out on the road. 

The biggest highlight is that I was able to come home.  Since my son’s procedure, I was camping out at my parents and was tired of staying there.  My dad was looking at my heating system and installed a filter and cleaned it.  As a result, the heat is staying on and we have been enjoying comfortable temperatures in the house.  That was one thing I really hoped for but knew I didn’t have the money in place or time to address it and the Lord used my dad to fix something that would have cost me oodles of money with a heating/plumber service.    Perhaps now my energy bill will read true for the season.  I had a bill so ridiculous last month and that was due to the space heaters I had to use to keep only 2 rooms warm when we were in them.

I’m glad to be home.  I'm glad that my son is watching a movie about the Bible (main Bible stories) and is showing interest in it now.  He would typically rather play Pacman or some other game but I don't want him doing this on Sabbath. I’m glad that the Lord can use me at church.  I’m glad that my son is healing and back to his normal activities.  I’m thankful for peace and quiet, good food, clothing, and my basic needs being met. 

That’s my testimony for the week.