Our week was filled with the good and the not-so-good.
The good…
Zach finished driver education and passed! Finished are two weeks of getting up at 4:50am on most days to get him to driver’s ed to drive from 6-9am, then having class from 9-Noon. He’s glad it’s completed, and he’ll soon be getting his school driving permit (Lord willing). He was checking out cars online this week on our friends’ website, Scott Family Motors. That might have to wait just a little while. š
Ali is finally healing from her head trauma. She’s gotten better, little by little, each day. So thankful!
Wednesday was Ali’s orientation and registration for college. That was hard for us to believe, but exciting all at the same time! She was able to get the classes she wanted at the times she wanted. In a month and a half she’ll be starting and on her way to earning a college degree! It was a great day spent together!
Friday evening Bill and I visited our favorite date night spot. Good food, great music and much needed time together. It was a perfect way to end the week!
I facilitated our Mission of Hope Worship Service last evening, which was wonderful. The Holy Spirit’s presence was there. A great message and inspired worship. Bill and I were invited for ice cream afterwards with a couple who are quickly becoming friends of ours. We met them through the Mission. He has been gifted with sharing the Word of God, and she has been gifted with a beautiful voice. We had a wonderful time together and look forward to doing it again soon!
The not-so-good…
As I look out our back deck doors, I see what I’ve seen all week…a swarm of Japanese beetles. I am not fond of these insects. We have worked so diligently in our flower beds and created what I feel are beautiful flower arrangements in the beds and in pots outside this spring, and these pests are killing some of the beauty we’ve tried to create. We’ve been out there spraying them each day…sometimes twice a day. I’ve already gone out once today and sprayed them, and it looks like more are still arriving and will need to go out again. This whole situation makes me not want to leave our home for an extended period of time, because without spraying them, they will likely kill every plant out there. Very frustrating!!!
Friday afternoon as I left the Mission, I received a text from Tina saying, “Bad storm headed this way…” After reaching her by phone, I found out exactly what she was talking about. I hadn’t heard anything about a storm approaching until our conversation, but I could see in the west that it was becoming very dark. I called Bill and warned him of the 80+ mph winds we were to receive. I arrived home in a matter of 15 minutes of our conversation, and he and Zach had already removed our patio furniture, moved potted plants, and tied down the patio canopy. As soon as I pulled in and closed the garage door, it began to rain. The sky looked awful and the winds began to pick up. The siren was sounding off in the distance from our small town. This was not looking good.
We headed for the basement. It sounded terrible upstairs. I was glad to have made it home, and glad I wasn’t driving in it.
After emerging from the basement, we could see pieces of soffit in our yard, and our patio canopy was ripped to shreds. If Bill wouldn’t have tied it down, it would have been flattened for sure.
How disheartening! Just that morning as I was out watering the flowers, I was admiring our canopy and thanking God for it. And in a matter of hours later, it was destroyed. We are looking into getting a replacement.
I understand some people received worse damage than this…buildings flattened, horses inside having to be put down, trees uprooted, crops damaged. It looks like the corn behind our home is going to be ok…what was leaning sideways is now almost standing upright. Thanks the Lord.
Bill always helps me see the good in these kinds of situations. I was seeing the devastation. He was seeing what God saved. š
Again, we have much to be thankful for. A healthy family, the blessings God has given us, insecticide for these pests :), and so much more. God has been so good to us…through the good and the not-so-good!
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