Working on Puzzles

I have just been blessed to take care of a dear friend after surgery.  It's been one of those times when you see how God has been putting the pieces of the puzzle together for a while, and suddenly you can make out the picture.  Last Spring, I left a medical management position, making pretty good money, to pursue a hands-on, making half of what I did job, getting a CNA certificate in the process, and working with dementia patients.  For several reasons, I left the nursing home job to pursue my life-long dream of being a stay-at-home mom, and have learned to be ridiculously frugal (maybe you have read some of my other posts) in order to make it work.  Well, last Monday, I drove my dear friend to the hospital for an overnight stay, and ended up moving her in with us for the remainder of the week.  I could never have done that had I been "working" all the time.  Don't get me wrong...I work hard now...really hard...I just don't get a paycheck from someone else.  My CNA training got some use...I got to take care of her surgery site and all the lovelies that go with that sort of thing....I'll leave the details to your imagination.  We had the most wonderful time.  We (usually my friend, myself and my two teen twins) ate together, laughed together,  and even changed her dressings together.  Surprisingly, my girls did not get weirded out by the delicate nature of the situation.  In fact, they were very helpful.  I have always loved puzzles.  I love the way a small hint of color on one piece clues me in to where it should go in the big picture.  As exciting as that is (I know, I'm a little weird)...it is exponentially exciting to see the puzzle of my life that God is working on becoming clearer.  I've heard preachers call this seeing the front side of the tapestry after working on the back with all the ugly, loose strings.  Whatever the analogy, I like it...

Awshum!

Been a few weeks since I've posted.  I feel like I'm settling in to this staying-at-home thing.  I've picked up a Thursday a.m. Bible Study which is awshum!  Got to see my Mama and Daddy for my birthday today.  Awshum!  I got to change my one workday from Wednesday to Friday this week so I could see them.  Awshum!  It is so nice to NOT be tied down to a "job."  Went to lunch with my friend Tam today and giggled/cackled for 2 hours.  Boy, that'll do ya' some good!  Taking the girlies to basketball tryouts in a little bit, then heading to choir practice...laaaaaaa....  Celebrate Recovery is tomorrow night which is always awshum!  Been inviting my FB friends and we've got someone new to lead the music/worship, which I'm really excited about!  Got 3 possible new people coming this week...Awshum/Awshum/Awshum!  Do you ever have those times when you feel like your eyes are just wide open for a change?  God is Awshum, and I just stand amazed in His presence!  (In case you need a translation...awshum=awesome.)

Drama

I've been sitting here, catching up on Facebook and thinking about the drama, especially amongst my teenagers and their friends.  I may need a neck brace from watching the relationship status changes alone.  So-and-so is single...so-and-so is in a relationship...so-and-so is single again...so-and-so is in a relationship again.  I have watched this literally change this many times in a matter of 24 hours.  My girls don't tend to do this, but the drama of their moods is just as...well...dramatic.  Their highs and lows are SO far from each other...and agonizing boredom is found in between.  GREAT...now God is telling me that I'm the same way!  Maybe it's hereditary.  My Mama has been known to be "one-tracked" and I am following in that trend.  When I'm into something, I give it everything I have, but I seem to reach a saturation point and then want to go in a different direction.  Maybe it's God closing one door and opening another, or maybe I'm not so different from my teenagers...all over the place.   God may need a neck brace watching me!!!  I wonder...how are some people satisfied with being stagnant?  I don't understand that.  I'm not changing the world, but I DO have a need to always feel like I'm growing and moving in a better direction.  And I get bored if I lack a sense of purpose.  Hmmm...I think I'll think about this some more...

Give

Last night's lesson was on "Give".  God never wastes a hurt.  No matter what you've been through, God will use it for good if you let Him.  For me, it means NOT putting on a mask and pretending that I have it all together, and remembering that those people that seem to have it all together are just faking :)  I'm finding getting to know people a little easier, finding that they are just as kookie as I am!  I'm still a little slow to open up to new people...trust, but verify.  Everybody has defects of character, and I know all too well that some people's defect is gossip, so I'm careful about who I get close to.  I really just don't have time for all the drama, and it really gets on my nerves when people are judgemental and haughty.  I'm a simple person, flawed in many ways, and I like my own kind!  So if you think you're better than me, or anybody else...save your breath as I will be tuning you out, shaking the dust off, and moving on.  I don't have long on this earth (none of us do), so I best get busy giving out the Good. 

Side note:  I would really like to know who is reading my little attempts at blogdom.  Would you please click on the "Follow" button on the right side?  Thanks.

Blah, Blah, Blah

Don't really have anything to say...feeling blah I guess.  Been working around the house since 5:30 this morning, so I figured it was time to "play" a little.  Still getting used to the SAHM thing.  Thankful to still get to "work" one day a week.  Twin 1 is still heartbroken...something triggered a crying spell and FB post about it this weekend.  I remember how miserable I was upon breakups at that age, so my heart hurts for her.  No spend-the-night events this weekend...spent the day with DH and girls Saturday.  Found Twin 1 an almost new desk for $40 at the thrift store...which of course caused tension with Twin 2.  But it HAD to be Twin 1's because it had pink drawer knobs :)  Hopefully, an equally good bargain will show itself soon for her.  Saw the Nick Saban movie...don't waste your money.  All us females felt like we had paid good money to watch ESPN for almost 2 hours, and us females know of other ways to spend our money!  Took two friends with us to church...this time they were not laughing at appropriate times, so they will NOT be sitting in the balcony anymore :(  Elizabeth's BF wants to be baptized, or at least that's what she said.  Hard to know how to handle that, except with alot of prayer.  Suggested she talk to her Mom about it, and she said, "she'll say just do it".  I don't take baptism lightly at all, and I don't want her to do it without understanding.  It's not like membership into a club or something you just do because somebody else has done it.  I suggested to all the girls that they go to church on Wednesday nights, because it's a youth service, which is much more relaxed and fun, and I know they will learn alot listening to Rob preach.  I'll pray to see opportunities to bring the subject back up from time to time.  That would be so awesome to have one of these girls become a Christian out of all our little outings.  I have to remember that it is not my job to "save" her, just to plant seeds that God can grow.  Still, knowing how important her soul is weighs on me...maybe that's why I'm so "blah" today.

Repeat Last Weekend + One More

Got to post, quick, while I'm the only one in the house!  As if last weekend's shenanigans were not enough, we added another 13yo girl to the mix this weekend.  Took 5 giggly 13yo girls to pre-season football jamboree games and then they spent the night.  I did not break the budget this time.  I cooked a pot of spaghetti before the games so they wouldn't "need" to eat at the game, and told them I would pay to get them in the game, but they were on their own for snacks, etc...nobody bought anything...hee-hee.  After the games, I whipped up 2 bags of Totinos, which sufficed for the rest of the night.  We got up for church today and did not eat breakfast...it took WAY too much time to get 5 13yo girls ready.  For anyone who does not have teenage girls...straightening hair is very essential.  The youth department was having an after-church pizza party, so lunch was taken care of :)  This is also the reason for the peaceful house, for another 30 minutes anyway.  We had an "awshum" service, as my Elizabeth would say.  The youth pastor preached and he was hilarious as usual.  I know my 13yo brood was listening too, 'cause I could hear them laughing, but thankfully, only at the funny parts of his sermon!  My heart was swelling with joy today.  My girls don't particularly like church, 'cause they don't have friends there (according to them).  They perceive the girls there to be "snooty-booties".  I don't think this is true, but my girls have a wall built up that they are comfortable behind.  Wonder where they got that from?  Well, no more!  I hope, and pray, that this friend-taking trend continues...not only for my girls' sake but for their friends' as well.  Once again, I thank God that I am "working at home" now.  I would never have had the energy or patience when I was working a 40 hour week for all this.  When I heard them at 5a.m., having not slept yet, I figured I'll just get a good nap Monday while they're in school if I need it.  But you know, I am actually not tired today, although it may catch up with me at some point.  Well, my time is almost up...time to pick up the carload.  Thank you Lord.

Good Steward

OK...this is really about how much moolah I saved today at Publix and Kroger...it's my latest obsession.  First I went to Publix, got $68.45 of groceries for $25.26, and then I went to Kroger and got $12.95 of groceries for $1.  YAY!  My newest strategy is cellfire, shortcuts, and Kroger ecoupons.  You can load their coupons onto your Kroger card AND use paper coupons in person at the store.  So, I got 2 bags of ChexMix, 3 Brownie Warm Delight Bowls, and 3 Powerades for $1.  They were having one of those buy 8 of these, get $4 off, so that is exactly what I got...8 of those things.  I found out that our Publix does take EarthFare coupons, so that's next on my to-do list of strategies.  It will be very nice to get produce in addition to all the processed cheapies I've been getting.  Oh yeah...and there is a $5 rebate on 5 Kellogg's items I bought at Publix today!  So I need to get that mailed off before I forget...

All this being said...I am trying to be a good steward with my money, my time, and my energy.  I know it's August, but I've thinking about Operation Christmas Child and how my frugal obsession could help those less fortunate.  So, I checked online to see what you can, and cannot, put in a box.  Luckily toothpaste is OK, 'cause I've got gobs of free toothpaste!  Not sure if I'll do a box, or just collect a bunch of stuff to be distributed as needed with other boxes at church.  That's probably the better option...I may not have enough of a variety to do a box.  Oh, let the fun begin...I'm always seeing stuff that's a bargain that I have no need for, but SOMEBODY can use, surely.  I already drive my mailman crazy with all the free samples arriving every few days.  (Some of which I have passed on to neighbors, relatives and friends because I have had no use for some of them.)  I'm thinking now of some free coloring books I DIDN'T sign up for, but next time I see them, I know exactly what I'll do!

Acts 20:35 (The Message)


33-35"I've never, as you so well know, had any taste for wealth or fashion. With these bare hands I took care of my own basic needs and those who worked with me. In everything I've done, I have demonstrated to you how necessary it is to work on behalf of the weak and not exploit them. You'll not likely go wrong here if you keep remembering that our Master said, 'You're far happier giving than getting.'"

Acts 20:35 (New International Version)
35In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' "

Window-Shopping the World

I've just spent a little time hitting the "next blog" button at the top of the page.  I find the variety of blogs very interesting.  It's a little like walking through a library, or bookstore, not ever knowing what you'll find.  It's fascinating to see what consumes people.  It's almost comical to see how alike, and how different, we all are.  I wonder, what would be said of me by a quick peek at this blog.  Hmmm....will anybody actually ever see it anyway :)  My Lord sees me.  What does He think of me?  Am I becoming what He intended?  Do other people dare to ponder this question?  Maybe I should ponder for a living...I'm good at that!  All those blogs remind me of how complex Creation is.  So many possibilities, so many variables, so many options in our DNA.  And yet, how perfect.  I wonder if we'll get to try out some of the other possibilities in Heaven, as there is not nearly enough time in a lifetime to do and be everything.  OK...that being said, I better get back to the laundry!!!

Waste Not-Want Not

After yesterday's splurging, I felt the need to eat extra-cheap today.  I saw a clip on YouTube about saving money which suggested not grocery shopping one week a month, but using up the leftovers you already have instead.  Well, I don't know if I can ever pull that off for a week, but lunch today was a good start.  I used up some "lonely foods."  I had 3 lonely slider buns(abandoned because of their dryness), 1 lonely hotdog(what kid is gonna eat it without a hotdog bun??), and 1 lonely piece of cheese (abandoned because of it's one dark edge).  I added a little butter to the buns, added slices of the hotdog, removed the dark edge of the cheese and divided it up amongst the now happy slider buns.  Into the oven they all went, emerging a few minutes later to be enjoyed.  They were actually really good!  Waste not, want not!

Quality Time

OK...my weekend started out with me trying to pacify my heartbroken 13 year old twin girls.  The world actually did end this week because they do not have ANY friends in one of their classes.  So, being the hip, now, cool Mom that I am, I encouraged them to get together with friends this weekend.  Thanks to a little Facebook going back and forth shenanigans, they achieved spending the night at a friend's house Friday night with an extra friend to boot.  This resulted in their bringing one said friend home with them Saturday night to spend the night with us.  We proceeded to go to church Sunday, extra friend in tow, and I took them out to lunch afterwards.  Not having had enough fun yet, we regrouped with the extra friend to boot and went swimming, and ate yet again.  It is now almost 8 p.m., my house is once again quiet, as all the extras have gone home, and my own have retreated to their rooms on their computers (probably talking to the friends they spent the whole weekend with).  Meanwhile, I am tired, and I do mean TIRED.  I can barely keep my eyes open.  I have explained to my girls that I am OLD and my wallet cannot handle doing this all the time.  As I am very, very, VERY frugal, I spent almost 2 weeks worth of grocery money taking them out for two meals today.  It was worth it.  My girls smiled again, after a lot of tearful nights this past week.  One of the girls had never been to church and said she had fun.  The other girl, that we didn't take, wanted to know why my girls had never invited her?!  So, that's definitely on my to-do list.  So, I am going to bed...yes it is 8:00...but I will sleep well knowing I had quality time with my own girls today, as well as two extra!

Dandelions

I'm stealing these words from my friend Tam.  She told me that God was teaching her about the power of words via dandelions.  When you spew out bad words, nothing good can come from it but weeds, and lots of them.  When you blow the dandelion poof...it spreads and makes more dandelions...you can't take it back.  So that's why there is a dandelion poof blowing on my blog...as a reminder that my words should be for good, not for spreading weeds.  I've got enough weeds in my yard!

What does God want me to do?

OK...so I thought I would try this blogging thing.  My Mama blogs, so why can't I?  The title of the blog came from the fact that I still don't know what I wanna be "when I grow up"......I'm 40.  Above all, I want to do what God wants me to do, which means I don't do what the world necessarily sees as successful.  I am currently a stay-at-home mom of 3 teenagers.  I'm pinching every penny available in order to do this, but I think it's what God would have me do.  OK...I'm gonna post this and see how it looks :)