The Week In Review

I usually do my weekly reviews on Sundays, but I'm sorta stuck at home today. I figured out the pain in my lower back, which radiates down my leg, is actually sciatica. I've had this before, whenever I was pregnant but after that as well. It's always gone away on its own so I'm not overly concerned. I just have to take it easy so the swelling of the muscles goes down and I can go back to normal. And it's really important that I get my mobility and strength back, because my realtor emailed me some good news this week. 

The reason we haven't moved into our house is because the sellers are building a new home, and they can't move into their home until it's completed. They requested extra time, and we agreed to give them until April 23rd. The problem is that new builds aren't predictable. Weather, materials, inspections, anything can cause a delay. They were told their house would be ready by the second or third week of April, but what if there were glitches? The sellers are trying to save money so going to a hotel with three kids, two dogs and a cat would be very expensive. We agreed that if they stayed in the house longer than the 23rd they would have to pay $100 per day, but we've already been in my daughter's house for a month, plus we've been sleeping here since late January. There's also the rental charges on the Pod containers to take into consideration. I was hoping and praying that they would be out of the house on time so we wouldn't have to wait any longer.

My realtor is so amazing. She has been in contact with the seller's agent on a weekly basis and keeping me in the loop. This week she emailed me a copy of a text she received from the seller's agent, saying that the sellers are on schedule to be out of the house a couple of days prior to closing, and they'd have the house and floors professionally cleaned before then as well! Thank You Jesus!! If all goes well (and I realize something can always come up) we will be able to close and move in on the 23rd, which is now less than two weeks away! Y'all, I cannot tell you how much I'm looking forward to sleeping in my own bed again, LOL! Don't get me wrong, I am so grateful to my daughter and son-in-law for taking us in, and thankful to God that He has provided for us. But I'm ready to start the next chapter of our lives in our new house, in our new city, getting to know the new area and seeing what God has in store.

So even though my week has been spent resting and not doing much of anything, I feel it has been productive. I've made a meal plan for the first couple of weeks in the new house, along with a shopping list. The refrigerator is scheduled to be delivered the day after we move in; once it's in we can buy groceries and stock the house with food. I also have a list of things I want to buy prior to the move. The nearest Costco is almost an hour away from our new house, so I won't be going there as often as I do now. There are certain items that I always get at Costco because they've got the best prices: facial tissues, toilet paper, allergy medicine, and a few other items. I've got two moving checklists going, one of things that have to be taken care of before the move, and one for immediately after. Next week I'll be setting up utilities so that nothing gets cut off whenever we move in. After that there's updating all my accounts with the new address. I'm a list lover so being able to sit down and get that organized and done gives me peace of mind.

I've had mixed emotions this past month. It still saddens me that I moved out of my townhouse, not because I didn't like it there, but because I was driven out by a stalker. I don't wish that on anyone. At the same time, I'm excited about the move, the new house, decorating, all that fun stuff. It's change, it's learning to accept change, and looking at it with the right perspective. 

YouTubers I Watch

I'm so thankful to have a place to stay while I wait on my future home. My realtor says the current owners should be out of the house by the 23rd which is closing day, though it's unsure if the house will be move-in ready, since they have a cleaning crew scheduled to come in on the 24th. In the meantime I'm blessed to be staying with my daughter and son-in-law at their little villa. I spend my day making preparations, lists of things that I need to do or will have to do once we get to the new house. I prepare meals for myself and my son E (my daughter prefers to cook for herself and her husband), clean up the kitchen and the bathroom we're using, and...that's it. Oh, and I walk the dog. It's boring, y'all. I'm used to being busy around the house, but there's not a lot to do in my daughter's home. Instead, I watch way too much television.

Now, by "watch television" I'm not talking about network television. In my opinion there isn't anything on there that's worth watching. I also don't mean cable tv. I cut out cable years ago, and my son-in-law didn't have it before or after getting married. My daughter has Disney + which I can watch, and occasionally I do indulge in some of the classics: Cinderella, Snow White, Swiss Family Robinson, those sorts of oldies but goodies. I have Hulu and watch that as well: 20/20, or I'll watch one or two (or 12) episodes of House Hunters. But generally what I watch is YouTube. 

There are several different types of channels I enjoy on YouTube. There's the design channels like Kinwoven Home that teach a lot of the design basics. There's cleaning channels, those that show a typical home cleaning day and those that teach good cleaning techniques, like Clean My Space. Cooking channels are some of my favorites; you can watch the Food Network giants like Paula Deen, Alton Brown, even Rachael Ray, but I prefer to watch the typical housewife making her family's favorites or trying out new recipes and giving her honest opinion. Of course there's the beauty channels, but there's just the one that I still watch after all these years, Shelbey Wilson. No, wait, that's not true, I still watch KathleenLights because she's based in Miami and she's hilarious. But my favorite YouTubers aren't the big names. They're the ones that like the same things I like: simple, intentional living, on a budget, who try to honor God with their channels but also like to have fun while sharing their lives and their gifts. You don't get that on network television. 

So, here are some of my favorite YouTube channels, in no particular order (though my favorites will probably be listed first):

1. Karrie Lynn (second channel: Cleaning with Karrie) - Karrie Lynn is a young mama of two living in Central Florida. She started her YouTube channel whenever she was living in a single wide mobile home in Georgia. I started watching her whenever she was moving into her current home, around the same time I moved into my townhouse. What I love about Karrie is that she decorates her home beautifully on a tight budget. She buys used furniture that looks sad and turns it into a high end looking piece. She and her husband Dylan have built furniture even though she admits they'd never done anything like that before. She's extremely talented while still being down to earth. Hands down one of my very favorite YouTube channels. 

2. Moss Family TV (second channel: Heaven's Rhythm) - For anyone who likes down home Southern style cooking and hospitality, this is the channel to watch. Mrs. Falon takes care of her five kids (ranging in age from 1 to 16), her husband, her home, and even though she's got her hands full with homeschooling and posting on YouTube daily, she's always got the sunniest disposition. She's just as happy making pinto beans and cornbread as she is trying a complicated recipe, and she's not afraid to admit when supper doesn't turn out like she'd hoped. This is a family that loves Jesus and everyone around them. If you enjoy good old Southern gospel, they have a music channel called Heaven's Rhythm. It's a family band, led by dad Titus Moss. Totally worth listening to.

3. Till Vacuum Do Us Part (second channel: Ashley and Chase) - It's strange that I would like this channel so much, since Ashley's design style is so different from mine. I like more a more traditional while still rustic look (sprinkled with some farmhouse), and Ashley is all about glam. There's lots of crystal and shiny pieces that would not go with my decor style at all. The reason I like this channel so much is that, like Karrie Lynn, Ashley likes taking the old and making it new. I've seen her take an old dresser and glam it up so it looks like a showroom piece. She also has lots of cleaning hacks and great suggestions for both cleaning and decorating, regardless of your style. It goes to show we don't have to like all the same things to learn from each other.

4. The Minimal Mom - I'm not a minimalist. At least I never thought I was, until my townhouse sold the first day it was shown. My house prior to that also sold the day after it was listed. My realtor told me it was because I kept my decor to a minimum, which made the house look bigger and show better. I credit Dawn from The Minimal Mom for helping me declutter and live more intentionally. I realized that the more stuff I had, the more I had to clean, the more I had to organize, and the less time I had for other things I wanted to do. Granted, I enjoy cleaning and organizing (yes, I'm weird). But I don't want that to be the only thing in my life. For years I worked five days a week and cleaned all weekend long. I'm over that. For me, living intentionally means keeping only the things I use and love and getting rid of the rest. Dawn breaks it down simply and gives great tips. On Sundays she and her twin sister Diana do a devotional and talk about their faith. I call that a win-win.

5. Mandy In The Making - Here's another cooking channel that I absolutely love. I've tried a couple of Mandy's recipes, and they've been approved by my picky son E which says a lot. Mandy will usually test three recipes a week, two that she's researched and believes her family will like, and one Subbie Supper, in which her subscribers send in recipes and she selects one for her channel. She goes through the recipes step by step, gives her honest opinion, and if there's anything she changes or would change in the future she lets us know. Her husband Steven helps out in the kitchen and they are so fun to watch! 

There are many more YouTubers I could list, but I'm starting with my top five. I think I'll make this the first of several posts. There's great talent out there, and I want to give props where they're due. I'll be back with more soon!

While I'm Waiting

I named my blog Accepting Change for a reason. I don't like change. There's something about things staying the same, in the familiar, even when those things aren't the best. There's a saying in Spanish, Mejor es malo conocido que bueno por conocer. Translation: Better an evil I know than something good I don't. I grew up with this mentality and it's been a difficult one to break. I guess that's why God brings me to these places of change. It teaches me to trust the unknown to Him.

I'm not gonna lie, there have been some sad moments, some anxious moments, some boring moments... Sadness because I was so excited whenever we first moved into our little coach house, happy as we started to get acclimated to our new environment, overjoyed at being in such a nice place and so close to my daughter, only to have everything fall to pieces through no fault of my own. I read the nine page police report the officer gave me a week before we moved out. It was then I realized my neighbor had called the police on me within a few days of us moving in. My son-in-law's parents had a media cabinet of mine that hadn't fit into the Pod container, and they were dropping it off. Unbeknownst to us, they parked the neighbor's driveway. Rather than knock on our door and ask that we move the car, he called the police! I could not believe it. The police never came because my son-in-law noticed where his parents had parked and he told them to move the car right away. He noticed the man on the phone but nothing was said. From that moment this neighbor decided he didn't like me, and his dislike turned to hate. All because of a meaningless mistake.

I didn't think about anxiety whenever I left my house. I figured, once I'm gone everything will go back to normal. Then I heard my daughter's neighbors. My daughter and son-in-law live in a villa that is attached to another villa on one side. Normally it's very quiet; the folks next door leave for work and there isn't a sound from them the entire day. Even at night they're fairly quiet, but I can hear the television set in the room adjacent to mine. A few nights ago they were in the bedroom watching a TV show that was obviously very funny because I could hear laughter. It was after 10:00 pm and I was in bed. Truth be told, it wasn't that loud. Under normal circumstances I could have easily fallen asleep. Instead, I was wide awake till after midnight because every sound seemed louder than it actually was. It was clear to me that the damage done by my neighbor's harassment is still fresh in my mind. 

Then there's the boredom aspect. This is my daughter's house. She's in charge. I hate sitting around and not doing anything, so I started cleaning up for her. She was not too happy. I think she took my helping as criticism of her cleaning abilities. That, of course, was never my intention. She takes very good care of her home, and my only desire was to give her a hand to show my gratitude for them taking us in. My son-in-law, bless his heart, loves that I clean up so he doesn't have to, LOL. But my daughter made it clear that she wanted me to stop. I cried at the thought that I'm becoming a burden to my kids. My daughter came over the next day and said she understood that I'm bored, so she set some parameters. It allows me to help but only in certain areas. It's better than nothing. This week my daughter and son-in-law are at Disney, since it's spring break. I get to stay home with my grand-dog taking care of him and the house. I dream of all the things I want to do in my new home, knowing it will be at least a month before we're there. 

What do I do in the meantime? I pray for those around me. I pray for my kids, my friends, the sellers of what will be my new home, the buyer of my previous home, even my neighbor. I make lists (because I love lists) and I make sure I've taken care of all the little details of moving, like canceling services I'm not using. The sellers are taking their refrigerator and their washer and dryer, so I've been looking at new appliances. I'll more than likely have to purchase them before I move, since a lot of items are on backorder. I will also need a garage door opener because they never put one in. Then there's the outdoor stuff that I got rid of whenever I moved out of my house: lawn mower, weed eater, pressure washer, those sorts of things. I'm also considering whether or not I'm going to paint. The walls throughout the entire house are gray. My son loves it; I'm not a fan. Not that there's anything wrong with gray, but I like warm colors. All my furniture and decor looks best in creamy whites and beiges, not grays. I'll see how everything looks once it's in the house, then I'll decide. I've painted many times before, so it's not something I shy away from. On the contrary, I love me a project - it keeps me busy, and I need the exercise!

Last Thursday I noticed schools were letting out early. Whenever I looked at the school calendar, I saw that spring break was starting the next day. That was just five days after I closed on the sale of my home. I realized that God had planned it so I would be gone before spring break started, and I praised Him because I knew if I'd been in the house while school was out, the neighbor would be hounding me daily. It made the waiting a whole lot easier. 

Waiting is hard, y'all. I can sit here and dwell on the waiting, or I can find peace in being thankful. I choose gratitude.

The Week In Review

I know I always say this, but this week really was a whirlwind. From day one it has been non-stop, and I won't lie, anxiety starts to creep in whenever I feel overwhelmed. Thankfully, God is with me every step of the way, calming my heart as He guides me and answers my prayers.

Let's start with last Sunday, February 21. We set out for Orlando because it was close to both my son and daughter-in-law, and not too far from where we were going to look at houses. We left home at 1:00 pm and arrived at our hotel at around 4:30 pm. We were pretty tired at that point, since we'd gotten up early and driven straight up, so we just stayed in the hotel. I'd made pizza for lunch and brought whatever was left over so we had that for dinner, then went to bed early because we were going to see the first house at 9:30 am. At around 4:00 am my Ring doorbell app went off. As I suspected, my neighbor had called in a noise complaint. This is the third time he calls the police complaining about noise whenever there's no one in the house, and I've figured out why he does it. We haven't slept in our house since January 26. We come to the house during the day, then leave around 10:00 pm and sleep at my daughter's house. He can hear the garage door open and close because my garage is attached to and directly in front of his unit. Whenever he doesn't hear the garage door open and close, he assumes it's because I'm still at home, so to annoy me he calls in a false report to the police. Little does he know that I turn around and call the police, letting them know that no one is home. Rather than hurting me, he ends up hurting himself because it cements the fact that he's lying just to be spiteful. I let the police know that we wouldn't be home till Wednesday so they could keep an eye out.

We were out bright and early Monday morning since my daughter-in-law was joining us for the day. I was so happy she agreed to come; we had some fun and good bonding moments. Day one we were in Lake County, a beautiful area of Central Florida where the town of Mount Dora is located. Most of the state of Florida is flatland, but Mount Dora is famous for having lots of hills (the Mount in the name is a bit of an exaggeration, LOL). I could just drive through there everyday to see all the natural beauty. We saw five homes, but the first one was the one that stole my heart. It was perfectly situated, not too big but not small, on a nice piece of land with a firepit in the back, very well maintained and nicely decorated. After seeing all the houses I decided to act fast and put an offer on this house. Sadly, I wasn't fast enough. The owner, who was also the realtor, really wanted to accept my offer, but she'd already countered an early offer and they accepted. I was so heartbroken! But then I remembered that God is the one choosing my house, not me. If this wasn't the one for us, I'd wait until He pointed me in the right direction.

And He did just that. The next day we were in Volusia County and we saw six different houses. Some were definite no's, some were maybe's, but one stood out from the crowd. Both my son E and my daughter-in-law raved over and over about the house, and while I still liked the one we lost more, I had to admit this house was not only super cute but fit our needs entirely. It was built in 2014 so it's very new, yet the neighborhood is established. That was something I had to consider whenever we looked at new construction; brand new homes have all the bells and whistles, but you can't find out anything about the neighborhood, and after my experience here I don't want to take any chances. This house is about 1500 square feet, slightly smaller than where we live now but laid out so well that the rooms are actually bigger. There's no formal dining or living room which is fine with me; we had both in our old house and they rarely got used. With three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a two car garage with plenty of storage, and a quarter of an acre of land (to keep the neighbors close but not too close), it was all we needed and then some. The only issue I had was the smell. The owners have two very large Great Danes plus a cat, and the house smells of animals. Like, kitty litter. Whenever I mentioned it to my realtor, she said we could ask them to do a professional cleaning of the house, especially the floors since they're all tile and the grout looked pretty dirty. I decided to go ahead with an offer and see if they'd accept my terms. 

There was one bigger issue, though. The owners of this house are having a house built. They have 3 small children along with all the pets, and they are bursting at the seams. Their new house is set to be completed by the second or third week of April. This would mean us staying with my daughter for over a month. So we negotiated terms and dates. I gave them two options: we could drop the price by $1,000 and they would have to be out of the house no later than April 23, or we could close on the 23rd and then do a lease back whereas they pay me $100/day for every day they stay in the house after the 23rd, and they have to be out no later than May 1. They decided to go with both. The price was dropped, they agreed to pay if they have to stay, and Thursday afternoon the contract was signed. Y'all, we are buying a house in Central Florida that is actually cheaper than what I paid for the condo where I'm living now! This is definitely God working His miracles as only He can! I'm so thankful for His provision!

We came back home Wednesday afternoon, and we've been packing ever since. The church graciously provided over 20 boxes for us to use which was an immense blessing.

These have already been filled up and I still need more, so I ordered some off of Amazon. So far I've boxed up all my home decor so the house looks bare. Next I'll be packing up the kitchen and bathrooms. Then next week the pods arrive. I've asked for help from the church to load up the pods as well. This church has some of the most generous and giving people on the planet, and I'm so thankful for each and every one of them. 

The tile removal began on Friday. After letting the association know that my lawyer would be only to happy to sue, the board voted to pay for the removal. That was a huge relief; I didn't want the tiles taken out, so of course I didn't want to pay to have it done. I was sure any damage to the man downstairs was not because of my tiles but they were insistent. So the tiles are gone, and over half of the grout and mortar is gone too. This is what it looks like.

Absolutely nowhere is there any sign of water damage, cracks, or anywhere that water could have leaked to the unit downstairs. I'm positive that any water coming into his house is from his kitchen bay window and not my balcony or my tiles, but there's nothing I can do at this point. The tiles are gone. They'll be coming back to finish the work this week and I'll be one step closer to leaving.

Having to do all this moving work is stressful, not to mention tiring. It's also bittersweet; I really do like this house, the community, the city...it's just the one neighbor that has ruined it so bad that I can't stay here anymore. But I know that God has a plan, and this was just a stepping stone on my way to wherever it is that He's prepared for me (Jeremiah 29:11). The countdown has begun!

The Week In Review

It's February 1st and I'm still trying to recuperate from last week. Hold on tight. It's a doozy.

Monday January 25 my realtor came over and took pictures of the house. We had a nice visit; she hadn't been back to the house in a year. I became a bit sad as she was complimenting everything I'd done to the house. I've decorated and made my house a cozy home and it seemed unfair that I should have to leave it through no fault of my own. I actually started to question if this was the right decision.

Tuesday morning my neighbor got up at 6:00 am and turned on the news. It wasn't extremely loud, just loud enough that I knew it was on. Suddenly, at 7:04 am, he turned the volume up full blast. I could hear CBS News blasting in my bedroom, hallway, kitchen, all the way into my living room. Then I heard his garage door. I was livid. I immediately called the police and reported what was going on. I got dressed quickly, then when I walked out into the living room I heard music. Not only was the tv on full blast but he also left his stereo on with a rap song on repeat. The song he was playing was absolutely vile; there were F-bombs being thrown left and right, and as my son said that wasn't even the worst of it. I went to his next door neighbor and asked her if she could hear the noise, and she confirmed that it could be heard in her house as well. I was so angry I was shaking.

The police officer arrived about 30 minutes later. He couldn't believe the music was coming from the neighbor's house downstairs. He acknowledged that the music and television were beyond loud. I then showed him the Facebook message he sent me where he threatened to report me to child protective services because I was abusing my autistic son. E was standing behind him, and the officer asked him his name. Whenever the officer asked if he was autistic, it was noticeable by my son's face that it upset him. He quickly answered, "No sir, I am not." The police officer looked perplexed and went to his patrol car to look up the history on this gentleman. Next thing I knew there were two more patrol cars and police were in my home listening to all the noise and asking questions about the harassment that has been going on since I moved here.

After two hours the police told me they wanted to go to the school where my neighbor works and serve him with a noise violation, but the principal of the school refused to have them do this while children were present. They explained that all they could do was give him a citation (which is $35) unless I wanted to file charges for stalking. At this point I was in tears. I was so upset and confused. I told them I'd speak to my lawyer and see what he recommended. 

I could tell the officers wanted me to file charges; one of them said if I did he'd arrest my neighbor immediately and most likely he'd be suspended from his job. Sounds like the best scenario, right?  Not according to my attorney. What he explained to me is this: first off, there have been 44 complaints between my neighbor and myself in the last five months - 26 of those from me - and yet only now were they ready to issue the first citation. This citation could make the neighbor leave me alone, but more than likely it would make him mad. He's already shown himself to be vindictive and evil, so there's no telling what he might do if he is arrested and loses his job. He also explained that it was not likely that the judge would issue a restraining order since this neighbor can't be kicked out of his home. There would be an order for him to stay away from me, but would he abide by it? There's already an order for him to stay off my property, but it hasn't stopped him from harassing and stalking me. My attorney's advise was simple: Get out. Use the money I would have spent on court fees and get a nice air BNB and stay away. I've spent that night and every night since at my daughter's house.

 Here's what really convinced me that I need to leave this place. The officers told me they would wait for my neighbor in the school parking lot and serve him the citation there. At 2:30 pm I see three patrol cars in front of my house; clearly they hadn't gone to the school. They waited about a half hour and he didn't show up. About 5 - 10 minutes later, I was in my son's room talking to him when I glanced out the window and saw my neighbor walking into his house. His car wasn't there. I ran and called the police to report that he'd finally come home on foot, either leaving his car somewhere or after having been dropped off. We could hear him slamming doors left and right in his house. Before the police could arrive, he left and walked away. I'm sure he parked his car in another area of the community in a guest spot. He has cameras all around his house, so he probably sat in his car waiting for the police to leave so he could come back. He left with a messenger bag and didn't turn any of the noise off. 

Wednesday E and I came back to the house and I realized he was home. At 12:30 he started playing music, though not so loud as he'd done before. I imagine he didn't go to work because he feared the police were gonna look for him there. I called the police and let them know he was home and playing music so they could add it to the existing police report. Did they come to serve him with the citation? No. To this day I don't know if they've been able to make contact with him. I feel let down because the abuse has been going on for so long and everyone knows about it but he continues to get away with it. Anyway, I began packing things like decor that I don't use on a regular basis, when my realtor called to let me know she had a couple of showings already scheduled. The listing had gone live late Tuesday night so to have showings that fast got my hopes up. Both were scheduled for the next day.

Thursday afternoon my realtor called again. She was coming over earlier because now she had three showings. She lives about 45 minutes away from me so she tried to get all the showings back to back; this, she says, also helps get people who are interested to move quickly. I got the house ready and left her here to do her work. Thanks to my Ring video doorbell I could see the people who were coming to view the house, and I prayed God would send a man to buy my house. I don't want to sell to a woman; I don't wish this harassment and abuse on anyone. The last gentleman who came seemed very interested. After his realtor left he asked if he could take another look at the house. He asked my realtor not to show the house to anyone else because he was very interested. She told him she doesn't work like that; until she has something in writing she is obligated to continue to show the house. We both believed he was the most likely candidate to put in an offer.

Friday at 8:30 am I got the call from my realtor. Just by the sound of her voice I knew it was good, but I didn't know how good. I got an offer above asking price! That was totally unexpected! I see God's hand all over this. Everything I asked for He did, then went above and beyond to show me that nothing is impossible for Him. I signed the paperwork Friday night. We are now officially under contract.

The buyer has seven days to do the inspection so I'm anticipating that will be done this week. In the next couple of weeks I'm gonna have to head up to Central Florida to start looking at homes as well. Part of me is excited but another part of me is getting anxious about the whirlwind that is coming. Homes in Central Florida are being snatched up quick. As a cash buyer I have an advantage, but my cash is limited and homes start to get more expensive as sellers see more movement. I have faith that God will open the right doors for me and I trust in His timing. My problem is that I like to take things slow and think things through; I may not have a lot of time to do that. But we shall see. As the song says, 

"I've seen You move, 

You move the mountains, 

and I believe I'll see You do it again." 

Tackling Tuesdays

As much as you want to plan your life, 

it has a way of surprising you with unexpected things

that will make you happier

than you originally planned.

That's what you call God's Will.

I'm still deciding if today's surprise is God's will or not.  If it's one of those unexpected blessings that you didn't even know you wanted or needed, but you have to trust God that it's perfect for this moment.

Back in 2008 the company I'd worked for for close to 12 years went bankrupt.  This was more than just a job; the people there were like my family.  Some of the folks had worked there since I'd been there, some for much longer, others had come and gone, but the finality was strange.  Not unexpected, at least not for me.  As the purchasing manager, I worked directly with accounts payable and knew the bills weren't being paid.  It was very sad to see a company that had been around since the early 60's go under the way it did, but it was happening to many businesses at the time.  As the warning signs grew clearer, I'd prepared myself for the worst and updated my resume.  I sent it out to every company, every ad that was in the newspaper, in Career Builder, Monster, anywhere and everywhere.  There was nothing.  Companies were getting hundreds of applications for each job they posted.  The competition was fierce, and even though I had experience and a great record, there simply weren't enough jobs to go around.  I was at peace, though.  I felt God acknowledge that I would be home with my family until He said otherwise, and that's what I've done.  It's been an exercise in faith, and I'm thankful to say that He has never let us go hungry, nor has He allowed us to get into debt, or lose our home, or go without electricity, or water, or anything else.  God has taken care of us and seen us through every difficulty we've faced.  I have seen His Hand in our lives and I'm extremely grateful for it.

I haven't looked for work since that time.  I've been a stay-at-home mom, caring for my kids and my home.  Even when my marriage crumbled, I felt that God wanted me here and would make sure I had everything I needed.  So when I got the call yesterday from my friend MM, and my daughter told me it looked like they were going to offer me a job, I was skeptical.  It wasn't expected.  I hadn't asked God for it.  But I was willing to go and see what it was all about.

My daughter was right.  My friends JM and MM offered me a job.  As a matter of fact, JM made it clear this wasn't an interview, it was an offer.  I would be working part-time, from 3:00 to 8:15 pm Monday - Thursday.  When I mentioned that Wednesdays is my Awana night at church, they said no problem, they'd be willing to accommodate me.  And I have to admit, it appears to be perfect.  Too good to be true.  I would be able to continue homeschooling my son, and since it's a tutoring school, my son would receive free tutoring if he needed it.  I would have Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays off, along with any school holidays.  The pay wouldn't be much, but it would be a little extra income coming in for extras and emergencies.  Plus, it's 10 minutes from the house on heavy traffic days.  I wouldn't be spending a lot of time stuck in traffic or a lot of money on gas.  

It sounds like a dream come true, doesn't it?  Only I wasn't dreaming about this.  It truly came out of the blue.  So my answer to them was, I need to pray about it.  I have to ask God if this is right.  And they not only understood but encouraged me to pray and speak to my family about it.  I told them I'd give them an answer on Friday, so for the next few days I will be praying.  A lot.  And asking anyone and everyone to pray alongside me.  I want clarity, and I want peace.  I'm trusting God to give me both.

What else happened today?  Oh yeah, Beauty Rush!!!  I was so excited, because I'd read somewhere that Bare Minerals has their Beauty Rush sales on the third Friday of the month, so I was expecting the next one to be on the 20th.  But here it was, a whole 10 days earlier!  I didn't want to spend a lot of money, though.  I have so much stuff as it is, that adding to my makeup collection seems frivolous.  But I decided to check it out anyway.  My main intention was to look for skincare; lotions, creams, cleansers, treatments, that sort of thing.  I didn't find any that caught my attention, but another thing did:  an eye shadow palette that I've wanted ever since I first saw it.  It's called the Ready Convertible Palette, and it comes with 12 eye shadow shades.  The palette is unique in that the eye shadows pop out and can be put in the center which is detachable, making it compact and portable.  The colors range from browns to greens to purples, all colors I love.  The problem was the price: $49.  It came out just before Christmas, and I'd already spent a lot of money on makeup and presents for myself and my daughter.  I couldn't justify getting this expensive eye palette as well, so I passed on it.  Last month I saw it on sale for $25, and I thought about getting it, but there were other things I needed to get first.  By the time I went back to check on it, it had sold out.  I was bummed, because I'd gotten a $10 off coupon from Bare Minerals and had hoped to use it to get this palette.  I figured I'd save the coupon for something else that I would want or need.  Well, last week the palette was back on the website on sale for $25.  I suspect they got returns in from the stores and wanted to get rid of them.  I thought about getting it with the $10 off; that would make it $15, a real deal.  That was a few days ago.  Today the palette was on Beauty Rush for $18.  $18 dollars ya'll!!!  I snatched it up in a heartbeat.  I thought about getting some eyeliner pencils as well, but honestly, I didn't need them.  I took the eye shadow palette, used my $10 off coupon, and with tax and shipping paid $12.80 for it.  From the original price to just under $13.  Now that's what I call a blessing from above!

That's my Tuesday.  It's been quite a day!  School went well, Beauty Rush went very well, but nothing tops the unexpected surprise of a job offer.  It's time for bed now; I've got some praying to do!  Good night ya'll.

Monday Quiz About Me

Happy Monday!  This great blog hop is hosted by Heather at Acting Balanced.  There are 4 questions to answer, then the option to add a fifth question to be answered on my blog.  Won't you give it a try?


1.  When was the last time you tried something new?
I'm actually gonna try something new today!  I bought a Jennie-O frozen boneless turkey breast with gravy that I'm gonna make in the oven for lunch.  I hope this thing is good!

2.  What’s a belief that you hold with which many people disagree?
I believe in the Biblical model for marriage between one man and one woman.  I know this isn't the popular view in today's world, but then again, Jesus wasn't popular in His time either.

3.  What kind of music do you enjoy listening to?
I usually listen to contemporary Christian music.  I'm also a fan of oldies, which for me would be songs of the 80s.

4.  What piece of advice would you give to a beginning blogger?
Don't try to be like other bloggers or copy what everyone else is doing.  The beauty of your blog is that it's yours, and there is no rule about what it has to look like or what you can post.  If all you want to do on your blog is share recipes, go for it.  You decide.

And my fifth question:

5.  What kind of adverse weather conditions do you have to deal with where you live?
South Florida is a wonderful and beautiful place to live.  I love my little town with the dairy farm behind us.  But we have to contend with hurricanes every now and then, and the tornadoes they can create.  Thankfully hurricanes can be monitored and we can prepare for them up to a point, but they can be quite destructive.  We are grateful Tropical Storm Isaac is gone, but as of yesterday 3 deaths in Florida were attributed to it.

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom

"We have little control over the circumstances of life. We can't control the weather or the economy, and we can't control what other people say about or do to us. There is only one area where we have control--we can rule the kingdom inside. The heart of every problem is the problem in the heart."

 - Warren Wiersbe

Words of Wisdom

 "Character is always lost when a high ideal is sacrificied on the altar of conformity and popularity."

 - Charles H. Spurgeon

 "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

 - Romans 12:2

Proverbs 3:5-6

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths."

Without the Lord as your guide through the fog of life, and His Word as your compass, you will wander aimlessly.

My Lord is ever with me

Along life's busy way;

I'll trust in Him completely

For guidance day by day. —Anon.

Have a blessed day!

Thursday Thoughts

What's been going on this week?  Plenty.

- It's been a wet and rainy week yet again.  I can't recall one day that has been completely dry.  Either we get rain in the morning and sunshine in the afternoon, of vice versa.  Today it rained most of the morning.  It's sunny now, but it doesn't look like that sunshine is gonna last.

- My daughter did a special at church this Sunday.  She sang a solo, a song from an upcoming BarlowGirl album, and she was amazing!  No, that is NOT a biased opinion.  Not only were people singing along with her while she sang, she got a huge applause and cheering, and plenty of congratulations.  I only wish it had been recorded.  I thought since the service is recorded every week her song would be too.  It wasn't. :(.  I'll have to remember that for next time.

- Monday, Memorial Day, we stayed indoors.  It was (and still is) hot and muggy.  Of course plenty of people were barbecuing, but our grill has been out of commission for years.  Instead, I found a great recipe for baby back ribs which were on sale at Winn-Dixie.  The night before I boiled the rack in a mixture of half water/half apple juice for 45 minutes.  I took it out, let it cool, then covered it in Sweet Baby Ray's honey barbecue sauce (because Sweet Baby Ray's is the BEST) and put it in the fridge to soak up the flavor.  Next morning I put the rack in the oven at 250 degrees for 3 hours.  When those ribs came out, OH. MY. WORD.  They were incredibly tender and delicious!  All that prep and cooking, and they were gone in 20 minutes.  Soooo worth it!!!

- My daughter has gone to some interviews, has filled out numerous applications online and in person, but no job yet.  One positive, though - she applied to volunteer at a local orphanage, and she finally got clearance.  It's her desire to help out with the kids, and see if a possible future career is there.  We had talked about her working at the orphanage, but I told her this wouldn't be just another "job".  The majority of the kids there aren't orphans in the true sense; many have been placed there because their parents are unable or undesiring to care for them.  They've been through trauma, disappointments, and heartache.  It's a tough decision to say, "This is where I believe God wants me."  She wants to be sure first, and we both agreed volunteering would be the best way to see if it's something she can and wants to do.

- Another things we've agreed on:  Starting tomorrow, my daughter and I will be doing a mother/daughter study of the book of Proverbs.  We'll be reading one chapter per day and discussing what we've read and what impacts us the most.  I thought it would be good to do something different than what I'm doing with my son E (we're reading through Genesis), so I told her to pick anything except Isaiah (because Isaiah is HARD!!).  She chose Proverbs.  This is gonna be good!

- Tomorrow I'm going in for a sonogram of my gallbladder.  Due to some issues I've been having, my doctor had ordered a CT scan of my abdomen and found that I have gallstones.  I'm hoping it's not too severe.  Truthfully, I haven't had those intense pains some people complain about, but there is discomfort, and often bloating.  First the osteoarthritis, and now this.  Getting older isn't all it's cracked up to be :P
 
- Five days of school left.  The last day of school is next Thursday.  Sixth graders have their field day on Tuesday, which my son is looking forward to.  He's looking forward to the last day of school even more ;)

That's my weekly update.  Have a blessed rest of your week!

A Poem for Moms

Continue On

A woman fretted over the usefulness of her life.

She feared she was wasting her potential being a devoted wife and mother.

She wondered if the time and energy she invested in her husband and children would make a difference.

At times she got discouraged because so much of what she did seemed to go unnoticed and unappreciated.

"Is it worth it?" she often wondered.  "Is there something better that I could be doing with my time?"

It was during one of these moments of questioning that she heard the still, small voice of her Heavenly Father speak to her heart.

"You are a wife and mother because that is what I have called you to be.

Much of what you do is hidden from the public eye, but I notice.

Most of what you give is done without remuneration.

But I am your reward.

Your husband cannot be the man I have called him to be without your support.

Your influence upon him is greater than you think and more powerful than you will ever know.

I bless him through your service and honor him through your love.

Your children are precious to me.

Even more precious than they are to you.

I have entrusted them to your care to raise for Me.

What you invest in them is an offering to Me.

You may never be in the public spotlight, but your obedience shines as a bright light before Me.

Continue on.  Remember you are My servant.

Do all to please Me.

 - Roy Lessin, author of How To Be the Parents of Happy and Obedient Children

National Day of Prayer

"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." - 2 Chronicles 7:14.  Today is the National Day of Prayer.  Will you be praying today?

Time For A Laugh

Nothing to Wink At


In Bible college, I began dating a fellow. During our first month of dating, we decided we should study the Bible together.  With my plot well set, one night I opened my Bible to (Proverbs 18:22) and read, "He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord." I looked up, winked, and said, "Couldn't you use a little favor from the Lord?"

My boyfriend, a Bible scholar, was quick with his reply from (Proverbs 10:10)—"He who winks the eye causes trouble."

 - From Church Laughs at ChristianityToday.com

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom

Faith is the silver thread upon which the pearls of the graces are to be hung. Break that, and you have broken the string -- the pearls lie scattered on the ground.

 - Charles H. Spurgeon

Wednesdays Words of Wisdom

 "Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one hundred worshippers meeting together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be were they to become unity conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship. Social religion is perfected when private religion is purified. The body becomes stronger as its members become healthier. The whole church of God gains when the members that compose it begin to seek a better and a higher life."

 - A. W. Tozer

The Wisdom of Spurgeon

"What is needed is thought, truth, and sound doctrine, and the Spirit of God. Young men are apt to think less of what to say than of how to say it; but our advice is, think of both in due proportion. Set the matter before the manner; get the horse first, and get a good one, and then harness him. Give the people the grand old Gospel, and plenty of it, and they will not much mind the way in which you bring it forth."

 - Charles H. Spurgeon.

He Is Risen!

The tomb is empty!  He Is Risen!  Praise the Lord God Almighty!

Happy Resurrection Sunday.

Really Good Advice

"Every morning, read seriously and reverently a portion of the Holy Scriptures, and acquaint yourselves with the history and doctrine thereof. It is a book full of light and wisdom, will make you wise to eternal life, and furnish you with directions and principles to guide and order your life safely and prudently." - Matthew Hale

A Devotion

Yesterday the Lord was speaking to me as I watched Good Morning America.  Our church gave us verses to read during Lent, 40 Days of Bible, and among the Scriptures are those that remind us of our sinful condition, in particular Romans 3:10, 23.  "As it is written, 'There is none righteous, no not one'...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."  Well, I was watching GMA and they had George Clooney talking about his humanitarian efforts in Sudan, a country where the very government officials are bombing and killing innocent citizens.  He went there personally to take video and bring attention to the needs of the people of Sudan.  So I wondered, "Lord, how do we convince people that there is no good person in our world, when they look at someone like George Clooney and think of him as good?"  Because when we look at a person who puts his own life on the line to help folks he doesn't even know, it does appear that he is good.  But the Lord pointed out to me, that just because we can perform good acts, it doesn't make us good.

I have a tree in my backyard, a mango tree that J planted years ago.  After planting it he never took care to fertilize it or regularly water it, and the tree has suffered.  Basically, the tree is dead.  I can break branches off of it with one hand.  Yet, the tree still has leaves!  Some branches are bare, but some have very green leaves growing on it. 

I hesitate to chop it down because (get this) I feel sorry for it!  It's been in our yard such a long time, and it does have some leaves, so I want to give it a chance to survive, but the truth is the few times it has given any fruit, the mangoes have been awful.  Tiny and sour instead of big and sweet, they are inedible.  Yes, it has some leaves on it, and at times can even look pretty, but it cannot produce good fruits.

In the same way, we are capable of doing good acts.  As a matter of fact, as Christians we are called to do just that, live a life of love and compassion and do good to others.  But that doesn't make us good.  Anyone is capable of doing good, even the worst criminal.  The person that appears to be an all-around good person, isn't always good.  Our root, our base, is as rotten as the root of my mango tree, so that although we can "look" good we really aren't.  And that's why we need Jesus.  Because He IS good, and He can save us from our sinfulness.