Traveling Questions

I was thinking . . .

Why are there no beavers in Beaver, Utah?

Why is there absolutely nothing to see or do in Browse, Utah?

The only trees in Cedar City, Utah are elm, oak, and pine.

There is no airport in Parachute, Colorado.

What if Rifle, Colorado had a No - Gun law?

Has anyone found gold, silver, or anything in Silt, Colorado?

Why does Commerce City, Colorado smell like a toxic waste dump?

What in the world is a Lochbuie, Colorado?

Was Brush, Colorado formerly Fuller-Brush, Colorado, starring Red Skelton?

Vacation

Time to get away. Not for me, who has had about the most unproductive summer on record. Not for my kids, who have had a great summer of dancing, baseball, Disney Channel, their niece, and their brother back from Japan. This getaway is for mom. Working 50 - 60 hours per week, taking time out of sleeping to volunteer for D3's dance recital, S4's All-Star Baseball games, and any family time we had.

She is single-handedly taking care of this entire family. Her parents get sick, and she's there. Any child has a problem, she solves it. She is the embodiment of "Wonder Woman". She takes a vacation to get away. She needs to 'veg' for a while. She has earned this. Unfortunately, in lieu of a Club Med week on a Caribbean Island, or a Cruise, or hiking a 14,000 ft. peak, her vacation will consist of ten days on the northeast prairie of Colorado. She deserves much better.

Frustration

The fact is that I have a Bachelor's degree and can not acquire a job. The bills are falling farther behind - I am still looking at another year of school and credential tests before I can get a full time teacher's job. I need full time employment and can not find anything that is above minimum wage. Not to worry - there is no need to stress when God is in charge, and all our needs will be met. This I believe and yet I know I need to take care for my family.

Life With A Bachelor of Arts

I have worked for this degree for over two years. My loving and oh, so patient wife has inspired, cheered, and helped me every step of the way. My children gave up daddy time to allow me to write, read, and study. Our financial situation during this period of education has deteriorated to dismal, because during this process we supported my D2, her boyfriend and their daughter, my precious and beautiful granddaughter. In addition, S3 decided to move in with us because of his trouble with his mom and step dad, and we could not say no. So Pam worked and worked, I worked part-time, and was a student full time. Nine total mouths and bodies, with needs and wants and only two contributing to the financial well being of the whole.

Don't get me wrong, D2 worked her butt off to support herself and her daughter, and she went to school full time on top of her full time job. She had money for her new car, including gas and insurance, her partying lifestyle, and childcare for daughter, and she paid us a stipend just for a help with food and some bills, but it never was enough to cover their expenses. We spent our savings fixing up our house for them to have a private apartment - type place, and then our monthly bills got bigger and bigger for three years.

A high school student, S3, has many needs. He needs to be inspired to finish school, do his best in order to learn the most, and absorb as much attention and energy from a family as physically possible. Much of this energy is taken in chauffeuring from place to place, the funding for everything he needs and most of his wants. Very hard in the long run to make a child of divorce (we had a total of four) buy in to a "family" plan and help work WITH a family instead of "All for One" and screw the All plan.

This has been about our deep and dismal financial picture. I received my B.A. degree to recreate a better picture. I can not get employed! So, my life with a Bachelor of Arts degree is just that, the same life with a pretty piece of paper, a tassel, and a funky black dress thing.

First Step - Done!

Bachelor of Arts in English from California Baptist University - that is what it says on my diploma. That phrase is completely awesome to me - "my diploma" - a road of many challenges and even more joys is behind me, and now in front of me is a new road. A certificate of qualification to teach in California, with classroom work, a test, and student teaching all lay before me.

It was a great celebration of accomplishment. My kids that were in Southern California were here share in my joy, with my fantastic inspirer and life partner I am very proud to call my wife, my folks, my in-laws, and my sister and her family, plus two dear friends all braved the desert sun, heat, and my company to wish me well. Their prayers on my behalf have been lifted throughout this process. They have asked, encouraged, and even nagged to help me get this part of the process finished.

So, here I go, ready or not, into phase two of the Teacher Plan. Thank you Lord, for Your blessings, Your love, and guidance over my life.

BEFORE All Else Fails

Very important educational fact of my life - WARNING - The next sentence is heavy in spiritual content - if reading about God and spiritual matters offends, don't read any more - Simply go to the comment section and leave your name or screen name so I can pray for you-

Prayer is a great thing! In Philippians chapter 4, Paul, while sitting in a stinking hell-hole of a jail awaiting execution for his belief and actions thereby coinciding with his belief in Christ as Savior and Lord wrote to the church and told them to handle their little problems with joy, and pray in EVERY situation. Don't worry, but pray - and my favorite part of this specific lesson is in the verse following the command to pray - verse seven is so clear and yet I have heard preacher after preacher screw it up. "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus" (ASV). Too bad Paul didn't say, whatever you ask for, whatever is the source of your worry, if you are in my good graces and have done all the right things, your thoughts are Godly, and your heart is pure, then you will get whatever you want or need.

To sum up, don't worry, give up control to God. Pastor Greg Laurie defines worry as a "lack of trust in God." At the point that you give it up to God, your life will be at peace, the most fantastic peace too awesome to understand, regardless of God's answer to your situation.

I use this forum to confess -

I need God to take away the stress of our finances. I need to give Him my stress over our finances. Pam is working herself too hard, I am not working enough, and our bills are beginning to overwhelm us. I am rolling on toward a teaching job, ignoring the latest budget news about education cuts and the possible scarcity of teaching jobs for newbies like me. My school bill is so high I can't get my diploma when I graduate in May, until it gets paid in full.

I must put into motion the actions I am professing with my words. End of blog, I have a "prayervious" engagement!

How Long Can You Wait?

This morning I heard a great story on local Christian radio, KSGN 89.7 in Riverside/San Bernadino California. A young girl asked her mother, "How old was (older sister's name) when see asked Jesus into her heart?" The mother answered, "Seven." There was a long pause in the conversation, as it took place in the car, and mom was driving, and the little girl was in the back seat. Finally, the little girl spoke up, "Mom, I don't think I can wait that long!"