\Because my recent post was so lengthy, I did forget a few things, which my hubby would say is from my getting older and he would also be offended as what I forgot was about him!! Oops!

My hubby works for a log export company and just recently went from being a loader operator (loads the logs on trucks and moves them around the log yard) to a log truck driver, mainly to save his body from being shaken to death riding around on the log yards rough terrain! He transports logs from the old sorting yard in Lewis and Clark to the Astoria Port docks, to be shipped out to Asia. The end of May there were several log trucks lined side by side after having been loaded at the sorting yard, and they were strapping down their logs and securing them. Jack was having a conversation with a friend of his in the adjoining log truck, they were back to back. Jack bent over to grab part of his log chain to tighten his load down, when the guy next to him flung his log chain up and over his load. The upward swing caught Jack in the side of the face and knocked him out! That was the least of his problems. The chain hit his glasses, cutting his cheek and nose, popping the lens out and smashing into his eye! A lot happened in the next 24 hours. I was called and picked him up from the log yard, mistake number one (he should have been transported by ambulance!). When we got to Columbia Memorial they wouldn't even come out and get him, even though I told them he was bleeding and had a head injury!! They really need a nurse with the paper-pushers behind the desk, they just pointed me to a wheelchair which I had to unfold to use- it was awful!! When we got into the emergency room, finally, they did a decent job of dealing with him, but they weren't very good at conveying information. With all the information they gave, they didn't say anything about a concussion, so when I asked they said of course that was a given, but that was the last time any one even addressed or dealt with until this past week, because we were confused and concerned about it because he was also having headaches, which we found out when Jack decided to go to the chiropractor, he also had whiplash! They told us before we left the emergency room that an opthamologist will probably want to do a follow up because it was an eye injury, so they called to set us up with an appointment. When they found out about the accident/injury, they requested we immediately go to Portland to OHSU emergency room! Freaked me out! Second mistake- they had me transport him to OHSU instead of an ambulance! OHSU was furious when they found out and an ambulance attendant at OHSU who helped me get him out of the car couldn't believe it! Jack became a oddity and had several doctors come and check him out, because he had an "interesting eye injury"! He was told later that the lens on his glasses did some damage when it popped out, but it probably also saved his eye from permanent damage of being ripped out of its socket! His eye was only a few pounds pressure away from permanent damage from the lens hitting the eye as it was! For the next 5 days he was completely restricted from any activity, including going for walks. Was told the only walking he could do was from a chair to the bathroom and back. If the eye started bleeding again he could loose the eye! Then his eye doctor released him to go back to work after only two weeks! But lucky for us his company was reluctant and so was the insurance company for workman's comp. This last week after the chiropractors assessment, we decided to make an appointment with his general doctor, which we were never advised to do. They were shocked and very disgusted with how poorly everything had been handled. A concussion should be allowed 4 to 6 weeks to heal before being released to go back to work! All said and done the doctor made sure to document and inform the insurance company. My hubby was finally released to go back to work, officially, day before yesterday. He is doing good and I am relieved to have him out of my hair, I don't get anything done when he is home! So to say the least, we have had more than our share of trials in the past couple months, but we have been pretty much holding it together because God IS still in charge and keeps us grounded and on an even keel! Having the Lord in our lives keeps us from being truly alone and we have the best comforter with us at all times and gets us through the trials. People who are not saved have that emptiness in their lives and no comfort during trials, which leads to their lives literally falling apart! Our testimony isn't just in that we got saved, but how we live our lives with Christ at our side through the good and bad!

Thanks for listening!

I haven't been on here in a while, again! I tell myself each time that I will try to do this daily, okay, weekly, okay monthly, well how about quarterly?! Goodness, sometimes being busy is a good thing, but sometimes it is a curse.

I have been going to Ladies meetings at my sisters church. We go to a Baptist Church and they go to what is like a community Church. We are like minded and believe in Salvation by Grace. It was an opportunity to spend time with my sisters and grow in the Lord as well. We have been studying a book by Linda Dillow called "Calm My Anxious Heart". Our ladies have done books by Linda Dillow, one was "Creative Counterpart", so I was excited to read this one. This one is dealing with "contentment". A very good and necessary subject to deal with! This has been a very convicting and "just what the doctor ordered" for this very trying time in my life.

Years ago, a pastor friend of ours made a comment to me and it has nagged at the back of my heart for a long time. Nagged is exactly the word necessary to describe the uncertain, nagging questions that have tugged at my heart. The statement made was regarding what my gift was or to put it another way, what did I have to offer others that Christ wanted me to share. besides my testimony (which I have always thought was un-spectacular and far from convincing people that salvation was something spectacular to be had because just look at me?)? He said he thought he knew what it was, but never revealed it to me! That has nagged at my heart and mind for many years, and I never really came up with a true answer. I just wanted to ask, "WHAT IS IT?" My problem with that and I'm sure he knew, was that I am a people pleaser and if he had told me what "he" thought, that is what I would have done and it may not have been right. Remember he said he "thought he knew". The answer had to come from God. Duh! Some times I am soooo thick headed!

I have come to a point in my life to where I am somewhat happy, I think, or is it based on the worlds idea of what happy should be. It seems I am always searching for something- not salvation, already have that. But there is more to life than getting saved. What is my "purpose" in life?

The chapter in the book we dealt with this past week hit me smack on the head! Ouch! The title is "A Faulty Focus" which deals with being nearsighted and not in your eyesight but in your life focus. You don't know why your here ir where you are going other than salvation and heaven. Drifting here and there without a rudder. We must live as women who know the meaning and purpose of life. Too often we are living life by default, acting out a script handed to us by family, other people's agendas, and the pressures of circumstances. That is me, a people pleaser, swayed by others in the name of be helpful and considerate.

This poem by a 14 yr old was very convicting:

It was spring but it was summer I wanted; the warm days and the great outdoors.

It was summer but it was fall I wanted; the colorful leaves and the cool dry air.

It was fall but it was winter I wanted; the beautiful snow and the joy of the holiday season.

It was winter but it was spring I wanted; the warmth and the blossoming of nature.

I was a child but it was adulthood I wanted; the freedom and the respect.

I was twenty but it was thirty I wanted; to be mature and sophisticated.

I was middle-aged but it was twenty I wanted; the youth and the free spirit.

I was retired but it was middle-age that I wanted; the presence of mind without limitations.

My life was over but I never got what I wanted.

What a said testimony of a persons life!

A closer walk and relationship with Christ is a start in the right direction and you need a purpose statement that defines what you believe and where you want to be. Christ is the one that can help send you in the right direction and give you the answers. A verse that I have always wanted to claim as my own life verse, but never felt it was going to happen, is in Proverbs 31 (yes, the "always fleeting and mythical perfect woman that no one could ever be like" book!) Verse 28: "Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her". As humans we always disappoint others, no matter how hard we try, but who are we to please, others? No, it is Christ's approval we should be seeking, His first and foremost! Get your priorities right and Christ helps with the rest.

Obviously I am not there yet, but I am hoping that I have finally nailed down my purpose and with Christ's help heading in the right direction, rather than aimlessly drifting in a sea of Christian's who are also struggling.

The very busyness of life can take your focus off of Christ and distract you from your real purpose, even though you seem to be going through the motions of what a Christian "should be doing". Satan if very subtle, and busyness can be more damaging to a Christians walk than a drug addiction, or alcohol, or some other sin that you can actually see and nail down to deal with!

Good luck for now and keep Christ in your life and seek His direction so your not floating aimlessly!

Sorry it has been so long since blogging- August! Great news! I have a full time position at the school this year! This entitles me and my whole family to very good insurance- medical, dental, optical, pharmacy, and life! There is unfortunately a down side to this, I am basically working for insurance- my first paycheck was $35.00 after my portion of the premium was paid (Aug/Sept was a short month)! We do have insurance!

I am in the 2nd grade this year. Planning and preparing lunches is keeping me on my toes, everyone takes a lunch. I am also enjoying doing more planning and prepaing of other meals. I have really been in a mood to cook and bake these past few months and I have been enjoying it!

Please be in prayer for my hubby as he having serious issues with his flat feet. He has been diagnosed with "plantaur facia something or other", not really sure about the name or spelling! He is taking oral cortisone rather than the shots, which we have heard can be very painful! He is also taking pain meds from time to time because this condition is very painful when it flairs up. He also has a new job he has been looking at, where he will be operating equipment more and not so much manual labor required by construction. Hopefully he will get it, it will help with his painful flat feet condition.

AJ is now 6' tall, and still growing! Needs new shirts and pants already! Wears 34 x 36 pants!! He is doing great in school and staying on top of his school work. Please continue to pray for him in this area as it is a struggle for him academically.

Hannah is doing great in school as well and keeping very busy! She did get her license the first part of September and got it on the first try!! Hannah and Hayley both went with Teresa and I to the Ladies Conference in Puyallup, WA this year for the first time and we really enjoyed ourselves. The main speaker this year was Charlotte Birdsong, the pastors' wife from the church in Tillamook, OR. The theme this year was "Extreme Makeover", the break-a-way classes were dealing with marriage, family, and friendships. The girls went to the friendship class, and Teresa and I went to the marriage class. So happy the girls went this year and got somethings from it to take back home with them. We also enjoyed being with each other. We also had lunch with my oldest son and his family, which I can never get enough of, before we headed home on Saturday! Got to meet my fabulous daughter-in-law's mother for the first time, who was visiting WA for the first time. It was a very enjoyable lunch! Miss my son, daughter-in-law, and grandbabies very much!

My hubby and I are into another year of weely bowling  with George and Jonnie as our partners. It is an activitly that me and my hubby can do together without crippling ourselves and still be conpetative. We do have fun!

No school tomorrow because of state wide in-service. Will enjoy sleeping in a bit. Conferences next week, so another Friday off next week as well. Enjoying the fall weather, there is a nip in the air and it is soup weather! Love soup weather! Making homemade bread tomorrow and more chocolate chip cookies- yum yum yum! I am starting Weight Watchers in a few weeks- which by the way our insurance pays for!!! Isn't that awesome! They have figured out healthy people mean less insuance claims, so they are promoting things to help you get healthy!!! I am looking forward to feeling healthier and lighter.

Will go for now, getting sleepy and hopefully didn't say anything weird while under the influence of tiredness. Talk at you later!