Sunday April 2, 2006

 Sunday, 02 April 2006

The GIRL who was missing has been FOUND today safe and sound!!! Thanks to all of you who prayed. I have learned more since I initially posted. Evidently the mother and daughter argued. My guess is this was her way of “making a point” but not sure. I’m just glad she is okay and she was not any real danger!

So did everyone remember to “spring forward”!! The older I get the hard this springing forward business gets! I just wish they would live it one way or the other! Needless to say I didn’t get to bed early in fact I probably went to bed later because I wasn’t paying attention to the time. So I already was in the deficit because of that then take away another hour! UGH!! I was tired this morning!

Mom got here around 2pm Saturday with her friends who drove the U-Haul. We visited for a few minutes. I asked mother if she had the key to the duplex. She said “no she would have to call the guy who by the way she didn’t remember his name or have his phone number!!! I’m thinking “how can you not know his name…I know his first name is Andrae (sp?)” And how can you not have his phone number you’ve called and talked to him. Well, she didn’t know how to retrieve a called number from her cell phone. We looked but her phone only holds the last 10 numbers called! She had the number “somewhere” but she didn’t know where in the stuff that was packed where it was. Well, I did know (somewhat) the lady who showed us the duplex. I knew she lived in the same area so we go up there to see if we can find her. I go to where I remember her living when she was Vanessa’s cheerleading sponsor. I knock on the door and a lady comes but it isn’t her. I ask and she says yeah she used to live right next door but she moved to the next street. Well, the next street was the same street my mother was going to live. So we go over there and I knock on the door of the first duplex that I can find someone home. A young woman comes to the door and says “yeah she lives next door to me but her car isn’t here so I’m guessing she’s gone.” Well, then I get smart and tell the lady my mother is moving into the duplex next to here and we are needing to get a hold of the land lord did she have the number and would she give it to me. The answer was yes to both questions (thank you Lord!!). I get the number and give it to mother to call.

Come to find out the duplex isn’t quite ready for mother to move into. (oh great!) The landlord was going to have new carpet laid this morning. So no unpacking the U-Haul yesterday. He told mother he was coming to Mineral Wells from Arlington (about 60 miles away). Said he’d be there in about an hour. That was at 4PM. At 7PM he calls mother to say he’s finally in town for her to meet him at the duplex to go over the lease agreement, pay the rent and get the keys. So Mom stayed here with us last night.

Keannon (Vanessa’s boyfriend) offered to help get the u-haul unloaded today. He called a few of his buddies. Doyle was on duty today so he couldn’t help. I was so tired that I bowed out and came home to lay down. I didn’t feel well (you know…the monthly thing). I sort of felt guilty for not helping but not to worry there’s still plenty to do. Even though the guys unloading the truck was very helpful they just basically unloaded it without much thought or question to were it was to go! They did get her bed set up so at least she could go to sleep in her new residence. After our home group met tonight I went out to her place to see what needed to be done. I moved several boxes for her. A young Hispanic man (who spoke very little English) came to put the base boards back after having laid the carpet. He still has to come back tomorrow to put the doors back on the cabinets. Mother did discover the water was off to the toilet. Come to find out it is lose at the base! I tried to get her to come stay one more night with us but she was determined to stay in her new home. Can’t say that I blame her. She met her new duplex neighbor and come to find out I work with him at Drivesafe! Well, I’ve only see him a few times. He usually works with the day crew. Obviously the news is out at Drivesafe that I’m leaving because he said “so you’re quitting”. I said yep, tired of working two part time jobs.

I told you that our home group fed the Fire/EMS and Police departments tonight as our outreach. We cooked hamburgers. We’ve done this before and they really seem to enjoy it. There were four officers and two from dispatch who ate and 4 from the fire/EMS side. Doyle got to be a recipient since he was on duty tonight.

To tell you just how excited my mother is about being here and being a part of our church. I introduced myself to a visitor and he said I met your mother. She had already greeted the guy and she’s not even a member yet! Well I guess technically she is because all you have to do to be a member is express your desire to commit to our congregation and she said some time ago before she moved that one of the reasons she wanted to live in Mineral Wells was to attend our church! Then as we took time in our service to go over prayer requests and praise reports that people had turned in my mother literally springs to her feet and says “I have a praise report!” (I’ll have to instruct her that she is supposed to write down her praise reports…oh, well, she’s new and it’s okay!!) She said “I’m here even though I’m not moved in yet.” Pastor said “that’s good. Do you have a job yet?” She said “no”. He said “then you need to fill out a prayer request for a job”! (I loved the way he did that!! So she promptly grabbed a prayer request card from the pocket of the chair in front of her and filled one out!!

Well, need to get to bed. Guess I’ll be spending the afternoon at Mom’s to help her get things put away. She wants to re-arrange the sofa too as it was just put in the living room. She was trying to put things based on where the cable and electrical outlets were. I told her to arrange it the way she wanted it then we’d figure out how to get everything working.

I haven’t shared any scripture or thoughts lately. I am still working through the devotional….maybe not as consistent as I should but I am still going through it. All week the devotional has had me in Psalm 46 talking about the “Refuge of the Pilgrim” There has been some real meat in this. Here’s some highlights:

Excerpts from Pilgrimage of the Heart by Catherine Martin Week 4, Day 1

Have you found your refuge? Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

God has provided a hiding place for you, no matter what you are facing. Your goal is to learn about your place of refuge and how to run for cover there in the storms of life.

Day 2

Where is God in the storm? Psalm 46:4-5 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.

What puts our hand once again to the plow so that we can move on in the path God has set before us? It is the discovery of God in the midst of the storm.

One of the greatest lies the Enemy of our souls ever tries to tell the world and us is that God is distant, that He is not interested, and in fact, at times abandons us. When those words shout loudly outside your city walls, you need to know what is true. You need to hear it from God Himself. God does not lie. You can count on what He says. If He says it, that settles it. Then it is up to you to decide what you are going to believe is true: His word, or thoughts and feelings that are in conflict with what God says.

When everything is falling apart, God is still there, in your midst. He has not moved. And His presence makes a difference.

I’ll share more tomorrow. Don’t want to over do it!

God is MY refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble!

Have a good one!