Welcome to Friday - 07.18.14

O LORD our Lord, how excellent is your name in all the earth!  Psalm 8:9

Welcome to Friday!

I started this letter earlier and as you can probably tell by the lateness of my deliver this has been quite an interesting and busy day.  Today is a summary for most of this week.  Which is one of the reasons why I am so excited that today is Friday! 

How are you doing?  How has your week gone for you?  Have you been busy with barely a moment to breathe or have you had a chance to catch your breath and look at some of the amazing things that God has done and is doing.  I hope that you had a great week and that you have had and are having a very good day.  I have kept you in my thoughts and prayers this week.

We have had a few challenges this week and a number of moments for joy and excitement.  The older girls are in Georgetown for the week.  Cassarra, Gabbi, Sydney and Paige are "enjoying" time away from their home routine.  I'm sure they will have some amazing stories to tell us when we get back.  We missed them a lot and I'm sure the girls are probably tired of me calling every day to check in and say hi.

The house was a lot quieter without them, but it also lacked a lot of those really funny and memorable moments.  Especially since Ava and Emma were not really active for the first three days of the week.  Shortly after getting back from dropping the girls off in Georgetown we noticed that Ava felt hot and sure enough she had a fever.  So, for the first three days of the week we were treated to restless nights, as Ava battled this fever that popped up out of no where.  She was a real trooper during the day, but each night she would be tuckered out and running a fever.  Trish and I kept vigil over her each night with thermometers, cool cloths on her forehead and at times giving up precious and valuable mattress real estate for a big girl and her doll.  Emma seemed a little less active when I got home since she did not have her normal running mate. 

Thankfully the fever broke on Wednesday and we were treated on Thursday to a reminder of what the full extent of Ava can be.  She was clearly back to herself on Thursday before and after dinner.  Moments before dinner she was leading Emma around the house in some strange and loud game of copy cat.  One of the two would scream out a sound and the other would repeat it at a higher pitch.  They marched and marched around the house in a parade of cat calls, unintelligible words and ear piercing screams.  After dinner Ava tried to push Emma and her high chair around the table and at bed time the parade of activity was back to normal; lots of getting out of bed, grabbing books, talking, calling for mom and dad and at long last snoring.

This morning Ava, Emma and I went out for breakfast at the local "Chickie-Donalds."  That is Ava's mash up of Chic-fil-A and McDonald's.  We have both in walking distance to the house and they are also across the parking lot from each other.  It was nice to hang out with those two and give Trish a little break.  Surprisingly Ava ate most of her breakfast before begging to play on the play ground equipment.  Normally Ava will beg and beg and beg... and beg to go on the play ground without ever really eating her food.  Our time at breakfast, just the three of us, was a great start to Friday and a great way to kick off the end of a week that featured good, better and the best moments.

The good:

• Ava's fever leading to some really intense (no pretentiousness) moments of prayer
• Completing my employee performance reviews and handling objections with a measure of grace
• Getting prepared for our upcoming product releases
• Getting approved to attend an upcoming professional conference
• Pictures from the girls' time in Georgetown

Better:

• Ava's fever breaking on Wednesday
• Getting a better understanding of employee disconnects and culture issues
• Our team's demonstration was successful and delivered on our commitment
• Getting my conference agenda and travel budget approved
• Knowing that the girls are getting great time with their grandparents

Best

• Breakfast with the Ava and Emma this morning
• Laughing, joking and reminiscing about college days with Trish
• Getting my flight booked for the conference with a reasonable price
• Spending time with friends and family
• Good food, fellowship, and a great lunchtime Bible study on Tuesday
• Coldstone Mint Ice Cream for dessert 
• Upcoming date night this weekend

Well, I hope you had a great week!  As you can probably tell, my week started off very tough due to fevers, fatigue, tight hamstrings, employee reviews, meetings and misunderstandings.  I am so thankful that day by day it got better and better.  It has not been a week without trials, challenges or tense and intense moments, but it has still been a great week.  Someone once said, "Outward circumstances cannot alter the inner conviction that God is good, the Eternal is true and His wisdom is beyond our understanding and imagination."  I second that statement.  This has been a great week because God is good, the Eternal is true and His love and wisdom exceeded my understanding and imagination.  

I hope you have a great night and a wonderful weekend.  May you have the favor and blessing of God to face and triumph over any trial and to enjoy those who love you.  Blessings to you and your family.

Welcome to Friday!

May God Almighty show His enduring love to you and to your family forever.

I pray that you will be strengthened and empowered by His love to

always live strong and above the fray.  May God grant you his favor, love and

and above all the deep and abiding joy of knowing Him.

Blessings to you for the rest of the day, and weekend to come.

 

With love (& in triumph),
Cassius