Today has been one of those days… still recovering from a really bad sore throat, and not quite up to focusing a lot on this and my other site. Slept late, and haven’t done much up until now. Took my car in to check an odor, and was not happy to find we will have to spend another $300 because of a gasket issue… the car place is certain this will be the last major repair in a long time. Its just one of the risks you take buying an older car. It wouldn’t have mattered much, if I was still working.

Just a few minutes ago Rich had a rather pensive look on his face. I asked him what is it? “Just thinking he said.”

I asked about what. He replied, “O, I was just remembering back when we only had three kids, how I only had $5 in my pocket, and no more coming in. Someone had told me to apply for welfaire, but I didn’t want to do that, I was perfectly able to work. Two days later, I was hauling trash for someone in church with my pick up truck… The Lord has always met our needs.”

And I so agree with him on that. Today, I talked with a lady who’s daughter has been hunting work for 6 months. Then I was talking with a neighbor. She said, “I’ve been praying for you ever since I heard about your job. Business is hard all over. My business is down 50% in income, and my husband has to have a hip transplant next week, he won’t be able to work for 3 months, we have to trust God.” She smiled at me and continued, “I know it doesn’t help you, but at least you know I understand, we are all struggling, and we are all in this together, and we all have to trust the Lord.”

Amen and Amen

My goodness, sometimes life is so frustrating. I was planning on working my websites… instead, repairs, cleaning house, and had to have a major repair on our “new” car…. don’t know if I told you the car story…

I had been advised that I would be working under contract till at least January, for a company in Muskegon, MI. So we began hunting for a car. Finally found a decent one, at a decent price, and green (my favorite color). We knew when we bought it that we’d have a few repairs, and were prepared to pay for them. And the next day, I was laid off from my jog – fortunately with 2 weeks notice.

So yesterday night I was driving home from church, and suddenly the electronics on the car started acting weird. By the time i got home, no lights at all… battery dead! Couldn’t restart the engine.

In the end, we had to have the car towed today to the garage ($40) and were given the bad news of an alternator AND the battery (don’t ask how much)…. well, I am thankful that we were able to get it fixed, and just hope that I get a job soon.

We did get a few important repairs done today, but between that and everything else, all I succeeded to do today was to fix up some code to one of my websites. I had wanted to add a lot of stuff here as well.

I can’t decide if I should add my poetry as posts or pages…. what do you think?

Woke up early this morning – everyone else was asleep. Spent some time reading, thinking, and just plain being thankful for all that I have. As I look back over this past year, I see how God has so abundantly provided so much for my family and me. O, there have been health and financial struggles, and now I am once more looking for work, but at the end of the day, we have never been in want. All our needs He has so faithfully provided.

I think I had started looking too much at my circumstances, and not enough upwards. The past couple of days have been incredibly beautiful, with piercing blue skies contrast against the silhouette of autumn trees burning out in russets and oranges as the last leaves change color and then seek released from the limbs to which they clung.

The leaves connection to the tree has always been tenuous at best. A slight tug from any passerby pulls it away. But for most, there comes that moment of release. Some have the strength to cling to the very last, others join a gleeful dance in the wind and soar to the ground, seeminly rejoicing to return to the earth from whence they truly came.

Already, some trees stand naked amongst their brothers still clothed in flaming color. Soon all will be bereft of their glorious adornment. But the shame of their nakedness will soon be covered in piercing cold and mounds of snow. And then, and then… O Spring… and life and new adornment.

So may it be for each of us, as we face the autumns of our lives…