It's a brand new day

It's a brand new day for our yard! Our house has been waterproofed, drains have been installed and connected and our gutter downspouts have been routed to appropriately divert water. The large piles of dirt have been pushed back where they go and the yard smoothed out. Later today, we'll be marking out where our new driveway and patio will go and, weather permitting, we'll pour concrete tomorrow!

I was glad to get to head out of town Friday and Saturday with Garrett for a little break from the construction mess. He's participating in a program this year through our state youth called Youth Leader Core. They'll get together for 5 weekends throughout the year. I'm one of the adult leaders on the team. For this weekend, we met at our baptist camp at Cowen, WV- one of my favorite places (it's where Louie and I met). Normally when I'm there, it's with over a hundred campers but this weekend, there were only about 20 of us. It was so quiet. Garret and I both had a good time.

It's a new day for Becca and Hannah, too. Becca is all fired up about a fundraiser at school. They're selling Entertainment Books. Essentially, they're coupon books for a particular town and they make them for cities across the country. Last year, we started selling them in late October after every other school, team and club had already started selling them. She only sold two. So this year, we got order forms really early. She'd like to sell fifteen...we'll see. They're $20 for Huntington and $25 for most other cities. If you use coupons, it's a great deal. Anyway, if you're interested, drop me an email @ johnnarene@verizon.net. Hannah is beside herself because the high school volleyball team is getting new uniforms. Playing well and being a good sport is important, yeah, yeah, but looking good while doing it- now, that is important!

And well, I about fell out of my chair yesterday- twice - over my husband. We met at the doctor's office for a checkup, to go over some blood work. It usually makes me nervous because of his health history. But in the last 3 months, he's lost another 30 pounds and yesterday, his doctor cut his blood pressure medication in half! Then he said that he expects that when Louie looses another 30 pounds, he'll be off that blood pressure pill and his diabetes medication! (near fall #1). Then after his appointment, Louie went to St. Marys to sign himself up for the Wellness Center Fitness Program. He had his gym bag packed and in the car. He used the treadmill, rowing machine, elliptical machine and free weights. (near fall #2) And he liked it- I'm so, so glad. (And my husband loves me so much, he even graciously let me take his picture and post it on the Internet!)

OK, one last thing. I was running around crazy grocery shopping, getting dry cleaning and various errands yesterday when I had a cool thought I want to tell you about. I pulled into a parking space , put it in park and as I started to turn off the engine, I got a bit uneasy. I thought I had pulled in straight... but as I looked at the cars to my right and left, I seemed off. So, I backed up, then pulled back into the space in line with the two other cars. Satisfied, I got out only to realize that the cars on both sides of me had parked crooked! I had pulled in straight, but I had allowed what I saw around me cause me to doubt that I was where I should be. So... I was thinking that there are probably a lot of times that this happens in my spiritual life. What I mean is, I'm going along doing what I believe God wants me to do and I'm right between the lines of His perfect will for me. But then, I look to the person on my right and the person on my left. Where they are is not where I am, and that makes me feel uneasy. So, I readjust until I'm more aligned with the majority. The only problem is, that's not God's will for me. I don't want that! More than anything, I don't want to 'cross the line' of his perfect will.. not ever.

...just thinkin' deeply in the pharmacy parking lot.