Recent blessings
After last night's LJ post, I wanted to write something a little more upbeat and less depressing. Seems that many of my posts here lately have been sad, and that needs balancing. :)
I was just realizing this morning that it's only been a bit over a month since the HSA Reunion and the big trip to CO. Wow...only a month? So much has happened since then. Guess that's why I haven't been posting here very much -- too busy living life to write about it. :)
See, after the Reunion Lindsey rode back with my sisters and I, and stayed for a week. We had a very full time, including visiting some HSA friends a couple hours away. Spending two weeks with Lindsey made her feel all the more like another sister, and it was sad to see her go.
The last weekend in August, my friend Lizzy, along with her husband and bro-in-law stopped by on their way to MI. I'd never met them before, though Lizzy and I have been friends online for years, and we had a great time of fellowship.
The next weekend, Labor Day, we had a semi-suprise visit from the MacDonald family. We knew they were coming through the area, but didn't know until the last minute if they'd be able to stop. As it worked out, they were able to stay for a day and a half - and what a grand time we had together. :D Like I posted on our family blog, we decided we must be long-lost cousins because our families have so much in common. :D Our time together was very refreshing and just FUN. Haven't laughed that much for a long time.
Joseph and Ami also visited over Labor Day weekend, staying until noon on Monday. The time seemed short, but it was great to see them again, and to get a little more adjusted to the exciting news that they have a little one on the way. Yay!!
The following weekend, I very nearly got to see my adopted little brother, David, again. Didn't end up working out, but it was close enough to count for something. ;)
And then last Thursday we got to see the MacDonald family a second time, as they had an unexpected additional concert in Iowa on their way back east. That was a grand surprise, and we thoroughly enjoyed getting to hear their full concert in person for the first time. Wow, that family has a lot of talent!! And of course we had a lot of fun conversation and goofy picture-taking and everything else. :D
On top of all this, we've had several shorter visits from church friends and times of just "happening" to run into friends in random places, like at the thrift store or the library. AND Susanna has a friend coming from CA tomorrow, who will be staying for a week. We've never met Brandy before, though she and Susanna have been penpals for years and she wrote quite a bit for HW. So it should be an interesting and fun week.
So yeah - we haven't exactly been lacking for fellowship or fun times with friends lately. And I nearly started laughing the other night as I was counting up all the people God's brought along just in these past few weeks. I know it's a direct response to several conversations I had with God a while back, telling Him I was feeling lonely. I didn't even ask Him to do anything about it...I was just whining and feeling sorry for myself. But He's sure been pouring out the blessings anyway. :) What a merciful Father we have! Amen? :)
I've also been reading some really good books lately - most notably "When it Hurts Too Much to Wait" by Larry Richards. It's one of the best, most solidly Scriptural and practical books that I've read on trusting God. And I have a whole stack of amazing books that I can't wait to get into when I get a chance. Somebody needs to stop me from buying more books before I end up burying myself, lol. The stacks on my desk and under my bed and in the closet just keep growing and growing. ;) But "it's good, it's good," as the Hispanic pastor at our church always says. One can't possibly have too many books. :D
I wrote a few months ago about the opportunity Susanna and I had of working at the thrift store 3-4 days a week, instead of the several days a month that we do currently. That ended up not working out after all because the number of customers coming through really dropped off around the middle of July and business has been so slow that we couldn't really justify being open more than 2-3 days a week. That was rather disappointing, but has actually worked out for the best. Now that I'm getting so many more graphic design jobs, I really wouldn't have time to keep up with them AND work more at the thrift store. I've been putting in a lot of long, intense days on the design work...not always getting paid that much, since I'm learning a ton as I go along and things often take me longer than they should. It's been stressful at times - I'll get an assignment and realize I really have no idea what I'm doing, and absolutely no inspiration for a good design. But God always comes through and overall it's going well so far. It's a lot of work (duh!), and sometimes it's pretty discouraging to keep getting turned down for one job after another - I could nearly write cover letters in my sleep now, I think, lol. But it's so clearly what God has placed before me to do right now, and by His grace I'm going to be the absolute BEST graphic designer I possibly can be, for His glory. :) A few of my recent projects are in my portfolio; others will be added later, after I get clearance from clients.
Okay, enough rambling for now. I'm going to give myself the luxury of signing on to chat tonight - been pushing pretty hard on graphic jobs for the last couple weeks and I want to catch up a little with friends if I can. :) Hope you all have a blessed week!
I was just realizing this morning that it's only been a bit over a month since the HSA Reunion and the big trip to CO. Wow...only a month? So much has happened since then. Guess that's why I haven't been posting here very much -- too busy living life to write about it. :)
See, after the Reunion Lindsey rode back with my sisters and I, and stayed for a week. We had a very full time, including visiting some HSA friends a couple hours away. Spending two weeks with Lindsey made her feel all the more like another sister, and it was sad to see her go.
The last weekend in August, my friend Lizzy, along with her husband and bro-in-law stopped by on their way to MI. I'd never met them before, though Lizzy and I have been friends online for years, and we had a great time of fellowship.
The next weekend, Labor Day, we had a semi-suprise visit from the MacDonald family. We knew they were coming through the area, but didn't know until the last minute if they'd be able to stop. As it worked out, they were able to stay for a day and a half - and what a grand time we had together. :D Like I posted on our family blog, we decided we must be long-lost cousins because our families have so much in common. :D Our time together was very refreshing and just FUN. Haven't laughed that much for a long time.
Joseph and Ami also visited over Labor Day weekend, staying until noon on Monday. The time seemed short, but it was great to see them again, and to get a little more adjusted to the exciting news that they have a little one on the way. Yay!!
The following weekend, I very nearly got to see my adopted little brother, David, again. Didn't end up working out, but it was close enough to count for something. ;)
And then last Thursday we got to see the MacDonald family a second time, as they had an unexpected additional concert in Iowa on their way back east. That was a grand surprise, and we thoroughly enjoyed getting to hear their full concert in person for the first time. Wow, that family has a lot of talent!! And of course we had a lot of fun conversation and goofy picture-taking and everything else. :D
On top of all this, we've had several shorter visits from church friends and times of just "happening" to run into friends in random places, like at the thrift store or the library. AND Susanna has a friend coming from CA tomorrow, who will be staying for a week. We've never met Brandy before, though she and Susanna have been penpals for years and she wrote quite a bit for HW. So it should be an interesting and fun week.
So yeah - we haven't exactly been lacking for fellowship or fun times with friends lately. And I nearly started laughing the other night as I was counting up all the people God's brought along just in these past few weeks. I know it's a direct response to several conversations I had with God a while back, telling Him I was feeling lonely. I didn't even ask Him to do anything about it...I was just whining and feeling sorry for myself. But He's sure been pouring out the blessings anyway. :) What a merciful Father we have! Amen? :)
I've also been reading some really good books lately - most notably "When it Hurts Too Much to Wait" by Larry Richards. It's one of the best, most solidly Scriptural and practical books that I've read on trusting God. And I have a whole stack of amazing books that I can't wait to get into when I get a chance. Somebody needs to stop me from buying more books before I end up burying myself, lol. The stacks on my desk and under my bed and in the closet just keep growing and growing. ;) But "it's good, it's good," as the Hispanic pastor at our church always says. One can't possibly have too many books. :D
I wrote a few months ago about the opportunity Susanna and I had of working at the thrift store 3-4 days a week, instead of the several days a month that we do currently. That ended up not working out after all because the number of customers coming through really dropped off around the middle of July and business has been so slow that we couldn't really justify being open more than 2-3 days a week. That was rather disappointing, but has actually worked out for the best. Now that I'm getting so many more graphic design jobs, I really wouldn't have time to keep up with them AND work more at the thrift store. I've been putting in a lot of long, intense days on the design work...not always getting paid that much, since I'm learning a ton as I go along and things often take me longer than they should. It's been stressful at times - I'll get an assignment and realize I really have no idea what I'm doing, and absolutely no inspiration for a good design. But God always comes through and overall it's going well so far. It's a lot of work (duh!), and sometimes it's pretty discouraging to keep getting turned down for one job after another - I could nearly write cover letters in my sleep now, I think, lol. But it's so clearly what God has placed before me to do right now, and by His grace I'm going to be the absolute BEST graphic designer I possibly can be, for His glory. :) A few of my recent projects are in my portfolio; others will be added later, after I get clearance from clients.
Okay, enough rambling for now. I'm going to give myself the luxury of signing on to chat tonight - been pushing pretty hard on graphic jobs for the last couple weeks and I want to catch up a little with friends if I can. :) Hope you all have a blessed week!