Great Regret

It is with a heavy heart that I come to you today. A family member has been diagnosed with an incurable disease and has been given a brief time to live. He will probably be put in hospice and kept comfortable.

For this reason my post will probably be few and brief. I must deal with a family crisis and with normal life at the same time.

Please remember us in your prayers.

The Lemonade Award

I received wonderful news a couple of days ago. I was presented The Lemonade Award, for my positive posts.

The announcement is on Linda Yezak's site, 777 Peppermint Place, http://lindayezak.wordpress.com/2009/02/07/the-toni-awarded/. She nominated me for the award after reading some of my pet stories. You all know how I love my animals. She particularly liked the story, Sibling Rivalry.

Thank you Linda for this honor. Check out Linda's site. You'll love it.

Manna

Manna. Most of us know the story from the book of Exodus, about the little flakes of bread from Heaven. God used the manna to care for the Hebrew people as they traveled through the wilderness. It was also a way to teach His people how to trust Him. Even though God made provisions, the people still complained. They had a lot to learn.

I have been going through a wilderness in my life, too. I lost a job I enjoyed and existed on unemployment for 6 months. Potential employers yanked me about. Several of them lied to me without even blinking. Then, I finally found a job. It was not quite what I expected, barely enough money to cover the mortgage, but this may be the manna that sustains me until the economy recovers. That’s why I’ve decided to focus on the positives that this job offers.

Here’s positive #1. Picking up and caring for children at the daycare is much more physical than I thought. My arms, neck, legs, thighs, and rump are sore from bending, lifting, and rocking toddlers.

As a teacher, I used to stand and walk about the classroom so I was tired by the end of the day. Daycare work is much more physical. I am now more active than I used to be. That is very positive.

Positive #2. I am working through meal times and take my breaks much later. That doesn’t sound so good, but I have managed to lose the 8 pounds that I put on while I was unemployed.

Maybe working at this job will make me a healthier person. Perhaps I needed some time away from my former job so I could become a little more fit.

I can hear people groaning and saying that I am grasping at straws. I am trying to apply purpose to a random situation. Well, that’s the science teacher in me. I know there are no random acts.