Silly & Small/Large & Life-changing

Many days here lately I feel I am just floating along, when suddenly wham! a million new changes begin taking place. Some of them aren't major: we let our cat venture outside, she disappeared (really, not a heartache), then she showed up at the back door yesterday. By the time I had food for her she was gone again. We are just thankful to know she's still alive, but I certainly don't miss the smell of cat in our house!

Other changes are taking more getting used to. Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University has me thinking so differently about money, even from when I was more disciplined a few years ago. I look at purchases differently and even at things friends share with me about their purchases. Please take this as kindly as you can, but we are typically very stupid with our money. David and I don't have it all figured out, but we're on our way to being in an entirely new league. I'm so proud of my husband. If we don't have it in our account, we don't spend it. If it's designated, we don't spend it. If it's not in the budget, we don't spend it. I know many times before we've said this money was for thisorthat, but we'd borrow against thisorthat in our heads and then just get all messed up. No more. And as silly as it sounds, it was very difficult not to swing through somewhere and pick up something to eat after VBS last week. Going out to eat is a treat, not the norm anymore. Knowing what we spent eating out was a complete eye-opener for us.

Have you ever both loved and hated where you live? I love being near family and back at the church David and I met. But if you've never been to the MS Gulf Coast, it's hot and humid 3/4 of the year! Not good for good hair days!! We're still rebuilding in many senses post-Katrina and now with this oil spill, life is going to change drastically again. We have an incredibly large Asian/Vietnamese population that makes their living fishing/shrimping. That option is probably about to be eliminated which means these families will be forced to move on. Family places, restaurants, and shopping are growing, but communities are not very family-oriented here. I love teaching, but middle school is a difficult age. However, many places are either firing or not even hiring, so I'm super thankful and blessed to have a job. I know, I know, there are pros and cons to living anywhere, but you know how it seems: the grass is always greener on the other side. I just needed to put these thoughts down, that's all.

Hayden's toys have all been moved into his room and the changing table is gone. *sigh* He needs new clothes; it's as if he suddenly sprouted overnight! He's so close to talking in sentences and his vocabulary is increasing daily. My mom and sister swear he said, "Daddy at work," the other day. I was outside so I missed it. He brings me each of his books at least twice a day and crawls up into my lap to read. I've done some rearranging around the house to shake things up until we can buy new furniture and update our furnishings (thanks, Dave Ramsey).

And lastly, I guess I'll close with this: we need prayer partners. David and I are considering becoming foster parents. He repeatedly brings this up. Neither of us can handle that so many children are unwanted or can't be cared for. Maybe this is our mission field right here. David is stepping up at church and taking more leadership roles, but we feel called to do more. If this is what God would have us do, please pray that everything would fall into place and we would get the child perfect for our family. We're not ruling out having another baby by any means, but the timing isn't right for us now. That may not make sense to anyone but us, but we're praying this through.

So there you go--changes. Some silly and small, some large and life-changing.