Last night Leslie and Stuart put the finishing touches on the office. All the little details are done. It is so nice. Clean. I can't wait for the flooring to go in.
I can actually see what it will look like. How it will all go together.
Until now, every year we have had to pack up the business in a mad rush at the last minute in order to have company over for Christmas. We get most of the decorations up, but the business was done on the dining room table.
I must tell you, each time packed things up, and then unpacked them after the holidays, there would be something positive that came out of it. Maybe a new way to organize things. New ways to store our stuff. It was a way to re-examine what it is we do.
Moving into the office is the ultimate in change. It will be a little hard to get used to. But having what I need, when I need it, at my fingertips, will streamline things greatly.
Being able to see what we need to order easily, will take some of the stress off. We always worry that something important has not been ordered.
Having worked at Stater Bros. Markets for thirty-five years, I found that the quarterly inventories were a great source of change. We would find ways to get rid of slow moving product. The back room would be much better organized. It helped us to be prepared for the next holiday.
Change, just for the sake of change. It helps us to stay fresh. It helps us to think clearer. Maybe its as simple as reorganizing the Tupperware cupboard. Or taking a fresh look at the "junk drawer."
The Good Lord has it right. Morning turns into daylight into evening and night. Every day. Seasons change. Its all good. David
As always, your thoughts and comments are welcome.
Friday, August 29, 2014
Thursday, August 28, 2014
A time for change
Recently I heard a news commentator speak of the "end of summer" looming right around the corner. End of summer? Already?
While we have had some pretty strong heat waves here in So Cal, for the most part, our summer mornings on the porch have been wonderful. A great way to start the day.
I remember as a child, dreading the end of August. Ugh. We had the Norco Valley Fair to look forward to, but the last day of the fair with the parade and all, heralded in the end of summer. Often, the very next day would be the first day of school.
Given the choice, I would much rather have spent my day riding my Schwinn bicycle, exploring the river bottom, swimming at the city swimming pool, and wrestling with my buddies.
School. I had to get up early, get dressed, take the bus, and face a new teacher. They had expectations. I had to perform.
Lets see. Summer playtime or homework? The choice for me was clear.
Accepting that change in season, that drastic change in lifestyle, was not something I wanted. To accept life's changes is something I had to learn as I matured.
To accept the changes, embrace them, in His time, was not fun as a child, but I certainly see His wisdom now. Those changes come with benefits I could not see then.
Now, I look forward to cooler mornings, to some rainfall. I look forward to changes in our business (yes, things are changing!). I look forward to the sun going down earlier. I look forward to hearing the coyotes bringing out their new batch of babies and serenading us with their song. I look forward to the different style of cooking! Less barbeque (sad), more roasts and soups and turkey and stuffing. Yes, its right around the corner. Yum.
So, being able to accept changes in life, whether its the weather, old age, business, food, grandkids, its all so very wonderful in His time. I have learned to love it. Can't wait for tomorrow. David
As always, your comments and thoughts are always welcome.
While we have had some pretty strong heat waves here in So Cal, for the most part, our summer mornings on the porch have been wonderful. A great way to start the day.
I remember as a child, dreading the end of August. Ugh. We had the Norco Valley Fair to look forward to, but the last day of the fair with the parade and all, heralded in the end of summer. Often, the very next day would be the first day of school.
Given the choice, I would much rather have spent my day riding my Schwinn bicycle, exploring the river bottom, swimming at the city swimming pool, and wrestling with my buddies.
School. I had to get up early, get dressed, take the bus, and face a new teacher. They had expectations. I had to perform.
Lets see. Summer playtime or homework? The choice for me was clear.
Accepting that change in season, that drastic change in lifestyle, was not something I wanted. To accept life's changes is something I had to learn as I matured.
To accept the changes, embrace them, in His time, was not fun as a child, but I certainly see His wisdom now. Those changes come with benefits I could not see then.
Now, I look forward to cooler mornings, to some rainfall. I look forward to changes in our business (yes, things are changing!). I look forward to the sun going down earlier. I look forward to hearing the coyotes bringing out their new batch of babies and serenading us with their song. I look forward to the different style of cooking! Less barbeque (sad), more roasts and soups and turkey and stuffing. Yes, its right around the corner. Yum.
So, being able to accept changes in life, whether its the weather, old age, business, food, grandkids, its all so very wonderful in His time. I have learned to love it. Can't wait for tomorrow. David
As always, your comments and thoughts are always welcome.
Saturday, August 23, 2014
Looking forward!
Its all in His time. Always.
Rita and I made plans after the first of this year to move our workshop out of the dining room and into the office. It sounded like a good plan. Kind of excited.
Over and over the Lord said, "wait.
Health issues.
Money problems.
Business issues.
Truck broke down.
We tackled each one, one at a time. Slowly but surely we stayed the course.
FINALLY! The office is coming to fruition. Eight months later. We are blessed to have Leslie helping us. The room is pretty much emptied of all our stuff. Lots of stuff.
We have the paint, rollers, tape, etc. The walls are washed down. The computer is moved. The planets are aligned. All systems are go. Unless He says wait again. Then we stay faithful. I have learned so much about His time. If I do things in His time, it all works out for the best.
I love it. David
Rita and I made plans after the first of this year to move our workshop out of the dining room and into the office. It sounded like a good plan. Kind of excited.
Over and over the Lord said, "wait.
Health issues.
Money problems.
Business issues.
Truck broke down.
We tackled each one, one at a time. Slowly but surely we stayed the course.
FINALLY! The office is coming to fruition. Eight months later. We are blessed to have Leslie helping us. The room is pretty much emptied of all our stuff. Lots of stuff.
We have the paint, rollers, tape, etc. The walls are washed down. The computer is moved. The planets are aligned. All systems are go. Unless He says wait again. Then we stay faithful. I have learned so much about His time. If I do things in His time, it all works out for the best.
I love it. David
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
A deeper understanding of my faith
What a difference a little time makes! Two months ago, the truck broke down. No money to fix it. No credit card to rely upon. Just a truck that won't start.
Rita and I have a number of people in our lives that love us. First is my big sister. She helped us by using her AAA card to get the truck towed to Perris Auto Repair. They couldn't figure it out, but $500 later found the culprit, a wire had been chewed by a rat. They repaired that and got the A/C running. Phew! We worked hard for the money, but we did it.
We thought we had it made. But no! A few days later it quit while I was driving us home from a doctors appointment. Dead. The motor turned over, but it would not start up.
Big sister to the rescue again. We get it down to the shop, only to find out the fuel pump was shot. Eight hundred sixty dollars, and three weeks later, we had it back.
But during this period of nearly two months, I learned of kindness shown by friends, of our own resilience, and my faith had grown.
Not just Susie helping us by getting the truck towed and taking us shopping, paying the house payment, etc. But my brother Mike and his wife Linda, inviting us out for dinner. We were scraping together every penny to fix the truck, and they took us out to dinner. Man did we need it.
Then there is my buddy Larry. Drove all the way up here, took me back, let me use the car, and I did a months worth of shopping. I bought him breakfast. He ended up doing that twice for us. I am grateful.
Then there was Stuart and Leslie, picking up prescriptions, taking me shopping twice and just being nice about it.
Finally there was our neighbor Brenda. Brenda has no vehicle of her own, but she lent her ear, and gave us her friendship. She cared. I am humbled.
My Lord has taught me some incredible lessons. That we have friends that love us. A friend in need...
When this time of "trouble" started, I was stressed out. Big time. I prayed. But I was stressed. Truck. Bills. The business. How is this affecting my Rita? Etc. You get the idea.
The most important lesson of all, Susie helped me to see. By the time this was all over, my faith had grown. I was less stressed because I was much more able to put it into God's hands. I needed to go through all this to gain more trust in Him. All things in His time. David
Rita and I have a number of people in our lives that love us. First is my big sister. She helped us by using her AAA card to get the truck towed to Perris Auto Repair. They couldn't figure it out, but $500 later found the culprit, a wire had been chewed by a rat. They repaired that and got the A/C running. Phew! We worked hard for the money, but we did it.
We thought we had it made. But no! A few days later it quit while I was driving us home from a doctors appointment. Dead. The motor turned over, but it would not start up.
Big sister to the rescue again. We get it down to the shop, only to find out the fuel pump was shot. Eight hundred sixty dollars, and three weeks later, we had it back.
But during this period of nearly two months, I learned of kindness shown by friends, of our own resilience, and my faith had grown.
Not just Susie helping us by getting the truck towed and taking us shopping, paying the house payment, etc. But my brother Mike and his wife Linda, inviting us out for dinner. We were scraping together every penny to fix the truck, and they took us out to dinner. Man did we need it.
Then there is my buddy Larry. Drove all the way up here, took me back, let me use the car, and I did a months worth of shopping. I bought him breakfast. He ended up doing that twice for us. I am grateful.
Then there was Stuart and Leslie, picking up prescriptions, taking me shopping twice and just being nice about it.
Finally there was our neighbor Brenda. Brenda has no vehicle of her own, but she lent her ear, and gave us her friendship. She cared. I am humbled.
My Lord has taught me some incredible lessons. That we have friends that love us. A friend in need...
When this time of "trouble" started, I was stressed out. Big time. I prayed. But I was stressed. Truck. Bills. The business. How is this affecting my Rita? Etc. You get the idea.
The most important lesson of all, Susie helped me to see. By the time this was all over, my faith had grown. I was less stressed because I was much more able to put it into God's hands. I needed to go through all this to gain more trust in Him. All things in His time. David
Monday, August 11, 2014
On my knees in gratitude.....
Yesterday, things really came together for us. Two dolls sold, we have enough to fix the truck, and a couple of bucks to buy supplies. Maybe even save a bit to save.
It has been a rough couple of months with the truck down. But it taught me a few things. Prayer, specific prayer, and looking to see if we are within God's will, makes the difference. We will succeed if we ask for what we want, as long as we are within His will. It may seem tough to do.
Often, people run into problems and assume God will fix it. But you have to do something. Not just hope. I believe that when faced with a problem, you need to pray. Pray solemnly, fervently, and specifically.
Kind of like talking to your boss. State the problem. Clearly so you understand it as well. State your options. Ask for his guidance. Be open to other solutions you may not have thought of or don't want. Be open to his input.
Then old adage, "do something, even if it is wrong, do something" comes to mind. Try to solve it yourself. As you go, you will see whether it was the right thing to do. He may be teaching you the value of hard work. He may be teaching about making decisions. He may be teaching you about His will (was your solution choice within His will?). The worst one, He may be teaching you patience.
He may be saying "not yet".
To boil it down, prayer, problem stated, considering His will, and action will solve most problems. Sometimes He wants you to rely upon other people for help. This may be an opportunity for you to express gratitude. It may be an opportunity to sow a seed or two.
Give Him a shot. The answer is there if you are open. David
It has been a rough couple of months with the truck down. But it taught me a few things. Prayer, specific prayer, and looking to see if we are within God's will, makes the difference. We will succeed if we ask for what we want, as long as we are within His will. It may seem tough to do.
Often, people run into problems and assume God will fix it. But you have to do something. Not just hope. I believe that when faced with a problem, you need to pray. Pray solemnly, fervently, and specifically.
Kind of like talking to your boss. State the problem. Clearly so you understand it as well. State your options. Ask for his guidance. Be open to other solutions you may not have thought of or don't want. Be open to his input.
Then old adage, "do something, even if it is wrong, do something" comes to mind. Try to solve it yourself. As you go, you will see whether it was the right thing to do. He may be teaching you the value of hard work. He may be teaching about making decisions. He may be teaching you about His will (was your solution choice within His will?). The worst one, He may be teaching you patience.
He may be saying "not yet".
To boil it down, prayer, problem stated, considering His will, and action will solve most problems. Sometimes He wants you to rely upon other people for help. This may be an opportunity for you to express gratitude. It may be an opportunity to sow a seed or two.
Give Him a shot. The answer is there if you are open. David
Sunday, August 3, 2014
My Rita
Seven years ago today, I married the love of my life. My wife. My girl. My "go-to" when things are down. My shoulder to cry on. My help-mate. The truest friend I have ever had.
She loves me in spite of my faults and I love her the same. Actually we love one another because of those faults. We are who we are, accepted, loved, and a little bit wacky.
Every day our sense of humor shines through. Even the tough times. And these are tough times.
This day, this special day, I want so badly to take you out on the town, do something special to commemorate our anniversary. Dinner, talk, and canoodling. Holding hands.
Alas, we can't do that today. No money, vehicle is in the shop, and there is work to do. We will enjoy this day nevertheless. We will have a nice dinner, we will talk, and we will canoodle!
I am with you nearly twenty-four/seven. Yet it never gets old. Every day is an adventure. I love seeing the gears turn in your head as you try to figure things out. Inventive ways to save money, Crazy ways to work our business. You help me to figure out the bills.
Most importantly, when its important, you listen. You really listen. With you, I am valued. I hope I do the same for you. Sometimes I think I can never measure up.
How did I get this woman in my life? God must really love me. I am blessed beyond measure.
Happy anniversary sweetheart. I love you. David
She loves me in spite of my faults and I love her the same. Actually we love one another because of those faults. We are who we are, accepted, loved, and a little bit wacky.
Every day our sense of humor shines through. Even the tough times. And these are tough times.
This day, this special day, I want so badly to take you out on the town, do something special to commemorate our anniversary. Dinner, talk, and canoodling. Holding hands.
Alas, we can't do that today. No money, vehicle is in the shop, and there is work to do. We will enjoy this day nevertheless. We will have a nice dinner, we will talk, and we will canoodle!
I am with you nearly twenty-four/seven. Yet it never gets old. Every day is an adventure. I love seeing the gears turn in your head as you try to figure things out. Inventive ways to save money, Crazy ways to work our business. You help me to figure out the bills.
Most importantly, when its important, you listen. You really listen. With you, I am valued. I hope I do the same for you. Sometimes I think I can never measure up.
How did I get this woman in my life? God must really love me. I am blessed beyond measure.
Happy anniversary sweetheart. I love you. David
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