Done

This morning around 9:30 AM I was called to pick Peter up from school.  He has been officially dismissed from the military school. 

 

Here are the sad things.  Peter was one day away from obtaining the needed Algebra credit that has now been lost.  He is lacking two full credits of a rising Junior. Peter has lost exposure to some outstanding male role models. Peter will most likely be ineligible to play football this year due to his transferring and the state of his grades.  Peter will no longer receive the extra attention and efforts from the teaching staff that we have grown accustom to.  Peter thinks he has won his freedom but I am afraid freedom will not be all he thinks it is.  And yes I now get to deal with Peter 24/7.

 

But as my mom says, it is not the end of the world.  Peter was released before this coming year's tuition was paid by his "school sponsors." Money I personally was putting towards private education needs can now be redistributed.  Peter will now be responsible for his own transportation and wants. I won't have to listen to the sound of the TV/Xbox because we no longer have those in our home. I no longer have to wait for the dreaded call that he has been dismissed from the school.  And I can trust that God is doing something new regarding Peter.

 

I do appreciate your continued prayers - for God to heal Peter's broken heart and bind his wounds.  To put Godly and influential people in Peter's path. That I will have wisdom for setting boundaries and expectations. That I will stand my ground when I need to and not cave. I would like some closure with the military school that I have yet to receive.  And that we can get Peter enrolled in school that starts Wednesday.

 

I grieve the loss of what we have had.  I am disappointed that Peter has rejected a good opportunity.  Yet I am hopeful believing that God uses all things.

 

 

Dangling but not severed

As of today Wednesday, Peter is still enrolled at school at least for the summer school class. According to his teacher, his attempts today appeared half hearted but I received a note after evening study hours saying Peter worked hard.  Peter has one more day of class and the final exam Friday.  Hopefully he will receive the needed Math credit.

 

Next year has yet to be discussed at the school beyond yesterdays conversation of possible dismissal.  At home, Peter has been told in several conversations what to expect should he be successful in getting kicked out.  He thinks I ruined his life by sending him to military school well  I intend to show him what a ruined teen age life really looks like.  Ha Ha Ha - that sounds so tough but we all know prayers will need to abound to help me hold the needed line.

 

I knew some of you might be wondering about the progress.  Yet the main reason I wanted to write was to say thank you.  I have received text, calls and e-mails of encouragement today.  I know I have been prayed for.  I endured Peters emotional lashing (not a loud yelling one but a cunning manipulative type) and was even able to tune it out.  That was pure grace and surely the effects of your prayers. In spite of some emotional water spillage this morning, I have been mostly peaceful.  As I drove to the school to pick up Peter from evening study hours, I was listening to the soundtrack from "The Man from Snowy River."  I laughed at the image of my forging down the mountain to meet the cunning nay sayer with my head held high.  It was a great soundtrack for that moment.  Only God (and I believe in response to the prayers of the people - you my friends) could make me find laughter in such a moment.

 

I am very grateful for your prayers for Peter and myself.  Tonight a friend reminded me of Psalm 147:3 and it's promise that God heals the broken hearted and blinds up their wounds.  That is my prayer for Peter.  What is happening is the result of his broken life and resulting wounds.  Thank you for joining in this prayer that ultimately God will heal his wounds thus bringing glory to himself.

crisis - big and bigger

So the eluded to "crisis" of last week was that I have made a job change.  I resigned from the preschool for children with disabilities to work full time at the day care where I work the after school program.  I  will now be there full time working the mornings in a preschool classroom of 3 year olds as a co-teacher and spending the afternoons working with the afterschool kids.  This isn't really a crisis but a transition.  It was a difficult decision not without some risk.  It is all kind of bittersweet.  At the moment that little crisis is overshadowed by the one that feels much bigger.

 

Peter has been attending summer school at the military school this summer as a day cadet.  He was making progress with the Algebra he was taking again.  However the last few days have  been in upheaval with Peter finding himself on the bare edge of being dismissed from the school permanently.  The gauntlet has not been laid yet but it is hovering.  Currently there is no repentance on Peter's part and the tension is thick.  And honestly I am not sure what I do if Peter is successful in getting himself kicked out of the school.  So just asking for your prayers for Peter and myself as we ride another crazy wave of this life.  Thank you.

Warning needed

Ice Pops.  You know those pouches of sugary flavored liquid that are bundled by the dozens in a mesh bag and displayed in all kinds of stores during summer.  Those summer treats that you swear is "child's food" and so not good for you. They have no nutritional value and are not part of a clean diet. You walk by them in the store and sneer at them.  Then one day at work, someone brings a big bag of the frozen treats to give to the kids during water day.  You find yourself so hot and parched that you say you want one.  And the next thing you know you have a big bag of them in your freezer.  And since your house is not air conditioned you are consuming them at a rather fast pace. 

 

Yeah, well those should have a warning label.  You know like the warning on coffee cups that says "caution the contents may be hot and lead to burns."  Yep the ice pop bags need to have a warning label that reads something like this:" Caution, sharp corners.  Excessive consumption can lead to corner cuts on the mouth."

 

Maybe I should write a letter to the company.  Yeah, let me just finish my ice pop.

Before the Crisis

I have been told that I am a crisis blogger.  So from the silence one might assume that there has been no crisis in the last month or so.  However there have been many stories and thoughts that I have planned to blog.  We can just blame it on the heat that they have not reached the computer.  Presently I am facing not a crisis really but a time of transition.  But for fear of being confirmed a crisis blogger, I don't want to share it today.  Silly I know.  None the less I refuse to write about it today. Therefore I am going to share a few summer highlights.  Then in a day or two I will share "the crisis."  You know it is not a real "crisis" if I can wait a couple of days to share it.

 

One high light of summer was volunteering at a water station for the AJC Peachtree Road Race July 4th.  This is the nations largest road race (I believe) with 60,000 participants.  I ran last year and have the t-shirt to prove it. It was a great experience and the weather was great so I decided to stop while I was ahead and not do it again.  However when my friend Melissa asked me in April if I would like to volunteer with her at a water station, I was game.  This year's weather was less than beautiful.  It rained most of the morning with thunderstorms delaying the race at one point.  We were up before 4 AM to be at our post at 5 AM and stayed until after 10:30 AM.  For perspective let me say that her husband left after us, ran the race (in a fabulous time I might add), went home to shower and was at IHOP before we left downtown.  All said though, it was an awesome experience and perhaps even better than running last year. We filled hundreds of water cups stacking them 5 stacks deep using a very interesting method.  And then we got to hand out water and cheer folks on.  Now that was so fun.  I got to watch 60,000 folks pass by in those few hours.  And among that crowd I saw folks "running" in wheelchairs, runners pushing the wheelchairs of those who can't run. military personal running, a blind couple walk the race, runners with prosthetic legs, children, senior adults, folks in costumes, serious runners, families, groups of friends and so on.  There were sights that made me laugh (the guy wearing the Elvis costume) and those that made me cry (the blind pair walking the race with the assistance of what I later learned was a stranger.) I met folks from a business that had coffee and free muffins available just when I needed a cup of coffee.  A man from the neighborhood brought a backpack full of zip lock bags to give to anyone who needed to keep their phone dry.  I was a grateful recipient. The rain was wet, very wet but the mood was warm and encouraging.  Worst weather, best day.  And I got a cool t-shirt, hat and Peachtree Road Race pin.   Sometimes service to others really does bring the greatest reward. And Yeah, I plan to do it again. 

BEFORE THE RACE
Watching the other side get a head start on filling their cups.  We were waiting for our water.

 

AFTER THE RACE
Melissa and I standing ankle deep in cups and water.  Tables with unused cups and water had just been dumped. Getting Wet was the theme of the morning.  Thankful for that zip lock bag for my phone because there wasn't a dry spot on me!
 

Another highlight this summer has been my yard.  Inspired by an article in some  magazine, I have been creating "gardens" in my small yard.  Presently I have the "Eating Porch with a cozy reading nook," the "Re-Tired Herb Garden", the "Front Lawn" with flowering borders, "The Archway " to the "Gathering Lawn" (complete with fire pit and seating), the "Play Garden", and "Back Porch."  I would like to create one more seating area where the phone reception is pretty good but I don't have that one worked out yet.  Taming the hedge between me and my neighbors has been a big project and I am really working at getting the "moss lawn" to grow in the play garden.  Oh and I painted the mailbox with chalk paint so I can leave messages for my mailman.  I don't have pictures yet to share.  I plan to and when I do you will likely laugh discovering that there is a fair amount of creative license going on in labeling the yard spaces as I have.  None the less, I have a good time putzing around my yard making it a warm and inviting place to come home to. It is also often better being outside than in my house which is usually hot and less inviting.  Yet considering my disdain for yard work when I was a teen, my passion for my yard has been somewhat of a surprise.

 

I have been striving to embrace a "simpler" lifestyle that involves less stuff.  Recently I reduced my clothing by almost half.  Inspired by Marie Kondo, Japan's De-cluttering Guru I have been purging through out the house. This lead to yesterday's yard sale.  As far as yard sales go, it was a dud.  I guess it was just too hot, the people didn't come.   At the end of it all, Mom called friends at a Mission and they hauled the remains away so  it is gone.  I visited with a few friends and neighbors who stopped by.  I got to sit on the "eating porch" in front of a fan and visit with mom. I ate lots of ice pops and shared with folks who braved the heat. We made enough money for pizza and a few groceries.  So all was not lost.

 

 

 

Principles from a Week of Yard Work

So when I was teaching bible in Uganda, I received some great training.  One of the concepts that I was taught was how to look for principles in bible passages.  These principles are timeless truths that can be applied to daily life. Biblical principles are the ones with lasting value.  Nonetheless I find myself often creating principles out of daily experiences.  They may not be timeless or always true but they are revelations that I find would be worth remembering.  Here are a few principles from the week of working in my yard.

 

1) It is better to buy the more expensive spray paint even if you can buy 4 cheap ones for the price of one of the better grade.  You will end up having to go buy cans of the more expensive one the next day anyway. That is unless you like your tires for your tire garden project to look like a molten bunny or chocolate crinkle cookies with a broken powder sugar surface.

 

2) "This is my last trip to the Home Depot/Lowes and I will be done" most likely isn't.

 

3) The yard to do list never really shrinks.  By the time you work through the list, foliage grows up and it has to be done again.

 

4) Most likely the best flower pot is that ice cream bucket in the shed so don't waste so much time shopping for a pot.

 

5) If your trunk will only hold 2 bails of pine straw on your garden store trip, you will find your flower bed requires 3 when you actually go to disperse it.

 

6)If you keep waiting to clean your house until you get your outside work done the house will probably get so bad that you will keep making more outside projects.  So just clean the house to start with.

Looking beyond the surface

This past week was my "vacation week."  That just means that I didn't go to my summer job as the preschool was closed for the week.  I used the week to spend some time with friends and family, work on some home projects and occasionally splurge in "play activity" such as reading a book in the middle of the day or going to the movies. It was nice however it went by way too fast.

 

Today I am exhausted.  Yesterday I acted as the day of coordinator for the wedding of the daughter of a friend.  The newlyweds are fabulous, it was a small family centered wedding, and the reception had a casual fun vibe. It was a lot of fun and a lot of work.  The bonus for me is that the ceremony took place at a church a just blocks from my house and the reception at a cabin  across the street from my house.  It was a full day of putting things together, organizing people and breaking things  all down again.  Today I woke up and my body was protesting.  My car needs unloaded as it is full of stuff I carried to the wedding. But right now being quiet seems the best option.

 

So I have been doing a little bible reading and journaling.  As I sit here thinking I have some thoughts as I have reviewed my week.

 

1) "Things aren't always as they seem."  Yesterday as I participated in the wedding activities I learned things about my friends that most people would not guess from casual knowledge or interactions.  (All good stuff by the way!)  There were also some challenges going on among some wedding participants that would have likely not have been guessed if not told. It was a reminder that you can't always judge a book by the cover.  It reminded me to be careful about making quick judgments.  For one I might miss out on some real blessings as well as I might miss out on being a blessing to someone in need.

 

2) "Just when you think you are done, likely you are not." or "Just when you think you have it perfect, you find another spot you have missed."  This week I spray painted an old Rattan chair.  I bought the chair for $5 at a yard sale about 7 years ago.  It has spent time in most all the rooms of my house at one time or another.  I have spent many hours in that chair, needless to say I think I got my money's worth.  Recently the chair was relocated to my front porch.  The chair was not handling the moisture well so I decided to paint it.  After a good bit of consideration I ended up with a satin Indoor/Outdoor spray paint called "Oregano."  I bought two bottles and began to spray.  I was in the middle of my 2nd can when I thought I just about had it perfect.  Then I approached the chair from another angle and discovered more unpainted spots.  This process continued until the can was empty.  I congratulated myself on accomplishing the task with 2 cans.  However as I went to place the chair back on the porch I discovered numerous unpainted spots.  Over half way into the third can (that I had to go out and buy) I covered all the bare spots.  Well at least I think I have but there is a partial can remaining just in case.  That rattan chair has all kinds of nooks and crannies. Looking at the chair from different angles resulted in seeing new and perhaps typically overlooked surfaces.  I got to thinking about how that was so real to life in general.  I think I have my house clean and organized just to discover another drawer or closet in need.  And by the time that one is organized there is another one gone astray.  Or I think that I have everything I need for decorating the porch just to discover, there is one more thing, I must have.  Today's "to do" list gets checked off but there is a new one tomorrow.  Personal issues are resolved or dysfunctions over come just to reveal another one beneath it.  It is so easy to believe in the "if only I can reach this goal or overcome this obstacle, all will be well."  But usually there is another one to replace it. 

 

I think the "ah ha" for me in these illustration is to recognize life as a process. It is a process of discovery and growth. Accept and enjoy the process instead of obsessing with the finished product because until I am with Jesus, the process wont be done. And to be careful not to miss gems in th process because of preconceived ideas. This thought isn't profound or new.  Others have said it and I know I have acknowledged it before but this week I was reminded of it.  Often there is more than meets the eye.  And the process of looking for and finding the hidden whether it brings blessing or pain can be a good thing.