Practicing Patience...

I haven't posted in so many days...ah, life has at last overtaken me! ;) Things have been so very busy around here. Let's start at the very beginning...

First, Dominic. There is talk of moving Dominic this week sometime down to Ann Arbor to a rehabilitation hospital. Dominic is very determined to walk again. He is in a tremendous amount of pain in his feet, which, I hear, could be a good thing or a bad thing. We are praying for the best! Carrie, Chad's secretary, has spent the last ten days with Dominic. She just came home last night.....engaged! Yes, Dominic "popped the question" from his hospital bed! Isn't that a hoot!? I love it! She'll never forget it, and her ring is absolutely gorgeous! Please continue to pray for Dominic as he has a long road of recovery ahead of him.

Second, me, the fill-in school secretary. Since Carrie was away for over a week of school, I filled in for her Monday through Wednesday. I never went until 11:00 a.m., but, since the children and I are not accustomed to that schedule, it has taken quite a toll on us. Even now I am supposed to be on my way to a staff meeting, and I just cannot bring myself to awaken my little ones yet again to cart them off to a nursery. I will in a few minutes, I guess...

Third, Chad and Elisabeth. They are right now in Washington, D.C. at the Right to Life rally/parade "thing." I'm really not sure what it is they are doing, but I do know that they boarded a bus yesterday afternoon around 4:30 and arrived in Washington this morning around 7:00. I think Elisabeth slept the entire way, but daddy had a bit of a sore back from trying to sleep on a bus. They will board the bus this afternoon around 5:00 or 5:30 to head back, once again sleeping through the night on the bus. Whew! What a trip! What a memory for father and daughter to share together, though. One they will both treasure for years to come, I am sure.

While they have been gone, I went in to the school to show Carrie what I did while she was gone (I hope I didn't mess things up too much!) and to meet with some of the high school kids who wrote "Right to Life" speeches. There is a contest coming up soon, and Chad and I are helping the kids to do their best. I love helping out like that where I can. A dear friend whisked the children down the hall for me for a couple of hours so that I could meet with the kids.

When I got home, the furnace kicked on, or should I say "sputtered" on? It sure is making a weird sound, so...I called Chad to see what he wanted me to do. I have a call in to a local heating company, who should be coming out sometime tonight. We are praying that it is as simple as needing a new belt or bearings on the blower.

So, my year of Patience has started off with a grand ta-da. Patience. Cheerfully accepting whatever God chooses to send my way in a calm, unruffled way, without murmuring or complaint. God sure has sent much my way this week. I am learning and growing. Only once this week did I call my husband a nincompoop. Yep. You read it right. As soon as the word had escaped my mouth, I though, "You idiot. What did you do that for?" But I wasn't sure how to go about apologizing. A few minutes later, Chad said, "Did you really need to call me a nincompoop?" "No," I replied, "I have been sitting over here feeling so guilty. I am SO sorry." My man is so forgiving that he readily accepted my apology and even chuckled over the whole incident.

Patience with others is love.

Patience with self is hope.

Patience with God is faith.