Vacation coming to an end...

Keeping it short today. I am thankful that I am able to be on vacation. I have to go back to work on Monday.  I have been enjoying these days off at home and was able to help out during VBS this week. I have had fun, rest, good food and been able to endure this heatwave well enough. I also applied for a job with this counseling service. I need to find my degree and send a copy of it but everything else was sent over.  It would be great if i get it and I would be able to possibly make 100k with it. Tomorrow a guy I called from the Next Door app will stop by and hopefully I will be able to make some necessary repairs around my home with his help. The outdoor faucet has been leaking and I need to repair the gutters. I repaired them twice before but I need a more permanent solution.  My dad is much older and has been dragging his heels on getting the faucet situation together so I am preparing to spend some money to get this handled. It is only a matter of time before the gutter falls off again and I already have ponding on the side of my house because of the leak. I don't have the money to replace my roof right now so I will work on saving for that. We don't get into unnecessary debt around here. I pay for everything in full these days. God is good. I will not complain. 

Summer Vacation

Happy Sabbath,

I am home on this beautiful Sabbath day. I had a good time at church and finished up most of what I needed before starting my vacation.  My mother received the news she was hoping for. She will be getting knee replacement surgery at the end of August and although tests and appointments are in August she is following the doctor's advice to stay put and avoid getting sick or doing anything that will throw off her progress.  That means we are not going to NC. I had taken over a week off for this and decided I am using up the time. I ended up getting sick right before going on vacation so I have used Tues and Wednesday to get better. I don't know what I will be doing with my son over the next couple days. Ice skating, roller skating, traveling and visiting parks have been on my mind. We could also go to the movie theatre and get a couple more films in. There is VBS so I will see if he can do that next week. My son's former therapist offered me a work opportunity with her agency. I want to check that out as well as finish my training/certification for my notary program.  There is much to do. I am preparing my late lunch since church didn't have anything plant-based these today. My son is enjoying pizza and I am full of energy and happy. Maybe we can go collect tadpoles at the lake like Dawson's creek? I don't know. I am happy and thankful to be home and that I don't have to go to work tonight.

God is good.

A GOOD Week

Happy Sabbath

It has been a good week and I am glad to be home.  I was able to take my son to the movies to see the Little Mermaid. I got my suv inspected and discovered a vegan Russian food item in a store I rarely frequent.  My son was sick after eating Mac and cheese which probably had egg in it which he was allergic to. He had a problem with the food last week but both times he recovered.  I am sleepy but still want to get on here and make sure I mention how good God has been. I thank Him I was able to see my clients this week. I thank Him for getting me through a meeting I dreaded.  I did well. If God can help Moses and he was afraid to speak, I know Jesus could help me. God is good and He has been wonderful to my family.

GFCI

Thunderstorms are on their way. I am home..I had a good day at church. I had a good week. Not much to complain about. One of the therapists who works with my son recommended something that I may actually look into. From what she said I'm intrigued and it could potentially replace one or both jobs I have. I don't want to leave my main gig. I've been. there for over 7 years and my clients would be upset if I left them. I have stability there, control over my schedule and a great deal of freedom because of it. But the option my son's therapist suggested may offer even more freedom. I have no intention on dropping anything. I could see myself with 2 really good part times and one full time. She comes and buys lunch for my son and I. The other one buys lunch for her clients as well and they don't get reimbursed for it. I can't imagine spending that much money on people every week, not in my current position so I'm curious about what it would look like doing work in her department.

I was given a power washer by my dad yesterday.  I had mowed the lawn Thursday afternoon and during a cooling break because I dress like an Eskimo in 90° degree weather (32° and up celsius) because Eskimos don't get stung by bees when doing lawncare....a man approached my front door offering to power wash my house. I told him no thank you and that my dad has a machine I could use. I texted my parents asking if I could borrow his for the weekend and then my mom responded back that the parts in different areas around the house and my dad would have to go in the garage, shed and Nebraska to look for them.  I responded with a never mind and that I would save my money up to get one. Imagine my surprise when my dad pulled up with a brand new power washer. When they left I put it together and all I need now is to buy the detergent, test the closest outlets and hook up the hoses. It's supposed to rain tomorrow.  If if doesn't I'm going to put this to the test and hope I don't electrocute myself because I know the outlet in my bathroom is a GFCI but the one closest to where I need to do the work is not. I'm not supposed to use extension cords either. I have a GFCI I believe in the kitchen..
two of them, but then I would need that extension cord. I'll see what is what tomorrow.  God is good and I am thankful for a good day at church, that my son didn't have too much trouble after eating 6-7 rolls that had egg in it (he's allergic), for the power washer, and for the Lord keeping up through this heat wave without AC but comfortable.
Happy Sabbath 

Pray for Me

Happy Sabbath

I'm a bit ticked off this hour and it's a situation that needs much prayer.  I had a good week and had no issues out on the road. I had the pleasure of meeting some visitors from Italy from the town that I was almost stranded in. Last week we had a mission story that closely mirrored my experience in Rome and this week the visitor was from Florence. I had gone to Florence on Sunday before taking my trip home Monday and I only stopped there because a friend I made at church recommended I go with the last of my funds. I'm thankful I did.

Yesterday I took my son to see the show Moses at Sight and Sound and it was a beautiful experience.  I was happy to see him interested and paying attention to everything.  He wanted to go to another show and I purchased tickets to the next show which will be in 2024. Yesterday we were pretty much front row. I set it so we would get seats with leg room by the aisle and it was a great decision because the people who sat front row center ended up having stuff falling on them. We were just 5 seats or so shy of getting covered too. I had booked this year's tickets as early as March and if I had waited any longer we wouldn't have had a good spot.

I want to cancel them but I am going to try to work through some things with my son. He was good yesterday but today the levels of disrespect knew no bounds.  I don't know what happened between him going in the door and leaving but his behavior infuriated me to wanting to cancel plans for this weekend. The last straw was him striking my arm. He thinks it is OK to raise his hand to me, call me names and disrespect me and I am back to taking away privileges and fun again. I wanted to do something different tomorrow with him but now I'll just stay home and wash my hair. I can enjoy the day at home. I'm not driving around, taking him to fun places if he is going to do things like this. Tuesday I wanted to try a barbecue at a friend's house but it's going to be a disaster.  He will not be the disaster.  I will not ruin their party.

He told me he doesn't believe that Jesus is real today. Yesterday he lost his phone and stopped to pray for God to help him find his phone. I prayed as well and within one minute I ended up coming across the phone. But also within that minute I heard him doubting that God would help him. I can't make him believe. He is going to have to find out for himself that Jesus is real and I pray God will get through to him soon. It's heart breaking to see this. He disrupts Sabbath school, bullies other children, and is disrespectful to other people. Everything I say bumps up against his head and goes some other way. He hears nothing I have to say.

I have to give this to God. My sister is planning on getting married but it's a homosexual relationship. My dad just turned 82 yet he doesn't accept God's word, God's authority over his life. My mother is bitter and following traditions of men, going through the motions to cope with the consequences of poor choices she made in her life. There is more that could be added to this list.

I need prayer and I don't want to lose my hope.

If you would,  please pray for me.

I'm thankful to be home, healthy, safe. For that I will give God the glory.

Happy Sabbath.