It's Him in Me.

Certain events this past week caused me to think about things I've never had to think about before. A friend of mine told me she would have an abortion if she found out she was pregnant. My reaction to this was fierce. I told her in so many words how she can't murder her baby. Almost instinctively, I knew that I would do anything to keep her from doing that. It turned out that she was not pregnant. But that situation made me think a lot. I said to my sibling in an email:

If I could save the baby by adopting it, then that's what I'd do. And I thought
about how having a baby would completely change my life. But I also thought how
in the future i would love to adopt....

i never really thought through those things before. I never faced this kind of situation before, but I am glad that the Lord has put it in me to despise abortion. I was kind of
surprised at my fierce reaction when she mentioned it. I don't normally get
worked up easily. And I wouldn't consider myself a very passionate person. But I
found myself to be passionate about not letting that baby be killed.

Always learning stuff about myself. I wish I had the same kind of
passion about sharing Jesus with others so they can also be saved from their
souls being killed.

There are so many things I do wrong. I just praise God that he put any good in me at all. And I praise God that this Good is Jesus in me.


Work has been crazy the past couple weeks for two reasons. I'll try to explain best I can. First of all the end of our quarter is coming up at the end of the month and we need to meet our placement goals in order to keep our funding. We're working so hard to meet those goals, but people just aren't hiring our clients it seems. It's so hard! So every placement is a great achievement and a cause to celebrate. It's a great feeling when you learn that your client has been hired. Another reaon things are so crazy is cuz next Tuesday we're being audited, so we have to prep all our files, and make sure everything is in order so that we get a good report. It's nuts trying to manage time when you've got hours of file management to do and at the same time try to meet with clients and find a job for them. Yikes. What a ride! So after the end of March hopefully things will calm down a bit.

Hope you are all taking time to close your eyes and think how awesome our God is and Praise him for ... air. yeah. Praise the lord for air and orchids today. Ha!

Orchids

There's nothing like an orchid. All of these are so different, yet they come from the same family. Each is beautiful in it's own way.

Orchids

Orchids

Today I went with my sister-in-law Sally to the Minnesota Arboretum where they had an orchid showing. I love orchids. I love orchids. I love orchids. I want to grow them. Any one have any tips for me?

cliches

I've been feeling pretty overwhelmed lately. OK, since this morning. I am tired. So tired. There's a lot on my plate right now. But it's going to be ok, right?

Work is good and I'm still happy to be there. But I'm a little discouraged by the lack of placements lately. It's like the oposite of that Bible verse around here.... the labor is few but the workers are many. Today I just wasn't all there and I think I disappointed a few people... that could just be me thinking things that aren't really there though.

I'm still trying to figure the car stuff. It's been a long time coming. And now I have to save up to get it fixed, cuz its got some issues.

I went to Wisconsin over the weekend to visit my good friends. It was a good time.

I'm so talkative right now it's killing me.

Hope

Yesterday I took Hope out applying for jobs at nursing homes. The first one we went to was plush and cozy, all the staffers were very friendly and helpful. They were hiring for housekeeping. The second nursing home was quite different. It was an old high rise. The main room was dark, dank, and unkempt. They weren't hiring for housekeeping but looked like they could sure use it. The people were quite different as well. Not only were the staff rough and cranky, but the residents seemed more so. Hope applied for a dietary aide position there.

As she filled out the application, I observed a very angry, mean resident down the hall talking (or rather shouting) to the nurse. He was unhappy about something and went on about the conditions and treatment of this "home." As the nurse wheeled him to the elevator I'll never forget what he said... "I wish to God that I were dead..."

I've heard people say this kind of thing before. But the way he said it... he meant it. Immediately after those words came from his mouth my spirit sank. My heart broke for this old man. I still can't seem to get him out of my mind.

So if you would now, just say a prayer for this man... that the pain, the ill treatment, the anger, the bitterness... will be replaced with joy, love, and hope, that Jesus will open his eyes to His love and forgiveness and peace, that he'd have a reason to live, and the only reason he would ever wish to depart from this world is to be with Jesus in his heavenly home. He needs Hope. He needs Jesus.

Hope finished filling out the application, and as we got up to leave the man's words were still resonating in my head. Just as I was about to leave feeling the utter hopelessness the man ascribed to this place, an elderly woman gave me the sweetest biggest smile as if the Lord were using her to encourage me that there is HOPE.

Then Hope and I walked out together and went home.