I love when I get my prayers answered!

You know how much I was looking forward (cough cough) to driving to the east office for this all day meeting on Monday.  How I looked forward to having to be responsible for maintaining the power point, the chat sessions, and all that.  You know I was so excited about doing it.  NOT!  And, yes, I did pray and ask God to get me out of it.  Didn't see how it would happen, but guess what!  Yesterday the email came out that we were going to do the all day town hall meetings (three of them) VIRTUALLY.  What that means is that the president's executive assistant will be able to manage the power point slides and chats and I won't have to do anything but be available should her internet go down (which it did one time).  I did the happy dance - and you can believe that I was thanking God for hearing my silly prayer of not having to do it.  It wasn't the drive down there; yes, it's nearly an hour some times, but it is having that heavy responsibility that I didn't want.  It's not something I do on a regular basis and know what I am doing.  I have no clue what I am doing with that in board meetings, let alone for the entire division. God answered my prayers to get out of it and I can sit here at home and get things done.  I still will be driving down on Thursday for the Network Christmas party - and that's ok.  I get to see my favorite boss before that party to give her gifts and then go to the party with two of the others I support.  I am so relieved.  Thank You, Jesus!

The reason they gave for changing from in person or virtually?  Yeah, you already know - the recent killing of the CEO of United HealthCare.  I get it, and I'm glad the company is considering the upheaval going on about that. In fact, I saw on AOL news this morning (which I just scan to see what is going on), a woman in Florida was arrested because she was talking to a BCBS employee about something she wanted done and the insurance company wasn't approving it - and she said the words 'Delay Deny Dispose'.  There could be others who will jump on that 'bandwagon'.  It is scary for the executives that are 'high up' on the ladder, I'm sure.  

I slept in this morning - really!  I woke up from a deep sleep at 11-ish, but went back to sleep. Woke up at 4AM - nope, I don't have to work today. I finally arose at 5:40AM!  Now I feel like I'm drugged cause I got more sleep than I normally do.  But I probably need it.  I have a great granddaughter coming over late morning to bake cookies!  It's now 7AM and I need to finish this, get dressed, and head to the grocery to pick up a few more things.  Want to do it before the 'crowd' hits the stores for the weekend.  Maybe I'll make chili for dinner.

I received an e-thanks from one of the companies my Network boss deals with - $10 gift card and I chose Panera - so we went to Panera last night for dinner.  I have two e-gift cards from Starbucks that I need to get around to using - one is from last year - from the same person.  He sent one last year and I haven't used it - so when I got one this year, I dug it out of my emails.  Maybe I'll go to Safeway this morning, they have a Starbucks inside.  I don't usually go to Starbucks - nor Dutch Brothers - or any other coffee places. It's not that their coffee isn't good - but I don't like paying ridiculous amounts to get a good coffee!  Ok, I'm cheap.  But I do like to treat myself occasionally.  In the summer I usually get a venti iced shaken green tea unsweetened.  It lasts me all day.  A hot carmel machiatti is good in the cooler days.  Hubby likes those iced in the summer.  My youngest hooked me on the hot ones.  Yeah, maybe I will stop this morning, grab a danish too, and try to use up one of the $10 gift cards.  Which reminds me, I need to send Renju a thank you card.  I've never met this guy but he often asks me to schedule meetings for my people with him.  Nice of him to do that.  He's back in India now, I think it is - no, he gave a Turkish greeting for Christmas, so maybe he is from Turkey?  I don't know. Never met him.

As mentioned above, getting one great-granddaughter to bake cookies today.  My youngest is taking hubby to the show to see Bonhoeffer.  It will only be from about 10:30-2PM, I think - show starts at 11 with the credits and is two hours long.  I may need to sit the little one down after baking to watch a movie. And that would be ok as well!  I have another great granddaughter and her mommy coming on the 23rd, and I need to check with yet two others to see when they are coming - if they can - to bake cookies.  This is my favorite time of year. Yet, I would stop everything to bake cookies with any of the grandchildren if they wanted to come do that.  I'm still using up chocolate chips from last year, but I need to do my own cookie baking as well so may need to pick up a few more bags.  I have three plates to fill up, after all!  Plus I need to make things for my bosses next week. No worries; I can work on it Tuesday and Wednesday and they will still be ok on Thursday.  Oh yeah, need to get more stewed tomatoes, green peppers, etc to make salsa as well.  I need to make a grocery list, I think.

I John 3:16:  This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us....  

The love of Christ can open your eyes and completely change your thinking about what really matters most in life.

The love of Christ can lift you above what is ordinary and everyday and make you believe that forever is not nearly long enough.

The love of Christ can open your heart and convince you once and for all that miracles really do happen.

The above is what is written on a Christmas card hubby and I received many years ago.  I have hung on to that card for those very words.  Pause and read them again.  When we love Jesus, nothing else matters.  Our love for Him can bring us great joy, for this life is really hard.  Some days I wonder how I get through it, and I'm sure you have those days as well.  But one thing I do know above all else, because I love Jesus and try to live only for Him (and fall many times), He loves me and helps me through every challenge I go through.  When I don't know what I'm going to do, He always supplies the answer in ways I don't understand.  Sometimes He answers when I pray silly prayers - like the one above where I didn't want to do the powerpoint slides.  That is silly, right?  But I knew I could do it - I just didn't want that responsibility.  Which reminds me, I do need to get on the computer and cancel the IT request I had put in for them to be on call for me all day Monday.  Need to do that. I've already cancelled the conference rooms and offices I had reserved. 

And with that - before I forget to do it - and because I need to get dressed and to the store before the great granddaughter arrives, I'm off here.  Hope that you have an amazing day!

Blessings!