Although it doesn't seem like it so much during the day, but this year feels like it is flying by. It dawned on me the other day that we were nearly through June already. Not that time is going by any faster than it has in the past, but perhaps I am just moving slower through it. This working from home is great in that God has kept me off the 1.5 hour drive home - or more - as I've mentioned before. I've actually GAINED time back in my life by being home at 4PM when I get off work. And I have come to dread when they tell us to go back in to the office this fall. That is the new timeframe anyway. But then, too, I've learned some things since we were told that.
I learned my boss I report to changed my status to remote. Which means I work from home permanently. The office space that was to be 'mine' in the central corporate office has been 'released' and is no more. As my former boss who recently retired told me last week, real estate is expensive, especially in office space. They released three floors they were holding for all of us to move in to. There are only a few offices that must be reserved when one has to go into the office, unless they are an executive, i.e., President, CMO, CFO, etc. They have permanent offices. Support staff, such as I am, if they have to come in to the office must reserve a cubicle for the time they are there. And then there is the issue of 'wear a mask if not vaccinated and sit away from people' and 'wear a mask if vaccinated and you feel you need to, but you don't have to distance yourself'. Also - only THREE people are allowed in an elevator. Remember when we would cram 12-15 people into an elevator just to get to our floor - or to the bottom floor to go home? So many restrictions and I just don't want to be involved in it. I'm growing content to work from home, even though I feel enclosed in here some days. If I get rid of some of the furniture in here it would help, I think. I am constantly backing into the bed.
We went out to lunch yesterday (I was totally bored.... nothing was going on) to a place called Carramba's. It's a Mexican fast food type place and we hadn't tried it before. I love Mexican food so why not. Well, I must remind myself never to order my favorite - pollo fundido - from any place but Garcia's. I ordered it and well, I slit the burrito open (it was covered with some icky sauce) and ate the chicken inside of it. I as truly disappointed. Perhaps I should stick with a taco when I go to a place like that. I will try again, but it is also one of those $$ places, so maybe not. Since we were across the way from Sam's Club, decided to do a stop there. I haven't belonged to Sam's Club for a long time as Costco is a step up. Well, it's about a mile closer now than Costco is..... and I received a flyer in a valupak that gets mailed monthly.... pay $45 for 'membership' and get a $45 gift card free. So, technically, for one year, I don't pay anything for membership. We didn't shop as I was on my lunch hour but may go back this afternoon, once people have been in and out the rush of the morning, and go see what they have. I want us to start eating more fruits and vegetables and unprocessed foods. Which means I also need to hit the recipe books and select things to make each week. The plus of that is that one recipe can sometimes last two meals - and the rest get put into the freezer for another time. I haven't really cooked in a long time... and I need to do it. The crockpot won't heat the house up so that helps. I didn't even cook dinner last night since neither of us wanted anything with eating out for lunch.
I'm needing to bake more bread and I want to bake cookies too.... but it is too hot to do so. Trying not to heat up the house and shutting the shutters to keep the heat out. That means we read; I crochet; we watch movies. Cause we don't want to go anywhere either. Maybe I'll take the time today to actually figure out meals. Or not.
Nothing is planned for today - unless I run to Sam's Club to check it out. It's too hot in the garage - even with the door open - (89 degrees in the garage yesterday afternoon - and it's already 89 degrees outside) to get on the treadmill. I must get back into my exercise routine. Started back on lifting my weights recently. Trying to build strength up back in my arms and back. With sitting all day here at home, my muscles have really gotten lax. I need the walking and using weights to keep my body strong. My little sister found a book the other day called Strong Women Stay Young as they were cleaning out her mother-in-law's house that was sold. My little sister has been diagnosed with Osteoporosis and this book says she can reverse it - IF she will start lifting weights and getting exercise. And I believe it as well - not completely, perhaps, but possibly help strengthen her bones. After all, she tends to fall frequently and hard. Not long ago she compressed her T12 (I think) and broke a rib. She has 'shrunk' to 5'1", I think she said, and she was always taller than I and I'm 5'3". Rather, I was the last time I got a physical and they measured! I know we shrink as we age, but I try stretching all the time in hopes that I don't shrink! I'm already short!
One more week left in my Elijah study and my little sister and I have decided to do another study - it's really a 'personal' 90 day study but we can still discuss some things - from a book by Beth Moore '90 Days with Jesus'. I've done it before and am looking forward to going through it again. This study on Elijah has really been good and the past two weeks really gets personal to where I squirm sometimes because I don't want to 'own up' to the question. Ever have those times when you are reading something and it asks you a question that you don't want to answer? What do you do?
You either shut it off in your mind and say 'I'm not going there', or you tackle the question and 'just do it'. Right? Sometimes we need to be honest with ourselves and speak it out. It doesn't mean it changes anything, but sometimes it helps us to see what we are holding in and how it looks and sounds. I know that at times - because I tend to hold so much of my thoughts inside of me - that when I speak out how I feel about something, my mind and my heart will sometimes argue over what I said. And sometimes I realize that I have blown something out of porportion and imagined a few other incidents that make it not real. Ever done that? Sometimes it helps to speak what is going on in your mind and in your heart.
I started over with Matthew in my Bible reading today. I've been jumping around in my reading for awhile because I like reading about the prophets in the Old Testament. But something in this last week's study has stirred my heart to where I want to start 'reading the red' (or in my current Bible, 'reading the blue') and hear the words of Jesus again. You DID know His words are in a different color in most Bibles, yes? I remember a grandson asked for a Bible several years ago and I bought him one by Charles Stanley. A study Bible and I thought "ok, this is a respected pastor and it should have good stuff in it." Even had the grandson's name imprinted on it (that was when we had Christian stores close by and we could go in and place the order). Can you imagine my dismay when we got the Bible and I opened it and the words of Jesus were NOT highlighted? I almost didn't want to give it as a gift; but did. I've always been disappointed in that gift. I wanted to go through it myself and highlight every word that Jesus said! Every Bible I have has the words of Jesus highlighted. This one didn't and I don't know why. But it has always bothered me.
After reading that, did you stop to check what color, if any, that your Bible has for Jesus' words? Don't have a Bible? Let me know and I'll send you one! I gave one to each of my children a year or so ago... and I still pray that at some point in their lives, they will feel a tug to pick it up and start reading. If they read nothing else... I hope they read the Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John..... and fall in love with Jesus, just as I have. His words teach us so much. Whenever I struggle, all I need to do is go to Jesus and He will show me what I need to know. I still may struggle with the answer because in my human nature "I don't wanna"! but I know that His way is always the right way. Read the stories that are about Jesus. They will come to life in your thoughts.
I'm going to stop here.....why don't you pick up that Bible that has been collecting dust (hopefully you know where it is) and wipe it off, and start with Matthew for now. Read the lineage of Jesus, and learn of Him. You will never regret it,. Jesus gave us the New Covenant by the shedding of His blood and going to the cross for us. We no longer have to go to a priest to confess our sins. Jesus is our Advocate before our Heavenly Father and He intercedes for us. Talk to Jesus. He's waiting for you, and ready to listen.
Blessings!
