"...and the Brook Dried Up..."

Here is my paraphrase of I Kings 17:7-9 "...and the brook dried up... Then the word of the Lord came to her, 'Stay just now in Hutchinson...I have commanded a successful businessman to offer thee a job...' "

A couple months ago it felt like my "brook" had dried up. There were rumblings of my nanny job ending and I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO! I was sick and tired of looking for jobs. In fact, I didn't even know WHAT to look for! What I really wanted (or so I thought) was nanny jobs and I was fast discovering that they weren't very plentiful in this area, although I often saw interesting ones advertised in other places.

And so I questioned, "Is it time to move on again?" But, no, my heart was telling me to stay. I argued with God and whined, "This doesn't make sense! I'm supposed to stay here but the kind of work I want is 'out there'." The only reply I received was, "Wait and trust!"

In the meantime I was becoming a bit disillusioned with nanny jobs. I was tired of taking care of other people's children and having to go by their rules, which were different than mine, when it came to child training. I was also beginning to wish for a full-time more permanent position that I could depend on for years to come, instead of this job hunting every few months. I realized that nanny jobs would constantly be changing, for babies grow up.

At last I was able to leave it in God's hands and I felt the assurance that this nanny job would be here as long as I needed it.

So I settled down to wait...

A couple weeks later I got a call from a guy offering me a full-time permanent position at his computer shop as bookkeeper/accountant. Three days later I went in for an interview and was hired on the spot! To say I was excited would be putting it mildly!

I sat down and shook my head in disbelief, muttering to myself, "I can't believe it!" Did I lift a finger to get this job? No! God BROUGHT IT TO ME!! I knew he had done it before and he would do it again and yet I felt rebuked as I heard God saying, "Oh, ye of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"

Turning 40

I, being a "bear of very little brain", could not figure out why the comment option was no longer available on my blog but suddenly the light came on and the comment option is back! Comments are optional but I love hearing from you! It makes writing seem more worthwhile.

And now I AM asking for your comments...
What fun, exciting things should I do before I turn 40?? I hit upon a brilliant idea the other day but that I will leave to your imagination. You would never guess it but if you want to try that's fine! If you guess correctly, I will let you know.

If life begins at 40, as they say, I guess I'm in for an exciting time for the last 40 years haven't been exactly dull (well, some more than others). Sometimes my life takes crazy twists and turns that leave me breathless with wonder or doubled over in pain and yet I keep going for the love of the Father is boundless and sure.

So...what are your suggestions???

A Very Long Day!

My day started at 3:15 a.m. I downed a bowl of cereal and a hard-boiled egg and then I was off to the Wichita airport to catch my 6:20 a.m. flight to International Falls. If only it would be that simple, but no, we have to go all the way to Memphis, TN and then to Minneapolis, MN and from there on to International Falls.

As I walked to my gate at the Wichita airport, I noticed the quietness of the morning. Everyone must still be waking up, I thought. I found a seat to start one of the many "waits" of the day. Before long two women and a man sat down close by. The older woman was not having any trouble waking up (or maybe she was trying to keep herself awake), for she kept up a steady stream of conversation with her companions. I was sitting there half listening and suddenly realized altho' the others had departed, this woman was still talking. And she wasn't talking to me. I guess if there's no one else to talk to, you just talk to yourself!

The first leg of my journey was uneventful and my seatmate wasn't any more inclined to early morning chatter than I was. At 8 a.m I landed in Memphis and had a leisurely time eating my 2nd breakfast consisting of banana and "airplane" cookies. (By the way, did you know that the earlier you get up in the morning, the more you can eat in a day??) I killed two and a half hours there and by 10:30 was on my way to Minneapolis.

On this flight I was seated by a very talkative lady. She pretty much kept things going for that 2-hour flight. When I was sleeping, she talked to the man on her right and vice versa. I had a good little nap but when the snacks came around she kindly woke me up so I wouldn't miss them. Never mind that I needed sleep much more than snacks! After awhile I got out my sudoku puzzles and she pulled out her crossword puzzle book. And so, side by side, we worked our puzzles, now and then pausing to help the other one out.

Ahhh...Minneapolis at last! How could it only be 12:30? I thought it must be time for another meal and so I bought a $3 hamburger at A&W and devoured that along with the "healthy" food I had packed in my bag, namely an apple and carrot sticks. Here I had a 2-hour lay-over and something like a 2 mile hike (or so it seemed) to my next gate.

By 2:30 I was on the last leg of my journey and, feeling rather weary, I settled down for a good nap. Upon arriving at International Falls, low in the hole, there was no one to greet me, only the other teacher from MN who wanted a ride as well and so we sat and waited together. We sat there (or shall I say paced) for another 45 minutes until they did appear. I sighed with relief and thought that at last we were on the homeward stretch, not realizing there was one more hurdle to cross. At the border we were kindly detained and sent in for questioning, to wait some more while they checked out our papers.

Needless to say, it was nearly 9 p.m. by the time I made my appearance in Hudson. I was warmly welcomed, to put it mildly, and got there just in time for rhubarb pie and ice cream.

And so after catching up on all the news, I at last dragged my weary body to bed and thought, This has been a very long day!

Of Dreams and Wheat Harvest

Golden heads of wheat waving in the wind...Combining...
Weighing in at the scale house...

I've been doing things I've never done before, going places I've never been, driving strange vehicles, being "on call", keeping crazy hours and watching the weather with great concern. It all comes with the new job.

Earlier this year I was wondering what new/exciting/different things I should do this year before turning 40. Meanwhile in the back of my mind a well-hidden dream was waiting for fulfillment. The dream of helping with wheat harvest.



You see, as a child, I loved to go out for combine rides or play on the fully loaded grain trucks of wheat with my brother and sisters. A ride to the elevator with Dad, to dump the wheat, was extra special. Sometimes I even got a free bottle of pop - in a glass bottle!



And so with great excitement I started my first day at Miller Seed Farms. It was challenging with learning lots of new things but I had a patient instructor and by mid-afternoon I was weighing in trucks of grain.



The second day I left for Great Bend around 7 a.m. to pick up parts. Then I was sent to Hutch. It started with one stop but by the time I left the office 4 more had been added. First to Cooper Tire to drop of 2 tires for repair, then to Napa for an alternator, to Metro Automotive for a starter, to Murdock Supply for a 75' cable, to Reger Rental for a trash pump and back to Cooper for the restored tires.



The combines were slow getting started that morning so I still got in on a lot of weighing in after my other errands were done. And that's one of my favorite parts of the job. Inbetween loads you sit and chat with whoever happens to be around, catching up on local news or listen on the 2-way radios to friendly banter going on among other workers.



By the end of the second day I was really getting into things and I was only too happy to comply when the boss asked if I'd consider working Saturday. However, the rain put an end to those plans and I was honestly disappointed. It wasn't easy to switch gears from wheat harvest to mundane tasks like cleaning and laundry.



In case you haven't guessed, I love my new job! The hours aren't really that crazy. In fact, when I left at 7:30 p.m., I felt like a real slacker knowing the others were working till midnight. I have a great group of guys to work with and a good boss.



So hold on to those dreams - big or little - they may just come true when you least expect it.

Celebrate God's Goodness

Thursday morning this phrase kept running through my head, as I was lying in bed trying to clear my foggy mind from the shackles of sleep.

It wasn't a very good week. I felt especially discouraged with wanting more work but not finding any. On Tuesday I was sent home at noon due to weather. I thought to myself, WHAT is going on??!! The more work I want, the less I have! This is crazy!

Obviously, God was up to something. But He wasn't telling me! Does He have to be so secretive?? And so I fussed and fumed and tried to understand. Two words stood out in my mind. Two words I've heard often. Two words I don't really like. Two words that often make me sigh in resignation, "Oh, that again!"

I'm sure you've heard them, too. WAIT and TRUST! Even though I know it's the best way and God always comes through for me, it's still hard to do.

Well, to make a long story longer...that morning I started thanking God for what He's done and what He's going to do. I remembered the miraculous way in which He brought me my last three jobs and wondered what I was worrying about.

Thursday evening I got a call from Laverne offering me a part-time job at Miller Seed Farms. I was excited! I love wheat harvest and had wished to be more involved. It's not the same as caring for babies, I may get dirty, I may have strange hours (working till dark), but Dolores told me, "It's fun!" and somehow I believe her, so I'm going out to have a party and CELEBRATE GOD'S GOODNESS!

Peace in the Storms

Last night we had a good old-fashioned, Kansas thunderstorm. Thunder, lightning, strong winds, hail and rain (no tornadoes this time)! I don't usually get scared very quickly by storms but last night I felt nervous. Maybe it's being in my own house alone and feeling "responsible". I don't know.

I went around and checked all the windows AND the doors! The doors had been cause for some stress, early on in my renting experience. Although they were supposedly fixed, there hadn't been a good storm to give them a fair trial. I went downstairs and sighed in dismay at the water seeping under the west door and oozing into the carpet. Nope! That one definitely wasn't fixed properly.

As the wind continued to shriek and howl around the corners of my little "barn", I tried unsuccessfully to get a weather report. I thought of calling the neighbors but that didn't seem like a very good option at 11:30 p.m. And so I crawled into bed, praying for peace in spite of the storm.

And God, my faithful Father, graciously granted that request. I didn't know if I'd live to see the light of day or be blown away in my sleep but I knew that whatever happened God would be with me.

This morning I was thinking of the storms of life that rock my boat at times and thankful again for the peace God gives in those storms, as well.

A "Pooh" Day

It was a lovely day for a picnic and since it was Memorial Day a couple friends and I headed out for a little jaunt. I felt like "Pooh" and his friends going out on an adventure. And so to be true to character, I left my watch and cell phone behind and determined to enjoy the day.

After we drove around the section and parked the car, we set off across the field toward the creek, sack lunches in hand. A shady spot was soon found and we spread our blankets, kicked off our shoes and settled down to enjoy the outdoors and a good time of fellowship. As we munched on our lunch we chatted of many and varied items of interest.

Then...it was time for a story! I pulled out my "Pooh" book and read the adventures of "Pooh" and friends searching for the North Pole. This, of course, put the adventurous spirit in our blood and we, too, set off to find the North Pole (or something of the sort).

Our exploration was temporarily delayed as we came to the bridge and decided on a game of "Pooh Stix"! (For those of you who don't know, this game consists of everyone dropping a stick into the water on one side and then racing to the other side to see whose stick comes out first.) It's great fun and you should try it! It doesn't matter if you're 5, 35 or 65, anyone can play!

It wasn't very successful as our sticks kept getting hung up, due to all the brush and debris in the creek. At last we went down the riverbank to see what was under the bridge. "Just as I thought," said Eeyore, "no better from this side. But nobody cares, what does it matter." And so we abandoned our game and sat by the water chatting. This went on for some time, till at last we returned to the road and decided to meander along the creek on the other side. It being a very warm day, that didn't last for long and soon we were headed home.

I must add this bit from our story about Eeyore - some just don't know what a tail is, he said. They don't appreciate it. They think it's just A LITTLE EXTRA on the end.