the timecards approvals went well. I didn't have any trouble with getting the timecards approved (thank You, God). I was grateful, for sure, and yes, I prayed before I started! It was still a very busy day with other work yesterday and I worked straight through, not even breaking to grab something to eat for lunch. Well, I guess I really didn't have to have lunch; about 10AM I fixed myself a toasted bagel and some grapes, watermelon, and strawberries and yogurt. And I couldn't believe I ate it all.
My elevated garden bed came in Saturday and 'we' put it together on Sunday afternoon. We didn't go pick up the soil as I had planned, so we went last night and hubby begrudgingly went with me. I didn't need him to go, but it was one of those 'we' things he insists on. I was going, whether he went or not. So we went to Sam's Club because I wanted to see the big pots I had glanced at when I was there the week before. He didn't like the bigger pots and wanted the plastic 'barrell looking' pots. He told me to pick up 3. I picked up 6. He thought I should only get a couple bags of the soil; I got 3 large ones and two small ones. And I bought a bag of chocolate - which I rarely do. But he was pleased we got it all and left. Stopped at KFC on the way home so that was dinner over with. Of course we had to go inside to eat. But dinner was over with and we came home.
And, of course, he didn't want to mess with putting the dirt in the pots last night. Even though it was only around 6PM. I told him I was going to call my youngest son and ask him to come help put the dirt in the pots - and ... well, let's just say I told him I wasn't going to respond to his comment about me thinking he (hubby) was useless, etc. (He did apologize later for his comment). I didn't contact the youngest son. But it was like an idea came to hubby all of a sudden once we got home and he says "I'm going to call xxxxx and see if he can come over and help in the morning to put the dirt in the pots." And he did. And the younger son is to come over around 10:30-11AM today and help. I could do it myself... but... well, it's not worth a fight. AND I get to see the younger son AND the soil gets put in the pots without having to wait until the weekend and hubby feels he has waited enough to irritate me to do it behind his back. He does have a bad shoulder and can't lift, but he will fight me tooth and nail if I want to do it myself. Which is why I usually don't do anything. I choose my battles. This is one I was going to fight.
Tomorrow I will go out after work and pick up plants to put in some of the pots. Not sure yet what I will get for the back part of the house. But my seeds came in for my vegetable garden .... I know I won't be using all the seeds, but I'm anxious to plan some of them in my elevated garden bed, and I think I may put a couple of those pots in the courtyard and put seeds in them - and have a unusual garden in my courtyard. Who cares - it's my courtyard, and my garden, right? I don't want to plant a lot cause we really do not eat a lot at a time. I'll open the seed bag today and see what the instructions say. They sent eggplant seeds - can you even imagine? YUCK. May see if my daughter in love wants to plant a garden this year and pass them on.... I think she likes them. And she DID get garden tools for Christmas! Ok, so it was for a flower garden.
After the news last night and hubby couldn't find anything to watch on TV he asked if I wanted to watch a movie. I told him no, so he turned the TV off. I put down my crochet and started reading - which is what I am trying to do more of. I read something in Defy the Odds by Benny Tate that really stood out to me. It's an interesting book, a story of his life. And what a life it was. He was born to a single mom, the result of a one night stand. He tells of his childhood of extreme poverty, dysfunction, abuse, and being in the wrong crowd, drinking, etc. and what changed his life. He is now pastor of a church in Georgia that has over 3000 members (I think). But his story inspires me in that he overcame the dysfunction in his past to become a better person. Anyway - this little paragraph stood out to me and I had to write it down to share this morning:
"God will use every trial to build your faith and your relationship with Him. Even if you begin to doubt or stress out when the odds are stacked against you, He will remind you of His power and presence. He will show you grace in times of weakness."
That paragraph may not speak to you this morning, but it did to me as I read it. I have been through a lot of trials over the years and each time God has reminded me that He is more than able to do all that I ask Him to do. And then some.
The trials and struggles that I am currently dealing with? The ones I have dealt with for years? I truly believe that it helps me to grow. When I ran to God nearly 40 years ago, well, I always say that it took the struggles of a second marriage to make me run to God to get through it. I tell you the truth. If I had not taken that step of asking God to take control, I can not tell you what my life would be like today. I hadn't been taught how to take care of myself or anyone else. It took going through what I was - and sometimes still - to know that my dependence is upon God alone, and only He can help me through the tough times. I still make mistakes, but God has shown me that 'Greater is He that is in me, than he who is in the world". If I didn't ask Jesus to take over my life many years ago, I would probably be ... well... I'm going to stop there.
Another thing I was reminded of from this book is that Jesus wants us to ASK Him for anything. He wants us to SEEK Him. And then we can FIND Him. How many times do we go through the day and we don't even bother to ask Him to help us through the day? We have a problem - but we try to solve it ourselves. Just like the timecards - I wasn't sure on all the steps - and there were some things that were wrong and I had to go in and fix them before I could approve them - but I stopped and ask Jesus to help me to think clearly and to show me what I needed to do. And He did.
Matthew 7:7 (NIV) "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you".
Who - or what - are you dependent upon? So you like solving your own problems and being stressed out about them? Not me! Yeah, I may still have to do what needs to be done, BUT, when I ask Jesus to help me figure things out and to work it for my good, He always takes the stress away from me. I am totally dependent upon Jesus to take care of me.
Jesus sees the future and what is ahead much better than I do. Sure, I want to quit working full time and find something less stressful and have less hours - which of course means less pay, and I am confident we can make it, although we would have to tighten the belt some. It wouldn't be the first time. Many times over the years I have been the only one working and this time it is only different because we have social security. But when I seek Jesus first, and ask for His help, He always provides an open door. It hasn't been trial and error - it has been trial and experience. I know I have His help.
I just have to ask Him. And He is waiting for you to ask too. Why wait? He can make all the difference.
Blessings!
