Performance Review Complete!

Writing this post is my reward for getting my performance review for work completed! Let's do a little happy dance together!

I have not been employed for over 10 years and I've never had to fill out a performance review. When I saw the emails circulating at work re: the reviews I thought I would have to fill out a 90 day questionnaire and not have to fill out the ominous review. On Tuesday my supervisor let me know that I had been hired two weeks earlier than the 90 day deadline and that I did indeed have to fill out the review. I cried...really. Not on the phone with her. I waited until I got in the car and called my husband. BTW, rush hour and crying to your husband don't mix well. I didn't get in any accidents, but I probably didn't make any friends on the road either.

I then got to my parent's house to pick up my girls and proceeded to cry to my Mom...then a few minutes later to my Dad. After three good cries I was ready to drive home dry-eyed. :)

For four days I have been dreading that document. I have so many responsibilities over the next four days and I just felt overwhelmed. Mark suggested writing the review and trying to get it done today so Saturday I could focus, stress-free, on the other things I had to do. I left the girls with Mark and took Rhett to piano at 1:30pm. I sat in the car for a half hour and made some headway on my writing. By the time Rhett came out of his lesson I felt empowered and ready to conquer. We ran a few errands and then came home.

When I walked in the door Mark asked how it had gone and I said, "Good. The complete silence really let me think and I got a lot done." We then discussed whether I could go to a coffee shop or the library to write some more. I said they would be too distracting. Mark suggested going back out and sitting in the car...in our parking space right in front of our townhouse. I thought that was a great AND crazy idea, grabbed my water and a candy bar (consolation) and went and sat in my car until 6:40pm, when I was finally done with the whole thing! Yay!

I then came in, watched the Food Network while Mark heated up leftovers (gotta love that guy!) and we ate dinner. After dinner I typed and edited and NOW I'm finally done. It's all been sent off to my manager and I don't have to give it any more thought!

I will sleep good tonight!

Missed Me?

Have you missed me? I know I've missed sharing with you!

So much has been happening these past few weeks. I wish I could sit with you for an hour and chat, but it is very late and my body needs rest.

The Lord is teaching me to walk moment by moment - with doctors, teenagers, co-workers, volunteers, friends, and especially with Him. I cry for "help" a few times every day! That's where He wants us, you know.

I will never get it all "right," but I am enjoying His sweet fellowship and I'm blessed by how creative He uses a willing vessel. I'm learning to walk straight into fear and to not let it grip me. We're working on the "don't be afraid" part. :)

My little girls are counting down the days until we go on vacation for a week in the mountains. I can honestly say, I've never anticipated a vacation as much as I do this year. I am looking forward to the respite. I hope to get some quiet time to reflect on what the Father has taught me in the past few months and to think about how I can learn to hear His voice and follow in greater obedience.

Life is overflowing and full with homeschooling, family, work, American Heritage girls, health, and my co-op choirs. I am being stretched beyond what I imagined. In some ways it's invigorating; in other ways exhausting. I am somehow enjoying the growth and finding that I can rest in Him amidst the moments of utter chaos.

Your prayers are always welcome. I pray for many of you who read my blog.

Just wanted to let you know I was still alive and kickin! I'll try to be back soon to share in greater detail. Thanks for sticking with me!

Listening

Cultivate my heart, Lord, so I may catch every word that falls from heaven - every syllable of encouragement, every sentence of rebuke, every paragraph of instruction, every page of warning. Help me to catch these words as the soft, fertile soil catches seeds. - Ken Gire

California Fires

Yesterday I received this picture from my mother-in-law.

She wrote:

Hi everyone, We are in Lancaster this week for the Orientation week at the college. The sky is darkened with the smoke from the fires burning in the Los Angeles mtns. Please pray for the safety of those threatened by the fires & the fire fighters. Please pray for students traveling this weekend & the next day or two to begin college here also. Please pray for all of the the staff & those of us who are part-timers who are here this week to help with the whole orientation process. A good number of students have arrived already, and there is a spirit of anticipation as they look forward to beginning their college studies. The services were great all day today.

Can you imagine sending your child off to school or starting classes with the sky looking so ominous? When I saw this picture I thought the Lord could really use these events ( the fires) for spiritual change in someone's life. Will you join me in praying for that? Of course, I ask that you pray for the safety of those affected by the fires too. As soon as I hear an update, I'll let you know. Thanks, everyone!