Good morning! I have a little snippet of time, so will sit down and give you a couple of updates! Nothing really big! Just some St John trivia to pass on....
We sold our 4-place airplane to a guy from Brazil, Abrao Eliasquevici. He left a week ago, but is dawdling around somewhere in the Caribbean! Now, the plot thickens!
Joah, who flies inner-island planes in Puerto Rico for a company located down there, called Travis yesterday and said, "Hey dad, guess what happened? I just landed this morning at the town of Fajardo and as I was getting out of my plane, I glanced over on the ramp and there was your plane that you just sold!"
Joah received a special award when he was a little boy in the Christian school for being the "Most Observant". I guess some things never change!
So, Travis called Abrao on his cell phone and left him a message telling him to call Joah as they were right there in the same place. I guess they're going out to dinner or lunch today in San Juan! Small world, huh?
Travis, Denny (my brother-in-law) and I are driving over to Kansas City to have Thanksgiving at Sara's new apartment. Allen lives only about 15 minutes from her, so will also be coming to dinner, along with his son, Drew. Unfortunately, his wife, Erica, has to work. Of course, Sara's boyfriend, Erich, will be there too. So, should be lots of fun!
Now, the funny thing is this...before we decided to move the dinner from our house to KC, I asked Sara what she wanted to bring. She immediately said, "Corn!" Now, how hard is it to cook corn? Hmmmmm....we've been chatting on Face Book and giggling about her big contribution for the past couple of days.
I told her that since the dinner was moved to her house, I was bringing the corn and she could do the the rest of the dinner. But, that didn't fly! She's still providing corn, although she is going to make mashed potates now too.
I called my brother-in-law last night and asked what he would like to bring....Yep! Baked corn! Looks like the meal will be real yellow!!!!
Oh, life is so much fun, isn't it? I love all these little diverse pieces of trivia that pop up all over the place...just to make things interesting!
So, if I don't talk to you before Thursday...have a very happy Thanksgiving and for heaven's sake, don't eat too much corn!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Who am I, REALLY?
I'm sure you really want to hear about this, right? Well, once again, I have to write about something else that has been stirring in my heart! :-)
I tried to answer some questions in my "Recovery" class last night, but found it almost impossible until we all sat and talked it out. Questions like: If you could live anywhere in the whole wide world, where would that be? If you had unlimited funds, where would you go on vacation? What do you really like to do? What really bothers you?
Sounds easy, doesn't it? But, for me...it wasn't. I've spent the greater part of my life deferring to everyone around me. Guess what!? That means I'm a people pleaser! My daughter will force me to give my opinion about things. "Mom, what do YOU want to do?" And my standard answer has been, "Whatever everyone else wants is fine with me..."
So, even in a workbook with imaginary scenarios, I couldn't just say..."I want to go to Egypt to see the pyramids!" Yep, that's something I've always (down deep inside) wanted to do! Will it happen? Only God knows, but the important thing is that I learn to express it! It's ok to have opinions, wants, and desires. In fact, God delights that I come away from trying to please everyone around me! I've come to realize that you absolutely CAN NOT please people enough. Someone will always be bummed!
I will try to express those inside desires more as I blog! Perhaps I'll find out who I really am after all! And if you don't like it? Oh, please don't be mad at me! :-)
I tried to answer some questions in my "Recovery" class last night, but found it almost impossible until we all sat and talked it out. Questions like: If you could live anywhere in the whole wide world, where would that be? If you had unlimited funds, where would you go on vacation? What do you really like to do? What really bothers you?
Sounds easy, doesn't it? But, for me...it wasn't. I've spent the greater part of my life deferring to everyone around me. Guess what!? That means I'm a people pleaser! My daughter will force me to give my opinion about things. "Mom, what do YOU want to do?" And my standard answer has been, "Whatever everyone else wants is fine with me..."
So, even in a workbook with imaginary scenarios, I couldn't just say..."I want to go to Egypt to see the pyramids!" Yep, that's something I've always (down deep inside) wanted to do! Will it happen? Only God knows, but the important thing is that I learn to express it! It's ok to have opinions, wants, and desires. In fact, God delights that I come away from trying to please everyone around me! I've come to realize that you absolutely CAN NOT please people enough. Someone will always be bummed!
I will try to express those inside desires more as I blog! Perhaps I'll find out who I really am after all! And if you don't like it? Oh, please don't be mad at me! :-)
Friday, November 14, 2008
Procrastination
Blogging is so much fun! Why do I wait to do it? I've been seriously working on not procrastinating so much. Did you know that this goes along with trying to be perfect? Yep! I've learned all about it (AGAIN) as I've been working through one of my "Recovery" classes that I facilitate on Monday nights.
When you have a "perfectionist" mindset--you tend to procrastinate. After all, it's really hard to do something perfectly! So, the thought of even getting started or finishing a project can be mentally and emotionally overwhelming! No one is perfect, except God, so why do we strive for that? We need to do things with excellence--which is a whole lot easier than "perfect".
OK...so what have I finished? Well, Christmas presents that needed to be in the mail no later than earlier this week to arrive overseas in time. I had to force myself to finish! I would almost get something complete, then would think, "Oh well, I'll just put this down for now and come back to it later!" I can't believe how hard and stressful it was to just finish, pack up the boxes, take them to the Post Office and get them mailed!
I'm sure this sounds silly, but we all have our "issues", right? Right! This just happens to be one of mine.
I'm starting in on another project and am thinking about the prospect of writing out Christmas cards. Seems a bit daunting, but I really love this time of year and anticipate hearing from family and friends all over the world. I just received my first Christmas letter from South Africa!
So, I'll close for now--am proud of myself that I didn't procrastinate any longer in writing to all of you, and will go pick up my next project--to complete with excellence! :-)
When you have a "perfectionist" mindset--you tend to procrastinate. After all, it's really hard to do something perfectly! So, the thought of even getting started or finishing a project can be mentally and emotionally overwhelming! No one is perfect, except God, so why do we strive for that? We need to do things with excellence--which is a whole lot easier than "perfect".
OK...so what have I finished? Well, Christmas presents that needed to be in the mail no later than earlier this week to arrive overseas in time. I had to force myself to finish! I would almost get something complete, then would think, "Oh well, I'll just put this down for now and come back to it later!" I can't believe how hard and stressful it was to just finish, pack up the boxes, take them to the Post Office and get them mailed!
I'm sure this sounds silly, but we all have our "issues", right? Right! This just happens to be one of mine.
I'm starting in on another project and am thinking about the prospect of writing out Christmas cards. Seems a bit daunting, but I really love this time of year and anticipate hearing from family and friends all over the world. I just received my first Christmas letter from South Africa!
So, I'll close for now--am proud of myself that I didn't procrastinate any longer in writing to all of you, and will go pick up my next project--to complete with excellence! :-)
Monday, October 27, 2008
October News
Good afternoon, my dear friends and family! I read back through my last post and must confess that we didn't end up doing a complete 10-day fast. We had an invitation to a special birthday dinner on Saturday, so we broke our fast on Friday so that we wouldn't be in dire straights after a big meal on Saturday!
We have an interesting twist happening right now. A man from Brazil, Abrao Eliasquevici, came to the mid-Missouri area to purchase a plane and take it back to Brazil. He ended up out here at the Fulton Airport because one of the mechanics on the field has the credentials through the FAA to process a "Certification of Airworthiness" that's needed to export an airplane out of the country.
His deal fell through, so now, we're in the process of selling him our Cessna 172 (4-place plane). It's still in the mechanic shop out in Oklahoma, but is supposed to be finished by the end of this week. (we hope!) After that...it's a matter of doing some inspections, getting paperwork finished to send into the FAA, and wait for money to be transferred into an account here stateside. Of course, you know perfectly well that all of this takes time, time, and more time. So, we'll see how it all comes together.
We also have a mobile home up for sale--that we've used as a classroom for teaching, rooms that we rent out for pilots passing through, etc. We had a guy come look at it the other day and really wanted it for a rental property that he owns. However, he has an old trailer on that space with some renters that he can't boot out easily. So, if someone doesn't come along...he may be purchasing it after the first of the year.
We'll be down to one plane (2-seater) and our contract for managing the airport is up in December. Hmmmmm.....what's coming in the future? We don't know. It's so odd to be in this position. We were so full of enthusiasm and up for change when we were young! But, now we find ourselves much more reserved and trying to do everything from a more mature point of view. Honestly? I'd rather have my youth view back again and not be so worried about things! It was a whole lot more fun!!!
Oh, I have to tell you! I painted my laundry room! I LOVE to paint! Yes, it's a lot of work...especially the prep part of it, but the results are so worth it! It's a light periwinkle blue and it turned out beautiful! Now, I must admit that I'm not a "blue" person anymore, but this color really seemed to fit the room--so to speak! It hadn't been painted since the house was built and needless to say, the walls were very scuffed! Also, the original paint was "flat" and I went with a satin finish, so that I could wash it down, if needed.
I think the best part of all, was hanging up a number of "tole-painted" pieces that my mom and dad had made over the years. Since my dad passed away this spring...I've found that I need to have some of his "touches" to look at and help me to remember him. I have a couple of old "goats" that he welded together out of junk and painted black. (I used to milk goats years ago in Alaska).
I'm enjoying working on Christmas presents for my grandchildren. I found several projects in the bottom drawer of my "craft dresser" that just need some finishing touches and will be used as gifts this year. It's really like being on an adventure! Trying to come up with unique, yet inexpensive, gifts for our growing family!
One last thing--Joah is coming home for about 5 days from Puerto Rico. He'll be here the 8th of November and is bringing his girlfriend, Ingrid, for us to meet. She's Puerto Rican and it seems like they may be a bit more serious about their relationship then we thought. Travis and I are both excited for their visit, so that's also prompting me to get some cleaning/painting/decorating done.
I realized that the whole "I've got to lose weight" deal is out the window. Instead, I found myself thinking, "Oh my gosh! I've got to get the laundry room painted". Ha! My areas of vanity have shifted!
Talk to you later!
We have an interesting twist happening right now. A man from Brazil, Abrao Eliasquevici, came to the mid-Missouri area to purchase a plane and take it back to Brazil. He ended up out here at the Fulton Airport because one of the mechanics on the field has the credentials through the FAA to process a "Certification of Airworthiness" that's needed to export an airplane out of the country.
His deal fell through, so now, we're in the process of selling him our Cessna 172 (4-place plane). It's still in the mechanic shop out in Oklahoma, but is supposed to be finished by the end of this week. (we hope!) After that...it's a matter of doing some inspections, getting paperwork finished to send into the FAA, and wait for money to be transferred into an account here stateside. Of course, you know perfectly well that all of this takes time, time, and more time. So, we'll see how it all comes together.
We also have a mobile home up for sale--that we've used as a classroom for teaching, rooms that we rent out for pilots passing through, etc. We had a guy come look at it the other day and really wanted it for a rental property that he owns. However, he has an old trailer on that space with some renters that he can't boot out easily. So, if someone doesn't come along...he may be purchasing it after the first of the year.
We'll be down to one plane (2-seater) and our contract for managing the airport is up in December. Hmmmmm.....what's coming in the future? We don't know. It's so odd to be in this position. We were so full of enthusiasm and up for change when we were young! But, now we find ourselves much more reserved and trying to do everything from a more mature point of view. Honestly? I'd rather have my youth view back again and not be so worried about things! It was a whole lot more fun!!!
Oh, I have to tell you! I painted my laundry room! I LOVE to paint! Yes, it's a lot of work...especially the prep part of it, but the results are so worth it! It's a light periwinkle blue and it turned out beautiful! Now, I must admit that I'm not a "blue" person anymore, but this color really seemed to fit the room--so to speak! It hadn't been painted since the house was built and needless to say, the walls were very scuffed! Also, the original paint was "flat" and I went with a satin finish, so that I could wash it down, if needed.
I think the best part of all, was hanging up a number of "tole-painted" pieces that my mom and dad had made over the years. Since my dad passed away this spring...I've found that I need to have some of his "touches" to look at and help me to remember him. I have a couple of old "goats" that he welded together out of junk and painted black. (I used to milk goats years ago in Alaska).
I'm enjoying working on Christmas presents for my grandchildren. I found several projects in the bottom drawer of my "craft dresser" that just need some finishing touches and will be used as gifts this year. It's really like being on an adventure! Trying to come up with unique, yet inexpensive, gifts for our growing family!
One last thing--Joah is coming home for about 5 days from Puerto Rico. He'll be here the 8th of November and is bringing his girlfriend, Ingrid, for us to meet. She's Puerto Rican and it seems like they may be a bit more serious about their relationship then we thought. Travis and I are both excited for their visit, so that's also prompting me to get some cleaning/painting/decorating done.
I realized that the whole "I've got to lose weight" deal is out the window. Instead, I found myself thinking, "Oh my gosh! I've got to get the laundry room painted". Ha! My areas of vanity have shifted!
Talk to you later!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
How long is too long?
Good afternoon. So, how long is too long to start blogging again? Gosh! It feels like forever. My problem is that I want to blog something of importance, but that's all relative to the reader, isn't it? What I think of as important may be completely boring to someone else.
Because our airplanes have been in the shops for repairs...Travis hasn't needed my help much here at the airport. So, I've been focusing in on starting up on Christmas projects, as well as working on my front yard. I've had plenty of help this summer, as my cousins came from Wisconsin twice, and basically put a flower bed together for me. I've been out weeding and putting mulch down for the winter. It's now full of irises and various kinds of daylilies that really don't require much attention. I should have a glorious bed this coming spring!
Travis and I are reading a book called, "The Shack". Have you read it? Marvelous, wonderful book! I'm also reading, "Three Cups of Tea" about a mountaineer who was climbing in the mountains of Pakistan, ended up in one of the villages, and came back later to open up schools for the little girls in the area. Very interesting reading, as well.
I have been very concerned about the coming election for the President of the US. Our country is facing such dire needs on all fronts and we really need someone that can step up to the helm and "take the tiller", as McCain so aptly said in the recent debate. What a great phrase! "Take the tiller". It will be quite a job for whoever is elected!
Oh, and one last thing. Travis and I are doing a cleansing fast for 10 days. (we're on day 4). We're drinking an interesting concoction of lemon juice, a tad bit of real maple syrup, and cayenne pepper mixed with hot or cold water. It actually doesn't taste bad, but the first 3 days were quite hard for me. My joints ached, and I had severe headaches (coming off caffeine). But, the purpose is to get the toxins out of our bodies and my hope is to get back to eating healthier again.
We were still eating lots of grains, beans (legumes), vegies, etc., but some of our old habits had crept back in..especially eating out so much of the time. Too tired after working all day at the airport to cook, but that's no excuse!
OK...I've done my "diary" thing...hope you've been able to stay with me and I'll try to write more important things in the days ahead!
Because our airplanes have been in the shops for repairs...Travis hasn't needed my help much here at the airport. So, I've been focusing in on starting up on Christmas projects, as well as working on my front yard. I've had plenty of help this summer, as my cousins came from Wisconsin twice, and basically put a flower bed together for me. I've been out weeding and putting mulch down for the winter. It's now full of irises and various kinds of daylilies that really don't require much attention. I should have a glorious bed this coming spring!
Travis and I are reading a book called, "The Shack". Have you read it? Marvelous, wonderful book! I'm also reading, "Three Cups of Tea" about a mountaineer who was climbing in the mountains of Pakistan, ended up in one of the villages, and came back later to open up schools for the little girls in the area. Very interesting reading, as well.
I have been very concerned about the coming election for the President of the US. Our country is facing such dire needs on all fronts and we really need someone that can step up to the helm and "take the tiller", as McCain so aptly said in the recent debate. What a great phrase! "Take the tiller". It will be quite a job for whoever is elected!
Oh, and one last thing. Travis and I are doing a cleansing fast for 10 days. (we're on day 4). We're drinking an interesting concoction of lemon juice, a tad bit of real maple syrup, and cayenne pepper mixed with hot or cold water. It actually doesn't taste bad, but the first 3 days were quite hard for me. My joints ached, and I had severe headaches (coming off caffeine). But, the purpose is to get the toxins out of our bodies and my hope is to get back to eating healthier again.
We were still eating lots of grains, beans (legumes), vegies, etc., but some of our old habits had crept back in..especially eating out so much of the time. Too tired after working all day at the airport to cook, but that's no excuse!
OK...I've done my "diary" thing...hope you've been able to stay with me and I'll try to write more important things in the days ahead!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Humbled
Good morning! This past Sunday, it was pouring rain and flooding in all the lower areas, so I decided to stay home and listen to a DVD sermon about forgiveness. The effects of this decision are still being felt in my life!
Example: Yesterday I came out to the airport to help Travis with the mowing. We are way behind, especially in the area of weed whacking and spraying weed killer! But, I had it in my mind as to exactly what I was going to do and how. After all, he asked me to help and I envisioned this pleasant day--working side by side out in the fresh air!
NOT! When I arrived, there was my husband, playing a computer game, then fussing over the new printer that somehow had become "disconnected" from the network of computers. So, I went out to the tractor shed, started up the grasshopper and went to work. He never appeared. Hmmm!
Then, I got the weed whacker and went to work until it broke down, then I got on the big tractor and went to work until I needed a break. Still no Travis! When I went inside, there he was on the computer...playing a game and very grumpy!
Well, let me tell you...I was furious inside. Why did I have to do all the work? Why was he grumpy at me? What gave him the right to sit and play while I was working? etc., etc. Get the picture?
I remembered the sermon that I had listened to on Sunday and tried to change the tide of my rebellious, judgmental thoughts! And, it worked for awhile, but they kept creeping back in.
Things came up that needed attending to...a plane needed fueling--Travis played on, so I got up and went out to do that. Again...ugly thoughts and mutterings.
To end this....I was finally sitting in front of the computer, posting some checks and entries into the accounts, when I glanced down and looked at the date. September 17th. I hadn't thought about the date up until that moment and suddenly--the light bulb went on! It was our oldest son's birthday...He would have been 38 years old, if he was still alive, but he had died a month before his 28th birthday.
Oh my gosh! All the bitterness and complaining washed right out of me and I couldn't hold back the tears. It was horrible, wonderful, cleansing, but most of all---very humbling! No wonder Travis couldn't get up the gumption to come out and pleasantly weed whack with me! No wonder he was grumpy and slumped over a computer game. Emotionally, he was whacked! And suddenly, so was I!
No more mowing--just waves of grief! Not huge waves, but waves none-the-less! So, once again--I was reminded, rather strongly, that I DIDN'T know what was really going on and my rights had NOT been violated!
Conclusion? I told Travis to go home...take some time by himself--I would close up the airport for him. And he did! When I returned home, he had been able to share with one of our kids, over the phone, about something happening in their lives and was renewed once again! He'd been able to cry and woke up this morning--back to his cheerful self.
Needless to say, I'm still feeling pretty embarrassed and humbled inside. I just wish that I could remember this lesson the next time something comes up!
Example: Yesterday I came out to the airport to help Travis with the mowing. We are way behind, especially in the area of weed whacking and spraying weed killer! But, I had it in my mind as to exactly what I was going to do and how. After all, he asked me to help and I envisioned this pleasant day--working side by side out in the fresh air!
NOT! When I arrived, there was my husband, playing a computer game, then fussing over the new printer that somehow had become "disconnected" from the network of computers. So, I went out to the tractor shed, started up the grasshopper and went to work. He never appeared. Hmmm!
Then, I got the weed whacker and went to work until it broke down, then I got on the big tractor and went to work until I needed a break. Still no Travis! When I went inside, there he was on the computer...playing a game and very grumpy!
Well, let me tell you...I was furious inside. Why did I have to do all the work? Why was he grumpy at me? What gave him the right to sit and play while I was working? etc., etc. Get the picture?
I remembered the sermon that I had listened to on Sunday and tried to change the tide of my rebellious, judgmental thoughts! And, it worked for awhile, but they kept creeping back in.
Things came up that needed attending to...a plane needed fueling--Travis played on, so I got up and went out to do that. Again...ugly thoughts and mutterings.
To end this....I was finally sitting in front of the computer, posting some checks and entries into the accounts, when I glanced down and looked at the date. September 17th. I hadn't thought about the date up until that moment and suddenly--the light bulb went on! It was our oldest son's birthday...He would have been 38 years old, if he was still alive, but he had died a month before his 28th birthday.
Oh my gosh! All the bitterness and complaining washed right out of me and I couldn't hold back the tears. It was horrible, wonderful, cleansing, but most of all---very humbling! No wonder Travis couldn't get up the gumption to come out and pleasantly weed whack with me! No wonder he was grumpy and slumped over a computer game. Emotionally, he was whacked! And suddenly, so was I!
No more mowing--just waves of grief! Not huge waves, but waves none-the-less! So, once again--I was reminded, rather strongly, that I DIDN'T know what was really going on and my rights had NOT been violated!
Conclusion? I told Travis to go home...take some time by himself--I would close up the airport for him. And he did! When I returned home, he had been able to share with one of our kids, over the phone, about something happening in their lives and was renewed once again! He'd been able to cry and woke up this morning--back to his cheerful self.
Needless to say, I'm still feeling pretty embarrassed and humbled inside. I just wish that I could remember this lesson the next time something comes up!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Called to Love
I've been doing a great deal of thinking about friendship. And, what does God really have in mind when He tells us that we need to love one another!
I have a close friend who is going through a very difficult time. She loves God, but is married to a person who does NOT! So, that's an issue between them...but more than that...he has chosen to be very unkind to her. I'm not pointing the finger or drawing conclusions about his beliefs vs. her beliefs. Love is a DECISION! We choose to love and there have been many times in my life when I've chosen to not love, because of my selfishness.
So, I think that it all boils down to this. I have a duty, an obligation, a responsibility, but more than that, the privilege to stand beside my friend through this hard time because she is a sister in the Body of Christ. Jesus told us to love members of His family fervently.
What I find so interesting is that often times, members of God's family are not necessarily people that I would choose to "hang out with." I don't always have much in common with them...they may come from completely different backgrounds than I do. They believe differently about what "church" should look like, they don't always respond like Jesus (nor do I), etc. etc., and yet, I'm told to love fervently!
I'm not told to straighten everyone out (according to my standards) or to be judgmental or critical, but to love! I think this takes practice. And discipline. And realization that I must choose to love--that I won't always feel like it. And acknowledgment that I can not do this without God's intervention.
So, guess what God is having me do? I'm out here at the airport and am being directed (in my heart) to serve and help my husband. I would much rather be home--cleaning up the house, starting another painting project, making crafts, etc.
Instead, Travis needed help yesterday with spraying weed killer behind him as he weed whacked. It was stinky, hot, heavy to carry the apparatus for spraying and I did NOT want to do it. But, that little voice came into my head and said, "Are you going to choose to love or will you make this hard on one of the members of God's family?"
I started spraying and little by little, I began to enjoy being outside! Then, Travis had to go fly with a student and the thoughts buzzed around in my head, "Oh sure! He leaves you to do the dirty work!" But, other softer thoughts said, "You are being a help to him! You are loving him by lifting the load."
Within a very short period of time, the job was finished. Are there still hours of spraying and weed whacking ahead? Yes! Hours of mowing, etc? Yes! Will it all end? Yes, when the cold weather sets in. But, I am being disciplined through this experience to learn what it means to be a servant and how to love more like God loves us!
My friend? I'm walking with her through this time...praying for her and her husband, trying not to be critical and bad-tempered towards him. And Travis? I'm trying to remember that yes, he's my husband, but most of all, he's another member of God's family and I've been called to LOVE!
I have a close friend who is going through a very difficult time. She loves God, but is married to a person who does NOT! So, that's an issue between them...but more than that...he has chosen to be very unkind to her. I'm not pointing the finger or drawing conclusions about his beliefs vs. her beliefs. Love is a DECISION! We choose to love and there have been many times in my life when I've chosen to not love, because of my selfishness.
So, I think that it all boils down to this. I have a duty, an obligation, a responsibility, but more than that, the privilege to stand beside my friend through this hard time because she is a sister in the Body of Christ. Jesus told us to love members of His family fervently.
What I find so interesting is that often times, members of God's family are not necessarily people that I would choose to "hang out with." I don't always have much in common with them...they may come from completely different backgrounds than I do. They believe differently about what "church" should look like, they don't always respond like Jesus (nor do I), etc. etc., and yet, I'm told to love fervently!
I'm not told to straighten everyone out (according to my standards) or to be judgmental or critical, but to love! I think this takes practice. And discipline. And realization that I must choose to love--that I won't always feel like it. And acknowledgment that I can not do this without God's intervention.
So, guess what God is having me do? I'm out here at the airport and am being directed (in my heart) to serve and help my husband. I would much rather be home--cleaning up the house, starting another painting project, making crafts, etc.
Instead, Travis needed help yesterday with spraying weed killer behind him as he weed whacked. It was stinky, hot, heavy to carry the apparatus for spraying and I did NOT want to do it. But, that little voice came into my head and said, "Are you going to choose to love or will you make this hard on one of the members of God's family?"
I started spraying and little by little, I began to enjoy being outside! Then, Travis had to go fly with a student and the thoughts buzzed around in my head, "Oh sure! He leaves you to do the dirty work!" But, other softer thoughts said, "You are being a help to him! You are loving him by lifting the load."
Within a very short period of time, the job was finished. Are there still hours of spraying and weed whacking ahead? Yes! Hours of mowing, etc? Yes! Will it all end? Yes, when the cold weather sets in. But, I am being disciplined through this experience to learn what it means to be a servant and how to love more like God loves us!
My friend? I'm walking with her through this time...praying for her and her husband, trying not to be critical and bad-tempered towards him. And Travis? I'm trying to remember that yes, he's my husband, but most of all, he's another member of God's family and I've been called to LOVE!
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