You Don't Always Get Service Like That!

Life has started to get back to "normal" this past week. I took off work on Friday for a dermatologist appointment. You can tell if I'm stressed just by looking at my face. Needless to say, it has been broken out most of this year. Afterwards, I headed to the pharmacy to get my prescriptions filled. I've been going to this place for years. Bruce, a pharmacist, has known me since I was little. He was there, and I hadn't seen him in a while. When he saw me, he come around the counter and gave me a big hug. He's like hugging a teddy bear. We talked while he filled my prescription. We caught up on life and shared some laughs. As I left, it confirmed why I come to this place. It's all about the service.

Free Hugs!

Free hugs to any veterans or anyone serving in the military! Whenever I see a veteran (especially Korean War vets), I just want to give them a hug. I can't adequately express how much their service means to me. I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for their sacrifices.

Everyday I wake up, I thank God that I'm alive. That I have a roof over my head and clothes on my back. That I get to live in a free country. Sometimes I don't understand why God chose me. How did he pick me out of hundreds of babies? Many were raised in an orphanage. Still others were aborted or killed because of their gender or because their birth parents couldn't take care of them. Meanwhile I was blessed enough to be adopted into a loving home.

I am forever indebted to those who fought for freedom. To those who fight for our freedom today. And to the God who chose me. I will always work to honor them with my life.

Tithe vs. Debt

I've heard this question many times while teaching Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. Should I stop tithing and get out of debt first? Well, I knew what the Bible said about debt and tithes, but I had never been in that situation before. And I never thought I would ever have to make that decision.

So when the mortgage bill came that hot summer day, my jaw dropped to the floor. They wanted me to pay $300 more per month because of a mistake their company had made. $300!?! Where was that supposed to come from? I didn't see schoolteachers receiving a raise any time soon, and a part time job while teaching seemed like a bad idea.

I began to pray. Immediately, God whispered, "You already know what to do." And it was true. I had been planning on remodeling my bathroom over the summer so that I could get a roommate. And the rent money would take care of the unexpected $300 debt. The answer was there all along. I just had to follow up.

Quickly, I found someone to redo the bathroom. It turned out great, as you can tell from the previous blogs (although it still needs paint). While I was in the process of getting it redone, I wasn't quite sure how I would pay the extra debt. God answered again. Because I had been paying extra on my car payments for the past year, I could skip a few payments without penalty. Woohoo!!

However, with everything else going on, I still had not found a roommate. During those times of uncertainty, I wondered if I could make ends meet without touching my tithe or my other giving. I would remind God, "You know You promised blessings to those who trust in You, right?" I vowed that I would continue tithing and giving at least until the point of starvation.

One day at lunch I was telling my friend the situation. She started asking people that she knew and found a girl who was interested. Everything was starting to come together. She moved in, and my financial stress vanished.

I knew God was molding me, teaching me to trust Him more. But the part between letting go and grasping for His plan was scary. However, sometimes you just gotta close your eyes, pray to God, and make the jump. And it will be worth it when you finally see the view from the top.

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.
~Jer. 17:7-8

If I were a tree, what would I look like? Laid back, carefree, just swaying in the wind? Or would I be clinging, struggling, wondering if the storm will ever stop?

As I grow closer to God, my roots grow deeper. I am less worried about trivial matters. I am more productive. But I'm not at this point yet.

The survivor tree which stands at the OKC bombing memorial is a symbol of strength and resilience. The inscription around the tree reads, "The spirit of this city and of this nation will not be defeated; our deeply rooted faith sustains us." That's what I strive to become. I want to be so rooted in Christ that nothing can shake me. I want to give shade to those who need rest from the burning sun. And I want to fully trust that, no matter what happens, my Provider will always come through.

What Happened to Sept??

Aug 31 was a hard day. We found out my grandma had lung cancer. A few days later the doctors told us it had spread to her brain. A few more days later they said the cancer was in her adrenal glands and was pumping it into every other part of her body. Stage 4. There was no cure. The docs told us they could do chemo and radiation, but it was only to keep her comfortable.

Grandma assured us that it was ok. She had lived a good life and was ready to die. We brought her home from the hospital, and she began radiation that week. My mom, aunt, or I stayed by her side daily. After one week grandma wasn't able to walk on her own. Then she couldn't stand on her own. At times, she would talk in gibberish. We took her to the ER to make sure she wasn't having a stroke or something. They told us it was probably due to the cancer in her brain. We brought her home again.

The next day she laid in bed with her hand in mine. She said she was tired of fighting. She wanted us to call Hospice. The next few weeks were painful. She tried to tell us everything she could remember before she forgot it. She called the ministers and told them exactly how she wanted her funeral. She wanted to see my brother's wedding pics, so I brought over the laptop. We gathered around her bed and smiled and laughed at the pictures.

The next day after school I went over to her house. She said, "I love you, baby" when I came in the door. Those were her last words to me. On the evening of October 7, after every kid, grandkid, and great-grandkid had been by to see her, she died. In her sleep. Just the way she wanted.

I have no doubt that my grandma is in Heaven (probably talking an angel's ear off at this very moment). And I know that one day I will see her again.