Ugh, The Joy!

First of all, you now what hit the fan last night. Reality set in what with this whole Nation's Financial Catastrophe. We've had to let one employee go this week, and the rest of the company has NO WORK. It's a very sad and scary time. But not unlike things that the company has been through before, I mean after 30 years, it's gone through it's fair share of recessions. Jay decided to let the boys know a little of what was going on, so that their prayer time could be more accurate. They asked a lot of questions and ended up finding out more than they really needed to know.

Then Jay couldn't sleep very good last night, no wonder. He did get a lot done in the 2 hours he was awake, but then with throwing out his back AGAIN while putting socks on, well, he was a grumpy-grumpy man going off to work today. Him throwing out his back after doing it earlier this week, is just another reminder that we really need to be exercising. It's like God is trying to get my attention everyday and I keep NOT listening.

Then, while I'm trying to make breakfast, Dave steps in dog poop outside and brings in all through the house and all over the stool. Did I tell you he was wearing MY SLIPPERS when he was outside??? I was determined to get him to clean it up, trying to teach him to clean it up, and not just make a bigger mess. Not fun!

Then, while trying to get school graded and I found that there are just way too many books this year and I don't have enough room for everything in the one bookcase, so I ask Calvin to please give up one of their bookcases and bring it down for me. Then I give them the small green painted one that is in our closet for them to use instead. It's dark green, it will match perfectly their woodsy outdoor motif upstairs and it's free! A stormy child ensues. He's heard upstairs, stomping, throwing down and being mad. When I finally question him about it, he starts sobbing and complaining that first, 'Dad took away his cool desk and now his bookcase, what's next his bed????' Oh my gosh. The desk thing was from when he was 4!!! 4!!!!

After talking and sharing scripture it comes down to them being all upset about the talk Jay had with them last night. We have a very long and lengthy discussion about it, then I give them an hour to get things put away and cleaned up upstairs while I finished grading.

When I'm done, I go up to see what they've done and Calvin has now taken EVERYTHING down off the walls and shelves and is walking around in a stupor.

David is meanwhile complaining and walking around with a clipboard in hand with today's schedule written on it and keeps moving the times down mumbling that they aren't going to get done with school until 7 tonight if they don't get started on it soon. I grab the clip board and bonk him on the head with it.

After all the moving of furniture, we decided the floor needed to be vacuumed, which it did, because it's been DAYS since it was last done and what a mess it was upstairs. Then ensues more grumbling because they realize the new puppy had chewed through the electrical cord on the regular vacuum so they would have to go get Anaconda the whole house vacuum and get all the right attachments to it. Then we couldn't get the regular head to go into the slot, so it had to be manually held in place. What a pain!!!!

It's finally vacuumed. I have my extra bookcase and the homeschool stuff is all put away, yesterday's work is graded, they are started on their school work.

The upstairs looks very sad. Calvin looks very sad. And Dave is just beside himself with our lateness in getting started on school. It's 10:30 am.

So I'm thankful that my Sweetie has a job to go to today. I'm thankful for motrin for his back. I'm thankful for our new puppy, as sweet as she is. I'm thankful for the extra bookcase. I'm thankful for the opportunity to homeschool. I'm thankful for the time to have a good character lesson today. I'm thankful that we even have an extra vacuum.

I'm just thankful. There are a lot of hurting people out there today, my heart aches for them, my mind is overwhelmed with thinking of them all. We will be prayerful this day, this week, this month, this time in all our lives. HE has the power, not me, and I'm thankful that my life is in HIS hands.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does." ......

"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."

James 1:2-8, 12

What hope we have in HIM!