Are there days when you want to quit?

Today was one of those days.  I woke up with a headache that won’t stop and we rushed out the door to church for an early discipleship class.  

Our leaders called to say they would be late and to start practicing the music without them.  The problem was I didn’t remember what we were singing.  Eventually we all managed to finish the practice and start the service....but very few people actually came.  We are a group of about 100-120 (though rarely does everyone come at once) but we started with about 50!  After the music, I went to teach my class but most of my regular kids (who had to practice for the drama in 2 weeks) were absent, some of those who visit once in a while were there  and only 3 of the kids even had a part in the drama!  I used a month’s worth of energy and enthusiasm explaining very interesting parts of the Christmas story...and they yawned (I can’t seem to communicate that they need to get to bed EARLY on Saturday night), stretched, fidgeted, wiggled and by the end I was ready to find a sub!  (I am a CE major, please!!!)  Eventually that torture ended (though we actually had fun working on the funny parts of the drama) and we wrapped up things after the coffee break.  None of the deacons seemed to be around to do their job, people sort of wandered and talked, but no one helped pick up (a strange phenomenon because everyone always helps!).  After we corraled everyone out, a deacon collected the trash and we locked up, we headed out to a restaurant...still sporting that bad headache.  We both sighed heavily as we sat down in the car and wondered if it was time to retire.  We spent a good while in the restaurant trying to find the Cowboys game on the TV, correcting both of our orders that the server got wrong.  We managed to get home, watch the last 5 minutes of the winning Cowboys game and collected on old people’s naptime rights!  YES!  It felt amazing...though it did not totally energize us.  

The truth is that there are good Sundays and hard ones...for every one that makes you wonder if you know how to do your job, there is one that brings a smile to your face and gratitude to your heart.  There is no doubt that this is God’s work and all we can do is do our best and be faithful.  

For those of you who pray for us...THANK YOU!

Seasons of Life

I just had my first cup of coffee in a Christmas mug.  Somehow it tasted wonderful.  We have only started the decorating and are in the dark before the dawn stage...MESS!  Somehow it always manages to look festive and nice.  We want to make this time special even if we are alone without family close by.  It is a time to marvel at God’s promise fulfilled and His mercy and love.  

A few days ago, I managed to once again mess up my normal life.  Dressed to walk, I stepped off the porch and right into a turned right ankle.  Having broken the other ankle THAT way 9 years ago, I was not in the mood to do it again.  As I went through the shock of the pain and what that pain did to my body (nausea, fainting, sweating weird, weakness, chills and shivering)...I wondered how in the world I would climb the steep flight of stairs into our church building with a cast and crutches!!!  Not a nice thought.  Gratefully, it is just sprained...and I am supposed to be off of it (discovered I simply CANNOT use crutches and walk on my left foot without losing my balance!)...so I am trying to be good and keep it soaked, medicated, wrapped and up.  It makes for interesting decorating technique! 

Chalo and I are talking a lot about our kids and my dad and how much we miss them.  It would be so nice to live closer to them and have a more “normal” life in terms of seeing each other.  We are coming into the stage in life where our energy is less, our bodies don’t have the strength they used to have, and we miss seeing family.  My mom (who is with the Lord) used to say “we get so hungry to see you”.  I get it now.  And I miss my mom.  Both of us were blessed to have godly moms who lived that example and prayed faithfully for us.  

Since we are learning how to use the blog site...this letter is late in being added.  The house is decorated,  my foot is slowly regaining strength if I treat it carefully and I DID climb the steps to church only huffing a bit.  We do want to thank you for your prayers and encouragement to us.  A HUG for each of you.

CATCHING UP...our new adventure

This is our first adventure into bringing the aged into this century.  We are a little slow, rather illiterate technologically...but we'll get there!  Thanks to ARMANDO CARRASCO who just spent the morning with us helping us wade through our questions and queries.

Would frustrating be the right word??  I find that paper and pencil are very noble...a little limited in their ability to communicate with lots of people at once...but I do understand THAT means of communication.  This, however, gives us a chance to share our hearts with you in a broader and more far-reaching way.  Thanks for walking the adventure with us.

TODAY we are in the process of saving the life of the marble top to our bathroom sink!  It is about 28 years old and thanks to some pressure from a "prop" under the sink...and my leaning on it while I dried my hair...it CRACKED.  Not a small crack, mind you...BROKEN right in half.  Because it is wedged between two walls, it is holding together, but it is CRACKED.  We heard, but did not feel, that an earthquake hit the area at 3 AM.  I would like to blame this mishap on that, but I HEARD the loud sound when the sink cracked, and it happened at 8 AM.  Chalo is the process of losing the joy of his salvation trying to patch it, keep water from flooding the shelves under the sink and seeing if we can continue to use it for a while. MERRY CHRISTMAS to both of us...I wonder if we will have to give each other a new marble sink top this year!

TONIGHT we have our third session of THURSDAY's Bible Institute from our church....Iglesia Bíblica Maranatha.  From now on I will refer to it by IBM.  There are 14 students between this group and the one that meets Wednesday AM.  Not bad for a group averaging 85-90 every Sunday AM.  My dad's classes recorded at Rio Grande Bible Institute a number of years ago are thoroughly being enjoyed by all.  The coffee and goodies help  perk people up even after a long day at work.  We will try to add a picture tonight.


Blessings on you...and thanks for your prayers!