Distractions

I gave up Facebook.

Pick your jaw up off the floor.

I'll give you a minute... Still waiting.

If you know me very well, you'll know that giving up Facebook is a big deal for me, and not an easy change - at least I didn't think it would be. I had plenty of arguments for the social media naysayers, reminding them how it's a great tool to stay in touch, useful for ministry, and for getting the word out about stuff or finding out what's going on with my friends. And I pretty much still think that it's very useful for those things. So lest you think I'm giving in on those arguments, allow me to clarify. It's not Facebook that is the issue, but only that I have allowed Facebook to become a harmful distraction in my life.

I've been doing some thinking - and yes it's painful. And I'm still in process on that thinking. But I thought I'd share that process with you.

I'm an addict... not to alcoholic beverages or nicotine, but to anything that will distract me from real life. And usually my drug of choice has been Facebook and its associated games and activities. I was picky. I refused to accept just any old game request, for fear I'd become addicted to that... but I still got sucked in.

Finally, two weeks, one day, 20 hours, and 19 minutes ago, I quit. Cold turkey. "Hi, my name is Cora, and I'm a Facebook addict." But if you pin me down on what brought me to the point that I knew I needed to quit (and even if you DON'T pin me down, I'm about to tell you anyway)...

I began to realize how much of life I'd been missing out on because of that time-sucker. The chance to listen to a sermon, clean our house, work in the yard, pray for friends or family, read, write letters, talk on the phone... but most of all, I feel like I'd missed out on the chance to sit at Jesus' feet, and listen to the Holy Spirit in his moment-by-moment leading. I can't tell you how often I would sit down to work on our budget (which I like to do on the computer), and would look up three hours later, realizing that I had opened maybe one file that I needed, but had spent 2.75 of those hours on social media. Or I got up in the morning, checked my email, intending to get right into the kitchen table to spend time reading God's Word, and would be alerted hours later that I had 15 minutes to get to my next appointment, so would scramble to shut down Facebook and get to my destination. I had missed out on another opportunity to hear the richness of God's voice through the discipline of reading His Word. Or I knew that I needed to make an effort to connect with my neighbors on His behalf, but the window of opportunity was gone by the time I was done "connecting" with my "friends". Seemingly all efforts at self-discipline had failed.

If you're not getting this, this isn't a rant on Facebook. It's a rant on my favorite distraction from what God has for me RIGHT NOW. Most obviously that's been Facebook lately, but that's not the only tool I have for ignoring God's voice... or my housework. I can just as easily plug in to TV. Or sudoku. Or Bubble Blaster. Or organizing my week but not actually DOING anything about it. Or...

Really the list is endless of the things I can find to distract me from the conviction of the Holy Spirit. And when it comes down to it, it's a matter of self-discipline - one of the fruits of the Spirit - fruit that hasn't been harvested nearly enough in my life lately. I always admire the self-discipline of some of the mature Christians I know. But I also know that it didn't just happen. It's a continual process, seeking to put one more "department" of my life in the control of the Holy Spirit, not my flesh (Romans 8).

So, I ask myself now... "What is God telling me to do that I'm not doing right now?" James reminds me in the Holy Spirit's power and conviction: "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin..." (James 4:17) Facebook isn't a sin. Sudoku isn't a sin. But not doing the things I know I need to be doing IS sin.

As I look at the lengthy list of stuff that would be good to do, and know I want to do them, I sometimes get overwhelmed. For me, it's usually at that point that I go find a game to play, or visit with friends on Facebook, avoiding it all. I have to temper my frustration at not getting it ALL done right now, as I can only do what God gives me strength, time, and conviction to do. But I can't hide from it all in Facebook, avoiding doing ANYTHING, because He HAS "...given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness," (2 Peter 1:3).

Something that really stuck with me the other day (though I regretfully can't remember the source) is this: He has given me all the time I need to do the things that HE has for me to do. Which leads to the next question to ask myself. Is my to-do list filled with the things that I want to do, or does my to-do list match up with HIS to-do list FOR me? How does YOUR to-do list match up?

As my pastors have always told me, "you only do what you WANT to do". At first that caught me off guard ("What about that verse where Paul says that what he wants to do, he DOESN'T do?") But the reality of it is, that my sin nature is usually governing my "Want TO" list. One evidence of true and deep love is to WANT to do what the other person (in this case, the GOD of the Universe) wants to do."If you love me, you will keep my commands." (John 14:15). The more I think of the sacrifice Jesus made, in dying a gruesome death to pay the price of my sins, the more I love Him. And the more I love Him, the more I want what HE wants.

How do I KNOW what His to-do list is for me? It starts by making sure that the VERY top of my list is to actually spend time with Him, learning His nature, talking to Him, listening to Him, getting to know Him. I marvel at how my husband knows me so well. The more time I spend with Duane, the more we can finish each other's sentences, or know each other's likes or dislikes. How much more do I want to spend time with my King so I can formulate my own to-do list according to what I know of HIS to-do list!

If you've made it THIS far in reading, I'm grateful! But I would be even more grateful if you would pause right now and pray for me as I seek to fight the fight on a daily basis. As I listened to a John Piper sermon the other day, I was challenged yet again with the vital fight for victory over sin, lest it overcome me. There are no days off in THIS war. And there is no room for distractions - Facebook or otherwise.

I may occasionally appear on Facebook again, as it indeed has its benefits (I'll probably even go on long enough to post a link to this blog on my page!). But prayerfully, it will not be a distraction from serving the King of Kings, under the moment-by-moment guidance and conviction of the Holy Spirit.

What is your first step TODAY in the fight to be governed by the Spirit's leading?

Seasons

So Soaps and Bon Bons went bye-bye, and seasons have replaced them. Seasons of insanity, Seasons of calm, Seasons of togetherness, Seasons of adventure, and Seasons of routine.
For the first several weeks of my sabbatical, I was frantically trying to cram a year's-worth of resting, visiting, busyness, and study into a short amount of time.
In November, I finally was able to go on the road with Duane in the "Dream Chaser" - the semi that he drives all over the place. Since the age of 12 or 13, I had dreamed of going cross-country in a semi with a sleeper cab. For the first couple weeks, we stayed in Oregon, California, and Nevada, just doing "local" runs. During one week, I sat on the deck of his flatbed trailer in sunny So. Cal with my sudoku and my almonds while we waited for our next load. Later that week I had helped Duane chain up, and was sweeping snow off the deck so we could load some molding on it. By the next week, we were on our way to Virginia. We stopped in Grand Junction,CO, spent Thanksgiving in Columbia, MO at a Cracker Barrel (amazing meal for an amazing deal), the weekend near CEF headquarters (we got to visit our friends Dottie Whitney and Laura Hayes), and got within two miles of the Atlantic Ocean in Newport News, VA. Then we started our journey back to Wyoming with parts of a BIG dump truck bound for a coal mine. On the way west, though, we ended up both getting sick. We both lost our voices big time! At one point, all I could do was squeak! Some times I would even be sitting next to Duane but have to write messages or use sign language for him, since I couldn't talk loud enough to be over the noise of the truck. I made sure he knew the sign for "bathroom"! We were grateful to spend that weekend in Rapid City, SD, where we got Duane to a walk-in clinic. The Dr. prescribed the same anti-biotics that I had on hand from my doctor for frequent sinus infections, and it worked perfect (though he still took a while to get back to health!). We unloaded in Wyoming in -1 degree weather (not counting the major wind-chill factor!), then woke up the next morning at a lumber mill with a view of Devil's Tower. I was soooooooo grateful that the scale-house there had a beautiful bathroom, AND fresh coffee!!!! I felt very spoiled! Anyway, we closed out week number 3 by arriving home. I had 2 weeks to be ready for Christmas, but I was ready to be home for a while. That trip did wonders for me. Since I get car sick, I couldn't spend my time reading or doing paperwork, or anything else really, except sit there, talk with Duane, listen to audio books or music, and enjoy the scenery. How therapeutic was THAT!?!?! I finally realized that the clock had no power over me, and came home more relaxed and de-stressed than I ever remember feeling. Oh, and the bonus? After 5 weeks in the same cramped space with my husband, we didn't kill each other! :)

Next came the season of hosting. We had "Christmas" at our house this year, with most of the Tucker clan, plus guests. Then my parents came during the week between Christmas and New Years.
I had some time to relax after that, and began to visit with local friends, but it didn't take long for things to pick up again. The last week of January, I went to visit my folks for a week in Elmira, getting to enjoy a leisurely visit with them all. During that week, though, I also spent the weekend in Bremerton, visiting my brother, Seth, and his fiance. It was SOOOOOO much fun! We spent a day in Seattle doing the touristy thing. Note: no offense to any Seattle-lovers, but I really hate don't like Seattle usually. However, we were on foot, so I didn't have to drive, I was with fun family (including my oh-so-buff brother to protect us in the middle of otherwise claustrophia-inducing populations!), and the sky was SO AMAZINGLY CLEAR! So I really did have fun that day. On the way back from there, I was even able to visit my Grandma, Duane's son, Corey, and CEF's state director Rod, and his wife, Betty Franz.
Then I scrambled home in time for Mom Tucker's hip surgery. She recovered really really fast. Within 48 hours of her hip-replacement, she was back home, and getting around the house (when her pain meds weren't putting her to sleep!). In no time, she's scooting around the house, fixing small meals, and watching over the cats and dog!
Last week, I was able to escort Melanie to a training for her work that "just happened" to be in Springfield (near my folks'), and "just happened" to be across the street from KORE, the Christian Radio station. Since we knew the manager and staff around there pretty well from all our frequent winning of prizes as kids, I decided to stop in. I was amazed that they all recognized me before I even got in the door, and we caught up with each other for quite a while.
So NOW.... I get to mostly stay home, focus more on studying, participate in a ladies Bible Study, do stuff around the house, and tackle more projects. Of course we also have a couple weddings to attend - Seth's getting married in March, and Paul's getting married in April. After those are over, I look forward to getting out on the road with Duane again.
In the middle of all this, I'm grateful for my friends who keep me accountable, pray for me, and challenge me to a closer walk with Him. God is gracious in not cramming a bunch of lessons in at once but He is definitely persistent in hitting me up-side the head with different things I've needed to hear. Please pray for me to be a good student, and for Duane to have continued patience as I deal with these things. I am so very grateful for his listening ear, no matter the topic or my stage of development on a topic. Being part of a team going through this is SO different than going through so many things on my own in my past "single" years, and I'm thankful that God saw fit to provide us with each other.
So there you have it.... the seasons so far in this sabbatical. Thanks to everyone who keeps checking in despite the lack of posts in past months. Don't worry - we're still here! :)

“Wow, I Am Overwhelmed!”

It has been just over a year … and she has not killed me (yet.)  I stand amazed at the gift God gave me in Cora and allowed her to be convinced to marry me.  For a man of 49 years old, at the time, I was flabbergasted when she said yes to my proposal of marriage.  I had pretty much resigned myself to permanent curmudgeonhood … er … bachelorhood.  As a result, it has been a major upheaval in my life, both in mental and spiritual practicalities.  All good, mind you, but still an uphill struggle to wrap my little truck-driver brain around all of this change going on in my life.

Before Cora, I had come to the point in my life that I knew I was going to be single until I died.  I had fought God tooth-and-toenail, about ‘being single’, telling Him that I did not want to be single.  I had convinced myself that I was finally ‘okay’ with it, but in my deepest heart, I had not yielded that part of my life to Him.  I refused to surrender it to God.  When I finally faced the issue of singleness for the rest of my life and told God that it was no longer my choice but His, He agreed.  When I got over not liking His answer and said, “Okay God, I surrender to your Sovereignty,” He graciously waited for me to get used to the idea.  When I did, finally get used to it, He placed Cora in my vision and said, “This is why I wanted you to wait as long as you did; she is the jewel in the crown I want to give you.”¹  All I could, did, and do say is “wow, I am overwhelmed!”  She is so precious and amazing to me.

Please do not get me wrong.  She can tick me off big time … usually at the wrong times.  Then she has the audacity to look at me and say, “What?” in that innocent-bat-her-eyes kind of way (even when she does not bat her eyes).  She surprises me with her intellectual prowess on topics I did not think she even knew about, much less cared to comment on.  She has astounded me with her naivete on issues that ‘today’s woman’ would be rabid about; but because she believes that it does not honor God, she chooses to walk away from it.  She has overwhelmed me with her passion for her God, her husband, her family.  I see the excitement she has for the children that she shares the Gospel with and the heart for all of the teachers she teaches.  All of this … in just over a year of marriage.  Still, at times, all I can say is, “Wow, I am overwhelmed!”

How do I explain ‘wow’?  Well … how do you tell anyone about a person that moves you to tears because you love them so much?  How do you explain to anyone that the joy in your life is magnified a hundred fold, so much so that you find it hard to contain you own exuberance when you are in the presence this person?  How do you tell anyone how much it physically hurts to separate for any length of time from one another?  I guess you tell them that you are so in love with your “insert your spouse’s name here” that … ‘yadda-yadda-yadda’.  Like you have never heard this stuff before and I am not the first person that has ever said it.  I know-I know, stop re-inventing the wheel.  Yes, I can be sappy, foolish, or overly sentimental.  What can I say other than, “I love this lady that I married and that married me!”?  Wow, I am overwhelmed!

In this year-plus of marriage, I have found out how to bribe her with ‘protein’, (Gummy Bears and/or Sour Gummy Worms), flowers (she likes roses, but likes any kind of arrangement as well), or a home cooked meal (it helps to have cream cheese in it somewhere).  I have found out that if I offer her tomatoes, hot dogs, or salmon as food that I must sleep on the couch or leave on truck for at least one week (and cream cheese will NOT help at all!)  I have also learned that she has an annoying habit of laying something down, not where it belongs, then forgetting where it is located.  Then she gets VERY frustrated when she cannot find it.  The worst part is she then wants to take it out on me … her frustrations, anyway.  However, I have broad shoulders and take this abuse with kindness, gentleness, and loving patience.  (By the way, I have some land in Florida and a bridge in Brooklyn that I would like to sell … if you are interested.)  I have also learned that I am not as forgiving as I thought I was and that the ‘O.C.D.’ that she bugs me about, has a tendency to drive my lovely bride BONKERS at times [insert large snicker here].  Sooooooo … I try to be more patient, loving, contemplative, and less critical of things going on in ‘our’ lives.  A word of warning here:  I drive a big rig for a living.  Stay off the road when I have had a rough weekend at home.  Some of my driving skills deteriorate when I am so aggravated I cannot see straight.  (Without airing our dirty laundry, I will try to give you ample warning when I am heading out to work after said type of weekend.)

So, what have I learned that I would not have living as a curm … er … bachelor?  Several things truly have amazed me by actually coming out of my mouth.  These items seem rather benign, but they truly are amazing because I have heard them before.  They came from the mouths of other married men that I used to laugh at thinking that marriage had somehow affected their brain.  I have been proven correct in my hypotheses (that marriage messes with a man’s brain).  These are (in no particular order):

Ø  Yes dear.

Ø  Anything you say dear.

Ø  I am sorry dear.

Ø  I did that?  (Usually followed by the previous statement.)

Ø  Right away dear.

Ø  May I carry that for you dear?

Ø  You want it done when dear?

Ø  Yes, you can go SHOOOOPPPING dear.

Ø  Here is my ATM/credit card dear.

Ø  Here is my checkbook dear.

Ø  No, I do not have hidden assets dear.

Ø  Of course, the life insurance policy is current, why do you ask dear? 

Yes, this is all tongue-in-cheek fun.  However, now that I think about it, I actually have said these things to my lovely bride.  I wonder if I should be concerned?

A couple of weeks ago she started a new adventure.  This adventure is one that she has never had the opportunity nor thought she would be able to have at this time in her life.  This new adventure is to become an ordinary stay at home wife.  (Please be advised:  There is NOTHING ordinary about being a ‘housewife/homemaker’; however you care to call it.)  This lovely lady has finally agreed with me that she needs some time off from work to relax, refocus, and to recharge.  So she is taking a sabbatical from her mission field as the director of the local chapter of C.E.F.  According to her, she is going to sit at home, watch soaps and eat bon-bons.  Yeah … right!  [Big guffaw!]  The first day off without having to go to work, she sat down to watch a soap ‘As the Stomach Churns’.  That terminated within 5.3 milliseconds at the first crocodile tear she saw.  So much for the soap operas.  So, she is going to try to work on getting her house, health, and relationships in better order.  She plans to go out on the truck with me for a couple of weeks.  She wants to learn to drive truck, not to make a living, but to know what it means to do my job, and maybe help a little bit.  She wants to work on some Bible studies for her own personal growth and to help others grow in their walk with the Lord.  She wants to focus on her family, both sides, and to honor our parents.

My folks will celebrate their 60^th wedding anniversary on November 25 this year.  Her folks just celebrated their 31^st anniversary in August.  What a wonderful legacy they have given us by their enduring love.  What a powerful example of a true covenant with God and to each other.  I know in this era of ‘disposable everything’ (including marriages) this looks/sounds like an anomaly.  It is just one more example that I have to put in front of me about life, love, and my commitments.  Once again … wow, I am overwhelmed!

Well, I guess I have prattled on enough about my gushy love for my wife, how much I admire her and our plans for the next year.  Thank you for taking the time to read my little essay about my wife and myself.  I realize that you did not have to and that you might have got a chuckle or two out of it.  Thank you anyway, because you too amaze me with your interest in a middle-aged man, his lovely and gracious wife, and their ramblings about ‘stuff’.  Wow, I am overwhelmed!

¹By the way, I know I have been putting words into Gods mouth with this essay.  No, I did not audibly hear the words that I have written as His response.  I felt these words in my heart because of my bull-headedness and unwillingness to surrender to God.  However, when I did surrender, they are the words I have imagined He would have said to me, if He were not as gracious and forgiving as He is.

Soaps and Bon Bons

Well, it's official, and I'm still trying to wrap my brain around it, but Cora Tucker is soon to join the ranks of housewives everywhere - for a while anyway!

I have applied for, and been granted a sabbatical from ministry with the local chapter of CEF. And please don't be hurt if you're finding out about it here, and not from me directly: It takes a while to get the word out to all the important people, so sometimes its just easier to post it, then gladly answer questions as they arise.

Starting October 1, I will begin a lengthy sabbatical from the ministry with CEF (though I'll still be partnering in prayer!). It will last 6 months to one year, as far as we know, but Lord-willing, I'll be back after I get a chance to rest and recharge.

Basically, I've hit burnout and am finally ready to just take a break. And no, it's not cuz I'm pregnant - cuz I'm not (Everyone keeps asking that!). :-P   October 1st marks 5 years as Director here in Klamath Falls, and before that, fulltime work in the Eugene area for 4 years, and before that, I've taught Good News Clubs and 5-Day clubs year-round since I was 16. Many have gone before me that have done so much more than that and survived the experience, so I know that this is mainly my fault for getting to this place, in not handling things right. In my thought-life I've learned to deal with stress a lot better than I used to, but I still struggle with the stressful situations.

So... here are the main things that I hope a sabbatical will help me accomplish: 1. Develop my relationship with God to a deeper level, 2. Develop my relationship with Duane to a deeper level, (including spending more time with him!) 3. To rest. 4. to pursue study and/or growth in dealing with the stress of leadership, and with certain character flaws of my own, 5. Spend more time around the home, tackling projects, being a home-maker, and watching for opportunities to develop relationships with our neighbors, 6. Renew the love for people and opportunities in the ministry, as well as vision for the growth and development of the local chapter. 7. Any other things God sends my way (I'm looking forward to seeing the benefits of the lower stress level on my health!).

We're not sure yet who will be stepping up in my place, but for the forseeable future, it seems that God has provided the local volunteers with the gifts and time to step up and help keep things going. The office should be manned (womanned) Monday through Thursday with staff that will be more than happy to help deal with things as they come up, in addition to maintaining the current ministry, all while continuing to grow as God provides!

As the sabbatical begins, PLEASE pray for me: for rest, for diligence, and for progress on the above goals, as well as His provision for the financial end of all this. I've already seen his answers to the latter, as well as for the challenging decisions that have been made, and in smoothing this transition into new leadership (keep praying for these!). Praise God!

For those of you who are financial supporters, you'll be interested to know that CEF will still depend on your support as the ministry continues, and as they pay me during this sabbatical. I'm under orders not to allow "work" to distract me from the rest and recharging that I need, so they are helping to make sure I don't carry that financial burden. Thank you VERY much!!!

So there you have it: Cora Tucker will soon join the ranks of the SFABBOA - Soap Fans and Bon-Bon Eaters Of America. Yeah right! lol Rest or no rest, I don't see THAT happening! Please do keep us in prayer as we walk through this process, and that it be for the glory of God.

An Ode to the Missing Man

*Sappy alert* :)
Okay, so it's Saturday. I have most of a day off. Duane's somewhere in Texas or New Mexico sleeping in the back of a moving truck. And it's my turn to write an ode to my missing man.
Except that to be an ode, I think it would involve some type of rythm or poetic stuff... so... I'll just tell you I'm writing about the missing man. Well, actually, it's just that I really miss my man.
Funny thing how instead of doing something that I know will make him happy when he gets home (like cleaning the house or doing yard work), I just sit here and mope instead. Makes sense.
So... at least if I'm going to escape chores and feel guilty about it, I'll tell you some of the things I like about my favorite man - the one that only I get to call "my Husband". :)
1. Duane is very patient with me.
2. Duane spoils me.
3. Duane works hard to provide for us.
4. Duane hold high standards in doing things right. ... which may also make it on my list of things I DON'T like about my man - especially when it comes to ME having to keep that standard in cleaning, or anything else I don't like to do!!!
5. Duane's eyes are a-ma-zing :)
6. Duane's always watching out for me, whether he's home or not.
7. Duane likes to talk - talking about big stuff or little stuff or deep stuff....
8. Duane makes me talk... which also may make that list of "unlike" stuff.
9. Duane's gentle: with me, with the pets, with family and friends.
10. Duane watches crime shows with me.
11. Duane doesn't make fun of me when I cry at sappy movies.
12. Duane likes to go shopping with me. (Which can also be bad when we're both in a spending mood, but our wallet isn't! lol)
13. Duane is very fun to work with on projects around the house (including building shelves and cleaning out the garage!)
14. Duane likes to cook superbly. - SOOOOOOO yummy!
15. Duane trusts me.
16. Duane is always up for an adventure.
17. Duane is willing to say "I'm sorry" and "I love you" (the latter quite often!)
18. Duane loves God, and it shows in all that he is and does.
19. Duane loves me.
and for the record... I love Duane. And now I'm gonna go show him by cleaning the kitchen and doing *gasp* the laundry!

Mood: Contemplative, Heart: Grateful

      I just waved goodbye to my favorite man, for once a passenger in "Dream Chaser", the semi that usually has HIM as a driver. He's set off for a new venture, this time team-driving, which also means much longer trips and not seeing him as often.
      What an amazing guy though. Knowing I was having a tough time with it all, he stepped up to the plate to help make sure I had a good weekend. He was very much unselfish, and just spoiled me all around. Friday night he took me to the Gem's baseball game. It's their inaugural season, so it was my first time to a game here (really missed going to Em's games in Eugene!), and Duane's first time to a game at all. From the game, we got an offer of a free store-brand bracelet, which turned into paying only $15 for an upgrade to a Pandora bracelet. Of course they want you to buy the charms to go on them, but I think most of the charms are ugly anyway, so I won't have any problem with just the pretty jingles! :) Then my husband found me a BIG bag of gummy worms - big time points for that one - and this morning he fixed me breakfast and cut flowers from the garden for the table. The whole time though, he was helping me deal with stuff, and was sensitive.
      On top of that, we had great (sweaty) fun cleaning out the truck yesterday. One of the things that annoys me the most, but that I also admire the most about him is that he is such a clean freak. That guy made sure we vacuumed every nook and cranny, "pledged" the walls and fixtures, vacuumed, scrubbed, and vacuumed again the floor, washed the windows, repacked everything so there'd be room for Tim's stuff, cleaned the upholstery, and a bunch of other stuff. By the time we were done, that truck fairly sparkled, inside and out. It was a great time just working on something together.
      In between things, I got to fix him some yummy food, too. He really liked the meatloaf, and the mac and cheese that I made from scratch. PLUS I finally got the chance to make my pumpkin cheesecake that I'd been itching to try my hand at. It was the first time I got to make one from scratch, the kind that you bake, using a springform pan. I was purty excited! :)
      I am so grateful for a man that loves me, that can be sensitive one minute and the mans man the next. Working hard to provide for me, striving for godliness, and generous to a fault. Thank you, God, for Duane.

An Update of No Fixed Theme

After realizing how longs its been since we updated the blog, I figured I'd better at least post SOMETHING, or no one would ever check this anymore! lol
I know Duane has a more thought out blog that he's working on, I thought I'd take a few minutes and at least update you on the happenings around here.
Duane's still driving the truck (at the moment, he's on is way to Kent, WA), and working hard at it. In the last couple weeks, the truck had to be fixed twice (for different things), which called for some unplanned downtime. One of those unplanned down-times was at home, though, thankfully, so he got a day to just "chill".
I've still been busy at work, though God has provided amazingly in the way of more help. Mindy is now helping with driving the teams to 5-Day Clubs (like mini Vacation Bible Schools), doing a little teaching, and coaching the young teachers each day. Usually I would be doing this every day of the week, but after only a little training, Mindy had it all under control so I could have my customary Friday off! Meanwhile, since Terry attended Christian Youth In Action with me in June (the training for the young teachers), she is on fire, and an enthusiastic aid in many areas, including the 5-Day Clubs and fairs. Thank you, God, for such an amazing team!!!
I love to have Fridays off so I can get caught up on stuff around the house, trying to have the place a little more presentable when Duane gets home, and just not rushing here there and everywhere.
Usually when Duane is home we try to stay AT home if possible, so we get more done. Over Independence Day Weekend, we got a LOT done. We built a bunch of shelves to cover most of the walls in our 10X12 shed, then moved a bunch of stuff from the garage into the shed in an ORGANIZED fashion! Once we did THAT, we were able to finish tidying the garage enough to be able to park the car IN the garage! Woohoo!!! There's even room to spare, so this weekend, we got some of Duane's stuff out of storage so that HE could actually move in! :) We still get surprised every day though, that we go out to the garage, and there's a CAR there! lol.
One major breakthrough in the last couple weeks, was that I got sick. Not that my getting sick is ever news anymore - and that's the problem. I've gotten so sick of being sick, I just haven't known what to do. While I think that there's a lot that goes into my different symptoms, one of the main ones has finally been pinpointed: I have allergies. It's really one of those "Coulda had a v8" kind of moments, though. I had allergies when I lived in the valley in and around Eugene, but they were much more obvious, so these symptoms I didn't put with the allergy factors. Instead, these allergies had been contributing to my frequent sinus infections (thanks to narrow nasal passages), and general feelings of miserableness. And yes, I made up that word. :) Now that we know more of what I'm dealing with, we're hoping that we can address the root of the problem and at least greatly diminish the symptoms. THANK YOU GOD for an answer!
One other cool thing is that my friends and I have started getting together for a Frugal Club twice a month. We're doing everything from oil-changes to laundry-soap-making, to couponing, and much more. Just the fellowship as we look for ways to be good stewards together is pretty sweet!
So there's my newsy update. Now you have hope and can once again become a regular checker of the Tucker's Tales blog! :) Thanks for joining us!
Cora