Achoo! etc.

Nothing profound today.

Between allergies and a cold, I've been keeping the tissue companies in business! I've heard ragweed is really bad this year. I'd been blaming it all on my allergies, but I now that my hubby seems to have a cold that he says he caught from me, it must have been part cold, too!

At The Education Center, we are still without a campus director. However, having the CEO (Superintendent) here with us has helped me better settle into my job! We've also had a volunteer come in and help us get the files in shape, so that's looking better as well. We had missing files, missing info in files, etc. Frankly, I hope they hire her!

I'm really enjoying to get to know the teachers and students. It's kind of fun to have the kids greeting me as I run about the campus with my errands. As the school nurse, I still need a bit of wisdom on recognizing the real illnesses from the fake ones. I know, it's hard to believe -- kids will actually fake illness to get out of class! Unfortunately, head lice have made their appearance already. I certainly hope we don't bring that home!

After doing some research on the heeler breed, I definitely think Emma has a lot of red heeler in her. Actually, the breed name is Australian cattle dog. We're still working on the housebreaking. Aren't puppies fun! (At someone else's house!) She's awfully cute, though. And I think she'll make a great pet for the family. She's very well behaved when napping! ;-)

I'm still doing a little transcribing. However, the company I subcontract to has complained about my lack of hours, so that may come to an end -- or I'll be moved to another contract. At this point, quitting my be the best for all concerned. I'm keeping on just to keep my foot in the door, but it sure adds a load to my day!

Not much progress on the missions front. Still taking the course, although I haven't turned in any work in a few weeks. My hubby hasn't had the time to work on it. He is still working almost every night until 8 or 9 and most Saturdays. He had today off (yay!), but he's spent it relaxing due to the cold. We do have a couple of projects we need to get to, though. But sometimes the best thing for you is just relaxing!

A Taste of Honey

You probably have heard the old saying: "You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar." I've recently discovered there are different kinds of "honey". Or rather, different ways to use honey in your speech.

Our campus director resigned on Monday afternoon, leaving with no notice and taking all the things she had brought and not been reimbursed for. Needless to say, the staff members were a bit shocked.

Tuesday morning brought the arrival of the superintendent (or CEO) of the group of charter schools, along with his newly-hired assistant. They remained all week, filling the position of campus director between the two of them. In watching each man work, I saw different types of honeyed words.

The superintendent is a very straightforward man, loud and boisterous in his speech. He doesn't sugar-coat his words, but he uses edifying words and humor to build up others. He jokes with the parents who bring forgotten lunches, with the kids who aren't feeling well (or think they aren't), and even somewhat with the kids who come in with discipline issues. He does it in such a way that you are put at ease, but at the same time he doesn't compromise the seriousness of a situation.

The new assistant is the type to look you in the eye and smile as he talks to you, never raising his voice. His words are smooth, but can also be cutting. He instructs before asking how things are being done. He just assumes they are not being done properly. Although he has taught with the curriculum we are using, he is not familiar with how our schools operate. However, he acts as if he has all the answers.

I like both men and respect them for their experience in education. But I must admit I prefer the boisterous, humorous edifier over the soft-spoken, smiling criticizer.

Observing these men made me think about how others are receiving my words. Are they hearing a honey-coated barb or an genuine word of edification, sprinkled with humor? Or are they just hearing a barb without any honey? I have to go back to what Paul said about our speech:

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Ephesians 4:29

Father, help me to remember to make my words edifying, not using sweetness to hide a barb.

What kind of honey is in your words?

Emphysema!

Several years ago, my niece had a Dora the Explorer doll that danced and sang her "We did it!" song. Dora is a bilingual show, so they say the main phrases in English and in Spanish:

We did it, we did it, we did it, yeah!
Lo hacimos, we did it, we did it, yeah!

My daughter, not being familiar with the TV show, replaced the Spanish words with what she thought she heard. Thus "Lo hacimos!" became "Emphysema!," and this became a family joke.

I'm shouting "Emphysema!" tonight because my son finished his homework! That may not sound like a big deal, but for us it is! We have been staying up late with him to try to keep him on task, resulting in sleep deprivation for everyone. (Throw a puppy's 3 a.m. wakeup calls in there, too!)

The last two days he has not had his assigned homework completed. I was pretty frustrated this morning. I'm not sure if the problem is laziness, lack of motivation, procrastination, or a true learning disability. We were all overjoyed when he finished before 10:00!

Emphysema! He did it!

Now, if only I can get Emma to cooperate...

Meet Emma!

This is our puppy, Emma, the newest member of the family! We pick her up from the clinic tomorrow. She's one of a litter of nine that were found in a taped-up cardboard box in a dumpster. They were brought to the clinic, nursed back to health, and put up for adoption when old and strong enough. Because of some of the markings, they think they have Australian shepherd or Australian cattle dog in their parentage. She's energetic and enthusiastic, has green eyes, and my daughter is in love with her!

It's been a while since we've had a dog. I figured we'd go longer than this without one, but I guess we're just a dog family. We were tempted to get two, but that would have been a lot of trouble and expense. So we settled on Emma, my daughter's favorite.

Busy!

Nothing profound to add at the moment. I've just been busy! Probably too busy. Like a hummingbird, not even stopping work to eat!

Right now I'm trying to maintain both jobs -- working at the school and doing a little transcription in the evenings. I wrote to my transcription supervisor asking how she would like to handle the change in hours I am able to put in. I have not heard anything back, so I'll keep typing. I'd like to keep the door open (so to speak) in case the school does not work out.

Working for the school is fun and challenging, but it is also frustrating at times. The Superintendent of the five schools is rather old-fashioned and likes to keep things close to the vest and under his control. I have a computer that I don't really use because most of my work is pencil and paper. Being a database enthusiast, I find this a bit frustrating. I want to make a database to track what we need, design reports to print out when needed, and link my computer with the Campus Director's so that we both have the info available. Right now, my computer programs are also being very flaky. I don't know if we'll ever get computerized, so I just keep on plugging away on paper! Please pray for me to guard my tongue and not voice all the frustrations I'm feeling.

I signed us up with an outfit called The Finishers Project -- an organization to connect potential missionary candidates and missions organizations, especially tailored for the "second career" missionaries. We've received some e-mails back from organizations, but we haven't really begun any dialogs yet. However, it's nice to be pursued!

We've made some progress on "the decision". Please keep us in your prayers. It's good to know God knows the ultimate outcome and what will be best for us -- even if we may not like it!

I was just listening to a worship song that emphasized what I need to remember --

"Strength will rise when we wait upon the Lord..."

But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31

BIG Change!

Wow! Life has changed a lot for the family since Sunday!

Sunday evening I spoke with a friend who had just started her son in a charter school. It sounded really interesting, but I figured Lewisville was too far to drive every day. She told me they had opened one in Denton and gave me the website. I went home and looked them up. We discussed it and felt it would be a good fit for our son. I called them Monday, which was their first day of school. They had room for my son in 4th grade. Age-wise, he's a young 5th grader, and I have been contemplating holding him back for a while now. I enrolled him in 4th grade, and he started Tuesday morning. This is big for us! Both my older children were homeschooled through high school, so this was the first time one of my children has gone to school!

While in the school enrolling him, I found out they needed a secretary. I had been contemplating getting a "real job" instead of doing medical transcription from home. It hasn't been paying as well as I need. Plus, it's really hard being your own boss. I will work much harder for someone else than for myself. It's so easy to goof off and so hard for me to discipline myself and keep to a schedule.

I had to go home and make a lunch since I was not sure if my son would stay all day on Tuesday. While at home, I tweaked my resume and brought it back. Then I went to shop for school clothes for my son. This wasn't the easiest as most of the "uniform" clothes were picked over. They don't have a uniform per se, but they do have a narrow dress code. Believe it or not, my son hasn't balked at that! (Sometimes it's easier to follow someone else's rules!)

I went back in Tuesday afternoon, interviewed for the job, and started on Wednesday morning. I'm the school secretary/receptionist, school nurse, and general flunky. The admin staff consists of me and the Campus Director (principal). They are in the throes of start-up. This is fun for me, as I like setting up new systems and organizing stuff. The pay is not as good as I'd hoped, but it should be more than I was getting transcribing. At this point, I'm not sure if I'm going to continue transcribing part-time or not. I'm kind of hoping not, so as to lower my stress and activity level, but I haven't quit yet and my boss hasn't asked me to yet.

I think the structure is going to be good for all of us and will help us establish some new habits! I've always felt the best jobs are the ones that find you. Although it was big and SUDDEN, I think this change found us, and I feel that God is in it!

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

-- Proverbs 3:5-6

P.S. : For those wondering about my big decision, it's still in process. I'll keep you posted.