Much Prayer

Happy Sabbath

It’s a beautiful day and it has been a great week.  I am doing well at work and got my numbers back up.  My son was sick on Thursday and ended up staying home.  Friday, he went for part of the day because he had a doctor’s appointment that afternoon I scheduled months ago. 

I had a good day at church and my son and I went to a nursing home with some other church members to sing songs and encourage the residents. 

I believe it was Thursday morning I asked my parents if they were doing anything for memorial day and they said no.  I’ve been living in this house for 6 months so far and just put up a gazebo on Sunday with the help of my dad.  It’s a hexagon shape with mosquito sides that I have tied up to the pillars and it rests on 145 cement pavers which I want to attempt to set properly tomorrow morning before I attract unwanted attention. 

I announced I was having a barbecue and everyone jumped up on Whatsapp and said they were bringing xyz and definitely coming for the party.  I didn’t put any restrictions and want my family to feel welcome.  They know what I’ve shared about health and wellness and what the Bible teaches about our diet and lifestyles. I told them what ever they bring, make sure they take it with them when they leave. I don’t want crabs in my fridge.  I have a grill but my parents have decided last minute they were going to give me one of their old grills, which would do nicely next to the current grill and platform I have laid out on the patio. 

For the barbecue, I bought some plastic tumblers but really wanted to get these nice blue glasses but there were not enough in stock.  I have plenty of plates, silverware, bowls, and serving items.  I bought two tables which I need to go by Joanns or another store tomorrow to find the perfect table cloth to dress it up.  I need napkins and want to do a special fold and give everyone place settings.  I’m doing this barbecue Martha Stewart style and am excited to get everything set up and prepared. 

I also have yard games that my son and aunts/whoever can play.  I made a beautiful centerpiece of blue coneflower, white rose, and daisy…so my color scheme is blue white and yellow.  So yes, lots of work to do.  I am going to clean my home top to bottom tonight, do cooking and fix the floor of the gazebo tomorrow, and set out the tables, china, and other items Memorial day morning.

I thank the Lord that I am in a place to do such an event.  This house has come such a long long way and if it weren’t for the Lord, I wouldn’t be here.  I’d be a homeless wreck. 

My neighbor down the hill (cul-de-sac guy) still comes out  to try to talk.  I spoke to him yesterday as I was finishing up with the weed wacker in my yard-war uniform (consists of a hoodie, protection goggles, gloves, cargo pants, and beans).  I did my best to encourage him to do the right things, not hang around people who will get him in trouble and forgive his friend who borrowed money from him.  He talked about his uncle and seemed to indicate that this uncle too was on drugs.  He keeps trying to offer help but I didn’t ask for it.  Yesterday, he came out wearing a hospital mask and glasses.  He said the mask was to keep him safe from germs on the train (but he was in the unoccupied neighbor’s back yard and I’ve never seen him with glasses on until yesterday).  It made no sense.  The previous week I was mowing the lawn, I was wearing a work mask because I was coughing and sneezing from the pollen and having trouble breathing.  He attempted to climb the fence again pledging to do what I told him I did not want or need him to do (rake leaves from my yard into the unoccupied yard next door) and I made him stay over there. 

I mulched the leaves and I am turning them into compost in that corner and he doesn’t get that.  He even reached without protection onto the poison ivy barrier that is on the fence that I warned him about.

 It’s a tricky situation that needs prayer because I don’t want to say the wrong thing to offend him or set myself to be a victim.  I am determined to enjoy my yard and will figure out a way to do it. 

So I will have the barbecue in view of this neighbor.  The neighbors who were watching me through their fence next door are having a big gathering today (cars parked all up and down the street and they put up a pop up gazebo in their back.  I don’t know how they are hosting so many people.  They have a rancher like me, only their living room is slightly bigger and it’s a slightly different lay out.  Most of their yard is lost to poison ivy, bushes and trees but they do pay a lawn cutting service to come out every other week to handle business.  It could be  graduation party or just an early memorial day party.  I only plan to have my two sisters and parents over.  Another sister had to work and I’m sure other family have other arrangements made for the day. 

Enough about yards and barbecues.  I just need to know how to deal with my neighbor.  During Sabbath school, a portion of the discussion was about how we must treat our neighbors.  We must respond with kindness, gentleness, be friendly and helpful.  He shared a wrench with me to help my son’s training wheels stay tightened and I am thankful for that.  I have to work to see past the evil truth my other neighbor shared with me about cul-de-sac guy.  Everyone is hurting.  Everyone is trying to be their best and sometimes we take the wrong turns in life, I know I certainly have.  What would Jesus do with cul-de-sac guy. 

Much prayer, much power.  Little prayer, well….

Happy Sabbath and stay in prayer for all things.

Trick or Treat

Happy Sabbath

I call this trick or treat because I have a treat.  I've been blessed this week with something wonderful, but satan also came with a trick immediately after, gotta tell you about it all. 

It’s been a busy and eventful week and I thank you for your prayers.

Sunday I visited my mom for mother’s day and brought her some lovely petunias.  Monday at work was productive and I got a lot done.  Tuesday was good.  My dad and mother helped me bring over a gazebo in the box to my house.  They put it in my shed and my dad talked to me about things I could do for a base to support it in when I’m ready to set it up.  Wednesday was good at work.  I worked hard, met deadlines and left an hour later than I had planned on.  I was on my way home researching options and decided to go for a cement stone paver for the base of my gazebo.  I saw a deal was still going on at Lowes for $1.00 per paver and I headed over and got 140 of them, saving over $95 in the process.  Lowes requires that you pick up your items in 24 hours so I spent the rest of the afternoon until 8:30pm driving back and forth (5 times) from the store to my house loading pavers and transferring them from wheel barrow to the back yard. I am thankful I only live about 8-10 minutes away drive so I didn’t have to do delivery which would have cost a minimum of $75.  I had put some pavers mistakenly down in the shape of a rectangle not remembering that I have a hexagon gazebo and will need to set that up first before laying down each paver which weighs 17lbs. 

I was tired and sure I would be sore by the next day.  I was also wired up and couldn’t sleep.  I think I slept for 2 hours and was up between the hours of 2am or 3am and thinking of how much debt I am in.  I went online looking for employment and came upon a recruitment opportunity after almost giving up.  I completed the forms, took an assessment, and scheduled an interview for later Thursday morning (my schedule was perfect because I would be done by 2pm with my main job).  I dressed in what my son called “church clothes” and headed to what I thought was an interview trying not to stress out and when I arrived, it was 10-11 other people meeting in the same room.  Some people didn’t complete all the processes so they had to leave and would miss out on this opportunity.  I thank the Lord that I checked my emails and all links because I could have been one of those people turned away.  The 8 other people and myself were hired on the spot!

They are completing a background check and reviewing the results of my drug test.  Once I complete a virtual orientation which I get paid for, I can pick any shift I want.  The shift that was printed on my offer letter said Sunday and Monday 6pm to 11pm and that is perfect for me because I thought I saw something saying 9pm to 5am (which I could do, but that is really taxing on me).  I have worked overnight jobs before and purposely worked three jobs one summer just to see if I could do it and I did (fighting through delirium).

After I arrived back to pick up my son from my parents, I had it in mind to go to bed, but when I got home, I saw my lawn and thought it was the best time to attack so I set about cutting the entire lawn and picking up trash that blew over from who knows where down my hill. 

Friday came.  I had a good productive morning.  I returned and finished my service notes and picked up my son thinking he would be able to play in the back yard and perhaps ride his bike before it was expected to rain.  I told my son to go around the back while I opened the front door and back sliding glass door to the patio.  He was given a kite at school so I took it and tried to fly it in my work clothes (I had dressed very nice and feminine).  I then looked over at the pavers and decided I needed to move the 30 I laid out in a rectangle and pile them up so not to kill grass I didn’t intend.  I went inside, changed into my lawn clothes which consists of baggy cargos, a black hoodie with long sleeves, bean boots, and work gloves.  I was midway moving pavers when my neighbor came out from his house at the base of the hill and said hello.  I said hello back and continued stacking pavers, minding my business.  He said something and I couldn’t hear him so I thought he was asking about the pavers and I told him what they were for.  Then for some reason, he started walking out of his yard, into the yard next door (unoccupied property) and climbed over the fence towards me. 

I was so confused as to why he was coming over. 

I don’t know how to make a long story short, but I’ll try.  Guy came over, seemed to want to vent about a situation that was happening between him and one of his friends.  As he talked he showed more and more signs of mental instability and appeared to be under the influence of some drug.  It got worse as we walked around to the front of my property.  He talked about how he knew all my neighbors on my street and I was confused because he lives at the base of the hill in a cul-de-sac and has no access to my street (he would have to drive a long way around the neighborhood to get to my street so how does he know everyone over here so well?).  As we are in the front, my older neighbor from across the street who walks his dog came out with his dog and came up to us.  He knew this guy for years but after I talked to the older guy, the truth came out. 

As the neighbor behind me was talking about his strength and all the things he can do and how he has stayed out of trouble, the older neighbor whispered to me and told me that the cul-de-sac neighbor was trouble and I needed to stay away from him.  He told me that he was squatting in my house and the police know about him.  Old neighbor even claimed he had to beat him up once and if I needed his help to get the guy to leave me alone, he would help me. 

All this for going around the back to move some pavers!

Eventually the older neighbor excused himself and I was left with the cul-de-sac guy and my son.  Cul-de-sac guy was looking at all my windows and kept commenting on how good my windows are.  He had already seen what was inside my shed and I continued trying to walk him back to the fence he climbed over so he would leave.  He kept talking and talking and even said one time he picked up a guy and as he said this, he made a motion towards me and grabbed my leg as if he was going to pick me up but he let go and kept talking excitedly about his abilities as a man or what ever.

I think him watching me mow my lawn (it’s huge and that ain’t no lie), using a chainsaw, or perhaps moving the pavers (all 140 of them) triggered him and made him feel insecure in his manliness. 

Throughout the entire exchange, I learned that the woman I met a few months ago was not his wife, it is his sister.  He, his sister, and his mother live in this house behind me.  The first time I spoke to her and really introduced myself was after the report of someone burglarizing my neighbor’s home (the lovely Christian family with the two little girls next door).  They moved out in March or April and whenI introduced myself to cul-de-sac guy, I told him that the house was burglarized and he acted extremely surprised.  I felt it was a bit odd because he would always be outside sitting and facing our houses.  I felt like he would see anything and when I called the police the following day of the incident, I told them that he was usually out there and suggested that they go to his house and ask them if they have a camera.

Well going back to my back yard and the guy still talking my ear off and behaving erratically.  He is talking and next thing I know, I see the older neighbor come into my backyard with his dog.  All three of us are standing around and now the focus turns to strength (again I think he was triggered seeing me work and put him to shame as a man).  I kept bringing up that my son needs to do his homework and I need to make dinner.  He finally left the way he came and I stood in my backyard talking to the older neighbor who shared that he was a special education teacher and everything he knew about cul-de-sac guy.  I gave him my phone number as he and his wife (who I have met across the street from me) are usually always home and look out for their neighbors. 

I couldn’t get over the original condition of my house before I got in there and got to work.  I told cul-de-sac guy, I couldn’t believe the condition and how people could live like they were living in the house.  All the while, I had no idea he was squatting up in my house and likely was the person who caused the damage to the home in the first place.  

So that was my Friday.  I had a good day at church today.  I had told my parents about what happened and you know what my mother told me?  I am going to have to change my routine and she said the ONLY thing I need to change is to stop going to church on Saturday.  I asked her if I should change my routine on the days I head to the office and she said, “of course not”.  But see, Saturday, I always make the home appear like I’m home.  The days I go to the office, the curtains are drawn.  I leave lights on throughout the night in the kitchen, my son’s room, and sometimes the activity room.  If I start turning off lights in the middle of the night, anyone looking at my house is going to know something is up.  I leave at 5ish in the morning on Mondays and some Wednesdays so that doesn’t work. 

So for her to tell me to stop going to church is simply the enemy.  She’s done this before.  When I brought up that I needed to get a part time job, her automatic response was, well I’m going to have to sacrifice Saturdays and stop going to church and work those hours. 

There is so much other stuff going on, but I am going to rejoice in the blessings the Lord gave me.  I have a part time job and a flexible one at that.  Once all things clear, I can start as soon as June 2^nd.  I’m looking forward to it.  I don’t want to say too much about what it entails, the Lord was looking out for me because it is absolutely perfect.  Perfect.  God is perfect and has perfect timing and planning.  This is tailored to me and I know I can do it and the benefits along the way….it’s just perfect because God, periodt!

So with blessings, challenges come. Attacks come.  I am dealing with mowing induced seasonal allergies (I never had to deal with this before).  I have a neighbor who I have to figure out how to live around.  I want to enjoy my home, my neighborhood without having to worry about crime and my son being in danger.  The guy mentioned a friend of his was using heroin.  I wouldn’t be surprised if he uses the same stuff.  I read the news daily (end of Sabbath I look it over) and it’s too much madness going on.  When I had gotten off the phone with my parents yesterday telling them about the bizarre behavior of my neighbor, I passed my patio door to see him coming out of the unoccupied neigbor’s backyard again.  No reason for him to be there.  I have a church sister’s husband who is a cop doing a background check on the guy for any records because he was arrested for something (cul-de-sac guy implied and old neighbor said the police know him).  I have to be careful but I also have to be a Christian and be kind and do what Jesus would do.  That is what I am praying about. 

Before he left, he was happy that he was able to come over and talk to me because if not, he was thinking about going over to fight someone because of the drama that was unfolding in his life with his friend and some baby mama or something.  I don’t know what the guy was saying.  My mind was on how to get this guy out of my yard and get my son and I back in the house.  There are a lot of hurt people in this world, and they live in the hood and they also live in my gorgeous community (where I thought nothing could go wrong).  The leave it to Beaver days are gone, can’t trust people any more. 

So he is my new topic that I’m praying about.  Him and the new job.

With all the craziness and all the drama, God is still good and always will be. 

Piano Delivery

Happy Sabbath

God is good and I can’t complain. 

I had a good and productive work week and am having a good Sabbath. 

My dad and his friend came through to give a church sister of mine a piano for her home and I’m thankful that the Lord allowed it and used all of us to make this happen.  I spent a good part of Friday running around getting tools, forgotten parts for the piano and trying to help my dad unload the piano from the suv safely.  My son was not supposed to be over there but in going to get the parts my dad forgot about, I picked up my son and he had the time of his life playng with his friends (her children). 

That same morning was trash day and I was rushing out of the house to get the trash down and my son in the car to get him to the bus stop on time.  It was between me getting my trash and noticing a nice piece of furniture my neighbors who have moved out put out on the trash that I forgot to look back and close my front door.  I thank the Lord that I had planned to return back to the house to do prep work for my job because anyone could have walked up in my house.

I returned to my house to see the neighbor across the street messing around his truck.  His truck usually has furniture and junk pieces and I suspect he was the one who picked up the treadmill that my other neighbor who moved out tossed out on the trash back on Wednesday.  I didn’t want it because it was raining the night it was out side, I prefer to walk on tracks or in parks and I don’t have the space for a treadmill.  I saw the piece of furniture that caught my interest Friday morning was still there and started to smile but then I noticed my front door was open and I felt like an idiot and so embarrassed to the point, I almost was not going to check out the furniture.  I decided to open my shed and walk over to inspect it and turns out, it was a nice wooden computer desk and with a little polish, it would be good as new.  The neighbor who was across the street came over, introduced himself and helped me carry it to my shed. 

After I finished up at the house we were dropping the piano off at, I headed home and the guy who donated the piano came over with my dad to my house so he could see my baby grand and he played some jazz on it, I encouraged him to consider playing for churches (he prefers jazz over all other music), and gave him a tour of the property.  After the tour, I brought the desk indoors and cleaned it off some before moving it to my activity room/office space.  The failed kitchen island project (which was once a dresser, will likely be converted back to a dresser since I still have the drawers out in the shed.  I put the dresser in the guest room. 

This desk was what I wanted and I am thankful that I was able to find a sturdy wooden piece of furniture (not particle board) that elevates my space.  Now I need to get a desk lamp and a good desk stool/chair. 

Church was okay today.  I did feel like people were putting on a show and that I don’t particularly like, mainly because the pastor was there and mother’s day is a big deal for people.  When it doesn’t feel right, I bounce and mothers were invited to go downstairs for the luncheon but I headed straight for the exit.  I know that this will change next week, but unfortunately, it’s just what happens.  Prayer is needed, really needed and I want to spend some time doing that. 

I will mention this from the sermon today.  The pastor was talking about how woman is a type of christ and the meaning of Eve's name.  He said that the last thing God created was woman, and that woman is His final and greatest creation.  As a female, a woman, I don't feel I'm all that amazing. He talked about this as I sat holding and examining this flower pen that my son carefully made earlier in the week to present to me for Mother's day (but he couldn't wait until Sunday).  I look at flowers and feel like they are the most beautiful things one could ever see.  You look at the sun rise, light shining on the ocean, smell the fragrance of honey suckle or any other gorgeous flower that doesn't make you sneeze, all those things I think are more beautiful than mankind.  Yes I said it, sue me.   I was partly listening and skipping through chapters in Genesis.  I went to Genesis chapter 1 and the app took me straight to verse one.  I went to Genesis chapter 2 and the app took me straight to verse 21.  I went to Genesis chapter 3 and it took me straight to verse one.  I went chapter by chapter even up to chapter 10 and each time the app (YouVersion) loaded the book, it took me to verse one, EXCEPT when I went back to chapter 2 again and it kept taking me to verse 21.  Verse 21 is about when God created woman, created Eve from Adam's rib. I guess the Lord was trying to show me something, perhaps get me back to focusing on what the pastor was saying? I don't know. It was just something interesting I noticed as I was trying to find something else to focus on and I kept getting reeled back in.

Following the Sabbath school lesson, one lively guy wanted to make sure that we all knew we are meant to be with others and everyone needs to get married. To be honest, it also gets on my nerves when people say it is not good for man to be alone.  I get that and know the Lord intends us to be with others, but I don't want to get married.  Paul said he wished others would be like he was but if we couldn't control ourselves, then it is best for us to get married.  I am also hearing something I have not heard in all my 12-13 years of being a Christian.  Marriage being a life long commitment and that if we divorce, we should not get remarried.  I'm hearing that from people and I don't agree.  The Word of God says divorce can happen under one condition and that is if someone is cheating. I'm not going to fight for no marriage if my husband is cheating on me.  I don't want to get in a relationship with the chance that my husband may fall into temptation to do such a thing.  I've gone through enough pain and it's not a risk I'm willing to take ever.  If you do divorce, I believe that if the Lord sees it fit for you to marry someone else, He will make that happen.  We need to connect with others who are walking with Christ and the one who says the union should take place is God, we have to be extremely careful of who we deal with.  

It's nothing I'll have to ever deal with so I'll move from that topic. Staying positive, I am thankful for my son.  If the Lord didn't make me a mother, I don't know where I would be.  I feel that becoming a mother is what saved me from complete and utter destruction.  The Lord gave me purpose by giving me my son despite the situation of how he came about.  Him giving me the flower pens, the butterfly card, and reading that message during Sabbath school to me was heart warming and so special.  I love my son and I am thankful for my family, my employer, my home, and for the Lord meeting all my needs. 

I pray that you have a wonderful and blessed Sabbath afternoon.

Safe, Quiet, Uneventful but Blessed

Happy Sabbath

It’ s a beautiful day and has been a good week for me.  I am so thankful for last week.  I really was able to get so much done and my house is now really a home.  I went to church today and it was a good service and message that had us spend a lot of time in the book of Judges and reminding us that we were born with purpose and to not squander the gifts and talents the Lord has given us. 

I played piano today, stayed for lunch and lunch was delicious (always when made by Trinidadians and Jamaicans, they do cook the best). 

I had a lovely time with my son yesterday after work.  My parents bought him a bigger bike.  I had purchased a little red tricycle when he was 2 or 3 years old but he broke the storage thing in the back and never learned to ride it.  It rusted up after being left outside for who knows how long.  He now has a big boy bike (with training wheels) and I brought it over to my house yesterday so he could practice riding it in the afternoon.  He did such a great job and it was wonderful being able to go out and enjoy nature and the walk.  I don’t do well with stinging insects, bushes (usually wasp nests are in bushes), tall grass, dogs, and trash cans, but I was able to walk around and even near some of those things and not freak completely out like I typically do. 

My neighbor from across the street who always walks his dog approached us for te first time and my son pet the dog.  It’s such a lovely neighborhood and I feel safe here.  I see homes in the area and am inspired to do even better, the landscaping work out here is phenomenal.  I do watch and subscribe to landscaping and gardening channels since I don’t pay for a service and I want to keep my home looking it’s best. 

Tomorrow I think I will go out and harvest my first bunch of salad greens.  I planted tat stuff during the start of April and that stuff is huge now and everything, including the asparagus I believe is coming up and doing something.  I want to build two more garden beds since my mother gave me bags and bags of seeds for mustard greens, turnips, cow peas, and so much more.  My squash leaves are huge, peas climing the trellis and the grape vine is coming back to life.

My first week back to work went well.  I was scrambling for a few things but things did not go horribly wrong as I’d expect when I’m not prepared.  When I don’t have to go to the office, it feels like I didn’t work.  I didn’t have to go to the office this week since I was off on Monday and scheduled myself to be out for the rest of the week in the field.  I think I might be doing the same thing next week, not sure.  My calendar is not correct for May so I have to move some people around but I’m glad that with all this time off, I was able to come back and get some good things going for a few of my people.

Life is good and I am thankful.  I wish I could say I got another job but that has not happened yet.  We typically get salary increases in July and I really hope that what ever increase comes, it really helps me out.  I need a second income and there is no way around it.  Please pray that I follow the direction the Lord gives me and that I have the income I need to support my household and give back as it is due.