After a much needed break, we're back with the weekly Hodgepodge! (And a HUGE shout out to Joyce, who sponsors the weekly Hodgepodge - her eldest daughter got engaged last week, and though we haven't met in person, her excitement is catching! Congrats!!)
Now, before I fall asleep... on to the Hodgepodge!
1. April 22nd is Earth Day. Are you inspired by nature? In what way?
Oh yes - how can you not gaze into the heavens, look at a giant sequoia, or see the sun set over the ocean and not be truly inspired? Reminded of just how small we are, and just how awesome our God is to create this beauty. If our earth is this amazingly breath taking, I can't wait to see what Heaven is like!
2. Down to earth, four corners of the earth, move heaven and earth, not have an earthly chance, or salt of the earth...which earthly idiom have you most recently encountered? Explain.
"It costs the earth" - yeah, I've been struck lately by just. how. expensive. it is. to. live. here. The smallest things, even the big things, all dadd up to an almost impossible cost of living. Craziness. Frustrating.
3. Share one piece of advice you might give a newly engaged couple.
hahaha - I know exactly why you put this question in here, joyce! As subtle as a train wreck, you are! :-)
Honestly, though... I would give the same advice I do as when a couple is having their first baby. Be patient with the process... enjoy this time and take it for what it is... realize that you are growing into a new unit (single into couplehood, a couple into a family, etc) Be good to each other, and don't take everything so seriously all the time.
4. When did you last engage someone to perform a job, task, service, home repair, or improvement? On a scale of 1-10 (ten being the best) how would you rate their work and/or your satisfaction with the job or service provided?
A few weeks ago we had 5 family members coming to stay with us, and I got a Groupon for a few hours of housecleaning. They came while I was at work, while my husband worked at home. Now, in the past, he has been the one at work, and I have been at home, supervising any cleaning. So yeah, this was weird. And while they did an ok job, it definitely wasn't up to my standards... on a scale of 1-10, about a 6. Groupon or no, when you pay for a service, I think it should be done to the best of their ability.
5. When did you last find yourself engaged in small talk? Are you awkward or an expert or somewhere in between?
In my job, I'm the first person people see when they come into our church office, and I never know who is going to walk in the door, or call on the phone, so I need to be good at small talk much of the time! But last night my hubby, my boys, and I took Easter lilies from our church to senior citizens who are "shut in" - live in nursing homes and can't regularly attend our services. We visited with several of them for almost an hour, making small talk... it wasn't easy, it wasn't hard, we just came away blessed. Seeing the smiles on their faces, how much it meant to have visitors, and to share our hearts with each other... why do I resist doing such a simple task? We came away so blessed...
6. What was the last historic place you visited?
Oh geez... I honestly have no idea.
7. The world would be a better place if we just__________________________.
Got out of ourselves, cared for each other, and loved God first and foremost above everything else.
8. Insert your own random thought here
So, these have been a rough couple of weeks here in our household. I'm not going to go into all of the details, but long story short, my husband's business was cut from all of its contracts with our main business associate, as a result in a change in management from the head company - nothing to do with my husband's company at all. Which means, the company we left everything for a year ago, has cut us off with nothing. We are devastated. We don't know which way to go now. I have a good job, but not one that will pay our monthly expenses. So, my husband is job searching. Not a position we thought we would ever be in again... especially when things had been going so well.
In the meantime, we are riding the waves of emotions. Anger. Grief. Sadness. Confusion. All of it. And yet... also, in the meantime, I am getting glimpses of hope... of friends offering contacts and job leads, of me pursuing a creative outlet that has been festering for years, of support unparalleled from family... God is so good. And we know He will provide... we don't know where He will lead us. We pray we can stay here, where the kids are in good schools, it is a safe community, we have friends, are close to family, and my job is fantastic... but if He leads us elsewhere, we pray he makes that clear and paves the way.
If you get a chance, say a prayer for us... thank you, dear friends. Until next time... God bless.
Now, before I fall asleep... on to the Hodgepodge!
1. April 22nd is Earth Day. Are you inspired by nature? In what way?
Oh yes - how can you not gaze into the heavens, look at a giant sequoia, or see the sun set over the ocean and not be truly inspired? Reminded of just how small we are, and just how awesome our God is to create this beauty. If our earth is this amazingly breath taking, I can't wait to see what Heaven is like!
2. Down to earth, four corners of the earth, move heaven and earth, not have an earthly chance, or salt of the earth...which earthly idiom have you most recently encountered? Explain.
"It costs the earth" - yeah, I've been struck lately by just. how. expensive. it is. to. live. here. The smallest things, even the big things, all dadd up to an almost impossible cost of living. Craziness. Frustrating.
3. Share one piece of advice you might give a newly engaged couple.
hahaha - I know exactly why you put this question in here, joyce! As subtle as a train wreck, you are! :-)
Honestly, though... I would give the same advice I do as when a couple is having their first baby. Be patient with the process... enjoy this time and take it for what it is... realize that you are growing into a new unit (single into couplehood, a couple into a family, etc) Be good to each other, and don't take everything so seriously all the time.
4. When did you last engage someone to perform a job, task, service, home repair, or improvement? On a scale of 1-10 (ten being the best) how would you rate their work and/or your satisfaction with the job or service provided?
A few weeks ago we had 5 family members coming to stay with us, and I got a Groupon for a few hours of housecleaning. They came while I was at work, while my husband worked at home. Now, in the past, he has been the one at work, and I have been at home, supervising any cleaning. So yeah, this was weird. And while they did an ok job, it definitely wasn't up to my standards... on a scale of 1-10, about a 6. Groupon or no, when you pay for a service, I think it should be done to the best of their ability.
5. When did you last find yourself engaged in small talk? Are you awkward or an expert or somewhere in between?
In my job, I'm the first person people see when they come into our church office, and I never know who is going to walk in the door, or call on the phone, so I need to be good at small talk much of the time! But last night my hubby, my boys, and I took Easter lilies from our church to senior citizens who are "shut in" - live in nursing homes and can't regularly attend our services. We visited with several of them for almost an hour, making small talk... it wasn't easy, it wasn't hard, we just came away blessed. Seeing the smiles on their faces, how much it meant to have visitors, and to share our hearts with each other... why do I resist doing such a simple task? We came away so blessed...
6. What was the last historic place you visited?
Oh geez... I honestly have no idea.
7. The world would be a better place if we just__________________________.
Got out of ourselves, cared for each other, and loved God first and foremost above everything else.
8. Insert your own random thought here
So, these have been a rough couple of weeks here in our household. I'm not going to go into all of the details, but long story short, my husband's business was cut from all of its contracts with our main business associate, as a result in a change in management from the head company - nothing to do with my husband's company at all. Which means, the company we left everything for a year ago, has cut us off with nothing. We are devastated. We don't know which way to go now. I have a good job, but not one that will pay our monthly expenses. So, my husband is job searching. Not a position we thought we would ever be in again... especially when things had been going so well.
In the meantime, we are riding the waves of emotions. Anger. Grief. Sadness. Confusion. All of it. And yet... also, in the meantime, I am getting glimpses of hope... of friends offering contacts and job leads, of me pursuing a creative outlet that has been festering for years, of support unparalleled from family... God is so good. And we know He will provide... we don't know where He will lead us. We pray we can stay here, where the kids are in good schools, it is a safe community, we have friends, are close to family, and my job is fantastic... but if He leads us elsewhere, we pray he makes that clear and paves the way.
If you get a chance, say a prayer for us... thank you, dear friends. Until next time... God bless.
