Please Pray This With Me

Father, we are appealing to You to help incoming President Trump, his Cabinet, Speaker Johnson, Majority Leader Thune, and all who work with them as they attempt to clean up our government. It has become a bureaucratic cesspool. We ask You to oversee the process, including the removal of those in the way. Cleanse and restore. Give us humble, servant-hearted, patriotic leaders who honor You.

We are very certain that plans are being formulated to oppose this process. We ask You to aggressively expose and stop these plans. Rise up and scatter Your enemies (Psalm 68:1). Shatter the works of darkness (Psalm 2:9). We command Your will to be done, as You instructed us to do in Matthew 6:10, and we bind opposing spirits and their strategies.

We continue to ask for Your protection over our government leaders. Also, expose and thwart terrorist plans. We ask You to destroy terrorist organizations and their plans. End the influence of principalities behind terrorism in the Middle East and here in America.

And finally, You told us to ask for spiritual rain when we discern it is time for it (Zechariah 10:1). We know it is time, and we are asking. Let it rain!!! We ask for all of this in the name of He who has ALL authority, Jesus. Amen.

(Excerpted from Give Him 15 for 11/14/24) 

A Point to Ponder

There's a question that I get asked quite often: "Why does everything always change? Why can't things stay the same?" I always have the same response: "If nothing changes, then how can things get better?"

Don't get hung up on how things used to be. The past is past, and we are always dealing with the now. History is important, and offers lessons for today, so that we don't repeat the mistakes of the past. But we mustn't get stuck there. Remember, the Bible says, "it came to pass...", not "it came to stay."

Rather, let's look at where we are right now, and make a sober assessment of reality. Once we understand the current events, then we can plan for the future.

Face it, folks: we know what works, and what doesn't. Why keep repeating the same old, same old? If doing that got you where you are, how could it possibly get you somewhere else?


It's time for change, but then we must also observe another very important principle: every time you have the opportunity to make a change, move in the direction that YOU want to go.

Let The Game Begin

We're scheduled to close on the new house next Monday, so things are getting real, now. My wife and I spend a few hours this morning going through the remaining unpacked stuff in the garage. Everything there is now ready to be loaded and shipped up the road.

The only parts of the current abode not ready to go are our clothes closets, the office furniture and the kitchen. By the coming weekend, we'll have a few days' worth of clothes in a couple of suitcases, and just enough food to eat for a few days.

Utilities have been transferred, forwarding address is being sent to those who need it, and the movers will be here at 9 a.m. Friday, May 13.

Nearly all our attention is on this process right now, so my scrolling around other blogs may (or may not) be limited. I haven't been back to work yet, so don't know for sure what may be awaiting me there.

Do I have to go back?  Oh, never mind.

Anyway, we've been out today looking at new BBQ grills, some furniture for the covered deck, and lighting for the master bedroom. Despite the lingering degree of travel fatigue (not much, but definitely there), the looking is fun, because we'll be purchasing those things in the next two to three weeks.

Meanwhile, I'm going to sprinkle in pics from our recent travels, just because. Hope you enjoy!

Relief

This week has been crazy, and crazy busy. Today will be likewise, if my calendar is any indication.

But that's neither here nor there, as there's a bigger game afoot.

We've decided to take the plunge, and submitted inquiries on some homes for rent or sale in a suburb north of here. We've lived in Anchorage for more than 12 years, but hail originally from small towns in the Midwest. Big city life has been fun for awhile, but it's finally gotten to us.

In other words, it's time to saddle up and get the heck outta Dodge. We hope to see some places tomorrow.

It's time.

Friday: Busy and Patient in Equal Doses

Today I can finally take down all the artwork, bulletin board, dry erase board, clock, et cetera, from the walls in my soon-to-be former office.

And much as I loathe the idea, empty all the bookshelves and put a couple dozen large ringbinders into boxes. This, to make the shelves light enough to move down the hall to the new office.

I'm a firm believer in moving things as few times as possible, so we'll attempt to move the file cabinets with an appliance dolly without removing the drawers. They're heavy, but the offices are on the same floor, and only 100 feet apart ... give or take.

And as I commented on the previous post, I woke up in the middle of the night, a week or so ago, with plans for the move and how-to-arrange-the-furniture playing in my head. But the existing tenants have to move their stuff out before I can move my stuff in, so that they can move their stuff from the hallway into my "old" office.

And then I have to wait for the I.T. guy to re-connect the phone/fax/internet/HVAC controls/etc about mid-day.

Oh, and then the painter's coming to freshen the "new" office.

It may not sound like it, but I'm actually looking forward to the new space. It's 70+ square feet larger, and divided into two rooms. So all the cabinets and files, bookshelves, building plans and conference table will be in the other room, leaving just my desk, printer, and a couple of visitor chairs in the front room.

And like I've told my daughters a few times (okay, more than a few times - right, girls?), change is a good thing. It keeps us on our toes, and prevents us from getting stale. At least, that's the plan.

So it'll all be done soon, and then ... why then, there'll be something else to do.

There always is. :)

Light Posting for the Next Couple of Days

Our daughters begin moving out this afternoon, and we'll be assisting with the moving of boxes and furniture.

It will be strange to have our place to ourselves, thereafter; we've been parents for nearly 25 years. But you know what? It's time.

And we're all ready for the change. :)

At this point, I'm obligated to tell you that neither my wife nor I have grey hair, and - my wife insists! - we aren't old.

Harbingers

No, not the Earl kind. And before I forget, Happy Mother's Day! to all the moms out there. A harder job, I cannot imagine, and you do it so well.


We got nearly ten hours' sleep last night, and feel more-or-less normal again (well, as "normal" as I ever get, anyway).

The lingering snow drifts/berms that were scattered around the neighborhood are now mostly gone, and there's a green haze in the deciduous trees where buds and/or small leaves are coming out. The grass is greening, too.

Temps here were in the 40s while we were away, along with clouds and rain showers, but it's to be in the mid-50s today. AccuHunch has even gone out on a budding limb to predict low 60s by mid-week, with a return of the sun. I freely admit that the mid-70s and abundant sunshine in Missouri were easy to take, last week.

My daughters want to go see The Avengers movie today, but this day is about Mom, so I'm thinking the movie must wait. Besides, I've spent enough time surrounded by crowds of strangers over the last 10 days. If that confuses you, think airplanes.

Younger Daughter's official graduation ceremony is next Sunday at 4:00 pm. Pardon me if I'm repeating myself, but we've recently been informed that she's at the head of her class. And did this proud dad mention that she's only 16?

Older Daughter continues working five and six days/week at the pharmacy, and is looking forward to getting her driver's license this month. She's 22, but has been working within three blocks of home since she was 16, so there hasn't been much need urgency about a license. But with both girls now out of school, they're discussing future living arrangements, and have decided it might be nice to get an apartment together, one of these days.