Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble with it. Proverbs 15:16 (ESV)
Welcome to Friday!
Welcome to Friday!
How are you doing? How are things going with you and your family? This has surely been another gifted week of opportunity, challenges and triumph. So, did you have a great week this week? What was the best part of your week? Was the best part a word spoken to you, something you accomplished, a gift received, or some other unexpected goodness? I am always fascinated and curious about the ways we all experience our weeks, and the ways in which we find "the best" in the week. What emotion had the longest run as ruler over your week? What emotion did you wish you could have banished from your week?
I am doing well. I had a long run of mindfulness and gratitude this week. Especially as I considered how blessed and fortunate we were in Irmo to miss the major damages of the violent storms. I was concerned about our house because we have two trees that really need to be cut down. Or at least I think there are at least two. Thankfully, these trees were still standing. Over the night, and throughout the day, the trees in our backyard swayed, bent, but did not buckle and break. As the wind howled and raged against the side of the house I just kept praying. At work, the trees outside the office cast off loose leaves, discarded weak branches and jettisoned tons of pine cones and seeds, but nothing seriously fell on the cars, building, or roadways.
In addition to gratefulness and gratitude, I was also mindful that tornadoes had ripped through parts of the country bringing chaos and destruction, grief and pain. I was mindful that others were not as fortunate to lose pine needles and a few leaves, but they lost homes, houses, family, friends and memories. So, mindful and grateful had the longest run. I was grateful that we were spared, and mindful that even in the midst of the storms and chaos - God is still sovereign. Thinking back on the storms of this week took my mind back over the words "Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at is swelling and tumult... There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High (Psalm 46:2-4 AMP)."
Now, if I could have banished one emotion, I would have given anger the boot. I got so worked up at basketball on Wednesday that I had to take myself out of the game. I'm sure my daddy would remember that happened once at a game when I was younger. Of course, we lost that game big time (when I was younger and this week). It wasn't even a competitive game (when I was younger and this week). And that just added to my disappointment in how I handled things. On top of basketball I got upset over something equally small at home. At least at home, I think, I stayed connected or reconnected quickly. At basketball I never really got back in the game. Worst of all, Wednesday will be the only day I can play until next week Wednesday.
My unexpected gift was an hour delay for work on Thursday. Our building was locked accidentally and none of the keys or fobs would work. They building manager couldn't even get in to override things. I got an extra hour to catch up on email, listen to the sports radio, read up on some stories that I had queued up in my browser and then laugh with a few people from the upstairs office who were also locked out. We finally got in when the building manager used a hammer and climbed through the broken glass. I didn't volunteer to climb through the broken window of a locked office building in Lexington, SC while wearing a black coat with a black skull cap pulled over most of my head, wearing dark pants, while I was the only miniority for obvious reasons...
Another good and unexpected gift was Paige's humor at the dinner table. She was on a roll and we all had buckets of laughter as she told stories, asked questions and responded to her siblings. Emma gave me an unexpected laugh when I decided to call her by a nickname that she apparently had decided she did not like. I said, "Come on Memmie" and she responded "I'm not Memmie." I stood corrected. Of course, Trish had already said she no longer wanted to be called "Memmie" or "Gracie", but Grace or Emma Grace.
All in all I think we are doing well. The older crew is doing well. They are all working on their surprises for Trish. They have been shopping, planning, and wrapping. Interim reports came out and most of the grades are well. A few grades will give us a chance for growth and improvement. At least none of the grades are due to a lack of effort. Cassarra is receiving awards and doing the senior countdown. Gabbi is doing well. I'm hoping she is finally starting to get a grasp of her talent and the opportunity she has to flourish with it. Especially in the areas of creativity and dance. Earlier this week we had to remind her that she is more talented in dance and choreography than some of her classmates who participate weekly in classes. Sydney is getting ready for a student lead conference, participating in student leadership, and constantly advocating for greater responsibility. Paige is knocking out her work, with an ever impressive reading log, and frequent nods and acknowledgements at school. Plus, Paige is really stepping up in the mornings to help Ava get off to a good day at school. Ava and Emma are fighting colds, and keeping life light, interesting and beautiful in their own ways. They are also still finding creative ways to extend their bedtimes. This weeks reason: "We want to do extra Bible Study." Whenever they hear me say Bible study time to the teens, it isn't long before two little heads appear in the crack of the door. They do reasonably well with paying attention, and I usually reason that if they are going to stay up - at least I can try to get more Jesus in them at the same time. Some nights, though, extra Bible study ends with the application of verses from Proverbs with keywords "rod", "child" and "discipline."
Trish is doing well. I think she is fully recovered from her cold and the whole house is better for it. Last weekend we started and finished a nice project together. It was fun and non-threatening for someone who isn't too handy. She found an idea, and we transformed a 15 year old piece of furniture into a sleek modern piece that looks professionally done and expensive. I'm sure I had more fun than she did, but I loved the time together and the final product. This weekend I'm hoping that she will get all the desserts that she can handle as we celebrate together.
Well, I hope you had an absolutely great week this week. I hope that you found yourself full of gratitude, bounding with joy, and resting (abiding, dwelling, taking surety) in the peace of God's arms. Have a great day and as always...
Welcome to Friday!
I am thankful for
- Trish and her love, forgiveness and patience
- good news from friends
- family
- encouragement
- reminders
- Bible study
- great dinners
- Trish
- a clean office
- work
- receiving an official certification result at work
- completing a touchy and tough assignment at work
- two devotionals from Max Lucado on grace
- laughter at the dinner table
- Lunch
- Basketball (even though I didn't win)
- The treadmill working a lot better
- writing a short devotional
- no damage from the storm
- a bright sunny morning and sunny day
- competing with Gabbi in a step challenge on fitbit
- a surprise breakfast treat with Sydney
- date night with Trish
- we had Chicago Pizza in the Vista
- I had a burger :-)
- Coffee with Trish
- Riding with the little 3 on Saturday morning
- Breakfast
- Touring and browsing car lots
- Paige said she tagged along b/c she was hoping for a free meal
- Feeling better and most of all not catching the flu from a co-worker
- remembering and memories
--- Cassius Rhue
"Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.'" (Job 28:28)Love is irresistible, irrefutable, undeniable. Nothing rises to it. The dark side of our character has no weapon against it. It's our trump card. - Jim Daly
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