I am sure that this cold snap has caused people problems, cost businesses money and is inconvenient in any number of ways... but, I consider it an excellent storm.
Vern's favorite spot...mine too!
Our home is quiet except for the loud crackling of the logs in the fireplace.
Our stomachs are full of crock-pot chicken wings and fresh salads and warm tapioca.
And my stress level is 0 as I blog next to our fireplace, the location that Vern has dedicated himself to!
God's weather has brought things to a stand still in some areas and at least a slower pace here, and I'm actually grateful.
What does it take to slow me down, to set me by a fire, to cook at home and write of my gratefulness?
Is the only way I obediently rest - when mother nature forces her hand or am I becoming smarter and more obedient?
I'd like to think the latter.
As I write tonight I praise my heavenly father for what surrounds me, for more than enough food, for warmth, for a husband of many years that I still adore and for His never ending love for me (even when I'm not as mindful of Him).
An excellent storm has brought a calm to my night and I could seriously
get used to this!
I LOVE to coupon! I am highly inspired by savings - I cannot pay full price for anything.
We needed to purchase about 90 bottles of salad dressing for our daughters wedding. Michelle, a good friend, gave us a tip about Meijer's sale on Kraft salad dressing.
The following is a true story.
If you could have seen me last night... The salad dressing sale was buy 4 Kraft dressings for the sale price of $1.59 each, I had run copies of or been given $1.00 off coupons for every bottle. and as if that wasn't good enough, 59 cents each, I received a Meijercatalina worth $3.00 off of my next grocery purchase. In other words, Meijer paid ME to buy dressings!
I didn't have time to buy just 4 at one time so I thought, I'm just taking 20 bottles of dressing up at a time and do 5 separate orders at the self checkout line. So I stepped to the center self check out surrounded by other shoppers at about 9:30 last night. Next thing I know, after completing one order and beginning the next. Everyone was gone - except the managers and people taking money out of every machine but mine.
They pulled the divider across the entire self check out area - not allowing any more customers to enter. There I stood - trying to work the system to get my $3.00 catalinas by checking thru just 4 bottles of dressing at a time - as the Big Top Manager person stood watching me outside the dividers - and as my coupons required the clerks assistance - I caved in to the pressure and just ran the last 16 through as one order.....so heart breaking, but they were so intimidating! I was preventing an entire shift from going home!
This morning while Ron was at the Elders meeting - I headed back to Meijer with determination and coupons in hand I went back in. This time I decided I would try one of my old Kraft catalinas to see if they would roll. They did! So for 26 cents - I headed back to my car with 4 salad dressings and a $3.00 catalina with the intention of grabbing more coupons and going right back in.
What I found was that I had left the parking lights on in my euphoria to get a deal, and my battery was dead! I called my husband and he and Deering came to the rescue. I somehow talked Ron into going in for one group of 4 dressings before heading to church. We took turns sitting in the car with the motor running to get the battery built back up - while the other bought salad dressings - ridiculous!
We then agreed to come back after work and buy more, even if we had to go in one at a time and just by 4 dressings. So we did! By Ron's 3rd trip to the car I could tell I was losing him - his eyes had that far away 'I'd rather be anywhere in the world but here' look - so as he returned once more to the car with the goods I reached a dead-run pace with my cart racing to get the rest of what we needed in my cart before he returned. He didn't.
I called and he said he was done! I asked him to just bring back in the final $3.00 catalina and promised I would just buy the remaining 27 bottles in one transaction. He agreed...
As we checked out with not only our remaining dressing purchases but additional groceries, our clerk was extremely patient as she took coupon after coupon off of our bill - our $75.00 bill dropped to just $17.00 and produced another $3.00 catalina!
It grieved me greatly to give up the additional 6 catalinas I could have earned - but, it wasn't worth losing a husband!
Couponing is a good thing I suppose, but, it is so much easier NOT to know about the deals out there!
She called bright and early this morning and announced she just got engaged!
That filled me with quite a mixture of emotions.
Thrilled for her of course! (Aaron is amazing!) but...
Sad her childhood went so quickly.
Excited that her engagement was so carefully planned out and special. One of a kind ring, and spectacular timing!
Thankful that her future husband loves her and the Lord so much!
Sad that holidays will have to be a choice between 2 families from now on. (I am selfish!)
But willing to share her because Aaron's family loves her so much too...
We are proud of our daughter, thankful she is so happy, and excited about the future. We will wait to see where God takes them as a couple and what amazing opportunities He gives them ! Today was a wonderful mixture of emotion, an ending to childhood and the beginning of an exciting future!
I am going to try to thank the Lord for as many things as I possibly can think of leading up to Thanksgiving this coming week.
I am overwhelmed at His blessings this year.
I am thankful for my husband of 32 years, more than I can EVER say.
I am thankful for kids that love family and their Lord.
I am thankful for my parents and siblings. I am thankful for amazing friends that would drop everything to help me if I asked. I am thankful for unselfish fellow staff members that share a common vision. I am thankful for our congregation that could choose to be anywhere in the world but chose to come to church to worship!
This is not to say that there have not been great trials and problems this year, but, if we can look beyond our circumstance to see God's sovereign will - even in trials we can be thankful.
(Ok, so sometimes I'm ticked for a while when disappointment comes.)
But, when I get over myself... that makes me thankful for forgiveness! ha ha
We have several ladies groups at Crossroads. One of them is our MOPS group, Mothers of Preschoolers. Tonight I was invited as one of the 'older' women to talk with the young moms.
So, when did this happen? When did I become anyone that young girls could learn from based on the length of my marriage? Hilarious! I've become my mother!
I may have been the woman there tonight that had been married the longest...wow! As we talked with the younger woman it took me back in time. Listening to them describe the strong parts as well as the weaknesses of their marriages.
Ron and I have done life together for so long that I seldom think much about my marriage, except to be thankful for my husband, to pray for him and thank God for him. But, these young women think about it a lot! They are anxious to know they are on the right track. They wanted us to tell them that what they experience is normal, and that the days of small children will pass so quickly they'll barely remember it. I was 30 when we had our kids, so I had more confidence than many of the much younger girls do. God knew what he was doing big time - to withhold children from me until I was ready.
Being there tonight made me realize my responsibility to young women and young couples. I should be investing time in them. We should mentor in areas that God has blessed us in. I think today's young couples need to be assured that it is possible with God's help, to stay together for life. They certainly don't see that model in our society much anymore. I was glad they thought of asking me to come tonight, even though it means I'm getting older.
Ok, so there are differences between my husband and I. Especially easy to see if you compare what we like on tv!
Tonight I was watching an intense hostage show, during every commercial (and during half the show because he never got it back to my channel in time...) he would flip it to watch sea turtles crawling across the sand. Give me a break! Slippery little sea turtles crawling across the sand..yuck!
The hostage show was a little unusual for me (usually it's dance, singing, a competition of some kind or something artistic-ish which also drives him crazy!) Anyway it's one area we disagree on most of the time...
But we are really not so different,we both love to laugh, we both love to talk, we have goals in common and enjoy most of the same things (except tv). I am so fortunate to have him as my husband! He puts up with me doing all kinds of crazy things, just like now...it's 10:30 p.m. and the college kids are due in for dinner soon, pork chops, green bean casserole, baked potatoes and cookies fresh from the oven! Got to go...
I ate too much turkey, too much ham, too much dressing and too many desserts! In the midst of the feast, we talked about what we are thankful for...
I am thankful for the people around me that see ability within me that I myself would never see, they believe in me. These people have the unique gift of encouragement, discovery and development.
I am thankful for children that not only believe in the Lord, but understand what that relationship demands in their lives.
I am thankful for a husband that allows me to develop and obsess over work that I love without feeling threatened, he is my biggest support and greatest love.
I am thankful for a God that chose me and despite the fact that I constantly DO NOT live up to my end of the deal, He never abandons me. He sent His son to die for me before I physically existed. WOW!
So I'm sitting in the parking lot of a funeral home in Canton. I discovered they have wireless...
Anyway I have no idea how we got here, I mean in regard to this place in our lives.
As we pulled up I heard the parking attendant call my husband, "Pastor Ron"...oh man, how did we get here? One of the most impacting, memorable times in a person's life - the death of a loved one. How can we possibly be in charge of such an important event? Pastor Ron...so what does that make me? A Pastor's wife?? Wow... Don't missunderstand, Ron is not officially a pastor at least not in a techincal-degree sense. But his whole life he has been a pastor. He sees deep inside people, he knows what they feel, he cares for them instantly. He loves the Lord.
Ron took a round about way of arriving as our Membership guy, but he was always supposed to be there, he just had a small building project he had to oversee first. God's timing, impeccable, there is no arguing no resisting when you are called.
So that's how we got here. By following God's giftedness, His call. I have to go now, time to go support my husband, a man of God.
My husband and I got to enjoy a real date tonight! We had a relaxing day culminating in a trip to Easton Town Center! It was such a beautiful night to be outside walking around, and sitting outside to eat at the Cheese Cake Factory! And then there was a little shopping with a very patient husband. What could be better!
We have a great advantage over most people, we get to work together all day and then get to be together all night! We are very blessed, and have been for over 30 years now!!
It is back to work in the morning, but my day off was awesome!
I just returned from picking up my husband, part of the Crossroads mission trip to Thailand and Cambodia! Yeah!! 17 days gone. The longest I have ever been on my own.
Most people have a time of college, or apartment living before getting married, or some period of time they are on their own. Not me, I went right from living with my parents to married by 20 years old. It is so weird to go from couple to single after 30 years. Those who know how much I love to be with people might think this was a time that I was out every night with girlfriends, or set up tons of fun things to do. I did exactly the opposite.
I had great hopes for many accomplishments, that lasted about 3 days. I covered a chair, transplanted hostas, replaced old bedding, and organized the garage including some new shelves. This brought a certain satisfaction, some noticeable accomplishments.
My friends were awesome, calling to make sure I was ok out in the country by myself. I wanted to experience alone so I was home all the time I wasn't working. Of course knowing a husband comes home soon isn't the same as always alone. But it was interesting and probably good for us.
